Imiesa October 2014

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IMESA IM ESA TThe official magazine o f tthe of h Institute of Municipal EEngineering En off SSouthern o u th ou Africa

IINFRASTRUCTURE N FFRA DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY

Pravin P ravin G Gordhan ordhan Taking the hard line in local governance

HEROES OF INFRASTRUCTURE

IMESA 2014

Celebrating eThekwini – Proud partner –

The Partners

Unlocking infrastructure development together

The Providers

Solving the sanitation challenge

NATIONAL ASPHALT Pioneering Innovations IN THE HOT SEAT We strive to be real consultants – the Afrikaans version articulatess this better: to be ‘raadgewende ingeneurs’ – someone who gives professional advice.” Stan Mkhacane, Chairperson, Nyeleti Consulting I S S N 0 2 5 7 1 9 7 8 V o l u m e 3 9 N o . 1 0 • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 • R 5 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l VAT )

THE JOAT GROUP OF COMPANIES has moulded itself into an efficient and market-leading solutions-orientated team that primarily addresses the optimisation of water supply to consumers through the minimisation of water losses, application of appropriate technology, revenue improvement and energy efficiency.

The group’s key focus areas of operation are consulting and operations engineering (essentially the reduction of nonrevenue water and stabilising of water supply), product sales and support, energy efficiency and mentorship. JOAT’s passion and vision is to ensure that municipalities become as efficient as possible in delivering water to consumers and has adapted its approach towards an outcomes-based partnership that has shared responsibility and accountability. The ultimate objective of any successful partnership with JOAT is to provide water service authorities with an efficient distribution system that they are fully equipped and trained to continue to operate.

In response to this approach, JOAT has invested in wide-ranging technology and partnerships that can be harnessed for the benefit of municipalities. Flow metering solutions (permanent or temporary, monitoring or revenue-generating), data management solutions (data loggers, GSM data loggers), control valve solutions (pressure-reducing valves, pressure controllers, surge control), leak detection solutions (leak detection equipment and service) and energy efficiency solutions (variable speed drives and system optimising) are all available to be presented into cost-effective, custom-made packages.

JOAT has also expanded into the optimisation of energy consumption in the water cycle and has a number of in-house experts that can undertake energy audits and design energy efficiency solutions for pump stations and treatment works. This forms part of its overall approach to making the distribution of water as efficient as possible.

HEAD OFFICE Unit 19 Alexander Park, 24 Alexander Road, Westmead, Pinetown, KZN, SA 3610 • Postnet Suite 23, Private Bag X4, Kloof 3640 t +27 (0)31 700 1177 • f +27 (0)31 700 9853 • Contact Daryl Spencer daryl.spencer@joat.co.za c 083 555 9996 NATIONAL OFFICES • Pietermaritzburg • Port Elizabeth • Johannesburg • Cape Town • Shelly Beach

CONTENTS

VOLUME 39 NO 10 OCTOBER 2014

Hoop Dam – 65 De Building a legacy

45 National Asphalt, a member of the Raubex Group, is introducing the latest innovations in road maintenance and rehabilitation to the South African market. Recent business developments have positioned the company to offer further advanced solutions to the market. P6

PROJECT: The eThekwini Western Aqueduct Early succes for Esor

HOT HO SE SEAT S EAT 2014 has been a big year for Nyeleti Consulting. Two awards at this year’s CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards; a new branch in KwaZulu-Natal; great projects – and a formidable executive. Stanford Mkhacane, chairperson; Abe Thela, vicechairperson; Sundran Naicker, director, KwaZulu-Natal office; Vishal Krishandut, officer manager, KwaZulu-Natal office all take a turn…in the Hot seat.

Regulars 3 5 26 148

Cover story National Asphalt pioneers latest innovations

6

eThekwini COVER STORY: NPC Municipal feature: Cornubia Electron Road waste facility

21 25

Partners in infrastructure

in th he

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

Government voice – All systems go

10 12 17

COMPANY PROFILE: Isuzu trucks drive service delivery

93

Safety, health, environment and quality

COVER STORY: Sasol 32 – Building communities COMPANY PROFILE: Quality Services 35 Consulting in the new 36 South Africa HOT SEAT: Nyeleti Consulting – 38 Engineered to excel CESA Aon Awards: Rewarding 41 engineering excellence PROFILE: CESA’s Young 44 Engineer of the Year

Engineering for road safety

Government voice

Call to professionalise concrete supplies

115

ProAll Reimer gets to mix with the best

119

SA needs a sustainable construction industry

121

Water and sanitation

Restoring Margate tidal pool

123

Technical paper: Expanding containment 54 barrier boundaries De Hoop Dam – Building a legacy 65 Progress at Ingula 67 COMPANY PROFILE: Amanzi Meters – 69 David and Goliath Background to pour flush toilets 72 in SA COMPANY PROFILE: Calcamite – 74 Sanitation comes full circle Technical paper: Enhancing Johannesburg 76 WWTW’s sludge digestion COMPANY PROFILE: Aquadam's Muleby 80 Tank System The Jeffreys Bay WWTP upgrade 82

Technology in construction

Pipes

Transforming the brick-making business

All systems go

45

SABITA Warm mix asphalt a sustainable technology

48

COMPANY PROFILE: Fiberpipe's 86 corrosion-free GRP SAPPMA Pipes VIII: Hard work & hope 87 COMPANY PROFILE: Sangio Pipe KZN 91 achieves ISO 9001 listing

95

Roads Reconstruction of Putfontein Road

102

RAMS project transfers skills, builds capacity

105

Architecture Celebrating award-winning women in architecture

106

Cement and concrete

COMPANY PROFILE: IMQS – The municipal engineer’s responsibility

127

IT in Africa’s construction industry

128

Turning data into imagery for better 131 decision-making

Construction vehicles and equipment Power leads to economic resilience

136

New home for Metso mobile

139

‘Superfloor’ status for SA’s largest indoor 141 concrete polishing project 143

IMESA news Northern Branch AGM

145

Obituary: Vincent Granger

146

IMIESA October 2014

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

The tightrope of engineering excellence

PUBLISHER Elizabeth Shorten EDITOR Nicholas McDiarmid EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Danielle Petterson HEAD OF DESIGN Frédérick Danton SENIOR DESIGNER Hayley Mendelow DESIGNER Kirsty Galloway CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Tristan Snijders SUB-EDITOR Beatrix Knopjes CONTRIBUTORS R Bagatsing, L de Villiers Roodt, D Granger, CJ Gundle, P Heyns, PJ Meyer, W Meyer, H Mtemeri, D Petterson, F Stevens & K Wall CLIENT SERVICES & PRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh Botma PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jacqueline Modise FINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew Lobban MARKETING MANAGER Hestelle Robinson DIGITAL MANAGER Esther Louw ADMINISTRATION Tonya Hebenton DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa Masina DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha Pursotham SUBSCRIPTIONS subs@3smedia.co.za PRINTERS United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571 ___________________________________________________

I remember boarding the plane out of Port Elizabeth in October 2013, following the fantastic IMESA conference, as though it were last week. I remember the conversations; the thoughts I was having; the plans for the year to come.

Projects

W

e know that on the municipal infrastructure side, there are many obstacles to be overcome in improving the approval rates and delivery times of projects. The lack of professionals at municipal level, including building inspectors, and centralised decision-making processes only add to the problem.

The level of input from the private sector into public infrastructure is on the increase. All across the country, big industry is contributing to local government projects in a major way and, in this edition, we celebrate the work of Sasol in the Free State and Mpumalanga. The value of such projects is actually quite hard to measure. As Lucky Kgatle points out, a footbridge may be a humble bit of infrastructure, but how do you measure the eradication of a mile journey on foot every day for the local residents? Sasol has taken a true value measure, like this one, in all their interventions and, for other companies engaged in similar projects, this kind of approach may be one to follow.

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

PUBLISHER: MEDIA No. 4, 5th Avenue, Rivonia 2056 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 E-mail: nicholas@3smedia.co.za www.3smedia.co.za ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: R550.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR. © Copyright 2014. All rights reserved. ___________________________________________________ IMESA CONTACTS IMESA Administration Officer: Narisha Sogan P O Box 2190, Westville, 3630 Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263 Fax: +27 (0)31 266 5094 Email: admin@imesa.org.za Website: www.imesa.org.za BORDER BRANCH Secretary: Melanie Matroos Tel: +27 (0)43 705 2401 Fax: +27 (0)43 743 5266 E-mail: melaniem@buffalocity.gov.za

Celebrating eThekwini

EAST CAPE BRANCH Clarine Coltman Tel: +27 (0)41 505 8019 Fax: +27 (0)41 585 3437 E-mail: clarinec@africoast.com

This is the conference edition, and what an edition it has been. Its sheer size attests to the robustness of an industry that is thriving, despite trying conditions. I would like to take a moment for us all to reflect on the sheer determination and commitment of the individuals working in our sector.

I will not deny that I have heard rumblings of discontent and disappointment over the year, but this has not stopped development; it has yielded some interesting solutions, and the ingenuity of our engineers is as fresh as ever. Let us not let politics hijack this. Let us truly think about it and let this energy carry us forward.

One of our top-achieving metros has partnered with IMESA for this year’s conference. And a

KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCH Secretary: Rita Matthews Tel: +27 (0)31 311 6382 Fax: +27 (0)31 701 2935 NORTHERN PROVINCE BRANCH Secretary: Rona Fourie Tel: +27 (0)82 742 6364 Fax: +27 (0)86 634 5644 E-mail: imesanorth@vodamail.co.za SOUTHERN CAPE KAROO BRANCH Secretary: Henrietta Oliver Tel: +27 (0)79 390 7536 Fax: 086 536 3725 E-mail: imesa.southcape@gmail.com WESTERN CAPE BRANCH Secretary: Erica van Jaarsveld Tel: +27 (0)21 938 8455 Fax: +27 (0)21 938 8457 E-mail: erica.van_jaarsveld@capetown.gov.za FREE STATE AND NORTHERN CAPE BRANCH Secretary: Wilma Van Der Walt Tel: +27(0)83 457 4362 Fax: 086 628 0468 E-mail: imesa.fsnc@gmail.com All material herein IMIESA is copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers.

proud partner it is too. The City of eThekwini’s Department of Water and Sanitation was the recipient of the extraordinarily prestigious Stockholm Industry Water Award (SIWA) and our president, Frank Stevens, describes collecting the award as one of the proudest moments of his career. Make no mistake; the proof of excellence in our country is not only confined to this: • The City of Cape Town is the Design Capital of the World this year and remains on the Top 5 list of Best Cities to Live in.

• Two Johannesburg Development Agency Projects won awards over the last year.

• Five new centres of excellence have been launched in South Africa this year, committed to research and development in areas crucial to economic development and well-being.

• South Africa still leads the world in terms of corporate reporting.

• The IMESA CESA Excellence Awards have reportedly attracted the most entries ever and the standard of entries has never been higher (I am reliably told).

We are a troubled country, but we are also a group of robust individuals, and we persist. IMESA as an institute is becoming increasingly robust, and its role in improving service delivery, procurement, skills development and retention, asset management and promotion of its members has grown steadily over the last year.

This edition also celebrates the partners so crucial to public sector infrastructure development and we take our hats off to the consulting engineers, the contractors, the innovators and the manufacturers.

Once again, I look forward to seeing you all at this year’s conference and to celebrating another year of keeping on…

Nicholas McDiarmid

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

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• Late Registration IMESA members@ R4725 • Late Registration Non-IMESA members@ R5250

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Frank Stevens, president of IMESA

The importance of utility tunnelling to municipal engineering

Towards the middle of this year, I was asked to deliver the key note address at the second international No-Dig Conference held at the CSIR Convention Centre in Pretoria.

T

HE THEME of the conference was worded as follows: “Trenchless is an attractive option for crossing roadways and other transportation corridors, as well as rivers and waterways.

Trenchless methods can also be applied to install, rehabilitate or replace utilities located in environmentally sensitive areas and locations where surface access may be restricted due to the existence of structures or vegetation. Trenchless technologies are often the only viable construction option, the least disruptive and, in many cases, the most cost-effective.”

After listening to a number of international speakers and benefiting from networking with many people involved with utility tunnelling, I once again realised the importance of tunnelling to the municipal engineer.

History around municipal tunnelling in South Africa The Woodhead Tunnel at Slangolie Gorge in Cape Town is one of the earliest recorded municipal tunnels in South Africa. Constructed in 1891, it has a diameter of 1.7 m and is 360 m long. Its function was to convey water from Table Mountain to Camps Bay. Recent statistics gathered by the South African National Committee on Tunnelling suggest that 39% of South Africa’s 516 tunnels are

related to water and sanitation service delivery. eThekwini Water and Sanitation owns 18 tunnels, which include the subaqueous harbour entrance tunnel and the recently completed Mahatma Ghandi (Point Road) microtunnel. This tunnel – which will be featured in both a paper presentation and part of a site visit at the 2014 IMESA Conference – conveys effluent from Durban’s CBD to its sea outfall via the newly complete Point Road Pump Station and the Central Wastewater Treatment Works on the Bluff.

Asset management of tunnels Through the activities of its national training and initiatives, IMESA is endeavouring to emphasise the importance of the maintenance and replacement of the country’s muchneglected municipal assets.

Municipal tunnels are probably the most forgotten assets with many municipalities spending little or no money on these often high-risk components of their service delivery networks. In many cases, municipalities do not know of the position or existence of all of their tunnels.

The latest tunnelling equipment and methods Useful information and literature will be available within the conference exhibition area to assist

municipal engineers and consultants when choosing the most suitable tunnelling equipment to meet their needs.

Factors such as geology, tunnel diameter and length, ground water conditions and access each influence the final decision.

Machine types available include EPB shields, AVN, Mixshields and gripper tunnel boring machines for large-diameter tunnels and auger boring machines, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) rigs and direct pipe equipment for smaller tunnels.

Examples of two recent changes of technology used internationally are: • Pipe bridges have been replaced by tunnels under river beds using HDD equipment (eThekwini Water and Sanitation had a near-crisis situation earlier this year when a large water pipe suspension bridge collapsed into the Umgeni River as a result of hanger cables being stolen).

• Sea outfalls are now laid well below the sea-bed to prevent damage and they are more environmentally acceptable (eThekwini’s 60-year-old sea outfalls were simply laid on the seabed and evidence of erosion due to currents is a cause for concern).

reach its full potential. I would like to close with the following statement made by the Mayor of Tshwane, Councillor Ramokgopa, during his opening speech at the No-Dig Conference: “While we must continually be aware of the need for job-creation opportunities, we must also realise that the latest tunnel equipment and methods will often offer the better or only solution – it is all about finding the right balance.”

These sentiments well echo the theme of the 2014 IMESA Conference.

ABOVE Umgeni River suspension pipe bridge collapse BELOW Breakthrough of the Mahatma Gandhi Road microtunnel

In conclusion The use of municipal utility tunnelling in South Africa has yet to

IMIESA October 2014

5

COVER STORY

NATIONAL ASPHALT pioneers latest innovations National Asphalt, a member of the Raubex Group, is introducing the latest innovations in road maintenance and rehabilitation to the South African market.

S

EAN PRETORIUS, managing director of National Asphalt, says, “Having recently acquired a majority shareholding in Shisalanga Construction, National Asphalt is now in a unique position to offer further advanced solutions to this sector.”

This includes hydro texturising, a costeffective and environmentally sound solution for repairing flushed bituminous pavements.

“With this acquisition, National Asphalt is now able to build on the initial momentum created by Shisalanga Construction in the road maintenance and rehabilitation sector by promoting hydro cutting technology,” Pretorius adds.

Shisalanga Construction was established in KwaZulu-Natal in 1998 and recently introduced three high-pressure system hydro cutters into its equipment fleet. “Keeping up to date with the latest technology is critical

6

IMIESA October 2014

for the road industry, particularly with the current focus on the large-scale rehabilitation of the South African road network. This means looking at the latest surface texturing and rubber, and spillage removal technology,” Pretorius comments.

The hydro cutter can remove flushed seals – including bitumen, all asphalts and concrete – leading to a substantial improvement of the micro and macro texture of the seal. This results in a safer runway or road surface, as well as extending the life of the asset. Once the excess bitumen is removed, the stone chip matrix remains.

In terms of multiple seal layers, the hydro cutter dramatically improves seal stability and reduces the overall bitumen content ratio by up to 1 ℓ/m2 in a single treatment.

“That is an exciting potential application for National Asphalt and we are carrying out demonstrations in the Eastern Cape in particular. It is new territory for us but is a

major boost for our innovation and technology profile,” Pretorius says.

The high-pressure solution restores the texture and friction of a pavement by means of high-pressure water blasting. The hydro cutter combines variable water pressure with a high-velocity vacuum system to leave surfaces safe and stable. The vacuum system allows the machine to control the pressure at which it cuts. “The vacuum, and the ability to control the pressure, means that the texture depth can actually be determined while the machine is in motion,” Pretorius says. “It is a major advantage that the hydro cutter can actually capture and/ or secure all spillages and waste material for disposal at designated waste sites,” he adds. Removing excess bitumen and rubber from the road surface increases skid resistance, which results in fewer accidents on South Africa’s roads and runways.

The hydro cutter process can be used to

COVER STORY

clean open-graded asphalt that has been clogged by debris. Simply changing the spray bar nozzles, cutting speed and pressure to create a ‘washing’ action will revitalise the asphalt by removing all detritus material. The vacuum system guarantees that all unwanted material is removed from the road surface for proper disposal. The improved porosity of the treated asphalt layer also reduces the risk of aquaplaning, limits the road spray generated by vehicles by as much as 90%, and reduces road noise factor by 50%.

