CORPORATE NEWS
Kaytech Reinforces Site of new Mamelodi Mall Kaytech’s quality separation, basal reinforcement and subgrade stabilisation solutions for the new Mamelodi Mall, east of Pretoria, resulted in significant savings for New Africa Development. After inspection, D & G Consulting Engineers encountered extremely weak clay subgrade that could neither support massive stormwater pipes nor future construction of the platforms for the structures. With the only conventional option being an expensive layer of dumprock (over one metre thick) to compensate for the low bearing capacity of the insitu soil, Kaytech was consulted to recommend a favourable solution. It was decided that RockGrid PC 100/100, Kaytech’s composite geotextile, would be installed as a separation and reinforcement layer in the bedding of the stormwater pipes. This solution helped facilitate a reduction in the layer of dumprock required. The PC 100/100 composite geotextile was used as the combination of a nonwoven separation layer in conjunction with high tenacity, biaxially orientated multifilament polyester yarns, giving RockGrid PC its exceptional characteristics; a high tensile modulus providing excellent reinforcement properties and, compared to polyethylene or polypropylene grids or woven fabrics, minimal creep deformation.
MANAGEMENT TIPS
GE Renewable Energy's digital hydro plant
Neoen secures 25year PPA for 54 MW solar project
GE Renewable Energy is attending Africa 2017 in Marrakesh, Morocco on 1416 March 2017; where it will present its complete portfolio to the attendees, with World Bank being among them. During the three-day event, GE Renewable Energy will showcase the Digital Hydro Plant, an umbrella of digital solutions that facilitates more dependability, output and profitability for consumers, appropriate for existing and new hydropower plants. GE’s Energy Financial Services has developed a lengthy track record of investing and bringing third-party capital into renewable energy projects. Bill Armstrong, Regional Leader for GE’s Hydro Solutions in Europe, Middle East and Africa said they have a far-reaching and balancing approach that conveys value to their customers under the shape of universal offerings that are optimized technically digitally and fiscally.
French
developer
independent
power
and producer
Neoen has signed a 25-year power purchase contract for a 54 MW PV project with ZESCO, Zambia’s public power utility. The plant will vend its power production to Zesco at a price of $0.0602 per KWh. The tariff is non-indexed and embodies the equivalent of $0.47 per KWh over contract life. The securing of the agreement highlights a huge step in the development of the project, which if finished will be Zambia’s biggest solar plant, and the first project executed in the frame of the Scaling Solar program, developed by the World Bank Group (IFC). The plant will be situated in the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone and will be developed under
Zambia’s
utility-scale
Independent Power Producers (IPP) scheme
Using technology to improve construction site safety
Site safety for construction projects has always been a matter of
reports through mobile access to project information and provides
concern. It is something that is difficult to track, as there are so many
the full project team instant access to the most up-to-date project
aspects that come with site safety management. There are a variety of
data. This allows for the reports to maintain consistency as well as
ways that technology can help better control risk, and it is up to you
accuracy. All of these aspects will allow for a better level of job site
to decide which ones to implement. However, these few thoughts will
safety. Shared collected data is another way that technology is helping
give you a head start.
to reduce the risk of on-site safety hazards. Systems that gather large
Inspection recording has always been a good way of helping with
quantities of information about the individual construction sites allow
the safety of construction sites. Being sure that everything is up to par
those who are controlling the safety of the site to better do their jobs.
is key to safety. Technology can specifically help out the inspection
Inspection records are only a part of this and play into a bigger picture
recording process in a few different ways. It improves inspectors’
of job site safety. New innovations are happening daily and they are providing exciting leaps forward in the safety of job sites. From new mobile friendly software to wearables, new technology is eliminating the old way of managing safety observations on paper, which could sit on a project manager’s desk for days or even weeks before risks were addressed. We hope these thoughts on technology and safety will help with your site safety in the long term. Technology is not the only way to ensure that your workers are safe, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.
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April 2017