IMIESA August 2019

www.infrastructurenews.co.za

IMESA The official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

i n f r a s t r u c t u r e d e v e lo p m e n t • B u i l d i n g • M a i n t e n a n c e • s e rv i c e d e l i v e ry

AfriSam

Cement & Concrete Municipalities need concrete specialists

Leading with green solutions

Industry Opinion

Creating opportunities in construction

Electrification

Exploring the energy mix

IN THE HOT SEAT As a company established in South Africa since 1924, we have a vested interest and commitment to growing South African capacity for steel pipe.”

Kenny van Rooyen Managing Director, Hall Longmore ISSN 0257 1978

V o l u m e 4 4 N o . 8 • A u g u s t 2 0 1 9 • R 5 5 . 0 0 ( i n c l . VAT )

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INSIDE

volume 44 no. 8 AUGUST 2019

Transport, Logistics, Vehicles & Equipment The art of earthmoving

www.infrastructurenews.co.za infrastructurenews.co.za

IMESA The official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

AfriSam

Cement & Concrete Municipalities need concrete specialists

Leading with green solutions

Industry Opinion

Creating opportunities in construction

Electrification

3

President’s comment

5

Index to advertisers MATURE PLANT CONCEPT

8 52

Cover Story Leading with green solutions

blematic relocation as well as favourable transport rgets of the engineers developing the new plant concept. plant, that is extremely fast in set up times due to its t plant design.

mpaction

Editor’s comment Africa round-up

Exploring the energy mix

CONCRETE-MIXING PLANT

d pneumatic e-installed

Water & Wastewater

Regulars

I N F R A S T R U C T U R E D E V E LO P M E N T • B U I L D I N G • M A I N T E N A N C E • S E RV I C E D E L I V E RY

49

6

Doing more with wastewater

28

Pipes, Pumps & Valves Valve solutions for the African continent

30

Vertical by design

31

Changing lives

33

The advantages of PVC-O pipelines

34

• Simple transport • Theoretical output capacity of 60 m³/h • Short assembling times

Great North Industrial Park, 20 van Wyk Road Brentwood Park, 9 3939, Fax + 27 11 849 8889, info.aza@ammann.com rvices please visit : www.ammann.com

Hot Seat

IN THE HOT SEAT As a company established in South Africa since 1924, we have a vested interest and commitment to growing South African capacity for steel pipe.”

Kenny van Rooyen Managing Director, Hall Longmore ISSN 0257 1978

V o l u m e 4 4 N o . 8 • A u g u s t 2 0 1 9 • R 5 5 . 0 0 ( i n c l . VAT )

Steel pipe for the long term

AfriSam is one of the world’s most progressive cementitious producers in terms of sustainable interventions and is a leader in concrete innovation. P6

Roads & Bridges

IN THE HOT SEAT South Africa’s existing water and sewer pipeline infrastructure is ageing and needs urgent refurbishment, but there is also great need for new installations to meet intensified population demand and renewed industrial growth in sectors that include energy. IMIESA speaks to Kenny van Rooyen, MD of Hall Longmore, about the current market.

P10

18

Geotechnical Engineering African drilling leader turns 30

10

Cement & Concrete

EME stands test of time

12

Tailored to execute tough concrete tasks

37

Embracing Industry 4.0

13

Carbon-fibre refurbishment

38

South Africa’s road network

14

Precast commuter shelters

38

Meeting regional demand

15

Modular reservoirs

39

Terramesh takes the traffic load

16

Municipalities need concrete specialists

41

Health & Safety Striving for zero harm

17

Driving municipal recycling programmes 44

Geotechnical Engineering African drilling leader turns 30

18

Founding Mozambique’s largest brewery 20

Industry Opinion Creating opportunities in construction

Waste Management

23

Electrification

Transport, Logistics, Vehicles & Equipment Expanding into new markets

47

The art of earthmoving

49

Harnessing portable power

50

Leaders in electricity infrastructure

25

Industry News

Exploring the energy mix

26

Jenny says farewell

34

Pipes, pumps & valves The advantages of PVC-O pipelines

41

52

Cement & Concrete Municipalities need concrete specialists

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Policy certainty and construction

T

MANAGING EDITOR Alastair Currie SENIOR JOURNALIST Danielle Petterson JOURNALIST Nombulelo Manyana Head OF DESIGN Beren Bauermeister Chief SUB-EDITOR Tristan Snijders ContributorS Randeer Kasserchun, John Roxburgh OPERATIONS & PRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh Botma Production COORDINATOR Jacqueline Modise financial MANAGER Andrew Lobban BOOKKEEPER Tonya Hebenton DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa Masina Distribution coordinator Asha Pursotham SUBSCRIPTIONS subs@3smedia.co.za Printers Paarl Media KZN +27 (0)31 714 4700 ___________________________________________________

he fact that South Africa has an ably led and independent Reserve Bank is a positive starting point for a multifaceted range of restructuring initiatives within SOEs and other public sector entities that include municipalities.

These initiatives need to take place sooner, rather than later. In most cases, the local and international investment community acknowledges that change will not happen immediately. However, with greater policy certainty assurances from government, and a workable plan of action, the financial markets will rebound if it’s clear that the funds lent are well spent, and there’s a positive return on investment.

Fixing Eskom is the burning issue. It’s a critical requirement for all investors, plus the ratings agencies that guide them. In July, Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni presented the Special Appropriation Bill for further debate by Parliament. Eskom’s spiralling debt presents the biggest single risk to South Africa’s economy and the country’s energy security, so it’s essential that the SOE can function effectively. The starting point is its stabilisation and then addressing its future. A proposed future split into three entities covering distribution, generation and transmission is inevitable.

To achieve Eskom’s medium- and longer-term objectives, the bill proposes providing an additional R26 billion and R33 billion in FY 2019/20 and FY 2020/21, respectively. That’s on top of the approximately R23 billion already allocated over the next three years.

Going forward, relying on a single power producer is no longer viable and South Africa needs to transition to a more varied energy mix, which includes renewables and cogeneration. That, in turn, will create major opportunities for the local manufacturing and construction sector.

The proposed R400 billion Infrastructure Fund put forward by government is largely dependent on private sector commitment and support. That will be strongly influenced by how effectively Eskom is unbundled into more niche and industry-competitive business units, in line with international benchmarks.

Fitch recently affirmed South Africa’s long-term foreign currency default rating (IDR) at BB+ but shifted the view from stable to negative. That means

Advertising Sales group sales manager Chilomia van Wijk key account manager Joanne Lawrie Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 / +27 (0)82 346 5338 Email: chilomia@3smedia.co.za ___________________________________________________

Publisher Jacques Breytenbach Novus Print (Pty) Ltd t/a 3S Media 46 Milkyway Avenue, Frankenwald, 2090 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 www.3smedia.co.za Annual subscription: R600.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR. © Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. ___________________________________________________ IMESA CONTACTS HEAD OFFICE: Manager: Ingrid Botton P.O. Box 2190, Westville, 3630 Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263 Email: admin@imesa.org.za Website: www.imesa.org.za BORDER Secretary: Celeste Vosloo Tel: +27 (0)43 705 2433 Email: celestev@buffalocity.gov.za EASTERN CAPE Secretary: Susan Canestra Tel: +27 (0)41 585 4142 ext. 7 Email: imesaec@imesa.org.za KWAZULU-NATAL Secretary: Ingrid Botton Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263 Email: imesakzn@imesa.org.za NORTHERN PROVINCES Secretary: Ollah Mthembu Tel: +27 (0)82 823 7104 Email: np@imesa.org.za SOUTHERN CAPE KAROO Secretary: Henrietta Olivier Tel: +27 (0)79 390 7536 Email: imesasck@imesa.org.za WESTERN CAPE Secretary: Michelle Ackerman Tel: +27 (0)21 444 7114 Email: imesawc@imesa.org.za FREE STATE & NORTHERN CAPE Secretary: Wilma Van Der Walt Tel: +27 (0)83 457 4362 Email: imesafsnc@imesa.org.za All material herein IMIESA is copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher.

The views of the authors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers. _____________________________________________ Novus Holdings is a Level 1 Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Contributor, with 135% recognised procurement recognition.

View our BBBEE scorecard here: https://novus.holdings/sustainability/transformation MATURE

Alastair Infrastructure News

IMESA magazine The official of the Institute Engineerin g of Municipal Africa of Southern

INFRASTR

E V E LO P M UCTURE D

LDING ENT • BUI

NA • MAINTE

E RY ICE DELIV N C E • S E RV

AfriSam

rete Ceme nt & Conc need

Leading with green solutions

es Munic ipaliti lists concre te specia

ion Indus try Opin tunitie s Creati ng oppor in constr uction

Elect rifica tion y mix ing the energ Explor

Cover opportunity

In each issue, IMIESA offers advertisers the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the journal. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the cover story and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings, contact Joanne Lawrie on +27 (0)82 346 5338.

transport

its times times due to of the engineers Fast installation main targets fast in set up is extremely for were the dimensions CBT plant, that new Ammann plant design.

Result is the s and compact folding mechanism • Simple transport of 60 m³/h compaction l output capacity s needed, soil • Theoretica • No foundation times is sufficient Short assembling of 250 kN/m² and pneumatic • – Plants electric • Plug & Play pre-installed are completely ts componen Park, Wyk Road Brentwood Park, 20 van North Industrial 8889, info.aza@ammann.com Unit 3 Great + 27 11 849 Machinery, nn.com 849 3939, Fax Ammann Construction www.amma Tel. + 27 11 please visit : South Africa, and services Benoni 1500, information product For additional Group -EN | © Ammann PMP-1236-01

Rebuilding capacity at local government level is definitely part of the longer-term solution. The latest Auditor-General (AG) report on municipal performance showed an overall decline in the audit results for the 2017/18 period. Debt remained an issue, with 34% of municipalities operating at deficit.

The figure recorded was around R5.8 billion. This was compounded by irregular expenditure overall amounting to some R25.2 billion.

However, despite the challenges, the report noted that a number of municipalities have been able to consistently achieve a clean audit year-on-year, thanks to best practice outcomes and “a stable leadership that is committed to a strong control environment and effective governance.”

Shortcomings on infrastructure delivery still remain a key concern, impacted by underspending on municipal grants, poor maintenance interventions, and unsupervised and/or delayed projects. Across the board, non-compliance with supply chain management legislation needs to be urgently addressed.

Inefficiencies in the management of roads, water and sanitation were highlighted. In a number of instances, condition assessments were not carried out and no maintenance plans were in place.

The outcome of the AG’s report is that far stricter monitoring and performance measures are now being implemented. That’s excellent news.

Like the changes taking place at Eskom, re-establishing fiscal management and control at municipal level will yield dividends for the construction sector. The road ahead remains positive.

@infrastructure4 a .za s.co.z ws.co renew urene tructu infrasstruct www.infra

60 ELBA as well as AMMANN CBT and unproblematic relocation developing the new plant concept. favourable

State of the municipal sector

To our avid readers, check out what we are talking about on our website, Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and have your say.

PLANT CONCEPT

NG PLANT CONCRETE-MIXI

the longer-term outlook is still reasonable, but there’s now a much shorter timeframe in which we need to convince the markets that real change is happening.

a vested interest 1924, we havepipe.”

SEAT ed in South Africa since for steel IN THE HOT establish African capacity As a company to growing South ent Hall Longmore and commitm Managing Director, Kenny van Rooyen 4 Vo l u m e 4 1978 ISSN 0257

VAT ) .00 (incl.

19 • R55 August 20 No. 8 •

IMIESA August 2019

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President’s comment

IMESA

Training and retraining for excellence

Randeer Kasserchun, president, IMESA

T

hat role rests with municipal engineers and in-house project managers, working with their financial counterparts, to ensure that meaningful execution takes place. This inevitably means that municipal engineers will need to advance their understanding of how projects are costed. They will then be in a better position to interrogate the proposed and anticipated outcomes within the budgets allocated, working in conjunction with the external professional team.

This equally applies to how any development is progressively completed. Modern-day tools like artificial intelligence, BIM, virtual reality, drone surveys, and simulation software enable far more precise programme and project management. In fact, we are all becoming digital engineers.

The Auditor-General (AG) of South Africa’s repor t for the 2017/18 year on municipal per formance shows an overall downward trend on expected outcomes. While the root cause is largely due to financial management, the AG’s findings focus on the need for strong, consistent leadership to ensure municipalities run profitably and meet ser vice deliver y and infrastructure targets.

Institute training initiative IMESA has responded to the need for skills enhancement by rolling out a series of training interventions. Current and future courses are aimed at equipping municipal engineers to become far more effective in implementing the change we need to see in every South African town and city. We are committed to providing key skills where they are needed most.

In terms of current course content, IMESA and North-West University (NWU Potchefstroom Campus) have compiled a one-day course, entitled ‘Capacity Building Guidelines in Urban and Regional Planning’. Facilitated by Professor CB Schoeman from NWU, on behalf of IMESA, the first training programme was held in Kimberley during May 2019, followed by Mbombela and Newcastle in July and August.

The subject material underscores my view that municipal engineers need to embrace a more multidisciplinary approach. That will ensure more effective integration with allied municipal built-environment professionals, including architects, quantity surveyors, construction managers, electrical engineers and town planners.

Responding to the AG’s report Turning back to the AG’s findings, one of the key issues within municipalities going forward is the need to eliminate irregular expenditure, which amounted to some R21.2 billion during the 2017/18 period. Although this is lower than the approximately R27.6 billion figure reported for 2016/17, it’s still a massive number. Either way, it’s not an improvement, as some 46% of municipalities could not provide absolute data on their final figures. Just imagine the number of construction projects that could have been funded and correctly built with this money.

It all boils down to ineffective procurement and supply chain spending. A hit-and-miss approach is clearly not acceptable and the newly enacted Public Audit Amendment Act (No. 4 of 2018), effective 1 April 2019, will now allow the AG to intervene, as required, at any point during a municipal financial year to challenge and verify governed expenditure.

The AG’s findings hinge on fixing two key areas, namely municipal financial health, and how municipal infrastructure is maintained and delivered. Whether it’s about housing, schools, hospitals, electrification, roads, water or sanitation, IMESA and its broad-based municipal engineering network are committed to creating an enabling environment that empowers communities and the economy.

IMIESA August 2019

5

AfriSam’s blending and packing facility in Lesotho

Richard Tomes, sales and marketing executive, AfriSam

Leading with green solutions

AfriSam is one of the world’s most progressive cementitious producers in terms of sustainable inter ventions and is a leader in concrete innovation.

W

ithin the context of a subdued economy in South Africa, AfriSam continues to gain ground and add value as the country’s leading blackcontrolled building and construction materials group. Operations are based in South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and Tanzania, where all regions continue to demonstrate growth and profitability. In its main markets, current cement production capacity for South Africa

is approximately 4.5 Mtpa (million tonnes per annum), with Tanzania able to produce around 1.2 Mtpa.