The hydro cutter from Shisalanga Construction consists of a truck-mounted, high-pressure water pump and vacuum recovery system with a 0.75 m to 3.45 m variable treatment width. The water pressure is variable and can be adjusted to suit a particular application. It includes 5 000 ℓ and 10 m3 wastewater storage.

“Water energy is focused in fine streams at high speed via five rapidly rotating blasting heads. The water streams physically cut the binder from the stone with the energy of each ‘needle’ of water dissipated upon contact,” Pretorius says. The environmental friendliness of the technology is due to the fact it uses water only as opposed to non-renewable resources such as sealing aggregates and bitumen, and is safer than other forms of remediation.

The use of hydro texturising to remediate flushed bituminous pavements has been pioneered in Australia and New Zealand, in addition to Europe and the United States, with no appreciable reduction in the structural life of the road surface being noted.

Every year, about 2.2 million m2 of hydro texturising is carried out by the Australian and New Zealand road authorities. This indicates that such leading road authorities have moved away from traditional forms of remediation, with South Africa expected to follow suit as Sanral seeks to introduce the latest technology to assist with the rehabilitation of local roads and runways.

“Technologies are advancing in leaps and bounds for those involved in the asphalt pavement industry. Recent developments and advances with regard to the use of modified binders, hard bitumen and the like are affording practitioners such as National Asphalt the opportunity to utilise its skills to push the envelope of pavement design,”

says Pretorius. An increasingly important requirement for road owners is the availability of pavement technologies that will limit interventions on heavily trafficked routes, thereby reducing disruptions due to congestion and minimising road-user delay costs.

“The technologies available in the international market for us to piggyback on are

additive manufactured from renewable raw materials. Termed EcoNat, it can be used in the manufacture of warm and low temperature and cold asphalt mixes. In addition, its use as a powerful asphaltene dispersant means it is ideal for the manufacture of RA mixes where it rejuvenates the properties of age hardened bitumen.

“Technologies are advancing in leaps and bounds for those involved in the asphalt pavement industry.” quite huge. Obviously the European, US and Australian markets are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious as they strive to comply with increasingly stringent environmental concerns,” Pretorius says.

National Asphalt’s strides in this arena include reclaimed asphalt (RA) technology, based on successful warm-mix trials conducted in the eThekwini region in KwaZulu-Natal, where 40% RA was used in a number of trial mixes. “We have carried out a lot of development work in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which has been very supportive of new technologies.

SANRAL has also been watching this very closely in its drive to spearhead innovation.”

While there are many benefits to introducing RA, the main advantage is the ability to recycle an existing pavement layer which comprises a mix with an inherently good aggregate and a certain proportion of bitumen. National Asphalt has also developed a unique dual-purpose environmentally friendly

National Asphalt has a number of licence agreements in place with leading technology developers in the US. “We always try to secure new technologies upfront to maintain our competitive edge in the market,” Pretorius says. An example of this is the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Shisalanga Construction and spearheading the adoption of the latest innovations such as hydro texturising. “National Asphalt continues to invest significant funds on the technical and technology side and in ongoing skills development and expertise,” Pretorius concludes.

www.nationalasphalt.co.za www.shisalanga.com

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

IMIESA October 2014

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SPECIALISING IN: Water and sewerage reticulation Bulk transfer pipelines Reinforced concrete structures Shoring of excavations Industrial buildings Enterprise development

P.O. Box 374, Mount Edgecombe, 4300 t 67 Siphosethu Rd, Mount Edgecombe 4302 Tel: 087 350 1400 t Fax: 031 502 5433 t Email: iconcon@mweb.co.za t www.iconconstruction.co.za

NPC

A MEMBER OF INTERCEMENT

Partnering to solve SA’s housing needs TILT UP SYSTEMS

ETHEKWINI PROJECTS OVERVIEW

ELECTRON ROAD WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY

THE WESTERN AQUEDUCT IMIESA October 2014

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ETHEKWINI | COVER STORY

KwaZulu-Natal partners for

tilt-up innovation Together, NPC – a member of InterCement – and Tilt Up Systems have developed a tilt-up construction solution for a patented affordable housing system that is set to transform low-income housing development in South Africa.

N

PC IS THE ONLY cement, aggregate and concrete producer in KwaZulu-Natal, and is heavily invested in the well-being of the communities in which it operates. Tilt Up Systems is a KwaZulu-Natal based company that was formed in 1999 and has developed into the leading tilt up contracting service in South Africa, providing full forming, casting and erecting services The concept of tilt-up construction has been introduced to the Department of Human Settlements and has created a great deal of interest as an alternative building method for affordable housing in South Africa, which is urgently needed.

Tilt-up technology is a method of casting reinforced concrete wall panels on a restricted surface area. The wall panels are cast on the floor slab of the building in a predetermined sequence. After the concrete has cured, the walls are then lifted into position and braced until all are secured. This method allows for the speedy construction of affordable, durable and high-quality housing.

Tilt-up technology has evolved to address weaknesses in traditional construction methods. The method is fast gaining acceptance across South Africa and is destined to become the construction method of choice for low-rise projects. The NPC-Tilt Up system delivers a high-quality product within tight time and monetary constraints. Because wall panels are pre-manufactured, construction is quick and cost-effective. It offers numerous other benefits including: • a high-quality finish • a hardwearing/durable end product • an efficient utilisation of available labour resources • an economical building method • reliable quality control • reduced shrinkage during the building phase.

NPC and Tilt Up Systems believe that this concept has exciting potential to help solve South Africa’s housing needs.

Tilt-up technology

Tilt-up construction remains somewhat

The advantages of tilt-up technology

LEFT Lifting tilt-up panels BELOW Temporary concrete casting surface RIGHT Precast elements combine the building facade, structure and final finish

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IMIESA October 2014

overlooked as a construction alternative, despite its impressive advantages and range of utility; including its malleability in accommodating specific applications.

Tilt-up construction is a technique that maximises many of the unique and sustainable benefits of concrete for a cost-effective and efficient construction method. Elements that are to be tilted up are formed on a concrete slab – usually the building floor – but sometimes a temporary concrete casting surface near the building footprint.

After the concrete has cured, the elements are tilted from horizontal to vertical with a crane and braced into position until the remaining building structural components (roofs, intermediate floors and walls) are secured.

By forming the concrete elements on the ground as opposed to the final position, tiltup provides a convenient construction method saving time, man-hours and formwork.

Conventional tilt-up panels are structural elements within a building that span from base to roof diaphragm, acting as beams and capable of carrying roof and slab loads.

ETHEKWINI | COVER STORY

They combine the building facade, structure and final finish in one operation.

Panels are set out in accordance with a predetermined casting layout drawing.

Ideally, panels are cast on the surface bed of the project or on final concrete hardstand areas around the building. Tilt Up Systems provided the famous roadside panels along the N2 highway in KwaZulu-Natal.

Ngcwayi Housing Project The first project to make use of tilt-up technology was the 48-unit Ngcwayi Housing Project at Port Shepstone.

NPC and Tilt Up Systems commenced work on the Ngcawyi Housing Project in June 2011. At a cost of around R8.9 million, the project set out to build 48 houses for the Ngcawyi community using the NHBRCapproved NPC-Tilt Up system.

The community of Ngcwayi was selected following comprehensive consultation with stakeholders, such as the Ezinqoleni Municipality, regarding their inability to access basic services due to their location.

The municipality indicated that it would be difficult and costly to bring services to the community because of the location of the area. It was therefore decided, together with the relevant traditional authorities, that new land should be provided for the community. NPC and Tilt Up Systems then committed to building good-quality houses in an area where there will be adequate access to basic services as well as other necessary amenities.

Located at Murchinson in an area called Newtown, the project enables the community of Ngcwayi to acquire proper housing and have access to the basic services provided by the municipality.

Community, social and labour development NPC CIMPOR By the end of the project, the companies developed and trained 60 local community members in the building system. For NPC the benefit lies in implementing their SLP

Tilt Up Systems’ award-winning feature panel on the road to King Shaka airport, KwaZulu-Natal

project and being compliant with the relevant mining legislation as well as offering the opportunity to strengthen the good relations the company enjoys with these important stakeholder communities.

The first set of houses was handed over to families in December 2012 by the Minister of Mineral Resources, Susan Shabangu.

The remaining houses were handed over in April 2013. The company hopes that the innovative concept will gain acceptance by the Department of Human Settlements and its partners so that it can be used on other projects in the country.

As NPC managing director, Piet Strauss said at the time: “As a company, we strive for sustainability. We must not only be profitable, but must also contribute to environmental improvement and the communities in which we operate. Since 1964, we have been the only cement producer in KwaZuluNatal, and now also produce aggregate and concrete. By being present here, we provide employment and also long-term local business opportunities. We trust that communities and business in this province continue to support each other.”

Tilt Up Systems Tilt Up Systems initially operated as a specialist supplier and consultant, promoting and facilitating the use of tilt-up construction. By 2003, the company was providing a full-service subcontracting service that included forming, casting and erecting tiltup panels countrywide. In 2008, Tilt Up Systems moved into the precast market and has, to date, successfully completed more than 121 contracts, including: • 40 000 m2 industrial projects • 125 000 m2 retail project developments • numerous award-winning projects, hallmarked by innovative tilt-up construction techniques.

Charles van Eck, owner and managing director of Tilt Up Systems, started his career

THE TILT-UP PROCESS • Perimeter formwork • Apply bond breaker • Fix reinforcing • Position and secure • Lift and brace inserts • Cast and float panel • Cure • Erect and temporarily brace • Connect into unified structure in 1985, working as a specialist in a tilt-up division.

His 25 years specialising in tilt up construction have led to national recognition as one of the foremost experts in this construction technique. This recognition has extended beyond South Africa’s borders: in 2006, Van Eck was recognised by the American Tilt Up Concrete Association when he was awarded the Tilt Up Contractor of the Year award.

Van Eck’s work with NPC on the patented housing system reflects a passion for social upliftment and housing development. “From a commercial perspective, I see our key opportunities in the retail, industrial and commercial sectors, and our success in these areas has led to our ability to devote resources to research and development, in partnership with NPC-CIMPOR, to this housing technology.”

The range of Tilt Up Systems projects is extremely impressive, from large stadiums to highly visible retail projects, such as the Gateway Shopping Centre, the Sibaya Casino and even Walter Sisulu Square.

Tilt Up Systems t +27 (0)31 765 4104 c +27 (0)82 331 5864

NPC – a member of InterCement t +27 (0)31 450 4411

IMIESA October 2014

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ETHEKWINI | MUNICIPAL FEATURE

Building a new city Cornubia, a mixed-use and -income development, is altering the Umhlanga skyline and becoming a major industrial area. Danielle Pettersen explores this innovative project.

T

he R25 billion Cornubia Housing Project in Durban was officially opened by President Jacob Zuma in April this year. Spanning over 20 years, the project is the province’s and eThekwini’s first Cabinet lekgotla priority project.

Cornubia is a joint-venture development between the National Department

of Human Settlements, the KwaZuluNatal Department of Human Settlements, eThekwini Municipality and Tongaat Hulett Development, and is set to be eThekwini’s largest sustainable and integrated human settlement initiative.

Once completed in 2030, the 1 200 ha property will consist of 84 000 housing units, of which 15 000 will be low-cost homes. It will house 2 million m2 of commercial space and an 80 KEY FOCUS AREAS OF BNG: ha industrial development.

• accelerating housing delivery as a key strategy The construction phase will for poverty alleviation create up to 15 000 new jobs, • using housing provision as a major job while the completed developcreation strategy ment will create space for about • ensuring that property can be accessed 48 000 permanent retail and by all as an asset for wealth creation industrial jobs. Residents will and empowerment contribute approximately R300 • leveraging growth in the economy, combating crime and promoting social cohesion million in rates to the eThekwini • using housing as an instrument for the coffers and a further R2.1 bildevelopment of sustainable human lion in VAT receipts for the settlements in support of spatial restructuring. national fiscus.

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Development principle The housing project is being developed in accordance with the principles of the Breaking New Ground (BNG) policy to promote the achievement of a non-racial, integrated society through the development of sustainable, integrated human settlements with associated economic opportunities for citizens.

The BNG’s strategic focus includes ensuring the delivery of affordable housing in sustainable and habitable settlements. Its strategic priorities are to accelerate housing delivery; improve the quality of housing products and environments to ensure asset creation; restructure and integrate human settlements.

The project is an integrated human settlement which aims to effectively eradicate a significant number of the informal settlements across the municipality. The households earmarked for relocation to Cornubia are selected on predefined criteria that

ETHEKWINI | MUNICIPAL FEATURE

include: people residing in river floodplains, unstable land, in the way of current and medium-term development, child-headed households, disabled persons, womenheaded households, aged persons, the eradication of complete settlements among other criteria as approved by the municipality and province.

More than just housing The Cornubia development is expected to contribute to the integration of the city and seeks to end the legacy of spatial and economic imbalances of historical planning by bringing communities close to job opportunities, social amenities, major services and public transport. It embraces all aspects of human settlements and the natural, social and economic environments.

According to former Human Settlements Minister Connie September, the department has shifted its focus from housing to human settlements.

A key principle behind Cornubia is the integration of different income levels and a mix of freehold and rental housing. In line with international design concepts, provision has also been made for social infrastructure. “The planning was driven around the need for accessibility, so all facilities – schools, health and other social infrastructure – will be within a five-minute walk,” explains Karen Petersen, the human settlement executive at Tongaat Hulett.

According to Petersen, Cornubia puts an end to the stereotype that social housing is simply about putting a roof over someone’s

head. The communal spaces are designed to encourage social interaction and create a sense of ownership and commitment to community. “There is a real social implication of poorly designed housing.

If you don’t create places where people are proud to live, then you’re just reinforcing the idea that neither the building nor the tenant is worth the effort.”

Building connections

ONCE COMPLETE, CORNUBIA WILL HOUSE:

• 28 000 housing units (15 000 low cost) The development is strategically • 2 million m2 of commercial space located between the historically • 80 ha of industrial development disadvantaged areas of Phoenix, • schools, clinics and amenities such as Ottawa and Waterloo and newer public transport areas of Mt Edgecombe and • environmentally friendly and eco-sensitive industrial and business parks Umhlanga, and has been planned • two BRT routes. to integrate these very different and disparate communities in a manner units in November and December 2013. that adds value and enhances linkages and Interim retail facilities have been provided opportunities to all. to meet residents’ daily needs, includTwo bus rapid transit (BRT) routes are ing arrangements to transport scholars to expected to link Cornubia, Umhlanga and neighbouring schools. the nearby township of Phoenix. The BRT Construction on Phase 1B commenced in routes will also link the area to the Dube November 2013 and is on track to be comTradeport and King Shaka International pleted by April 2015. Phase 1B will see 13 Airport approximately 7 km north. main contractors delivering fully serviced A multinodal transport interchange for houses at a cost of R533 million. taxis and buses has been planned and the Approximately 1 000 affordable housgeneral approach is to make all facilities ing units will be developed in the area accessible to both pedestrians and vehiaround Marshall Dam adjacent to Phase cles. Upwards of R100 million has already 1B, over a period of two to three years, been spent on building linking roads. from 2016. This will be private sector and “For the City of eThekwini, Cornubia is market driven. set to be a catalyst project that will unlock On the periphery of Phase 2 is the existdevelopment in the northern corridor linking ing informal settlement of Blackburn. The to King Shaka International Airport and the plan is to integrate this existing settlement Dube Tradeport. It is into Phase 2. However this is to be underencouraging that the taken separately due to the land procureadjacent industrial ment process not being finalised and a sites that will provide separate EIA to be conducted. job opportunities for The industrial precinct is expected to be the local community completed by 2018. Mass earthworks are are being taken up already under way on the retail park and by the private secbuilding construction will commence in tor,” says Mayor Cllr June 2015.

James Nxumalo.

Tongaat Hulett is also in the process of Progress positioning and branding another 70 ha OVERALL BULK SERVICES The first phase of gross area adjacent to the retail park as an The total bulk anticipated for the overall 482 housing units affordable lifestyle estate making provision development is 3.7 million/m2 split is already completed for approximately 3 500 affordable and as follows: • 1.7 million m2 residential (46%) and the first group middle-income housing units. It is antici• 1.2 million m2 commercial (32%) of beneficiaries took pated that construction will commence • 0.8 million m2 light industrial (22%). occupancy of their in 2018.

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ETHEKWINI

Smart City app to reinvigorate service delivery

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HE ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY in KwaZulu-Natal will be the first of many public sector entities that will benefit from a new Smart City mobile application.

This app is designed to integrate a range of services offered by the municipality. It is a responsive service delivery tool designed to enable municipalities to interact with their customers in real time. This not only saves the customers from having to queue at service points, but also allows speedy resolution and communication of cases.

In this way, it can serve as the ultimate customer participation and customer relations tool for municipalities of all sizes.

This revolutionary app was launched at

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the Mobile Government Summit, a national initiative to advance the use of mobile technology at national, provincial and local government level.

Integrated Service Management solution Asked to position the Smart City app in this broader service delivery context, DynaTech CEO Ntokozo Xaba explains that the Smart City app is only one part of the company’s broader Integrated Service Management (iSM) e-government solution.

“Overall, the iSM solution covers mobility, big data, the cloud and the Internet of things – what Gartner refers to as the nexus of forces – using very advanced

software for managing ser vice deliver y issues. This means that eThekwini will be the first municipality to benefit from this technology, which I believe will transform service delivery in the public sector, providing a truly 21st century approach to this vexing issue.”

