Issuu

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

Winner of the 2011 PICA Non-professional writer of the year

IMESA

MEDIA

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY

MERCEDES-BENZ Introduces TruckMobility in th he he

Engineering Job losses

Johannesburg Flood alleviation

Insight Engineering prosperity

Peter Newmarch, president of SAGI: “There is huge scope for rapid turnaround times and cost-effective solutions in infrastructure mapping” ISSN 0257 1978 Volume 37 No.6 • June 2012 • R40.00 (incl VAT)

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 37 NO 6 JUNE 2012

Project problems

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

Mobile mapping

Winner of the 2011 PICA Non-professional writer of the year

Flood alleviation

Integrated housing

IMESA

MEDIA

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY

Government perspective

Geotechnical

11 Labour Depar tment assists

47 Sinkhole database

struggling sectors

Industry perspective 12 Civil engineering job losses

Introduces TruckMobility in th h he

Job losses

Johannesburg Flood alleviation

Insight Engineering prosperity

Peter Newmarch, president of SAGI: “There is huge scope for rapid turnaround times and cost-effective solutions in infrastructure mapping”

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ISSN 0257 1978 Volume 37 No.6 • June 2012 • R40.00 (incl VAT)

In a constant pursuit of adding value to customers, MercedesBenz South Africa has introduced TruckMobility, a product offering that gives operators additional peace of mind for choosing Mercedes-Benz products.

Panel discussion

Hot seat

51 Introduction: consulting to local

18 Sur veying for municipalities

Sanral

21 KZN DOT goes green 25 Municipalities benefit from innovation

Roads 29 SABITA Awards 34 Precision hammering 35 Bell extends

Regulars

SAGI

3 5

37 GIS and remote sensing 39 Asset management and

Editor’s comment President’s comment

data collection

Cover article Mercedes-Benz introduces TruckMobility

Opinion 9

construction

14 Engineering civil prosperity

product offering

48 Integrated housing project 49 Precast solutions speed up

Insight

MERCEDES-BENZ Engineering

Project news

South Africa is no longer Africa’s big brother

41 3D mobile mapping 42 Changing the rules of municipal mapping

Johannesburg 45 Flood alleviation measures 46 New stations for Rea Vaya

57 58 61 63 65 66

government Kinight Piesold Consulting: Iain Watson BVi Consulting Engineering: JJ Grobler and M Marole BKS: Siyanda Ngebulana Arup: Richard Deh PH Bagale SRK Consulting: Matt Braune Transpor t Telematics Africa: Wehan Wessels UWP Consulting: Craig Nor thwood

IMESA 68 A journey through IMESA

Equipment 71 Trench compactor launched 73 Maintenance management for trucks

75 A recipe for disaster 76 Retaining wall system for large applications IMIESA JUNE 2012

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EDITOR'S COMMENT

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS PUBLISHER Elizabeth Shorten EDITOR Richard Jansen van Vuuren ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Ferdie Pieterse CREATIVE CHIEF EXECUTIVE Frédérick Danton SENIOR DESIGNER Hayley Mendelow SENIOR SUB-EDITOR Claire Nozaic SUB-EDITOR Patience Gumbo CONTRIBUTORS Tony Stone, Candice Landie, Francois van Zyl, Alex Fortescue, S Richardson PRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh Botma PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jaqueline Modise FINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew Lobban (ACIS, FCIBM) ADMINISTRATION Tonya Hebenton DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa Masina DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha Pursotham PRINTERS United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571 ___________________________________________________

Mapping the way forward

LL THOSE WONDERFUL feelings and memories of the Soccer World Cup seem so distant lately. In the almost two years since the event, the construction industry and government have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. How did it all fall apart so easily? The construction effort leading up to the event may be our ‘golden moment’ for years to come as it seems the camaraderie, the amazing feats and cohesion we achieved to complete the stadiums and the associated infrastructure might never be repeated. Last year, government raised issues with the construction industry with regards to its concerns about collusion and fraudulent activities. In addition, certain cement manufacturers have been fined by the Competition Commission for price fixing. One of the issues surrounding this controversial project is the construction costs that have seemingly spiralled out of control. Who would have that thought that a government agency such as Sanral could rack up a bad reputation as a bad debtor thanks to Moody’s Investor Service? Who would have ever thought that the Treasury would accuse the public of economic saboteurs due to the outcry over the expensive GFIP e-toll tariffs? As things now stand between the public and private sector, South Africa runs a real risk of not completing ambitious infrastructure projects in years to come. Private business is still seething after the Minister of Human Settlements, Tokyo Sexwale, announced that he intends to explore the possibility of creating of a state-owned construction company. This statement ran concurrently that of Minister of Water Affairs, Edna Molewa, who outlined the need to raise to R530 billion over the next decade to address water infrastructure maintenance backlogs. Molewa indicated that the funding will be sought from the private sector. Kuben Naidoo, head of the secretariat to the National Planning Commission under Minister Trevor Manuel, stated last week that government spend in the construction industry basically collapsed after the World Cup. The

ADVERTISING SALES Jenny Miller Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223 ___________________________________________________

PUBLISHER: MEDIA No. 4, 5th Avenue, Rivonia 2056 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 E-mail: richard@3smedia.co.za www.3smedia.co.za ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: R480.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. ___________________________________________________ IMESA CONTACTS IMESA Administration Officer: Ingrid Botton P O Box 2190, Westville, 3630 Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263 Fax: +27 (0)31 266 5094 Email: imesa@webstorm.co.za Website: www.imesa.org.za BORDER BRANCH Secretary: Melanie Matroos Tel: +27 (0)43 705 2401 Fax: +27 (0)43 743 5266 E-mail: melaniem@buffalocity.gov.za EAST CAPE BRANCH Elsabé Koen Tel: +27 (0)41 505 8005 Fax: +27 (0)41 581 2300 E-mail: elsabek@africoast.com KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCH Secretary: Rita Zaayman Tel: +27(0)31 311 6382 NORTHERN PROVINCE BRANCH Secretary: Cornel Taljaard Tel: +27 (0)82 899 8341 Fax: +27 (0)11 675 1324 E-mail: cornel@rchc.co.za SOUTHERN CAPE KAROO BRANCH Secretary: Henrietta Oliver Tel: +27(0)79 390 7536 Fax: 086 536 3725 E-mail: imesa.southcape@gmail.com WESTERN CAPE BRANCH Secretary: Erica van Jaarsveld Tel: +27 (0)21 938 8455 Fax: +27 (0)21 938 8457 E-mail: erica.van_jaarsveld@capetown.gov.za FREE STATE AND NORTHERN CAPE BRANCH Secretary: Wilma Van Der Walt Tel: +27(0)83 457 4362 Fax: 086 628 0468 E-mail: imesa.fsnc@gmail.com REST OF SOUTHERN AFRICA Representative: Andre Muller E-mail: imesa@webstorm.co.za

PICA the 2011 of the year Winner offession al writer Non-pro

te of the Instituern Africa South l maga zine eering of The officia ipal Engin of Munic

Winner of the 2011 PICA Non-professional writer of the year

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

IMESA

hundreds of billions of rands mentioned in each year’s Budget Vote is sitting idle and not being spent. Treasury has identified three reasons for the collapse in infrastructure spending: 1. bad procurement planning Richard Jansen in government Van Vuuren 2. lack of proper infrastructure programme planning 3. the difficulty of structuring constructive relationships with the private sector. It is with all these factors in mind that 3S Media will be hosting an event on 21 and 22 June titled: ‘Public Private Infrastructure Forum: government and industry meet to plan the way forward’. The keynote speaker will be the Minister of Public Works, Thembelani Nxesi. Other confirmed speakers from the following industry organisations will be making presentations: • Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA) • Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) • The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) • South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (SAFCEC) • Master Builders South Africa (MBSA) • Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) • Black Business Practitioners in the Built Environment (BBPBE). Visit our new website www.infrastructurene.ws for more information.

Erratum: apology In our April edition I proudly discussed the design changes made in IMIESA. As the saying goes, fate it would seem is not without a sense of irony, as we made an error on the SprayPave article on pages 6 and 7 of that edition. Unfortunately, the last two lines of the article were cut off – resulting in an important quote being printed incorrectly. The IMIESA team apologises profusely to SprayPave for this error. Please see the full quote below: “We are very proud of SprayPave’s growth, as well as extremely impressed with the innovative approach they have taken to get to where they are today”, says Marius Heyns, CEO of Basil Read.

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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 contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers.

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In each issue, IMIESA offers advertisers the opportunity o to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on o the front cover of the journal. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the t cover story on pages and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings contact Jenny Miller on tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223.

rik: “Munmarket for Coro losses alleviation prosperity of Corob cl VAT) director an important .00 (in • R40 been r, managing y 2012 Peter Newmarch, president of SAGI: “There is huge scope for rapid Dirk Meye n has always 5 • Ma 37 No. turnaround times and cost-effective solutions in infrastructure mapping” Volume constructio 7 1978

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25 ISSN 0

ISSN 0257 1978 Volume 37 No.6 • June 2012 • R40.00 (incl VAT)

IMIESA JUNE 2012

24 - 26 October 2012 GEORGE 031 2663263

www.imesa.org.za conference@imesa.org.za

2012 IMESA CONFERENCE Theme: Engineering for Change Share ideas and experiences with over 650 municipal engineers & stakeholders. Discover the latest in technology with over 60 confirmed exhibitors! Submit a paper extract for consideration to harold@george.org.za to share knowledge, and gain exposure and recognition for your contribution to engineering. Acknowledge the best in the industry by attending the Excellence Awards & Opening Function! Network and socialise with suppliers and customers during the conference and at the informal Gala Function at De Vette Mossel. Enjoy an extended weekend in the beautiful Garden Route with your partner â€“ see website for details of the spectacular Companions Tour on offer! Choose your Technical Tour from a selection of Award Winning projects or the rare opportunity to visit PetroSA:

Eco Project: Touw River

Re-use of Waste Water: George Ultra-Filtration Plant

New Water Sources: Mossel Bay Desalination Plant

Safety / Acquisitions: PetroSA

To register or for comprehensive information visit www.imesa.org.za

PRESIDENT'S COMMENT

The seven pillars of sustainability At last year’s 75th IMESA Conference, when addressing the topic of the future of municipal engineering in South Africa, I identified what I referred to as the ‘Seven Pillars of Sustainability’. by Jannie Pietersen, president of IMESA

hese can be listed as follows: • morals and ethics • asset management • skills • political stability • sound governance • financial stability • freedom from corruption. I recently read a report in The Mercur y newspaper that stated: “The auditor general, Terence Nombembe, has criticised the government and public ser vants for a weakening of the pillars of governance protecting South Africa’s democracy.” In the article, Nombembe was further quoted as saying: “Things are serious and they are even more serious than we thought they were. They are more serious because the people who are employed by government to do work are the least prepared and equipped to do it – the situation is dire.” The article also stated Nombembe’s office would soon release the audit results for local municipalities, and he expressed his dismay about them. The pillars mentioned above are interlinked and are an important part of the employer/employee relationship in municipalities. This same relationship should exist between a municipality and its ratepayers and residents – an important fact that is all too often forgotten. A council is elected to ser ve the interests of its electors and in order to implement the policies on which it has been elected, it employs officials and workers. It is the duty of both the politicians and the officials to implement policy and to provide ser vices in the most efficient manner possible, using the resources the ratepayers have provided. That fact that this is a relationship of trust, dependant on a moral and ethical attitude from all role players, is obvious. That this trust is often abused in present-day South Africa is equally clear; hardly a day goes by without a report in the press of corruption, incompetence, failures in capacity and other betrayals of the ratepayers’ trust. We have to ask what it says to the population when our largest city routinely receives a qualified audit report,

and the capital of our most populous province cannot manage and maintain some of its infrastructure. More importantly, what can we as a professional body do to move our municipalities to a position of financial probity and, furthermore, to earn the faith and trust of the public? I think we need to look at the pillars that I have listed and acknowledge that all of them flow from the first: morals and ethics. I believe that for IMESA, as with all professional organisations, morals and ethics are fundamental core values. I also believe that as a body of professionals, we are well-positioned to exercise influence in this area. As an organisation and as individuals, we need to demand from our members, our municipalities and all the officials and suppliers with whom we have contact, nothing short of total honesty in the areas of governance, asset management and accounting; only then can we hope to approach the goals of freedom from corruption and financial stability. We need to be courageous and rigorous in monitoring and, if necessar y, reporting – all areas where corruption is suspected or conduct falls short of accepted standards. In short, I believe that we can make a difference.

What can we as a professional body do to move our municipalities to a position of financial probity?

IMIESA JUNE 2012

COVER STORY

Mercedes-Benz introduces

TruckMobility In a constant pursuit of adding value for its customers, Mercedes-Benz South Africa has introduced TruckMobility, a product offering that gives operators additional peace of mind when choosing Mercedes-Benz products.

VAILABLE TO NEW or demo Mercedes-Benz Actros 6X4 truck tractor customers that have bought into a new Char terWay Ser vice Complete package, TruckMobility guarantees customers that their vehicles will be repaired within two days following the report of a mechanical failure. In the event that the repairs take longer than two days, customers will either receive a replacement vehicle or be reimbursed R2 500 a day for a maximum of five days with a limit of R12 500 per instance. Introduced in 2010, Char terWay is an offering that combines Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s (MBSA’s) exceptional financial ser vices and fleet management products, delivered through Mercedes-Benz Financial Ser vices, with affordable ser vice and/or maintenance contracts. CharterWay can be customised

IMIESA JUNE 2012

to meet each customer’s business needs. “A notable benefit of TruckMobility is that it has the FleetBoard telematic tracking system bundled with a CharterWay ser vice and maintenance package. FleetBoard has other benefits that include vehicle manage-

TruckMobility guarantees customers that their vehicles will be repaired within two days following the report of a mechanical failure ment system, a 30-second inter val vehicle tracking, driver management, driver training and fleet reporting,” says Clinton Savage, divisional manager at Mercedes-Benz Trucks. It is also worth mentioning that TruckMobility has a driver training component. The professional driver training offered by Tr u c k M o b i l i t y

teaches good driving behaviour that not only results in a reduced risk of breakdowns, but also reduced fuel consumption. Good driving behaviour has resulted in a 5% to 15% fuel consumption reduction, which augurs well with MBSA’s efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of its products. TruckMobility has the competitive edge as it enables operators to have a professionally and regularly maintained fleet of vehicles that will retain the highest level of reliability.

TruckStore launched TruckStore, the used commercial vehicle specialist from MBSA, is ready to commence construction of a brand new facility for the Southern African market. The TruckStore team is to begin business in a few weeks at Highway Business Park in Centurion. TruckStore is a first for MBSA and will become one of the largest used-vehicle dealers for commercial vehicles – vans,

COVER STORY

trucks, buses and trailers. TruckStore sells vehicles of all brands, body configurations and ages. Conveniently situated off the N1, on 30 000 m2 of prime real estate, the facility will have ample parking for large vehicles and is well-situated in Gauteng, between the two major airports (OR Tambo and Lanseria) for the convenience of its clients. TruckStore is one of the largest used commercial dealer networks in Europe and has now officially been launched to the Southern African. In the Daimler Group, TruckStore is responsible for the professional, international used truck business, involving trucks of all brands and ages, and with all body types. TruckStore in Europe is growing constantly and already has 30 locations in 14 European countries, and has a rolling stock of around 4 000 vehicles, selling more than 20 000 vehicles annually. TruckStore is a Daimler initiative, which began operations in 2002. This proven model concept has been adapted to suit the Southern African

market. TruckStore also accepts commercial vehicles of any vehicle type or brand in part exchange. The condition of ever y vehicle is thoroughly checked and assessed on the basis of uniform standards. Vehicles are then subdivided into the product categories gold, silver and bronze. This ensures that ever y vehicle delivers what is promised. TruckStore will also have a dedicated reconditioning centre based at Zandfontein, which will also ser ve as the national return centre for Mercedes-Benz Financial Ser vices. The preparation of the used commercial vehicles by dedicated technicians and ser vice staff, to bring them up to set standards, will be undertaken at the Zandfontein facility, ensuring that these vehicles meet TruckStore benchmark standards. As part of the MBSA commercial vehicle value chain, TruckStore customers will benefit from a range of ser vices specifically for used commercial

ABOVE LEFT TruckStore is one of the largest used commercial dealer networks in Europe and has now been officially launched in South Africa ABOVE RIGHT TruckMobility includes a driver training component

vehicles, such as finance, insurance and warranties. This TruckStore initiative will ensure significant growth in the used commercial vehicle segments and the close collaboration with the MBSA dealer network will be strengthened. The TruckStore website at www.truckstore. co.za has full details for customers to familiarise themselves with the new and exciting TruckStore concept. Once the TruckStore facility is officially opened, the website will be upgraded to an internet platform that will enable used-commercial vehicle customers to find their ideal vehicle even faster â€“ a vehicle suited to their needs â€“ thanks to easy navigation functions. The new functionality will be user-friendly with its clearly structured sections, simple controls and optimised contact functions. In addition to the new design, users will also benefit from a photographic galler y of the used commercial vehicles as well as full specifications. TruckStore is able to meet increasingly demanding customer requirements and continue to extend its lead at the ver y forefront of innovation. Mercedes-Benz Tel: +27 (0)12 677 1500 Web: www.mercedes-benz.co.za