Although a much smaller market compared to South Africa, Lesotho offers significant prospects for medium- to longer-term growth from AfriSam’s perspective. This view is supported by the infrastructure preparation work already under way ahead of the construction of the Polihali Dam and transfer tunnel. The latter form the core components of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

Moving forward, a key success factor across the board has been AfriSam’s ability to continually re-engineer its operations to improve production efficiencies, which includes lowering its carbon footprint across all operations. Running in parallel with these initiatives has been the launch of a series of green cement products for the civils and building markets, which pass on cost and environmental savings.

AfriSam supplied 26 of the 33 projects entered in the 2019 Fulton Awards.

The Norval Foundation project won in the Innovation in Concrete category

AfriSam’s Project Green Cement was launched in 2000 to increase the use of extenders from other industries. These include slag supplied via its Vanderbijlpark operation. The company’s Eco Building Cement was subsequently introduced in May 2010. Comprising around 65% slag, this product has a carbon footprint that is roughly half that of a CEM1OPC. Another green innovation is AfriSam’s Eco Readymix brand series, namely Starmix, FoundationMix and RetainerMix, all of which are custom developed to suit constructionspecific applications. The carbon footprint of Eco Readymix has been reduced by between 46% and 51% compared to typical industry concrete, depending on the compressive strength, and designed to meet 70 MPa and higher requirements.

Fulton Awards 2019 The assertion that AfriSam is renowned for its cement and readymix concrete formulations is well illustrated by the fact that 26 of 33 the projects entered for the Concrete Society of Southern Africa’s 2019 Fulton Awards were supplied by AfriSam. These include the Norval Foundation project in Steenberg, Cape Town, which won in the Innovation in Concrete category.

The Norval Foundation is a modern pavilion for art, featuring a concrete frame superstructure designed to achieve large spans void of internal column support. The Fulton Awards entry submission states that the primary internal and external finish comprised a combination of polished concrete, smooth Class 1 precast

Cover Story Dudfield

Project Green Cement was launched in 2000 to increase the use of extenders from other industries

concrete panels and textured precast concrete panels. The end result: a new landmark architectural icon.

Regional growth in South Africa “In terms of overall growth, we’re achieving good traction nationally, given present trading conditions, with a particularly strong performance in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng. Across the board, the residential and commercial building segments remain positive, but civils supply opportunities are still at low levels, given the prolonged contraction in public sector tender activity. We are optimistic that this picture will change towards the end of 2019 and going into 2020, as government’s infrastructure investment plans come into effect,” explains Richard Tomes, sales and marketing executive, AfriSam. Johannesburg’s Sandton commercial business district continues to see a number of new buildings gracing the skyline. Foremost among these is the Leonardo development.

Built at a cost of around R2 billion, the Leonardo topped out in April 2019 and now claims to be the tallest building in Africa: a 55-storey mixed-use development with a final height of 234 m. A major portion of the readymix concrete components was supplied

by AfriSam. Readymix is a core business for AfriSam, accounting for around 4 Mtpa.

the cement industry has been in recessionary mode since Q2 2018 and it’s estimated that there’s now between 25% to 35% excess cement capacity in South Africa.

“Cement prices are currently at 2009/10 levels, so they’re definitely not in line with inflation. Plus, the South African market is still exposed to cut-price imports, which exacerbates local trading conditions,” says Tomes.

“So, given the fact that present volumes are not there in terms of industry expectations, this has placed major emphasis on the need to curtail overheads, without compromising performance. In response, we’ve invested in world-class technologies that position AfriSam as arguably the most progressive company in Africa when it comes to sustainable cement production processes,” says Tomes.

Ahead of the Carbon Tax

Ahead of its time, in 2009, AfriSam was already the first in the industry to introduce a CO2 rating system. This indicates the carbon footprint of each of its cement products relative to ordinary Portland cement.

“That was well before the advent of the new Carbon Tax, introduced in June 2019. We knew it was coming, but not the exact date it would be enacted. We support the Carbon Tax as an important initiative; however, its timing now imposes an additional cost during Responding to change these tough economic times. That means “Our ability to adapt to current and future our processes need to become even more scenarios, while continuing to innovate, truly efficient.” sets AfriSam apart from our competitors,” South Africa is currently ranked within the says Tomes. “We all know that the only thing top 10 per capita CO2 emitters in the world.

Additionally, as a country, it contributes that remains constant is change within the around 1% to overall greenhouse gas world’s present Industry 4.0 environment.”

Up to five years ago, AfriSam had already emissions. Within this context, the cement manufacturing sector is a major generator embarked on a revised business approach in of CO2, plus it is very process and energy response to an anticipated downturn in the intensive. For example, it requires around construction sector, which has turned out to 1.5 t of limestone to produce 1 t of clinker. be the most severe in decades. Effectively, Despite this, over the AfriSam’s Dudfield cement operation was commissioned in 1965 last 10 years, AfriSam has still managed to reduce its overall energy consumption by as much as 35%.

AfriSam has a proven track record of implementing environmentally responsible initiatives pre-dating the 1990s.

“We’re currently the only producer in Southern Africa to annually measure metals and dioxins in kiln emissions in compliance with stringent EC limits,” says Tomes.

“AfriSam was also the first in the industry to install bag-house filter technology for kiln emissions at its Dudfield plant in the North West province, in 2006.”

One of two fully integrated cement plants based in South Africa, Dudfield is a prime example of how the company has continued to modernise its operations. “It’s important to emphasise that producers investing in the cement sector need to take a longer-term view, extending to 30 years or more, which clearly requires an expert understanding of the evolving market. AfriSam has adopted this view from inception,” he points out.

Dudfield started out as a limestone mining operation in 1949, with the mined material transported to the group’s Roodepoort kiln for processing. Today, Dudfield has a mining licence area of 3 608 ha and proven limestone reserves of around 65 years.

The first of three kilns was commissioned at Dudfield in 1965, followed by Kiln 2 in 1972. Kiln 3, first commissioned in 1977, was upgraded in 2003. Another noteworthy milestone was the installation of the first cement roller press in South Africa, at Dudfield in 1992.

“We’ve improved the output of our kilns at Dudfield and our other cement processing facilities in South Africa and Tanzania, revised our distribution methods, and right-sized our business: we’re now ready for the anticipated upturn, which is long overdue,” says Tomes.

“Combined with this is a concerted focus on internal and external skills programmes via our various training and development centres. For contractors and professionals, we’re also rolling out new apps that will aid in specifying and bidding on contracts.

This forms part of our combined solutions offering and commitment to industry,” Tomes concludes.

www.afrisam.co.za

IMIESA August 2019

7

INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS

FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT

Cameroon Reducing road costs Cameroon is seeking strategies to reduce the construction cost of roads in a bid to expand its road network.

The Cameroonian road network covers a total of 123 294 km – a large portion of which needs to be upgraded. According to Public Works Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, only 48% of the country’s national roads, 7% of regional roads and 2% of council roads are paved.

Djoumessi has put forward a number of suggestions to lower costs, including resizing of roads to reduce the costs of earthworks and pavements, and refining public procurement with rigorous technical studies in compliance, and regulatory requirements for the maturation of investment projects.

Other suggestions included sharing risk through publicprivate partnerships, influencing materials costs and the systematisation of technical and financial audits.

Lastly, Djoumessi recommended the establishment of an inclusive roads industry, with a few national champions and the upgrading of categorised and specialised SMMEs, with the ultimate goal of increasing the length of the country’s paved roads at a relatively low cost.

Cameroon is seeking ways to reduce the construction cost of roads

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IMIESA August 2019

Ghana Enhancing trade through corridors The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved an US$81.67 million (R1.14 billion) loan to co-finance sections of the 695 km Eastern Corridor road in Ghana, linking the capital, Accra, with the northern hinterland and across the borders to the Sahel region.

Other lenders for the project are the Opec Fund for International Development, the Ghanaian government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is financing a connecting bridge across the Volta River.

The $113.27 million (R1.58 billion) project covers 60 km of roads, two interchanges and related civil works incorporating community support initiatives to help improve livelihoods in the catchment area. These include the rehabilitation of schools and health facilities, construction of markets and agro-processing facilities for livestock, fish, cassava, fruits and cereals, in addition to skills training.

The project is expected to address the needs of an estimated 230 000 people and impact the lives of over 5.4 million inhabitants by reducing travel and transit times, supporting education and health services delivery while the agricultural potential of the rural areas will be transformed.

Kenya Promoting Vision 2030 In an effort to help Kenya achieve its Vision 2030 objective of becoming a middle-income industrialised country, the World Bank board has granted the country a US$750 million (R10.48 billion) credit.

The operation lends support to the government’s ‘Big Four’ agenda, which prioritises agriculture, affordable housing, universal health coverage, and manufacturing.

By supporting the advancement of digitisation through the creation of the national digital ID and pushing for access to internet services for all Kenyans, the facility will enhance service delivery by the government to its citizens, and reduce the need for face-to- face interactions and corruption opportunities.

Kenya’s ‘Big Four’ agenda will reduce housing construction costs by removing major regulatory constraints

40%

Mozambique A transmission backbone Developed as an integrated operation including both public and private investments, the Temane Regional Electricity Project (TREP) will support the construction of a 563 km highvoltage transmission line between Maputo and Vilanculos/Temane, as well as a private sector financing of a 400 MW combined-cycle gas-to-power generation plant at Temane.

The project will be enabled through US$420 million (R5.87 billion) in funding from the International Development Association, with the ultimate goal of strengthening the generation and transmission of power within Mozambique and Southern Africa.

The project is also expected to enable private investment of around $750 million (R10.5 billion) for generation.

The TREP is part of the transmission backbone of Mozambique, designed to integrate its disjointed northern, central and southern power systems, and strengthen regional connectivity to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

The project is integral to the efforts of the SAPP to increase the generation capacity and expand the regional transmission network, create conditions to provide access to millions of people in the region living without electricity, and reduce the carbon intensity of Southern African power systems.

Access to safe water remains below 40% in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province

563 km A 563 km high-voltage transmission line is to be constructed between Maputo and Temane, Mozambique

48%

In housing, the operation will remove major regulator y constraints that developers face, help them lower construction costs, and thereby increase the supply of less-expensive housing units. The reforms supported by the operation will unlock the availability of longer-term home loans and catalyse the development of the housing finance market in Kenya, which is expected to triple the proportion of households in Kenya who have access to a mortgage.

The operation will also provide support to the government’s medium-term fiscal consolidation plan by supporting measures to improve revenue mobilisation, public expenditure and the prudent management of

Kenya’s debt. It also supports reforms to enhance private sector participation in the inclusive growth process.

Zambia Providing clean water and sanitation The European Investment Bank has teamed up with the EU’s external action ser vice in a bid to provide clean water and adequate sanitation to citizens in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, bordering on the DRC. The financing will help the Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) implement the Mulonga Peri-Urban Water and Sanitation Action. This initiative is part of the broader Zambia Water and Sanitation Project for the rehabilitation and expansion of water

and wastewater ser vices of MWSC. The overall project will ensure urgently needed improvement to MWSC’s water and sanitation ser vices: most of the existing infrastructure is over 50 years old and is, therefore, struggling to meet growing demand.

“The Copperbelt is the second most populous region of Zambia, with around two million people, out of which 60% is estimated to live in low-income, peri-urban areas, where access to safe water remains typically below 40%.

The entire project is expected to benefit 350 000 people in total, most of which will gain access to clean water for the first time,” says Zambia’s Minister of Finance, Margaret Mwanakatwe.

Only 48% of Cameroon’s national roads are paved

$750 million Mozambique’s Temane Regional Electricity Project will enable private investment of some US$750 million

IMIESA August 2019

9

HOT SEAT

Steel pipe for the long term Kenny van Rooyen, MD, Hall Longmore

South Africa’s existing water and sewer pipeline infrastructure is ageing and needs urgent refurbishment, but there is also great need for new installations to meet intensified population demand and renewed industrial growth in sectors that include energy. IMIESA speaks to Kenny van Rooyen, MD of Hall Longmore, about the current market.

What’s your viewpoint on the present trading conditions?

KvR While we have achieved sustained orders locally, the well-reported contraction in infrastructure procurement spending remains a concern for us and the industry in general.

We have a strong export base, which supplements domestic demand; but as a company established in South Africa since 1924, we have a vested interest and commitment to growing South African capacity for steel pipe.

In our home market, our future order book is lower than should be expected, given the clear infrastructure

10

IMIESA August 2019

priorities, placing pressure on some of our business units.

As one of South Africa’s niche manufacturers and suppliers in a highly capital-intensive and skilled industry sector, this is clearly a concern. We believe further and urgent interaction with key government stakeholders is required to arrest a further contraction in an essential infrastructure service, especially when it comes to bulk water delivery.

It’s also worrying to note, which we’re finding it increasingly difficult to adequately insure contractors through credit insurance companies that are slowly withdrawing from the sector.

Has the sector received clarification from the Department of Trade and Industry on local content protection measures for ERW (electrical resistance welding) pipe 500 mm in diameter and below?

We have received some clarification on this matter, but the tariff positions on this remain an issue for the following reasons: - Certain steel types (e.g. imported ductile iron) are still being specified by consulting engineers at the expense of locally produced products.

- The tariff applicable to products being imported is

not sufficient to swing the price to local product. Local steel pipe manufacturers find it difficult to compete with Asian imports, as a result of upstream subsidies afforded to ArcelorMittal SA. - Where we found selfdesignation has been applied, the actual enforcement of compliance is lacking. SANS has been specified as the sole verification agent and is found to be non-responsive and under-resourced to fulfil this task.

Where are ERW pipes recommended for water and wastewater applications?

Mainly where there is a pressurised requirement to transport water or wastewater from point A to B. Therefore, it’s a vital pipeline infrastructure component.

How does this compare with spiral pipe applications?

ERW steel pipe has high dimensional accuracy, uniform thickness, surface quality and

HOT SEAT pressure advantages, but is suitable for the production of small- to medium-sized pipes up to ND 600 mm.

Spiral-welded pipes offer a bigger range of bores for bulk water infrastructure applications.

The manufacturing process can accommodate a thicker wall of pipe depending on design pressure requirements. In terms of terrain and distance, these pipes can be offered in extralong lengths of up to 19.2 m, which makes the overall price of installation more cost-effective.

The nature of spiral pipe manufacturing also allows for non-standard diameters. This is appealing to the likes of Rand Water, which often needs to match pipelines already in place.

However, non-standard pipes can also mean non-standard flanges, fittings, pump and valve connections. So, due care and attention must be shown when going this route.

Does the renewable energy market present good opportunities?

Yes, we believe there’s huge growth opportunity locally as well as within cross-border markets. Hall Longmore has a successful track record in manufacturing solar torque tubes to international standards.

This was done on the following two major projects: - Ilanga – 1 CSP Plant, Upington, Northern Cape, 5 320 units @ OD 610 mm x 4 mm - Kathu – 1 CSP Plant, Kathu, Northern Cape, 1 000 units @ OD 750 mm x 3.2 mm.

Hall Longmore installed a brand-new spiral-weld facility at its Duncanville plant during 2016 to specifically cater for concentrated solar power plants. This exceptional facility can manufacture large-bore, but thin-walled tubes, utilised as structural components in the building of these solar farms. We collectively supplied over 20 000 units during the manufacture and supply of

these torque tubes to the above-mentioned projects.