It is clear that the move from outdated, paper-based systems into e-government solutions needs to occur sooner, rather than later. Gathering together public sector thought leaders at the Mobile Government Summit and launching new apps like Smart City are vital steps on the path to enabling municipalities and other government entities to not only keep up with, but get ahead of the current service delivery backlog.

ETHEKWINI

Most progressive water utility in Africa

E

THEKWINI WATER and Sanitation received the Stockholm Industry Water Award at a ceremony during World Water Week, for its transformative and inclusive approach to providing water and sanitation.

“I stand here today as part of a team of dedicated professionals who have worked with me over the past 22 years. It is a tremendous honour for all of us in Durban,” said Neil Macleod of eThekwini Water and Sanitation on receiving the prize.

In his acceptance speech, Macleod underlined the role policy has had in the success of eThekwini Water and Sanitation. “If the politicians had not dared to take bold decisions, we would not have been able to do what we did. You need an enabling environment,” he said.

Most progressive water utility in Africa eThekwini has been called the most progressive water utility in Africa by the Stockholm Industry Water Award (SIWA) jury. “eThekwini has championed the approach to provide sufficient water to sustain human life, as expressed in the South African Constitution, now embedded in national policy. The methods used and results achieved by eThekwini Water and Sanitation serve as a sterling example for the many communities worldwide facing similar challenges,” stated the SIWA jury in its citation.

In the past 14 years, an additional 1.3 million

people in greater Durban have been connected to piped water and 700 000 people have been provided with access to toilets.

Access to basic water supply and sanitation is provided at no cost to poor families, while higher levels of service and consumption are charged at full cost, thus respecting the constitutional right to water while maintaining financial sustainability.

At the forefront of innovation In addition to successfully providing basic services to a large and diverse population, eThekwini Water and Sanitation is at the forefront of exploring technical and social solutions.

One example is a mini hydropower project.

Instead of using pressure-reducing valves in pipes running down steep hillsides, the

ABOVE Neil Macleod of eThekwini Water and Sanitation and Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane accept the Stockholm Industry Water Award Photo credit: Cecilia Östberg, Exray

company is installing mini turbines using the excess pressure to generate electricity for the city’s low-tension grid. The eThekwini municipality is also pioneering solutions to convert urban wastewater challenges to agricultural opportunities, as well as harvesting rainwater.

The combined result is one of the most progressive utilities in the world. The open approach to experimenting and piloting new solutions across both technical and social aspects of service delivery has made eThekwini a forerunner in the world of utilityrun services.

Construction incubator develops skills

E

THEKWINI MUNICIPALITY, in partnership with the Small Enterprise Development Agency, launched the construction incubator centre as part of the city’s plans to promote local economic development and investments in the townships and rural areas.

The centre was donated by the local church to the residents of Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu to develop their skills in order to improve the quality of their lives.

Mayor Cllr James Nxumalo says the municipality decided to work with the community to convert the structure into a construction incubator and training centre. This idea comes after a number of infrastructural development activities were taking place in the region and most emerging contractors were not benefiting due to inadequate skills.

Nxumalo says the primary aim was to assist emerging contractors in these areas in sharpening their skills so that they will be able to grow

their businesses in an innovative and cost-effective way.

“The construction sector makes a vital contribution to the competitiveness and prosperity of the economy. For the country to drive economic development, it is dependent on the performance of infrastructure. In this case investors will consider the quality of the infrastructure as one of the key factors when considering investments,” says Nxumalo.

Philip Sithole, head of business support, tourism and markets, says the launch of this construction incubator will play a central role in the city’s drive to promote sustainable growth.

“That is why it is vital that we invest in the right people with the right skills, to ensure that this sector continues to positively play a meaningful role in our day-to-day lives. This programme will not only benefit the contractors but will contribute through its job-generating ability to local people,” says Sithole.

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ETHEKWINI

Electron Road Waste Management Facility The R135 million Electron Road Waste Management Facility won first prize for technical excellence at the SAICE Durban Branch Awards 2014 as well as a commendation at the 2014 CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards.

T

HE COLLECTION and transportation of waste costs South Africa over half-a-billion rand every year.

The Electron Road Waste Management Facility is one of the first largescale greenfield waste management facilities in South Africa that includes a refuse transfer station (RTS). The site is located north of central Durban, near the Umgeni River, just south of Umgeni Road and east of the N2 national road.

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A key focus of the facility is to move waste management towards a more sustainable municipal service – one that meets new national waste regulatory requirements, reduces waste transportation costs, provides employment opportunities, allows waste to be effectively diverted from landfill and enhances the beneficial recycling of waste.

At present, most of the waste in Durban city is disposed of at the Bisasar Road

landfill site in Springfield Park, but this site is reaching full capacity. When capacity is reached, waste collection vehicles will have to travel to the Buffelsdraai landfill site approximately 33 km away – more than double the distance of 15 km, which is considered an economical travelling distance for collection vehicles.

These prohibitive transport costs have made the provision of a WTS financially prudent, particularly since the Electron Road

ETHEKWINI

contract management duties. GJA and Allan Cunninghame were responsible for the electrical, electronic and mechanical duties.

Specialist mechanical-plant consultant ConsulTech was also involved. There were many other consultants involved, including surveyors, architects, a landscape architect, groundwater specialists and geotechnical scientists, among others.

The construction was undertaken by Aveng Grinaker LTA. Akura supplied and installed the specialised mechanical plant as a subcontractor.

Overview of the facility Innovation, originality

LEFT Electron Road Waste Management Facility ABOVE Compaction hall beneath tipping hall floor with Husmann compactors and the underside of the chutes on the right BELOW Final weighbridge structure and recording station with truck approaching for control weighing and billing

waste collection vehicle. These containers are then taken by lower-maintenance longhaul vehicles to landfill. That means, one single load by a vehicle with lower running costs replaces what would have been trips by at least four other higher-cost vehicles on the roads.

The project team site is less than 1 km from the Bisasar Road site. The reduced transportation will also reduce fuel consumption and wear and tear on road systems, with an overall reduction of carbon emissions, by implementing this more efficient transport system.

The Electron Road transfer station has been designed to transfer 1 200 tonnes each day. This equates to an entire football field covered 1 m deep in waste that needs to be handled, managed and transferred daily.

It is able to receive waste from local household waste collection vehicles and compact this waste into specially designed containers. Each container load is at least twice as big as the load carried by a local

The Jeffares & Green team, as lead consultant, undertook the project management, civil, structural, roads and transportation designs along with site supervision and

• Design elements were adopted from a facility in Hong Kong and made to suit the South African environment and labour situation.

• It sees the first-time use of the modernday Husmann compaction equipment and related side-pushers. These specialised German units were brought in through a South African supplier and also installed by a local company. This is an international skill-transfer for South Africa.

• By introducing side-pushers to the facility, the processing speed of the facility is massively enhanced and allows for its optimal use.

• A focal point of the project is the ± 100 m x 55 m x 18 m refuse transfer station

SCALE OF THE FACILITY • Over 5 000 m3 of concrete • Over 24 000 m2 of formwork • 500 tonnes of steel • 13 000 m2 of brickwork 6 100 m2 of roof covering • 5 km of trenching and pipework • 17 000 Terraforce blocks • 10 500 m2 of concrete surface • 11 100 m2 of brick surfacing

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ETHEKWINI

• The tendered amount (due to clear, concise documentation and detailed drawings) allowed the pricing to be over R30 million less than the estimated amount.

• All tenders were within approximately 7% of each other.

Managerial vision and competence

Roll-on, roll-off vehicles for moving containers full of waste or material for beneficial use

structure designed by the Jeffares & Green Cape Town Structures section. The majority of the facility has no internal supports, allowing for the free movement of vehicles, quicker movements and turnaround times, and greater efficiency. The ceiling also required a clearance height of 7.5 m.

• A special stormwater treatment process was designed using the newly formulated sustainable drainage system.

Provincial government is now starting to recognise the new effective natural process for the treatment of potentially polluted stormwater.

• A new type of loading magazine that FIGURE 1: 3D model of the entire facility. The roofing layout allows natural lighting and ventilation

FIGURE 2: 3D model of RTS tipping hall floor, offices, ramp up to the floor, exit ramp, etc.

handles the roll-on, roll-off reinforced steel containers was designed and constructed.

These magazines also allow live weighing, so the operator of the facility can immediately ascertain whether the containers have been optimally filled for transporting.

• The design of the building maximised natural light and natural airflow.

• Special attention was paid to pollution prevention. The site now consists of a number of silt/sand traps, oil traps and litter traps. This was done to allow key pollution prevention actions such as the capture of oils, litter, silt/sand and to lower the chemical oxygen demand of the effluent.

• Specialised control booths were installed for optimal control of the facility.

Greening initiatives • All external lights on daylight switches • Maximised use of daylight on apron floor • Stepped lighting inside the RTS building • Localised control of air conditioning • Motion sensors on lights in offices/store • Recycled rubble used for fill where possible • Litter and silt traps in catch pits • Rainwater harvesting to wash bays and for floor washing • Low-flush toilets/hold flush • Low-flow showerheads.

The design of the entire facility needed clear modelling of traffic movements, capacities and the structures themselves. This was accomplished by Jeffares & Green undertaking 3D modelling.

Budget • The contract was completed with over R5 million in savings against the tendered amount.

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• The project involved many years of intensive option analysis to optimise such a facility. The project involved a wide range of expertise including mechanical, electrical, civil and structural engineering, as well as industrial architecture, polluted water treatment, greening initiatives, etc., all of which required close and efficient coordination.

• The financial management of the project led to a significant cost saving on the tendered civil and mechanical components of the works.

Construction methods • The geotechnical conditions on-site were less suitable than other sites, and unique piling methods and systems had to be adopted.

• Tilt-up wall panels were used – a first on this scale – which also allowed for a facebrick finish, requiring special moulds and casting techniques on-site. A great deal of the preparatory work could be done in parallel to other works on-site, and moulds allowed for easier, efficient quality control.

This also prevented the need for very high scaffolding and high-risk bricklaying.

• Over 33 specialist subcontractors were used to ensure high-quality installation and, with their experience, ensure correct product choices were made.

• The contract achieved over 15% for its contract participation goal, which to amounts to over R19 million spent on empowerment. This was over the required target.

• The construction contract involved a budget for the training and upliftment of local residents and local labour.

• Over R73 000 was spent on direct, dedicated training of less-skilled workers to enable better employment opportunities in the future.

• The other benefit of this facility was employment creation. A range of new jobs will be created. The design of the facility was to emphasise manual-labour control rather than automated/mechanised control, where possible and logical.

ETHEKWINI

Specially designed ramps allow access for a range of vehicle types

Aesthetics • The building was oriented and designed to suite local styles.

• Special colour coding was adopted to corporate needs.

• Modern-day colour blending was used to lessen the impact of the scale of the structure.

Quality of Engineering • Up to this point, over 25 000 hours of professional design and site work went into completing the facility. Over 402 000 man-hours were spent to construct the facility. The contract was geared towards labour-intensive construction methods, to allow for experience gains by the workforce and optimal employment opportunities.

• Design was done in compliance with current legislation and building codes.

Complexity • Waste in itself is not consistent in nature. It is not consistent in character (moisture content, free liquids, bulk-mass items, level of organic waste, and amount of packaging waste) and a system was required to be able to process the varying character of the waste.

• Pollution control, in detail, is required. This includes liquids squeezed or escaping from the waste mass to special collection pits in the floors, or drainage from the compactor units.

• The height of the building and the timeframes required special construction techniques.

• The entire operation of this facility is dependent on data, records and billing systems. This key control is done using special weighbridges of a particular length and width, with specialised drainage pits beneath (to control run-off of polluted stormwater).

This data system, combined with data from the compaction units, provides critical information.

Environmental • A lengthy environmental EIR/BA process was followed over many years. This led to a successful construction and operating licence being issued.

• Some similar sites in South Africa are still busy with their environmental processes after 12 years, far from even commencing the construction stage.

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Combining time-honoured engineering with cutting-edge solutions J&G is proud of its award winning projects Kraaifontein Integrated Waste Management Facility Winner of the 2012 National SAICE Award for Technical Excellence Electron Road Integrated Waste Management Facility Winner of the 2014 Durban Branch SAICE Award for Technical Excellence Contacts W Cape: Richard Emery on 021 532 0940 or emeryr@jgi.co.za Gauteng: Stuart Gower-Jackson on 011 807 0660 or Gower-JacksonS@jgi.co.za KZN: Colin Scott on 033 343 6700 or scottc@jgi.co.za E Cape: Richard Fyvie on 041 363 1900 or fyvier@jgi.co.za

www.jgi.co.za

IMIESA October 2014

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ETHEKWINI | PROJECT

The eThekwini Western Aqueduct The Western Aqueduct is the single largest water infrastructure project ever undertaken by eThekwini City Council, with an estimated value exceeding R800 million. Nicholas McDiarmid, generously hosted by Esor Pipelines, a division of Esor Construction (Pty) Ltd, visited sections of the project and was suitably awed.

T

HE ETHEKWINI Western Aqueduct is set to add further capacity of 400 megalitres of water per day to the 1.1 million megalitres of water currently consumed per day by the city. This project comprises approximately 73 km of welded steel pipelines in diameters ranging from 1.6 m to 0.5 m, which will be laid along existing pipeline servitudes. The pipeline route will run along existing municipal roads through the eThekwini region from Umlaas Road terminating at Ntuzuma, Pinetown and Tshelimnyama, eventually branching off to the Northern Aqueduct.

Planned over seven phases, Esor Civils was awarded the contract for Phase Three and Five and began work on the project in January this year. Stephen Cahi, with a background in both road building and pipelines, is the project manager and acted as tour guide.

As this is a 25 km stretch of the pipeline, work has commenced at three fronts in Kloof, KwaDabeka and Ntuzuma.

Project scope The project is labour intensive and is scheduled to employ 250 labourers during peak activity times. It is comprised of the earthworks, trenching, laying of the pipeline and welding and the road layer works, with the pipeline lying beneath the road.

It follows a standard back-to-fill operation. “The scope of both phases is to lay the pipeline and do the roadworks for a stretch

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ETHEKWINI | PROJECT

“Ensuring that the specifications are followed and aligned with the General Conditions of Contract means that each process and procedure has to be tracked very closely.” of 25 km, approximately equally divided.

Phase One and Two runs from Inchanga to the Ashleigh Pressure Tank in Hillcrest. From the Ashleigh Pressure Tank, the pipe line will extend to the NR5 reservoir in Ntuzuma.

There is about 6 km of road to rehabilitate and re-align, which is a complete cut-to-fill operation. We are also digging a new service trench for the electricity and communications lines,” explains Cahi. “The new pipeline runs in new alignment; so we have to do the basic earthworks first, followed by the trenching and pipe-laying and finally the road layer works.”

The pipeline itself runs three meters beneath the road to the invert of the pipe and about one and a half meters to the crown of the pipe.

The Western Aqueduct itself originates at the Midmar Dam and terminates near Ballito.

This phase of the project joins with sectors one and two, which runs from Inchanga all the way through to the break pressure tank at Hillcrest, which is where this phase picks up, from where it runs to the NR5 reservoir. The pipeline then branches off to the Northern Aqueduct where Esor is involved in two further phases of the Northern Aqueduct. As this is a brand new pipeline and not an upgrade of the existing one, no diversions are required.

Pipes and equipment eThekwini issued all the materials including the pipes and valves. Welded steel pipes

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were supplied by Hall Longmore and vary in grade from X42 through to X65, with diameters of between 1 and 1.4 m.

While Esor has its own equipment, the company is also renting equipment and vehicles from a number of sources, due to the number of sites involved. This include 30 tonne excavators, pay loaders, side-booms (for laying the pipe), 30 tonne and 50 tonne cranes, horse and trailers to move the pipes, graders and rollers.

“We all have our favourites: I favour Caterpillar; our contracts manager favours Komatsu and our site agents prefers Hitachi, so we have all three on site,” jokes Cahi.

When it comes to trenching, Cahi would like to see a day when most projects can be done trenchlessly. “Imagine being able to do a notrench through the road. The big challenge is getting large-sized pipes in trenchlessly.

To jack a pipe of the size we are using 150 m into the ground, you are looking at 500 kg per running meter! This is a massive weight – achievable, but very expensive.”

Specification and design All the specifications came off design from the engineers – the Western Aqueduct Consultants Joint Venture – which is comprised of Knight Piesold, Royal HaskoningDHV and Naidu Consulting. The design documents specify all aspects of the pipeline design, including size and route of the trenches,

depth of trenches, bedding materials and trench fill materials.

Decomposed granite is being used for bedding the pipeline in the trench, as it meets all the requirements. The environment itself is very stable with little to no seismic activity. The geotechnical reports do suggest that some areas along a railway line might be given to some instability but ultimately this could only be dealt with once the work begins at those spots and any tension cracks are revealed. “As you dig, you see cracks forming and if they appear to be large enough to be unsafe, then shoring will be put in place,” says Cahi. Shoring is done either through sheet piling or driving wedges and beams with timber between them.

Work on the current phase has been split up across a number of fronts. Six fronts are currently in operation: one in Everton Road, one in Pioneer Road, two fronts in Wyebank Road, a section proceeding down towards the Umgeni Valley, a front at the Umgeni River itself and another descending from the NR5 reservoir towards the Umgeni River. Another front that would have been in operation was along a railway line, beginning at the Ashley break-pressure tank.