IMIESA offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Companies are afforded the opportunity of publishing a two-page cover story and a cover picture to promote their products to an appropriate audience. Please call Jenny Miller on +27(0)11 467 6223 to secure your booking.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

IMESA AFFILIATE MEMBERS

IMESA

ABS

hennie.basson@absgroup.com afri-infra@mweb.co.za

Kgatelopele Consulting

kgatelopele@wol.co.za

Knowledge Base

info@knowbase.co.za

ajbroom@icon.co.za

KV3 Engineers

cbrandsen@kv3.co.za

Arup SA

rob.lamb@arup.com

Lektratek Water

Aurecon

Ian.VanWijk@af.aurecongroup.com

Afri-Infra AJ Broom Road Products

Bigen Group Africa BKS Consulting Engineers

otto.scharfetter@bigenafrica.com siyandan@bks.co.za

Makhaotse Narasimulu & Associates Maragela Consulting Engineers Much Asphalt

BMK Consulting

brian@bmkconsulting.co.za

Nyeleti Consulting

Bosch Stemele

bsdbn@boschstemele.co.za

Odour Engineering Systems

Bosch Munitech

info@boschmunitech.co.za

BVI Consulting Engineers

marketing@bviho.co.za

CBI Consulting Engineers

durban@cbisa.co.za

Civilconsult Consulting Engineers Civil & Blasting Solutions

mail@civilconsult.co.za jane@drillingandblasting.co.za

Concrete Manufacturers

cma@mweb.co.za

CSIR Built Environment

LAustin@csir.co.za

Davies Lynn & Partners

dlpdbn@dlp.co.za

Development Bank of SA

divb@dbsa.org.za

DPI Plastics EFG Engineers Elster Kent Metering EnviroServ Waste Management Geotechnologies GLS Consulting Goba Hidrostal SA Huber Technology Hydro-comp Enterprises I@Consulting Iliso Consulting Infraset Jeffares and Green Johannesburg Water

mgoodchild@dpiplastics.co.za eric@efgeng.co.za keith.bailey@za.elster.com benoitl@millenniumwaste.co.za garry@geotechnologies.co.za nicky@gls.co.za trumang@goba.co.za hstal@mweb.co.za fstammer@lantic.net dan@edams.co.za louis_icon@mics.co.za monde@iliso.com fmyburgh@infraset.com dennyc@jgi.co.za rtaljaard@jwater.co.za

general@lwt.co.za mmakhaotse@mna-sa.co.za admin@maragelaconsulting.co.za john.onraet@murrob.com ppienaar@nyeleti.co.za mathewc@oes.co.za

PD Naidoo & Associates Consulting Engineers

Johannesburg@pdna.co.za

Power Construction

nbarnard@powergrp.co.za

Pumptron

info@pumptron.co.za

Pragma Africa

deang@pragma.co.za

Rocla

karen.devos@murrob.co.za

SBS Water Systems

irene@sbsgroup.co.za

Sektor Consulting

cradock@sektor.co.za

Sight Lines

sales@sightlines.co.za

SiVEST SA SNA Inc Siza Water Company SRK Consulting SSI

garths@sivest.co.za snapta@icon.co.za tionette.bates@sizawater.co.za jomar@srk.co.za francisg@ssi.co.za

Syntell

julia@syntell.co.za

Thm Engineers East London

thmel@mweb.co.za

TPA Consulting UWP Consulting Vela VKE WSP Group Africa WSSA WRP Zebra Surfacing

roger@tpa.co.za zulchl@uwp.co.za capetown@velavke.co.za dirk.hattingh@mbs-wsp.co.za nbinase@wssa.co.za ronniem@wrp.co.za andrew@zebrasurfacing.co.za

OPINION

South Africa is no longer Africa’s big brother South Africa’s reputation concerning the delivery of infrastructure is not great. This is evident by the number of service delivery protests held over the last couple of years. by Richard Jansen van Vuuren

HE REASON BEHIND the ongoing failure to launch is that when it comes to project implementation, South Africa is nowhere near where it likes to think it is. Last September, government formed the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC) to deal with implementation blockages, but not much can be reported in terms of government releasing the approximate R900 billion destined for ‘great things’ in infrastructure delivery. Despite the formation of PICC and its much publicised presence – as well as the ambitiously bold statements made in the State of the Nation Address and National Budget – the fact remains: actual implementation of infrastructure projects continues to be a significant challenge. One of South Africa’s great infrastructure achievements is our national road network. While potholes and broken traffic lights may be the bane of suburban commuting, travelling long distance on the national routes is mostly a pleasure – tolled or not. With this in mind, it is incredibly sad that the agency that has delivered this national treasure, the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), has fallen victim to poor implementation. With the postponement of e-tolling in Gauteng, which was intended to raise revenue to pay for Sanral’s R20 billion spend on road upgrading, government currently finds itself in an uncomfortable position of being accountable for a massive debt that has no revenue stream. The reasons for this will surely surface in the weeks to come as government addresses its plummeting credit rating. While government remains adamant that the ‘user pays’ principle will prevail, there are underlying questions regarding the poor workmanship of sections of the upgraded highways that were to be tolled. The poor workmanship has been completely overshadowed by the furore surrounding the tolls themselves.

Alli, speaking at a recent Barometer SA event, has maintained that the questions surrounding South Africa’s ability to implement infrastructure projects are basically unfounded. “We pulled ourselves together for the Soccer World Cup. We have the funding and the will to implement and make sure that we follow policy through. We cannot turn around and sit in a group that agrees on a particular decision and then go and bad-mouth that decision,” he pointed out. “There are policies in place and we must learn to respect them,” he continued. “We

cannot afford to turn around and change policy midstream while it is being implemented.” Speaking at the same event, Terry Armstrong, procurement director of WBHO, stated that tender processes for government-driven infrastructure projects remain problematic for the private sector. “Billions of rands have been committed to the delivery of infrastructure in the budget, which points to a significant pipeline of work for contractors, but the track record of implementation and public-private partnerships (PPPs) is very poor. It can take up to three years from the time a bid is advertised to the time it is finalised,” he pointed out. There is a

ABOVE The bad workmanship on the N1 north, between the Beyers Naude and Rivonia Road off-ramps, was very apparent weeks before the scheduled commencement of e-tolling BELOW Completed repair work – was it a quick fix? Photographs by Tony Stone

realisation from government that the bidding process and documentation required for PPPs need streamlining.” At a recent event celebrating Africa Day, which focused on infrastructure development in Africa, it was stated that South Africa is no

longer a serious competitor on the rest of the continent as far as infrastructure construction is concerned. Chinese contractors and suppliers offer reduced rates as a trump card while Portuguese and Brazilian contractors have long-standing relationships in the countries in which they operate. There is a perception that South Africa has a tendency to grandstand and puff out its chest to the rest of the continent, but the fact that’s its house is not in order has become a real issue. This has not gone unnoticed in the international community and in a time when everyone is working 24/7 in a global market, South Africa risks disappointing not only itself, but its neighbours near and far.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

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GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE

LABOUR LAW AMENDMENT

Labour minister assists difficult sectors The Minister of Labour, Mildred Olifant, may soon be able to determine levels of representation for the purposes of organisational rights for the vulnerable workers in sectors that are difficult to organise.

LIFANT ANNOUNCED this action during a meeting in the North West â€“ the last of a series of public briefings on proposed labour law amendments that saw officials of the Department of Labour (DOL) criss-crossing the country. Addressing a public briefing session in Rustenburg that was attended by business, labour federations and other stakeholders, DOL chief director: collective bargaining, Thembinkosi Mkalipi, said the move was part of a drive to protect vulnerable workers. Mkalipi said this was a privilege that would be enjoyed by vulnerable workers â€“ those who earn below R172 000 per annum. He said amendments to labour laws would make it possible to cover any workers not covered by other sector determinations or not covered by agreements entered into by statutor y councils. He added that proposed amendments to the labour bills also make it easier for workers to join a union and unions to organise, as part of exercising organisational rights. The national public briefings were focused on the amendments to the Labour Relations Bills and to the Basic Conditions of Employment Bills. The purpose of the public briefings by the DOL, which were being held nationally, was to report back and inform the public about changes made to labour law amendments. The bills are currently with parliament for consideration after having been accepted by cabinet.

The two sets of bills being amended seek to regulate the role of labour brokers and deal with casualisation in the labour market, the protection of vulnerable workers and enhancing the effectiveness of the labour market dispute resolution institutions such as the Labour Court, Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), the Essential Services Committee, the labour inspectorate and bargaining and statutory councils; the billd address current problems in industrial disputes and dispute resolution. Mkalipi said as part of a drive to deal with violent strikes and disputes, the CCMA would now be expected to play a proactive role to intervene in the public interest. He said the

The Minister of Labour, Mildred Olifant

balloting process that was done away with in 1995 was expected to make a comeback to deal with violence associated with strikes that do not enjoy mass support. The purpose of the public briefings by the DOL, which were being held nationally, was to report back and inform the public about the implication of changes made to labour laws. He said, in summary, the laws have struck a balance between diagonally opposed view points between labour and business.

BELOW People earning less than R172 000 per year are considered to be vulnerable workers

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

LACK OF PROJECTS

Civil engineering job losses SAICE regularly receives requests from civil engineering professionals for assistance in finding jobs – this in a country where civil engineering is high on government’s priority scarce skills list.

CCORDING TO Manglin Pillay, chief executive officer of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), the number of civil engineering professionals frequenting the country’s golf courses is an an excellent barometer of what is happening in the industry – the more there are, the better the state of the industry. However, the golf courses are star ting to appear abandoned and forlorn with the scarcity of visitors. Principal engineers from well-established engineering firms in South Africa are hardly on the golf course these days; they are too busy scouring the local and international marketplaces in search of work. “This is not a good sign – not for improving handicap and most certainly not for the infrastructure engineering economy,” says Pillay. Many senior engineers and heads of departments appear to share the same sentiment. Some companies with excellent management and administrative skills had the foresight or opportunity to plan for lean times and are able to sustain their people despite the lack of work. How long they will be able to maintain this situation is uncertain. Smalland medium-sized businesses, however, have insufficient economic depth to apply the same liberalities that their larger and more established counterparts are able to. With the lack of sustainable project work, firms are forced to release engineers back

IMIESA JUNE 2012

With the lack of sustainable project work, firms are forced to release engineers back into the market into the market. Some are exploring international pastures and others are reluctantly looking into alternative work options. The heads of civil engineering departments from four of the leading universities of technology

in the country all chorus that their students are unable to secure sustainable work for inservice training, nor are they able to secure post-graduation employment. South African engineers are experiencing unemployment.

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

work in South Africa on South African government-funded projects.” He continues: “What confuses me is why we have unemployed engineers when it is very evident that there is a genuine need for engineering capacity to pursue the national demands of social and economic development. And why is there inadequate project roll-out from the biggest civil engineering client – government – when the development goals have been announced from the highest points of administration in the country, to the tune of some R800 billion over the next three years? “It appears the weakness is a lack of knowledge on how to identify projects and how to spend the allocated money. This is

and cynics said we would fall flat, we raised magnificent stadiums. Not only did we rise to the occasion and deliver on demand, but encouragingly we proved to ourselves, and to the rest of the world, that the people of this nation and South African civil engineering are not to be trifled with.” If this was possible for a sporting event, why can’t South Africa do the same for reaching South Africa’s development goals (and the Millennium Development Goals), including healthcare, education, water and sanitation, housing and electricity for alleviating pover ty, that were promised

The 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup confirmed that South Africans can dream with deadlines. Manglin Pillay, chief executive officer of SAICE

Despite living in South Africa where ‘job creation’ and ‘unemployment’ appear in everyday conversation, it is uncommon to hear the words ‘engineer’ and ‘unemployment’ in the same sentence. In fact, it leaves a frustrating void akin to worry. According to Pillay: “The South African government has the audacity to bring engineers and other professionals from Cuba en masse, with full and comprehensive packages, to

evident in the lack of structures, processes and systems in government to manage infrastructure spend. Then there is the cauldron of unsuitably qualified individuals who are ineffectually occupying technical engineering posts, ner vously managing engineering projects and second-guessing the allocation of funds.” Pillay says that despite the incapacities and inabilities, South Africa’s world-class stadiums for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup confirmed that South Africans can dream with deadlines. “When first-world sceptics

during a number of election campaigns? The lack of service delivery is now resulting in violent demonstrations, which terrify South Africans and foreign investors alike. The solution to overcome the current infrastructure development challenges is for national government to apply the same approach adopted for the World Cup. The current challenges are certainly not due to insufficient funding or deficient engineering resources. It is a matter of political will and the re-capacitating of the technical echelons within all three government structures.

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INSIGHT

SERVING SOCIETY

Engineering civil prosperity Civil engineers have a crucial role to play in preventing social instability, a dangerous situation that threatens South Africa today. But, this will only happen if government is appropriately decisive. by Tony Stone

T IS GENERALLY understood that there is a relationship between infrastructure development and economic performance, and/or vice versa. However, empirical research is always better than anecdotal research, which in many cases is based on amateur supposition. In Peter Perkins, Johann Fedderke and John Luiz’s paper titled ‘An analysis of economic infrastructure investment in South Africa’, they state that the results of their economic analysis points to the fact that, in South Africa, growth in GDP tends to drive growth in individual physical measures of infrastructurerelated goods and services, rather than vice versa. Roads are an exception, since there is evidence that they have a strong effect on GDP growth: the correlation coefficient between paved roads and real GDP is 0.996 for the period 1938-2001, and the PSS F-tests indicate a long-run forcing relationship from roads to GDP. An analysis of national accounting figures suggests that infrastructure investment seems to drive GDP growth. These patterns suggest two forms of constraint that infrastructure may exercise on economic growth. Firstly, if policy makers fail to provide additional infrastructure in response to the greater demand for infrastructure generated by GDP growth, further GDP growth could be hampered by bottlenecks, such as congestion at some of South Africa’s ports, and unreliable railway services. Secondly, underinvestment in certain types of infrastructure, like roads, may leave potential areas of economic growth unexploited. Their analysis suggests three main findings with regard to economic infrastructure and economic growth in South Africa. These are as follows: 1. The relationship between economic infrastructure and economic growth appears to run in both directions. Economic growth provides both the need for, and the resources

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to fund, various types of infrastructure. Provided that infrastructure projects take place in response to appropriate cost-benefit analyses, they are more likely to promote GDP growth than hinder it. Alternatively, the failure to provide appropriate infrastructure services may hamper GDP growth. 2. South Africa’s stock of economic infrastructure has developed in phases. The growth rates of individual measures of infrastructure fluctuated substantially over time, in some cases even turning negative, and the historical pattern of infrastructure development differed substantially between sectors. Providing the right type of infrastructure at the right time will be an

important dimension of South Africa’s continued economic development. 3. The need for investment in economic infrastructure never goes away. Until such a time when existing infrastructure becomes obsolete, it needs to be maintained; and as certain infrastructure programmes reach maturity, new ones should be implemented – always in response to the economy’s changing needs and cost-benefit analyses. The continued need for appropriate infrastructure investment should be recognised in public-sector budgets from the national level to the municipal level, and public-sector agents need to be accountable for spending their capital allocations effectively. While some degree of fluctuation in

China spends 11% of GDP on infrastructure, South Africa 6%

FIGURE 1: Casual relationships between economic growth and infrastructure development

INSIGHT

Photo credit Seeff Properties

the level of infrastructure investment may be harmless or even appropriate, a longterm decline in infrastructure investment in relation to GDP, such as that experienced by South Africa between the mid-1970s and 2002, would probably be undesirable. However, there are bigger socioeconomic and sociopolitical impacts to consider, the relationships of which are reflected in Figure 1. Government infrastructure and private sector construction projects create employment, drive education and training in relative fields, and deliver much needed services to communities, all of which alleviate poverty that, in turn, realises economic growth and establishes social stability.

Social stability, vital to normalising society, is crucial to South Africa’s ongoing sustainability, given our apartheid history and its remnant

poverty and decent employment opportunities. It is a story that must be written by all of us. Not just by government. Not just by business.