In terms of cathodic protection (CP), what are the shortfalls that need highlighting as an installation and maintenance priority?

The major problems with CP are predominately the production of hydrogen, cathodic disbonding, and cathodic shielding. All of these problems can be controlled and managed, first, by proper planning of specifications based on the soil samples where the pipe is to be installed and, second, by regular maintenance. Although some of these pre-planning specifications can be costly, they are imperative to ensure the correct lifespan of a pipeline.

Since a pipeline is a major asset to the respective utility or municipality, its protection is paramount. A properly maintained and protected steel pipeline should theoretically last 100 years, so the initial expense of CP may seem prohibitive at the outset; however, over the pipeline lifespan, it becomes a negligible cost.

CP is a specialised discipline.

We advise any end user or their consultant to first complete a geotechnical survey to establish the soil resistivity, taking into account the proposed pipeline’s proximity to railway lines and overhead power lines that could potentially conduct harmful electrical currents. A reputable corrosion technology consultant will then assess and recommend a CP system bespoke to that particular pipeline.

What’s Hall Longmore’s oldest actively working pipeline?

Since Hall Longmore’s origins go back nearly 100 years, we don’t have a complete record of every installation, as some of the manually recorded data has been lost. However, we do have records on older installations

Recently completed and current supply projects Completed

- Chris Hani Municipality – Lubisi Scheme - Rand Water Phase 1

Current supply projects

- Rand Water Phase 2 - Nsezi, City of Cape Town, Zulti South (Contractor: WBHO) - Kuruman Phase 2 (Contractor: Base Major) - Moretele South (Contractor: Murray and Dickson) - Makhado West – Phase 3 , Part 3 (Contractor: Africa Bembe/Tipucab JV) - Sedibeng Water – Balance of Namakwa Regional Scheme - Lwandlana Reservoir (Contractor: Mnandi Civils) - Ulundi Reservoir (Contractor: Pilcon Projects) - Mandlakazi Portion (Contractor: WKSA)

on some of the West Rand mines that still have rolled and riveted pipes in service.

That’s remarkable.

We also believe there are lines for Magalies Water and the City of Cape Town that have been in service for around 70 years.

Almost all of the regional water boards and major metros have steel pipelines in service from the late 1970s, early 1980s.

How does steel measure up to alternatives like GRP, PVC and concrete when it comes to lifecycle costing?

In high-pressure applications, steel has a significant advantage over all the above-mentioned alternatives mainly due to durability in the long term (whole project life). The alternatives (although cheaper) will generally have to be replaced long before steel would need to be.

Steel also has a much more significant recycle value at the end of its lifespan, which, depending on the inflationary environment, can have a big impact on a project.

It is worth noting that PVC and GRP fare better in highly corrosive, lowerpressure environments.

What’s the future outlook for steel pipe in South Africa?

Due to the significant financial constraints permeating the government infrastructure spending environment, major investment has been placed on hold or interrupted, with disastrous consequences for the industry. South Africa, with its growing population, requires a minimum level of infrastructure investment in order to service the growing demand for water.

This will result in a catch-up at some point in time that should see the opportunity for the industry to make a recovery.

The construction and mining sectors are normally indicators of future growth and business.

Unfortunately, the construction sector is severely constrained, with only the mining sector displaying some buoyancy at present. However, we’re confident that pipeline growth will see a lasting resurgence.

Established in 1924

www.hall-longmore.co.za

IMIESA August 2019

11

Roads & Bridges

EME stands test of time

N

ational Asphalt’s first official paving trial was completed on South Coast Road, a transit route into the Port of Durban.

“The heavy traffic load of large trucks carrying containers and goods in and out of the port meant that the road was lasting only about three months between repairs,” says Dave Bennett, general manager, National Asphalt. “We replaced the road with an EME asphalt about six years ago and it is still holding up well to this day.”

Since then, National Asphalt has laid down about a million tonnes of EME on the country’s roads, mainly in Durban to serve the high-wearing bus lanes in the city’s rapid transit network, as well as on the N3. In a more recent project and as a first for the City of Cape Town, EME is being used on a new circle intersection on Jan Smuts Street. It was also installed in the Western Cape’s famous Huguenot Tunnel.

Added strength Using a hard grade of bitumen, EME imparts a high stiffness and structural strength to the pavement. The added

12

IMIESA August 2019

Developed in France in the 1990s by road construction specialists Colas, EME (highmodulus asphalt) has been applied locally by National Asphalt with great success.

strength even allows for the road’s layer thickness to be reduced by about 30% on average, with the associated cost benefits. EME asphalts of the same thickness have a lifespan of 5 to 10 times that of regular asphalt.

In spite of its inherent stiffness, EME binder has very good workability and compactability. This means that no specialised production method is required; however, attention to detail during the paving operation is extremely important and only experienced contractors should install EME, as there is no room for error.

“Experienced contractors will find that there’s no difference in the roadbuilding process when using EME, as it lays like conventional asphalt,” Bennett explains.

ABOVE With its capacity to resist heavy vehicles, EME can add years of extra life to roads BELOW Application of EME by a National Asphalt paving team

He highlights that the roll-out of rapid transit bus routes in a number of South Africa’s cities presents an ideal opportunity for the authorities to benefit from this cost-effective asphalt technology.

“With its capacity to resist the impact of heavy buses, EME can add years of extra life to these roads,” says Bennett. “The savings of maintenance costs by metropolitan councils would be significant, not to mention avoiding the transport disruption that roadwork invariably causes.”

Roads & Bridges

Embracing Industry 4.0 Rapidly increasing traffic volumes are taking their toll on South Africa’s roads, necessitating effective asset management by government, municipalities and traffic authorities to keep the countr y’s wheels turning.

R

ecognising the need for cutting-edge road maintenance solutions, Durban-based VNA Consulting – a 100% black empowered company – has fully immersed itself in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, recently acquiring a major Australian enterprise and investing significantly in sophisticated, state-of-the-art pavement strength-testing and road surveying equipment.

Industry 4.0 heralds a high-speed and fundamental technological change in the way people live and work, unlocking the ability for leaders and business to harness convergent technologies, giving effect to a future that is both inclusive and human-centred.

The VNA Group ramped up its own technology drive in the road survey equipment field through the acquisition of the equipment assembly and software business of the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB), leading

to the establishment of Automated Road Rehabilitation Business Systems South Africa (ARRB Systems SA). The move puts ARRB Systems SA on track to becoming a leading road asset management service provider in South Africa, the SADC region and around the world.

According to Vikash Narsai, chairman, ARRB Systems SA, “We live in an era of exceptional technological advancement, driven by speedy, high-tech breakthroughs and the immense impact new systems are having on countries, cities and society in meeting their disparate requirements.”

ARRB Systems SA has access to such internationally acclaimed equipment as the Intelligent Pavement Assessment Vehicle (iPAVe), Intelligent Surface Assessment Vehicle (iSAVe), Digital Laser Profiler, GipsiTrac Geometry, Hawkeye Onlooker Live and Hawkeye Processing Toolkit series, as well as

the Walking Profiler G3, Roughometer III and IV, and the Hawkeye Insight apparatus.

“With this equipment, we are able to offer the benefits of sophisticated and hugely advanced technology and have in place highly qualified staff, experienced in pavement data collection. We are set to rapidly accelerate ARRB Systems SA’s footprint development across South Africa, Africa and the rest of the developing world, providing roads authorities and pavement engineers with exceptional data and scalable solutions, from which to make early and informed decisions regarding key road infrastructure maintenance,” says Narsai.

The company, whose equipment is utilised around the world to measure the quality of road networks, is intent on continuously meeting international market standards and applies the latest product technology trends to meet the requirements of its users.

www.arrbsystemssa.co.za

IMIESA August 2019

13

Roads & Bridges

South Africa’s road network

10TH LONGEST

750 000KM

591 876KM

ROAD NETWORK LENGTH (2015)

ROAD NETWORK INTERNATIONALLY

GRAVEL ROADS

36.48%

158 124KM

OF ROADS FALL UNDER MUNICIPALITIES

PAVED ROADS

VE

E REPAIR CO CL S I H

ENT COST CID S N I

14.9%

15.8%

69.3% TO

TS

CASUALTY CO AN

S ST

HU M

Total social cost of Road Traffic Crashes - RTCs - (R million)

Fatal

Gene their

Pay i due t

Pay f oper

Poor tax r

High incom

Afflu newe to us

Mov subs comp freig there

ROADS ARE NOT PROCLAIMED

34.26%

30

SOUTH AFRICA’S NATIONAL ROADS

17.59%

ROAD NETWORK VALUE

L = R99 0

3 120KM

PAVED ROAD NETWORK

R1.2 - R2 TRILLION

TA

TOLL ROADS

18TH LONGEST

OF ROAD NETWORK FALLS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF INDIVIDUAL PROVINCES

TO

ROA

TA

L = R21 3

Major

TO

26

Minor

TA

L = R22 5

8.82%

OF ROADS FALL UNDER METROPOLITAN CITIES

DID YOU KNOW? Four key costs of vehicle use to society: Road accidents (crashes)

95

Damage only

Urb

Arou

Peop

52%

62%

Source

Environmental pollution

Road damage

Source: 2017 Road Traffic Management Corporation Report (RTMC) report

Cost Category Total Cost

Fatal

Major

Minor

Damage only

Total

R60 569

R30 716

R20 189

R31 477

R142 951

Congestion

form or another, road users pay for the use of a road. If It’s not in money, it might be in time “ In some in the case of congestion or in vehicle operating cost where the road is not in ideal condition. “ Source: South African Road Federation

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IMIESA August 2019

o

Roads & Bridges

Meeting regional demand Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2019 is no mean feat and underscores Ammann’s ability to evolve in meeting the needs of both developed and developing construction markets.

A

mmann South Africa continues to grow its machine and plant population within the Southern African region. Recent orders in 2019 include the supply of Ammann asphalt plants to customers based in Zimbabwe and Botswana.

These orders entail two Ammann Counter Flow 120 (120 tonne output) plants, plus a DrumMix 90 (90 tonne) unit. One of the Zimbabwean orders is for Instant Tar, an existing customer who already owns and operates an Ammann Counter Flow 90 continuous mixing plant in South Africa.

In addition to its DrumMix 90 plant, Zimbabwebased Fossil Contracting has also placed orders for Ammann AFW700-2 pavers and ARS122 soil compactors, and is in discussion regarding AP240 ABOVE Ammann’s AFW 700-2 paver has an operating weight of approximately 17.5 t and has a placement thickness capability range from -150 mm up to +310 mm. Standard working widths range from 2 550 mm to 5 100 mm. This can be increased to 6 600 mm with mechanical extensions BELOW The Ammann Elba CBT 60 SL concrete mixing plant: the CBT series is extremely fast to set up due to its folding mechanisms and compact plant design

pneumatic tyred rollers and ARX 91 articulated tandem rollers.

Ammann South Africa’s machine range is sold and supported in Southern Africa by its appointed dealer, ELB Equipment. The OEM’s asphalt and cement plant range is directly managed by Ammann, which includes commissioning, servicing and maintenance.

Ammann’s €85 million (R1.33 billion) state-of-the-art factory in Ahmedabad, India, produces a range of pavers, compaction machines and asphalt plants, with selected units imported for the Southern African region. The balance of the Ammann machine, cement and asphalt plant range is manufactured at Ammann factories based in Europe, as well as other global centres.

“We’ve developed a two-pronged approach for the South African market to ensure that we meet the needs of SMMEs, as well as top-tier, CIDB-graded contractors,” explains Rocco Lehman, managing director, Ammann South Africa.

The machines and plants produced in Ahmedabad are 100% Ammann for the export market, but with more simplified specifications that make them especially price-competitive for developing markets.

SMME initiatives One of Ammann’s strategic goals is to work with public sector stakeholders to create an enabling environment for SMME contractors, so that they can gain a foothold in the construction industry. That includes providing flexible packages, such a rent-to-own option and outright purchase.

Ammann’s compact equipment line-up is ideal for smaller-scale contractors, with units like the ARW 65 walk-behind roller, and the 2.7 t ARX 26 light tandem vibratory roller being

The Ammann ARX 26 tandem roller delivers 47 kN of compaction force while working flush to curbs and other obstructions

popular choices. To support its SMME drive, ELB Equipment has appointed a light compact equipment specialist to focus on the South African market.

Cement plants Alongside its asphalt series, Ammann supplies a range of concrete mixing plant solutions, available in stationary, semi-mobile and fully mobile versions. These modular designs provide the flexibility to customise for current and future requirements. Units available for the Southern African market comprise the Elba CBT 60 SL and CBT 130 SL, with their 60 m3 and 130 m3 capacities, respectively.

These are wet-mix plants designed for road-legal transportation – just two opentop containers are required for relocation.

Installation times are fast, thanks to folding mechanisms; plus, a foundation is not required for installation.

“South Africa has a substantial road maintenance backlog, so there’s significant medium- to longer-term growth in the asphalt plant and allied paving fleet population. Plus, the announcement of large-scale infrastructure projects in the pipeline presents major growth opportunities for construction equipment in general. Ammann is well placed to service these market needs,” Lehman concludes.

www.ammann.com

IMIESA August 2019

15

Roads & Bridges

Terramesh takes the traffic load An intricate gabion system adds aesthetic appeal and a costeffective alternative to reinforced concrete or mass gravity walls.

T

he successful completion of an integrated bridge abutment and retaining wall solution at the William Nicol north-bound K46 off-ramp in Fourways, Sandton, serves as an excellent example of the versatility of environmentally engineered designs.

Built by Mota-Engil Construction and Powergate Construction, using Maccaferri’s Terramesh and Green Terramesh gabion systems, the wall is sloped at 70 degrees to tie in with the bridge deck, providing an aesthetically pleasing finish. Maccaferri supplied the design for the wall, which measures 222 m in length, with a total area of 1 696 m2.

Maccaferri Terramesh is a modular system used to form rock-faced reinforced soil walls (also known as mechanically stabilised earth) and embankments. On taller slopes and structures, it can also be used in conjunction with Maccaferri’s high-performance primary geogrids – ParaLink, ParaGrid and MacGrid WG. ParaGrid was specified for this project.

Each pre-assembled Terramesh unit is composed of double-twisted wire mesh. The facing section of the unit is formed by connecting a back panel and diaphragms to the main fascia unit, thus creating the rectangular-shaped cells used for stone confinement.

The geogrid reinforcement, fascia and lid form one continuous mesh panel.

Critical section The most critical section on the project is the 11.8 m high bridge abutment, which is designed to carry a 150 kPa load. At every 1 m vertical spacing, this section was reinforced with double-twisted, steel wire mesh as the secondary reinforcement.

ParaGrid 150 and ParaGrid 100 – a high-tenacity, low-strain polymer geogrid – was employed as primary reinforcement.

The lower part of the wall was built using Terramesh, with Green Terramesh above.

The sloping front face of the Green Terramesh system, which is designed to promote the growth of vegetation, enabled the 70-degree batter effect.