The intention was to begin at the Ashley break-pressure tank, but due to problems encountered along the rail servitude, this section has been put on hold temporarily.

There had been a concern that the track might be undermined, though this has subsequently been resolved. Instead of the railway line route, work has begun along Everton Road and has been completed to a distance of about 1.5 km from the point of origin in Everton Road, proceeding toward the NR5 reservoir.

ETHEKWINI | PROJECT

ABOVE LEFT The project consists of laying 73 km of welded steel pipelines.

The pipes are being laid along existing pipeline servitudes ABOVE The pipeline route will run from Umlaas Road, terminating at Ntuzuma, Pinetown and Tshelimnyama

Heavy blasting Approximately 500 m of road excavation and earthworks has been completed and the teams have encountered a lot of rock.

This has called for a lot of blasting to be done – 5 000 m3 to date – and the amount of rock requires blasting activity on a daily basis. Blasting has been very intricate, occurring between houses and roads in some fairly densely populated suburbs. Two blasting experts have been contracted to these works: Trench and Bulk Blast and SBS Surface Blasting Systems. All the blasts have been covered, either by mats or excavated materials and the charges cannot exceed 25 m per second. The teams use Vibrarecorders to ensure the blasts fall below the specified limits.

A crack survey is being carried out on the nearby houses prior to blasting and post blasting to ensure any damage is documented and managed, and of course as a protection against any subsequent false claims.

From a contractual point of view, the liability for any blasting damage lies with the blasting contractor, if it is found that any aspect of the operation fell outside of the specifications.

If damage is found to be as a result of any unforeseeable conditions, it becomes a force majeure. Because of the potential impact blasting has on communities, the process calls on a lot of resources.

Working with the communities

Meeting the challenges

A project of this magnitude has an impact on many stakeholders, including the people living and working in the vicinity and the local labour market. Esor has appointed public relations officer (PRO) Simphiwe Twala to engage the communities directly, a process which has been remarkably successful.

The blasting process itself is a good example of this. Residents are kept informed about the whole process and notified about construction activities, road closures and the blasting schedules. Twala continuously liaises with the political counsellors of the area as well.

Cahi reckons that the positive impact of the work of the PRO, along with good signage, well-thought-out detours and the high level of communication with the affected communities have seen minimal complaints and greatly enhanced cooperation. “When concerns are brought forward, we don’t ignore them, we respond meaningfully and this creates a trusting relationship. The public relations work as a whole is truly facilitating our progress on the project and I now see it as intrinsic to our continued success,” explains Cahi. What seems like a ‘soft’ issue can make a concrete difference.

“We also work with a community liaison officer (CLO), assigned by the local council, who is also making a significant contribution. He is the link between the PRO and the community, as well as human resources and the community. He organises the local labour for us in a systematic and fair manner, split across three communities. We have no say in the matter at all.” The community provides the lists and the CLO then draws the names, with no favouritism involved. This also ensures that Esor retains neutrality.

“There are a lot of challenges on a project of this magnitude,” says Cahi. “It is very intensive from a project management perspective, because there are so many variables that change from moment to moment.

Ensuring that the specifications are followed and aligned with the general conditions of the contract means that each process and procedure has to be tracked very closely.

It’s a matter of getting everything to link up in the same direction while following the original scope of work. Apart from not knowing what is buried under the ground from one patch of site to the next, where volumes of rock are far greater than anticipated, working with the community is extremely important.”

A recent service delivery strike spilled over into Esor’s portion of the works, causing disruptions. “A project like this, which is located in an area of high unemployment, can be the object of a lot of dissatisfaction, because not everyone in the community is able to get employment, and this can be frustrating for them.”

Much more to come The scale of the Western Aqueduct is massive. Phases Three and Five cover enormously differing terrains, including incredibly steep canyon walls, which will call for certain aerial interventions when laying the pipeline. The Esor team – led by Cahi – is comprised of highly experienced and qualified individuals whose passion for their work is highly evident. Since bulk water pipelines are hidden from view, it is only during the construction phase that one can appreciate the enormity and extent of the infrastructure.

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Market leading innovators in the field of prepaid water metering and electronic flow limitation devices

w w w. u t i l i t y- s ys te m s. co. z a

ETHEKWINI | HOUSING

Early success with low-cost housing Par tnering with Government on low-cost housing projects has proven successful for one civil engineering company.

S

INCE ENTERING the low-cost housing sector six months ago, Esor Civils has experienced success beyond expectation and is presently working on two Governmentsubsidised projects to provide 1 000 lowcost houses in the village of Enhlangweni, in the Umzumbe Local Municipality near Ixopo in KwaZulu-Natal, and 500 units in the village of Ezinqolweni, in the Ezinqoleni Local Municipality near Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal.

More recently, Esor Civils has secured the provision of low-cost housing in Bhobhoyi, close to Port Shepstone. The company is earmarked for a further project in the Umzumbe area and has also set its sights on the Eastern Cape.

“Low-cost housing is something quite new for us and it’s working out very well,” says Mark Rippon, managing director of Esor Civils. “We already have a diversified portfolio that includes road building, mining and township infrastructure work, water and sewage reticulation contracts, and concrete projects for Government, major mining

houses and the private sector. Although our move into low-cost housing is at the inception stage, we’re very excited about these early successes and we believe there is significant potential to expand into this sector of the market. We’re proving that we’re reliable and able to deliver these projects to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

“Low-cost housing is still very much a governmental focus and the recent increased subsidy will see the specifications improve from the two-roomed 40 m2 dwelling with rainwater har vesting and an outhouse, that we are building at Muzumbe and Thimude, to dwellings of the same size but now plumbed and electrified, and including an inside bathroom with a basic hand basin, toilet and shower. The upgraded specifications will also be applicable to the scope of the Bhobhoyi and second Muzumbe projects.”

“Low-cost housing is something quite new for us and it’s working out very well.”

Mark Rippon, MD, Esor Civils strong presence in Southern Africa and a growing African footprint. Bigen Africa takes responsibility for the design of the houses, provides site supervision during construction and conducts quality assurance before the houses are handed over.

On each low-cost housing project, the Esor Civils team identifies local emerging subcontractors and supports them with the procurement of materials and the provision of training, effectively equipping them with experience and marketable capabilities.

Building partnerships On these projects, Esor Civils has teamed up with consulting engineers Bigen Africa, a leading design engineering company with a

BELOW RIGHT A low-cost house with rainwater harvesting BELOW Low-cost housing in KZN

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AFRICA ROUND-UP

INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT NIGERIA N485 trillion for infrastructure master plan Nigeria has announced a N485 trillion (R32.6 trillion) National Integrated Master Plan. The N166 billion (R11 billion) first phase will focus on building major infrastructure and will run from 2014 to 2018.

According to deputy chairman of the National Planning Commission Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman, Phase One will focus on major infrastructure such as transport – roads, railways, sea, airports and power – oil and gas, housing, water, and information and communication technology.

Sulaiman noted that Nigeria has low levels of infrastructure compared to countries like Japan, Singapore and China. He emphasised a need for planning and stated that over a thousand Nigeria has announced a N485 trillion National Integrated Master Plan to focus on transport infrastructure

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IMIESA October 2014

stakeholders, including foreign and local consultants and politicians, technocrats, bureaucrats and all others, were brought on board to ensure that the right environment is provided.

The public sector will finance 52% of the 30-year developmental plan, while the private sector will make up the remaining 48%.

“The good thing about it is that it is going to be private, but public driven,” said Sulaiman.

He added that the public financing is expected to come from the Sovereign Wealth Fund and the Debt Management Office, among others.

KENYA African project managers receive training The African Water Facility (AWF), with the support of the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) East Africa Regional Resource Centre, brought together more than 40 project managers from over 15 English-speaking African countries to participate in a five-day

project management training programme in Nairobi earlier this month.

The workshop was designed to increase AWF grantees’ capacity to navigate through the AfDB and AWF rules and procedures, as well as to help enhance their ability to manage various administrative aspects of their projects, thereby maximising results on the ground and benefits to targeted populations.

“The AWF has committed itself to working closely with its grantees to help them overcome the challenges of project management and implementation,” said Akissa Bahri, coordinator of the AWF. “Enhanced familiarity with our project management rules, as well as knowledge sharing and capacity building, is of tremendous value to our grantees and can significantly increase the success of their projects in the short and long term.”

At the workshop opening, Gabriel Negatu, director of the AfDB’s East Africa Regional Resource Centre, acknowledged AWF’s role in the identifying and financing preparation of projects, particularly those involving complex, niche or innovative approaches and the increasing number in the regional AWF portfolio.

He encouraged participants to use the workshop as an opportunity to address bottlenecks affecting implementation, which lead to start-up delays.

He emphasised the need to ensure project delivery is done in a timely manner to enable faster achievement of intended benefits and avoid cancellation of funds. The workshop was designed to: • enhance the knowledge of the project management team members on the rules and

procedures of the AfDB and the AWF in administrative, technical and financial management of projects • review the constraints and difficulties encountered in the implementation of projects • review the terms of distilling and documentation of lessons learned and knowledge products • foster discussions among project management team members and exchange experiences to make the appropriate recommendations to improve procedures for the monitoring and supervision of projects reporting to the AWF. Participants included a mix of professionals, such as project coordinators, procurement and financial specialists, for whom the training was specifically tailored.

WEST AFRICA $19 billion infrastructure investment Eight West African nations agreed to $19 billion worth of infrastructure deals at the recent West Africa Investment Forum.

Investments will be injected into roads, railways, airports, energy, food security and water.

The largest investment comes from the UAE company Trojan General Contracting, which will spend $16 billion on road and rail projects across the region.

Essar Projects, the UAE subsidiary of Essar Group, will invest up to $1.98 billion in road, bridge, airport and thermal power plant projects in Benin, Guinea Bissau and Niger. Omanbased Hasan Juma Backer Trading will invest approximately $700 million in a dry-port development project in Cote d’Ivoire.

A total of 16 agreements were signed at the investment forum.

AFRICA ROUND-UP

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AfDB, Japan sign $300 million loan agreement The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Japan have signed a concessional loan for $300 million to support the private sector in Africa.

The AfDB was represented by its President, Donald Kaberuka, and Japan by its Ambassador in Côte d’Ivoire, Susumo Inoue.

This agreement formed part of the Enhanced Private Sector Assistant (EPSA) initiative. EPSA is an innovative multidonor, multicomponent initiative for resource mobilisation and development partnership to support AfDB's private sector development strategy. It was designed in partnership with the Japanese government.

At the 2008 G8 Summit in Gleneagles, the Japanese government announced a major initiative to support the development of the African continent in the areas of infrastructure and the private sector.

Implementation of the EPSA initiative has three components: to fast-track the set-up of cofinancing for the public sector; the Fund for African Private Sector Assistance; and loans to the private sector. In recent years, major projects have been cofinanced within this framework.

The signing of this agreement comes further to the announcement made by Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe, that his country would be doubling its commitment to the EPSA account from $1 billion to $2 billion over the next three years. This was during his official visit to Abidjan in early 2014.

TANZANIA Developing Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port Tanzania and the World Bank have signed a memorandum of

understanding to develop the Dar es Salaam port.

The cooperation will be delivered through the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project.

It includes the provision of financial support to facilitate the deepening and strengthening of berths one to seven, the dredging of the entrance channel and turning basin in the port, the construction of a new berth and roll-on, roll-off terminal, and improvements in the spatial efficiency and operational effectiveness of the port.

The provisional cost of the project is $565 million, and will be covered by a mixture of loan, credit, and grant from the development partners.

The overall objective of the cooperation is to support the TPA to realise the objectives of the Tanzanian government for the maritime sub-sector, as expressed in the Big Results Now initiative, part of the Tanzania Vision 2025, and increase the capacity of the port to 28 million tonnes by 2020, from the current 14.6 million tonnes handled in 2013/14.

The Port of Dar es Salaam is arguably Tanzania's most important infrastructure asset. Future growth of the economy depends on the port's ability to improve, become more efficient and be able to handle more trade,” stressed Ros Cooper, acting head of office for DFID. “We are extremely excited to be part of this initiative that will help Tanzania be more competitive and that will support economic development and growth across the region. Through this, the lives of millions of people will be improved.”

World Bank Country Director for Tanzania Phillipe Dongier added, “This memorandum of understanding marks another significant milestone in the history of relations of the World

Tanzania and the World Bank will develop the Dar es Salaam port

Bank and Tanzania.

“The World Bank Group has been a consistent supporter to the transport sector in the country in the past and we are delighted that we are now closely working with the UK Department for International Development and TradeMark East Africa, which has had an ongoing support programme for the last four years since its establishment in Tanzania, and the Tanzania Ports Authority to deliver a project that will make a substantive contribution to the development of both the country and the East Africa region,” said Dongier.

CONGO Increasing access to electricity

The Republic of Congo has received a $15 million International Development Association credit and a $45 million International Bank for Reconstruction and Development loan to increase access to electricity and improve the efficiency and reliability of the distribution system.

The additional financing will provide the country’s National Electricity Utility – SNE – with tools to improve the quality of services provided to its customers, and to enhance overall efficiency, transparency and

accountability of its performance in all business areas. It will also help improve the performance and governance of the SNE to implement sound operations and maintenance conditions of the goods, works and services financed under the project.

The financing also provides additional funds for new activities to enhance the electricity utility’s managerial, technical and commercial performances that complement the electricity portion of the ongoing Water, Electricity and Urban Development Project (PEEDU).

The project will help increase access to basic infrastructure services, safe drinking water and electricity for the urban poor living in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire.

Approved by the World Bank board in 2010, the project has strong support from the government and has already benefited over 260 000 people. The studies conducted under the first phase of the PEEDU revealed that the power sector was in need of reforms and essential investments in order to restore the reliability and viability of the sector.

“The electricity demand in these cities is expected to double in the next few years and the major transmission lines essential to supply power are not up to the standard to meet these needs,” said Sylvie Dossou, the World Bank Country Manager for the Republic of Congo. “This project will support investments to retrofit or upgrade the infrastructure to improve the operation and management of the power system.”

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Our history Lekwa Consulting Engineers was established in 2002 by two dedicated professional engineers, Kibiti Ntshumaelo and Gert Smit, who seized and developed an entrepreneurial opportunity in the civil engineering industry. Our approach is based on ďŹ nding synergies with the public and private sector stakeholders, including communities. We believe that through this partnership approach, we could be instrumental in unlocking skills development and job creation initiatives in South Africa. Our ofďŹ ce network covers the Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Free State and North West provinces.

s IN HOUSE EXPERTISE THAT IS BROADENED through networking with specialist partners and associates to provide conventional and turnkey project solutions to our clients s QUALITY CONSULTING ENGINEERING SERVICES s A HIGH LEVEL OF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND PROFESSIONALISM THAT HAS ENSURED EXCELLENCE IN TERMS OF OUR SERVICE DELIVERY We continue our commitment to offering our clients a professional and unrivalled service. We would like to thank all our clients, stakeholders, suppliers and staff for supporting us through all these years and look forward to continuing the journey with you.

What 12 years means to us Twelve years in a sector that is constantly and rapidly advancing is an achievement we are proud of, and we have successfully established ourselves in the civil engineering consultancy sector. The company has grown progressively over the past 10 years from being a small consultancy to a fully-edged mediumscale ďŹ rm. Through our dedication and consistency, we have strived to fulďŹ l our mission and offer our clients: s VALUE ADDED PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES ACCORDING TO internationally accepted standards

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

SABTACO

CESA

Roads t and Stormwater.

Bulk twater and sewage installations.

Watert and Sewage reticulation networks.

EPWPt Projects.

Structures t and Buildings (Facilities) Sportt and Recreational Facilities.

Solidt Waste Projects.

Community t Centres.

Multi-Disciplinary t Project Management.

Labour t Intensive Projects.

Township t Establishments and Housing Projects.

Railway t Engineering Services.

Mining t Infrastructure Projects.

LEVEL 3 BBBEE PROCUREMENT CONTRIBUTER OFFICES: ALBERTON-Gauteng 118 Hennie Alberts Street Brackenhurst:PO Box 145851 BrackenGardens1452 Tel: 011 868 2494 t Fax: 011 868 1348 E-mail: lekwainfo@civilnet.co.za

ERMELO-Mpumalanga 67 Fourie Street PO Box 1903 Ermelo2350 Tel: 017 819 1985 t Fax: 017 819 4017 E-mail: lekwa@civilnet.co.z a

NEWCASTLE-Kwa-Zulu Natal 34 PatersonStreet Newcastle PO Box 27 Newcastle2940 Tel: 034 315 3232 t Fax: 086 669 7533 E-mail: lekwa@civilnet.co.za

www.lekwaconsulting.co.za

SASOL

Building communities through partnerships

CONSULTING IN THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA

CESA AON AWARDS 2014

“The planned Government infrastructure gives consulting engineering companies such as Nyeleti an opportunity to develop engineering capacity and capability through infrastructure provision.”

Abe Thela, Vice-chairperson, Nyeleti Consulting

in the

HOT SEAT

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29

SUSTAINING FIVE MILLION PEOPLE

Delivered through strong partnerships, AECOM is proud to be the engineer for the CESA award winning Spring Grove Dam, which augments water supply to five million domestic and industrial users. www.aecom.com

PARTNERING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

CONTENTS

38 IN THE HOT SEAT Nyeleti Consulting Expanding as a multidisciplinary consulting engineering leader

36 Interview Consulting in the new South Africa “South Africa is watched by the rest of Africa. One of the key challenges is that, as much we want to thrive as a developmental state, we have to be very cognisant of capacity.”