Social stability, vital to normalising society, is crucial to South Africa’s ongoing sustainability problems, which still need redress and will take time, patience and teamwork. As Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, said during his 2012 Budget Speech in Parliament: “Our new story, our period of transition, is about building modern infrastructure, a vibrant economy, a decent quality of life for all, reduced

Not just by unions. But by South Africans from every corner of this country.” But, it is not the ‘what’ but the ‘how’ of it all. And, herein is the complication. One certainly does not cut one’s nose off to spite one’s face, and certainly there is no perfect ideology – as history has taught us. More importantly,

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INSIGHT

TABLE 1: QUARTERLY LABOUR FORCE SURVEY, QUARTER 1, 2012 – UNEMPLOYMENT Industry

Jan–Mar 2011

Oct–Dec 2011

Jan–Mar 2012

Change Q-to-Q

Change Y-on-Y

% Change Q-to-Q

% Change Y-on-Y

Construction

1 031 000

1 057 000

986 000

-71 000

-45 000

-6.7%

-4.4%

Education and training In the knowledge society we are – and no more the industrial society we were – the 60.2% of unemployed workers with less than a matric have a greatly diminished chance of finding a job, especially with the manufacturing sector down as it is. And, there is only so much that mining and agriculture can absorb – at this stage. Nonetheless, the Construction Industr y Development Board (CIBD), a Schedule 3A

in relation to the growing salary and wage bill. The industry spent on average 0.3% of the salary and wage bill on bursaries, down from between 0.4% and 0.8% in recent surveys. They do say, however, that this may be due to the cyclic nature of bursary allocation and decline in infrastructure spend. This is, Construction sector unemployment of course, not ideal and diverges from the Between the fourth quarter of 2011 and the CIBD’s objectives. first quarter of 2012, the majority of formal In learning from China’s phenomenal sector job losses was in construction (71 000), economic growth, manufacturing (67 000) and infrastructure develtransport (5 000) indusopments, along with tries. The majority of these massive human capital were craftsmen, plant and development, were the machine operators – and to key drivers behind its a lesser extent managers. success. South Africa Year-on-year, men accounthas a serious deficit ed for more than 135 000 or in human capital and 83.3% of the increase in total where it has these eleunemployment of 162 000. ments they are disreWomen increased by 28 000 garded for discriminaor 16.7%. Across all industor y political reasons. tries, the biggest losers were A serious mistake and the Eastern Cape (47 000), one that contradicts KwaZulu-Natal (43 000), the South Africa’s constituFree State (16 000) and tion and what Gordhan Mpumalanga (10 000). FIGURE 2: Protests by province: February 2007 to May 2012 said in parliament. By Statistics South Africa’s definition, discouraged workseekers, are not unemployed [really!?]; in real public entity, was established by an Act of Service delivery terms, however, they are unemployed, and Parliament (Act 38 of 2000) to promote a While housing is at the forefront of the national accounted for 15.7% of the not economically regulator y and developmental framework agenda for delivery, government is taking overactive (0.2 of a percentage point higher than that builds: all responsibility for roads, railways, harbours, in the previous quarter). This gives a total • the countr y’s construction deliver y water, wastewater, electricity and solid waste of 40.7% unemployed, which is an absolute capability, for South Africa’s social and management. However, even though governcrisis. A total of 71% of the unemployed fall economic growth ment has built three million subsidised houses between the ages 15 to 34. • a proudly South African construction indussince 1994, South Africa still faces a housing In general, lower unemployment rates are try that delivers against globally competibacklog of about 2.3 million houses and it associated with higher levels of education. tive standards. has to fork out R50 billion to rectify shoddy Among South Africa’s unemployed population, To this end the CIBD’s focus is on sustainable construction of some of the subsidised hous60.2% have less than a matric (Grade 12), growth, capacity development, empowerment, ing already built. 33.6% have a matric and 6.2% have some form improved industry performance and best pracAdd to this the maintenance backlogs that of tertiary education. tice, a transformed industry underpinned by have accrued since 1994, such as roads Of the unemployed, 59.7% are supposed to consistent and ethical procurement practices (R149 billion), railways (R168 billion), electricibe breadwinners. In the construction indusand enhanced value deliverables to clients ty distribution (R32 billion), ports and harbours try alone, at an estimated average wage and society. (at least R9.8 billion), as well as new developof R2 800 per month, R200 million per Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) ment costs, which are all crucial to economic month is lost to the economy and more than recently reported that, among its members, development and pose an enormously chal290 000 people comprising spouse, children training expenses averaged 32% of the total lenging position and demand on the fiscus. and extended families go hungry, besides other estimated salary bill, compared to 18% in the Meanwhile priorities are driven by people negative financial impacts. June 2011 survey, 22,6% in the December and political need, which in South Africa is The unemployment trend, since the first quar2010 survey and 23,6% in the June 2010 driven by the accelerated rate of urbanisation ter of 2008, is strongly upward. survey. Firms are spending less on bursaries, – exacerbated by political promises of free the honesty and sincerity by which something is done is always preferential. Hidden agendas, collusion or corruption will always come to public’s attention, eventually, be it in the public or private sectors.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

INSIGHT

housing basic services. These promises, at an average cost of R55 000 per house, will cost R127 billion (at today’s prices) to fulfil. Add to this the costs of land and bulk and reticulated support infrastructure, and the figure increases astronomically. In the process, people become impatient when they see other people getting houses and basic services and they don’t. In 2007, on average, there were 8.73 protests per month. In 2008 this went up to 9.83 and in 2009 service delivery protests peaked at an average of 17.75 per month. Then, because of electioneering, the figure dropped down to an average of 11.08 per month in 2010 and 8.8 in 2011. In their paper ‘Community Protests in South Africa: Trends, Analysis and Explanations’, Jelani Karamoko and Hirsh Jain state that government officials should be cognisant of the fact that electoral goodwill nurtured during electioneering will eventually dissipate, while the potential for long-standing complaints to boil over into increasingly violent protests persists. Helen Zille points out that it is crucial for infrastructure to be provided at local level because this is where the majority of people, rich and poor, experience the value of the infrastructure in their daily lives. It is only when people have reliable water, sanitation, electricity and transport that they are able to function adequately in a modern economy. If they have none or an inadequate supply of these services, they have less time available to study or work, and economic production suffers. But solving the housing challenge will take time. As such the sustained commitment of local government officials to engage and communicate with residents on a regular basis remains critically important. Otherwise, as research shows, protest activity is likely to increase if communities believe government officials are neglecting the service delivery promises made during election campaigns – and waste taxpayers’ hard-earned money by burning down government facilities.

centrepiece of the government’s approach to reducing poverty. “But it is not the only measure,” he said. Social spending comprises 58% of government expenditure in the 2012/13 year, up from 49% a decade ago. The budget provides social grants to almost a third of the population. It pays for free services at public health facilities and no-fee schools for 60% of learners, and it pays for housing, water and electricity in poor communities. The average value of the “social wage” for a family of four in the 2012/13 year is about R3 940 a month. This represents a substantial investment in household living conditions, financed through a broadly progressive tax structure. It also places a huge strain on the economy where taxpayers constitute only 10% of the total population, which is not sustainable. Creating jobs, a vision for a better future through effective employment and increasing productivity are critical factors in poverty alleviation. Teaching a person to fish is better than just feeding that person every day.

The real advantage of infrastructure development is economic competitiveness

Poverty alleviation Almost half of South Africa’s population is living below the poverty line, surviving on just over R500 a month. While this is an improvement over 1993, when this was the case for the majority of the population, it remains unacceptable. Gordhan, in his 2012 budget speech, said that reducing unemployment is the

Economic growth Empirical research carried out over the last five years finds the magnitude of infrastructure contribution to economic growth, across the board, to be a smaller and more plausible effect than those reported in the earlier studies (Romp and De Haan 2007). This finding is the result of improved methodological approaches (Calderón, Moral-Benito and Servén 2009). Thus, in a production-function setting, the mid-point estimate from these recent studies – of the elasticity of GDP with respect to infrastructure capital – lies around 0.15 for developed countries (Bom and Ligthart 2009). This means that a doubling of infrastructure capital raises GDP by roughly 10%. Estimates from recent studies using broader country samples are not very different. However, this captures only the direct effect of infrastructure on output. There may be additional indirect effects accruing through changes in the usage of the other inputs due to complementarities (such as, human capital development) with infrastructure. In turn, the findings from reduced-form growth regressions are somewhat harder to summarise, because of different studies’ condition on very different sets of non-infrastructure variables. Nevertheless, estimates from recent studies based on panel data

combining industrial and developing countries suggest that a 1% increase in physical infrastructure stocks, given other variables, temporarily raises GDP growth by as much as 1 to 2 percentage points, although the growth acceleration gradually tapers off as the economy approaches its long-run per capita income. Moreover, a number of empirical studies using various approaches also find that the output contribution of infrastructure exceeds that of conventional capital, which suggests the presence of externalities associated with infrastructure services, in line with theoretical presumptions. From this empirical research, it is clear that South Africa needs to kick off its infrastructure development initiative, as soon as possible, and that in doing so it should draw from the existing pool of human intellectual and experiential capital to develop new human capital and leave unconstitutional discrimination where it belongs – on the waste dump.

Industry frustrations Graham Pirie, CEO of CESA, recently lamented the lack of public sector expenditure on infrastructure. The construction industry was waiting, and had been waiting for some time, with baited breath, for the promised R844 billion earmarked for infrastructure development. “Unlocking greater private sector participation is seen as a critical element to fasttrack service delivery, especially at municipal level, which remains a burning issue. The involvement of non-CESA members in government tenders and procurement continues to threaten the standard and performance of the industry. Lack of attention to maintain infrastructure poses a serious problem to the industry. A further challenge is to find a way to standardise the procurement procedures applied by the different government departments,” Pirie said. Conclusion Without infrastructure, life as we know it will not exist. Civil engineers, like medical doctors, facilitate life. However, with the melting pot of massive unemployment, poor education, ill-considered political ideologies (which exploit the ignorant) and popular expectations, infrastructure development and human capital development, if not addressed and effectively managed, could lead to the foolish revolution advocated by Julius Malema and his ilk. And, as Pravin Gordhan said in his speech, we must, one and all, as a united nation, engineer civil prosperity.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

HOT SEAT

SOUTH AFRICAN GEOMATICS INSTITUTE

Surveying for municipalities Richard Jansen van Vuuren speaks to the SAGI president, Peter Newmarch, about the institute, its members and the services they render. Please explain the background to the formation of SAGI The South African Geomatics Institute (SAGI) is a voluntary public benefit organisation of statutory registered persons working in the domain of land surveying, engineering surveying, photogrammetry and geographical information systems (GIS), and land management, including the associated aspects of planning and remote sensing. SAGI was formed in 2004; however, its foundations are built on much older institutes such as the various provincial land survey institutes and ITESSA (Institute of Topographical and Engineering Surveyors of

South Africa), which represented the technical surveyors. Over the decades, various changes have developed at an organisational level so that today we have (through the amalgamation of the above institutes) one body that represents the interests of all geomaticians – the modern term for surveyors.

Please outline the structure of the institute SAGI is represented in South Africa through a system of five branches that cover the nine provinces. This is necessary so that members, clients and the public can have the best possible

service and access to SAGI members at a relatively local level. Surveying is a very specialised field and there are not many surveyors in South Africa – our branches thus reflect an equilibrium between surveyors in all provinces. Our structure is such that these regional branches are administered by committees, which are elected by the local members. Our national council is drawn from representatives from these branch committees.

What are the main industries that SAGI members supply products and services to? Everybody needs a surveyor at some point, so it’s hard to distinguish the main entities since we service a wide sector of the economy. From a public spend perspective, the main industries for surveyors are municipalities, provincial and national government departments, engineers, architects and construction companies. From a private sector perspective, it would be developers, home owners, mines and private business. What reputation does the local geomatics industry have? South African surveyors (geomaticians) are recognised the world over as being among the best, a trait we continue through our SAGI activities and membership requirements. SAGI only admits persons registered in terms of the PLATO Act (Professional and Technical Surveyors Act 40 of 1984), which covers students, newly qualified candidates and fully registered technical and professional surveyors. The latter two categories being the only categories of surveyor entitled to work for their own account. As in most professions, we are facing challenges with this aspect as well as from people operating outside of the provisions of the PLATO Act. ABOVE A 3D mobile scan with Point Cloud LEFT A 10 megapixel photograph of the same stretch of road

IMIESA JUNE 2012

HOT SEAT

In addition to this we have very strict conduct rules and only attract members that are passionate about geomatics; through this we ensure that the public is protected and we further enhance the reputation of a SAGI surveyor.

What are the current trends and new technologies being adopted in the geomatics sector at the moment? Advanced GPS systems, sophisticated robotic laser total stations and terrestrial lidar scanners are becoming mainstream equipment for surveyors. Likewise, sophisticated software developments have made image recognition and point cloud processing available to the average surveyor. Surveyors are constantly on the lookout for better solutions and the current technological environment offers a range of future technologies that are almost at the market place. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are on our doorstep and will allow members to supply additional services such as environmental monitoring services, rapid response photography in disaster management, documentation of informal settlement growth (on a daily basis if need be), aerial accident scene photography, mapping, land use monitoring and planning enforcement, among others – all at a remarkably cheap cost in comparison to traditional methods. What does SAGI do to further the advent of these in the marketplace? SAGI will run workshops from time to time on these new technologies. We also have Facebook and LinkedIn accounts in which information is debated and disseminated for the public at large. We are also embarking on a program of having articles placed in the CESA newsletter to better inform engineers on advances in processes, best practice and technology. While UAV technology is available, there are some regulatory issues still to be

South African surveyors (geomaticians) are recognised the world over as being among the best – Peter Newmarch finalised, which SAGI is addressing. Some technologies are extremely expensive (such as aerial and mobile lidar mapping systems) and in this regard we encourage networking among members so that they can offer the most appropriate solution to their clients.

How can the services of SAGI and its members benefit municipalities? As mentioned earlier, SAGI is a voluntary organisation and as such attracts surveyors who are passionate about geomatics – people who want to stay abreast of the latest technology, legal issues and best practice. SAGI only grants membership to people registered with PLATO, our statutory governing council, and thus municipalities can have peace of mind that they are dealing with competent persons.

growth in both the private and public sectors, but corruption is a large factor in this. Such growth is also dependant on SAGI informing officials and the public at large on what’s technologically possible – it’s amazing how many people don’t see the benefits of getting a registered surveyor to recommend the best method and solution.

Why should municipalities use registered surveyors? As organs of state, they have a duty to ensure that where the government has established statutory bodies to oversee excellence and expertise in any particular domain, that they use those registered people. South African Geomatics Institute Tel: +27 (0)31 261 4044

With these new technologies, what additional services can be offered to municipalities? Using these new technologies and advancements, there is still huge scope for rapid turnaround times and cost-effective solutions in infrastructure mapping, asset registers and road condition surveys. UAVs, when they become available, will offer additional possibilities.

Web: www.sagi.co.za BELOW A 2D or 3D computer-aided design road model BOTTOM A typical computer-aided design drawing

Can the local geomatics market expand and develop in the short to medium term? There are massive prospects for

BELOW An example of a mobile scan

IMIESA JUNE 2012

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ROAD RECYCLING

The KZN Department of Transport goes green With the COP17 Conference on Climate Change fresh in our minds, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is stepping up a gear and playing its part in reducing its carbon footprint.

N A RECENTLY completed project on the North Coast, the reclaimed asphalt (RA) from a 5 km section of road was imported to create a foamed bitumen stabilised material (BSM) base course on an adjacent 5 km section, at massively reduced heat generation and transport distances travelled and at a third of the cost of a conventional black base. In addition, its own asphalt surfacing was

recycled in situ to generate a foamed bitumen stabilised sub-base layer below, thus adding even more to the savings being achieved. “The heart of the process is the state-of-theart Wirtgen KMA 220 cold recycling mobile mixing plant which the contractor recently imported from Germany,” explains Naidu Consulting’s project director, Mahendren Manicum. The compact unit, with its own power plant, is towed to the site, where it is opened out ABOVE Milling of existing asphalt base and wearing course

Old asphalt, which was often of just nuisance value, can now be put to good use

BELOW Screening of recycled asphalt

IMIESA JUNE 2012

SANRAL

ABOVE The Wirtgen KMA 220 cold recycling mobile mixing plant

and connected to a cement silo and water and bitumen tankers. A temporary ramp is constructed up to the hopper section, where the RA is tipped in and fed via a conveyer belt to the pug-mill. A nominal amount of cement is added before the foaming process takes place. This is achieved by injecting a small amount of

water into hot bitumen, causing it to expand by up to 20 times. The pug mill is continually throwing the RA into the air, allowing the foam to be sprayed into it to ‘spot-weld’ the particles together. The mixed BSM is fed directly up a conveyor belt, into the waiting trucks and onto the road. Manicum is full of praise for the various contractors involved in the two separate contracts, who all played their part in ensuring the

success of the project. For maximum efficiency, the various operations were all coordinated, including milling out the RA on the one contract and delivering it to the power screen, checking for consistency before processing it in the recycler and then hauling it to the road to the conventional asphalt paver and compacted. If there was a breakdown of one operation, the others had to slow down accordingly. Training of every member of both the consulting

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and contracting staff was vital, as was the drawing up of method statements and agreeing on roles and responsibilities and lines of communication. Heavy reliance was placed on the Asphalt Academy’s TG2 (2009) guidelines and reporting schedules and this project has been highlighted as a model for future BSM applications. With proven cost savings and significant reductions in greenhouse emissions, the

ABOVE Paving of bitumen stabilised material RIGHT KMA plant highlighting the loading hopper

department is now very keen to repeat the exercise. Manicum himself cannot hide his enthusiasm for this technology, stating that “old asphalt, which was often of just nuisance value, can now be put to good use”.