On-site geology Prior to starting construction, a detailed site investigation revealed a layer of alluvium material characterised by lower mechanical properties and high compressibility. To prevent settlement and cater for high bearing pressures, this alluvium material was removed and replaced with a pioneer layer of clean rockfill, with a particle size between 200 mm and 300 mm. The pioneer layer thickness varied between 600 mm and 900 mm. Geotextile was placed over the rockfill and a 300 mm layer of G7 was compacted to specification.

The design of the wall was carried out by Maccaferri’s Engineering Unit using MacStars W. This software allows for complex modelling of the applied forces and considers the effects of any surrounding structures on the reinforced wall.

Next to the wall, a stormwater channel was installed to transfer water from the attenuation pond upstream of the site. Unmanaged water could have undermined the retaining wall and eroded the toe of the structure.

This channel was constructed along the retaining wall, with erosion protection provided by a combination of gabions and reno mattresses. To provide even more protection, shotcrete was applied to the wall face to prevent internal seepage.

16

IMIESA August 2019

Health & Safet y

Striving for zero harm NOSA has a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Stellenbosch University’s Water Institute (SUWI), with the aim of improving occupational qualifications.

T

he two-year agreement was inked by Justin Hobday, sales and marketing director, NOSA, and Professor Eugene Cloete, vice-rector: Research, Innovations and Postgraduate Studies, Stellenbosch University.

Under the MoU, Stellenbosch University will provide assistance to NOSA in the coordination, development and alignment of

current nationally registered occupational qualifications, as well as provide further consulting ser vices to NOSA. With SUWI as its development partner, NOSA will have access to the latest peerreviewed information to help elevate its products, and assist the organisation to develop its relationships with relevant industr y role players in the ever-changing environment of adult education.

The agreement also aims to align to the Zero Harm Campaign, an initiative promoted by the mining industr y to make zero harm in the industr y a reality. NOSA and SUWI will work closely to create quality content aimed at leadership positions, with a specific focus on mining programmes.

This par tnership will enable NOSA’s students to build a solid foundation for their desired safety career.

IMIESA August 2019

17

Geotechnical Engineering

F

African drilling leader turns 30 Three decades of sustained growth have positioned Geomechanics as the most diversified geotechnical and exploration company in South Africa. The company now has its sights set on international expansion.

18

rom the day in 1989 when Dave Rossiter bought out his two partners in Ground Mechanics and changed the name to Geomechanics, he has manoeuvred the company for local and international growth. Today, Geomechanics forms part of the GeoGroup of companies, headed up by Rossiter as nonexecutive chairman.

Geomechanics’ first job entailed geotechnical investigations for the N2 at the Amatikulu Bridge in KwaZulu-Natal. This one project for Sanral became two; then three, and so on, until Rossiter and his only permanent employee at the time, Barry Kruger, had completed the geotechnical investigations for the whole length of the N2 from Amatikulu to Richards Bay. Three decades down the line, the company now has branches in Cape Town, Durban, East London, Johannesburg and Uganda, with plans to open further branches as far afield as the United Arab Emirates.

As its core clients required more varied services, so Geomechanics diversified to deliver those services. Today, the company operates as many as 50 drill rigs throughout Southern Africa. Geomechanics also owns three barges of various sizes, including one with jack-up capabilities.

A jack-up barge designed and built by GeoGroup for drilling surveys. The barge is capable of holding a drill rig and crew, weighing about 30 t, stationary in up to 8 m of flowing water.

Projects include surveys for the founding piers and abutments on the Kazungula Bridge between Botswana and Zambia, and for an oil pipeline in Uganda

IMIESA August 2019

NOSA Tes�ng now provides comprehensive water and waste water analysis NOSA Tes�ng’s ISO 17025 accredited laboratory service has increased its scope of accredita�on to render the following water analysis capabili�es.

What does an ISO 17025 accredita�on mean for NOSA Tes�ng?

Accredita�on to this standard means that NOSA Tes�ng can demonstrate that it operates competently and can generate valid results, which promotes confidence in its work, both na�onally and globally. This enables NOSA Tes�ng to facilitate co-opera�on between laboratories and other bodies by genera�ng wider acceptance of results between countries. Test reports and cer�ficates are accepted from one country to another, without the need for any further tes�ng.

Whether your company u�lises water in its process, or provides water solu�ons, and you require further technical informa�on on our water analysis capabili�es, please contact: Keshav Beachen NOSA Tes�ng Na�onal Sales Manager keshav.beachen@nosa.co.za +27 (0) 71 442 9418

Collin Naidu NOSA Tes�ng Laboratory Manager collin.naidu@nosa.co.za +27 (0) 71 370 8680 NOSA Tes�ng is a Level 2 BEE contributor

Geotechnical Engineering

Khanyisa Power Station: The Apageo pressure meter and other in situ tests were carried out for the foundations, ground improvement and earthworks. A total of 185 pressure meter tests were performed in 18 boreholes, while test depths ranged from 1 m to 38.5 m

The company’s head office, main workshops and stores are located at a facility of over 5 000 m2 near Lanseria International Airport in Gauteng, 2 500 m2 of which is dedicated to the manufacturing and maintenance of machinery.

Core services Geomechanics is now able to offer rotary core drilling, percussion drilling, mud rotary drilling, reverse circulation drilling, sonic drilling, CPTu testing, Menhard pressure meter testing, and a host of other related tests and services.

Val de Vie Estate – Bridge over Berg River: The geotechnical profile included sandstone boulders up to 200 mm in diameter. 170 mm / 9 mm ductile iron piles replaced a large-diameter oscillator pile with a ratio of 8:1; 40% of the piles were raked at 35 degree to cater for lateral loading on the bridge foundation elements

When geotechnical projects became harder to find in the 2000s, Geomechanics expanded its portfolio of services to include exploration drilling

and also grew beyond the borders of South Africa, with projects in Angola, Madagascar, Namibia, Tanzania and, more recently, Sweden.

In 2013, the company added soil and rock movement monitoring and measurement services, with the acquisition of Terra Monitoring.

Over the years, Geomechanics has developed a vast array of experience working in the African environment. “We pride ourselves on our logistical skills when operating in remote locations,” says Rossiter.

“Whether it’s a helicopter site where rigs must be airlifted into position, or on water with a jackup barge, we have the necessary equipment and experience,” he continues. “We also have a well-defined health and safety programme, which ensures the well-being of our personnel wherever they operate.”

When asked what he thinks his biggest achievement is over the 30-year history of Geomechanics, Rossiter says, “It has to be the good reputation we have with our customers.

We’ve worked very hard to establish and maintain this reputation. It was the foundation for our growth from a one-man and one-machine startup to the multimillion-rand organisation we have today.”

IMIESA August 2019

Dynapac - Your Partner on the Road Ahead

At Dynapac Road Construction Equipment we strive to find new ways and better solutions.

Productivity, performance, ergonomics and environmental care are our priorities. However, our most important priorities are customer satisfaction and success. That’s why we ensure our efforts and resources are focused on development and knowledge transfer. Still, after more than 75 years, the ability to take advantage of change helps us to remain pioneers.

Learn more at dynapac.com

19

Geotechnical Engineering

Founding Mozambique’s largest brewery

Franki Africa’s ability to successfully overcome client challenges and creatively find foundation and lateral support solutions has been well demonstrated on a new development in Mozambique.

S

ituated approximately 30 km nor th of Maputo in the Marracuene district, a new US$180 million (R2.5 billion) brewery owned by Cervejas de Moçambique (CDM) will have an annual production capacity of more than 2 million hectolitres, making this the largest facility of its kind built to date in the country.

This is also CMD’s biggest investment since the company’s inception in 1995. A subsidiary of AB InBev, the world’s leading brewer, CMD already owns three breweries in Mozambique.

Construction commenced in December 2018, with the project allocated a very tight deadline for completion: beer production is scheduled to commence by the end of 2019.

Piling as the sun goes down in Marracuene. From left to right: Ajax crane with leader, Franki crawler rig, and Casagrande CFA 26

20

IMIESA August 2019

An aerial view of the site, with three of Franki’s piling rigs deployed

That meant it was crucial for the project managers to accelerate the construction programme when a series of unexpected external factors resulted in initial setbacks.

Implementing the geotechnical phase was a critical starting point, which was executed

by Franki Africa’s Mozambican subsidiary.

Franki Mozambique’s scope entailed the installation of foundation and lateral support piling for the various structures making up the brewery complex. These included the BBT tanks and Unitanks, raw material silos, malt intake and mill house.

The initial timeframe for the geotechnical phase was estimated at five weeks, which was subsequently extended to ten due to the additional works required.

This increased Franki’s contract value from MZN79 million (R21.5 million) to MZN129 million (R35.1 million).

“After a late start, we managed to guarantee partial handovers of the different areas, in order to allow the main contractor to carry on with the works,” explains Marta

Geotechnical Engineering

Installation of CFA piles for the malt intake lateral support structure

Another key challenge the Franki team had to contend with was the short supply of readymix concrete. There was a long distance from an existing batch plant to the site. “We used different suppliers and our own concrete transit mixers to minimise this challenge. Due to the tight nature of the programme, we also had to resort to working extended hours,” says Botelho.

Piling scope

Botelho, contracts engineer, Franki. “Our design team worked together with the client’s engineers to devise the best solutions and overcome any arising challenges.”

With a total of 60 people on-site, including 18 subcontractors for steel fixing, Franki’s project scope encompassed different piling technologies, including continuous flight auger (CFA) piles, and driven cast-in-situ piles (DCIS), also known as Franki Piles.

Diameters ranged from 410 mm to 800 mm.

During the duration of the contract, Franki installed a total of 707 piles, comprising 142 CFA and 367 DCIS foundation piles, as well as 81 grout columns, 117 CFA piles, and 243 m² of gunite arches in lateral support.

QUALITY

ACCOUNTABLE FOR QUALITY Much Asphalt is southern Africa’s largest manufacturer of hot and cold asphalt products.

We don’t just promise quality. We hold ourselves accountable for it. Process control laboratories at every plant and on site continually monitor and test our processes and products. Our customers can rest assured they are placing and compacting quality asphalt.

A B-BBEE Level 1 Contributor

T: +27 21 900 4400 | E: info@muchasphalt.com | www.muchasphalt.com

incorporating

Commenting on the choice of piles, Botelho says CFA piling is a fast system with no vibration and has limited noise levels associated with it, while Franki Piles are among the most economical and reliable piling systems, and have been used in Southern Africa for over 70 years. The Franki Pile’s main feature is the large base formed at the toe of the pile: in forming it, the endbearing area is considerably increased.

“Generally a very economical system, it has an extensive range of pile sizes,” she explains.

To execute the project, Franki deployed a range of equipment for each of the set-ups.

For the CFA phase, a Casagrande CFA-26 auger rig was deployed, together with a Sany HBT-40 concrete pump. A Franki Rig SA83 and a 60 t Ajax C60 were utilised for the DCIS set-up. Then, for the lateral support component, Franki utilised a Comacchio Geo 305 drill rig and a single Mat pump.

“On this project, Franki Africa has once again proven why it is the largest, oldest and most established specialist geotechnical contractor in sub-Saharan Africa,” Botelho concludes.

Keller is the world’s largest geotechnical contractor

Helping create infrastructure that improves the world’s communities

Franki Africa provides dedicated expertise in: • • • • •

Ground Improvement Deep Foundations Grouting Earth Retention Near Shore Marine Works

As part of the connected companies of Keller, Franki Africa offers a comprehensive range of geotechnical and marine engineering services including both design and construction for the General Construction, Civil Engineering and Mining Industries. Call Franki today about your next project.

+27 11 531 2700 | franki.co.za | info@franki.com

Industry Opinion

Creating opportunities in construction

Confidence in South Africa’s construction sector hit an all-time low this year; however, there may be ways in which construction companies can help create skills and job opportunities from within, and ultimately grow the sector going forward. By Danielle Petterson

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he South African GDP has been steadily declining, and the construction sector is mirroring this. According to Rob Jeffrey, economist, Economic Risk, Africa as a whole is in need of basic infrastructure; however, low economic growth, coupled with an equally poor economic forecast, has resulted in minimal spend on infrastructure in South Africa.

The skills vs jobs conundrum South Africa is currently faced with another major challenge: more than half of the countr y’s youth are unemployed. And more

concerning, most of the youth are also unemployable, argues John Matthews, president, Master Builders South Africa.

“A crippling technical skills shortage exists within our countr y,” says Matthews, who points to “a dichotomous situation where we have high unemployment yet we have a skills shortage due to the mismatch of skills demand versus supply.”

The challenge, however, is at primar y level. According to Matthews, educators claim that 42% of grade seven learners are unable to effectively read and write, or do arithmetic. This is particularly problematic, given that only those with

a strong foundational education can be taught the technical skills needed in the construction sector.

Moreover, Matthews argues that qualifications have lagged behind industr y requirements, as progression is made towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“We talk about the Fourth Industrial Revolution in ever y sphere of our deliberations, yet we do not

John Matthews, president, Master Builders South Africa

If the building industry is to survive the next five years, we should make every building site a training ground.”

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embrace it within our education system at ground level,” he says.

“Leadership and innovation to preserve and enhance the value of the region’s roads within a rapidly changing world.”

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Unfortunately, the building industr y is often considered the employer of last resort.

Matthews maintains that, in the construction space, South Africa prioritises quantity over quality when it comes to education. “TVET colleges have a sausage-machine approach because more people are pushed through the system to ensure that funds are obtained from the government or the SETAs, so that they sur vive, rather than ensuring that we teach and educate our nation properly.”

He points out that only 7% of learners who enter training in five of the building-industr y-related trades will actually complete an apprenticeship. Moreover, the poor quality of artisans is a real challenge. Matthews attributes this to the fact that most colleges offering apprenticeship and artisan training are not properly geared for technical training.

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Matthews offers a number of solutions to these growing challenges, encouraging the construction industr y to step up and take the lead in developing skills and creating job opportunities.

This starts with promoting more work-based forms of learning such as apprenticeships, learnerships and internships. All employers, including SMMEs, should be encouraged to take on apprentices to improve the completion rate, and consideration should be given to making it compulsor y for construction employers to provide training and development. Financial incentives, such as stipends for apprentices and rebates for employers, can be put in place to better enable this.

In fact, rebates already exist for training. According to Matthews, the cost of training an apprentice to artisan level is R129 000, while the rebate currently being offered by SARS is R150 000. “It is not a question of money – it is a question of commitment. Sadly, though, the challenge is the red tape involved and the time it takes to get the appropriate approvals and funding flowing. These challenges discourage employers from registering apprenticeships,” he explains.

It is, therefore, vital that government ease the red tape for employers so that they can easily access incentives for the training and mentoring of young people. Second, mentorship support is critical through ‘train the trainer’ type programmes.

Lastly, meaningful social dialogue and strong partnerships between industr y bodies will play a vital role in taking these efforts for ward.

“If the building industr y is to sur vive the next five years, we should make ever y building site a training ground. We should involve the captains of industr y in determining training requirements and we should build trust through meaningful social dialogue and action between the SETAs, the industr y and the TVETS,” says Matthews.