Lefadi Makibinyane, CEO, CESA

41 CESA Aon Excellence Awards 2014

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Cover C over story t

SASOL – Building communities Sasol is committed to making a meaningful and practical difference to the lives of the people living in the communities in which it operates.

44 Meet CESA’s Young Engineer of the Year – HHO Africa’s principal engineer Makotsene Makgalemele.

“Always ask, ‘Is what I am doing meaningful?’ If it is, do what you need to do to get it done whether you like it or not.”

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PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | COVER STORY

SASOL

Building communities Positive news about mining and labour in the mining sector has been hard to come by recently, but Sasol Mining, a subsidiary of the integrated energy and chemical giant Sasol, has been making a considerable positive impact on the lives of not only its labour force but the communities in the areas in which it operates.

T

HE PRIVATE SECTOR has a crucial role to play in the development of South Africa’s public infrastructure. Since 2008, in addition to its CSR programmes, Sasol Mining has been working closely with the Department of Mineral Resources, and the municipalities in which it operates, to identify and provide life-changing infrastructure to local

communities, as part of its Social and Labour Plan (SLP) commitments.

True partnerships Sasol Mining is committed to making a meaningful and practical difference to the lives of the people living in the communities in which it operates, positively impacting the lives of both Sasol employees and

non-employees alike. Lucky Kgatle, vice-president: Enterprise and Business Enablement at Sasol Mining, leads the company's SLP projects, which comprise infrastructure and enterprise development, service delivery support and job creation.

“Although our infrastructure projects do form part of the SLP, they are primarily driven by Sasol’s commitment to making a difference in people’s lives,” says Kgatle.

All mining companies need to have SLPs to obtain or retain mining licences to operate.

“We have taken great care in how we work with multiple stakeholders to ensure that we support projects that make an overarching difference in the lives of the communities,” he explains.

The role of the local municipalities, in the areas in which Sasol Mining operates, is central to Sasol Mining’s SLP projects, guiding the company’s selection of projects and facilitating relevant processes: “Our projects are aligned with the municipalities’ Integrated Development Plans (IDP), but also take into account the actual needs of the communities they serve as a primary point of reference. It is the communities who best understand the challenges they face on a daily basis, and it is they who are best equipped to guide us and ensure that what we do is optimally effective,” explains Kgatle.

Maximising impact – Selecting the projects Kgatle explains that the process of working with the municipalities and the communities is done through regular SLP forums. These forums are formed per municipality and are made up of Sasol Mining and municipality teams. They regulate all aspects related to the implementation of the projects in all municipal areas.

In addition to the existence of the municipal SLP forums, community liaison officers, who are paid by Sasol Mining but interface directly with municipalities, communities and the project teams on the ground, are appointed in consultation with municipalities. These community-sourced project officials are responsible for resolving and escalating all incidents and issues that arise in the project on a daily basis. They also serve as public relations officials for the projects.

“I always tell my teams to consider the multiplier effect when selecting projects.

LEFT Sasol's SLP sees the company partner with all levels of Government

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PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | COVER STORY

The impact must be far reaching while also meeting the requirements of the SLP.” Since the start of the implementation of these projects, an impressive number have been completed and, as Kgatle explains, the projects chosen reflect the integrity of Sasol Mining’s intentions.

“At first glance, these are not all headline projects,” he says. “A footbridge, for example, may not seem like much; it’s not a massive structure, but the difference it makes in the lives of the affected community is substantial.”

Instead of implementing one or two headline projects, benefiting just a few communities, Sasol has rolled out a significant number of smaller projects, which collectively have changed the lives of many people.

Jobs, skills and empowerment Sasol Mining is also fully behind empowering South African businesses. “We specifically focus on black-owned companies when employing consulting engineers and contractors,” continues Kgatle. “We also have a minimum requirement of 70 per cent local labour, and strengthen them through training programmes.” The idea is to identify non-skilled workers, train them, and develop a pool of skilled labour for current and future projects. “We invite local entrepreneurs to join our training programmes, particularly those related to construction, like brick making and welding,” explains Kgatle. “Sasol Mining also has training programmes to develop portable skills that can be used outside of the company.” Sasol Mining has

THE PROJECTS In 2012, Sasol formally announced that a total investment of R200 million in the communities of Govan Mbeki Municipality in Mpumalanga and Metsimaholo Municipality in the Free State was under way.

T

WO YEARS LATER, Sasol Mining has managed to complete more than ten of these projects. A key feature of the SLP is that the projects may have no direct or indirect benefit to the mining right holder.

“If Sasol were to build a road that might equally benefit a community as much as it does our mining operation, it would not meet the requirements. We have put a lot of effort into finding the right selection criteria for these projects,” explains Dr Sarel Booyens, senior manager: Reserve Acquisition.

Two footbridges

Two footbridges, with an estimated value of R1 million, were constructed in Mpumalanga in 2010, the first of which now enables community members to safely access the local community clinic, as the bridge crosses a path that floods during rainy seasons. The second footbridge enables the community to safely cross the Welas River, providing access to schools, clinics, shopping centres and local factories. Before this bridge was constructed, an average of four people drowned each year.

It is estimated that some 32 000 households will benefit from these footbridges.

Lebohang stormwater drainage project Lebohang is located in Govan Mbeki Municipality and its lack of stormwater systems resulted in several tragedies.

partnered with a training provider and has broadened its training programmes to look beyond Sasol Mining’s areas of operations.

Because of the broad spectrum of skills required on Sasol’s SLP projects, not all the skills can be sourced locally. “Ultimately, we want to be sourcing 90 per cent of the skills locally, so once we start implementing large-scale projects, Sasol Mining will have the paving specialists and welders on hand locally.” Sasol is currently planning a housing project for employees that will entail some 2 000 homes and attendant infrastructure and services.

Kgatle reports that feedback from the communities benefiting from the SLP projects is extremely positive, and Sasol appears to be hitting the mark.

“We first designed a Total Stormwater Drainage Plan, which we then split into two phases, focusing on the most critical areas first,” explains Booyens. “It was also important that whatever we installed, the municipality would be able to expand on later. Because of limited resources, we considered maintenance challenges and, for that reason, chose to install ‘V’ drains, which are relatively maintenance free.” The R1.3 million project has made the community of Leandra much safer and created 20 jobs during the construction period. It also incorporated a skills transfer programme, including cement handling and drainage system assemblage. These skills prepared the workers for Phase Two.

Charl Cilliers sewerage services Charl Cilliers is a town located in the Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) and is largely provisioned with pit latrines and septic tanks, but no vehicles were available to service the town. This had resulted in serious health hazards and had become intolerable to the inhabitants.

Sasol decided to invest in two sewage removal vehicles (honeysuckers) and engaged Mercedes-Benz to supply and equip the sewage removal trucks. The trucks were supplied and assembled locally.

Each truck has a capacity of 10 000 litres and is equipped to empty pits and septic tanks, twice a day. This removes around 40 000 litres of sewage sludge per day from Charl Cilliers and transports it to the Evander

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PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | COVER STORY

sewage plant of the GMM. The trucks are valued at R3.5 million and training was provided to the operators and drivers.

Repair of the Kinross water reservoir Kinross is a small town located 70 km north of Standerton and falls under the Govan Mbeki Municipality. “The five-million-litre reservoir was initially built and commissioned in 2009,” explains Booyens. “Prior to Sasol Mining’s involvement, it posed several risks, not least was the fact it was leaking before it even came into use.”

Sasol conducted a study of the structure of the reservoir and identified what was causing the leaks in early 2013. During the repair process, the water system to the town was diverted into the Rand Water system. The total cost of the repair and seal initiative was R2.8 million.

required more consulting rooms, space for administrative records, a larger emergency room and an improved pharmacy to manage and store medicine effectively. Sasol is also solving existing sewage reticulation and supply problems by installing a 20 000 litre water supply tank. The company is also paving the area around the clinic, fencing it off and supplying furniture for the new extensions.

Now almost complete, the R7 million upgrade has seen the clinic double in size and boast fully operational emergency and maternity sections, and a pharmacy. Serving around 20 000 households, it provides a full range of primary health services, including maternity, dental, tuberculosis and HIV/ AIDS treatment.

The eMzinoni Clinic

eMbalenhle sewerage pipeline project Although the GMM had installed a gravitybased pipeline in eMbalenhle, the system became blocked due to the installation of incorrect pipes. Sasol is installing new, larger pipes, including feeder lines into the sewerage works.

The Leandra Fire Station

Future projects

Lebohang, in Leandra, is a large informal settlement and, due to the lack of firerescue services, was identified by Sasol as a significant fire risk. Whilst the area had no way of dealing with veld fires, it was also at incredibly high risk from domestic and veld fire accidents.

The R10.2 million project included the construction of a fully fledged 24-hour operational fire station instead of the initially planned low-level fire station. Sasol also committed to the procurement of a new fire truck, one light delivery response vehicle and the required firefighting equipment. The fire station is located next to the municipal offices and has direct electricity supply from Eskom and a back-up generator has also been installed. Training of firefighters has also been provided, construction is completed and the station is expected to become operational in November 2104.

Sasol will continue with the implementation of community development projects as part of its SLP, and upcoming project include: • the upgrade of a wastewater treatment plant in Nthoroane/Greylingstad • connection of sewerage reticulation pipelines to the local sewage works in eMzinoni • Phase Two of the Lebohang/Leandra stormwater project • Phase Two of the eMbalenhle footbridge projects • a bridge for the Sakhisizwe community (replacing the current, inadequate bridge) in a community near Evander • construction of community centres in Charl Cilliers and Steenbokpan/Lephalale.

This broad range of projects has been chosen, designed and implemented to maximise impact on the communities in a sustainable and directly beneficial manner.

The manner in which the company’s SLP is being executed reflects a commitment to its communities far beyond any regulatory requirements. Sasol Mining’s investment in infrastructure, particularly, is also a reflection of how well the public and the private sector can partner each other to great benefit.

The support and cooperation of all levels of Government have resulted in demonstrable improvements in the daily lives of the affected communities. The benefits are both far reaching and sustainable and demonstrate the progressive realisation of a better life for all South Africans.

Sasol has also recently upgraded the eMzinoni Clinic, in Bethal, Mpumalanga, beyond its initial project scope to ensure that the clinic can provide more health-care services, such as dental care, overnight care, a maternity ward and rooms for consultation and wound dressing, as well as social and support services, including administration rooms, waiting rooms and a dispensary. Around 23 000 households will benefit from the upgraded, fully equipped clinic.

“This clinic has been transferred to the Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Health, although currently, only some of the facilities are being used. It is a challenge to attract professionals to the area, including doctors and nurses, but the state of the facility may well change that,” says Booyens.

“We also upgraded the sewerage, water and electricity infrastructure, and an emergency water and oxygen supply system has been installed. Our initial budget for the project was R7 million, and our total investment was R11 million,” he concludes.

Nthoroane Road project

Upgrade of the Koppies Clinic Koppies is a small town in the Free State and Sasol Mining realised that the clinic servicing the area was too small and under-resourced. Operated by the Free State Provincial Department of Health, the clinic

34

in the Dipaleseng Municipality. The entire area was in great need, having only gravel roads, and this R10 m project also included the designing of the stormwater drainage.

Before paving could begin, the entire area had to be levelled and access to properties had to be factored in.

Sasol also installed a drainage system.

During this project it was ensured that as many local people as possible were employed and local procurement was promoted by sourcing goods locally.

IMIESA October 2014

Sasol has completed the paving of roads in Nthoroane Extension near Greylingstad

PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | COMPANY PROFILE

Quality Services

Q

UALITY SERVICES has been successfully servicing the petrochemical, oil and gas, power, mining, construction, engineering and other industries for the past 17 years. During this period the company has grown from strength to strength and currently employs more than 30 full-time staff.

Quality Services’ mission is to provide a superior welding consulting service. Since obtaining SANAS accreditation in 2011, the company has been able to provide clients with confidence in the activities they undertake, whether for statutory inspection and testing, welding consulting, third-party quality assurance or expediting activities on a variety of projects.

Skills, training and standards At Quality Services, the importance of knowledge sharing by staff is emphasised,

as well as training, skills, social and enterprise development. This is evident in the fact that it has been able to maintain its Level 1 B-BBEE certification for four consecutive years.

One of Quality Services' core strengths is offering valued clients assistance in aligning and enforcing both regulatory and client-specific standards and specifications in fabrication, supply, mining upgrade and civil contracts. As an added service the company also assists in the compilation, implementation and maintenance of quality management systems in accordance with ISO 9001, ISO 3834 as well as various other SANS specifications.

Company owner Gordon Voogt is an active member of the Association of Inspection Authorities, South African Institute of Welding, Installation and Fabrication Plastics Pipe Association and the Southern African

Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association.

Quality Services is thus actively engaged in the market, contributing to its development and ensuring it remains current with best practices.

Quality Services also services the nonmetallic sector with its valuable input in the non-metallic (HDPE) welding field by assisting clients in ensuring compliance to the various SANS, ISO and SABS standards during supply, fabrication and installation of HDPE piping and other plastic components.

www.qservices.co.za

IMIESA October 2014

GM Voogt cc t/a

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PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | CONSULTING

Consulting in the new South Africa C

ONSULTING ENGINEERS are the keystone to all infrastructure projects and play an increasingly important role from conception to commissioning. CESA is the representative body for all consulting engineers in South Africa, with a reach into the SADC and beyond.

Development and capacity “South Africa is watched by the rest of Africa.

One of the key challenges is that, as much we want to thrive as a developmental state, we have to be very cognisant of capacity.

You can’t really classify yourself as a developmental state if you have a glaring lack of capacity. It is time that Government acknowledges South Africa has a very strong engineering fraternity, with formidable strength and experience. The roll-out of infrastructure for the FIFA World Cup proved this, as does our world-class functional infrastructure. The Gautrain, the freeway systems; these are not just examples of excellent infrastructure but of innovations as well.

“So the proof is clearly visible: South Africa is capable of producing highly sophisticated infrastructure. We are not that challenged concerning capacity. The way engineering services are procured is now the prime challenge. This is CESA’s position and it is what we are working on with Government to find a solution. We need to change the legislation around procurement of professional consulting engineering services and all other built environment professionals.

Over the last couple of years, Consulting Engineers South Africa has engaged with Government, seeking to support and aid the public sector to fulfil its challenging mandate.

CESA’s CEO, Lefadi Makibinyane, sat down with Nicholas McDiarmid, providing insight into the organisation and its increasingly important role.

Positive transformation “The context of the problems today obviously harks back to the past and the remedies per se, whilst not flawed, were ill-advised.

Transformation – especially economic – is a given key necessity. All CESA member firms are embracing transformation but the drive towards economic transformation has been flawed, largely by generalising the way engineering services procurement is done.

I think the fatal flaw lies in the Preferential Procurement Framework Management Act.

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“The way engineering services are procured is now the number one challenge.”

A profession is a quality-based offering; for professional services to be effective they need to be based on the foundation of quality.

Quality, competence and price “Qualifications and competence really are the primary factors. Historical impediments notwithstanding, if you are going to call yourself a consulting engineer, certain professional standards and qualifications are nonnegotiable. As it stands, the pre-qualifications are price and BBBEE. The BBBEE element is actually very small – only 10%. The remaining 90% is simply price – and when you view a professional service purely through price, you commoditise it. Let me be clear: professional services are not a commodity.

The fundamental role of consulting engineers “You have to look carefully at the value offering of public engineering. Consulting engineering stands at the very foundation of any project. Innovative solutions that are overarching and sensitive to the long-term issue of cost are based on multiple factors and take more time. In an environment of price against all odds, you compromise. We need a solution to this urgently.

“The fees charged by consulting engineers are around one or two per cent of the project cost. This is a global figure and a drop in the ocean, so why should the emphasis be on trying to undercut competitors? Undercutting directly impacts the overall quality of a project. There are additional irrationalities to the whole process: bidders are not allowed the opportunity to present to tender committees and unpack their proposals, missing opportunities for potential innovations.

“Aside from missing out on innovations, those involved at the tender process are denied the opportunity to learn more about infrastructure development. This is very negative for development; one could say it is anti-development. Simply reading bids off a piece of paper without finding out the reasoning behind certain elements of a

PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | CONSULTING

bid is highly limiting and disempowering to all parties.

The consequences of under-cutting

CONSULTING ENGINEERS SOUTH AFRICA CESA is the ‘Voice of Consulting Engineering in South Africa’. The organisation represents, for its members, a body that promotes their joint interests and, because of its standing, provides quality assurance for clients. Over 500 firms employing just over 23 300 staff, who collectively earn a total fee income of almost R19 billion per annum, are members of CESA. CESA is committed to the key principles of sustainability and sees the promotion of engineering excellence as vital.

“The utilisation of our member firms in South Africa is 91 per cent. This shows that there is work and there is development. The problem, again, is in the details. Companies have to undercut each other, abandoning training programmes and the like. Youth programmes are crucial and these costs need to be factored into pricing.

“Our work is foundational, and should not be constricted. ECSA provides pricing guidelines – if we simply stick to those, it will prove a major improvement for the industry. To summarise, if we put quality as the first criterion, followed by BBBEE and then price, guided by ECSA, we have a solution.

