IMIESA November 2019

www.infrastructurenews.co.za

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

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

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Infrastructure designs start with surveys Craig Silva

Technical Director, GeoAfrika Surveys

Structa

Advancing infrastructure products by design

Asphalt Technology

Entering uncharted territory in impermeable pavements

Standards & Certification

What defines a quality management system?

Geomatics

The science of surveying explored

Sustainable Wastewater

Durban ready to remix its water

ISSN 0257 1978

IMESA 2019 Conference

A meeting of the minds

V o l u m e 4 4 N o . 1 1 • N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 9 • R 5 5 . 0 0 ( i n c l . VAT )

Where some see obstacles, we see opportunities For engineering innovation, you need a true cross-over company

We thrive on challenges. They keep us innovative and on the cutting edge of our industry.

Proudly South African, JG Afrika provides civil and structural engineering and environmental consulting services throughout Africa.

SIKHULISA SONKE • WE DEVELOP TOGETHER

www.jgafrika.com

INSIDE

volume 44 no. 11 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

Roads & Asphalt Technology Entering uncharted territory in impermeable pavements

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Regulars Editor’s comment President’s comment Africa round-up Index to advertisers

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Cover Story Developing durable and functional infrastructure products requires in-depth analysis and experience. It’s all in the detail and depends on cutting-edge technology. The Structa Group of companies manufactures and supplies a range of infrastructurerelated products. P6

Advancing infrastructure products by design

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Industry Insight Infrastructure designs start with surveys

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IMESA Conference A meeting of the minds

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Automated PFT cleaning perfected 16 18 20

INDUSTRY INSIGHT Municipal infrastructure projects are often derailed due to insufficient attention being given to the existing land rights and development restrictions at the feasibility stage. GeoAfrika Surveys’s Craig Silva expands on the critical role geomatics professionals play in ensuring a successful service delivery outcome. P10

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Steel Construction Celebrating steel

What defines a quality management system?

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Cement & Concrete

25 27

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Construction law Contract law and the mafia

Flexible attenuation with Armorflex Parking lot sustainability

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44 45

47 49

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Excellent by design Brick performance in the coastal zone

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Contract law and the mafia

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Transport, Logistics, Vehicles & Equipment

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Conveyor mobility improves throughput 53 Extended RD7 warranty 54 New equipment helps clean up KZN 54

Construction Law

Pumps & Valves Building EPC relationships

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Building Systems

Water & Wastewater Durban ready to remix its water Informal area metering reduces NRW in KZN Process efficiency dependent on data

Steel Construction Celebrating steel

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Information Technology Labs migrate to hosted services

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Standards & Certification

Geomatics Surveying is an exact science The value of point clouds for municipal engineers Embracing technology to build a better world Mapping out new frontiers

Water & Wastewater Durban ready to remix its water

Sanitation

Roads & Asphalt Technology Entering uncharted territory in impermeable pavements Automated control and repeatability Building safer routes

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53

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Transport, logistics, vehicles & equipment Conveyor mobility improves throughput

IMIESA November/December 2019

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IMIESA November/December 2019

Trademarks displayed in this material, including but not limited to Grundfos, the Grundfos logo and “be think innovate” are registered trademarks owned by The Grundfos Group. All rights reserved. © 2019 Grundfos Holding A/S, all rights reserved.

HOW DOES SAND IMPACT YOUR WATER SUPPLY?

EDITOR’S COMMENT MANAGING EDITOR Alastair Currie SENIOR JOURNALIST Danielle Petterson JOURNALIST Nombulelo Manyana Head OF DESIGN Beren Bauermeister Chief SUB-EDITOR Tristan Snijders ContributorS Justin Hill, Randeer Kasserchun, Musawenkosi Ndlovu, Craig Silva, Altus Strydom, Vusi Twala CLIENT SERVICE & PRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh Botma Production COORDINATOR Jacqueline Modise Group Sales Manager Chilomia Van Wijk financial MANAGER Andrew Lobban BOOKKEEPER Tonya Hebenton DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa Masina Distribution coordinator Asha Pursotham SUBSCRIPTIONS subs@3smedia.co.za Printers Novus Print KZN +27 (0)31 714 4700 ___________________________________________________ Advertising Sales key account manager Joanne Lawrie Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 / +27 (0)82 346 5338 Email: joanne@3smedia.co.za ___________________________________________________

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

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

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

Aloes, the MTBPS and teamwork

D

uring the 2019 Medium-term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni presented Parliament with a flourishing aloe as a prime analogy of where we need to be as a country. Common across South Africa, this water-wise succulent is amazingly resilient; however, as with any organic species, it needs an enabling environment.

Like the aloe, the recommendations and action points of the MTBPS cannot flourish in isolation. Every member of our society – public and private – needs to be on board to build a strong and successful South Africa. As Minister Mboweni aptly pointed out, “Hope is good, but it is not a strategy.”

The hard facts and statistics highlighted are already public knowledge when it comes to key issues like Eskom, SOE challenges in general, spiralling public debt, and tax shortfalls.

During the current financial year, for example, SARS is facing a shortfall of around R53 billion. In turn, and left unchecked, public debt as a percentage of GDP keeps rising and could surpass the 70% mark by 2022/23. That’s clearly not sustainable.

As Minister Mboweni stated during the MTBPS address, “Now is the time. We cannot wait any longer.”

Simply put, we need some quick wins and this view is shared by the world’s ratings agencies, and investors. Many believe that 2020 will be a watershed year for South Africa, as socio-economic expectations intensify and quality outcomes are demanded. The Auditor-General and agencies like Cogta will need to monitor maladministration in real time and act without hesitation when things drift off course. Expenditure must be prioritised as we deliver on our social and macroeconomic mandates, and well spent. In this respect, the construction sector is one of the key enablers.

In the MTBPS, further mention was made of the proposed multibillion-rand Infrastructure Fund. It needs to gain more momentum and will be a vital factor in reversing the fortunes of the civils and building industry, directly impacted by a steady erosion in public sector expenditure since 2016.

Capital expenditure report This is reflected in Statistics South Africa’s recent survey entitled ‘Capital expenditure by the public sector, 2018’. The report states that spending on new construction works dropped by 11.3% to R161.3 billion in 2018. Within the mix, municipalities accounted for R50.9 billion, a decline from R52 billion in the 2017 financial year. In turn, public corporations invested approximately R66.9 billion, down from R80.4 billion in 2017.

At around R63 billion, electricity was the largest construction works category for 2018, followed by ‘other new construction works’ at R40 billion, and then roads, streets and bridges at R23.8 billion.

Water accounted for approximately R8.6 billion, and sewerage and sanitation R2.1 billion.

In terms of ranking, Eskom was the leader in 2018, accounting for 25.3% of the approximately R249.6 billion spent across all public sector capital expenditure types. (Alongside new construction works, these include plant, machinery and equipment; land and existing buildings; and transport equipment.)

Transnet was third at R24.9 billion, followed by Sanral at R10.1 billion.

The fact that money is being injected into the economy is clear, albeit at lower levels. However, wasteful and irregular expenditure remains the burning issue. In many instances, the potential value has been eroded by corruption and massive inefficiencies.

The MTBPS reinforces the fact that SOE bailouts will stop, and that every public entity must run like a business, with borrowings linked to productive assets. We know that this, as well as any other goal we set our minds to, is achievable.

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

@infrastructure4

Infrastructure News

Cover opportunity

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

IMIESA November/December 2019

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IMIESA November/December 2019

President’s comment

IMESA

Connecting possibilities, building sustainability

I

ndustry engagement remains the key to a successful resurgence in civil engineering as well as broader publicand private-funded construction industry performance in 2020. Within the infrastructure space, that means every national, provincial and municipal entity has a critical role to play.

In the private domain, renewed confidence and commitment from investors and property developers is an essential part of the process.

As municipal engineers, we welcome this opportunity. As IMESA, we embrace it. Our mandate is to facilitate and execute. This strategy covers the full ambit. It begins with training; then more training. Irrespective of our current level of expertise, we all know that rapid advances in technology are changing the way we engineer. Above and beyond this is the inherent requirement to instil exceptional and ethical leadership, a mainstay value within IMESA. Being left behind is not an option if we want to design and build with the world’s best. To achieve this, our learners and educators must be prepared and future-proof. While the role of our IMESA members is not to teach maths and science at primary and secondary level, indirectly we can make a real difference by presenting the exciting career opportunities that engineering offers. Directly, IMESA provides bursary funding for top achievers. We awarded eight in 2019 and are hoping that our budget will allow for 8 to 10 in 2020 (depending on institution fees).

Empowered and equipped, South Africa’s evolving landscape requires a steady stream of young engineering minds. However, that’s just one staging point. We need a parallel and replicated pattern for every built environment profession, and let’s not ignore the artisanal trades in the process. The resurgence of

the artisan is a critical component for future success. Skilled trades are the foundation and the backbone of any successful economy.

Imminent training courses Putting goals into practice, IMESA will be rolling out a new series of training programmes following a very successful uptake from local municipalities in 2019.

IMESA training courses for 2020 include: • a non-revenue pre-feasibility assessment management tool for water conservation and water demand management • capacity-building for regional and urban planning • small coastal stormwater outlets.

Alongside these initiatives, guidelines are being developed for: - water reclamation and reuse - national flood design estimations.

Feedback from the IMESA 2019 conference At our 83rd annual conference in October, we focused on topics aligned with our goals and objectives under the banner ‘Conquering Municipal Challenges’. The conference was a unanimous success, and you can read the summary report in this edition.

This year, 733 delegates attended - together with 160 exhibitor personnel - which was an excellent statistic given the hard-pressed construction economy. Included within the delegate group were representatives from 90 municipalities across the metro, district and local spectrum. We welcomed their enthusiastic and constructive debates.

Working with SALGA, we will strive to ensure that a representative from every municipality is present at our 84th conference. That is essential for the positive change and interaction we need, collectively, nationwide.

2020 IMESA Conference The local organising committee for IMESA 2020 is planning a joint conference between IMESA and the International Association of Water, Environment, Energy and Society (IAWEES).

The call for abstracts will be open to their members, so we are looking forward to including some diverse international papers with local application. For potential Southern African presenters, the deadline for abstracts closes on 28th February 2020.

The conference will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre between the 28th and 30th October 2020, and the theme is ‘Synergy through Engineering’.

On a final note, I’d like to wish all our readers, IMESA members, and current and future stakeholders a well-deserved break over the festive season. We look forward to welcoming you all back in 2020 for another pivotal year in construction and infrastructure-delivery.

Randeer Kasserchun, president, IMESA

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Cover story

Advancing infrastructure products by design Developing durable and functional infrastructure products requires in-depth analysis and experience. It’s all in the detail and depends on cutting-edge technology.

T

he Structa Group of companies manufactures and supplies a range of infrastructure-related products extending from streetlight poles and electrical distribution support structures to mega water storage tanks. The Group has a proud history of innovation in these fields, many of them driven by the application of advanced analytical techniques. Examples of these are illustrated here.

As a starting point, some might pose the question: Why is complex and costly analysis required to design and develop seemingly simple structures? The answer lies mainly in product cost minimisation.

Costs of material, processing, transport and erection can be reduced by having optimal designs. Optimal designs in turn can only be achieved if structural loads, responses and failure modes can be accurately predicted.

FIGURE 1 A prime example

lies in the apparently simplistic streetlight pole design. The SANS 10225 code for lighting structures allows the structure to be designed according to a failure envelope consisting of a deflection constraint, as well as ‘ultimate failure’, being the point at which the structure can no longer fulfil its function.

Perfecting the monopole So how can advanced analysis techniques benefit the simple monopole? The critical load to be considered for such structures is wind loading. Typically, such structures need to survive wind gusts of up to 150km/h.

Wind loading on a structure relates directly to its shape and wind-induced drag. Accurate calculation of such drag factors is therefore of prime importance.

Enter “computational fluid dynamics”, a numerical technique used to predict pressure and velocity distribution in airflow around a structure.

This technique has largely replaced wind tunnel technology and, though expensive, is far more cost effective.

The flow around an 18-sided high mast light (Figure 1) displays the flow pattern, as well as breakaway vortices that induce vibrations into the pole. Ver y accurate drag factors

COVER STORY

FIGURE 2

can be calculated from the analysis data.

Similarly, flow inside complex pipe sections can be predicted accurately, resulting in better design and pressureresisting structures. In Figure 2, we illustrate the flow prediction in a complex pipe bifurcation and reduction system and resulting structure.

Finite element analysis Once loads are accurately predicted, structural response needs to be optimised. Here the finite element method has developed rapidly over the last few decades as the primary tool for calculating structural response. This is a numerical technique which predicts response by considering the individual, yet linked, response of many sub-parts of a structure (‘elements’) to loading. It is especially the so-called ‘non-linear’ analysis that drives optimisation as it allows accurate prediction of ultimate failure modes.

Illustrated here (figures 3 and 4) are predictions of buckles in folded plate-type lighting masts, as well as failure of typical streetlight poles owing to buckling of inspection opening sidewalls.

Non-linear finite element analysis has also been used successfully to predict stresses and deflections in panel-type water tanks, which - in Structa’s case

- is the Prestank product series. This has allowed designers to optimise sealing systems and to define panel weld detail for prolonged fatigue life, as shown in Figure 5.

It is this accurate prediction of ultimate failure modes which allows the designer to optimise structural design, albeit within the limits of design codes.

As with all advanced technology solutions, the proviso is that the technology requires well-trained and experienced engineers to apply and interpret the analyses. This capability is well entrenched within the Group and spearheaded by the Structa Konsult business unit, which houses a team of a highly qualified experts.

In addition to serving the Group, Structa Konsult provides consulting services and professional advice to external clients. It is also a Group

FIGURE 5

FIGURE 3

policy to work closely with universities.

In this regard, the Structa Group has an extremely fruitful relationship with the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Pretoria. These par tnerships form part of the Group’s relentless commitment to research and development and product leadership.

FIGURE 4

www.structakonsult.co.za

IMIESA November/December 2019

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INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS

FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT

Kenya Strong investment potential for solar

Africa Green banks for Africa The Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) has been commissioned to prepare a study on the creation of national climate change funds and green banks in Africa.