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Municipalities to benefit from innovation

Municipalities across South Africa can benefit from an innovative new range of ductile iron manhole covers and frames, introduced to the local market by Incledon.

HE TEKFLO BRAND has long been recognised as one of the international leaders in quality engineering material brand names. Incledon national product manager for civils, Kelly Wilson, points out that the new range of ductile iron manhole covers and frames meet of a number of key requirements for the South African market. â€œThe Tekflo range is compliant with the SANS 50124:1994 specification, which

carries more comprehensive design requirements, type testing, marking, quality control and loading classes than the older and more commonly-used SANS 558:1973 specification. Compliance with this specification

ABOVE A Tekflo manhole cover installed on a Rea Vaya route in Johannesburg RIGHT A Tekflo manhole cover installed on a pavement

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The high strength-to-weight ratio of ductile iron allows for the production of lightweight castings ultimately ensures that the end user is being provided with a better standard of product,” he says. With an elasticity of 270 MPa and a tensile strength 420 MPa, Wilson explains that the high strength-to-weight ratio of ductile iron allows for the production of lightweight castings that provide up to a 60% weight saving over industr y-standard cast iron. “The heavy-duty loading on traditional cast iron items is 135 kN (13,5 t), compared to 400 kN (40 t) in the D400 class of the new ductile iron cover and frames,” he continues. “The construction and engineering sectors of South Africa have favoured cast iron for decades, due to its stability. International markets have, however, shifted to ductile iron, which is more durable, reliable and flexible.” Wilson adds that the high strength-to-weight ratio of ductile iron also helps municipalities to eliminate the dangerous and persistent risk of manhole cover theft nationwide. “The Tekflo range of ductile iron manhole covers is up to 60% lighter than traditional cast iron manhole covers, making them far less valuable to thieves,” he notes. “An average cast iron lid weighs approximately 70 kg, compared to just 20 kg of Tekflo ductile iron.” Wilson notes that the Tekflo range comes standard with patented locking mechanisms as a further deterrent to theft. “Manhole cover theft is not a unique challenge to South Africa, and other developing countries such as India and China have been able to significantly

IMIESA JUNE 2012

SANRAL

reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries caused by manhole cover theft by replacing heavier cast iron covers with the Tekflo range of ductile iron manhole covers.” Wilson points out that market response has been positive to date. “A number of munici-

of challenges in marketing the Tekflo range of ductile iron manhole covers. “Ductile iron is a relatively new concept and, as a result, engineers and municipalities are war y of replacing an established technology with a newer one.” Wilson also points out that this challenge can be overcome through market education and product displays. “It is vitally impor tant that the relevant authorities are educated and kept up to date on the latest technologies and advances in materials, in order to ensure that the tax payer is not footing the bill for the replacement of cheaper and substandard materials on a regular basis.” Looking to the future, Wilson believes that new and updated specifications will play a major role in ensuring the improvement of South Africa’s infrastructure networks. “Without the correct specifications and monitoring on all engineering materials, quality

“Without the correct specifications and monitoring on all engineering materials, quality will continue to be compromised” palities have displayed a keen interest in the products, including the City of Cape Town and Oostenburg Municipality in the Western Cape, and eThekwini Municipality in KwaZuluNatal, which have already installed the Tekflo manhole covers onto their respective streets. What’s more, the City of Johannesburg has a number of items currently being tested, and Incledon will be tendering for more projects in this municipality.” Despite a strong market response, Wilson does admit that Incledon still faces a number

will continue to be compromised because of price. Through market education and product displays, however, I do believe that the Tekflo range has the potential to gain significant market share across South Africa in the short-term future,” he maintains.

BELOW The high strength-to-weight ratio of ductile iron allows for the production of lightweight castings that provide up to a 60% weight saving over industry-standard cast iron

IMIESA JUNE 2012

Actophambili Roads (Pty) Ltd ROAD CONSTRUCTION & REPAIRS Tel: (011) 894 1433 | Fax: (011) 894 1412 | E-mail: johnamelia@mweb.co.za | Cell: 082 548 9092

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Sabita awards for 2011 take a new direction In its annual awards ceremony, the Southern African Bitumen Association (Sabita) broke tradition on two fronts.

HE ORGANISATION PRESENTED its prestigious Sabita Award for Outstanding Achievement to an organisation rather than an individual, and also introduced a new award: the CEO Merit Award for the introduction of sound health, safety and environmental (HSE) practices in the workplace. Sabita’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Bituminous Product Technology is traditionally directed at individuals who have made notable contributions to the development and/or implementation of innovative technology. This award for 2011, however, was presented to eThekwini Municipality, acknowledging the pioneering actions and wide-ranging leadership of that organisation in spearheading the use of innovative and sustainable technologies in its roads programme. Presenting the award, Sabita chairman, Phillip Hechter, said that eThekwini’s innovations included:

• The development of warm mix asphalt (WMA) technology, which began in 2008 and continued into 2011. This undertaking resulted in a protocol of procedures that will ser ve as a national template for the introduction of a wide range of innovative bituminous products, and also for a comprehensive guideline and specification that was launched at the Conference on Asphalt Pavement for Southern Africa (CAPSA’11) in KwaZulu-Natal in September 2011. This ratification of warm mix asphalt as a viable alternative to hot mix asphalt, resulting in significant reductions in energy usage, was further enhanced by the confirmation that considerable proportions of reclaimed asphalt can be successfully incorporated BELOW Sabita chairman, Phillip Hechter (centre), presents the Sabita Award for Outstanding Achievement in Bituminous Products Technology to Roy Gooden (left) and Krishna Naidoo

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into warm mix asphalt. During this process, eThekwini also established a broad base of cooperation between the asphalt industr y, clients and consultants. â€˘ The first full-scale high modulus asphalt (HiMA) trials were undertaken on a section of the heavily trafficked old South Coast Road near Durbanâ€™s harbour. The project was based on the Sabitasponsored research project, carried out

successfully designed, manufactured and paved in South Africa. The trial section is undergoing per formance testing on core and beam samples of the HiMA used, and a comprehensive long-term pavement performance testing programme has been set in motion. â€˘ The municipality also enabled a research programme, in conjunction with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, into the use

The first full-scale high modulus asphalt (HiMA) trials were undertaken on a section of the heavily trafficked old South Coast Road near Durbanâ€™s harbour by the CSIR, to develop locally appropriate specifications for HiMA to ensure long-term ser viceability of roads carr ying high volumes of ver y heavy traffic. Completed late in 2010, the per formance of the trial sections conducted by eThekwini municipality cannot yet be gauged, but early results are encouraging and provide evidence that HiMA can be

of construction and demolition â€˜wasteâ€™ in the construction of roads. Industr y participation was kick-started with a one-day workshop (in Durban) on road recycling with presentations from practitioners, academia and equipment suppliers. These techniques, which conser ve both energy and natural resources while extending the life and per formance of bituminous layers,

have and will continue to make a significant contribution to sustainable practice in South Africaâ€™s roads sector. In addition, eThekwini piloted a programme that will result in the cer tification of workers at operational level (usually described as NQF1-4) in the asphalt and road construction industry. The objective of this programme is twofold: 1. Certification of operators, which demonstrates competence in specific paving operations. 2. Improve the quality of the asphalt endproduct, which we all use every day. The award was presented jointly to Roy Gooden and to Krishna Naidoo, head of eThekwiniâ€™s Road Rehabilitation Branch. In accepting the award, Gooden said that as local government, eThekwini Municipality was required to work â€œin a hugely constrained environment that has more than enough legislation and regulations to govern the way we are able to do business. We also have to keep reminding ourselves that we are dealing with public money and that it is a finite resource. With tight budgets, we are

IMIESA JUNE 2012

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continuously asked and pushed to do more with less, so any innovations that will help us achieve such objectives in respect of roads – be it WMA, HiMA or recycling – cannot be ignored.” He added that as a department in the organisation, “we are fortunate to still have a fair amount of flexibility in how we roll out our road rehabilitation programme, which is something we try and fiercely defend. This has enabled us to get involved with new technologies and to undertake trials such as the WMA and HiMA. “We are now at a point where products such as WMA should no longer be considered a trial and we need to be rolling this out as a normal way of doing business. My hope is that eThekwini Municipality can continue to play a part in taking the industry forward, and I sincerely thank Sabita for the honour of this award.” Thanking Sabita for their acknowledgement and the award, co-recipient Krishna Naidoo said thanks really needed to go “to those who supported and encouraged us in turning our thoughts into action. We are also grateful for the partnership with

“Implementing HSE protocols is a slow process that requires immense courage, patience and passion” the University of KwaZulu-Natal on the Construction Demolition Waste Research project. In all of these ground-breaking projects we have partnered with and had the support of many in the private sector. We look forward to their continued support in both these and new projects.” In presenting the 2011 HSE Award, created to acknowledge organisations and individuals that have made great stride in integrating sound HSE practices into the workplace, Sabita CEO, Saied Solomons, noted that “getting to the hearts and minds of staff members in implementing HSE protocols is a slow process that requires immense courage, patience and passion.” Adelaide Mar tin and Colin Brooks, both of Much Asphalt’s Eersterivier plant, were the recipients of this award. Solomons added that the HSE Award “is aligned to Sabita’s Bitumen Certification (Bitcert) and Bitumen Incident Reporting (BitInRep) schemes, which cover legal compliance with HSE requirements in terms of the various Acts, and the reporting of HSE incidents and events.” Sites that have been certified to date include Much Asphalt (Port Elizabeth), Much Asphalt (Eersteriver), Colas SA (Epping), Much Asphalt (Contermanskloof), Colas SA (Durban) and Zebra Bituminous Sur facing. Accepting the award was Adelaide Martin, Much Asphalt’s safety and training coordinator, who praised the Sabita Council “for this brilliant initiative to develop people even further and beyond their expectation, to enhance safety in the workplace and to reward people in such a unique and special way. We will continue to fly this banner ver y high, promoting HSE as a lifestyle in which we not only strive to avoid accidents, but to live and work safely.”

IMIESA JUNE 2012

ABOVE Colin Brooks (left) and Adelaide Martin receive Sabita’s inaugural HSE Award from Saied Solomons, Sabita CEO

Colin Brooks, Much Asphalt’s regional manager for the Eastern Cape, said: “I have worked in this field for 17 years, and I am constantly amazed that we have survived given the standards of HSE 10 years ago. The improvements have been dramatic and have changed the HSE landscape forever.”

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Precision hammering Caterpillar’s large and small hydraulic hammer series are designed to work seamlessly, providing a versatile work tool option for a wide range of machine classes, from excavators to skid steer loaders, for both impact and penetrative tasks.

“C

AT HAMMERS CLAIM the highest oil flow input in the industry for their weight class and are the best match for Cat carriers, achieving a high rate of blows per minute,” explains Barloworld Equipment product application specialist, Craig Christie. “Additionally, due to their wide oil flow acceptance range, these hammers can be used across a wide range of carrier brands for maximum utilisation within a mixed fleet.” Using Caterpillar’s comprehensive matching guide will ensure that hammer and machine are matched for stability, application and optimum per formance. All units are fully enclosed, a distinctive feature of Cat hammer designs, with no exposed cross bolts, and silenced as standard for operation in residential and noise-sensitive applications. A field replaceable dust seal on the bushing assembly prevents debris and dust from entering the power cell and contaminating the hammer paste.

BELOW For optimum performance, the hammer should be operated at a 90 degree angle to the rock face

“Using the correct hammer paste is essential to prevent tool breakage,” Christie points out. Cat hammer paste (which includes copper, aluminium and graphite elements in its composition) has a melting point of around 1 100°C. This compares with the low average melting point for general purpose grease at between 150 and 200°C. The average Cat tool operating temperature is around 600°C. As with the larger units in the range, Caterpillar’s small D-Series hammers have been designed with a focus on reliability and ease of serviceability. For example, the lower bushing, upper bushing and thrust ring have all been incorporated in a three-in-one service part, which allows easy access and visibility of the entire tool guidance system. This enables quick inspection in the field without the need to send the hammer to a specialist repair centre. Cat small D-Series hammers have a sixpiece isolation system to isolate the power cell and hammer housing and prevent mechanical vibrations being transmitted to the carrier. Large hammer models, for carrier weights up to 80 tonnes, come equipped with a heavy-duty suspension system that protects the carrier

from mechanical vibrations. At the top end of the large hammer range, models H65D S to H180D S deliver most of their power from the nitrogen charge in their low-pressure accumulator. This nitrogen charge is sealed with a diaphragm, eliminating the need for recharging between 1 000 hour service intervals. The slip fit lower bushing on larger hammers can be rotated once in the field without the need for special tools. This doubles its life and reduces owning and operating costs.

THE NORDBERG NW PORTABLE PLANT SERIES Keeping site establishment costs to a minimum and optimising equipment operating expenditure assist in providing each customer with the lowest sustainable cost per tonne. Metso Mobile’s electrically driven Nordberg NW wheel-mounted crushing and screening plants provide key advantages in terms of production output, process flexibility and mobility. Their value is particularly evident on medium- to longer-term process projects that require a semi-fixed installation that can easily be relocated without compromising the reliability of Metso’s crushers and screens. When it’s time to move to the next site, the NW’s trailermounted chassis is designed so that it can be towed in both on- and offhighway applications. BELOW NW Series portable plants can be operated as independent units or as multi-stage crushing and screening process plants

IMIESA JUNE 2012

ROADS

Bell extends Bomag product offering Bell Equipment’s road construction customers have been introduced to two new Bomag products: the MPH 125 Soil Stabiliser/Asphalt Recycler and the Bomag BF 600 paver/finisher.

ELL EQUIPMENT HELD two Road Recycling Open Days outside Port Shepstone, on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast, at the end of 2011. These open days included a practical demonstration of the machines’ capabilities while working on a 13 km length of road between Hibberdene and Port Shepstone. The project provided an ideal opportunity to show the Bomag product range to its full potential as the project required the skimming of the top surface, recycling with foam bitumen and, after compaction, resurfacing with an asphalt pavement. The MPH 125, coupled to a bitumen tanker and a water tanker, started the road recycling process by pulverising the old, damaged road surface into uniform rubble. This machine can cut through the asphalt layer and sub-base

ABOVE Bomag specialists from Germany were on hand during the practical demonstrations to provide technical information about the various Bomag products at work on the N2

to a depth of 550 mm as a recycler. This material can then be reused to construct a new base course by adding cement and/or foam bitumen or a bitumen emulsion. Due to the machine’s powerful 440 kW Deutz water-cooled turbocharged diesel engine, it makes light work of the recycling process.

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SAGI

GIS and remote sensing In the context of emergency services, geographic information systems (GIS) have emerged as a very important tool for effective planning and resource allocation. by Alex Fortescue

OUTHERN MAPPING COMPANY specialises in data acquisition (airborne and satellite) and GIS data integration, and has been involved in an assessment of how accessible health services (hospitals and clinics) are to communities in and around Gauteng. This typical GIS application required a number of digital spatial components, including hospital and clinic locations, location of individual households and some indication of general population demographics. Using satellite derived imagery, the location of each individual dwelling point was captured spatially to represent the distribution of the population. Census data, available spatially at a suburb level, was integrated into the dwelling points to enrich each point with an income, age, and race and sex profile. Hospitals and clinics were then geocoded (placed in their correct location on a digital map). Buffers with a radius of 5 km from the centroid of each hospital and clinic were then created to determine the effective service reach of each facility. In this way it was possible to determine not only the communities which fell outside of this service reach, but also to prioritise these communities on the basis of demographic information. For example it was possible to show

ABOVE Image showing the process of capturing dwelling points off satellite imagery. Green points indicate dwellings apparent on the landscape in 2008 while those in blue depict new dwellings captured off fresh imagery in 2009

The lidar system allows very accurate and detailed point data to be captured the poorest communities with the highest number of children that did not have access to health services. In addition to satellite imagery, Southern Mapping Company also acquires aerial imagery with one of its two dedicated aircraft. “What is unique about our aerial imagery is that we have a very unique technology called lidar (light detection and ranging) coupled with the camera,” says Alex Fortescue. The lidar system allows very accurate and detailed point data to be captured on the ground. Each point has a spatial coordinate and highly accurate elevation reading. Since the points are so dense, Southern Mapping Company is able to create very accurate Digital Elevation Models (graphic representations of the surface of the earth in three dimensions). In this way, it is possible to assist the emergency service sector or the disaster management part anywhere in disaster mitigation. Consider, for example, a recent study which the company undertook to determine communities and individual households at risk from flooding. Using the airborne photography and laser data, a detailed 3D map of the terrain was created (so detailed that a height value is possible for each square meter on the ground with absolute accuracy to within 15 cm – this is as accurate as traditional surveying). This allowed for detailed hydrological analysis to determine floodlines. Individual dwellings captured from the imagery and within the GIS were then superimposed on the 3D model to determine which houses were within the floodlines and therefore at high risk. In this way, the potential effect of a flood disaster could be mitigated proactively.