Inclusive growth “The presidential business bilateral, Inclusive Growth, is an initiative launched by President Zuma in early 2013. The President’s goal in this is aligned to the National Development Plan (NDP) of which the Strategic Infrastructure Plans are central. He wanted to draw closer to the business sector, being aware that the technical and financial ability of the government to implement the plan is very limited. This showed foresight, as both the skills and finances of the private sector will need to be co-opted to deliver on the NPD. If you unpack the economic infrastructure and follow the Public Private Partnership model, you can really start attracting the private sector towards public infrastructure investment, and thus accelerate the roll-out of the infrastructure components of the NDP. “There are a couple of working groups that have developed from these meetings and they are working between the relevant Government departments. This is what is going to influence policy and regulatory development. CESA is playing a significant role on the Infrastructure Task Team and the President has taken cognisance of the need for inclusivity at all levels. He realises the need to provide confidence in government policy to ensure investment, and the need to work with private sector investors to gain their confidence.

“At our last meeting, on 6 August 2013, President Zuma said he is really looking for solutions. We are facing challenges and it is important that business also suggests solutions. The key objective of Inclusive Growth is to advance solutions from both the private and public sectors, ensuring that, when key policies or regulations are amended, business’s input is included.

Looking ahead, looking beyond “Twenty years into democracy, it is time to look beyond race. A professional meets the same standards, irrespective of race, and our national imperatives really would be better served from a place of inclusivity. The national interest is a shared one and we need to rally behind South Africa with a humble acknowledgement of the past and a vision of an inclusive future. Though much work has been done, we would like to call for more Government/business bilaterals to keep the momentum going.

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The appointment of Pravin Gordhan as head of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is the most visionary one. If anyone can clean up local government, where the majority of infrastructure development happens, it is he. He understands the fiscal limitations of the country and what municipalities need, and we look forward to some meaningful transformations.

South Africa in Africa

“As CESA, we promote the trading of our services across the continent. We developed the Built Environment Professional Export Council (BEPEC) – now under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry and charged with establishing support structures to assist our member firms to work in other countries. Consulting engineering firms are often small entities, but capable of establishing large developments and, to do this, they need assistance. So, we call on Government to sustain its support of BEPAC to promote the export of professional services and thus facilitate the integration of our member firms into the rest of Africa.

“The point of building a stronger presence for our member firms in Africa is in support of South Africa itself. Stronger neighbours mean stronger trading partners and stronger economic communities.”

PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | HOT SEAT

Nyeleti Consulting

Engineered to excel Nyeleti Consulting, a firm of consulting engineers, was formed in August 1999.

Fitting to the company’s slogan, ‘Engineered to excel’, Nyeleti won the award for business excellence at this year’s CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards.

T

HE COMPANY recently open a branch in KwaZulu-Natal to establish Nyeleti as the consultancy of choice in the region. Nyeleti intends to build a local office with specialists that can respond to the specific needs of KwaZulu-Natal.

Abe Thela, Vicechairperson What drives Nyeleti’s commitment to meeting South Africa’s infrastructure development needs?

We see infrastructure development as being more about improving the quality of life of people and enhancing their economic prospects. The National Development Plan and previous government policies acknowledged this fact and have placed infrastructure development at the centre of the country’s socio-economic development. Employing a staff compliment of 110, Nyeleti contributes directly to job creation for its employees and the well-being of their families. We have also seen the living conditions of many communities improve through infrastructure we have designed such as water, sanitation and access roads. We are also driven by technical excellence

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in engineering solutions to complex infrastructure projects such as bridges, dams and power stations.

Noting the complexities of the South African infrastructure environment, what is the most important contribution Nyeleti is striving to make?

The planned government infrastructure gives consulting engineering companies such as Nyeleti an opportunity to develop engineering capacity and capability through infrastructure provision.

Since its inception Nyeleti has trained a number of young technical staff, mostly from disenfranchised backgrounds, some of whom now run successful consulting engineering businesses and some occupy senior technical positions in Government.

Over and above empowering individuals, we help to create the much-needed capacity in both the private and public sector. We need an informed client, not only to ensure proper implementation of infrastructure projects but also to ensure the appropriate maintenance of such infrastructure. We will continue to create this capacity and also mentor smaller consulting engineering firms

through our small enterprise development programme.

How has Nyeleti needed to adjust its view of the traditional role of consulting engineers in order to make its contribution? Traditionally appointments of consulting engineers were made through established client panels and rosters. With the introduction of competitive bidding, we had to look at making our operations more efficient and also look at innovative approaches to the design of infrastructure projects. We have invested in a number of innovations that make our company more competitive.

How has Nyeleti engaged with Government in terms of finding solutions to the country’s challenges?

Nyeleti is a member of a number of industry business organisations such as CESA and South African Black Technical and Allied Careers Organisation (SABTACO) who deal with the business-related issues of our sector. As I am the current president of CESA, the company contributes to discussions and lobbying with Government towards finding solutions to business-related challenges in our sector. We

also participate in a number of technical and learned societies such as SAICE where we provide the current president, Stanford Mkhacane, and deputy president, Sundran Naicker, from our own ranks. Some of these organisations are in the forefront of finding technical solutions which are sustainable and suit the local South African conditions.

How does Nyeleti ensure that its principles and focus is understood and implemented throughout the company? Our management structure includes all heads of department who ensure that management decisions and the company’s principles and focus are understood and implemented.

We also hold regular weekly discussions on various aspects of the company principles, as well as on external issues that have an impact on the company and on individual employees.

Stan Mkhacane, Chairperson What are the key guiding principles employed by Nyeleti in its approach to project design and roll-out? In line with our commitment and aspirations to always add value in whatever we do, our

PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | HOT SEAT

guiding principles are rooted around ensuring that we deliver excellent value in each project we get an opportunity to be involved in. It is essential that we correctly understand and interpret the needs of our clients for successful project design and roll-out.

The accurate definition of a project is a very important stage; it is the foundation towards an acceptable and effective solution that we can present to the client and the end users. We spend adequate time and resources for this stage in order to ensure that we have evaluated all potential alternatives prior to engineering design work. As consulting engineers, we have to close the gap between the client’s wishes and needs, and the final infrastructure that is provided to the end-user community, by proposing a solution that will answer to the real needs of the community without imposing constraints, negative impacts and challenges during the operation and maintenance of the project.

How does the company cater to the demands of project delivery in the context of job creation, skills transfer, community development and training? South Africa is reeling with huge unemployment. The construction industry has an enormous potential to create jobs which would contribute tremendously towards stemming unemployment. In response to the dire need to create jobs, Nyeleti Consulting always looks at the optimisation of labour intensive construction elements inherent in the design, construction and operation and maintenance functions in service delivery. The question of skills transfer also forms part of the design process, where

young engineering professionals in our employment are sent for training at courses presented mainly by SAICE and CESA, and are involved throughout the project cycle – in design and construction supervision.

We believe that the projects we implement in communities should be used to impart knowledge about civil engineering, in order to create the understanding of its importance and thereby enhance ownership by communities.

Ownership of infrastructure by communities could go a long way in preserving these very important economic investments in our country – we could aim at minimising the destruction of infrastructure when communities demonstrate to register their unhappiness. There is no wisdom in burning a school or a clinic when you want better water supply. We believe that if beneficiary communities correctly understand the value of the infrastructure that Government provides, these insensible actions would not happen. We also look at opportunities to identify learners from local communities who we send to university for civil engineering.

What is the most important characteristic you look for in an engineer? I believe that engineering – and civil engineering in particular – is a noble profession. We normally talk of a calling in the theological profession, but I believe that civil engineering is also a calling. An engineer should be dedicated and motivated to providing a service in such a manner that money should not be the main and foremost objective.

Some of the characteristics that define an engineer are: • being a problem solver • originality and independence

of thought • an ability to think out of the box • being a good listener and being sensitive to issues • level-headedness • being a smart worker.

What role does mentoring play in Nyeleti? The process of mentoring consists of taking a young graduate through a well-defined path in his or her early professional life, in order to produce a well-balanced engineering professional at the end of a period – normally the first three to five years after graduation. In our case, we aim to have these individuals be able to be registered as professionals

by ECSA. Nyeleti Consulting has a programme where all civil engineering graduates are allocated to mentors – who are registered civil engineering professionals – to support them in their development over this period. These mentors ensure that each mentee develops a programme that forms a guideline for training.

Each engineering graduate is located in a department in the company. Importantly, however, we also provide them with opportunities for rotating to different departments over time. The senior members in the company conduct regular talks on subjects that are of interest to the mentees towards their registration.

These subjects could range from issues relating to ECSA requirements, CESA, SAICE, OHS and many others.

What do you identify as the lasting legacy Nyeleti is seeking to create?

We want to create positive impressions with our clients, beneficiary communities or end users, as well as the general public who see and experience

or learn about our services. We strive to be real consultants – the Afrikaans version articulates this better: to be raadgewende ingeneurs – someone who gives professional advice. We also strive to put the profession first in all that we do, everywhere.

Sundran Naicker, Director, KwaZuluNatal office In establishing the KwaZulu-Natal office, what impact do you think Nyeleti’s presence will have on the infrastructure sector in that province? Being a proudly South African brand, Nyeleti will broaden the skills base within the province, showcasing its technical and empowerment achievements. The endeavour is ultimately aimed at the social and socio-economic development of the broader KwaZulu-Natal community.

Considering its company culture, values and objectives, what is the most important thing that future clients in KwaZuluNatal should know about the company? Nyeleti is a solution-based enterprise focused on value engineering.

Clients will experience innovation and technical excellence.

Nyeleti’s approach is to engage with clients at the highest level.

What particular technical and professional services will the KwaZulu-Natal office be offering? The local office will offer the full scope of professional civil engineering services with further support provided from our head office.

The vision is to provide clients with a hands-on approach that will allow them to call on Nyeleti’s services.

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PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | HOT SEAT

What mechanisms are you employing to establish the Nyeleti ethos in the KwaZuluNatal office? Nyeleti’s ethos in KwaZulu-Natal is reinforced through its people. We will expand on this by employing staff that share in the value system Nyeleti has cultivated since its inception.

What is the long-term vision for the KwaZuluNatal office? The longterm vision for the office is to establish our company as the consultancy of choice in the region. We intend to build a local office which will have specialists that will respond to the specific needs of KwaZulu-Natal.

Vishal Krishandutt, Office Manager, KwaZuluNatal office From a technical perspective, what systems is the KwaZuluNatal office deploying and how do they interact company-wide? At Nyeleti, we use advanced technology to operate our network, computers, servers and IT-related equipment and all existing offices are connected by a virtual private network managed and controlled at the Tshwane office. The KwaZulu-Natal office will be connected to this network and this will allow staff at our office to do a daily backup of all data onto the system. This system allows for controlled access of design data, which can be accessed by authorised members of staff to scrutinise designs and drawings.

At present Nyeleti is recognised as an industry leader in 3D design, and the KwaZuluNatal office will be no different. In terms of the municipal

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infrastructure, which Nyeleti is also very strong at, the KwaZulu-Natal office will also be using PCSWMM hydraulic modelling software as well as HEC RAS stream and river analysis software, in addition to WaterMate and ModelMaker, which is already being used company-wide. This creates uniformity, as well as allowing us to conform to our ISO 9001 quality and assurance standards – which is the backbone of Nyeleti.

What have the challenges been in establishing the office? One of the main challenges was creating the awareness that there is a new consultant in the KwaZulu-Natal market and that we were going to make our presence very much felt. Nyeleti’s brand is very well known in the Gauteng and Limpopo region, and the majority of the work has been done in these areas. The challenge is that the majority of the clients in KwaZulu-Natal and local public entities expect consultants to have done a lot of work in KwaZulu-Natal, and it is now my task to ensure them that my staff and I can provide the service that they require as we are very familiar with the local conditions and culture and that collectively we have done a considerable amount of work in KwaZulu-Natal. It is also worth mentioning that we are a proudly South African company with an excellent track record and with some of the best engineering practitioners in the country.

How have you gone about translating the company culture to the Durban office? Nyeleti Consulting has a strong organisational culture. It has a culture of inclusion as well as friendliness, friendship and pride. The CEO encourages staff to perform at their best and to

quote him from a recent Nyeleti eMagazine, “Nyeleti’s biggest asset is its staff, no, Nyeleti is its staff” shows the confidence and faith senior management has in its staff. I would also like to transfer this ethos to the KwaZulu-Natal office to ensure that employees know that they make a difference at Nyeleti, and that their contribution to the success of the company is paramount and will be highly recognised.

What advantages do you believe Nyeleti Consulting has to offer the KwaZulu-Natal community? Nyeleti’s strategies are not based purely on international requirements and demands, it is focused on Southern African needs using international standards. This is a distinct advantage, as difficult decisions can be made timeously by people who are familiar with our African culture and heritage. KwaZulu-Natal is steeped in history and culture and who better to understand this and react to this more profoundly than local people?

Locally based management can significantly reduce the turnaround time for feedback and productivity than those who are hindered by decision-making management sitting in far reaches of the world. The quality of work at Nyeleti is continuously improving and this is directly linked to capacity building in all facets of projects from the development and training of design staff to mentoring and training of site staff as well as improving the knowledge of construction personnel with regards to efficient construction techniques and occupational health and safety. Nyeleti is creating a footprint in KwaZuluNatal, not only because it makes good business sense, but also to add value to projects undertaken to improve the

quality of lives of the millions of people who live in KwaZuluNatal. As a company, we have a proud history of developing communities as well as skills transfer, and this will continue in KwaZulu-Natal.

With its strong culture of employee empowerment, mentoring and training, what can employees expect from the company? I am proud to say that from our ‘Mentoring Company of the Year' award received at the recent CESA 2014 Awards function, Nyeleti is an industry leader in empowering, mentoring and training its employees. The contributions Nyeleti makes to these programmes far exceeds the minimum B BBEE requirements and the KwaZuluNatal branch is no different.

It has 100% black employees and with regard to enterprise development, the KwaZulu-Natal office’s enterprise development partner is also 100% blackowned and staffed. Employees can expect to reap the rewards of excellent mentoring for professional registration with ECSA and they will also be able to further their studies to complete their qualifications as well as take on postgraduate studies if the time permits and when the need arises.

Employees will also be able to attend accredited courses in order to further expand their knowledge and also qualify for CPD points in order to maintain their ECSA registration.

I firmly believe that a strong and knowledgeable staff complement translates into a productive and efficient office that is also profitable.

www.nyeleti.co.za

PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS

CESA AON AWARDS

Rewarding engineering excellence

CESA hosts its annual awards as a platform to showcase the outstanding achievements of its member firms.

C

ONSULTING ENGINEERS SOUTH AFRICA recently hosted its annual CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards. The awards focus on consulting engineers and their clients who participate in, or initiate, projects that promote the advancement of the nation and the continent.

Consulting engineers are key “We too have a good story to tell,” Abe Thela, CESA President, told those present at the awards. Government has identified infrastructure development as key to the socio-economic development of the country and there is no denying that consulting engineers are at the forefront of this. Adequate infrastructure is one of the areas crucial to encouraging investment. With Government’s plan to grow the economy and triple GDP by 2030, the consulting engineering industry has a significant role to play through infrastructure provision.

Minster of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane attended the event and appealed to the consulting engineering community to help Government deliver quality projects within the specified time frame.

“I believe there are good men and women [here] that can change the landscape of our country,” said Mokonyane.

She added that consulting engineers need to be game changers, providing skills and making a serious commitment to finding solutions.

Mokonyane also emphasised the need for a 10-year plan on infrastructure, as opposed to the short-term plans currently in place.

The winners Projects with a value in excess of R250 million Nominees: AECOM | GIBB | Zithole Consulting | Hatch Goba | Ingérop South Africa

Commendations: AECOM – Komati Water Supply Augmentation Scheme | GIBB – Kalagadi Manganese railway siding project Winner: AECOM – Spring Grove Dam and appurtenant works for the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority

Projects with a value of between R50 and R250 million Nominees: Aurecon | Bosch Stemele | GIBB | HHO Africa | Jeffares & Green | Nyeleti Consulting Commendations: Jeffares & Green – Electron Road Waste Management Facility | Aurecon – Grundfos office and warehouse Winner: Aurecon – Malmesbury Wastewater Treatment Works

Projects with a value of less than R50 million Nominees: AECOM, GIBB,

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PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS

PROJECTS WITH A VALUE IN EXCESS OF R250 MILLION: AECOM

Aganang Consulting Engineers joint venture | Aurecon | GIBB | Royal HaskoningDHV | Hatch Goba | SMEC | UWP Consulting | Zithole Consulting Commendations: GIBB – Facterton informal sector electrification project | SMEC – Isando pedestrian bridge Winner: Aurecon – KwaMashu Interchange upgrade

Best international project Nominees: Jeffares & Green | UWP Consulting | WSP Winner: Jeffares & Green – Lowlands Water works joint venture for the Metolong Dam pedestrian bridge

PROJECTS WITH A VALUE OF LESS THAN R50 MILLION: AURECON Mentoring company of the year

Business excellence Nominees: GIBB | Nyeleti Consulting Commendation: GIBB Winner: Nyeleti Consulting

Nominees: Hatch Goba | Nyeleti Consulting Winner: Nyeleti Consulting

Young engineer of the year

Mentor of the year Nominations: Johann van der Westhuizen – Hatch Goba | Vernon Joubert – GIBB | Zulch Lötter – UWP Winner: Vernon Joubert – GIBB

Visionary client of the year

Nominees: Pavanya Pillay – GIBB | Noqobo Bongoza – Hatch Goba | Makotsene Makgalemele – HHO Africa | Cobus van Dyk – UWP Consulting | Teboho Mofokeng – Aurecon | Effort Mokoena – SMEC | Meethan Gokool – Bosch Holdings Commendations: Cobus van Dyk – UWP Consulting | Teboho Mofokeng – Aurecon Winner: Makotsene Minister of Water and Makgalemele Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane – HHO Africa

Winner: Department of Water and Sanitation – Policy and Regulations Directorate

“I believe there are good men and women [here] that can change the landscape of our country.”