CGC will identify and work with six African countries to conduct feasibility studies for the project, which was initiated at the Green Bank Design Summit held in Paris earlier this year.

The summit tasked 23 developing countries to craft a new model to mobilise and accelerate investment in clean energy.

“For countries to better access climate finance and fully engage the private sector, the climate finance system must reorient toward national financial capacity that is able to channel capital to projects and markets where it is needed most,” says Andrea Colnes, director: Global Green Bank Development, CGC. When paired with effective grant programmes through national climate change funds and strong enabling environments and policies, locally based green banks are powerful tools to address market needs, understand local risk and drive private investment.

Green banks and national climate change funds can play an important role in mobilising finance to support low-carbon, climate-resilient development, using methods such as blended finance to drive increased private investment.

23 countries The summit tasked 23 developing countries to craft a new model to mobilise and accelerate investment in clean energy.

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IMIESA November/December 2019

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, have agreed to finance the construction and operation of two new solar photovoltaic plants in Kenya.

EIB and FMO will each provide US$53 million (R776 million) for the two projects, with the remainder of the $147 million (R2.15 billion) total project cost provided by project promoters Frontier Energy; David Langat, chairman of the DL Group of Companies; and Ayaz Merali, managing director of Paramount Bank.

The new Radiant and Eldosol projects are among the first to generate utility-scale solar power in East Africa. The two schemes will diversify Kenya’s electricity supply away from both rain-dependent hydro and fossil fuels, contribute to improving grid stability in western Kenya, and cater for expected increases in energy use in the coming years.

The new Radiant and Eldosol plants are being built close to Eldoret, 300 km northwest of Nairobi. The two adjacent sites will use 300 000 panels that track to harness the maximum amount of solar energy and will be connected to Kenya’s national energy grid.

Successful completion of project financing for the two solar projects demonstrates the strong investment potential for future development of renewable energy by the private sector in East Africa.

Malawi Promoting regional power trade US$57 million (R835 million) in equivalent funding has been granted to the Mozambique-Malawi Regional Interconnector Project, which will interconnect the Mozambique and Malawi transmission systems to enable both countries to engage in bilateral and regional power trade in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

The project’s main undertakings include the construction of a 218 km, 400 kV high-voltage alternating-current transmission line, grid connections, and associated infrastructure including substation works.

The line starts at Matambo substation in Tete Province, central Mozambique, and ends at Phombeya substation in Balaka District, in southern Malawi.

With these investments, Malawian households, businesses and farmers will benefit from increased access to reliable electricity services, which are vital to improve the country’s productivity and competitiveness in the domestic and regional markets. Mozambique’s power utility, EDM, will receive additional hard currency revenues, which could be utilised for the country’s ongoing domestic electrification efforts.

The SAPP is the first and the most advanced power pool on the continent, providing an alternative to domestic electricity generation to improve energy security.

This project will fund Malawi’s first interconnection to the SAPP, which has been a priority since the early 2000s, with several attempts to translate this to reality.

Mozambique Rebuilding roads The World Bank has approved a grant of US$110 million (R1.61 billion) as additional financing to support Mozambique’s reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of cyclones Idai and Kenneth.

This funding will address Mozambique’s postdisaster recovery needs in the roads subsector, by increasing the scope of the original Integrated Feeder Road Development Project approved in 2018, through the reconstruction and rehabilitation of rural roads and bridges in the four provinces of Sofala, Manica, Tete and Cabo Delgado.

“Cyclones Idai and Kenneth have destroyed a large portion of the road network in the six provinces, which has resulted in tremendous human suffering in rural communities,” noted the World Bank’s Mark Lundell, country director for Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros. “This project

will help restore access to medical, educational and economic opportunities for the affected communities.”

Following the tropical cyclones, large communities were cut off for weeks. Collapsed bridges meant large detours and alternative routes needed to be used, adding more than 50 km to some commutes.

Damaged roads make emergency recovery and reconstruction efforts difficult in every other sector of the economy.

“We want to build back better,” noted Rakesh Tripathi, senior transport specialist and the project’s task team leader. “This project will re-establish connectivity in the most affected districts of these six provinces, by building resilient rural roads and bridges, and thus contribute to supporting agriculture productivity, and restoring livelihoods and access to medical facilities and educational opportunities.”

Nigeria Supporting clean energy The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), managed by the African Development Bank, has approved a US$500 000 (R7.32 million) grant to support the development and launch of the Nigeria Energy Access Fund (NEAF).

NEAF is a new private equity fund developed by All On (a Nigerian impact investment firm financed by Shell), which will make strategic investments in sustainable energy in Nigeria, particularly in the country’s burgeoning off-grid and mini-grid sectors.

The grant will support specific work streams to set NEAF in motion and enhance its engagement with private and public sector investors. NEAF will be a first-of-its-kind facility to provide eligible projects and businesses with equity solutions that are currently unavailable in the market.

Sudan Enhancing reliable water and sanitation The African Development Bank recently approved an African Development Fund grant of US$30 million (R439 million) and a $1.3 million (R19 million) grant from the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative Trust Fund for the upgrading of water and sanitation facilities in Sudan’s North and South Kordofan states.

The project will improve livelihoods and build resilience against climate change in the two states, including for nomadic communities, by enhancing the reliability of water and sanitation services and the public health system to benefit some 435 000 people.

It is expected to create income-generating opportunities and foster the development of alternative livelihood activities, as current economic activities in the area are constrained by a lack of reliable water sources. The upgraded system will also provide water to more than 300 000 heads of livestock.

Currently, per capita water consumption in the project target area is 7 ℓ to 18 ℓ per day against a national target of 30 ℓ. Families in the project areas pay 9 to 12 times more for water compared to Sudan’s other states.

IMIESA November/December 2019

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Industry Insight

Infrastructure designs start with surveys

Municipal infrastructure projects are often derailed due to insufficient attention given to the existing land rights and development restrictions at the feasibility stage.

Craig Silva expands on the critical role geomatics professionals play in ensuring a successful service delivery outcome

T

Craig Silva, technical director, GeoAfrika Surveys

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IMIESA November/December 2019

echnology has pervaded all facets of construction in the modern world, with surveying and the geomatics profession being no exception. Given the plethora of modern survey equipment and technologies available, it has become increasingly difficult for engineers to understand which survey method produces the correct accuracy for a given project. There is also a perception among clients requesting survey information that technological advancements have made surveys cheaper and faster, which is not the case. There are no shortcuts.

As an expert in the field of spatial data, survey, cadastral and land ownership, geomatics professionals are responsible for drawing up the engineering and topographical surveys that other built environment team members depend on for project execution. For this reason, it’s vital that today’s engineers become conversant with the latest surveying technologies and understand the different

accuracies that each can achieve. This will help them to identify and request the correct survey method to achieve the required information accuracies to successfully complete the project.

The types of common technologies range from aerial mapping in the form of conventional aerial photography, lidar (new laser technology) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS or drones); conventional ground survey methods that use total stations and GPS; and lastly, the newer technology in the form of scanning entails both terrestrial and mobile scanning.

A combination of the above technologies achieves a survey of base data that is sufficiently accurate for the design phase.

It could also result in a quicker survey programme that is not unrealistic and offers considerable cost savings. However, a clear understanding of the mixed technologies and their respective accuracies is of the utmost importance to provide a cost-effective solution during each phase.

Industry Insight

Understanding the limitations of GIS information and the varying accuracy thereof is equally important when using Google Earth (and other free internet-based datasets) in conjunction with surveyed information.

Land legal and the role of the geomatics professional When installing infrastructure, including bulk services, the project team needs to respect the ownership and rights of landowners within the project area. This is often overlooked or, if considered, left until the end of the design phase to tackle – often too late.

Although a general rule is to find the shortest route, this is often not the most practical approach from a costing and sterilisation of land perspective. Crossing expensive land that has development rights can hold up the project delivery from both a financial and practical viewpoint when it comes to dealing with the landowner.

Understanding the cadastral parcels, servitudes and restrictive conditions over the project area allows the land surveyor to advise the design team upfront on the best route in terms of land ownership scenarios. This advice includes the identification of high-valued

properties, those where there is little chance of securing an agreement and deceased estates, which projects should avoid at all costs.

The land surveyor is well placed to advise, in conjunction with a conveyancer, what to include in the acquisition/servitude agreement. This should include items such as access rights while under construction, access rights for repairs of the infrastructure, working space outside the servitude (if required) and crop compensation.

The geomatics professional is also well placed to provide assistance in the project management of the planning applications (SPLUMA applications and Act 70 of 70 applications)/consents, the valuations, signing of agreements, approval of any diagrams (servitude or subdivisional) and finally the registration thereof.

To guarantee that a project starts on time and without delays from owners, it is critical for an agreement to be signed with the land owner and that, upon signing, access is granted for construction. The time frames to conclude the registration of rights can take some time and need to be managed constantly.

The role of the surveyor is critical to the overall success of a project, but their input is often overlooked

Registration legislation of geomatics professionals The registration category of the geomatics professional is also important to understand in order to assess his competencies in the different areas of surveying. The enactment of a new Geomatics Profession Act (No. 19 of 2013) replaced the old Land Survey Act (No. 40 of 1984) dealing with the registration of surveyors and categories of competency.

The new council for registration is known as the South Africa Geomatics Council and is an outcome of the Act. Failing to utilise the correctly registered professional geomatician exposes the project and client to adverse risk, which may be a liability in the form of financial costs and time delays.

For those geomaticians who undertake drone work, statutory requirements to fly must be adhered to and the project teams must insist on proof of compliance. These include proof of an RPAS operator’s certificate and RPAS licence from the geomatician flying the project.

Neither the survey company nor the surveyor may undertake work outside their registration category. For this reason, the geomatics profession remains highly disciplined and focused on achieving very precise outcomes.

The process starts and ends with accurate data collection, analysis and mapping, and a clear understanding of property law and land ownership.

www.geoafrika.co.za

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IMESA Conference

A meeting of the minds IMESA’s 83rd annual conference at the Durban ICC was exceptional, connecting public and private sector stakeholders through proactive engagement to establish a shared vision for infrastructure delivery. The conference theme was ‘Conquering municipal challenges’.

By Alastair Currie

T

he major takeaway from any IMESA conference is that it brings out the best in terms of thought leadership and technology. That’s thanks to the delegates and speakers who debate the key issues, plus the exhibitors who showcase the latest innovations.

The City of eThekwini’s Executive Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, welcomed delegates and stressed the vital importance of municipal engineers, and the built environment in general, in responding to the rapid rate of urbanisation within our towns and cities. Taking proactive steps to counter and mitigate climate change is another key factor.

In giving his keynote address, Thami Hlongwa, CE, Umgeni Water, added that addressing operations and maintenance practices is vital in maintaining and extending

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IMIESA November/December 2019

L-R: Neil Macleod (keynote speaker); Thami Hlongwa, CE, Umgeni Water, who gave the keynote address (Diamond Sponsor); Randeer Kasserchun, President, IMESA; and Lance Joel, Executive Manager: Office of the CEO, Salga

ageing infrastructure. “Water is one of the key service delivery challenges,” he stated.

“We need to focus on futuristic solutions and foster research and development bodies that can equip us with best-in-class engineered responses.”

BELOW LEFT Professor Tim Noakes was the motivational speaker. His presentation on the Banting (low carbohydrate, high fat) diet emphasised the crucial need for everyone to be better informed on nutrition BELOW Neil Macleod receives his Honorary Fellow member certificate BELOW RIGHT Dr Allyson Lawless at the social evening. Her book, Numbers & Needs, as well as subsequent works are regarded as definitive statistical reference tools on skills gaps in the South African engineering sector

Their views were well reflected in the technical papers. Themes included waterless sanitation solutions; wastewater, water security and reuse; transportation; stormwater management; integrated asset management; environmental legislation and legal compliance; disaster management; trenchless technology; and the critical issue of infrastructure maintenance.

This year, the discussions probed deeper into the pressing municipal challenges that are constraining macro- and micro-economic growth. Municipal debt to Eskom, for example, has spiralled to over R25 billion. Then there are the concerning skills gaps that have a negative impact on budgeted project executions.

The challenges are further exacerbated on a national scale by the performance of stateowned enterprises (SOEs) and other key public entities. This was recently highlighted by the

IMESA Conference

RIGHT Eddie Delport becomes an Honorary Fellow member of IMESA FAR RIGHT Randeer Kasserchun presents the 2019 IMESA Best Student Award to Adharta Krishandutt for exceptional academic achievement.

Adharta holds a BSc (Civil) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. On the right is Eric Apelgren, Head: International and Governance Relations, eThekwini Municipality

Auditor General’s report on SOE, national and provincial department performance for the 2017/18 period. The report states that, collectively, irregular expenditure was recorded at around R61.3 billion, up from approximately R51 billion in the previous year. From these statistics, it’s clear that this is a national concern. Overcoming the issues requires a collective partnership across all three tiers of government, namely national, provincial and municipal.

At IMESA 2019, speakers from the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), National Treasury and South African Local Government Association (Salga) weighed in on the issues. The focus here was on the business end: the timing and efficiency of awarding contracts to consulting engineers, contractors and subcontractors responsible for project delivery.

IMESA 2019: the companions’ tour ladies take some time out for a boat cruise

Edward Singo, Project Manager, CIDB

Supply chain The critical path to execution is the supply chain process. National Treasury stated that a proposed new procurement bill is before Parliament, which seeks to create a single overarching framework.

The fact that many municipalities fail to follow legislated procurement procedures was acknowledged and collective interventions invited for their remediation. National Treasury committed to working closely with all municipalities to ensure clearer understanding.

Salga, in turn, stated the importance of working with professional bodies like IMESA as part of the solution to positively transform local government by providing technical support, advice and mentorship training.

“Municipalities have large infrastructure asset values, but often don’t have the expertise or engineering capacity to manage them effectively,” said Randeer Kasserchun, president, IMESA, addressing the conference.