ABOVE Image showing households in and around Gauteng. The density of household points shown in pink is so high that they are not individually distinguishable at this scale. The map of Gauteng shows the major highways

ABOVE Image showing ‘buffer analysis’ within a GIS, which allows for the creation of 5 km buffers around each hospital and clinic. Households which fall outside of the red circles are all further than 5 km from hospitals and clinics

IMIESA JUNE 2012

High Resolution Photography with Zoom

3D Mobile Mapping

Terrestrial Scanning

SURVEYS, MAPPING, GIS www.geoinfo.co.za Tel: +27 11 763 7173 E-mail: global@geoinfo.co.za

Services Detection

SERVICES Project Management: Large survey, mapping and GIS contracts

Asset Management Capturing and documĞŶƟng of all services and Įǆed assets

Detail Bridge Site Scan Bathymetric Survey

3D Laser Imaging:

Services Detection Plan Detail Scan

High DĞĮnŝƟon Mobile Mapping Terrestrial scanning

Surveys: GPS, Engineering, Mining

Underground Services DetecƟon: Ground PenetraƟng Radar (GPR), Pipe Locator, Sonde

Bathymetric: Rivers, Dams, Shallow coastal

GIS Data capture, ImplementaƟon

Detail Photograph

Bathymetric & Mobile Survey

AREA OF OPERATION

3D Mobile Scan with Point Cloud

Conventional Survey

High Resolution Photograph

2 or 3D Plan

Volumetric Survey

SAGI

Asset management and data collection One of the greatest challenges for South African municipalities is to effectively manage their bigger assets: land and infrastructure.

N ORDER TO manage, collect rates and taxes, and maintain these assets, it is necessary to know: • that the asset register is correct and up to date • where the assets are located. The present situation is that most municipalities do not have the necessary information to take effective decisions and to manage their data. This is not a unique problem and has already been defined by TOR Bernardsen (Geographic Information Systems, 1992) as follows: “Information is one of the most important factors influencing development. Modern political and economic systems cannot function without a continuous interchange of reliable information. Worldwide, the information sector is large and rapidly growing. Geographic information plays an increasingly important role, both nationally and internationally; it is decisive in the environmental monitoring and management essential to the survival of future generations. “In many cases, data is compiled for project purposes with no regard to other uses. The qualities of these data collections and the acquisition methods employed are frequently unknown. The result is that the data available is unwieldy and difficult to collate in productive ways.” Municipal and asset managers, engineers and planners need accurate and up-to-date information before they can effectively fulfil their duties. Companies such as Global Geomatics can fulfil the role of data provider. An example is the municipal property register: the data provider can collect, process and update the unmoveable asset register, visit site record and position all buildings, identify and position available services such as electricity, water and sewerage, supply plans and data in GIS format.In terms of the Public Finance Management Act (1999), all municipal assets need to be recorded and listed. Global Geomatics does this as follows:

• All visible assets such as power lines, roads and road furniture, fences or any other visible features are captured through various technologies, such as 3D mobile mapping or GPS handheld data-capturing devices. • All data captured complies with GRAP 17 standards and is compatible with the IMESA IMS, IQMS and any other industry standard information management system. The position and data of underground services have always been a problem, but the latest technology assists with finding these services. Global Geomatics has invested in equipment to do this, which includes ground penetrating radar, radio detection, precision locator and leak detection equipment. The advantage is that the company applies survey and detection techniques to supply the municipality with a fully comprehensive service, including mapping of the services. An example is 760 km of the New Multi Products Pipeline betwenn Johannesburg and Durban where personnel went ahead of the trenching teams to identify existing services. In certain areas in Durban, up to 300 services per kilometre were detected, opened and mapped. All data captured is supplied in the GIS (geographic information system), CAD (computer-aided design) or Information Management System format of the client’s choice, including ArcInfo, Autocad 2D or 3D, Microstation 2D or 3D, Modelmaker, Civil Designer or any standard industry format.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

SAGI

3D mobile mapping infrastructure solutions TGIS was one of the first companies in South Africa to acquire and implement IP-S2, the new 3D mobile mapping system that ensures rapid acquisition of reliable infrastructure information, supporting improved municipal service delivery.

OTAL GEOSPATIAL Information Solutions (TGIS) has since acquired its second unit, to provide additional capacity for large-scale projects. The IP-S2 captures 360 degree digital photographic images so that everything, such as potholes, water meters, house inventory and land use, can be visually identified. Laser scanners create an integrated 3D point cloud at 45 000 (XYZ) points per second, which enables accurate positioning and measurement of features in the image. Location is acquired from the inertial navigation and from GPS/GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellite ABOVE TGIS IP-S2 Stable survey systems. available to the specialist ecialist The GPS positional data is post-processed to engineer for assessment ment project/plant improve accuracy, and the imagery then proand review. This enables les project/plan assembly or alterations planning. cessed to create measurable images. efficient use of scarce ce alt Bubble World The IP-S2 allows data acquisition in one tenth skills, reducing overallll has of the time required by manual methods, with project costs. The speeh the ability to colour the point a resultant massive reduction in costs. The cialists need never make ake c cloud 360 degree imagery ensures that all visible an expensive revisit to the he TGIS 2nd IP-S2 unit clou – to provide depth to the po point data coupled infrastructure can be captured in the office, field to check on doubtful ful with innovative, intuitive on-screen data capture without having to put five or six differently information, because it is readily available. tools, which is what sets it apart. It is capable skilled individuals in the field; this results in a TGIS has developed Bubble World, an innovaof easily handling extremely large data sets, huge reduction in costs. tive software package capable of importing, 200 million points and more. The ‘capture’ Useful information is generated when the inframanipulating and visualising the large datatools can capture from a variety of GUIs, includstructure location, inventory and condition are sets. The features are then recognised in the ing user-defined drop-down menus, tick boxes, then captured by the company’s GIS specialists images and coordinates are extracted from the auto completion and full text. These capture and reviewed by an appropriately qualified indipoint data. Gert Botha, the senior manager in tools increase the efficiency and accuracy of vidual (engineer, valuer, town planner) in each charge of the 3D mobile mapping units and data capture, which in turn lowers the overall domain, such as roads and stormwater, water software development, assessed the available cost of the project. This software is available and sewers, electricity, land use and valuation. mapping software and concluded that it is the for purchase at low rates compared to foreign There is also an IMIS mobile data logger solumost powerful tool he has seen to date. At a software products. It provides the best functiontion available that augments the IP-S2 deliveryy recent trade exhibition, the alpha version drew g ality at the lowest cost and the most attractive where manual dataa capture is required, and ‘aahs’. Numerous engimany ‘oohs’ an cost-to-performance ratio. such as inside mancommented that they had acquired anneers commen TGIS works with a network of strategic partholes, chamberss 3D images and points, but were unable to ners that gives clients access to the required and buildings. the data. Bubble World adequately utilise uti multidisciplinary skills necessary to ensure The system takes real-world, 3D walkoffers near n that service delivery failures no longer occur. the real world and throughs in a fully measurth Whatever the scale of your infrastructure propackages in an able environment. The proa ject, TGIS is able to deliver on time, on budget easily accessedd gram is the dream environg TGIS 1st IP-S2 unit and with a reliable solution. form, which is then ment for GIS data capture, en made m

IMIESA JUNE 2012

SAGI

Changing the rules of municipal mapping

OC HAS revolutionised urban mapping using the Pictometry Oblique Aerial Imaging System, which integrates multiple viewpoints and measurement tools with user-friendly viewing options. Unlike traditional geospatial information systems that rely only on an orthogonal or top-down view of an area, Pictometry captures images obliquely, creating a more natural threedimensional view so that users can see features and structures clearly and in their entirety. A digital warehouse of oblique and nadir (vertical) images with powerful and unique measurement tools all form part of the solution.

With only minutes of training, a new user can access detailed imagery of a region and learn to navigate quickly and easily between views of a map to images, and focus on features of interest such as buildings, access points, fences, poles, fire hydrants and other municipal property and infrastructure. The multiple, oblique images are georeferenced, orthorectified and the powerful and patented, Pictometry 3D tools enable rapid measurement of distance, height and area directly from the oblique imagery. PIctometry oblique imagery offers sophisticated and critical visual information in 12 easy-to-navigate views, putting information at user finger tips and

making it possible to work remotely via a wireless connection or from the convenience of an office desktop. Pictometry’s georeferenced imagery can be loaded into common GIS platforms such as ESRI’s ArcGIS so that it seamlessly overlays and interacts with existing spatial datasets. AOC has completed the flying, image capture, processing and delivery of Pictometry oblique imagery for most of the South African metro areas for use in property valuations and various municipal planning and engineering applications. Pictometry is the ideal source of oblique imagery for the creation and rendering of 3D city and building models for visualisations, simulations and fly-throughs.

LEFT 3D city model of Cape Town: These sophisticated 3D models are readily incorporated into stunning visualisations for design and planning applications. They allow users to visualise, measure and portray both existing and planned urban space. All libraries are available on a per user subscription basis using the Pictometry® Online web-based hosted imagery service

IMIESA JUNE 2012

New Oblique Imaging Changing the Rules for Municipal Mapping Pictometry

3D City Models

Specialising in: www.aoc.co.za

Pictometry® | 3D City Models | SiteSee™ LiDAR | Digital Photography | GIS Capability

Above: 3 of the 12 views available with Pictometry oblique imagery

o de Vi m e iv Da he us ure y T airs l c t B ff A Ex u s s n F ge ter s i n O a e t M e ll W n’ tag Cha Of o o t D Fo n en g si tm De par De

2ND ANNUAL

-Guide To The Best Practice In The Operation, Maintenance & Management Of Dams DATES: 24 & 25 July 2012

VENUE: Gallagher Estates, Midrand, Johannesburg

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SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE Mariette Lieffenrink CEO FEDERATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

Phera Ramoeli Head: Water Division SADC

Pieter Gouws, Pr Eng Managing Director P.G CONSULTING

Chamu Mhuka Associate Director ARUP ZIMBABWE

Dr. Rudo Sanyanga Africa Program Director INTERNATIONAL RIVERS

WHO SHOULD ATTEND Civil Engineer Dams Engineer Environmental Manager Water Engineer Water Resources Engineer Infrastructure Development Geotechnical Engineer Pipeline Engineer Operations Director Waste Manager Water Waste Manager Project Engineer Monitoring Engineer Systems Infrastructure Design Engineer Tailing Engineer Surveillance Engineer Bulk water Engineer Geologist Engineer Small Dams Engineer Water Quality Manager Mechanical Engineer Dam Safety Engineer Tailing Dams Manager Water Infrastructure Infrastructure Manager Water Control Manager

J.B Nartey EPWP Project Coordinator- Infrastructure Sector OR TAMBO DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

DWA SOUTH AFRICA PERSPECTIVE Petrus Venter Deputy Regional Director DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS Leo van den Berg, Pr Eng DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS Candace Enoch Northern Operations: Hartbeespoort DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS

Water Services Consulting Engineer

OBTAIN MORE KNOWLEDGE ON THE FOLLOWING PERTINENT ISSUES: The New Dam Safety Regulation And Tailing Dams Legislation Achieving The Objectives Of Integrated Water Resources Management Dam Rehabilitation And Management: The Role Of Municipalities The Risks And Implications Of Climate Change Researched & Developed By:

Risk Assesment On Dam Failure Evaluating When Dam Rehabilitation Is Necessary Budgeting For Rehabilitation Rehabilitation & Maintenance Of Various Types Of Dams Incorporating Pertinent Key Elements For A Dam Safety Program

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PROFILE

DBI CONSULTING

Infrastructure that CONNECTS COMMUNITIES Ditibane Bros Investments, trading as DBI Consulting, is an emerging, blackowned and managed engineering, construction and facilities company operating in South Africa, although most of the company’s operations are based in Gauteng.

HE COMPANY MAKES use of modern civil engineering design packages, offering holistic solutions to a variety of needs. Ser vices offered include: • geotechnical engineering • infrastructure engineering • transport engineering • infrastructure project managers • quality and construction managers.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

DBI Consulting boasts prominent clients such as Sun International, Standard Bank, Old Mutual, Peermont, Department of Public Works, Department of Housing and the City of Johannesburg. The company is currently involved in the R12.4 million Emma Flats flood alleviation project in Newclare. Tasked with inspecting, investigating and recommending solutions to deal with the water log crisis at Emma Flats,

DBI Consulting is progressing successfully on the project with the completion date set for June 2012.

For more information on this and other services offered by the company, contact: Tel: +27 (0)12 940 3840 E-mail: info@dbiconsulting.co.za

JOHANNESBURG

FLOOD ALLEVIATION MEASURES FOR NEWCLARE

The Emma Flats project Flooding at Emma Flats in Newclare resulted in severe problems of water logging and urgent solutions were needed to remedy the situation.

N MARCH 2010, DBI Consulting was appointed by the City of Johannesburg’s Department of Housing to inspect, investigate and recommend a solution to the flooding crisis at Emma Flats, Newclare. A report with recommendations was submitted and flood alleviation measures and box culvert rehabilitation are currently under way. The community of Emma Flats has been persistent in their resolution to get this problem sorted out and the City of Johannesburg has set aside a budget of R12.4 million to achieve a solution to this problem.

Post project analysis As part of the inspection process, DBI Consulting was required to analyse the structural integrity of the flats and surrounding stormwater measures. The discovery was as follows: • sections of the box culvert’s floors were completely uplifted • stormwater relief of the area was insufficient • sinkholes were developing on the sides of the culvert • not enough run-off management • underground stormwater pipes were blocked and some had closed off. Progress update The project commenced on 24 September 2011 and is scheduled for completion in June 2012. Scope of works is as follows: • Pipe jacking: The contractor has not made significant progress on site due to the geology of the material in the area, and was therefore advised to put more resources and implement more feasible methods to increase the progress. • Passage way: The passageway has been completed and the car park rehabilitation commenced in May. • Stormwater alleviation: The works are 95% complete with the only item left being the interlinking of the downstream and upstream sides, which are dependent on the completion of the PROJECT TEAM pipe jacking activity. City of Johannesburg Client • Culvert repairs: Most of the zones on the floor Consultants DBI Consulting Engineers on sections chainage 41 to 99 did not require Nesandla Civils (Pty) Ltd Contractor rehabilitation and the section that required

rehabilitation has been completed. Sections chainage 0 to 15 and 173 to 265 were both completed in May. The roof slab between chainage 100 and 145 has been completed and the other section has recently been rehabilitated. With regard to the overall project programme, the contractor progressed well and the completion of the contractual scope of works is feasible within the contract period. The pipe jacking, however, is running about six weeks behind schedule due to the rock face encountered on the jacking and the delay of a permit.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

JOHANNESBURG

BRT STATION UPDATE

New stations for Rea Vaya Implementation of the Rea Vaya BRT system was a huge step forward in transforming the face of public transport within the City of Johannesburg, and new stations are currently under construction between the CBD and Auckland Park.

PROJECT TEAM: CONSTRUCTION OF BRT STATIONS (CITY OF JOHANNESBURG TO AUCKLAND PARK) Client

JDA

Contractor

Group Five Buildings

Project manager

Seco Project Manager (Pty) Ltd

Source: Johannesburg Roads Agency

WO OF THE MAIN aims of Rea Vaya are to promote public transport and to facilitate transit oriented development, especially as traffic congestion within the CBD is becoming a growing cause for concern.

Station locations Currently, there is a BRT station in front of Wits University on Empire Road, another a few metres down the road, two adjacent to the SABC building in Auckland Park, and one opposite the University of Johannesburg and Helen Joseph Hospital. Learners from HoĂŤrskool Vorentoe and users of the Rahima Moosa Hospital have stations in front of their premises too. Phase 1B starts in Noordgesig and travels through Pennyville and New Canada,

IMIESA JUNE 2012

Highgate, Stanley, Kingsway, Empire Road, Parktown, Metro Centre, Rissik Street and joins Phase 1A. The route covers the suburbs of Soweto, Richmond, Melville, Westbury, Riverlea, Bosmont, Brixton, Coronationville, New Canada, Pennyville, Crosby, Newclare and Noordgesig. With regard to Empire and Waterlines roads, 74 mature trees on Empire Road (between the Jan Smuts and Victoria avenues intersections) have been removed to widen the route. But each of these trees will be replaced in line with an environmental policy that states that the equivalent number of trees must be replaced in the suburb from where they were cut down. The stretch of road where trees have been cut down is approximately 0.98 km and includes intersections with Joubert and Sam Hancock streets. These routes will be linked

to the Metro Centre Rea Vaya loop, which travels to the inner city via Braamfontein. Other scheduled work here includes the resurfacing of mixed traffic lanes, street lighting, construction of a station platform and repaving walking areas. Phase 1B will add about 130 buses to the existing fleet of 143.