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Job shadow initiative of the year Runners up: Royal HaskoningDHV | GIBB Winner: IHSO Consulting

CESA branch of the year Winner: KwaZulu-Natal

Publisher of the year – trade Winner: Creamer Media

Publisher of the year – daily newspapers Winner: Independent Newspapers

PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS

BEST INTERNATIONAL PROJECT: NYELETI CONSULTING

VISIONARY CLIENT OF THE YEAR:DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND SANITATION – POLICY AND REGULATIONS DIRECTORATE

MENTORING COMPANY OF THE YEAR: NYELETI CONSULTING

MENTOR OF THE YEAR: VERNON JOUBERT – GIBB

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR – TRADE PUBLICATIONS: CREAMER MEDIA

YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR: MAKOTSENE MAKGALEMELE – HHO AFRICA

JOB SHADOW INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR: IHSO CONSULTING

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR – DAILY NEWSPAPERS: INDEPENDANT NEWSPAPERS

IMIESA October 2014

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PARTNERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE | PROFILE

Meet CESA’s

Young Engineer of the Year Makotsene Makgalemele, principal engineer at HHO Africa, has been named CESA’s Young Engineer of the Year.

M

AKOTSENE WAS a bursary student of HHO Africa and began her career at the company’s Cape Town branch in the transport division. “It’s definitely right up my alley, it gave me such good exposure at a very junior level,” she says.

She believes the work that she has done for her age, the responsibility that she carries and the faith of her colleagues at HHO Africa are what made her stand out above other candidates for the CESA Young Engineer of the Year Award.

Makotsene’s first project was working on the feeder system and conceptual design of the MyCiti IRT between Cape Town and Atlantis. She believes this project helped her understand how her work directly affects people and that engineering is more than just a technical science.

The project that won her the award was the rehabilitation of Newclare Road for the JDA. Makotsene took the project from inception to completion and acted as the resident engineer on-site.

Winning the award Makotsene was nominated for the award by HHO Africa’s operations manager Don Hugo.

Makotsene explains that it was an honour from her mentor, to feel she was worthy of being nominated. “It meant validation, that my company believes in me and what I do,” she says.

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“It was quite exciting and humbling to be seen competitively with the other nominees, because some of them were my tutors at university and some have their masters and PhDs, and I don’t even have my masters yet.”

Makotsene says being named the Young Engineer of the Year has given her a sense of confidence that doing your job really well and doing what you believe in can make a big difference in its own way. “Qualifications are important, but they’re not the only thing that makes you an outstanding citizen of the industry,” she says.

“Potential is truly fruitful when it is applied.

Apply yourself and you will always grow.”

Volunteering and youth development Makotsene is passionate about youth development and is very active in voluntary organisations such as SAICE, ECSA and CESA. She formed the CESA YPF in Johannesburg and was involved in the formation of the Cape Town YPF. “I’ve got a lot of interests in the engineering industry that are beyond the technical role of engineers. I work with a lot with students. Most of the work I do is oriented at positioning the youth in viable positions,” she explains.

“Mentoring is a very big part of our industry. I’ve always received great mentorship and that mentorship has been critical in my career.”

Making a meaningful contribution “Always ask, ‘Is what I am doing meaningful?’ If it is, do what you need to do to get it done, whether you like it or not.” This is how Makotsene describes her stance on engineering. “I don’t believe in doing things that don’t add value,” she says.

Makotsene doesn’t see herself as a ‘green finger’, but argues that sustainability has to work economically, environmentally and

socially. For Makotsene, a key question is, “are we producing the right people in the right places?”

The future of the industry “I honestly hope that the future of consulting engineering is that we are more in tune with the political, economical and social landscape of the country. I think, as an industry, we’re integral, yet we’re so removed from those things,” Makotsene emphasises.

“The consulting engineer is meant to provide a broader input to his environment.

I’d like that we have more engineers in Government acting politically. I think 99% of the time, if someone were sitting with a decision maker who was also an engineer, some of the projects we have seen go wrong wouldn’t have gone wrong, because they understand the industry,” she explains.

She would also like to see consulting engineers become more involved in their direct community. “I’d like to see us get down to grass-roots level and make changes in municipalities that we believe in personally.

Goals for the future “I do see engineering as more than just a job.

I see it as being as essential as doctors,” says Makotsene. “I think the position of the industry at the moment creates the need for individual engineers to start filling in roles that are community-based and who can deal with community-related issues without there having to be a long ladder of communication.”

Makotsene hopes to one day become a community-based resident engineer and aims to get her master’s degree next year with a focus on data capturing.

www.hho.co.za

GOVERNMENT VOICE

All systems go Key post-election appointments earlier this year reflect a new commitment to deliver y from Government. In this new regular feature, Nicholas McDiarmid examines the development of public/private cooperation in infrastructure development.

A

CCORDING ECONOMIST JP Landman, South Africa’s current investment level in infrastructure, as a percentage of GDP, is already much higher than most developing nations and is just short of China’s 8%. Standing at 7.4%, we are back to the levels we saw just prior to the FIFA World Cup. With numbers like these, and public sector professionals like Pravin Gordhan, Lindiwe Sisulu and Nomvula Mokonyane, we may be on the verge of another growth spurt.

Maladministration, corruption, tender fraud, incompetence, skills shortage and policy stagnation; these are the words we hear whenever the subject of municipal delivery and administration is discussed. There are instances where all of the above apply and the recent dissolution of the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in the North West is one such example. However, the situation is far more nuanced and successful interventions require a deeper understanding of the problems.

In theory, levers such as the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and the Municipal Systems Act (MSA) should weed out the problems, and help identify what skill

sets are needed to fix them. Other than in cases of gross mismanagement and criminal behaviour, these problems did not develop in isolation or overnight. The perspective that a once-working system has been broken is fallacious. Since 1994, local government has been revolutionised to attempt to deliver on their constitutional mandate of delivery to all. The technology revolution experienced since then has created a completely different set of opportunities and challenges.

The question is whether or not the existing regulatory and policy levers take advantage of this.

Pravin Gordhan – experience and discipline The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) is in charge of developing national policies and legislation with regard to provinces, municipalities and local government. It is also responsible for overseeing the traditional leadership of South Africa’s indigenous communities. The appointment of former Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan as CoGTA minister was seen by some as a step down for Gordhan, but several leading

economists consider Gordhan’s experience and discipline is exactly what is needed.

Gordhan aims to professionalise local government and tackle political party structures that compromise efficient service delivery by employing unqualified or incompetent people.

“The first thing we need is the support mechanism to get off the ground. Where the law is being defied either in Government terms, financial terms or delivery terms, then the appropriate action is required,” says Minister Gordhan.

He says his department will support municipalities and build their capabilities to enable them to deliver. He also outlines that one of the objectives within the National Development Plan is to reduce the cost of living for South Africans.

Working for citizens “A very high percentage of our people’s disposable incomes are spent on transport and a very large percentage of time is spent on travelling to and from work. Over the next five to ten years, restructuring our environment in cities, towns and villages is going to be a key area that we look into,” Minister Gordhan adds. “We need to collaborate with organised local government to ensure that there’s stability, and that people’s lives are improved on a systematic basis.

“This is about ensuring that the rights of ordinary South Africans that are in the Bill of Rights are enjoyed by all, whether it is access to water, housing or a safe environment. None of these are going to be achieved overnight because we are still a young democracy,” says Minister Gordhan.

Minister Gordhan has emphasised that for municipalities to be effective, CoGTA will work and monitor them closely to institutionalise systems that will ensure that they:

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GOVERNMENT VOICE

MEET THE MINISTER: PRAVIN JAMNADAS GORDHAN

Personal Date of Birth: 12 April 1949 Marital status: Married with two children Positions • Member of Parliament from 1994 until 1998 • Chairperson of the Constitutional Committee in Parliament from 1996 • Deputy Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service from March 1998 • Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service from November 1999 • Minister of Finance of the Republic of South Africa from 11 May 2009 to 23 May 2014 Academic Qualifications • Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Durban Westville (1973)

Career/Positions/ Memberships/Other Activities • Became involved in politics during the late 1960s • Organised and led the student movement and civic structures during the 1970s and 1980s • Took part in the Natal Indian Congress call to boycott elections in the 1980s • Detained three times by the apartheid government • Spent four years in underground structures • Was also involved in the South African Communist Party and African National Congress • Worked as a pharmacist at the King Edward VII hospital in Durban until he was expelled after his detention by the police (1974 to 1981) • Participated in the multiparty talks at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) (1990) • Co-chairperson of the Transitional Executive Council that prepared the country for the 1994 elections (1991 to 1994) • Played a role in drafting the White Paper on

• provide and deliver a basket of services to citizens • implement governance structures, with relevant committees, that meet and function properly and provide transparency and accountability

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Local Government, which laid the foundation for developing local government authorities • Chairperson of the Constitutional Committee in Parliament, which had oversight over the implementation of the new constitution, adopted in 1996 • Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) until July 2006 • Chairperson of the Forum on Tax Administration (FTA) within the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) from 2008 Awards/Presentations/ Bursaries • Doctorate of Commerce honoris causa from University of South Africa (May 2007) • Doctorate of Law honoris causa from the University of Cape Town (June 2007) • DTech: Business Administration from the Free State Central University of Technology (March 2009)

• lead administration systems staffed by competent individuals who are suitably qualified • put financial management systems with the necessary controls that are supported by cash-backed budgets, municipalities will also be monitored to ensure that wasteful

expenditure is cut and that procurement processes are properly implemented • implement post-audit action plans in order to clear out findings and matters that have been raised in their audits. They need to take decisive action to deal with instances of fraud and corruption.

These interventions will lower service delivery protests and speed up service delivery.

Value and integrity in the public sector Minister Gordhan recently issued a call to establish an Advisory Committee of Eminent Persons, drawn from various sectors – including civil society – to advise him on issues arising in the procurement system within local government, as well as on how to increase integrity and the value system in this sphere of the public sector.

Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) has voiced explicit support for such a body, noting that this aligns with its own call for the establishment of a Chapter 9 institution for the construction industry. “For years now, we have been calling for a total overhaul of the current procurement regime, which has relegated the duty of consulting engineers from that of the trusted adviser to clients, to a situation where engineers have to tender for work. Hence, we are ready to partner with CoGTA in its quest to create an Advisory Committee of Eminent Persons,” says CESA CEO Lefadi Makibinyane.

Transparency and National Treasury The municipal audits conducted by the Auditor-General have shown over many years that financial management falls short of requirements. This has been severely compounded by the exodus of technical skills and engineering expertise from municipalities since 1994, to the point where very

GOVERNMENT VOICE

few professional engineers are employed within the municipal sector. Approximately 70% of the country’s municipalities do not count even a single engineer among its staff. “CESA is committed to assisting municipalities in addressing this problem in the short term through the employment of its member firms and in the long term through the training and mentoring of municipal technical staff.”

CoGTA will work closely with the National Treasury and the Auditor-General to improve its audits and ensure that performance improves. Minister Gordhan has committed CoGTA to establishing systems to enable the ministry to monitor the performance of every municipality on a day-to-day basis, providing a high degree of transparency and accountability to citizens.

WATER Water Supply | Water Treatment | Industrial Water Management Minesite Water Management | Water Reuse & Recycling Chemistry and Geochemistry | Numerical Modelling

Water management for sustainable business

Private sector support Makibinyane adds that with regard to the Minister’s views on economic development, such as the Community Work Programme and the development of local economics, CESA believes that its member firms – being responsible for infrastructure planning and design – are in a strong position to support municipalities and contribute significantly in this regard.

“We shall continue making it clear that the preparation of infrastructure development projects as well as their planning and design lie within the expertise of the consulting engineering profession.

Until such time, which may take decades, that the municipalities have built this capacity, our member firms shall continue to be the only source of support at all levels of Government. CESA is the integral professional resource that must be effectively utilised to conceptualise, design and supervise the procurement and implementation of the infrastructure projects while, at the same time, providing the fertile experiential training and development ground for the future internal capacity of the municipalities. This will be the litmus test of the technical capability of the municipalities,” emphasises Makibinyane.

Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, has made a passionate plea and a clarion call for consulting engineers to partner with Government and perform their duty with integrity and improve the quality of life of the people for a better life for all.

“We represent a new department informed by the National Development Plan. Government is repositioning water and sanitation, after 20 years of democracy, owing to service delivery challenges. We require your radical contributions to deliver water and sanitation solutions to our people. You are game changers and help us make a difference in the lives of our people by delivering services to some who have become observers of service delivery but not beneficiaries,” urged Mokonyane at this year's CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards.

The Minister focused on the role that consulting engineers can play in partnering with government to ensure the roll-out of the National Infrastructure Plan is effectively implemented. Other highprofile dignitaries that graced this auspicious occasion with their esteemed presence included one of the top six leaders in the ruling party as well as its Treasury General, Dr Zweli Mkhize and Ismail Vadi, Member of the Executive Council for Roads and Transport in the Gauteng provincial government.

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SABITA

Sustainability relies on the cornerstones of natural resource conservation and minimising energy utilisation.

Warm mix asphalt – a sustainable technology

I

N THE ROAD construction industry, the most prevalent consumption is in natural and processed aggregates/gravels and in the energy required to manufacture hot mix asphalt (HMA) at temperatures of up to 180°C. HMA, the most widespread paving technology until 2006, came under scrutiny at the World of Asphalt Conference in Orlando, USA, in 2006, where it was noted that – with the addition of certain additives – asphalt mixes can be successfully prepared in a temperature range of 120°C to 135°C, while achieving adequate aggregate coating and workability during laying and compaction.

An important benefit is the significant reduction in fume emissions both during manufacture and application – an issue vital to the continued health and safety of workers in the asphalt manufacture and paving sectors.

A research programme initiated by the Southern African Bitumen Association (Sabita) resulted in the formation, in September 2008, of the Warm Mix Asphalt Interest Group made up of representatives of Sabita and the client bodies. Tasked with laying the groundwork for the development of guidelines and evaluation of trial sections to assess the benefits of various warm mix asphalt technologies, the group decided to initiate trials with a single mix, while

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keeping the door open for future technological variations.

South Africa’s first WMA trials The country’s first warm mix asphalt (WMA) trials were successfully carried out on Brackenhill Road near Durban, during November 2008. The main aim of the trial was to confirm that asphalt mixes could be produced and paved at significantly lower temperatures, and to develop a working template for use in further trials. The trend towards the use of WMA was already widely accepted in Europe, North America and the Far East, where the cost and environmental benefits had been recognised, resulting in a significant increase in the use of WMA. A second series of WMA trials was carried out in May and early June 2009 on Leicester Road, in the industrial area of Mobeni, over a total area of about 20 000 m2, using WMA technologies incorporating Sasobit and Rediset additives. An innovation, further supplementing the sustainability benefits of WMA, was the incorporation of recycled asphalt to underpin the element of resource conservation. Additional trials were carried out throughout 2009 and 2010, aimed at testing the: • 30˚C temperature reduction frontier in the manufacturing and paving processes • use of between 40% and 60% reclaimed asphalt in the trial mix

• use of polymer modified binders in WMA. It was also intended that experience with varying WMA technologies would be expanded to incorporate the use of foamed bitumen. In order to expand the traditional avenues of quality control, thermal imagery and compaction management software were employed to encourage ‘whole area’ quality control rather than by sampling only.

Technology of choice By the end of 2010, the routine use of WMA was a reality in South Africa and already entrenched as eThekwini Municipality’s technology of choice. Two separate technologies had grown in preference – the first consisting of a locally developed foamed bitumen technology, which was used in the asphalt base mix on the Route M5 through the Durban suburb of Malvern and the other, a rheology modifier polymer hybrid type WMA, used as an asphalt surfacing mix in Greyville. The mixes on both projects contained 15% of reclaimed asphalt (RA), significantly reducing the dependence on natural aggregate supplies.

The WMA interest group noted at the end of 2010 that a by-product of the WMA trials to that date was that they sparked intense scrutiny throughout the asphalt manufacturing and paving chains, placing issues ranging from moisture used in quarrying

SABITA

operations for processing materials to total quality control and energy consumption under the spotlight.

Benefits and risks Based on the initial research and industrial experience gained through the extensive trials conducted by the eThekwini Municipality, an MSc thesis paper – investigating the benefits and risks of both WMA and RA – was recently published by Riaan Stander of Roadmac Surfacing.

The thesis notes: “WMA technology is currently not used extensively irrespective of the prospects for its successful, wider application in South Africa, however, major asphalt suppliers in the country have geared themselves up to implement this technology, and it is expected that as practitioners come to realise and appreciate both the economic and environmental benefits of these technologies, an increase in their usage will become established practice.”

The successful use of higher percentages of RA incorporated in WMA is allowing the

revisiting of the return on capital investment on initial road construction and iterations of rehabilitation. Factors such as international peer pressure and the prospects of the imposition of a carbon tax were identified as further drivers to establish these technologies.

It has become clear that while a number of road authorities are supportive of RA and WMA technologies – notably the KwaZuluNatal Department of Transport, the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, eThekwini Municipality and SANRAL, other provinces and municipalities appear to be lagging behind in their implementation.

The thesis reached a number of conclusions: Both the RA and the WMA technology offer a reduction in both environmental impact and cost. This advantage is underpinned by three references, namely: the literature review, specialist interviews and the LCA and LCCA. The combined use of these technologies offers even more benefits in relation to the environment and project costs.