“Where they do, the administrative requirements of the ensuing regulations and policies are often too complex, which adds further pressure on a limited technical

Members of the Mariswe team at the social evening

Delegates assembling for their chosen technical tour

IMIESA November/December 2019

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IMESA Conference

IMESA 2019 SPONSORS

DIAMOND SPONSOR

GOLD SPONSORs

SILVER SPONSORs

bronze SPONSORs

The INSTITUTE OF MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING OF SOUTHERNÂ AFRICA (IMESA)

www.imesa.org.za

IMESA Conference

staff resource in terms of knowledge and implementation. Therefore, we need greater clarity and support from central bodies like National Treasury and the CIDB to avoid unnecessary bottlenecks,” he continued.

“The problem is growing due to an imbalance in the distribution of municipal engineers: the concentration is greater in metros; progressively less so in district and local municipalities. For this reason, skills transfer, human resources planning, allocation and development, plus retention strategies are fundamental in responding to the needs of our country,” he stressed.

“We need to make engineering attractive as a career choice, starting at primary and extending though secondary and tertiary levels,” said Kasserchun. “That’s why we invite local educators and learners to attend a dedicated presentation at the IMESA conferences. Within IMESA, an encouraging trend is the growing number of young engineers joining the institute over the past two years.”

Comment from Neil Macleod As the keynote speaker, municipal engineering legend Neil Macleod captivated the audience with his hard-hitting presentation, entitled ‘The inherited past’. Prior to his retirement, MacLeod gained over 42 years of experience within the municipal sector as an engineer and manager. In his last post, he was head of eThekwini Water and Sanitation.

“We’ve been trying to solve the same issues, giving them different names, over and over again,” he said, stressing the need for immediate and priority measures to revitalise municipal performance. Quoting Albert Einstein, ‘We cannot solve problems with the same thinking we used when we created them’.

“This doesn’t take away from the fact that there are millions of people in South Africa

who now enjoy services they didn’t previously have before. That’s clear evidence of municipal engineering excellence in practice.”

But as Macleod pointed out, fiscal management issues are massively concerning.

He cited the Auditor General’s 2017/18 report on municipal performance, released in June 2019, which highlights a recurring pattern of underperformance issues. That centres around mismanagement. Additionally, there’s a joint responsibility by utility consumers to honour their debts, and for municipalities to collect and pay their creditors.

“More than half our municipalities collect less than 80% of the revenue that they bill. If they were commercial enterprises, that would spell imminent bankruptcy,” said Macleod. More revealing is the underspending on operating budgets, which has had a devastating knockon effect for South African construction. Back in 2016/17, municipalities on average spent 87.2% (R348.6 billion) of the total adjusted expenditure budget. A very similar pattern emerges for the 2017/18 period.

Focusing on the problems should be about finding solutions. That again responds to the need to address declining engineering skills within municipalities. Dr Allyson Lawless, famous for her ensuing Numbers and Needs research, was in the audience and her statistics formed part of Macleod’s presentation. For all readers, it’s well worth delving into Dr Lawless’ published work, which now includes a broader analysis of the engineering sector.

Maintaining a professional environment As Macleod pointed out, it’s all about education and the road to professional registration. Based on available statistics, the most senior engineering person in half of South Africa’s municipalities is around 41. The number of personnel professionally registered

The IMESA 2019 conference organising committee

also keeps declining. This obviously has a downward effect on tender approval delays. It would also explain why costs are spiralling out of control on awarded projects.

This situation must be reversed, especially considering that each municipality is responsible for creating an enabling micro and macroeconomic environment. “Municipalities are usually in the top five businesses in any city or town, so they make a major contribution,” he explained.

“I believe that part of the solution is to introduce an accredited training programme that equips municipal officials to run a municipality as a business. The right skills, in the right place, at the right time are the answer.”

Empirical evidence and the practical advice given reinforces government’s own findings and strategies for a professional municipal engineering landscape that works for the people.

For everyone attending IMESA 2019, the message coming through from all the presenters was loud and clear when it comes to service delivery. It boils down to dedication, professionalism and a zero tolerance to corrupt practices.

Anyone can be compliance-driven if scoring a clean audit is the end goal. However, that’s very different from being results driven, which can only be achieved through the collective commitment of built environment professionals working across the public and private spectrum.

“We are confident that IMESA 2019 will serve as a catalyst for positive change within local government and, as an institute, we’re committed to facilitating this process,” Kasserchun concluded.

IMIESA November/December 2019

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Roads & Asphalt Technology

Col Prime layer sprayed prior to placement of the BSM layer

Entering uncharted territory in impermeable pavements While asphalt pavement applications are typically the reserve of roads, runways and parking lots, the design limitations are only limited by the imagination. A classic example is an out-ofthe-box solution devised by Much Asphalt and BVi Consulting.

M

uch Asphalt was approached by BVi to develop an impermeable asphalt mix for the new GG6 Coal Stockyard area at Exxaro’s Grootegeluk coal mine, situated near Lephalale, Limpopo.

Ivor Segers, principal civil engineer, Exxaro, says two new hardstand coal stockpile areas, each measuring 320 m x 40 m, form part of the mine’s GG6 expansion project. Exxaro required the provision of an impermeable pavement surface to prevent leaching of coal into the subsurface layers. At the same time, the final riding surface had to be able to withstand the pressures applied by large loaders transporting and dumping coal.

BVi proposed an asphalt solution rather than concrete due to considerations that included shorter construction time and ease of future maintenance. The specs incorporated a bitumen-stabilised material (BSM1) as a base for strength, followed by a bitumen rubber

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IMIESA November/December 2019

stress-absorbing membrane interlayer (SAMI), and then the voidless asphalt layer (VAL).

BVi believes this solution has a similar design life to a concrete pavement, at lower cost. “It is also easier to place with the right expertise, without the requirement for steel reinforcement or a curing period,” says André Greyling, leader: Design Centre for BVi’s Roads & Rail Service Group in Cape Town.

The GG6 Stockyard Expansion Project was awarded to the Stefanutti Stocks/CivEng GG6 JV in June 2017. Divided into two phases, the first was completed at the end of June 2019. Phase 2 is scheduled for completion in June 2020.

The total quantities for both phases equate to about 46 000 m2 of 13 mm SAMI and 46 000 m2 of VAL placed in a 50 mm thick layer: Phase 1: 20 000 m2 13 mm SAMI & 20 000 m2 VAL (50 mm thick) Phase 2: 26 000 m2 13 mm SAMI & 26 000 m2 VAL (50 mm thick)

Roadspan was subcontracted by Stefanutti Stocks/CivEng GG6 JV for placement of the 13 mm SAMI layer and the voidless asphalt.

The mix had to be capable of compaction to 98% of maximum voidless density (MVD), as opposed to the normal 93%.

Due to the unique nature of the solution, the first stockpile area was regarded as a pilot project. A trial mix was designed, experimenting with different asphalt gradings, binder content and additives. Sasobit was added to make the mix workable after its four-hour journey from the Much Asphalt plant in Polokwane to the site. Phase 1 entailed the delivery of 400 tonnes per day.

Mix development Much Asphalt’s Gauteng Regional Laboratory was responsible for the development and testing of the asphalt mix under the leadership of regional lab manager Joanne Muller.

“The objective differed from normal mix design practices in that we were required to achieve the ultimate level of compaction possible with the available materials,” Muller explains.

“Secondary to the optimum aggregate packing, it was necessary to provide a large enough aggregate surface area to ensure that

Roads & Asphalt Technology

Construction of the 13 mm SAMI layer

Paving of the voidless asphalt layer

the expected high volume of binder required did not result in binder run-off or bleed under compaction,” she continues.

“As the binder type for the mixture was specified by the client, only the aggregate structure and binder content could be optimised to achieve as close to an impermeable mixture as possible,

BSM layer placed with a Wirtgen WR200 recycler and tanker

while maintaining a producible and constructible product.”

The primary performance parameters entailed achieving 0% voids in the mix after 300 gyrations of compaction in a superpave gyratory compactor, while maintaining as close to 0% permeability as possible. Analysis of these performance parameters necessitated

the compaction of 50 mm high x 150 mm diameter specimens that were subjected to both void content and permeability testing.

On-site, the Roadspan paving team effortlessly achieved the nuclear gauge densities: 99%+ of MVD with average core results of 98.4%. Flexible wall testing further proved the impermeability of the asphalt.

Roads & Asphalt Technology

Automated control and repeatability Density measurement testing of asphalt and aggregate samples is a critical quality-control parameter that depends on consistent results.

L

aunched in the USA in 1998, InstroTek’s CoreLok® underscores the OEM’s commitment to innovation in instrumentation technology. Used worldwide, CoreLok is now available in South Africa and complies with Sanral specifications. The unit further meets ASTM Standards D6752-02, AASHTO T-331 and D6857-03.

CoreLok performs five standard lab tests, namely: • bulk specific gravity • maximum specific gravity • aggregate specific gravity (oven dry aggregates are used in this test to determine the specific gravity and absorption of fine or coarse aggregates in under 20 minutes) • porosity (a measure of the interconnected voids) • percentage asphalt content.

“The CoreLok system has been proven locally following extensive trials at customer labs,” explains Tim Saks, managing director,

Reliance Laboratory Equipment. Established in 1952, Reliance is InstroTek’s Southern African dealer.

“We showcased the unit at the Capsa 2019 asphalt pavement conference in October, where the CoreLok received major interest from delegates,” says Saks. “One of the unit’s key features is the absolute consistency of the test results. Densities measured with the CoreLok system are highly reproducible and accurate.” The InstroTek GravitySuite™ software application can be used to calculate and manage the results.

Bulk specific gravity of compacted samples Specific gravity (density) is the single most specified parameter in the construction industry. For open-graded and absorptive mixtures of asphalt, the saturated surface dry method is inaccurate. Water infiltration in and out of the sample produces a lower than

actual measurement for sample volume, higher calculated density and a lower estimate of air voids.

“The key difference is that the CoreLok system automatically vacuum seals these samples in specially designed polymer bags and allows for the measurement of accurate water displacement tests,” Saks continues.

“Doing away with the conventional manual method of sealing samples minimises the risk of sample error.”

Maximum specific density test This method may be used as an alternative to the conventional Rice test for the determination of maximum specific gravity of loose asphalt mixtures.

The CoreLok maximum specific gravity test can be completed in seven minutes with minimal exposure to water, eliminating the need for a lengthy ‘dry back’ method.

The CoreLok vacuum-sealed bags are cut open under water and a submerged weight is determined. The weight in air and the submerged weight can be used to calculate the maximum specific gravity of the asphalt mixture.

Porosity

Maurice Arbelaez (left), marketing director, InstroTek, and Tim Saks, managing director, Reliance Laboratory Equipment, at Capsa 2019

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IMIESA November/December 2019

“You can now also determine the interconnectivity of voids within your sample and determine your mix performance during design or after lay-down,” says Saks.

Two different mixes with 7% air voids can have different permeability performance in the field, depending on the interconnectivity of voids; however, these same mixes will never have the same porosity.

“For open-graded mixes, porosity is a more meaningful measure of performance than the percentage of air voids. GravitySuite software provides automatic calculation of porosity based on a sealed and unsealed density of your sample,” he continues.

Roads & Asphalt Technology

The AutoRice controller (far right) and Reliance’s locally manufactured pycnometer.

Made from steel, which is a far more robust alternative to glass vacuum flasks

AutoRice Adding to the product mix is InstroTek’s AutoRice™ automatic controller for Rice testing (AASHTO T209 and ASTM 2041). Replacing the digital vacuum gauge, the AutoRice controller enables laboratory technicians to

conduct maximum specific gravity tests with the press of a button. The unit is designed to fit on a benchtop or can be wall-mounted and then connected to a pycnometer.

Rice test results are critical for pavement quality, mixture design and laboratory mixture performance determination. The AutoRice controller accurately controls and monitors the three most important factors, namely vacuum pressure, vacuum time, and shaker vibration frequency.

“The days of an operator having to physically shake a sample while a colleague stands by with a stopwatch are over,” says Saks.

The AutoRice controller starts the vacuum pump, regulates the vacuum pressure, precisely controls the vacuum time, and monitors the shaker frequency and acceleration. Measuring shaking frequency and acceleration prevents stripping damage to the sample. The unit also automates the saturation process for AASHTO T283 (moisture damage).

“We’re excited about these new developments from InstroTek, which pass on major benefits for the Southern African roads industry,” adds Saks.

“Reducing operator errors by automating test parameters greatly improves accuracy and repeatability, which translates into longer-lasting road infrastructure,” he concludes.

www.reliancelab.co.za

Roads & Asphalt Technology

Building safer routes Detailed planning, combined with an expert engineering approach, ensures that roads are constructed within budget and deliver over their intended lifespan.

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tatistics show that the damage caused by overloading a 24 t truck by 10% has the equivalent effect that eighteen 24 t trucks would have on any particular road. This makes the maintenance and continuous monitoring of vehicle loading a critical requirement on any route, especially those experiencing high traffic volumes.

One such route is the R503/R505 between Coligny and Lichtenburg, in the North West. Knight PiĂŠsold was appointed

for the design and construction supervision of the repair and resurfacing component, as well as the construction of a weighbridge intersection with the R503. The contractor was Roadmac Surfacing.

From the start of the project, an extensive community liaison programme was run by Motsiri Events and Marketing. The company served as the public liaison consultants on behalf of the community, ensuring that the appropriate labour was sourced from the correct ward and region. This ensured that

Installation of a concrete culvert headwall footing

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IMIESA November/December 2019

Application of asphalt riding surface

In situ recycling of the sub-base layers

the project could be completed with minimal delays or disruptions. Community liaison meetings were held every month throughout the project and these proved invaluable.

The communities of both Lichtenburg and Coligny were extensively involved. A total of 22.3% of the contract expenditure was spent on targeted labour, youth, women and targeted enterprises.

Roads & Asphalt Technology

This was, therefore, adjusted to a 2% gradient, thereby facilitating the safer movement of top-heavy trucks moving slowly in and out of the weighbridge facility.

As this intersection is located on a curve, the sight distance also had to be confirmed prior to construction. The addition of acceleration and deceleration lanes significantly improves commuter safety.