Current developments In addition to the rollout of Phase 1B, new BRT bus stations will also be constructed at specific locations within the City of Johannesburg and Auckland Park. These works were commissioned by the Johannesburg Development Agency and includes covering the buildings of four new stations with fluted metal and retrofitting items to previously constructed BRT stations. Work commenced in October 2011 and the project is valued at R45 million.

GEOTECHNICAL

Sinkhole database of South Africa Dolomitic rocks occur in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa.

Providing Flexible Mining Solutions Takes Great Skill.

by S Richardson, Council for Geoscience

A typical sinkhole

OLOMITE IS A SOLUBLE ROCK TYPE that gives rise to sinkholes and dolines if given sufficient time and triggering mechanisms, i.e. ingress water or dewatering. Development of sinkholes and dolines are potentially dangerous and can even result in loss of life and damage to property. The objective of such a project is to have a comprehensive inventory/database of such events across South Africa. Sinkhole/doline data is sourced from municipalities, consultants, government departments and the Council for Geoscience files and reports, as well as from literature. As new events occur, they will be added to the database. Much of the data is incomplete and has gaps in the information, and improving and updating should be an ongoing process. Once such a database is available, it will be a useful tool for future research and investigations. The database will also serve to aid municipalities, consultants and developers when future development is considered. The database will be GIS based and will include XY coordinates, location descriptions, size, depth, date of occurrence, cause and geological formation for each sinkhole/doline event. The need for reliable sinkhole statistics is critical for future assessment of sinkhole risk. A notable case of utilising sinkhole statistics for design and development is the recent Gautrain alignment, which crosses dolomitic land on its route through Centurion.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

When it comes to mining, it’s not just about digging deep into the earth – it’s about digging deep into your skills and determination to make mining activities safer, more economical and more rewarding for your business. Call us, or visit www.twp.co.za TWP South Africa T 0861 TWP TWP (SA) / +27 11 218 3000 E twpinfo@twp.co.za

PROJECT NEWS

Concrete poles for integrated housing project Over 3 000 pre-stressed I-shaped concrete poles are being supplied by Aveng Manufacturing Infraset for the electrification of a fully-integrated housing development in Fleurhoff, Roodepoort.

HE DEVELOPMENT INVOLVES the construction of 9 600 houses varying between 30 m² and 100 m². The construction programme began in 2010 and will run to 2016. Some of the units are being sold on the open market, others fall under the RDP umbrella and the remainder are being allocated for social rental and the GAP market. The poles are being installed by Kusokhanya Electrical Construction (KEC) using two installation teams, one for the planting of the poles, and the other for stringing three-phase bundle

IMIESA JUNE 2012

are being used with cement conductors, installation of to reinforce the 7.2 m and metering boxes at the apex 7.5 m poles and maintain of the poles, and mounting their vertical alignment. of distribution boards inside Each meter box feeds indithe houses. vidual keyboards in two to KEC is also installsix houses. To activate the ing 15 mini sub-stations. system the consumer simply Underground cabling rated keys in a code purchased at 6.6 kVA feeds the stafrom the nearest prepaid tions and the overhead bunelectricity outlet. dling conductors are rated De Villiers says I-shape at 400 V. poles are ideal for this type Bruce de Villiers, KEC’s of installation. site manager, says that the “Their excellent weightinstallation teams comprise A worm’s eye view of one to-strength ratios and their a local community labour of the prestressed I-shaped concrete poles reduced weight mean they component of 45%. are easy to offload and han“Many of them were dle. It also makes the mounting of the prepaid unskilled and we have trained them in all meter boxes easy and secure.” aspects of the work including the stringing Aveng Manufacturing Infraset poles and of bundle conductors and installation of the masts product manager, Mothemane Makhura, metering boxes,” says De Villiers. says all the I-poles for the Fleurhoff project An average of 30 poles a day are being were manufactured with earthing bars to proplanted by KEC in three pole models: a 7 m tect them against lightning. (4 kN) unit, a 7.2 m (10 kN) straining pole “The I-poles were cast at our Brakpan factory and a 7.5 m (20 kN) end unit. A tractor loader in high-strength, high-density concrete with a backhoe is being used to excavate the foundasmooth finish. They are functional yet relatively tion holes, which in the case of the 7 m poles light, which makes them easy to handle. The were 1.5 m deep. Both the 7.2 m and the high strength-to-weight ratio of the I-shaped 7.5 m poles are being sunk in pits at a depth poles puts them in a class of their own. The of 1.8 m. resilience of prestressed concrete poles ena“We are also using compressors and explobles them to recover from the effects of a sives where we encounter rock which we often greater degree of overload than any other type do,” says De Villiers. of structural material. It has been demonstratAfter the poles are lowered into position ed worldwide that the prestressed concrete they are aligned vertically. Lintels, usually poles are maintenance-free for life. Unlike two, but sometimes three and even four, other materials, concrete suffers no long-term loss of strength, insect, fire, rot, and corrosion LEFT One of 3 000 prestressed I-shaped resistant,” explains De Villiers. concrete end-poles thst are being used for the electrification of a fully-integrated All Aveng Manufacturing Infraset factories housing development in Fleurhoff, have ISO 9002 accreditation and comply Roodepoort. Besides carrying a 400 V with Eskom DTC 0106 and other SABS and bundling conductor, this pole also Transnet specifications. supports a street lamp

PROJECT NEWS

Precast concrete provides a solution for housing 1

Diamond-Maxi concrete bricks, concrete roof tiles and bevelled concrete pavers are providing durable, productive and very attractive building materials for the Ga-Rankuwa Extension 24 – a fully government-subsidised housing project.

UNDED BY THE Gauteng Department of Local Government and Housing (Tshwane Region) and situated in the North West province, this is a crossborder project that entails the construction of 1 516 houses for the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) director, Hamish Laing, comments that properly selected and deployed precast concrete building materials form an extremely effective combination, especially when used for the construction of housing. “This project is an excellent example of how precast concrete products can transform dull uniformity into the visually appealing. These precast concrete materials each contribute to the overall effect, providing affordable yet aesthetically pleasing accommodation in which the owner can take considerable pride,” says Laing. The 40 m² houses comprise two bedrooms, a combined kitchen and living area, and a room containing a shower and toilet. As yet there is no electricity supply to the development. This and the installation of solar water heating will take place at a later date. “Because the bricks being used on this project have an attractive diamond-face finish, the walls don’t require plastering, only painting, and the inner walls are bag-washed – both

processes saving on costs,” 2 observes Laing. Measuring 140 x 90 x 290 mm, the bricks are being supplied by Delta Bricks and Eckraal Quarries and are used in a single-skin applica3 tion. The roof tiles are being manufactured by West End Claybrick and Coverland. They are being laid on galvanised steel trusses supplied by Vela Steel Building 4 Systems. The paving blocks, 50 mm thick and rated at 25 MPa, are being produced by Technicrete. Laing says that concrete pavers are superior to in situ concrete for paved surrounds thanks to their superior durability and visual appeal. Construction work commenced in January this year under the control of the main contractor, Jade Africa Developments. The project is being built in three phases, the first comprising 516 houses, and at the end of May, close on 150 units had been completed. During this period three subcontractors employed 207 labourers on site, of which 70% were recruited in Ga-Rankuwa. Of that total,

82 were skilled and 115 unskilled and approximately 10% were women. Jade Africa Developments’s chief executive officer, Lawrence Esterhuizen, says that by the beginning of June a further three subcontracting teams had been brought on board to speed up the construction process and that at least 70% of the core building skills for the new teams had been recruited locally in Ga-Rankuwa. This means that the anticipated completion date has been brought forward from early 2013 to the first quarter of 2012.

1 Housing units nearing completion at the Ga-Rankuwa Extension 24 development 2 An example of the masonry work using single-skinned and economical diamondfaced concrete bricks 3 Aesthetically pleasing concrete roof tiles are being used to cover the houses 4 Some of the completed houses at the Ga-Rankuwa Extension 24 development

IMIESA JUNE 2012

PANEL INTRO

CONSULTING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Private sector drives project delivery

by Candice Landie

Consulting engineers play a crucial role in the development of infrastructure in South Africa, offering skilled advice and services to local government.

ITH ALL the issues surrounding tenders, SMEs and job creation, getting a foot in the door with government can be challenging. But to ensure the success of South Africa’s infrastructure development, the services of private sector consulting engineers are imperative.

To win favour with government, consultants have to be professional and possess expertise in the fields of local government legislation, municipal service delivery, strategic leadership and management, project management, research and investigation and executive development, among others. South Africa is one of the

fortunate countries as it has a number skilled, professional consultants, who have been instrumental in shaping the country’s beautiful infrastructure. But what does it take to be a successful consulting engineering firm? Candice Landie facilitates this panel discussion, which looks at consulting to local government.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

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PANEL DISCUSSION

CONSULTING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT IAIN WATSON – director – KNIGHT PIÉSOLD CONSULTING

Q. What is Knight Piésold’s core business function and when was the company founded?

What have been your achievements and awards over the years?

project manager for the involvement in the Lesotho required 150 Mℓ/d increase in We are currently either bidding Highlands project was significant. treatment capacity. or negotiating for a number of More recently, the following larger • Western Aqueduct renewable energy, water resource, projects come to mind: Environmental Approval mining and transportation appoint• The Berg River Project (Western – eThekwini Water and ments outside of South Africa. We Cape), comprising the Berg Sanitation: The 30 m wide are confident that we will secure river dam, a concrete faced pipeline corridor traverses a a number of these initiatives. rockfill dam 70 m high, a pumpvariety of bio-physical and socioWe are, of course, continuing to ing station and the associated economic environments. We bid for work within South Africa. distribution system. have made significant progress However, current procurement • Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme legislation (Drakensberg), Our engineers, earth scientists is making it a 1 330 MW increasingly pumped storage and technical support staff offer difficult for hydroelectric comprehensive consulting engineering the consulting project currently under construcand environmental services to our clients industry; we are either seen tion for Eskom. in filling the gap between the as suppliers of commodities or • Gauteng Freeway Improvement Environmental Management Plan as contractors and not as profesProject (GFIP), we were (EMP) and the construction prosional service providers. We need responsible for module cess by developing rehabilitation to work hard at explaining the difE1 – the N3 section 12 drawings, specifications and a ferences to our clients. from Heidelberg Road to Bill of Quantity for incorporation Knight Piésold is proud of its Geldenhuis interchange. into the tender documentation. BBBEE Level 2 contributor rating. All of the above projects have The EMP identifies what must be A big factor in this success has been undertaken in joint vendone and the specifications tell been the development of our mentures with like-minded competent you how it must be done. torship and training programmes. consulting practices. This initiative is being rolled out to include some of our client’s What have been your top What is Knight Piésold’s staff being seconded into the three projects for local outlook for the next project design and supervision government in the past 10 years? teams, and in this way we ensure five years? Besides South Africa, we that meaningful exposure to onalso have offices in Namibia, • Western Aqueduct phases the-job training is achieved and, Swaziland, Botswana and Ghana. 1 and 2 – eThekwini Water more importantly, taken back to Over the coming months and and Sanitation: The Western their home base on completion of years we aim to extend our presAqueduct is a thin-walled, conthe project. ence into more African countries. tinuously welded steel pipeline that will supply potable water under gravity to the greater Durban region. • Northern Sewage Purification Works Unit 5 – Johannesburg Water: Increased capacity was required to meet the anticipated increase in wastewater flow from the Northern Drainage System of Johannesburg. Knight Piésold was appointed as lead consultant and

Knight Piésold has received numerous accolades over the past 91 years, but our

RIGHT Western Aqueduct, KwaZulu-Natal

IW: Knight Piésold, founded in South Africa in 1921, has expanded over the decades to operate internationally and offers comprehensive specialist engineering and scientific services in water resources, renewable energy, roads and transportation, environmental solutions, mining and project management.

What services do you offer to local government and what gives Knight Piésold an edge over its competitors? Knight Piésold focuses on building close working relationships with clients through understanding their project requirements and their business. An important factor in today’s global environment is our access to specialists on all five continents, which enables us to provide innovative and cost-effective solutions without having to compromise on the allimportant quality standards. Our engineers, earth scientists and technical support staff offer comprehensive consulting engineering and environmental services to our clients. All stages of project development are undertaken and include engineering feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments, full engineering design (including specialist structural design), tender documentation and evaluation, contract administration, site supervision and project management.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

Infrastructure development Civil Engineering Structural Engineering Electrical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Project Management Town Planning

O f f i c e s : Ts w a n e , P o l o k w a n e , C a p e To w n , U p i n g t o n , S p r i n g b o k , D u r b a n , Port Elizabeth,Mozambique,Namibia, Angola, DRC

MDP

HEAD OFFICE: BLOCK C - Menlyn Corporate Park C/O Garsfontein Road & Corobay Ave. MENLYN - PRETORIA Tel: +27 (0) 12 940 1111 FAX: +27 (0) 86 743 3100 E-mail: marketing@bviho.co.za www.bvigroup.co.za

PANEL DISCUSSION

CONSULTING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT JJ GROBLER – managing director; M MAROLE – chairperson – BVi CONSULTING ENGINEERS

Q. What is BVi Group's core business function and when was the company founded? A. BVi is a multidisciplinary engineering firm that was established in 1967 and is registered with CESA. BVi offers professional services in the fields of civil, structural, electrical and mechanical engineering, as well as project management, town planning and EPCM services. The company has 15 offices across South Africa and four international offices. BVi is a Level 2 BBBEE contributor and focuses on community involvement where skill transfer and job creation plays a major role in the projects through the accredited emerging contractor development programme.

What services do you offer to local government and what gives BVi an edge over its competitors? We specialise in providing a full range of professional engineering services to local government and the community. Our labourintensive approach does not only create employment, but also involves the community from inception, design, implementation and final handover of the project. BVi is an ISO accredited service provider and our value engineering and quality assessment processes ensure the delivery of projects of exceptional quality. Our focus throughout the project life cycle remains on our clients, the community and quality engineering work. Through our highly competent staff component, BVi can consistently provide our clients with professional services in terms of quality, timelines and costeffective solutions to service delivery. BVi staff is familiar

with and act in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act, the Municipality Finance Management Act and our own Business Integrity Management System. We also assist local government in the drafting of lntegrated Development Plans and are actively involved in assisting council to source funding where possible. Our wide spread client base is testimony to the BVi team's is skill in executing projects of any size and magnitude.

What have been your top three projects for local government in the past five years? • Turnkey housing project for the City of Tshwane: we provided project management services. • Kenhardt bulk water supply pipeline: a project was initiated to bring surface water from the Orange River over a distance of 70 km to provide for current and future demand. The project consists of a raw water pump station and rising main that discharges to

a water treatment plant and reservoir complex. • eThekweni housing project – OhlangeDube Village Housing Development: provision of project management services, site supervision and monitoring.

What is BVi’s outlook for the next 10 years? Currently we have a very reliable footprint across the country which enables us to service almost all the district and local councils countrywide. We intend to increase our commitment and focus on local government by making use of an innovative project approach, including project finance models, PPPs and other asset management options. We are constantly improving our

green building department as well as our renewable energy delivery resources. The future is renewable energy and we are positioning ourselves accordingly. Furthermore, we are expanding across the borders to service our fellow SADC members with muchneeded engineering skills and infrastructure requirements. With regards to South Africa specifically, we believe the BVi Group has a huge role to play in assisting government in reaching its service delivery goals and aspirations.

BELOW LEFT Kenhardt rising main BELOW RIGHT Tshwane housing project

IMIESA JUNE 2012

PANEL DISCUSSION

CONSULTING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT SIYANDA NGEBULANA – group marketing and business development manager – BKS

Q. What is BKS’s core business function and when was the company founded? SN: BKS is a dynamic multi-disciplinary empowered consulting engineering and project management firm that provides professional services in the areas of infrastructure development – encompassing, design and planning, construction supervision, monitoring and project management. The company was established in 1965.

What services do you offer to local government and what gives BKS an edge over its competitors? Services offered by BKS include: water and wastewater treatment plants; water reservoirs and dams; strategic water resources, water services planning and

and asset management; project office and funding management; and labour intensive construction and management. What gives us an advantage over our competitors is the quality of service, which is made possible by our technical expertise, our track record in the industry and our new service delivery approach and innovative and sustainable designs that are cost effective.

What have been your greatest achievements and awards over the years? BKS has had many highlights of projects delivered successfully over the last five decades. Some of these achievements include our involvement on various 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums, King Shaka International Airport, Hospital Bend pre-selection

• provision of water and sewer connections to toilet blocks in informal settlements in eThekwini.

What is BKS’s outlook for the next 10 years? • to maintain our core business through current relationships and established footprint, as well as expand our business areas • to maintain a strong component of mega projects in our business • to grow skills and the number of our skilled staff • to increase our market share in international business as well as our global

competitiveness, through strategic alliances. Our goal is to be an international company that operates in Africa and the Middle East, with headquarters in South Africa. We also recently opened an office in Qatar. We have numerous small projects in the pipeline, but the significant one is a turnaround strategy that involves provision of technical support for Gert Sibande District Municipality. There is also an extension to the Durban Beachfront upgrade project involving the construction of the promenade from Countr y Club Beach to the Blue Lagoon.