“The time for the tick-box approach is long gone and we all need to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty.”

Electrification

Leaders in electricity infrastructure The Structa Group of Companies is one of South Africa’s few privately owned electrical distribution, transmission and generation fabrication companies.

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he Structa Group of Companies aims to be a leading producer for electricity infrastructure in South Africa and Africa. The group supplies structural steel products and related services for infrastructure (electrification and telecommunications), petrochemical, industrial, oil and gas, water and mining sectors in the region.

The group’s subsidiaries – CIS Engineering, Structa Technology and Turnmill Proquip Engineering – offer the electricity industry services that include the manufacturing of masts for both distribution and transmission lines, structural steelwork for substations, as well as steel fabrication work for power generation. As proudly Level 1 BBBEE entities, Structa subsidiaries are approved service providers to Eskom.

The Structa Group also offers in-house quality control testing, profile cutting, painting and sandblasting as added benefits to the industry.

many more. The group employs over 700 staff and boasts a combined plant size of 30 000 m2 under roof and crane, with a steel throughput of 1 500 to 2 000 tonnes per month.

All the subsidiaries in the Structa Group adhere to ISO 9001:2015 Quality Control Management Systems, SANS 2001-CS1 for Structural Steel Manufacturing, and SANS 121 (ISO 1461) for hot-dip galvanising.

“Due to our very strong technical expertise, company size, as well as the demand for our services and products, we are able to compete in terms of our quality of service and cost to manufacture. The Structa Group has a strong commitment to the marketplace and we have the capability to maintain steady growth in our business,” says Piet Coetzer, chairman, Structa Group of Companies.

“We will continue to develop and market our distinguished products and services to meet our strategic objectives to become the leading manufacturer and supplier of structural steel products and related services for electrical infrastructure in Southern Africa.”

CIS Engineering

Structa Technology Structa Technology, based in Meyerton, Gauteng, manufactures electrical masts, utility poles and lighting masts.

The company specialises in the design and supply of its Electrotowers, as well as electrical distribution and monopoles for both single and double circuits for 11 kV to 220 kV distribution lines. Structa also supplies a range of lighting masts, including mid-hinge and high-bow masts that range between 6 m and 40 m, as well as a comprehensive range of lattice and monopole communication towers.

Strong foundations The Structa Group of Companies was formed in 2002, and its product expertise has since grown beyond South Africa and Africa to international applications in the UK, USA and Hong Kong.

The companies have performed projects for Eskom, Nampower, SNEL, Botswana Power, Sasol, Engen, Sapref, Kumba Iron Ore and

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Street light poles

LEADERS IN LIGHTING MAST TECHNOLOGY

Vanderbijlpark-based CIS Engineering joined the Structa Group in 2007 and specialises in the manufacturing of high-load monopole conductor support structures for distribution and transmission levels up to 440 kV. Its factory is also geared to manufacture substation steelwork and general structural steel.

With a factory area of 9 000 m2 under crane coverage and a 32 000 m2 stockyard, the factory has an annual capacity of 9 600 t and is capable of making polygonol mast sections with a maximum length of 13.6 m and a thickness of 25 mm.

CIS Engineering has implemented several successful projects, including the 400 kV monopole line in the Western Cape – the first of its kind in South Africa.

Midbow lighting masts Abamax hydraulically liftable masts Standard high masts Stadium masts

Specialists in the design, supply and installation of lighting support structures

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Structa Technology is a Level 1 BBBEE Contributor

Electrification Ensuring stable and reliable electricity supply and an adequate electrification network is critical in meeting South Africa’s growth objectives.

Alastair Currie speaks to Jerome Schroeder, function manager: Power and Energy, SMEC, about the current challenges and opportunities.

Exploring the energy mix

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longside the institutional changes expected to face Eskom in the near future, a similarly critical area is the need to address electricity supply challenges at municipal level. Key issues include the maintenance, upgrading and revitalisation of ageing infrastructure, and the way in which revenues generated from electricity sales are presently used in the municipal business.

Municipalities are responsible for ensuring that electricity reaches the end consumer, which includes funding and maintaining supply networks. In the recent past, though, electricity revenues have increasingly been used to subsidise the municipal institution and business as a whole.

According to the Auditor-General’s report on municipal performance for the 2017/18 period, a lack of fiscal management and discipline remains a burning issue. Where municipalities have strived for excellence, their performance has been hampered by monies owed to entities like Eskom, which run

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into the billions. The problem is compounded by the fact that municipal performance is being hampered by monies owed to them by government institutions and consumers.

“As a guideline, capital replacement and refurbishment should be present at a minimum level of 4% to 6% of the infrastructure replacement value,” explains Schroeder.

“However, in recent times, the allocation has tended to be much lower, so network reinvestment hasn’t happened at a pace that keeps up with population and economic growth. That amplifies the overall problem of ageing infrastructure.”

“The fact that we have an energy sector crisis now presents us with an opportunity to target areas of change that we can implement over the medium to long term, to ensure the reliability and stability of the national grid and electricity supply at municipal level,” he continues.

Part of the immediate response is the need to embrace energy efficiency in lowering present overall power demand. SMEC, for example, is

Jerome Schroeder, function manager: Power and Energy, SMEC

Electrification currently rolling out a street lighting replacement pilot programme for a series of South Africa municipalities, aimed at saving operations and maintenance costs, with the added benefit of future-proofing the infrastructure for the nearterm implementation of technological advances that can contribute to an improvement in energy efficiency and maintenance practices.

Alongside initiatives in South Africa, SMEC works on a number of multidisciplinary capability studies in Africa, where there’s a major emphasis on urban planning as part of an evolving ‘smart cities’ concept. A recent example is SMEC’s appointment for electricity master planning in Tanzania. SMEC also has extensive experience in more grassroots-level initiatives across Africa, a past example being their involvement in Uganda’s rural electrification access programme.

On greenfield projects, discussions focus on capacity requirements and concurrent funding models for capital investment projects, as well as options such as setting up power plants close to urban areas, or designing grid-dependent solutions. “Where the city and urban need is already in place, the infrastructure analysis tends to be weighted towards connectivity, or access to service,” he points out.

Renewables One alternative energy option is the renewables market, prime examples being solar and wind power. The key challenge here is the inability of the systems to service the demand over the whole day without the use of prohibitively expensive battery systems to effectively store energy. That makes the microgrid-type option a more localised power solution for immediate consumption. As technology advances and adoption increases, suitable storage systems should become more affordable.

“Off-grid electrification, using solar panels on roofs and solar geysers, is certainly viable for households and businesses, but more for individual consumption,” says Schroeder.

“Plus, at municipal level, communities have traditionally resisted solar options, where these are perceived to be a poorer alternative to having a grid connection.”

Where municipalities explore renewables as a self-sufficient, off-the-grid option, the key issue is whether these systems will produce a constant output back into the grid. This is especially the case where the solution depends on the extent and state of the existing electrical infrastructure.

Making a municipality self-sustainable in terms of power generation with, for example, a PV solar plant will also require finding the funds and/or entering into a public-private partnership arrangement. There also has to be certainty that consumers will pay for the service.

“Given the right business model, municipalities can definitely get closer to being self-sustaining – a case in point being the municipal coalfired power stations that some of our major cities used to own and operate to provide and supplement supply,” says Schroeder.

Policy certainty within the independent power producer sphere and the subsequent awarding of power purchase agreements will determine the extent to, and the speed at, which the South African renewables market will gain traction within municipalities. The same reasoning applies to cogeneration.

Cogeneration For decades to come, South Africa may find itself still reliant on coal-fired stations for a key portion of its energy mix; however, recent developments in the investment sector show that it’s less likely that investors will back new thermal coal power station roll-outs. The alternative is an international shift to cogeneration (or combined heat and power generation supply) using single fuel sources like natural gas and biomass.

There are already a number of well-established examples in South Africa, particularly among industrial users, who, in addition to their own consumption, sell their surplus power to Eskom.

“South Africa’s older coal-fired plants are at a critical stage in terms of output performance, with ongoing threats of future load-shedding and – as the worst-case scenario – a major collapse of the national grid. We must explore the viable options now,” Schroeder continues.

“Cogeneration is definitely one of them in terms of proven stability and reliability in the industrial sector.”

A new business model for municipalities GDP growth will inevitably serve as a catalyst for

growing energy demand. Adequately providing for this rising demand is the key to sustained macro-economic growth. So, a number of key things must happen.

First and foremost, municipalities need to see themselves as economic enablers within the context of service delivery to business and residents.

Consumer debt and non-payment must be managed far more strictly. The municipal revenue model has to change. That includes new tariff design to be cost-reflective and smart metering for stricter control.

“A higher portion of the revenue generated from services rendered like electricity also has to be ploughed back into maintaining existing and developing new infrastructure,” says Schroeder.

“Employing and developing competent artisans, technicians and engineers must happen at all municipalities.”

SMEC has experience in providing training to municipalities on developing viable business and service delivery plans, alongside bankable feasibility studies, asset management programmes and transactional advice for PPPs. Utilities operation and asset management are further services.

“It’s important for all public sector decisionmakers to understand the infrastructure implementation process and the cost of delivering services,” he expands. “Infrastructure owners need to agree on a system that is flexible towards future-proofing, given the rapid advance in technology.”

Going forward, it’s clear that renewables and cogeneration can and will increasingly represent a growing portion of the energy mix.

“At present, development funding is not at the level at which the energy sector can thrive – but the potential is huge, and time is pressing,” Schroeder concludes.

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Water & Wastewater

Doing more with wastewater Growing populations and rapid urbanisation are increasingly adding pressure to the country’s already constrained wastewater treatment works.

W

ith developments of a residential nature encroaching ever closer on wastewater treatment works and water demand rapidly growing, QFS has proven solutions that can lift the burden on both the plants and those people affected.

Wastewater reuse The reuse of wastewater has been a solution in water-scarce areas for decades, and is

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proving all the more viable with new technology developments. Here, QFS has many reference projects that prove its ability to deliver safe and sustainable water reuse solutions to the public.

The most notable is South Africa’s firstever water reuse facility in Beaufort West, which produces 2.3 MLD of SANS Class 1 standard drinking water. The plant is configured with Memcor® ultrafiltration membranes to remove all total suspended solids, and a twostage reverse osmosis plant to remove other

smaller impurities and toxicants from the water. Finally, to ensure that the water is safe for human consumption, the water is treated with ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide – a step known as advanced oxidation. With this technology, this water-sparse Karoo town is able to augment its water supply for generations to come.

Similarly, QFS has designed, engineered, manufactured, installed and commissioned a 1.5 MLD reuse plant at De Doorns in the Cape Winelands to help save water.

Secondary municipal wastewater is treated to produce irrigation water for the local farmers, helping to free up source water for the rapidly growing De Doorns community. The process uses ultrafiltration, ultraviolet disinfection and a granular activated carbon. The plant was completed in 2017.

The Ballito community in KwaZulu-Natal has also received a reuse solution from QFS after drought resulted in a shortage of drinking water. Using ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, QFS designed, engineered, manufactured, installed and commissioned

Water & Wastewater

a 5 MLD plant, providing drinking water to the community and alleviating the drought stress.

Compact wastewater treatment Available land is becoming a rarer commodity, which we can ill-afford to lose to conventional wastewater treatment plants. QFS, with its partner Evoqua®, can provide internationally proven wastewater technology on a much smaller scale.

Called membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems, MemPulse® MBR and Xpress® MBR are unique wastewater treatment processes that combine an activated sludge biological treatment process with an innovative membrane filtration system.

MBR eliminates the need for large clarifiers and sand filters, improves effluent water quality (ideal for reuse applications), allows for plant expansions in the same footprint, and uses a smaller biological process.

Odour control Another important aspect in any wastewater treatment plant is odour control. Hydrogen

sulfide (H2S) becomes a major safety concern, not only for the personnel operating the works, but also the residents who live adjacent to these facilities because of a growing population.

Typically, H2S concentrations measured at inlet works are around 300 ppm, which can cause severe discomfort and necessitate additional medical care and treatment for personnel affected. This could lead to minimised personnel on-site, which would mean

fewer operators to maintain and operate equipment. This can ultimately lead to strain on the plant and, therefore, strain on metros and communities, as sewage cannot be treated effectively.

By implementing odour control measures such as the I-BOx®, these safety concerns can be effectively mitigated, ultimately improving worker safety and the functioning of wastewater treatment plants.

As part of the Reeston Wastewater Treatment Works in East London, QFS was responsible for the fast delivery and implementation of an I-BOx 7010 odour control unit. The unit was installed for the inlet works section of the plant, as these areas are highly prone to H2S generation due to the turbulence created through various process units of the wastewater plant. The turbulent water allows the gases contained within the water to be released as the water follows its course through the inlet works.

The H2S released in these works is now no longer a safety concern for the roughly 80 personnel operating at the plant.

26 Nagington Road, Wadeville, Germiston 1400, South Africa Tel +27 11 824 4810 / Fax +27 11 824 2770 E-mail info@apepumps.co.za / info@matherandplatt.com Website www.apepumps.co.za / www.matherandplatt.com

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Pipes, pumps & valves

Valve solutions for the African continent Ultra Control Valves (UCV) was formed in 2010 by two industr y veterans who identified a gap in the South African market for a specialist valve company concentrating on control valves.

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ince its inception in 2010, UCV has earned a substantial stake in both the water and mining industries, and now boasts a complete range of valves for both sectors. This includes largebore butterfly valves and gate valves, as well as dam discharge sleeve valves, inline ring needle valves, segmented ball control valves, all types of check valves (including nozzle type), and ARI air valves from the best manufacturer in the world.

A complete range of knife gate and other slurry valves are also included.

Water hammer specialists One of UCV’s specialties is the selection of the right equipment to solve any water hammer problem, including surge tanks. With vast connections in the water hammer reduction

Know more

industry, UCV is able to assist in solving any of these issues.

UCV is strong in engineering and has a fully equipped workshop and field service team, which is able to conduct site visits to advise and assist in both the water and underground mining industries.

UCV is also offering a SAICE-accredited oneday course in water hammer, which will be held across the country and earn participants 1 CPD point. One-day seminars are also held at UCV’s facility in Edenvale, Gauteng, where all aspects of automatic control valves, including hydraulics, are covered.

In line with international and local pressures to reduce water consumption and losses, UCV offers simple solutions suitable for the African continent. Highly simplified ratio-reducing

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valves clear up the myths and complications of pressure reduction. Maric flow controllers reduce consumption in the simplest and most costeffective way, with zero maintenance.

Join the UCV family by subscribing to a free monthly technical newsletter on www.ultravalves.co.za or send an email request.

Pipes, pumps & valves

1 200 mixed-flow pump leaving APE Pumps premises

Vertical by design Deciding on either a vertical or horizontal pump arrangement requires an in-depth understanding of the current and future fluid transfer set-up.