Importance of planning

Adding the finishing touches

Ahead of the road rehabilitation programme, all affected areas were marked out in preparation for base patching by means of in situ recycling. This method of construction calls for full lane closure; to ensure this, stop-go facilities were utilised in 4 km sections to accommodate traffic.

However, to be able to complete the intersection in the shortest space of time, it needed to be constructed in one go. To achieve this, a temporary bypass was built to ensure minimal traffic disruption.

Aesthetics combined with functionality

The scope of works included: • base repair patches and surface patches • edge break repairs • rough surface areas to be treated with a texture slurry • crack sealing • edge beams at farm intersections • R503 surfaced with a 45 mm thick continuously graded asphalt • R505 surfaced with a 14 mm rubber single seal.

Valued at approximately R52 million, the projects were divided into three parts: • Part 1: resurfacing of the R503 (21.80 km). The road is a single carriageway with 3.7 m lane widths and surfaced shoulders with varying widths between 2 m to 3 m.

• Part 2: resurfacing of the R505 (27 km). The road is a single carriageway with 3.2 m lane widths and shoulders with varying widths between 0.1 m and 0.3 m.

• Part 3: construction of an intersection to the weighbridge located on the R503 by widening the R503 to allow for turning lanes in both directions.

A key requirement during the course of the project was that traffic had to be accommodated at all times. For this reason, at the onset, the contractor requested that the base patching specifications be changed from an emulsion treated base (ETB) to a bitumen treated base (BTB), which was approved by Sanral. ETB requires a longer curing time than BTB, which can be opened to traffic within a few hours.

The availability of materials such as seal stone proved to be a major stumbling block during the initial construction period, as many reseal projects were under way in the North West at the time.

Materials were therefore secured at a Stilfontein plant early in the project, in order to avoid costly delays during construction for both the contractor and motorists.

The intersection The intersection was constructed on behalf of the North West Department of Public Works. During the design stage, the super elevation of the existing weighbridge was determined at 7%, which could have presented an over-turning risk for heavy-duty trucks.

The aesthetic appearance of a road contributes a lot to the overall safety of the user. For this project, the contractor ensured that the side vegetation was kept as far away from the road edge as possible, to increase sight distance and manoeuvrability. Road furniture, such as farm access edge beams and signage, was also maintained to ensure this remains a high-class route.

The reseal of the R503 and the R505 was timeously completed and the completion certificate was issued in December 2018, ahead of schedule.

Geomatics

Surveying is an exact science Engineers, project managers, town planners, architects and all other professions involved in design, planning and construction need accurate spatial data prior to executing their projects. By Altus Strydom*

V

erifying design tolerances is the first step in ensuring a perfectly executed survey.

The next step is selecting the right techniques and equipment to achieve the desired measurements and final mapping parameters.

The role of the land or technical surveyor is critical in ensuring that spatial (survey) data collections are executed and supplied according to the predetermined design specifications. It’s a profession that comes with exacting responsibilities and one that is governed by legislation.

In this respect, the Geomatics Professions Act (No. 19 of 2013) clearly stipulates that a person must be registered with the South African Geomatics Council (SAGC) to perform survey work. Anyone who breaches this stipulation is committing a criminal offence.

Curtain wall Columns Floor

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IMIESA November/December 2019

It’s also essential to understand that there are various categories of surveyors: the correct discipline and survey category must match the specific project outcomes. Professional land surveyors are registered to perform all areas of survey, whereas technical surveyors are not permitted to perform any work related to cadastral surveys. The latter relates to the registration of property rights and property boundaries.

Furthermore, a qualified surveyor must have a registration number with SAGC and at least a BSc or NDip qualification. To avoid mishaps, please verify with SAGC or ask the South African Geomatics Institute (SAGI) to assist.

Although surveys take many forms, they can be split into three main categories, namely airborne, ground-based and subsurface services. The key aspect to consider is that the level of accuracy needed must be agreed upon up front, since this will determine the type of survey Door and windows instruments used, Walls as well as the practices Furniture employed. The design tolerances must always be clearly stated up front in the specifications.

Data imported from other sources like existing maps, satellite imagery and certain GPS devices can be used as a guideline, but not as the sole basis for precision mapping. For Raining example, incorrectly applied aerial

and GPS technology can generate terrain height measurements that can be out by 5 m or more when verified by a detailed ground-based survey.

Airborne surveys Airborne services are invaluable for overall planning and encompass techniques that include: - lidar surveys using medium-format cameras - arge-format photogrammetry - orthophoto mapping - 3D oblique 45-degree photography - supply and processing of satellite imagery and digital terrain model data.

Lidar surveys are normally required for larger areas and the equipment used can be mounted on any vehicle (air, land, water).

Overall, it’s difficult to achieve accuracies beyond 8 cm.

Today, it’s also possible to supply highaccuracy 3D plans surveyed with lidar equipment, as well as photogrammetry.

Why survey?

• Planning • Design • Construction • As-built verification • Maintenance • Asset management • Underground services detection • Hydrographic studies

Geomatics However, this is a very specialised area and there are many pitfalls for the inexperienced.

The best approach is to employ a professional surveyor and 3D CAD specialist.

Within the aerial spectrum, drones and their on-board systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated. At this stage, though, it should be noted that drone surveys are still applicationspecific, plus they cannot always capture all the detail required. For this reason, infill ground surveys are still necessary to verify all the data.

However, as drone software developments advance, fewer control points will be needed.

Ground-based services Ground-based services are wide-ranging, providing pinpoint precision when required.

An example would be a tunnel project where alignments of a few centimetres may be specified. In this instance, the survey map will also bypass any geological anomalies identified during the initial exploratory drilling stage and accurate calculations are necessary where earth curvature plays a role. For other structures like bridges or high-rise buildings, it’s equally obvious that the accuracy of setting out control information is critical.

Below are some of the typical applications: - 3D high-accuracy mobile corridor mapping for pipelines, powerlines, roads and tunnels – depending on the equipment used, the expected accuracy will range from 5 mm to 30 cm - 3D terrestrial laser scanning, commonly used for building projects, with an accuracy range from 2 mm to 30 cm - contours: topographical and engineering surveys and mapping; this is executed with standard equipment such as GPS, and total stations, with an expected accuracy of 2 cm to 30 cm - cadastral, as-built and assets are also surveyed with standard equipment, with 2 cm to 30 cm accuracy - underground services detection and mapping using ground-penetrating radar, with 2 cm to 2 m accuracy

- bathymetric surveys for the mapping of subsurface objects – here, the equipment employed includes echo sounders, telemetry and sound velocity tools, with an accuracy of 10 cm to 5 m.

Before accepting a project, a professional surveyor will need a clear description of the purpose and scope. On larger projects, it is essential to supply existing plans and data as part of the survey brief.

Achieving the relevant design specifications This is among the most misunderstood areas of a survey brief and leads to the failure of many projects. Equipment and software today are designed for ease of use and ‘pressing buttons in a sequence’.

This means that laymen can use the instruments, but do they really understand what they are doing? A person once said to me: “Nothing lies better than a wellprepared plan.” If the project leader does not understand or specify the accuracies to be achieved, they will get quotations where persons use substandard equipment.

A typical example is where cheaper GPS equipment is used to do high-accuracy GPS work. A R12 000 GPS cannot achieve the accuracy of a R50 000 to R150 000 set.

The same principle applies for cameras and 3D scanners mounted on drones and vehicles. CAD software can produce a greatlooking plan notwithstanding the incorrect instrument used.

The golden rule is to specify the accuracies to be achieved and/or accuracy tolerances of equipment to be used.

Survey control The purpose of survey control is to ensure that the original design survey and setting-out after design are aligned.

This aspect is quite often overlooked in

the survey specification and can be a big cost factor in an RFQ for a survey.

Survey benchmarks are the backbone of any construction site, whether for smaller or larger terrain. Benchmarks are fixed, or permanent, survey markers that are left on-site for future work on location. A minimum of three sturdy benchmarks in a safe location are required for any project, but more may be specified as agreed upon and required.

A project example is the Kusile power station: the as-built and design accuracy was sub-millimetre and benchmarks had to be checked monthly to determine the movement in mm during cold, hot, dry and wet conditions.

The concrete base of these benchmarks was 25 m deep: these benchmarks need to last during the entire lifespan of the project.

Survey control is also very relevant where remote sensing techniques (satellite imagery, airborne and mobile mapping) are used.

Survey and mapping requirements Each phase of a project has different survey or mapping requirements and a qualified surveyor can easily advise on which equipment to use to execute the project. This will range from aerial surveys for overall planning to ground-based surveys for specific planning.

The above underscores the complexity and critical importance of the professional surveyor at every stage.

Survey report Once all the work has been completed, this needs to be documented in the survey report in order to supply information to the next professional that will work on the project.

Here, the surveyor must clearly specify the full survey methodology, including how the coordinates were calculated.

If you are in doubt on any area, contact SAGI for free advice and help with information, formulating accuracies and writing of specifications. *Altus Strydom is the chairperson: Northern Provinces at the South African Geomatics Institute (SAGI).

IMIESA November/December 2019

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Geomatics

The value of point clouds for municipal engineers

By Justin Hill*

A

point cloud is an immensely valuable resource, which includes extensive detail that was not considered important at the outset of the project. Apart from the extraction of general dimensions and levels, and a CAD model, the point cloud makes potentially complex analyses possible, such as column verticality, floor flatness and deformation analysis. That’s provided the survey was performed by a competent geomatics professional. One also has a legal dimensional and photographic record of the state of the site at the time of scanning.

Be sure to make use of the point clouds as far as possible, or at least ask the geomatics professional responsible, to keep them

on archive. Not requesting the point cloud from a survey is similar to not requesting an ortho-photo from a drone survey. Both contain important data for the project that can be discovered without going to site.

This could save hundreds of hours over the project period.

Many engineers or architects are cautious of point clouds and only wish to use a 3D model or set of plans and sections derived from it. Such a product is compact and simple to work with, but it is a tiny fraction of the information that the original point cloud carries.

It is therefore worth asking the surveyor to provide the point cloud in a format you can use, together with a viewer that gives you

Bid prices are likely to be 10% lower if the viewer is issued with the main tender

measurability in a spherical format and is displayed in a simple browser-based app.

This can be done with panoramic imagery which allows a virtual tour of the site. Making this available to the full team of engineers can save multiple site visits on a project.

If this is done early in the project and the viewer is issued with the main tender, the prices are likely to be 10% lower with less spread. The project should then proceed with fewer variations. *Justin Hill is the managing director of Lloyd & Hill Inc.

Lloyd & Hill Inc. are Professional Land Surveyors registered with the South African Geomatics Council (SAGC) and members of the South African Geomatics Institute (SAGI). The company specializes in geomatics services to engineers, including 3D laser scanning, aerial mapping and industrial surveys.

4 Athos Court, Austwick Road, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa • Tel: +27 21 686 7500 • justin@lloydhill.co.za • www.lloydhill.co.za

Geomatics

Peter Drucker is famously quoted as saying “you can’t manage what you don’t measure”.

This stands true for many areas, especially land surveying.

By Danielle Petterson

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ur veying dates back centuries and one of its original uses was to demarcate property boundaries and land rights, particularly for providing the security of tenure, which allowed banks to be assured in providing bank loans against the property. Today, surveying plays a much greater role, particularly in all aspects of infrastructure development and facilities maintenance.

“The value of surveying in this space is enormous. It is the thread that runs through an entire project – from initial measurements to ensuring correct positioning during construction, and monitoring the asset for maintenance after completion,” says Chris Kirchhoff, partner, 5DSurvey.

“Measurements form the skeleton for infrastructure development programmes.

Embracing technology to build a better world If you can’t quantify what you have, you can’t use your resources effectively and sustainably.”

the past.” Although this does not remove the possibility of contestation, it removes some of the unknowns in the contestation process.

Land and property rights

The power of data

With this in mind, the surveying profession should have an important role to play in South Africa’s land appropriation conversation.

Kirchhoff believes both the measurement of land and the understanding of property rights should be at the forefront of determining what land is available and where, who it is owned by, and whether that land is being used effectively and profitably. “The conversation would be simpler if we can reduce the risk of not knowing the value of land. If we quantify the land and its associated rights, we can identify areas that offer good potential for usage in order to better redress the wrongs of

While it has become easier to collect data for surveying, the quality of that data is of utmost importance. “A picture tells a thousand words, but only if it’s a good picture – it’s the difference between a professional photographer and taking a selfie on your phone,” says Kirchhoff.

“You still need someone who can capture reality in a meaningful way to inform your project.”

While big data may be one of the latest buzzwords, there is a growing awareness that big data is not as important as good data. “A hundred good data points are far better than 1 000 bad ones,” he stresses.

Professional Surveyors specialising in 3D LIDAR scanning, UAV-based (drone) aerial mapping and construction survey works.

We believe that good, cost-effective land surveying services combined with up-to-date geo-spatial information leads to superior planning, diminished project risks, improved feasibility assessments and sustainable infrastructure development.

B-BBEE LEVEL

CONTRIBUTOR

2

CONTACT US Tel : +27 (0)82 773 4868 chris@5dsurvey.co.za www.5dsurvey.co.za

Geomatics

“And data is just data. It is the analysis and interpretation thereof that is so important.”

Drivers of change The methods of capturing this data are evolving at a rapid rate as technology develops.

Before Sun City was built, surveyors went to site and used tape to mark out where the buildings would stand, and a scaffolding structure was erected where the hotel would be. The idea was to allow investors to get a feel of what the view would be like from the hotel. Today, this can all be done with virtual reality goggles. An investor can walk around the building, see the view and get a feel for the space in an entirely virtual world.

“The tools have changed significantly, but the skills are the same. The crucial component is still for the surveyor to be able to position reality within the space,” says Kirchhoff.

According to Kirchhoff, there are two leading technologies currently changing the surveying space. The first is remote piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), or drones, which provide a significantly more costeffective and efficient method of topography capturing compared to using small planes or measuring discreet points on the ground.

The second is terrestrial lidar, which is being driven by research into self-driving cars. A significant amount of research is being done into using sensors to measure the position of fixed and moving elements at ground level, in order to facilitate driverless technology. This is filtering down into the surveying space and will see mobile lidar, which used to be a very expensive, becoming far more accessible.