Our goal is to be an international company that operates in Africa and the Middle East, with headquarters in South Africa feasibility studies; water supply, distribution and metering systems; water quality, leakage and demand management; Blue Drop and Green Drop services; geotechnical engineering; solid waste handling, disposal landfills and rehabilitation of borrow pits; integrated environmental certification and environmental management services; green building and sustainability; roads, stormwater and attenuation; electricity supply, distribution and pre-pay systems; vehicle testing stations and taxi ranks; BRT systems, traffic and transportation engineering; housing, buildings, clinics, sports facilities and stadiums; condition surveys

lanes in Cape Town and the Van der Kloof Dam Spillway Bridge. BKS was also involved in the Gautrain and Ben Schoeman Freeway upgrade projects.

What have been your top three projects for local government in the past five years? • Durban Beachfront upgrade and post-World Cup infrastructure works in eThekweni • replacement of asbestos cement secondary water mains for eThekweni Water and Sanitation RIGHT View from Ushaka Marine World looking north

IMIESA JUNE 2012

PANEL DISCUSSION

CONSULTING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT RICHARD DEH – associate director: marketing and business development – ARUP

Q. What is Arup’s core business function and when was the company founded? RD: Arup was founded in 1946 with an initial focus on structural engineering. It has since grown into a truly multidisciplinary organisation offering an innovative and fully integrated approach, which brings a full complement of skills and knowledge to bear on any given design problem and exerts a significant influence on the built environment. Arup has been present in Africa for almost 60 years and has offices in Botswana, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Arup has worked on more than 20 000 projects and developments in Africa, including commercial buildings, mixed-use developments, airports, sports venues, bridges, highways, railways, industrial development zones and oil, gas and energy projects, as well as hospitals, prisons, arts and cultural venues, science and technology parks, water and waste projects.

What services do you offer to local government and what gives Arup an edge over its competitors? We offer services to local government in the areas of civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and traffic engineering, as well as project management, urban planning, transport planning, economic and development planning, environmental and sustainability consulting, and transaction advice. Some of the qualities that give Arup its competitive edge are the fact that, through our innovative and fully integrated approach, we bring unique solutions to create sustainable communities and use our breadth of expertise across various disciplines, including those

IMIESA JUNE 2012

from our global offices. We listen to our client’s requirements and ensure that we deliver over and above what is required. We place stringent standards on the work we do and believe in developing and empowering our people as well as our clients in the process.

What have been your greatest achievements and awards? Many people may not be aware that Arup worked on most of the tall buildings on the Johannesburg skyline. Arup was involved in the design and construction of the Brixton Tower, the Hillbrow Tower, the Carlton Centre, the Schlesinger Building, the Kine Centre and the Standard Bank Centre, to name a few. More recently we have been or are involved in such landmark developments as the Constitutional Court, Melrose Arch and the Pearls of Umhlanga. Awards include: • A KZNIA Architecture Award for the design of the Moses Mabhida Commuter Station, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (2011) • KZNIA Architecture Award for the Moyo uShaka Pier Bar (2011) • CESA Mentor of the Year Award: Ric Snowden (2011) • Conceptual design, master planning and project management of the Central Terminal Building (CTB) at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg. This project was completed on time and on budget, and was open and operational in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. OR Tambo was voted Best Airport in Africa at the World Airport Awards.

What have been your top three projects for local government in the past five years?

• Independent Certifier on the Gautrain project: The Gautrain is currently the largest publicprivate partnership project in the southern hemisphere and probably the most ambitious piece of civil engineering in South Africa to date. As Independent Certifier, Arup reports to both the Gauteng Provincial Government and the Bombela Concession Company.

• The Polokwane Bridge: Arup was appointed to undertake the design, planning and construction of various infrastructure projects within the municipality, including the design of the Polokwane Bridge. The bridge was built by an Arup/WBHO joint venture. The bridge was designed and built within 14 months, a notable achievement. • City of Tshwane: Arup was commissioned by the City of Tshwane and the National Department of Public Works to develop a detailed Master Plan and Management Framework for the city’s regeneration project. Arup’s role includes developing an integrated inner-city development framework and urban management plan that will transform the capital into a contemporary African city. The project will be one of the first in the country to have urbanism at its heart, presenting an exciting opportunity for the firm to be involved in the complete transformation and regeneration

of a city into a sustainable arena that reflects a truly urban African city.

What is Arup’s outlook for the next 10 years? Arup is currently advising PRASA on its National Rail Master Plan. While this is not a local government intervention, we hope that our efforts will contribute to a better commuting experience for South Africans, as PRASA goes through a significant programme of capital investment and operational improvement. Again, although not a local government project, as Development Managers on ACSA’s planned new Midfield terminal complex at OR Tambo International Airport, we hope to contribute to an improved travelling experience for South Africans and for visitors to our beautiful country. We hope to bring some of our world-leading integrated urbanism and sustainability skills and experience to bear on the Large Cities Support Programme – an initiative to deliver integrated urban planning for eight metros in South Africa, which is supported by National Treasury and the World Bank. Finally, we are well aware of the capacity constraints at provincial and municipal level, and as members of the recently appointed DBSA Engineering and Project Management Panel, we hope to contribute to filling some of the capacity gaps and to the improved delivery of provincial and municipal infrastructure projects as a result. Arup’s outlook for the next 10 years is to continue to deliver total excellence in complete design, sustainability, quality and innovative technology.

We shape a better world We believe in developing water management solutions with our clients, that will bring about a truly sustainable future. www.arup.com

Project Image: Botterkloof Hydropower Botswana +267 395 3494 gaborone@arup.com

Mauritius +230 206 0592 portlouis@arup.com

Durban +27 31 328 8700 durban@arup.com

Cape Town +27 21 409 3500 capetown@arup.com

Johannesburg +27 11 218 7600 johannesburg@arup.com

2012/03/19 12:33 PM

PANEL DISCUSSION

PH Bagale directors

CONSULTING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT PH BAGALE

Q. What is PH Bagale’s core business function and when was the company founded? A. PH Bagale, consulting engineers and project managers, was established in 1988. The company specialises in road projects, project management and civil services.

What services do you offer to local government and what gives PH Bagale an edge over its competitors? Our road expertise varies from high-tech rehabilitation measures, using super-modified materials, down to labour-intensive methods. We also design structures and supervise infrastructure for urban development. We have been operating for 24 years and the company has built up expertise that is highly valuable.

What have been your achievements and awards over the years? We pride ourselves on the fact that we have clients with which we have had a relationship with for as long as the company has existed. PH Bagale has received numerous awards for excellence in engineering, as outlined below: • 1995: SABITA award for outstanding achievement in asphalt

technology for the development of the slurry-bound Macadam • 1995: SAICE (Wits Branch) award for excellence in civil engineering for the development of the composite Macadam pavement • 1995: SAICE finalist for the national award for the most outstanding civil engineering achievement for communitybased projects • 1997: Masimanyane Award for Process Enterprise Turnover <R5 million • 1997: Masimanyane CSIR Technological Impact Award • 1999: Impumelelo Innovations Award Programme – commendation for provision of road infrastructure • 2001: Annual branch (Lowveld branch) award for excellence in civil engineering for the access road to Mashishing – widening of the old steel bridge • 2002: South African Institute of Steel Construction special commendation awarded for our role as project manager in the construction of the Mashishing bridge widening project • 2009: Award – Most innovative and creative contractor/ consultant: Johannesburg Roads Agency.

What have been your top three projects for local

BEFORE Upgrading of gravel to surfaced roads in Soshanguve

We pride ourselves on the fact that we have clients with which we have had a relationship with for as long as the company has existed government in the past five years? Our top three projects done for local governments involved the upgrading of gravel roads to surfaced standards in Johannesburg (the Johannesburg Roads Agency), Ekurhuleni and the City of Tshwane. All these projects were executed by means of a turnkey approach. They were executed cost effectively and according to programme without compromising on quality. Highlights of these projects are: • Johannesburg Roads Agency: – introduce the turnkey approach – invite innovative designs – accountability legally protected. • Ekurhuleni: – introduce a three-year programme – capitalise and maintain the successful JRA recipe.

• Tshwane: – put a well-planned programme and excellent models and systems in place to achieve their goals.

What is PH Bagale’s outlook for the next 10 years? Our five-year vision is to expand and have at least 25 civil engineering professionals employed. We also have offices in four provinces and we want to expand to the other provinces in South Africa. Our mission statement is as follows: • To be a leading supplier of engineering expertise in roads, transportation, water, sanitation and related infrastructure. • To provide total engineering and management expertise to our clients.

AFTER

IMIESA JUNE 2012

PANEL DISCUSSION

CONSULTING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT MATT BRAUNE – partner – SRK CONSULTING

Q. What is SRK’s core business function and when was the company founded? MB: SRK Consulting is an international organisation of professional engineers and scientists, founded in South Africa in 1974. SRK has a staff compliment of over 1 400 operating from more than 45 established practices on six continents. SRK provides a comprehensive range of consulting services to the natural resource industry as well as to local government. Our mission is to be Africa’s leader in natural resource and development solutions.

What services do you offer to local government and what gives SRK an edge over its competitors? SRK has been servicing local government over the past 30 years. This started mainly in the stormwater management field and later expanded into bulk services (water supply and wastewater treatment), disaster management and environmental compliance. We believe that SRK differentiates itself by providing specialist services and harnessing international expertise on new technology and best practice, which is then adapted and applied to South African conditions. SRK offers the following main services to local government: stormwater management, water supply, disaster and risk management, and environmental compliance.

What have been your greatest achievements and awards? SRK has established a significant foothold and client base within the governmental sector.

This has mainly been due to specialist services supplied to all spheres of government. This is highlighted by the number of consultants panels that SRK is a member of at national and provincial levels, thereby assisting in building capacity

What have been your top three projects for local government in the last five years? • Implementation of a Regional Flood Management Information System (FRMIS) for the City of Tshwane: This project included

SRK has established a significant foothold and client base within the governmental sector and giving technical guidance at a very high level. The greatest highlight has been assisting the City of Tshwane in the FIFA World Cup with contingency planning and evacuation plans. Presentation of Best Technical Paper Awards have also been made to SRK personnel active in the municipal field.

the following main aspects: status quo of the current major drainage system, hydrological modeling of the municipal area, covering about 2 000 km², indicative flood mapping for all existing natural water courses within the city, and determination of existing flooding problems and the associated risks.

TOP A road crossing seriously damaged during flooding in Mpumalanga BELOW Storm damage to a school in Mpumalanga

Intranet-based flood management plans were then established to reduce the risk of flooding thereby assisting the client in efficiently managing all major stormwater assets, as well as reducing the risk of potential liability claims. • National Disaster Risk Assessment for the Republic of Botswana: This project required the undertaking of a national multi-hazard disaster risk assessment of Botswana, including risk mapping for selected towns. • All Towns Study – Northern Region: SRK was appointed by DWA to assess the future water requirements and the availability of water to meet those requirements for the northern part of South Africa.

What is SRK’s outlook for the next 10 years? The demise of capacity at municipal levels has been well documented over the last few years with problems relating to lack of skills and decision making, underspending of budget allocations for infrastructure and the inability to roll out crucial infrastructure projects being closely scrutinised and criticised. It has also been mentioned recently by national government that spending on infrastructure projects will be increasing over the next few years. Taking the above into account, SRK sees its role in assisting all spheres of government in proactive planning, compiling of business plans, design and implementation of critically needed infrastructure. In line with this, SRK’s main goal would also be to enhance and develop skills of young engineers and scientists as part of its BBBEE strategy and goals.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

PANEL DISCUSSION

CONSULTING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT WEHAN WESSELS – director – TRANSPORT TELEMATICS AFRICA

Q. What is TTA’s core business function and when was the company founded? WW: Transport Telematics Africa (TTA) is a consulting engineering company that was founded in 2003, and we deliver groundbreaking electronic and project management services in four main fields of expertise. We are mainly electronic engineers consulting on various projects for local government as well as private sector clients.

What services do you offer to local government and what gives TTA an edge over its competitors? TTA is currently offering consulting services in four main areas of expertise that can be categorised as follows: intelligent transport systems, public safety and security systems, information and communication technology systems, and electronic building services. In addition to the standard consulting services, we also offer project management and risk analysis services on various types of projects. We have gained valuable experience over the past years and formed longstanding relationships with our existing clients, which puts the company in a very competitive position and has contributed immensely to the growth the company has seen to date.

our existing clients, the relationships formed and the eagerness and ability of our staff to learn and evolve with changing times and technology. Project-related achievements include the successful completion of 2010 FIFA World Cup Surveillance projects and being part of some of the leading transport-related projects in the country, namely the MyCiti Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system in Cape Town and the controversial Gauteng Open Road Tolling System.

out and Phase 1 construction is in full swing. TTA is proud to be appointed to manage the implementation of various aspects of the automatic fare collection system. Although very controversial at present, the Gauteng Open Road Tolling project is one of the country’s leading Intelligent Transport System projects and TTA has been involved since tender stage in various roles ranging from risk management through to administrative project management.

What have been your top three projects for local government in the past five years?

What is TTA’s outlook for the next 10 years?

The company was established with the core business focus of urban surveillance in mind and this still forms a big part of the day-to-day business. Although the core business focus has expanded to the areas named previously, the continuous phased rollout of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) CCTV network to various areas remains one of our biggest and longest running projects. The MyCiti IRT system is being rolled

We are confident that the local and world economy will pick up, and are in the process of positioning ourselves to benefit and be part of the growth that lies ahead. We have identified areas

within local governments that can benefit from the experience and service that we have to offer. Our goal is to expand in both client base and company size within the next three years and to build on that growth by also expanding our geographical representation. TTA’s mission is to continue delivering and improving on the quality and level of service that we have managed to achieve to date and to remain at the cutting edge of technology in our specialised fields. Our vision is to expand our current footprint by forming relationships with new and existing clients, and also by working in collaboration with other consulting firms by supporting them in delivering specialised electronic services.

RIGHT Proposed automated gate for the Cape Town MyCiti IRT system BELOW Typical wireless camera installation for the City of Cape Town MPD Strategic Surveillance Unit's CCTV network

What have been your greatest achievements and awards over the years? One of TTA’s greatest achievements is the growth the company has seen over the past few years. Growth in our client base, turnover and staff complement can mostly be contributed to

IMIESA JUNE 2012

PANEL DISCUSSION: ADVERTORIAL

CONSULTING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT CRAIG NORTHWOOD – managing director – UWP CONSULTING

Q. What is UWP’s core business function and when was the company founded? CN: UWP Consulting celebrates its 40th anniversar y this year. The company was formed in March 1972, initially as a partnership between the founding members: Hans Uhlmann, Ken Withaus and Frans Prins. UWP has developed into a respected multidisciplinary consulting engineering practice with public and private sector clients across the transportation, building, water, mining, agricultural and infrastructure sectors. More than 230 employees are based in 14 South African offices, while a focused growth strategy beyond South Africa’s borders has resulted in the opening of offices in Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe with a combined staff complement of more than 70. With a view to building capacity in all countries where we are active, significant time and resources are devoted to local skills development. UWP Consulting has successfully completed projects in several African countries, including Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Botswana,

IMIESA JUNE 2012

Zimbabwe, Uganda, Madagascar, Burkina Faso and Namibia. Revenue from cross border operations currently accounts for about 25% of turnover. In 2004, the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) acquired a 25.1% stake in UWP Consulting through its investment arm, Contralesa Investment Holdings. Currently the empowerment shareholding in UWP Consulting stands at approximately 33%. UWP Consulting is a Level 2 BBBEE contributor.

structural engineering solutions makes the company an effective partner to local government agencies. UWP also has significant expertise in capacity build-

What services do you offer to local government and what gives UWP an edge over its competitors?

What have been your greatest achievements and awards over the years?

UWP Consulting offers development planning at all levels of government and shares successful long-term partnerships with many South African municipalities for the provision of roads, townships, water and other local community services, as well as comprehensive integrated township development solutions. UWP’s multi-disciplinar y approach and ability to provide complete integrated civil and

One project that stands out as a highlight is the street upgrading and rehabilitation project we carried out for the City of Johannesburg in 2002. Consultants were called to the office

We have forged strong links with metros, district and local municipalities over the years ing, working alongside emerging consultants and contractors.