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ertical turbine pumps can be used in any industrial application across sectors that include the steel, power, petrochemical, agricultural and municipal markets. They are especially well suited for installation within smaller footprints like pump stations, saving on construction costs, or where space is too restricted for a multistage pump set-up. Another major advantage of vertical pump systems is that they are relatively simple to strip and maintain.

Within the water utilities and allied municipal markets, a common application for vertical turbine pumps is the abstraction of water from rivers to feed through to treatment plants.

“Our pump designs are developed for fit-forpurpose roles: it’s always important to install the right pump for the right application. The pump doesn’t drive the system; the system drives the pump. So, from the onset, it’s essential to study the operating environment and then devise the best solution,” explains John Montgomery, general manager, APE Pumps and Mather+Platt. The Group has been designing, manufacturing, commissioning and maintaining its OEM solutions in South Africa since 1952.

“In the case of vertical pumps, these roles include cooling tower recirculation, raw water pumping, primary fuelling services (where

volatile fluids require submerged pump units), and fluid transfer services where these selfcontained units are ideal for LP gas transfer,” he continues. “Essentially, it’s a multistage pump set-up in a vertical arrangement.”

stage, as long as the appropriate power is available. A variable-speed-drive motor will speed the pump up or slow it down to maximise efficiencies. The Group fits IE3 motors, with the option of an IE5 specification.

Cover tube and pot pump set-up

Condition monitoring

Models offered by the Group include cover tube arrangements. These vertical pump configurations are ideal for dirty water tasks.

Their design protects the bearings and shafts with either a clean layer of water or oil. This prevents any impurities from running through the bushings, while minimising excessive vibrations that could otherwise lead to premature wear.

Pump options here range from a 6 LC to a 42 LC (6 to 42 inch), all of which are manufactured locally. These are all low-head units.

The Group has supplied vertical pump columns to a depth of around 108 m. “The deeper the design, the lower the chance of cavitation, assuming the water level is constant; however, there’s also a head loss factor that needs to be taken into account the deeper you go,” says Montgomery.

The Group’s ‘pot’ pump is particularly useful for inline boosting on raw water intake systems.

It requires no priming, and is self-priming to a limited extent.

If the head increases on the system, designers can make the column shorter and add another

To ensure optimal performance, all pumps need to be regularly monitored and serviced as part of a preventative maintenance programme.

Service intervals will depend on the nature of the fluid being pumped.

APE Pumps and Mather+Platt work with third-party specialists to devise the best customer solution. These include telemetrylinked condition monitoring systems, where mechanical health is monitored remotely in near-real time. Pressure gauges and flow meters measure efficient or inefficient pump curve performance, while temperature gauges track bearing health. “Vibration probes should also be installed to monitor set operating pump parameters,” says Montgomery.

If well maintained, APE and Mather+Platt’s pumps will last a lifetime – across Southern Africa, there are hundreds of working examples.

“In addition to providing custom build and retrofit solutions, the Group has never discontinued a pump model since inception in 1952, so parts are always available,” Montgomery concludes.

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Pipes, pumps & valves

Changing lives A Mpumalanga community can now benefit from access to adequate clinic services with clean running water and a secure environment.

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s part of its corporate social investment (CSI), KSB Pumps and Valves, together with Eskom, assisted in the upgrade of the Nthoroane Clinic. This involved connecting the clinic’s main water tank to internal facilities, constructing a new main entrance with boom gates, guard house, car ports for 10 vehicles, handrails for the entrance and disabled toilets, as well as the paving and painting of toilets.

“The project was undertaken after KSB Germany directly supplied four new HDC 6/8N pumps and a further nine REL oil pumps to Eskom. Since KSB was the sole OEM for these products, we were obliged to give something back to the local communities through our CSI efforts. This led to a decision to reinvest a percentage of the order value back into the community of Grootvlei,” explains Gerald Surjoobhalee, commercial manager, KSB Pumps and Valves.

“Nthoroane Clinic was the perfect choice, as access to quality health service is essential

At the reopening of the Nthoroane Clinic were KSB Pumps and Valves’ Grant Glennistor, Gerald Surjoobhalee and Patience Kotyi (far right), with Sister Thangithi Mazibuko, who is in charge of six clinics in the district

for every community; the clinic was also in desperate need of some TLC. Once the decision was made, we sprang into action and started work in October last year. By May this year, all work had been wrapped up and the community is already enjoying the benefits of their own labour.”

Giving back to the community KSB provided both funding and project management for the project and assisted in the development of local suppliers, contractors and labour, who received appropriate training and gained valuable experience through direct exposure to the fundamentals of project management.

Clinic patients now have proper taps with clean water and a backup generator ensures

the lights stay on even if the power goes out.

The controlled-access boom gate also ensures staff and patients are safe and secure.

“Having undertaken the project alongside Eskom, we have learned that big businesses, like ours, can do a lot to help communities in need. Team efforts such as this one, between state-owned enterprises and suppliers, can help build better business relationships and contribute towards healthier and happier communities in future,” concludes Surjoobhalee.

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Lightweight and requiring no specialised skills to install, TOM® 500 PVC-O is ideally suited for community projects in addition to providing longer-term savings for water utilities.

Thanks to their low density, TOM 500 PVC-O sections can be installed using a backhoe loader; smaller-diameter pipes can be installed by hand

The advantages of PVC-O pipelines

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izabantu Piping Systems recently supplied the piping for the Driekoppies bulk water, Driekoppies reservoir and the Sibange bulk water pipeline projects for Ehlanzeni District Municipality and Nkomazi Local Municipality.

For all phases, a range of material options were assessed by Lubisi Consulting Engineers and GMH Tswelelo Consulting Engineers for the size and pressure classes required. Materials considered were steel, ductile iron and TOM 500 PVC-O. The design specification called for a pipeline at least 630 mm in diameter.

The decision was made to specify TOM 500 PVC-O, being the most costeffective option. TOM 500 PVC-O is supplied in diameters up to 800 mm, so it comfortably met the varied scope requirements across the three projects.

“A key advantage of TOM 500 PVC-O piping systems is that they have between 15% and 40% greater hydraulic capacity compared to alternative material systems with the same external diameter,” explains Greg Loock, director, Sizabantu Piping Systems.

Sizabantu is the Southern African distributor for Spanish OEM Molecor, which is globally acknowledged as the pioneer of TOM 500 PVC-O, a major advancement on industry-standard PVC materials. This is because TOM 500 PVC-O’s molecular orientation reduces the thickness of the pipe wall, giving TOM 500 PVC-O pipes a greater internal diameter and flow section.

Additionally, the internal surface of TOM 500 PVO-O is extremely smooth, reducing load loss and making it more difficult for deposits to form on the inner walls. Subsequently, TOM 500 PVC-O pipes carry more water using less energy than other material types, such as steel.

“What’s more, they are arguably the most efficient in terms of the relationship between investment and available hydraulic capacity,” adds Loock.

A further advantage is that TOM 500 PVC-O is considerably lighter in weight than metallic options, measurably stronger and more flexible than standard PVC, and also does not require any special skills to install.

Materials lose their mechanical properties when they are subjected to strain over a long period of time. This characteristic, known as creep, appears

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IMIESA August 2019

TOM 500 PVC-O pipes do not require any specialised skills to install

6 100 m of TOM 500 PVC-O was specified for the Driekoppies reservoir pipeline project

Pipes, pumps & valves

to a far lesser extent in TOM 500 PVC-O than in conventional plastics, providing better properties over the long term. TOM 500 PVC-O is also exceptionally resistant to fatigue and has a very good chemical resistance, much like conventional PVC.

Maintenance cost savings Going the ductile iron or steel pipe route would have required the mandatory installation of cathodic protection. This prevents premature structural failure caused by stray electricity currents, especially where pipelines are located near railway tracks or overhead power lines.

Although essential, the downside to cathodic protection is that it typically costs around 12% to 27% of the overall cost of the pipeline.

It also requires regular maintenance to be effective. That poses additional challenges for today’s cash-strapped municipalities, which also continue to experience shortages of technically skilled personnel.

Either way, failure to protect or maintain the pipe will result in immediate corrosion.

This is evident in the continuous leaking of metallic pipelines across South Africa, which

contributes to increased nonrevenue water losses and places a severe strain on an already water-scarce environment.

“TOM 500 PVC-O is clearly a highly viable alternative,” points out Loock. “Providing a design life of at least 100 years, TOM 500 PVC-O systems don’t need coating or linings and require minimal maintenance.

TOM 500 PVC-O allowed the engineers to design a pipeline within budget.”

The reservoir phase was the largest of the three pipeline projects and comprised 6 100 m of TOM 500 PVC-O. Sizabantu supplied TOM 500 PVC-O PN 16 and PN 20 sections for Sibange, and TOM 355 PVC-O PN 16 for the Driekoppies bulk water component. On all phases, ease of installation has enabled the contractor to use local labourers and complete the project in the shortest time possible.

TOM 500 PVC-O complies with SANS 16422 and is manufactured locally by Molecor South Africa at the company’s state-of-the-art

Energy consumed by pumping (kWh)

The extreme smoothness of the inner wall of the TOM pipe minimises pressure loss, so the energy required for transport is lower

manufacturing facility in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. To date, Sizabantu has sold more than 4 000 000 metres throughout Southern Africa.

“TOM 500 PVC-O is undoubtedly a worldclass product and has enabled municipalities and water authorities to extend the life of their bulk water pipelines,” Loock concludes.

Cement & Concrete

Tailored to execute tough concrete tasks

K

eeping your concrete payload moving on the road is vital to ensure that the concrete does not set inside the mixer drum, resulting in a complete loss of both payload and drum. An engine-gear-driven, full-torque power take-off is standard on all Isuzu mixer models. This essential feature ensures the mixer drum constantly rotates during delivery on the road, without interrupting power flow in the driveline.

The new series also features a fully automatic six-speed Allison torque convertor, and manual nine-speed synchromesh ZF gearboxes can be specified for a variety of traffic and operating conditions.

The 8X4 Isuzu FYH33-360 mixer provides a remarkably low tare mass, for a body and payload mass of 23 950 kg and 23 620 kg in the manual gearbox and automatic transmission models, respectively.

This in turn provides the 8x4 Isuzu mixer models with the capacity to deliver a classleading 8 m3 of concrete depending on the

Reliability is essential when it comes to transporting concrete loads. The new Isuzu FXZ (6x4) and FHY (8x4) Series mixer units are specially engineered for optimal concrete mixing, to keep your payload moving. specific gravity of the concrete mix. To achieve a maximum gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 33 t on an 8x4 chassis, the unit must comply with the road traffic regulations bridge formula.

Isuzu FYH 8x4 models match this requirement to operate at a permissible mass (V-rating) of 31 650 kg, inside the vehicle GVM of 33 000 kg.

The Isuzu 6x4 and 8x4 concrete mixer chassis are equipped with a lockable, inter-axle third differential, which not only prevents prop shaft wind-up between the two drive axles but also provides extra traction for off-road building sites where concrete must be delivered.

All Isuzu tipper and concrete mixer trucks are equipped with an hour meter to ensure regular servicing based on hours worked. Isuzu excels in measuring fuel consumption per hour worked – a ratio that has been proven under test conditions.

Safety is enhanced with standard ABS braking systems on all Isuzu mixer and tipper models. Air brakes add to the efficiency and braking pressure required,

while drum foundation brakes are suited to the construction environment and off-road conditions encountered.

Warranty parts and service Isuzu trucks have a class-leading warranty of two years, with an unlimited distance for all trucks of 3.5 t GVM and above. A three-year anti-corrosion warranty for the entire Isuzu Truck range completes the warranty package.

Isuzu Motors South Africa established its National Parts Distribution Centre (PDC) in Port Elizabeth in 2011. With a warehouse of 37 000 m2 and buildings of 38 000 m2, constructed on an 85 000 m2 site, the PDC is a modern parts giant that keeps wheels turning, ensuring maximum uptime and lowest fixed costs per kilometre.

There are 37 Isuzu Truck dealers throughout Southern Africa. Isuzu trucks over 3.5 t GVM are assembled from semi-knockeddown packs in Port Elizabeth and are distributed across Africa through Isuzu Motors South Africa.

IMIESA August 2019

37

Cement & Concrete The rehabilitation works on the Komati River Bridge were successfully completed in six months

Carbon-fibre refurbishment

D

uring a scheduled inspection of the Komati River Bridge, a number of defects were identified. These included locked bearings, and shear and flexural cracks in the deck beams. The shear and flexural cracks were believed to have been related to thermal loading caused by the locked bearings.

SMEC South Africa was appointed by Trans African Concessions (TRAC) to undertake the detailed inspection, rehabilitation design and construction supervision of the refurbishment project. The bridge is situated on the N4 Toll Route, Section 8, and is an important river crossing for freight travelling between South Africa and Mozambique.

A number of specialised Sika products were used during the course of the project. These include Sikadur-52 ZA, which was used for crack injection; 6 mm holes were drilled into the cracks

Installation of SikaWrap on the underside of the bridge deck beams

to a depth of 20 mm. Once filled, the cracks were closed with Sikadur-31 DW and allowed to cure for 24 hours.

Sikadur-330 was used together with SikaWrap carbon-fibre fabric to strengthen affected areas of the bridge structure. Sikadur-330 was applied as a bedding layer on to the cleaned concrete surface. SikaWrap was then applied on to the wet epoxy adhesive and the surface of the cloth rolled with a ribbed roller. This ensured that all trapped air or bubbles were removed from the layered material and that the resin was pushed through

Precast commuter shelters integrated into taxi rank buildings

the cloth. A second coat of Sikadur-330 was then applied to cover the fabric evenly. The end result: a highly durable repair intervention.

Precast commuter shelters converted into hawker stalls

Precast commuter shelters

D

eveloped at a cost of just under R12 million, the JB Marx Taxi Rank in Ikageng Ext 7, Potchefstroom, showcases the creative use of precast products. These were employed in the construction of the commuter shelters, as well as for the paved hardstand areas.

The taxi rank layout includes supporting infrastructure such as washing bays, hawker stalls, ablution facilities, and a waste management building.

38

IMIESA August 2019

Precast concrete bus/commuter shelters are a specialised product line from Rocla.

In total, 148 units were supplied for this project in a variety of dimensions, which meant that different moulds had to be used in the manufacturing process. Units were numbered at the factory to ensure their delivery in the correct installation sequence.

Rocla’s bus shelters can be supplied in various configurations. Supplied in a light grey colour, the surface can then be easily painted

for applications that include advertising and community notices.

Technicrete 60 mm Double Zig-Zag CL40/2.6 (40 MPa) interlocking pavers were selected for the entire road surface of the rank, as well as for the walkways, covering a total area of 7 000 m2.

A key benefit of these precast interventions is their relatively maintenancefree lifespan – an important consideration for local municipalities.

Modular reservoirs

Cement & Concrete

Corestruc first installs the centre portion of the roof system, comprising precast concrete columns, beams and hollow-core slabs

Corestruc’s development of a novel precast system provides a faster and more cost-effective alternative to in situ methods when constructing large reser voirs.

C

orestruc is preparing to manufacture and install a 25 Mℓ and two 10 Mℓ precast concrete reservoirs.