“Self-driving cars are the next big driving force in the ability to capture reality and

turn it into digital data that we can use effectively. That is the next big wave of change in surveying – the ability to walk or drive and capture the reality around us using multiple lasers, GPS positioning and inertia tools,” says Kirchhoff.

“One of the things that the geomatics profession must be better about is showing people how these new tools, which we’ve become so familiar with, work – so they can be used by others to make their developments more cost-effective and sustainable in order to reduce our impact on the environment for future generations,” he adds.

“By being brave enough to adopt these technologies and extend their use, we can help people design a better world.”

For more information, contact Chris Kirchhoff on +27 (0)82 773 4868.

Geomatics

Mapping out new frontiers

Siya Khanyeza, director

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stablished in 2016, Uhele endeavour to be a progressive practice Precision Geomatics Inc. (Uhele) that uses cutting-edge technology in the is a one-stop shop for all surveying execution of surveying tasks.” requirements. Based in Durban, Khanyeza and his fellow director, Zandile the company has gained extensive experience Mzobe, have 25 years of combined in KwaZulu-Natal alongside a growing portfolio surveying experience. Both are registered as of work across South Africa. The scope of Professionals in Engineering and Cadastral. services covers engineering and cadastral.

Khanyeza has the distinction of being the first Under engineering work, the following African black professional engineering surveyor services are provided: registered in KwaZulu-Natal. Zandile was the • Setting out work, fifth-ever female professional land surveyor • TMH11 standards projects, registered in South Africa.

• Topographical surveys, Work profile • Monitoring of structures, and Khanyeza has worked for various private • Precise engineering surveys.

Within the cadastral area, Uhele specialises in: companies and has been involved in iconic projects such as the Nelson Mandela Bridge • Farm surveys, in Johannesburg. Other survey experience • Land audits, • New township establishment, • Subdivisions and consolidations, • Relocation of boundary beacons, • Sectional-title schemes, and • Servitude surveys.

“Our vision is to be the ultimate surveying service provider, upholding the highest standards of professionalism and solid ethical values,” says Uhele Zandile Mzobe, director director, Siya Khanyeza. “We

includes 300 km of powerlines in Mozambique, over 200 km of road projects, major topographic surveys that include Frere Hospital in East London, and taxi ranks in Port Shepstone and Stanger. He has also overseen numerous sewer pipelines, plus bulk water supply projects.

In turn, Mzobe has extensive experience in signing over farm subdivisions, pipeline servitudes, new township establishments and sectional title schemes.

The company has worked for eThekwini Metro, the City of Umhlathuze, and Inkosi Langalibalele Municipality on various projects ranging from human settlements to topographic work and the setting out of infrastructure. Additionally, Uhele has worked for Umgeni Water for the registration of servitudes over 50 farms. They were also involved in the 450km-long Umzimkhulu bulk water pipeline topographical survey.

“We believe in community development and empowerment, knowledgesharing and social upliftment which are all areas where we make a daily contribution as survey professionals,” Mzobe concludes.

• Professional land surveyors • Professional engineering surveyors • Topographical surveyors • Sectional-title practitioners

Your partner in Geomatics. +27 (0)31 267 0162

+27 (0)83 485 3703

admin@uhele.co.za

www.uhele.co.za

CLab-i A4 011119.pdf

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Mci

CLab-i

Civil Engineering Testing Laboratory Mci IT’s CLab-i Software Application is one of South Africa’s Leading Civil Engineering Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS).

Our CLab-i System is extremely powerful, and it is the BEST way to manage your Civil Laboratory effectively.

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CLab-i Major Features

Benefits

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• Realtime Analysis and Sample Tracking

Registration of Multiple Laboratories and Receiving Points Dynamic Test Set up with Formulas Tracking of Jobs linked to a Client Maintenance of Quotations Invoicing and Batch Invoicing Customized Report Development Multilingual Setup of System Components Complete Audit Trails Integration with various financial systems Equipment Integration Calibration Management Advanced Formula Capabilities with Graphs ISO/IEC 17025 Compliant Includes all SANS 3001 calculations and reports Barcoded Label Printing

• Shorten Turnaround Time • Increase Laboratory Capacity • Increased Efficiency • Minimise Paper Usage

Application is available on our MFLSP as a cloud offering…

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Address Information: 2nd Floor, Soetdoring Building, 7 Protea Street Doringkloof Centurion Gauteng South Africa

Information Technology

Labs migrate to hosted services

Mci IT i-Plant makes provision for asset management, planned maintenance, breakdowns, inventory, costing and a work order process flow

Mci IT’s full laboratory solutions platform (MFLSP) provides a competitive off-balance-sheet alternative that keeps businesses secure, functioning and up to date with the latest technologies. By Vusi Twala

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aboratories and other mid-sized to smaller businesses are coming under immense strain because of tough financial conditions, volatile rand/dollar fluctuations and a shrinking economy. That results in some tough choices when it comes to decisions surrounding software and hardware upgrades.

IT has always promoted ‘plug and play’; now, Mci IT has identified the opportunity to ‘plug and work’, by introducing MFLSP via the cloud.

This platform enables laboratories to run their administration, financial and technical workflows without having to own the IT infrastructure necessary to support it. Cloud services are now generally available as secure services, and both large corporates and SMMEs are using them more extensively. The two main remote platforms are hosted services (or private cloud) and thirdparty cloud solutions. In developing MFLSP, Mci IT’s goal was to perfect a user-friendly private cloud environment and it worked closely with its customers to perfect the model.

In-house or hosted – A case study One such customer is Global Water Labs, which provides reliable water testing services. Based in Durban and aiming to start expanding its footprint, Global Water Labs currently uses two MFLSP applications. These consist of the Lab-i laboratory information management system (LIMS), and the i-Plant integrated plant/ equipment maintenance system.

Prior to moving to the MFLSP suite, Global Water Labs needed solutions that would both optimise their laboratory operations and quality management without having to increase resources and incurring capital expenditure. Both Lab-I and i-Plant were implemented and have since received much praise.

Global Water Labs is now also considering moving to a hosted platform, as this is an extremely cost-effective manner to rapidly expand operations while maintaining centralised systems, without any significant increases in overheads. Essentially, once one location is up and running the next would just connect to the existing infrastructure.

Global Water Labs has also realised that keeping and maintaining its server in-house significantly increases the risk on its informationoriented business when considering the everincreasing threat of cyberattacks, the reliability of IT personnel and ageing hardware, and answering the all-important question of “Can I actually recover from a disaster or failure and how long will it take?” A cloud-hosted solution has multiple levels of redundancy and just about everything is scalable to the user’s exact requirements.

Although Mci IT has other customers already on a hosted solution, Global Water Labs is innovative, dynamic and extremely driven to benefit from following best practices as well as implementing the latest technologies and solutions on offer.

The mere sight of its pristine facilities with all instruments identified by barcoded labels speaks

Vusi Twala, CEO, Mci IT

volumes to a shared vision on the future of laboratory testing and Mci IT looks forward to a fruitful and growing partnership for years to come.

Conclusion Aside from convenience and enhanced security, one of the most notable advantages of hosted services is that they provide an off-balance-sheet solution without compromising IT capabilities.

Agreements and pricing are renewed annually.

Additionally, the MFLSP platform is scalable, so customers can select the functionality they need now and then activate more advanced options at a later stage. Experience has shown that clients migrating to MFLSP have saved up to 25% of their IT expenditure per annum. With cloud solution and broadband costs decreasing, further cost savings are expected.

www.mci-it.co.za

IMIESA November/December 2019

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Water & Wastewater

Durban ready to remix its water

eThekwini Municipality and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO) signed a memorandum of understanding in 2016 to develop an integrated seawater desalination and water reuse system in Durban.

Three years on and construction on the demonstration plant is nearing completion. By Danielle Petterson

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esearch studies by eThekwini Water and Sanitation show that inner-city water demand is expected to rise to 65 MLD (megalitres per day) by 2030, outstripping supply by 15 MLD. It is, therefore, necessary to augment supply with alternatives to surface water. One of the methods being investigated is the Hitachi seawater desalination reuse (RemixWater) project.

History Hitachi (being the implementing agent appointed by NEDO) has been in discussions with eThekwini Municipality since 2013, after delegates from eThekwini Water and Sanitation visited Japan to view the

technology. This led to an MoU being signed between the two parties to pursue the project.

The aim is for Hitachi to demonstrate that the concept would work for South Africa by building a pilot-scale plant with an outflow capacity of 6.25 MLD. The demonstration period will run for a year, during which time Hitachi must prove that the plant can consistently produce drinking quality water in line with SANS 241.

The project is fully funded by NEDO, which plays an important role in Japan’s economic and industrialisation policies through its funding of technology development activities. NEDO also acts as an innovation accelerator to realise its two basic missions of addressing energy and global environmental problems and enhancing industrial technology. eThekwini Municipality plays an oversight role on the project, with Hitachi fully responsible for the design, construction and operation of the project.

The RemixWater demonstration plant

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IMIESA November/December 2019

Remix technology Hitachi’s RemixWater technology utilises seawater and tertiary treated wastewater, put through a reverse osmosis (RO) process. The technology reports significant improvements over traditional seawater desalination, including large energy savings, lower costs, and minimal environmental impact.

Conventional seawater desalination using RO membranes requires high pressure to filter dissolved materials (mainly salt) through the membranes, resulting in high electricity consumption. Energy typically accounts for almost 50% of the total operating costs, making improvements in energy conservation an important challenge.

The RemixWater technology reduces the concentration of salt by mixing the water expelled through the RO membranes during the water reuse process with seawater. This decreases RO pressure in the filtering stage, leading to a decrease in pumping pressure of around 40% compared to conventional desalination. In addition to energy savings, it reduces the salt concentration of brine discharged into the sea to approximately 3.5% – the same level as seawater.

To produce product water of 100 Mℓ using conventional seawater desalination would initially require seawater quantities in the region of 280 Mℓ; however, this system only requires 33 Mℓ of seawater if 100 Mℓ of

Water & Wastewater

reuse water is used. Therefore, the pumping costs as well as the membrane costs would be lower.

Building the plant Site selection for the RemixWater plant was done

by Aurecon, appointed to undertake feasibility studies for Hitachi. They looked at several sites for the project, including the Northern, KwaMashu, Tongaat and Central Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW).

The ideal site should have low levels of industrial effluent in the incoming sewage, be close to the ocean, and have an easy discharge point for the brine. The Central WWTW,

Hitachi’s RemixWater technology offers lower membrane costs

located on the Bluff near the ocean, met all the requirements and was selected as the best location.

The Central WWTW has a design inflow of 130 MLD, with an average dry weather flow of 60.4 MLD. There is currently no South African standard for potable water reuse; however, the project team investigated some of the strictest global standards that were applied during the design phase and a multibarrier approach will be implemented to attain the necessary tertiary wastewater treatment standards.

Membranes from various suppliers are being tested to determine which is best for the RemixWater process.

The Central WWTW’s existing 3 160 m outfall pipe will be used for the RemixWater plant.

The current plan is to discard all treated water from the plant for the 12-month contract duration, until it is determined that it meets the required standards.

However, the municipality is investigating possible secondary uses for the treated water, such as industrial reuse.

The marine investigation, carried out by WSP, analysed various possible locations for the seawater intake. The best location was identified as the key wall at the harbour entrance, where the water was better quality and less affected by the wave action and coastline. A pump station is being built on the key wall, taking into account Transnet’s recommendations with regard to marine traffic.

Construction is currently under way, with the aim of commissioning the plant in February 2020.

Water & Wastewater

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ater losses have plagued South African municipalities for years. In KwaZulu-Natal, eThekwini Municipality has embarked on an Informal Area Metering Project as part of its Nonrevenue Water Master Plan Key strategies were identified to meet the targeted reduction of non-revenue water (NRW) in eThekwini Municipality. This reduction was achieved by aiding water savings through the replacement of damaged pipes prone to extensive leaking, as well as the optimisation of existing bulk meters to measure flows of multiple water feeds into informal settlements. This has resulted in massive cost savings for the municipality, as it eradicated the need for the installation of several meters.

SMEC South Africa’s Durban office was appointed to provide consulting services for the design and construction supervision of this plan and to programme-manage the key strategies. With a dedicated professional project team, the design and construction phases were carried out using efficient and effective methods that considered the best interests of the environment at all times, as land was restored and installations located in areas that did not affect indigenous plants and trees. The meters were sited in areas that facilitated quicker and easier meter reading.

Through the Contract Participation Goal programme, skills were transferred to developing contractors, thereby stimulating local business growth. Having installed 391 manifolds with meter sizes ranging from 15 mm to 80 mm in diameter, local enterprises had benefited immensely as a result of specified participation goals, including the employment of semi- and unskilled labourers from within the informal settlements.

Overall, the project – which was nominated as a finalist in the 2019 KwaZulu-Natal Regional SAICE Awards – set a stable foundation for future planning and reduced the imbalance of the unbilled, unmetered components. “SMEC South Africa acknowledges the project, as it exposed young professionals to many challenges that were dealt with as a team,” states Jashmer Rajcoomar, function manager: Management Services, SMEC. “This inspired some of our future engineers to consider the field of water engineering as a career and thus make a difference.”

Informal Area Metering SMEC South Africa team

Water & Wastewater A desalination plant installed at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town

Process efficiency dependent on data The importance of data analysis and feasibility studies in the design and costing of process plants is critical in ensuring efficient operations and maintenance strategies. It also minimises wastage. By Musawenkosi Ndlovu*

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ater is becoming a scarce resource, compounded by factors that include intensified urbanisation and environmental pollution. This has a downstream impact on water security and the cost of storing and processing water and wastewater.

Included in the mix is the growing need for alternative options that include desalination and wastewater reuse.

With most municipalities in South Africa having limited budgets, there is no wiggle room in terms of financial planning. Costing accuracy is therefore critical.

Table 1 shows the required and available public sector funding for water ser vices infrastructure in 2017. It is apparent that there is already a shortfall in the capital budget.

For this reason, it’s of paramount importance that municipalities invest resources to ensure that the data collected is accurate when considering new projects and processes. This should take into account seasonal variations in feedwater quality.