BELOW A bus station on the Ellis Park BRT project, which included pioneering development work on geometric/ pavement design standards

PANEL DISCUSSION: ADVERTORIAL

of the then City Engineer of Johannesburg Mavela Dlamini (subsequently City Manager of Johannesburg), for a briefing meeting on 15 December 2001 – the day that most consultants close their offices for the three week Christmas break. We had to unpack our computers and cancel leave for some of our staff. Proposals were requested for the spending of R20 million on the upgrading of streets in greater Johannesburg prior to the commencement of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which was held in Sandton during August and September 2002. Work was ver y scarce in those days and the competition was fierce. The programme was extremely tight. All the conceptualisation, planning, design and construction had to be carried out in a period of five months. Special arrangements and structures were introduced to expedite decision making, identify ser vices and issue way leaves expeditiously. This project had to be carried out on a lump sum design-and-construct basis – one, if not the first, of many subsequent design and construct projects to be let by the city to upgrade urban and particularly township roads in and around Johannesburg. The contract was completed within budget and on time to the satisfaction of our client. This highly successful project demonstrated that the client, consultant and contractor could cooperate and function efficiently under ver y tight time constraints to achieve a common purpose. UWP Consulting received an award from the City of Johannesburg as its best consultant for 2005.

What have been your top three projects for local government in recent years? In addition to the above, three more high profile projects in Gauteng are listed below:

Reconstruction of Comaro Mooi Link (completed November 2002) What started off as a minor project to design a small access road grew into a new dual carriageway linking the N12 Freeway with Mooi Street in downtown Johannesburg, through built-up residential and commercial areas. The link was constructed in four phases over a period of more than three years and turned out to be the single most expensive project handled by UWP for the City of Johannesburg. It was preceded by one of the first comprehensive formal public participation exercises

in South Africa, with extensive traffic studies as well as noise studies and mitigation measures forming a substantial part of the project.

Baragwanath Public Transport Facilities – Gateway to Soweto (completed 2006) UWP was involved in the development and upgrading of public transport facilities in Soweto, with particular focus on Baragwanath Hospital and surrounds, over a period of more than 27 years. Our client was originally the West Rand Administration Board, followed by the Johannesburg Development Agency. UWP’s work began in 1981 with a traffic study of the taxi and bus ranks. This was followed by upgrading of the old Potch Road past Baragwanath Hospital to dual carriageway in 1982, and later the construction of pedestrian bridges to link the public transport terminus with the hospital. In 2006 UWP redesigned and expanded the old bus terminus and created expanded mode transfer facilities, as well as trader facilities and parking areas. The old Potch Road was also realigned. Greater Ellis Park Development Project and BRT implementation (completed May 2010) A multi-disciplinar y approach was adopted for the first BRT (Rea Vaya) project in Johannesburg. This project commenced as an SPTN (Strategic Public Transport Network) route and was then amended with bus lanes and bus stations being moved from the verge to the median when the decision was taken to adopt the BRT approach. During the design development of the project, substantial pioneering development work took place with regard to geometric/pavement design standards.

What is UWP’s outlook for the next 10 years? UWP has developed a ‘Growth and Sustainability Strategy’ focused on 2015 and beyond. This has six main pillars: • building and growing the company in a sustainable manner • growing our African operations • deepening transformation • investing in our staff • building the UWP brand • continuously reviewing and improving corporate governance systems.

ABOVE An extensive public participation process preceded the reconstruction of the Comaro Mooi link in downtown Johannesburg

Going for ward, UWP will continue to build capacity in our various divisions to ensure that we can ser vice our clients effectively. We are also positioning ourselves to play a far more meaningful role in the mining sector in particular. There is the much talked about public sector spend in South Africa and the opportunities created by the rollout of these

We are also positioning ourselves to play a far more meaningful role in the mining sector projects. However, it is in Africa that the greatest opportunities lie, particularly in the resources sector. One only has to look at the predicted GDP growth in Africa as compared to South Africa to realise this. ‘Enhancing the quality of life’ is the ethos of UWP Consulting; this necessitates applying civil and structural engineering excellence to create a built environment that is both appropriate for current users and sustainable for future generations. It is on this basis that UWP approaches municipal projects. We have forged strong links with metros, district and local municipalities over the years and we look forward to maintaining and improving these relationships in the future.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

IMESA

A journey through IMESA: Reflections IMESAâ€™s coffee table book, Reflections, was launched at last yearâ€™s conference to coincide with the instituteâ€™s Golden Jubilee celebrations. This month IMIESA features Part 3 of a series overview of the book.

HE BOOK PROVIDES a comprehensive history of IMESA from its founding through to its standing today. The author, Prof Johannes Haarhoff, has combined his 35 years of experience in engineering and his passion as

a historian to outline, in great detail, various insights into the history of municipal engineering. This article is the third of a series outlining the content of the book.

Hosting the conference After the Johannesburg meeting in 1921, the venue of subsequent meetings was determined

IMIESA JUNE 2012

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IMESA

by invitation. Two or more towns would issue an invitation for the meeting of the following year and the executive committee would make the choice. The conference venues were often selected to coincide with some other commemoration. The 1954 venue, for example, was Durban and was chosen to coincide with its centenary celebrations, while the 1955 venue was Livingstone – the only conference ever held in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) – to coincide with the 100th anniversary of David Livingstone’s first visit to the Victoria Falls. The hosting municipality carried the financial burden of the annual conference. When the annual conference started in 1921, the only source of income was the voluntary contribution of the delegates who attended. Thereafter it was agreed that individuals would pay to attend the conferences. By 1950, members had to pay £1 and non-members £2. After 1950, a sliding scale was adopted where municipalities with an annual revenue of less than £200 000 would pay £3 per delegate and larger ones £5 per delegate. In 1959, the conference fees were increased, but the principle of a sliding scale, based on the annual revenue of the local authority, was retained. The duration of the meetings varied from two to six days, but most meetings were conducted over four days. Until 1948, the usual conference format was four days, from a Tuesday to Friday. For the 1947 conference in Salisbury the format was extended when the delegates adjourned for the weekend and reconvened on the Monday in Victoria

ABOVE RIGHT Prof Johannes Haarhoff, author of Reflections, signs a copy of the book for Debbie Anderson of IMESA head office at the 75th IMESA Conference and Exhibition

Falls. The 1948 annual conference in Pietermaritzburg was held over four days, but from the 1949 annual conference in Port Elizabeth, the pattern permanently switched to a five-day format.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

Refelections

journey through time

We take this opportunity to invite you to purchase this collectors item: Contact IMESA at 0312 66-3263f or more info.

ORDER FORM For Invoicing purposes: Name:_

_____________________

Address:

______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Postal Code: ______________________ Contact No:_

_____________________E

VAT Number:_________________ Number: mail :_______________________

Number of Hard Copies @ R455.00 Including VAT _________ Number of Soft Copies @ R200.00 Including VAT

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IMESA

Please complete and return to IMESA at fax - 0312 66-5094 or email – imesa@webstorm.co.za

IMESA

IMESA/CESA Excellence Awards CALL FOR ENTRIES

The Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA) and Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) have pleasure in inviting local, provincial and government/semi-government authorities and / or their engineering consultants to submit entries for the 2012 biennial Project Excellence Awards competition. Entry forms can be downloaded at: www.imesa.org.za/2012-excellence-awards/ Completed entries must be sent to Debbie Anderson at conference@imesa.co.za before 31 July 2012 Completed entry forms must be submitted together with the hard copy submission and CD by 31Â July 2012 to: IMESA House, 2 Derby Place, WESTVILLE, 3629 Tel: +27 (0)31Â 266 3263 for more information

EQUIPMENT

Trench compactor for neatly packed trenches The Bobcat trench compactor attachment is an invaluable tool to pack down soil once the trench has been prepared and cables placed.

HE BOBCAT TRENCH COMPACTOR attachment is successfully applied for compacting soil after laying power cables and water lines in locations such as private gardens, golf courses and parks, and finishes off any trenching job efficiently and neatly. The large, wheel-type compactor works efficiently in trenches four to 12 inches wide, and up to four feet deep. The compactor powers into the soil and packs it down with force using a vibratory shaker box, featuring a built-in flow regulator to ensure proper RPM, for optimum compaction of any type of soil. To achieve the desired compaction in trenches more than two feet deep, it is recommended to backfill and compact the soil in two or three layers.

ABOVE The Bobcat trench compactor in action

Features include replaceable pads for easy on-site attachment maintenance and the double-gear, oil-bath style vibratory shaker box designed to deliver trouble-free operation. IMIESA JUNE 2012

Specialist Waste Management Consultants Sustainable and appropriate engineering solutions with integrity and professionalism. Stanford Drop-off Vissershok Waste Management Facility

Gansbaai Recycling Centre

Velddrif Transfer Station

t t t t t t t t t t t t

Integrated Waste Management Plans Waste Disposal Strategies Identification and permitting of landfill sites Design of General and Hazardous Waste sites Design of Solid Waste Transfer Stations Design of Material Recovery Facilities Optimisation of Waste Collection Systems Auditing of Waste Management Facilities Development of Operational Plans Closure and Rehabilitation of Landfills Quality Assurance on Synthetic Liners Waste Recycling Plans

Hermanus Materials Recovery Facility

Botrivier Drop-off

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EQUIPMENT

Maintenance management for trucks FleetAfrica is partnering with Isuzu Truck Centre in Cape Town to supply maintenance support for the latter’s refuse waste compactor contract N TERMS OF THE maintenance and risk with the City of Cape Town. management to be provided, FleetAfrica

will be responsible for the chassis cabs of the vehicles only, and not for the compactor units or mechanisms. “This support includes all servicing and repairs, excluding tyres and accident management, for five years or 150 000 km per vehicle, whichever comes first,” explains André Lambrechts, corporate contracts manager at FleetAfrica. The first seven compactors are currently being built and FleetAfrica will be responsible for their maintenance.

LEFT FleetAfrica is partnering with Isuzu Truck Centre to supply the City of Cape Town with maintenance services for its fleet of refuge waste compactors. This support will include all servicing and repairs for five years or 150 000 km

IMIESA JUNE 2012

EROSION PROTECTION SOLUTIONS

erosion protection paving

precast products concrete masonry drainage

kerbs

retaining walls

An engineered erosion solution that can withstand even the most severe climatic conditions. • Armorﬂex offers environmental protection • Labour intensive and cost effective • Complete erosion protection (even when placed under water) Tel: 0861266267 www.technicrete.co.za

SECTION

028 MANUFACTURER & SUPPLIER OF MASTS, POLES & TOWERS

LIGHTINGCIH STRUCTURES LeBLANC Lighting Structures is a leading supplier of STRUCTURES Masts, Towers and associated equipment for High Mast Lighting in South Africa and other African Countries and has been in operation since 1976. The company designs, fabricates and erects Monople Type Masts and Towers in seven basic product ranges • • • • • • •

E X P

Railow Masts Midhinge Masts Hydro Masts Internal and External Access Masts Monopole Transmission Masts Electricity transmission Masts Street Lighting Poles

Manufacturing Facility The Facility comprises of a 3500 square meter covered factory with extensive loading facilities and stacking space as well as 500 square meters of office space. The faciluty is well equiped with extensive plant and machinery for the handling and processing of steel plate as well as all other steel work required for the production of Monopole type structures. The production facility employs some fifty persons including qualified boiler makers, coded welders and machine operators. Quality The production facility is EN ISO 9001:2008 certified by Dekra International Engineering All monopoles and structures fabricated by the company are designed by a professional structural engineer, and detailing for fabrication is done by our own experienced staff, making use of the latest CAD drawing facilities Track Record Lighting Structures has designed and fabricated Masts for numerous customers in the Ligthting and Electrical sectors both in South Africa as well as many other countries in Africa. Services • Design and fabrication of masts from a standard range or special design to suit client specifications • Erection of Masts • Design and construction of Mast foundation • Inspection and maintenance of existing Masts and foundations • Turnkey capabilities for full site build • Technical support and as built documentation

LeBLANC Jasco Lighting Structures LeBlancJasco CTH Lighting Structures (Pty) Ltd Jasco LeBLANC Jasco Lighting Structures.co.za Structures LeBlanc Lighting Structures (pty)ltd L Reg. No. 2005/002613/07 18 Johnson Rd, Pretoriastad, Nigel PO Box 1592, Nigel, 1490, South Africa (0)87 310 1000 Fax: +27 (0)11 (0)86 699 6999 Tel: +27 (0)11 87 814-1404 86 814-1444 email: sales@lightingstructures.co.za web site: www.leblancgroup.com, www.lightingstructures.edx.co.za

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028

EQUIPMENT

No maintenance spells sure disaster Like any other valuable asset, failing to maintain lighting and telecoms infrastructure will cost you more – and the price may be someone's personal safety or their life. by Francois van Zyl, divisional managing director of Jasco Carrier Infrastructure

HEN IT COMES TO structural integrity and electrical fitness of lighting and telecoms masts and towers, there is not enough awareness of size of the challenge we face in South Africa. Simply put, there’s a big gap in the market for this service. Infrastructure build-out continues to gain momentum in a number of sectors, which is good. However, it’s become clear to us that many organisations do not know the condition of their existing and older infrastructure, which poses a safety risk. Many of these private companies and state-owned enterprises have been minutely engaged in the final point of delivery, e.g. keeping the lights on, and have neglected to budget for ongoing maintenance to keep the lights up.

What can go wrong? As a manufacturer and supplier of monopoletype steel masts for lighting and of masts and towers for the communications industry, Jasco Carrier Infrastructure is well aware of the vulnerabilities of these structures at various points in their life cycles – and the dangers they pose. Age, environmental conditions and mechanical failure are the three chief challenges. But theft of vital components or accidental impact (such as a vehicle collision in which lighting poles are struck) can also weaken structures, encouraging corrosion and dislodging underpinnings. Light or telecoms mast failure does not just affect the bottom line, although this is a big motivator to put a maintenance schedule in place. This infrastructure needs to be maintained to ensure a safe and secure environment for people, commerce and communities. Depending on the site and the purpose of

the structures, weakened or compromised infrastructure poses a safety risk to the technicians working on them as well as to workers in mines or other industrials settings, travellers on roads and highways, or people in urban and rural communities. And it’s not just about a rung collapsing or the mast actually falling over – it’s the very real danger that having no illumination or communications capabilities at night or in difficult conditions means to travellers, workers and people in communities where personal safety is an ever-present issue.

Get it checked The first step is to understand the state of existing infrastructure, deal with the critical items and then put in place the scheduled maintenance plan. For many organisations, this will mean finding the necessary budget and ensuring that it is built into all future plans. A thorough structural integrity check should include corrosion and weld condition checks;

ABOVE Francois van Zyl, divisional managing director of Jasco Carrier Infrastructure

certificate of structural integrity upon refurbishment. Lastly, a full service record should be kept, by the organisation itself or by its service provider. Regular maintenance of infrastructure will allow organisations in the private sector, like mines and other industrial operations, to bet-

Many organisations do not know the condition of their existing and older infrastructure, which poses a safety risk checking for missing members, loose nuts and bolts; checking the mechanical working components and mast climbing facilities; and auditing the foundation footing and anchor bolt condition using ultrasonic testing. A complete electrical operational check, which includes all electrical switchgear components, may also form part of the basic assessment. Organisations should ensure they use skilled professionals that are willing to issue a

ter meet occupational health and safety regulations. Similarly, maintenance of telecoms infrastructure is increasingly important to meet service level agreements with subscribers. For state-owned enterprises – in the utilities (Eskom), the transport sectors (ports, roads, harbours and railways) and municipalities – the responsibility to provide services must be backed by accountability. Annual planning and budget considerations are essential.

IMIESA JUNE 2012

EQUIPMENT

Retaining wall system for large civil projects ReMaCon Products has negotiated the exclusive rights for local manufacture of concrete retaining blocks, designed for construction of retaining walls to over 20 m in height.

“T

HIS IS A COUP FOR US because the retaining wall system, which is new to South Africa but well proven abroad, opens the way for us to provide solutions for large civil projects more competitively and advantageously than the incremental panel systems used for these purposes at present,” comments Silvio Ferraris, the company’s managing member. The maximum height attainable with retaining blocks produced locally at present is 7 m at a slope of 86 degrees. “The Tensartech TW1 System can be built in one structure to over 20 m in height at a slope of 86 degrees, enabling us to provide for the construction of retaining walls for highways, railways and other public embankment structures for which standard retaining block walls are unsuitable,” explains Ferraris.

ABOVE A close-up view of the new TW1 concrete retaining blocks

The system comprises the specially designed TW1 blocks, combined with Tensar uniaxial geogrids made from high-density polyethelene (HDPE), that are attached by a special connector into the blocks and extend horizontally to secure and reinforce the soil mass behind, thereby turning the whole structure into a monolithic solid mass.

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS ELB Equipment

2nd Annual Dam Management

PH Bagale Consulting Civil Engineers

Conference

Elster Kent Metering

Actomphambili Roads

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Total Geo-Spatial Information Solutions 40

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IMIESA JUNE 2012

PD Naidoo & Associates

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Transport Telematics Africa

18 & 19

64 OBC 47 66 & 67

A Miya Group Company

4Water Supplies (Pty) Ltd Reg. No. 2005/029202/07

Controlling Water Loss

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Serving the Water Utilities For more information please contact: 4Water Supplies

WRP (Pty) Ltd

Raymond Vermeulen

Zama Siqalaba

Tel: +27(0) 11 397-4178

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