This follows the recent successful deployment of the company’s unique modular system on two 10 Mℓ reservoir projects in Mpumalanga.

Willie de Jager, managing director, Corestruc, says the projects provided an important opportunity for the company to refine the technology. “We are now confident that we’re able to complete a 10 Mℓ reservoir in about six weeks, by enabling the construction of the floor, walls and roof simultaneously,” he explains, adding that with conventional in situ techniques, the typical timeframe is four to six months.

Corestruc first installs the centre portion of the roof system, comprising precast concrete columns, beams and hollow-core slabs. The process starts with the installation of the columns on to the in situ bases and it generally only takes four working days to build the centre portion of the roof of a 10 Mℓ reservoir.

Once the ring beam has been completed, the wall panels are dispatched to site. They are placed on top of the ring beam using a mobile crane. The first panel is supported by props that are removed once it has set and the remaining elements are then placed against the other to complete the wall.

A 10 Mℓ reservoir wall consists of 60 panels, each weighing 8 t and measuring 9.8 m in length and 1.9 m in width. This is in addition to four 11.7 t buttresses, containing numerous cast-in steel components that reinforce the structure.

Post-tensioning design

C

Perfecting the design of the grouting and post-tensioning process M took more than five years from conception. Notably, vertical Y and horizontal tensioning are used to resist applied forces.

This is opposed to conventional construction methods, where CM reinforcing and post-tensioning are used to control rather than resist MY applied forces.

“About 6.6 km of post tensioning ducts and cables have CYto be installed by hand between the joints of the wall panelsCMYin preparation for the grouting. This is in addition to numerous K 3D-printed components to secure the rubber cast that acts as the temporary shutter,” explains Tian de Jager, technical director, Corestruc.

The grout has been designed to reach a compressive strength of 100 MPa within four days and to further react when the medium comes into contact with water. It has to be extremely flowable, so that it can be pumped through all the post-tensioning ducts from a single position, using two pumps.

ABOVE LEFT The first panel is supported by props that are removed once it has set and the remaining precast concrete elements are then placed against the other to complete the reservoir wall

The working time of the grout is extended by cooling it down to 7°C and it takes up to 40 hours in a continuous process to pump the grout around the entire circumference of a 10 Mℓ reservoir.

While the cost of the system is comparative to in situ techniques on smaller structures, it provides a more affordable means of constructing larger reservoirs.

“This is where the real value of our system will be realised, considering the growing backlog in water infrastructure and the pressure municipalities are under to better manage their dwindling 105x148_ad.pdf 1 2019/04/16 11:24:49 AM budgets,” De Jager concludes.

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Cement & Concrete

Municipalities need concrete specialists The effective planning and execution of municipal infrastructure projects depends on adequate skills and experience, to efficiently deliver projects on time and within budget. But there’s a growing knowledge gap.

By John Roxburgh

W

ith the drastic decline of the South African construction sector and sad demise of many major and household names in this industr y – resulting in the loss of decades of hard-earned knowledge and competency – South Africa is in dire straits. The

John Roxburgh, senior lecturer: School of Concrete Technology, The Concrete Institute

dear th of competent people with a sound working knowledge of concrete is a prime example.

The Concrete Institute is continually being asked to consult on numerous concrete projects where problems have been encountered. These may range from simple, non-structural sur face

cracking to the far more serious dilemma of concrete not meeting the specified strength.

The worr ying aspect is that the volume of problems seems to be rising.

There are many criteria that could produce problems with a concrete job: • T he incorrect concrete could have been formulated.

• T here could have been incorrect handling, placing, compaction and curing of the concrete – or, simply put, poor workmanship.

• Sometimes there are external factors such as severe weather conditions – e.g. excessively hot or cold weather, high winds, or a massive flooding by thunderstorms to disrupt per formance.

• O ccasionally, the concrete may be

From project conceptualisation and design, the municipal concrete specialist can advise and guide the appointed consultants on producing functional and correct concrete specifications with the correct detailing

For more details about a career path in concrete technology, contact: Tel: +27 (0)11 315 0300 Email: sct@theconcreteinstitute.org.za

IMIESA August 2019

41

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Cement && Concrete Concrete Cement Concrete is the material of choice for the delivery of infrastructure because of its exceptional competitive cost, strength and durability, and adaptability to most construction requirements

overstressed by loading it too early.

•S ometimes it’s just a total lack of competency on the par t of the contractor. This increasingly happens with the emergence of incompetent, unskilled SMME contractors that have been awarded work without having the necessary experience and expertise to implement the project.

Specification and detailing But, interestingly, by far the greatest cause of problems with completed concrete jobs is the lack of good specifications and detailing. So, effectively, the job starts going wrong long before construction even begins.

President Ramaphosa’s ‘New Dawn’ and his promise of massive job creation and economic growth to outstrip population growth, along with his determination to fix the woes of so many state-owned enterprises, coupled with the dream of building new smart cities, provide the hope of a bright future for South Africa. But fundamental to fulfilling these promises is a need for massive infrastructural investment.

Municipalities will play a critical role in the planning and implementation of infrastructure. They will be integrally linked to the creation of, hopefully, top-quality concrete structures such as buildings, pavements, water-retaining structures, stormwater systems, sewage treatment plants, green-energy solutions, electricity and water supply, as well as housing.

Concrete is the material of choice for the delivery of infrastructure because of its exceptional competitive cost, strength and durability, and adaptability to most construction requirements.

But to produce good-quality concrete will, as mentioned before, require good specifications and detailing. This is why it is so important for municipalities to train suitable candidates to specialise in concrete technology.

The municipality that has a resident in-house concrete specialist will have a much higher chance of getting its concrete infrastructure built correctly – the first time – without costly repairs and time overruns.

From project conceptualisation and design, the municipal concrete specialist can advise and guide the appointed consultants on producing functional and correct concrete specifications, with the correct detailing.

During the tender process, the specialist will be able to help in the adjudication to ensure the contractor will be able to meet the concrete requirements laid out in the specifications. And, during the construction phase, the specialist will be able to help the contractor with the correct methods to ensure that quality concrete is produced and the finished product meets the required strength, durability and aesthetic requirements for the contract.

Advanced concrete qualification The Concrete Institute appeals to municipal employees with a tertiary education in

the built environment to consider making concrete technology their specialty.

A suitable candidate willing to drive this agenda should be able to motivate the appropriate training by simply pointing out the key time- and money-saving roles that a concrete specialist could play in the overall implementation of municipal infrastructural projects. Acquiring the expertise of The Concrete Institute’s School of Concrete Technology’s Advanced Concrete Technology diploma-level qualification could be done over a few years using the school’s stepped approach.

The prospective candidate would initially do the SCT20 Concrete Practice course and then, over successive years, the school’s SCT30, SCT41, SCT42 and SCT50 courses.

These would put the candidate in line to write the London-based Institute of Concrete Technology’s Advanced Concrete Technology examinations. Any municipality with a staff member qualified at this level would be the envy of all other civic bodies.

Selecting the correct avenue for training is also important at a time when many fly-by-nights offer training in South Africa.

The Concrete Institute’s School of Concrete Technology is the oldest and largest provider of concrete technology education in South Africa. It has the construction industry’s respect and offers a range of courses that cater for all levels of competency. It is now in the national interest for South African municipalities to access some of this concrete knowledge.

IMIESA August 2019

43

Waste Management

Driving municipal recycling programmes

One of the biggest challenges currently facing waste management in South Africa is how municipalities drive reuse and recycling economies within their towns and cities.

By Danielle Petterson

N

ational government set targets for all metropolitan municipalities and secondary cities to have recycling separation at source programmes in place by 2016. Three years on and these programmes have not been rolled out municipality-wide or, in some cases, at all. With many of South Africa’s landfills having only a few years of airspace remaining, it is critical that this be addressed, says Professor Suzan Oelofse, principal researcher, CSIR. South Africa is also on a growth path, generating an increasing amount of waste

each year as a result of economic growth, population growth and urbanisation. While the population grew by 7.5% between 2011 and 2016, municipal solid waste generation grew by nearly 32.2% when considering data from waste characterisation studies conducted in 23 municipalities. “If we don’t do something about this, we are going to drown in our waste over time,” warns Oelofse.

The value of waste The estimated resource value of South Africa’s waste is R25.2 billion per annum. When the Department of Environmental Affairs produced

GRAPH 1 What households do with recyclable waste Take to buy-back centres 0.3%

Other 9.1%

Take to drop-off points 1.0%

Put out for informal collectors 17.7%

Other recycling bags 3.9%

44

IMIESA August 2019

Use the provided recycling bags 24.9%

Put in normal wheelie bins/black bags 43.1%

its baseline figures in 2011, only around 10% of waste was recycled, unlocking R8.2 billion per year’s worth of resources into the South African economy. This leaves a potential R17 billion per annum that could be unlocked.

“To put this into perspective, a living wage for a family in South Africa is considered to be R10 300 per month. That means we can pay a monthly living wage to 137 540 families if we could recover that R17 billion. If we could reintroduce those resources back into the economy, it could make a big difference to poverty, hunger and living conditions,” says Oelofse.

“That is why it is so important for us to start thinking about what we can do to increase recycling,” she adds. In order to achieve this, we need to see change from both the demand and the supply side.

From the supply side, this means investing in collection infrastructure, creating entrepreneurial opportunities, and implementing policies and incentives to drive waste separation at source and collection systems at household and municipal levels. From the demand side, it entails making innovative use of recycled materials and developing innovative, highquality products using recycled content.

Recycling behaviour A 2016 study by the CSIR found that 27.1% of all South African households showed some recycling behaviour in 2015. In urban areas, 7.2% of households were dedicated recyclers, while 67% performed no recycling. In towns and rural areas, 2.6% of households were found

Waste Management

to be dedicated recyclers, while 81% did not recycle at all.

“I think this tells us that there is a great need for us to assist municipalities in finding ways of bridging the service gap between the value chains. We need a process to get recyclables to buy-back centres so that they can be diverted from the service chain into the value chain,” says Oelofse.

This is where extended producer responsibility (EPR) programmes come into play, so that producers can take an active role in helping to recover the recyclables they produce. “EPR programmes can make a real difference, but it does not help if the municipalities are not on board and we do not get the recyclables out of the bin.”

Encouragingly, people’s willingness to recycle has increased. Between 2010 and 2015, a national survey showed that the number of people willing to put out their recyclables increased from 41% to 56%. Similarly, the number of people willing to take their recyclables to drop-off centres increased from 29% to 46%. Unfortunately, there are still a number of people not willing to recyclable.

Making municipal programmes work According to Oelofse, research by the CSIR has found that a formal recycling system is not the only way in which people recycle. Many people support the informal sector or recycling

initiatives at schools. A study conducted by the CSIR for a municipality struggling to gain buy-in on its recycling programme found that there were many other ways in which households recycled (as shown in Graph 1); however, in this study, as much as 43.1% of households did not recycle at all, despite the availability of a municipal recycling programme.

The three main reasons for households not participating in the municipal programme were given as: 1. We don’t know what, how, where, or when to recycle (38%) 2.

Service delivery is unreliable or nonexistent (26%) 3. It is too much trouble to separate different kinds of waste into different bags (25%) Other reasons for not recycling included not benefitting from recycling (19%), recycling taking up too much space or time (17%), preferring to recycle in other ways (14%), and not thinking that recycling is important (13%).

Answering key questions Addressing a group of waste industry professionals at an IWMSA recycling dialogue at IFAT Africa in July, Oelofse posed four key questions that need answering in order to improve municipal recycling initiatives: 1. What is/should be the role of municipalities in the drive to growing the recycling economy?

2.

What should industry do to support municipalities to drive the recycling economy?

3. What is the role of households in growing the recycling economy?

4. What, if any, should the role of the informal sector be?

Audience members offered a number of insights into challenges and areas for improvement.

There was widespread consensus that separation at source of organic and non-organic waste is essential to making recycling feasible in South Africa. The value of the recyclables is not enough to cover the costs of sorting after collection – only separation at source makes this feasible.

However, for this to be successful, behavioural change must be addressed. There appears to be a gap in people’s understanding of the urgent need for recycling, as well as identifying the types of waste that are recyclable. Without a national awareness campaign, driven by government and municipalities, we won’t see change.

Many countries have successfully implemented household recycling programmes through methods such as penalties for noncompliance, forcing behaviour change with smaller bins, and providing incentives for participation. Opinions were divided on whether incentives would be feasible for South Africa, but many people agreed that punishing people for not recycling may be the only way to enforce change. Government also needs to enforce laws and by-laws, and take action against municipalities who are not compliant.

However, this needs to be considered in the broader picture of the informal sector, which currently accounts for a large portion of South Africa’s recycling. More buy-back centres should be put in place to support this sector.

Furthermore, emphasis was given to ensuring that refuse removal costs are reflective.

Many audience members agreed that some municipalities are under-charging, especially in light of the fact that many households in South Africa cannot afford to pay. These monies should also be ring-fenced and better attention must be given to planning for recycling programmes well in advance so that budgets can be allocated.

Integrated waste management plans cannot be a tick-box activity, and proper time and money need to be allocated to ensuring that good plans, backed by research, are developed and implemented.

Ultimately, audience members agreed that recycling in no longer optional, but essential.

Running out of landfill space is no longer a distant reality and change must happen now to ensure a sustainable waste management future for South Africa.

IMIESA August 2019

45

83 RD IMESA CONFERENCE

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Transport, Logistics, Vehicles & Equipment

The recent appointment of Ser votech as Wacker Neuson’s first dealer in KwaZulu-Natal has boosted the OEM’s Southern African dealer network to a solid 16.

Expanding into new markets

E

stablished in 2012, Servotech, a leading rental company, offers equipment hire, sales, repairs and service solutions to agriculture, construction, manufacturing, mining and marine, as well as to municipalities across KZN. “We also supply top-quality equipment from our 900 m2 premises in Phoenix, Durban, to the rest of Africa,” notes Neresh Maganlal, owner, Servotech. “Our ‘simply remarkable service’ philosophy, which is intrinsic to all our products and services, has played a key role in the company’s success journey.”

Shaking hands on Wacker Neuson’s first KwaZulu-Natal dealer appointment (left to right): Graham Gadd, Wacker Neuson KwaZulu-Natal; Dennis Vietze, MD of Wacker Neuson SSA; Neresh Maganlal, owner of Servotech; and Meshach Nadasan, sales manager at Servotech

“Our partnership with Servotech ideally positions Wacker Neuson to offer our world-class product and service suite directly to our KZN customers.”

IMIESA August 2019

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47

Transport, Logistics, Vehicles & Equipment

Not only will this game-changing partnership with Servotech further strengthen our extensive dealer network across South Africa and our neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, but it will also serve to assist our valued customers in taking their businesses to greater heights.”

“In addition to being well acquainted with our products, Servotech’s sound industry reputation, solid customer base and broad industry network prompted our decision to appoint this well-established company on 18 June 2019 as our non-exclusive dealer in KZN,” says Dennis Vietze, managing director, Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Our partnership with Servotech ideally positions Wacker Neuson to offer our worldclass product and service suite directly to our KZN customers,” continues Vietze.