Data on the process plant capacity, presence of monovalents, heavy metals (iron and manganese) and divalents plays a key role in costing capital equipment.

Maintenance factor In a well-costed process plant, maintenance usually accounts for 5% of the overall capital cost. However, maintenance costs on a plant designed based on inaccurate data can be devastating. For example, an improper feasibility study can see the operating cost of a desalination plant balloon by 10 times the budgeted

figure, due to issues such as premature membrane replacement and higher-thanplanned chemical dosing.

Data analysis is an ongoing process even when the plant is running efficiently. Online monitoring equipment plays a pivotal role here in ensuring that ever ything stays on track and within budget.

Feasibility studies Well-conducted feasibility studies ensure that a plant is maintained between variations of 95 percentile (5% out of spec).

Feasibility studies also assist in planning

Table 1 Required and available public sector funding for water services infrastructure in 2017

Water services infrastructure elements Municipal water infrastructure

Required Budgeted funding (R bn) funding (R BN) 27.8 17.1

Regional bulk (potable) infrastructure Resional bulk (no-potable) infrastructure Water resources infrastructure Total water infrastructure Sanitation infrastructure Total water services infrastructure Funding shortfall (2017)

10.1 7.0 25.5 70.4 19.5 89.9 33.3

7.4 4.0 14.9 43.4 13.2 56.6 37%

IMIESA November/December 2019

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Water & Wastewater An aerial view showing the layout of the V&A desalination plant

Raw water feed pipe

Raw water tank Power supply (transformer)

Final water tank

Brine tank

Pre-filtration

for a relevant process plant to be installed.

This includes the cost of electricity and backup energy supply.

Contingency planning is equally important: in emergency situations, risks will escalate

Reverse osmosis

if these scenarios haven’t been anticipated up front. Therefore, incorporating all known and anticipated elements is the best way to ensure that process plants operate within the designed scope. This is especially

important when these plants operate on build, own and operate contracts. *Musawenkosi Ndlovu is a director at Quality Filtration Systems.

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

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Pumps & Valves L-R: Peter Weber, MD, KSB; Helen Ding, director: Business Development, KSB Shanghai; Chen Si, representative, PowerChina East and Southern Africa; Frikkie Botma, regional project manager, KSB Pumps and Valves; Liangxi Huang, export manager, KSB Shanghai; and David Jones, regional sales manager, KSB Pumps and Valves

Building EPC relationships Strategic industry partnerships depend on service and product excellence that are underscored – in KSB’s case – by new alliances and class-leading innovation.

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hinese EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) companies are currently responsible for about 64% of all power projects underway in Africa and are looking to collaborate with leading equipment and service providers on the continent.

Forming part of this engagement, KSB Shanghai recently facilitated a high-level meeting between KSB’s own operation in Africa, KSB Pumps and Valves, as well as one of China’s most prominent EPCs in Africa, PowerChina East.

The resulting meeting was held at PowerChina’s offices in Fourways, South Africa, and was chaired by Li Zhilei, business development manager, SEPCO III (SEPCO III is a subsidiary of PowerChina). The meeting was attended by Chen Si, representative: East and Southern Africa, PowerChina; Liangxi Huang, export manager, KSB Shanghai; Helen Ding, director: Business Development, KSB Testing under way at the SABS

Shanghai; and Frikkie Botma, regional project manager, KSB Pumps and Valves.

“The opportunity to meet with Chinese EPCs and discuss the possibility of future partnerships has created the probability of future business and created the platform to build strong customer relationships,” says Botma. “We also anticipate that entry barriers will be lowered, making future contact with the clients a mutually beneficial experience.”

Local pump test Showcasing its technical capability, KSB Pumps and Valves, in conjunction with the SABS, recently tested one of the most impressive pump sets to be assembled on South African soil.

The pump set – consisting of a heavyweight KSB a RDLO 400-935 A pump, V16 QuadTurbo Mitsubishi motor and David Brownmanufactured gearbox – is part of Sasol’s Natref Hydrofluoric Acid Cloud Mitigation

Project and is required to rapidly produce a water spray to ‘knock down’ any gas cloud that may form in an emergency spill situation. As a result, the pump set needs to be ultra-reliable and ready to kick into action in an instant in order to pump approximately 770 litres of water per second at a head pressure of 13 bar.

“The test is unusual as components are usually tested individually and again on commissioning. This time, however, the units were tested separately – the pump in Germany, before delivery to South Africa; the diesel engine by Mitsubishi, in France; and the gearbox by David Brown, here in Benoni,” explains Norman Taylor, test field manager, KSB. “Due to the nature of the project, further tests were then required of the entire unit, including capacity, head, power, efficiency and net positive suction of the pump to ensure further conformity with specifications,” he continues.

KSB usually performs these tests on its own standard equipment, but the size of the motor was a limiting factor and required the use of the SABS facility. Here, testing was done under the supervision of the customers, KSB and SABS personnel, and ran for four hours before being deemed to meet all specifications and requirements.

This kind of pump is widely operated in highvolume applications in raw and potable water industries. It is capable of reliably pumping high volumes on a continual basis. Well known for their reliable operation, they were deemed as the ideal pump for this critical operation.

IMIESA November/December 2019

35

Instruments To Measure Water & Sanitation

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Sanitation

Automated PFT cleaning perfected Believed to be a world first, and with patents pending, the new Portable Flush Toilet Cleaning Facility at the Borcherds Quarry Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Cape Town is a highly sustainable approach to addressing the need for safe sanitation within informal settlements.

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ommitted to delivering dignified sanitation for all its residents, the City of Cape Town has taken major steps to ensure that informal communities not connected to water and sanitation infrastructure have access to alternative, safe and hygienic facilities.

The solution being adopted is the installation of portable flush toilets (PFTs) and containerised toilets (CTs). They meet the immediate need, with CTs and PFTs being supplied to approximately 98 000 households. However, the key to safe sanitation is the cleaning process.

A PFT consists of a sealed, detachable, odourless storage container, a bowl and a seat, and a flushing mechanism. It closely resembles an ordinary toilet and works on a water-based system. The waste is flushed away into the sealed container.

The CT is a similar system, but with a larger container. The City services the containers free of charge three times a week. A door-to-door service takes away the used container and replaces it with a clean one.

These containers are serviced at a depot housed at the Borcherds Quarry WWTP site. Prior to the design and construction of the new processing facility here, workers had to empty and wash PFT containers and CTs by hand. Compounding this challenge was the fact that much of the equipment in the old facility was redundant and the plant was no longer able to cope with the high number of PFTs and CTs entering the system. Each day, up to 11 400 PFTs and 3 000 CTs are presently cleaned.

To remedy the situation, JG Afrika and Project Assignments, in conjunction with

The team Client: City of Cape Town Civil consultant: JG Afrika Mechanical and electrical consultant: Project Assignments, in conjunction with Water & Wastewater Engineering Civil main contractor: Ruwacon Mechanical and electrical main contractor: Inenzo Water Mechanical and electrical subcontractor: TF Design

Water & Wastewater Engineering, were appointed by the City to design and project manage the new PFT cleaning facility. The tender brief: to produce South Africa’s first automated portable flush toilet cleaning plant and bring toilet dignity full circle. This has been achieved with great success.

The civil and structural design and tender were administered by JG Afrika.

In turn, Project Assignments compiled the initial concept and specifications for the process and mechanical plant tender.

The overall contract value for the civils component was about R30 million and the mechanical and electrical aspect roughly R37 million.

Cost and time constraints were tight, so the new, larger building was located adjacent to the existing facility to make use of available services and other infrastructure. This saved the client construction time and costs. Both civil and mechanical components were completed within the budget.

The difference Today, the mechanisation and automation

Access to the new facility

IMIESA November/December 2019

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Sanitation

New plant room with five lanes

Offloading PFT containers

In the layout of the new facility, the workflow was carefully considered, ensuring that the process runs from one side of the building to the other – avoiding crossover of containers, materials, personnel and traffic.�

Operating the washing booth

John Clayton, managing director, Project Assignments

An aerial view of a section of Khayelitsha township, Cape Town

of the cleaning process have completely changed the working environment. Workers operate in a safe, more hygienic space, filled with fresh air and light.

A further advantage is that the facility uses purified effluent from the WWTP to rinse the containers – a significant benefit in this water-challenged city. Potable water is only used for mixing in the disinfectant

38

IMIESA November/December 2019

in the last step, which constitutes a small fraction of the total water use in the facility.

New cleaning process At each line, the PFTs or CTs are transported via conveyor belts to the cleaning booths. Once loaded, the containers are automatically emptied then cleaned with high-pressure nozzles. The toilet containers

Washing booth

are sprayed with disinfectant and then filled with toilet chemicals. All this happens in a sealed compartment, minimising the aerosols and isolating the cleaning from the plant operator, thus greatly improving the working conditions.

The emptying, cleaning, disinfection and chemical filling operation for each container takes only 38 seconds. After automatic cleaning, the PFTs and CTs are placed on another conveyor where they are dried with air knives, then transported to a pick-up point for delivery back to the settlements.

The waste solids from the cleaning booths are continuously removed from the wash water stream using a centralised automated screen and solids compaction device. A portion of the screened wastewater is routed to the main Borcherds Quarry WWTP for further purification and the balance is returned to the system for conveying of the waste from the cleaning booths.

Road tankers that collect sewage from various sumps and conservancy/ septic tanks at informal settlements (and elsewhere) are also able to discharge their loads at dedicated receiving points in the new facility. These discharges are routed through the automatic screening system, as for the toilet container wastewater. Being separate from the automated cleaning lines, these trucks do not cause any congestion and can discharge their contents in an efficient and controlled environment.

The entire cleaning facility is monitored from a sophisticated supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system to ensure efficient operation and to immediately highlight any breakdowns or faults that might need attention.

Process development During the initial process design of the facility, the historical data relating to

container deliveries – i.e. numbers of trucks, their contents and the arrival frequencies – had to be carefully analysed and modelled.

This was necessary to correctly specify the number of cleaning lines, together with their throughput capacities, to ensure there would be no bottlenecks at the drop-off and collection points.

The decision on the method of cleaning was also an important part of the process design – the technique had to be simple and robust, but also ensure quick and efficient throughput. Project Assignments has experience in various types of manufacturing industries involving production lines and conveyor belts and, together with the mechanical contractor, considered different options. The initial concept involved the containers being on a continuous conveyor, which incorporated in-line draining, cleaning and drying. After extended testing of an on-site prototype, the standalone enclosed cleaning booth concept was eventually selected for ease of operation and simplicity, avoiding the complications and stoppages that could have resulted from the original in-line cleaning concept.

Hydraulic channels Among the important design considerations was the potential presence of large solids, which had previously blocked the pipework in the old cleaning facility. This led to significant problems with the operation of the old installation. Therefore, instead of using pipes to convey the sewage, the new facility conveys the raw sewage in specially designed channels. The channels have also been designed to allow for a future odour control gas extraction system.

The raw solids are conveyed in these channels using screened raw sewage to maintain a self-cleansing velocity.

Since these channels are covered, the gases produced cannot escape. These channels have been protected with a highly specialised chemical-resistant coating that was specifically selected for this application.

Another problem experienced by the old facility was large stones and heavy material that managed to be discharged from the vacuum tankers into the system, blocking the system or damaging the flights of the screws at the main inlet works. Thus, a sand/ stone trap was incorporated into the tanker discharge manholes to protect the downstream equipment. This included a mechanism to facilitate easy cleaning of this trap.

Conclusion Given the list of innovations, this project clearly showcases how home-grown solutions can be found to address the socio-economic challenges facing South Africa in a cost-effective and sustainable manner, thanks to the cooperation between the professional team and the City’s engineers. It’s a highly functional model that can be replicated locally and across our borders in meeting the basic human right of toilet dignity: from the householder to everyone involved in the cleaning process.

For members of informal communities, the benefits are immediate. They include improved service delivery due to significantly improved PFT and CT turnaround times and more consistent automated cleaning. For the City, the previous congestion around the delivery and collection of the containers has been eliminated, there is more efficient use of water, and the SCADA system gives better control over the quantities of chemicals, also ensuring quicker response to breakdowns.

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Steel Construction

The SAISC Steel Awards Bridges category went to the CTICC Skybridge

The Protea Glen Secondary School project won the Mitek Industries South Africa Light Steel Framed Building category

Celebrating

steel

South African construction showcases its mettle during a tough trading cycle with a host of innovative designs at the 2019 Steel Awards.

The Durban Christian Centre project entry was the overall Steel Awards 2019 winner and winner of the SAFAL Steel Innovation category

Steel Construction

D

espite the current industry challenges, the 2019 Steel Awards competition of the South African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC) received a record number of 94 entries for a diverse range of projects.

“A wide range of stakeholders in the greater built environment – from architects and engineers to riggers, welders and even university students – actively participated in the Steel Awards and have started to recognise the pivotal importance of steel,” explains Paolo Trinchero, CEO, SAISC. The aim of the awards is to highlight the use of steel in the built environment.

“The annual Steel Awards are intended to create a sense of inclusivity and community and to resonate with a wider audience, including a wider representation of gender, generational and ethnic groups,” explains Nicolette Skjoldhammer, chairperson, SAISC. This aim was well illustrated by the Durban Christian Centre project entry, which was the overall Steel Awards 2019 winner and winner of the SAFAL Steel Innovation category. The building, in the shape of a large dome, was commissioned to replace an earlier church that had burnt down. Here, the innovation lay in the geometry of the large roof arches, inclined in different planes, which provide support for the roof. The nominator and structural engineer was NJV Consulting; the

architect, Elphick Proome Architects; and the steelwork contractor, Impact Engineering.

Other category winners are as follows: • In the Mitek Industries South Africa Light Steel Framed Building category, the winner was the Protea Glen Secondary School, constructed for the Gauteng Department of Education. This was one of nine schools commissioned by the department. The project capitalised on the key features of light steel frame building, namely: speed, thermal efficiency, acoustics and design flexibility. The architect on this project was Local Studio; the structural engineer, The Structural Workshop; the engineer, Luleka Consulting Engineers; and the main contractor, Abacus Space Solutions.

• In the ArcelorMittal South Africa Architectural category, the winning entry was the Peech Hotel located in Melrose, Johannesburg. The architect on this project was Meshworks and the structural engineer was EVH Consulting. They were charged with extending the existing hotel on to a newly acquired adjacent property.

• In the Industrial category, the winner’s trophy went to the Omnia Nitro Phosphate Plant constructed for diversified chemicals group Omnia. The nominator, steelwork contractor and steel erector was SE Steel Fabrication. With tight project deadlines

In the Industrial category, the winner’s trophy went to the Omnia Nitro Phosphate Plant

and multiple challenges, including working at a height of up to 46 m, this complex plant construction was achieved safely and on time.

• The winner in the Global Roofing Solutions Metal Cladding category was a building named the 1054, designed and nominated by architects DMV Architecture, with the main contracting carried out by Jeremy Delport Construction.

• In the SAISC Steel Awards Commercial category, the building constructed for KTM Raceworx made innovative use of a steel frame system with cellular beams to support the floors and accommodate HVAC and other services. The nominator in this instance was Macsteel, while the structural engineer and main contractor was JandC Structural and Civil Design.

• The Association of Steel Tube and Pipe Manufacturers of South Africa’s Tubular category was won by the Fourways Mall Promotions Court structure. As part of the upgrade of the Fourways Mall, the new roof is essentially a tubular structure, which is lightweight and aesthetically pleasing.

The nominator and steelwork contractor was Cadcon, and the architects were Boogertman & Partners.

• In the Safintra South Africa Factory and Warehouse category, top honours went to Chilleweni Cold Storage Solutions.

Constructed in Gosforth Park, Germiston, the building’s fresh design approach has given rise to a visually appealing, fit-forpurpose industrial building. The nominator was Global Roofing Solutions; the structural engineers were DG Consulting Engineers; and the architect was Empowered Spaces Architects.

• The SAISC Steel Awards Bridges category went to the CTICC Skybridge, which connects the Cape Town ICC with the CTICC East Expansion. This bridge enables the two buildings to function effectively as an integrated unit and epitomises the CTICC’s main purpose of connecting people. The nominator was Anchor Steel Projects, with the design executed

by Convention Architects. In turn, the steelwork contractor and erector was Anchor Steel Projects.

“South Africa needs a healthy and vibrant steel construction industry, and this year’s highly successful Steel Awards event does much to showcase the capabilities of steel as a material of construction, plus the amazing people who work throughout the entire sector to promote the future sustainability of our industry,” Trinchero concludes.

IMIESA November/December 2019

41

Standards & Certification

A concrete block paver undergoing a compressive test

What defines a quality management system?

Alastair Currie talks to Henry Cockcroft, general manager, Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA), about what defines product certification.

Within the precast industry, it’s the CMACS Mark of Approval.

CMACS Mark of Approval

CMA Certification Services is a product certification company accredited by SANAS to provide certification services according to SANS specification to the precast concrete manufacturing industry.

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IMIESA November/December 2019

W

hether it’s a household appliance, a motor vehicle, or a precisely designed and engineered construction material, ever y product sold and supported locally and internationally should meet a minimum quality standard. In the absence of an accepted standard, you cannot measure quality. And where a standard does exist, the product manufactured against this benchmark still needs to be certified as having met all the criteria.

For consumers, the hallmark of quality is the stamp of an independent accreditation bureau, which has tested and determined that any deemed product meets the standard within their respective industr y. Locally, all standards are defined and listed within the scope of the South African National Standards (SANS). A prime example within the precast sector is SANS 1058:2012 Concrete Paving Blocks.

Standards & Certification

Globally, the benchmark standard to be adopted by accrediting agencies like CMA Certification Services (CMA CS) is ISO/ IEC 17065:2012 Conformity Assessment - Requirements for Bodies Cer tifying Products, Processes and Services.

Within South Africa, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is the official body that rules on local standards housed within SANS. The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) is in turn the DTI’s official service provider for the development, reviewing and maintaining of the SANS in conjunction with appointed workgroups consisting of public and industry representation.

Another business function of the SABS would be product certification according to the SANS specifications. CMA CS, issuer of the CMACS Mark of Approval, is another body officially accredited to certify precast concrete products. Both CMA CS and SABS are duly appointed by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) as Product Certification Bodies.

Terms like accreditation, cer tification, and standards are commonly used interchangeably in the construction industry, but often without a clear understanding of their distinction and individual relevance.

“Let’s start by stating that within the construction space, good designs and products are essential for quality project delivery. If a product fails, the project fails,” he continues. “Therefore, specifiers and designers must star t any product selection process with the question: ‘What am I specifying and is it compliant and fit for purpose?’”

“Quality management standards are details of requirements – essentially details of specifications – that manage product expectations, while constantly monitoring and maintaining records of compliance,” Cockcroft explains.

Certification is defined as the action or the process of providing an official audited document attesting to a status or a level of achievement. This is determined by the ability of manufacturers to meet a set or series of SANS standards.

Accreditation, in turn, is defined as an action or process of officially recognising a body or individual as having a status of being qualified to per form a specific activity or process, e.g. CMA CS. “Let’s clarify the position by pointing out that a product cannot be accredited,” states Cockcroft. “It can only be certified as SANS compliant by a legally recognised body according to SANAS guidelines.”

For the CMA CS or any other accepted certification body, this is the ruling by which any organisation will be accredited in order to do product certification.

“When a product carries a specific hallmark of approval, irrespective of which mark it carries, it has gone

through a specific and exacting process,” Cockcroft continues.

The first step is an initial assessment.

The CMA manufacturer or any other precast concrete manufacturer applying for product certification will go through an assessment process in which their quality management system will be audited by CMA CS. If their quality management system is not in place, product certification will not take place. The second step is product testing.

Most CMA Producer Members have on-site labs. Testing will be monitored in terms of equipment calibration certification and the actual testing executed according to the relevant guidelines in the applicable SANS specification.

CMA CS also makes provision for bespoke designs where precast manufacturers can apply for once-off consignment certification.

“On a final note, it’s important to mention that all product certifications have a specific validity. The expir y date is indicated on the certificate and designers and specifiers need to ensure that any product specified is still valid. That’s an integral part of the 360-degree quality management process,” Cockcroft concludes.

Accreditation versus certification There’s a degree of confusion about who accredits and who certifies within a quality management system. Common questions revolve around how product certification works, who issues certification, its validity and expiry date. These are vitally important questions, especially when it comes to public procurement.

SANAS is the sole body locally for accreditation standards in terms of conformity assessment, as mandated by the Accreditation for Conformity Assessment, Calibration and Good Laboratory Practice Act (No. 19 of 2006).

Carrying out a tensile test on a paving block

IMIESA November/December 2019

43

Cement & Concrete

Flexible attenuation with Armorflex

T

echnicrete’s Armor flex 165 precast system meets a wide variety of erosion control and drainage requirements. A recent example is an installation constructed for an attenuation pond that entailed the installation of 7 000 m2 Armorflex units.

“The beauty of the Armorflex system is that it is flexible and sophisticated in design, conforms to ground contours even if settlement occurs after installation (the blocks have a specially tapered design to allow for this), settles without fracture, and requires only limited ground

preparation,” explains Luan van der Berg, sales consultant, Technicrete.

At aprons at pipe inlets and outlets, Armor flex eliminates pipe undercutting that can lead to severe problems such as surrounding bank failure and downstream siltation. In turn, the openings in each block and between blocks are perfectly sized to benefit from enough vegetation growth to make the surface appear ‘natural’ while still maintaining structural integrity.

Technicrete manufactures the internationally licensed Armorflex system in South Africa. It is the only system

Technicrete supplied 7 000 m2 of Armorflex 165 blocks for an attenuation pond built for an industrial client

available locally with the facility to wire-tie adjacent blocks together into long mats. The interlocking design allows for the surface to remain flexible to movement, eliminating the cracking and spalling issues that can occur with solid concrete surfaces.

Amorflex is also well suited for other drainage applications such as ditch linings, spillways, headwalls, sediment basins and traps, and pipe inlet protection.

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Cement & Concrete The use of light-coloured concrete reduces heat build-up during the day

Parking lot sustainability Concrete offers several major advantages when it comes to the construction of parking areas, says Bryan Perrie, managing director of The Concrete Institute – a global authority on industrial surfaces.

T

o begin with, the maintenance costs of concrete parking areas are minimal, with just some joint sealing and cleaning usually required annually. “Asphalt parking surfaces, on the other hand, need to be treated every few years and totally resurfaced at least every 10 years,” Perrie explains. “Such maintenance work can be very disruptive to the operations of a commercial shopping complex or office block.”

Studies in the US have shown that over the typical 20-year life of a parking area, concrete requires minimal maintenance; however, during the same period, maintenance on an asphalt lot could end up being as much as 80% of the initial construction cost.

Lighting of the parking areas can also be reduced through the use of light-coloured concrete surfaces. It has been estimated that 3 of every 10 light fixtures can be eliminated without losing the level of lighting in a parking lot when using light concrete surfaces.

“With crime a constant problem in our country, lighter concrete parking lots create safer storage for cars while reducing energy costs,” Perrie explains.

Lighter-coloured concrete also lowers temperatures in parking areas during the hot South African summers and, by eliminating the heat island effect, can even lower cooling costs for adjacent buildings.

Concrete parking areas – particularly those with brushed finishes – are also more skidresistant and allow for the easy installation of rumble strips. Furthermore, concrete pavements do not rut or develop potholes when carrying heavy loads.

Greener “The environmental aspects of concrete parking lots should also not be overlooked,” states Perrie. “The run-off is low in toxicity and cooler than from asphalt surfaces.

Moreover, permeable interlocking concrete pavements substantially reduce run-off, which is becoming increasingly enforced through legislation globally.

“What’s more, to add to the sustainability point of view, the concrete mix used for parking lots can include recycled materials such as slag, fly ash and recycled concrete,” he adds.

The practical considerations of laying the parking area also favour concrete: concrete pavements are built in one layer, usually on a sub-grade of compacted earth. Asphalt

Concrete pavements are built in a single layer, usually on a sub-grade of compacted earth

Bryan Perrie, managing director, The Concrete Institute

pavements, on the other hand, require an additional gravel or crushed stone base.

“Then there’s the question of appearance,” Perrie continues. “The selection of concrete to pave a parking area offers the designer unlimited choices of texture, pattern and colour for aesthetic appeal; and the parking areas can be blended with adjacent greenbelts or equipped with water features.”

Large parking areas can be made more interesting through the use of colour, and colour can also be used to identify specific parking areas for buses, trucks and visitors’ vehicles, as well as directional signs for pedestrians.

“Parking areas are more than just surfaces for cars. They serve as attractive welcome mats for offices, sports stadiums, airports, shopping centres and the like, and demonstrate quality to visitors – even before they walk through the front doors,” Perrie concludes.

IMIESA November/December 2019

45

Joint Conference with

IMESA & IAWEES Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa & International Association of Water, Environment, Energy and Society

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS for paper and poster presentations

THEME

SYNERGY THROUGH ENGINEERING

CATEGORIES • Environment

• Energy

• Water and Sanitation

• Financial, Legal and Regulatory

• Transport, Roads

• Data management

and Stormwater

A B S T R AC T S S U B M I T T E D BY

06 March 2020 (poster presentations and abstract submissions)

marketing@imesa.org.za | tel +27 031 266 3263

Contact Melanie Stemmer for an entry form or download it from the website.

CONFERENCE HOSTS

t: +27 (031)266 3263 e: conference@imesa.org.za marketing@imesa.org.za www.imesa.org.za

IMESA The Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa & International Association of Water, Environment, Energy and Society

CONFERENCE ENDORSED BY

Building Systems

Corobrik supplied 560 000 Topaz Satin and 460 000 Roan Satin bricks for the project Two different face-brick colour tones were employed on each façade

Excellent by design

D

esigned by TKDS, the Nokuthula Centre and Special School in Johannesburg caters for around 560 learners ranging from ages 3 to 18 years. Setting a new standard, it serves as a possible prototype for similar facilities within Gauteng and further afield.

“A significant amount of work went into research on this project – including local and international facilities of this nature – and every

element had to be thought through carefully,” explains Khulani Silwanyana from TKDS. “It was important to transition the stigma around facilities for people with disabilities from negative to positive through this project.”

In addition to the need to create safe and functional spaces, a key mandate was the provision for low-maintenance solutions. The specification of thermally efficient face brick included making maximum use of natural light and ventilation. Deep overhangs to all

The design maximises the use of natural light

walkways, for example, help keep the harsh afternoon heat from the classroom spaces.

As part of the project’s green initiatives, the school makes use of solar geysers and borehole facilities. It also has its own solar farm on-site.

Around 90% of the external wall façade is face brick. The design balances with other elements that include aluminium, concrete aprons and stone cladding to create the final aesthetic effect.

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FOR GOOD, FOREVER! The CBA represents the clay brick and paver manufacturers of Southern Africa. We

inspire sustainable, contemporary commercial and residential architecture and paving.

Our technical manuals educate property owners and construction professionals on best practice in masonry construction for sustainable, energy-efficient buildings.

Download free technical manuals on clay bricks & pavers at www.claybrick.org Promoting Inclusive Sustainable Practices in the South African Clay Brick Sector SwitchThis Africa Green project is isco-funded funded by the by the EuropeanUnion Union European

Building Systems

Brick performance in the coastal zone In addition to being optimal for building insulation, clay brick walls also provide a durable weather seal, par ticularly within marine environments.

However, some measure of maintenance inter vention is still required in the spray zone.

T

he best indicator of a building product’s performance is at least five years in the exposure zone concerned. However, having prior knowledge of local conditions proportionate to the performance of the selected material and its intended use remains the ideal approach. This helps circumvent potential damage caused by external elements in the long term.

“When manufactured to set standards, clay brick is an excellent choice: the material is strong, hardwearing and weather-resistant,” explains Mariana Lamont, executive director, Clay Brick Association.