“Furthermore, the Servotech sales force and customer representation team give us additional personnel to service our existing customer base and introduce our brand into Servotech’s established customer portfolio.

This means that our customers can now benefit from greater accessibility to the Wacker Neuson range of products, spares and workshop turnaround times.”

Vietze adds that, as Servotech is a preferred supplier of many government organisations, this new dealer agreement opens the door for Wacker Neuson into a sector that previously proved difficult for the company to penetrate on a direct basis.

48

This new dealer agreement will see the expansion of Servotech’s current fleet of 19 Wacker Neuson units to include most of the brand’s light equipment range.

After-sales strategy With trained technicians, a fully equipped workshop and a sizeable stockholding of parts to support its existing agencies, Ser votech will under take all aftersales responsibilities, suppor ted by Wacker Neuson.

Wacker Neuson KZN, spearheaded by Graham Gadd, will continue to deal directly with its existing hire segment customers.

The end-user customers will be channelled through Servotech in collaboration with Wacker Neuson. Gadd confirms that the Wacker Neuson branch will continue to assist with the supply of spares and technical support, as well as new customer referrals.

According to Meshach Nadasan, sales manager, Ser votech, excellent aftersales service goes hand in hand with training to ensure correct machine use for extended lifespan, operator safety and reduced maintenance costs. Subsequently,

Ser votech customers receive regular training on operator usage, as well as on equipment servicing and repairs. Due to the long-standing relationship between the two companies, a number of Servotech’s technical employees have already attended training at the Wacker Neuson KZN branch.

In line with this new dealer agreement, all relevant employees will now also receive regular in-house training.

Looking to a productive and lucrative future, Maganlal says that despite a slowing down in turnover caused by macro-economic factors, Servotech has risen above these challenges and is showing steady growth. “KZN holds the lion’s share of government spend and our strong ties with various municipalities bode well for us,” he explains.

Ending on a positive note, Vietze says, “Not only will this game-changing partnership with Servotech further strengthen our extensive dealer network across South Africa and our neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, but it will also serve to assist our valued customers in taking their businesses to greater heights.”

IMIESA August 2019

CAPE 11 - 12 September 2019 Sun Exhibits, GrandWest Cape Town

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Transport, Logistics, Vehicles & Equipment

The art of earthmoving Final handover handshake with the artists (left to right): Kenneth Muradzikwa, Mike Blom, managing director of Komatsu South Africa, and Allen Kupeta

T

wo water storage tanks at the entrance to the Parts Distribution Centre (PDC) at Komatsu South Africa’s new campus in Sunnyrock, Germiston, have been transformed into large-scale works of art. Funded by the Komatsu South Africa Foundation Trust, the project was initiated by Mike Blom, managing director, Komatsu South Africa.

Both masterpieces are the work of Johannesburg-based artists Allen Kupeta and Kenneth Muradzikwa. Their brief was to colourfully illustrate the country’s diverse landscapes and the ways in which both Komatsu equipment and the company’s social investment programme are contributing to local economic development. The result

A roadside view of the final painted tanks at the Komatsu Parts and Distribution Centre in Tunney Ridge, Germiston

is a beautifully executed journey on two backdrops that stand 7 m high and 28 m in circumference.

On the first tank, the artists’ paintbrush journey extends from the Mpumalanga highveld, with its flat grasslands, agricultural vistas, power plants and open-pit mines, to Gauteng – stopping along the way to capture scenes from everyday rural and urban life.

In Johannesburg, they draw the viewer’s attention to some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, pulsating street scenes, taxis and spaza shops.

On the second, Kupeta and Muradzikwa depict the Northern Cape with its red sand, camel thorns, quiver trees and iron ore mines – home to some of Komatsu’s largest-capacity

rigid dump trucks. They also feature Cape Town, taking viewers on a tour of Table Mountain, the winelands and the hustle and bustle of Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain.

Their travels end at Mokgalakwena platinum mine and the company’s mechanical hub in the Limpopo province.

“Art, particularly on this scale, has a huge impact on an audience. It breaks down language and age barriers, energises and inspires. The artists have turned an otherwise dull area into one that celebrates the vibrancy of a country that we’re proud to be part of, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results,” says Blom.

The work was conducted over a period of 10 weeks.

IMIESA August 2019

49

Transport, Logistics, Vehicles & Equipment

Harnessing portable power Atlas Copco Power Technique’s suite of compact mobile compressors, generators, light towers and pumps feature clean drive technology, connectivity and versatility to meet a wide variety of applications.

R

epresenting the air solutions assortment is Atlas Copco Power Technique’s range of renowned 8 Series Utility, DrillAir and XAS mobile compressors. The 8 Series Utility compressor series – which includes the best-in-class U130, U175 and U190 models – is developed for secure integration into utility trucks and other OEM applications.

The DrillAir range encompasses the XAVS 1000, V900, X1300, V1200 and Y1300 and comes to market with groundbreaking technologies such as PACE (Pressure Adjusted through Cognitive Electronics), as well as the DrillAirXpert performance management system.

The robust XAS range comprises 10 lightweight units and features the renowned linear medium-density polyethylene manufactured HardHat canopy.

The QAS 60/35 VSG mobile diesel generator

50

IMIESA August 2019

ABOVE Atlas Copco Power Technique sets the portable energy benchmark with its innovative air, power, light and flow solutions BELOW The WEDA range of centrifugal electrical submersible pumps

Containerised power Within the generator segment, Power Technique fields the QAC1100 and QAC1450 TwinPower units. They comprise a standard container with two generators for unmatched versatility and the ability to operate efficiently at different power loads.

“This groundbreaking solution is ideal for customers that require changeable power and current usage options,” explains David Stanford, business line manager: Portable Products, Power Technique.

Staying with power, the business area also offers the QAS, QES and QEC mobile diesel generators. These powerful machines offer quick, stable, reliable and predictable power irrespective of the application or environments.

Lighting series Lighting up job sites to ensure safe and productive operation is Power Technique’s power ful light tower range. Available in LED technology, metal halide and the latest HiLight range of portable electric light towers, these compact units offer a flexible set of lighting options.

Intrinsic to the HiLight range are the Highlight V3+, Z3+ and H5+ light towers. The user-friendly, plug-and-play V3+ LED 4 x 120 W electric light tower is one of the most versatile units. By integrating LED technology into its superior light-quality range, these light towers are able to deliver up to 25% more light compared to metal halide lamps, with average savings of 60% on fuel consumption.

Submersibles Pumping up productivity is Power Technique’s range of easy-to-ser vice static, submersible and dewatering pumps. Thanks to a smart, modular design, one pump can efficiently cover several applications.

The technologically advanced series includes diesel, petrol and electric mobile dewatering units that feature openframe PAS dr y and VAR wet self-priming centrifugal pumps, as well as the WEDA range of centrifugal electrical submersible pumps. The recently expanded WEDA range now includes the WEDA D, S and L family for handling dewatering, sludge and slurr y, respectively.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATES AECOM siphokuhle.dlamini@aecom.com Afri-Infra Group (Pty) Ltd banie@afri-infra.com ALULA (Pty) Ltd info@alulawater.co.za AQUADAM (Pty) Ltd sales@aquadam.co.za Aurecon Fani.Xaba@aurecongroup.com Aveng Manufacturing Infraset werner.booyens@infraset.com Averda claude.marais@averda.com Bigen Africa Group Holdings otto.scharfetter@bigenafrica.com BMK Group brian@bmkgroup.co.za Bosch Munitech info@boschmunitech.co.za Bosch Projects (Pty) Ltd mail@boschprojects.co.za BVI Consulting Engineers marketing@bviho.co.za Civilconsult Consulting Engineers mail@civilconsult.co.za Corrosion Institute of Southern Africa secretary@corrosioninstitute.org.za Development Bank of SA divb@dbsa.org.za DPI Plastics Farhana@dpiplastics.co.za EFG Engineers eric@efgeng.co.za Elster Kent Metering Leonardus.Basson@honeywell.com ERWAT mail@erwat.co.za GIBB marketing@gibb.co.za GIGSA secretary@gigsa.org GLS Consulting nicky@gls.co.za Gudunkomo Investments & Consulting info@gudunkomo.co.za Hatch Africa (Pty) Ltd info@hatch.co.za Herrenknecht schiewe.helene@herrenknecht.de Huber Technology cs@hubersa.com Hydro-comp Enterprises info@edams.co.za I@Consulting info@iaconsulting.co.za INGEROP mravjee@ingerop.co.za Integrity Environment info@integrityafrica.co.za IQHINA Consulting Engineers & Project Managers info@iqhina.co.za iX engineers (Pty) Ltd hans.k@ixengineers.co.za JBFE Consulting (Pty) Ltd issie@jbfe.co.za JG Afrika DennyC@jgafrika.com KABE Consulting Engineers info@kabe.co.za Kago Consulting Engineers kagocon@kago.co.za Kantey & Templer (K&T) Consulting Engineers ccherry@ctokamteys.co.za Kitso Botlhale Consulting Engineers info@kitsobce.co.za Lektratek Water general@lwt.co.za Lithon Project Consultants (Pty) Ltd info@lithon.com Makhaotse Narasimulu & Associates mmakhaotse@mna-sa.co.za Malani Padayachee & Associates (Pty) Ltd admin@mpa.co.za M & C Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd info@mcconsulting.co.za Maragela Consulting Engineers admin@maragelaconsulting.co.za Mariswe (Pty) Ltd neshniec@mariswe.com Martin & East gbyron@martin-east.co.za Mhiduve adminpotch@mhiduve.co.za Mogoba Maphuthi & Associates (Pty) Ltd admin@mmaholdings.co.za

Moedi Wa Batho Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd info@wabatho.co.za Much Asphalt bennie.greyling@muchasphalt.com NAKO ILISO lyn.adams@nakogroup.com Nyeleti Consulting merasmus@nyeleti.co.za Odour Engineering Systems mathewc@oes.co.za Pumptron randall@gormanrupp.co.za Ribicon Consulting Group (Pty) Ltd info@ribicon.co.za Royal HaskoningDHV francisg@rhdv.com SABITA info@sabita.co.za SAFRIPOL mberry@safripol.com SALGA info@salga.org.za SAPPMA admin@sappma.co.za / willem@sappma.co.za SARF administrator@sarf.org.za.co.za SBS Water Systems mava@sbstanks.co.za Sembcorp Siza Water info-sizawater@sembcorp.com Sigodi Marah Martin Management Support lansanam@sigodimarah.co.za SiVEST SA garths@sivest.co.za Sizabantu Piping Systems (Pty) Ltd gregl@sizabantupipingsystems.com SKYV Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd kamesh@skyv.co.za SMEC capetown@smec.com SNA stolz.j@sna.co.za Sobek Engineering gen@sobek.co.za Southern African Society for Trenchless Technology director@sasst.org.za Southern Pipeline Contractors (Pty) Ltd spc@vinci-construction.com SRK Consulting jomar@srk.co.za Star Of Life Emergency Trading CC admin@staroflife.co.za Syntell julia@syntell.co.za TECROVEER (Pty) Ltd info@tecroveer.co.za TPA Consulting roger@tpa.co.za Ulozolo Engineers CC admin@ulozolo.co.za V3 Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd info@v3consulting.co.za Vetasi south-africa@vetasi.com VIP Consulting Engineers esme@vipconsulting.co.za VUKA Africa Consulting Engineers info@vukaafrica.co.za Water Institute of Southern Africa wisa@wisa.org.za Wam Technology CC support@wamsys.co.za Water Solutions Southern Africa ecoetzer@wssa.co.za Wilo South Africa marketingsa@wilo.co.za WRP ronniem@wrp.co.za WRNA washy@wrnyabeze.com WSP Group Africa ansia.meyer@wsp.com

I M E S A A F F I L I AT E M E M B E R S

IMESA

Industry News

From left to right: Jenny Miller, outgoing sales manager: IMIESA; Alastair Currie, managing editor: IMIESA; and Danielle Petterson, senior journalist: IMIESA and editor: Water&Sanitation Africa

Jenny says farewell

O

n 20 April 2019, I celebrated my 20th anniversary with 3S Media. It seems like yesterday, but of course there’s been a lot of water that’s flowed under the bridge since then.

August 2019 marks a new turning point for me as I hand over the reins to a new sales team and say farewell to 3S Media.

It’s the start of an exciting new chapter in my life as I join my husband in his natural skincare business.

I joined 3S Media (then Shorten Publications) in 1999 in a sales and marketing role, working alongside my sister, Jacqueline Leitch, a most respected editor of IMIESA at the time.

With each passing year, it’s been exciting to experience the changing landscape of construction and public infrastructure in South Africa. I remember helping consulting engineering firms to transition to the world of marketing when it became permissible for industry professionals to advertise.

Key career highlights while at 3S Media include the launch of ReSource, the official magazine of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa. This was followed by the launch of Water&Sanitation Africa magazine, the mouthpiece of the Water Institute of Southern Africa.

I can also sincerely state that the current editorial team on IMIESA is the best I’ve ever worked with, and they remain firmly at the helm.

Congratulations and welcome to Chilomia van Wijk, our new group sales manager, who will work across our infrastructure brands, and to Joanne Lawrie, who assumes the role of key account manager: sales on IMIESA, infrastructurenews.co.za and ReSource. Joanne can be contacted on joanne@3smedia.co.za or on her mobile: 082 346 5338.

My wish for you all is that you continue to have as much fun as I’ve had.

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

Afrimat Shared Services AfriSam

42 OFC

Ammann Construction Machinery South Africa

OBC

ARRB Systems IFC

4

Geomechanics

17

Hall Longmore

10

IMESA Isuzu Trucks

36

CAPSA

24

Mather+Platt

29

Corestruc

39

Much Asphalt

21

NOSA

18

Old Mutual

40

IMIESA August 2019

LI

35

Sizabantu Piping Systems

IBC

Southern Pipeline Contractors 2

32, 46, 51

48

Electra Mining Botswana

Quality Filtration Systems

Franki Africa 22

Cape Construction

Dynapac 19

52

Erwat

Structa

25

The Rare Group

33

Ultra Control Valves

30

Wacker Neuson

47

MATURE PLANT CONCEPT AMMANN CBT 60 ELBA CONCRETE-MIXING PLANT Fast installation times and unproblematic relocation as well as favourable transport dimensions for were the main targets of the engineers developing the new plant concept.

Result is the new Ammann CBT plant, that is extremely fast in set up times due to its folding mechanisms and compact plant design.

• No foundations needed, soil compaction of 250 kN/m² is sufficient

• Simple transport

• Plug & Play – Plants electric and pneumatic components are completely pre-installed

• Short assembling times

• Theoretical output capacity of 60 m³/h

Ammann Construction Machinery, Unit 3 Great North Industrial Park, 20 van Wyk Road Brentwood Park, Benoni 1500, South Africa, Tel. + 27 11 849 3939, Fax + 27 11 849 8889, info.aza@ammann.com For additional product information and services please visit : www.ammann.com PMP-1236-01-EN | © Ammann Group