To facilitate the correct specification and use of construction materials, SANS 10249 (SABS 0249): Masonry Walling has grouped the Southern African region into four exposure zones (see Table 1). The recommended exposure zone to which each product is suited should be indicated by the manufacturer.

Optimising exposed brickwork Where clay brickwork is selected, best practice and the implementation of the following measures prior to construction can further enhance the material’s performance: - seasonal macro- and microclimatic conditions impacting on the site - orientation of the building structure to take best advantage of the sun’s energy through the seasons - design and detailing of the building envelope with adequate eaves, overhangs, guttering and flashings to limit the potential negative effects of the weather elements on exposed surfaces - quality of materials, mortar mixes, joint profiling and pointing, sealants and placement of damp-proofing - assurance from the supplier that the bricks are fit for purpose for the climatic zone – certain face bricks may not be suited to external conditions in zones 3 and 4.

Failure to comply with the recommendations of the manufacturer and/or building professional, particularly in sea spray areas, could result in premature surface weathering and spalling (disintegration) of the bricks and/or mortar joints.

However, even where the zone specifications are correct,

some level of wear and tear needs to be anticipated over time.

In one case study of a 15-year-old house built in a zone 4 area, some 300 m from the beach, the extent of the surface spalling on the seafacing brickwork was estimated at 2% to 3%.

This is relatively low considering the extreme sea spray conditions.

“Research has shown that bricks exhibiting less than 20% surface spalling after 15 years will show negligible deterioration in the future,” Lamont explains. “Where required, remediating the affected joints is a straightforward process.”

The re-pointing mortar needs to be a Class 1 mortar, one part cement and four parts clean, well-graded mortar sand. In addition, the mortar joint profile must be either a polished weatherstruck joint or have a half round well-polished bucket handle profile. This ensures a low porosity joint, which minimises future ingress of salt spray, thereby protecting both the joints and face bricks.

“Clay brick remains one of the greenest and most durable building materials and, when properly specified and constructed, provides outstanding performance from a durability, insulation and all-weather perspective. To get the best results though, the design and bricks selected need to match the climate zone,” Lamont concludes.

Table 1 South Africa’s exposure zones as per SANS 10249

Zone 1 Protected

All inland areas more than 30 km from the coastline

Zone 2 Moderate

The 30 km zone along the coast, but excluding the sea spray zone

Zone 3 Severe

The sea spray zone, such as the seaward sides of Durban Bluff and other exposed headland areas, i.e. the 15 km coastal zone from Mtunzini northwards to the Mozambique border, including Richards Bay and the coastal belt of Namibia

Zone 4 Very Severe

Areas such as Walvis Bay where moisture from sea mist and high groundwater tables, soluble sulphates in the soil, and/or rapid temperature changes combine to create severe exposure and weathering conditions. Also industrial areas where high acid or alkaline discharges occur

Construction Law

Aadila Mahomed, associate, MDA Construction & Technology Attorneys

Contract law and the mafia Disruptions and work stoppages orchestrated by South Africa’s ‘construction mafia’ are placing further pressure on an already constrained sector.

However, there are ways to counter the financial and legal liabilities.

D

elayed project delivery and cost overruns, health and safety issues for personnel, reputational damage, and loss of investor confidence are among the key ramifications of illegal work stoppages, says Aadila Mahomed, associate, MDA Construction & Technology Attorneys.

“We have acted for our clients on an increasing number of cases. We are working to ensure that these types of disruptions are considered during the initial

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IMIESA November/December 2019

contracting stage, as well as suggesting practical steps they can take during the construction phase,” she adds.

Whether in the form of business or community forums, rogue elements of the so-called construction mafia threaten violence and cause disruptions on sites, demanding a share of the contract and/ or the appointment of locally based contractors.

Generally, these forums

are not parties to contracts, adding to the difficulty of effectively dealing with the consequences of their actions.

Recently, the Supreme Court of Appeal casted doubt on aspects of a High Court ruling in a claim against Sanral Illegal work stoppages are having a devastating impact on the profitability of the South African construction industry

CONSTRUCTION LAW

•E nsure that an efficient communication system (a WhatsApp group, for instance) is in place in the event of an emergency.

• Put additional security in place around the site.

Addressing the issues before commencement of the works will save the parties time and money and may reduce the prejudice suffered by both parties for a situation that is out of their control.

Not all eventualities are covered by the law

involving force majeure, which also covers strikes.

Simply put, South African law is not clear on whether contractors can successfully claim additional time and costs on the basis of force majeure provisions.

Mahomed explains: “Standard-form contracts such as those of FIDIC and JBCC include strikes in their definitions of force majeure.

They entitle a contractor to additional time to complete the work. FIDIC has a clause that provides for payment to cover costs incurred in a force majeure event, if this is beyond the contractor’s control, unforeseen before the conclusion of the contract and unable to be reasonably avoided.”

A recent matter considered by the High Court held that the contractor (in this case, a joint venture) was solely responsible for the safety of the project site and that a prudent contractor would have foreseen the demand for jobs by the local community.

The actions and consequences were not beyond the contractor’s control and therefore the community’s actions did not constitute force majeure. On the other hand, the Supreme Court of Appeal was of the view that certain aspects of the High Court’s reasoning were “somewhat illogical”.

Consider material considerations Due to this apparent grey area in South African law, Mahomed says it is important to cover some material considerations at the contracting stage: • What plans and safety procedures do both parties have in place in the event of disturbance at the site?

• Will the contractor be granted an extension of time where the works are disrupted by unrest?

• Will the contractor be paid more where additional costs are incurred as a result of work stoppages caused by this unrest?

• If legal action needs to be instituted against perpetrators, who will be liable for the costs of this action?

MDA Attorneys also recommends implementing the following measures to ensure the safety of the site and the works: • Ensure that the site is properly zoned off, with any entry and exit points subject to access control procedures.

• Have a safety and evacuation plan in place.

MDA Attorneys recently acted for a client where obstructions were initiated by contracted parties. Unhappy with the payment arrangements that were outlined in the initial contract, contractors blocked access to the site and intimidated workers.

MDA Attorneys obtained an urgent interdict, which not only specified ever y possible behaviour that would constitute intimidation or delay, but also included specific actions and remedies if the provisions were not complied with.

The requirements of urgency were clearly outlined and, as a result, delays on account of the actions of the contractors were drastically minimised.

“Not addressing risk factors in agreements can leave the parties in limbo in terms of accountability, legal action, extension of time and additional payments to be made,” adds Mahomed.

“This, in turn, has a ripple effect on the already struggling construction industry. Parties need to save time and money as far as possible,” she concludes.

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BIENNIAL PROJECT EXCELLENCE AWARDS

TUESDAY 27TH OCTOBER 2020 CAPE TOWN

CALL FOR ENTRIES To recognise outstanding achievements in municipal infrastructure, we are calling for entries

Planning and design Construction methods Innovation and originality

that showcase projects that demonstrate the best of civil engineering as a science and how engineering

Meeting social and technical challenges

enhances the lives of the local communities, through excellence in:

Contributing to the well-being of communities

CATEGORIES

1

ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE IN STRUCTURES & CIVILS E.g. Projects demonstrating engineering science, use of alternate materials, innovative construction processes, etc.

2

COMMUNITY UPLIFTMENT & JOB CREATION E.g. Projects demonstrating labour-intensive construction, skills development, community awareness/participation, etc.

3

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE E.g. Environmental rehabilitation, renewable energy, drought solutions, coastal initiatives for rising sea levels, pollution control, educational/ technical initiatives, etc.

CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS 13 JULY 2020

Only projects that have reached practical or substantive completion by 30 June 2020 will be accepted for the Excellence Awards.

Adjudicators reserve the right to reallocate entries in the 3 categories.

ENTRY FORMS AND AWARD CRITERIA Available for download on the website: www.imesa.org.za

IMESA THE INSTITUTE OF MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING OF SOUTHERNÂ AFRICA (IMESA)

QUESTIONS Contact Debbie Anderson on +27 (0)31 266 3263 or email conference@imesa.org.za

Transport, Logistics, Vehicles & Equipment

Conveyor mobility improves throughput Bell Equipment has expanded its Finlay mobile crushing and screening range to include two conveyors – the TC-80 tracked conveyor and the TR-75 radial stacker.

D

esigned to maximise downstream quality, Finlay’s conveyor systems add new levels of production flexibility and efficiency.

“For example, the stockpile of a Finlay I-140 impactor needs to be cleared after 17 minutes of crushing, whereas the addition of a TC-80 tracked conveyor extends the clearing time to 7 hours and 13 minutes,” explains Paul Chappel, regional business manager, Finlay.

“Studies have shown that by replacing a wheel loader with a conveyor, an operator can save up to 90% of his labour and fuel costs,” he continues. “Of course, less wheel loader activity has positive environmental spin-offs in terms of dust, noise and emissions, as well as on-site health and safety due to reduced traffic. Quality also benefits because the conveyor reduces the degradation found when product thunders down on to a stockpile or is damaged during handling by a wheel loader.”

Tyron Ravencroft, product manager: Finlay, Bell Equipment, says Bell selected the TC-80 and TR-75 after conducting thorough market research in conjunction with Finlay’s conveyor specialists.

Pinless deployment Both units feature pinless deployment, meaning that the conveyor is held in place using hydraulic power rather than pins. The set-up is quicker and the operating height and angle are adjustable. Only one person is needed and safety is increased due to less nip risk.

“These conveyors both have external conveyor belt adjustment, as well as a hydraulic rear fold for a smaller footprint when transporting,” Ravencroft explains. “In addition, the TC-80 has low-level greasing and the TR-75 has a discharge head drum bearing automatic greasing cartridge.”

The TC-80 has heavy-duty 4 m tracks with 400 mm shoes as standard for good mobility on-site and stability when operating.

With a conveyor length of 23.5 m and a belt

width of 1 050 mm, this unit has both a discharge height of 9.95 m and a stockpile capacity of 1 806 m at 24 degrees. The TC-80 has a capacity of up to 500+ tph (tonnes per hour).

The TR-75 discharges in a kidney bean shape and features a fully automated system that automatically raises and lowers to minimise the fall height of the discharge, with an automated radial left to right drive to stop points selected on the control panel. This unit has a conveyor length of 22.9 m, a belt width of 1 050 m and a capacity of up to 600+ tph.

“Our new conveyors have common parts with our existing Finlay range, so our Bell Global Logistics Centre is well covered to suppor t these new products. They have also been specced to a high standard to meet Africa’s tough site requirements,” Ravencroft concludes.

IMIESA November/December 2019

53

Transport, Logistics, Vehicles & Equipment

Extended RD7 warranty

W

acker Neuson has extended the manufacturing warranty on its renowned RD7 range of pedestrian rollers from 6 to 24 months.

“As a market-leading manufacturer and supplier of light and compact equipment, we are always looking at new ways to sustainably deliver a high level of excellence to our customers,” says Dennis Vietze, managing director, Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa.

“This extended warranty demonstrates that we walk the talk.”

The Wacker Neuson portfolio of powerful RD7 pedestrian rollers (RD7A, RD7H and RD7Ye) is ideally suited to applications that require the compaction of asphalt and granular material. Manufactured with superior-

When it comes to hassle-free maintenance, the RD7 range leads the market with its advanced open-frame design

quality components, these ultrareliable, highperformance machines boast a smart and compact design that delivers a host of benefits.

The tapered frame enables seamless compaction right up against walls or other boundaries, and the short roller spacing and low centre of gravity facilitate manoeuvrability.

Operator safety and comfort are placed at the forefront of design; the dead man’s handle on these easy-to-operate units automatically stops the vibratory roller in an emergency, while the shock-mounts and attenuator in the centre pole protect against hand-arm vibrations.

The new two-year warranty is applicable on selected lower-frame components and excludes all electronic components as well as general wear and tear on the RD7 pedestrian rollers.

New equipment helps clean up KZN Operations are under way to clean up rubble in KwaZulu-Natal as part of government’s Good Green Deeds campaign.

U

nder the guidance of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the Good Green Deeds campaign is bringing financial relief to KwaZuluNatal’s municipalities that have been hiring equipment such as backhoe loaders, graders, rollers and trucks at great cost to clean up their areas.

ELB Equipment was able to supply 27 machines – the majority of yellow equipment used – for the R104 million contract for vehicles and equipment to support these municipalities.

In addition to clean-ups, the equipment will also be used to build, maintain and renew infrastructure such as drains, pipelines, outfalls and clearing operations.

“The drive to clean up our municipalities is gaining traction and businesses are increasingly getting behind our municipalities to ensure a greener environment for future generations. That is why ELB Equipment is particularly excited about supplying our equipment for such a good cause,” says Desmond van Heerden, divisional director, ELB Equipment.

Supporting the environment The Good Green Deeds campaign is part of a greater effort to reduce litter and pollution by educating people to be responsible and clean up wherever their activities have degraded the environment.

According to the province’s MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, companies have even promised to make staff available, adopt a spot to clean regularly and donate equipment for the province-wide clean-up.

The supply of equipment for the Good Green Deeds campaign is in line with ELB Equipment’s strategy to work closely with municipalities and government to make it easier to get the equipment that is required. “That’s the reason why we have hired specialised staff to work with municipalities to streamline procurement and ensure they get the right machine for the job – every time,” Van Heerden concludes.

54

IMIESA November/December 2019

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

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

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

IMESA

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

5D Survey

25

Lloyd & Hill

24

SMEC South Africa

agru Kunststofftechnik

32

Mariswe

19

Southern Pipeline Contractors

APE Pumps

34

MCi IT

28

Clay Brick Association of South Africa

48

Model Maker Systems

21

GeoAfrika

10

NOSA

26

Grundfos

2

Quality Filtration Systems

31

Reliance Lab

18

The Concrete Institute

47

Rocla

39

The Water Show

56

Uhele Precision Geomatics

27

36

Hanna Instruments IMESA

46, 52, 55 IFC

JG Afrika

Water Ad 210x148,5mm REPRO.pdf

56

IMIESA November/December 2019

1

2019/10/18

Structa Group Technicrete

Sizabantu Piping Systems

10:11

IBC

Terraforce

17 4 OFC, 51 44 OBC

Retaining

Systems Affordable, versatile and plantable

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TERRAFORCE:

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