Four of the five life-cycle phases of asphalt

benefit from the application of RA and WMA technologies. They are the procurement, production, construction and end-of-life phases (as yet, we have proved that asphalt has no end-of-life phase and with rejuvenators even less so). RA technology was found to have a beneficial effect on the procurement and the end-of-life phases, and WMA technology was found to have a beneficial effect on the production and construction phases.

A limited number of authorities are currently supporting these technologies. Four authorities were identified as being innovative and supportive, of which two are provincial, one is municipal and one is a national authority. The lack of interest can be attributed to the eroded professional resources and a lack of creative thought and policy formulation in respect to these technologies.

The phases that hold the most risk for the integration of these technologies are the design and production phases due to a lack of national standards and guideline manuals. The construction phase is considered not to hold much risk.

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SABITA

Sabita listings Mr J Pelser Actophambili Roads (Pty) Ltd PO Box 16661 Atlasville 1465 Mr JJS Weidemann Aecom SA (Pty) Ltd PO Box 3173 Pretoria 0001 Mr R Bonser Afrisam SA (Pty) Ltd PO Box 6367 Weltevreden Park 1715 Mr KP Thomas AG Thomas (Pty) Ltd PO Box 100 Manzini, Swaziland M200 Ms AJ Broom AJ Broom Road Products CC PO Box 16421 Dowerglen 1612 Mr A Pegge Amandlagcf Construction CC PO Box 6064 Welgemoed 7534 Mr R Lehman Ammann Construction Machinery Sa Suite 253, Private Bag X43 Rynfield Benoni 1500

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Ms I Erlank Anton Paar Southern Africa PO Box 50471 Randjiesfontein 1683

Mr JW Hodgson Bigen Africa Services (Pty) Ltd PO Box 1070 Bellville 7535

Mr JPJ Webb Aqua Transport & Plant Hire (Pty) Ltd Private Bag X11 Ashwood 3605

Mr AL Botha Bitumen Supplies & Services (Pty) Ltd PO Box 1028 Sunninghill 2157

Mr A Page-Wood Asphalt Services CC PO Box 1765 East London 5200 Mr P Grindley Astec – Asphalt Technology CC PO Box 589 Rothdene 1964 Mr J Calitz Aurecon PO Box 74381 Lynnwood Ridge 0040

Mr D Smith Bitumen World (Pvt) Ltd PO Box AY 20 Amby, Harare, Zimbabwe Mr DC Collings BSM Laboratories (Pty) Ltd PO Box 15318 Westmead 3608 Mr A Greyling BVI Consulting Engineers WC (Pty) Ltd PO Box 86 Century City 7446

Mr DA Rose Aurecon PO Box 494 Cape Town 8000

Mr P Neal Cape Peninsula University of Technology ABC Building, 1st Floor, Symphony Way Bellville 7530

Mr AH Beosumbar Beosumbar and Associates CC PO Box 605 Westville 3630

Ms S Britz Colas Sou Th Africa (Pty) Ltd PO Box 82 Eppindust 7475

Mr B Theron Concor Roads & Earthworks PO Box 585 Bedfordview 2008 Mr L Song Daewoo Industrial Co Ltd #54-2,Soomyeon Jeongnam Gyeonggi, Korea Ms Z Coetzee Delta Bec (Pty) Ltd PO Box 35703 Menlo Park 0102 Mr RC King Dick King Lab Supplies (Pty) Ltd PO Box 82138 Southdale 2135 Mr WAG Venter Dmv Harrismith (Pty) Ltd PO Box 912 Harrismith 9880 Mr R Ntombela Dupont de Nemours Int Sa PO Box 3332 Halfway House 1635 Mr TW McKune Durban University of Technology PO Box 101112 Pietermaritzburg 3209

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Mr TD La Grange EFG Engineers (Pty) Ltd PO Box 3800 Durbanville 7551 Mr G Brown Gavin Brown & Associates 24 Botanic Grove Berea 4001 Mr AJ Moffett Gibb (Pty) Ltd PO Box 3965 Cape Town 8000 Mr GM Hattingh GMH Tswelelo Consulting Engineers PO Box 2201 Randburg 2125 Mr TF Moolman Group 5 Civil Engineering (Pty) Ltd PO Box 1750 Bedfordview 2008

Mr G Catin Phambili Road Surfacing (Pty) Ltd PO Box 145 Mkondeni 3204

Mr W Reusch Milling Techniks (Pty) Ltd PO Box 779 Gillits 3603

Mr T Freestone Polokwane Surfacing (Pty) Ltd PO Box 288 Ladanna 0704

Mr B Burger Mmila Civils & Traffic Services (Pty) Ltd PO Box 40158 Faerie Glen 0043

Mr N Burger Power Construction (Pty) Ltd PO Box 129 Blackheath 7581

Mr JA Kr端ger More Asphalt (Pty) Ltd PO Box 2180 Durbanville 7550 Mr JR Uys Mott MacDonald PO Box 7786 Roggebaai 8012

Mr GJ Loubser Hatch Goba (Pty) Ltd PO Box 180 Sunninghill 2157

Mr S Dewnath MTTC (Pty) Ltd PO Box 1901 Silverton 0127

Mr AJ Laatz HHO Africa PO Box 6503 Roggebaai 8012

Mr BC Greyling Much Asphalt (Pty) Ltd PO Box 49 Eersterivier 7103

Mr LC Raman Iliso Consulting (Pty) Ltd PO Box 686 Gillits 3603

Mr DS Judd N3 Toll Concession (Pty) Ltd PO Box 67166 Highveld Park 0169

Mr J Pietersen Imesa PO Box 2190 Westville 3630 Mr S Tinarwo Instant Tar Surfaces PO Box 17219 Norkem Park 1631 Mr J Van Niekerk Javseal (Pty) Ltd PO Box 26317 Isipingo Beach 4115 Mr PA Olivier Jeffares and Green (Pty) Ltd PO Box 1109 Sunninghill 2157 Mr GR Tyndall Kantey and Templer (Pty) Ltd PO Box 3132 Cape Town 8000 Mr GM James Kaymac (Pty) Ltd T/A Kaytech PO Box 116 Pinetown 3600

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Mr SRM Adande Mdubane Energy Services (Pty) Ltd PO Box 4876 Durban 4000

Mr F Samaai Nadeson Consulting Services PO Box 51121 V&A Waterfront 8002 Mr M Manicum Naidu Consulting (Pty) Ltd PO Box 2796 Westway Office Park 3635 Mr J Strydom Namibia Technical Services CC PO Box 30623 Pioneers Park Windhoek Namibia Mr N Nathoo Nathoo Mbenyane Engineers PO Box 47595 Greyville 4023 Mr S Pretorius National Asphalt PO Box 1657 Hillcrest 3650

Mr M Fynn Lafarge Industries SA (Pty) Ltd Private Bag X26 Gallo Manor 2052

Mr A Nagel Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University PO Box 77000 Port Elizabeth 6031

Mr MA Van Reenen Letaba Lab (Pty) Ltd PO Box 739 White River 1240

Mr N Govender Nolans Earthworks & Plant CC PO Box 28617 Haymarket 3200

Mr W Tendaupenyu Lidwala Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd PO Box 2930 Nelspruit 1200

Mr L Heathcote Outeniqua Lab (Pty) Ltd PO Box 3186 George Industria 6536

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Mr M Kohlberg Rand Roads (Div of GrinakerLta) Ltd Private Bag X030 Kempton Park 1620 Ms S Rattray Rankin Engineering Consultants PO Box 50566 Lusaka Zambia Mr KG Rocher Raubex (Pty) Ltd PO Box 10302 Ashwood 3605 Mr T Saks Reliance Lab Equip (Pty) Ltd PO Box 911-489 Rosslyn 0200 Mr F Kemp Roadspan Asphalt Plants (Pty) Ltd PO Box 30550 Jet Park 1469 Mr PB Joubert Royal HaskoningDHV PO Box 867 Gallo Manor 2146 Mr JB Lansdell Salphalt (Pty) Ltd PO Box 234 Isando 1600 Mr BI Jonsson Sarf PO Box 8379 Birchleigh 1621 Mr J van Heerden Sasol Technology Fuels Research PO Box 1 Sasolburg 1947 Dr SJ Strydom Sasol Wax (Div of Sci) Chemcity 2 PO Box 1 Sasolburg 1947 Mr RL Hornsey Shell SA Marketing (Pty) Ltd 6 Ipivi Road Kloof 3610 Mr A Taute SMEC South Africa (Pty) Ltd PO Box 72927 Lynnwood Ridge 0040 Mr CH Loots Specialised Road Technologies (Pty) Ltd PO Box 15324 Westmead 3608

Mr SO Single Spray Pave (Pty) Ltd PO Box 674 Alberton 1450 Mr A Van Rooyen Tar Spray (Pty) Ltd Suite 418, Private Bag X153 Bryanston 2021 Mr MP Prinsloo Tau Pele Construction (Pty) Ltd PO Box 13125 Noordstad 9302 Mr D Pagel Tosas (Pty) Ltd PO Box 14159 Wadeville 1422 Mr G Diepraam Total SA (Pty) Ltd PO Box 579 Saxonwold 2132 Mr RB Purchase TPA Consulting (Pty) Ltd PO Box 1575 Westville 3630 Prof GJ Jordaan Tshepega Engineering (Pty) Ltd PO Box 33783 Glenstantia 0010 Mr A Philip Unique Trading & Outsourcing (Pty) Ltd PO Box 5424 Benoni South 1502 Mr D Bullock Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions (Pty) Ltd PO Box 31 Tableview 7439 Prof WJvdM Steyn University of Pretora Dept Civil Eng Lynnwood Road, Hatfield 0002 Prof KJ Jenkins University of Stellenbosch Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 Mr J McLoughlin Worldwide Tanks on Hire CC PO Box 2250 Durban 4000 Mr G Verwey WorleyParsons Rsa (Pty) Ltd PO Box 22 Menlyn 0063 Mr MP Bouwmeester WSP Group Africa (Pty) Ltd PO Box 98867 Sloane Park 2152 Mr JM Pearce Zebra Surfacing (Pty) Ltd PO Box 14335 Kenwyn 7790

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WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER

Technical paper

Expanding containment barrier boundaries Clean water is a basic human right, we all deserve safe drinking water and clean lakes and rivers to boat and play. This paper proposes a method to extend the life expectancy and efficiency of geosynthetics where used in combination with challenging environments.

By W. Meyer, P.J. Meyer and C.J. Gundle

T

HESE INCLUDE storage of toxic chemicals under exothermic conditions while maintaining GCL hydration and removing volatile organic compounds. A recent publication states: “Pollution flows from the ageing, leaky ponds that many plants use to store their toxic slurries.”

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It further states: “Toxic chemicals also seep from unlined ponds and dry waste landfills into ground and surface waters leaving behind a persistent lethal legacy.”

The much-respected EPA admits according to this publication that these standards “do not adequately address the toxic pollutants discharged from the electric power industry.”

Background 1.1 Composite Liner Performance An analysis of regulator y requirements (Koerner and Koerner, 1999) indicates that containment barriers regularly comprise of a leachate collection system which is to reduce the hydraulic gradient across the liner; a liner system which is typically a

WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER

composite geomembrane and clay component to fulfil a containment function, and a leak detection system which is given effect by the provision of a secondary liner.

The performance of such composite liners should be evaluated based on total solute transport, which considers both advective losses as well as diffusion of volatile organic compounds in the waste stream (Foose et al., 2002).

1.1.1 Construction Phase Influences The climatic conditions during construction can significantly reduce liner performance.

Sunshine may induce desiccation, cracking of the clay component, in particular of prehydrated and uncovered GCLs, as well as induce wrinkles in the geomembrane, which would lead to increased advective losses.

Excessive rain on the clay component can lead to displacement of the fine fraction at the interface and resultant pervious zones, while wind too can displace the fine fraction, which is critical to controlling impermeability.

Hydration of the GCL component of a composite liner prior to its exposure to leachate is required; however, this hydration should take place after application of a normal load (Vangapaisel et al., 2002). This is extremely difficult when the GCL is part of a composite liner and isolated from soil moisture by either the leakage detection system or underlying secondary liner geomembrane.

Pre-hydration by means of spraying water on the GCL immediately prior to covering with a geomembrane induces damages such as squeeze of the bentonite and preferential flow paths through cracks. The failure to prehydrate a GCL prior to its exposure to leachate, especially if containing hydrocarbons or salts, will result in a loss of performance.

1.1.2 Service Life Influences The lifetime prediction of a geomembrane has been addressed by numerous authors (Sangam & Rowe, 2002; Koerner & Hsuan, 2003; Rowe, 2005) for exposure to elevated temperature and various fluids. These elevated temperatures significantly reduce the service life of the geomembrane, may induce desiccation cracking of underlying clay components of composite liners and increase the total solute transport.

The relatively small temperature increase in the lower range of 10°C to 35°C on a composite liner, increased diffusion by 100% and hydraulic conductivity (or advection) by 80% (Rowe, 2005). Similar considerations

need to be given to the drainage system performance, which is affected by both normal stress resulting in intrusion, and elevated temperature-induced deformations, causing a reduction in performance of geosynthetic drainage systems.

1.2 Temperature Considerations The negative effect of temperature on geosynthetic components is a topic that attracted the attention of numerous researchers over the past decade. The seriousness of this limitation has been recognised by leading geomembrane manufacturers who are investing in the development of temperature resistant geomembranes (Ramsey & Wu, 2013).

The thermal conductivity of GCLs was investigated and showed that the thermal

be at 60°C and liners beneath MSW furnace bottom ash temperature as high as 85°C due to pozzolanic action (Legge, 2011). The industry press has reported still higher temperatures in an MSW landfill in the US resulting in leachate temperatures in the order of 100°C due to aluminium dros reacting with ash and a resultant out-of-court settlement accompanied by $10 million fine by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

1.2.2 Heap Leach Pads The use of geomembranes underneath heap leach facilities is common practice as the chemicals used to extract the metals from the ore are exceptionally damaging to the environment. Furthermore, the chemicals’ main function is to extract the metal from the ore body and the pregnant solution migrates towards

The failure to pre-hydrate a GCL prior to its exposure to leachate, especially if containing hydrocarbons or salts, will result in a loss of performance conductivity increased with the increase in moisture content (Sing & Bouazza, 2013).

This may lead to the GCL acting as an insulator if it is not properly hydrated, which will cause elevated temperatures on the primary geomembrane due the heat buildup.

1.2.1 Landfill Barrier Systems The heat generated within the waste body due to exothermic biological degradation or chemical reactions or combinations thereof result in elevated temperatures of the leachate and gas, and hence the base liner system.

It was found that the rate of rise of temperature can vary and that while the onset of the rise may be some years after the start of deposition, this elevated temperature could last as long as forty years (Yoshida & Rowe, 2003). They conclude that the temperatures around landfill liners are generally below 50°C while the waste is generally above 50°C, for the municipal solid waste landfills studied.

At a hazardous waste site in South Africa, temperatures have been measured in the leachate above the composite liner in the range of 57°C to 65°C. Partial clogging or the reduction in drainage efficiency of the overlying leachate collection system can result in leachate mounding and higher temperatures directly above the geomembrane. Similarly, piggyback liners above MSW are reported to

the base of the leach pad where it is collected and extracted for further processing.

Biooxidation of sulphide minerals, being an exothermic process, produces significant heating in heaps (Pradhan et al., 2008).

Computer modelling has shown that the base of heap leach pads can reach 45°C (Thiel & Smith, 2004). The rain shield commonly used over heap leach pads to prevent water from entering the heap acts as an insulator, thereby trapping the heat within the heap (Ramsey & Wu, 2013).

2. Expanding the boundaries The foregoing shows that there is a need in the geomembrane industry to mitigate the effects of elevated temperature on composite liners, post loading hydration of GCLs and the removal of volatile organic compounds to expand the performance of the conventional geomembrane installations.

2.1 Principle A concept was developed which involves drawing a fluid under negative pressure through a pervious zone adjacent to the barrier so that the fluid could be used to both cool the primary composite lining and adjacent drainage systems, as well as introduce moisture to the GCL beneath the overlying geomembrane for its hydration (after placement of a normal load and prior to the risk of its exposure to leachate).

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WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER

The fluid (gaseous, liquid or two-phase mixture) passing through the pervious zone would also maintain the leak detection system at a low to zero concentration of VOCs, thus preventing their further diffusion into the adjacent environment. The possibility of the negative pressure to enhance the intimate contact between the geomembrane and the GCL, especially on a micro scale, should not be overlooked.

The negative pressure is essential so as to ensure no introduction of oxygen to the waste body through a discontinuity of the base geomembrane, which could induce spontaneous combustion, depending on the composition of the contained waste.

The negative pressure results in a net outward flow toward the leakage detection system sump.

This concept was proven by a range of laboratory experiments as well as an infield application. The results of these experiments were previously published (Gundle et al., 2013) and will not be dealt with in this publication.

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2.2 Benefits The regulatory standards are becoming increasingly stricter. Regulators are moving in the direction of requiring designers to address the mitigation effects of heat on a barrier installation to ensure that the required design service life is achieved.

Furthermore, should VOCs be present in the containment facility, the designer has to address this and provide a solution to prevent VOCs from contaminating the subsoil.

This system provides designers with a practical, low-maintenance and cost-effective solution to address the requirements enforced by regulators but even more important, it couples the expansion of the barrier’s service life, extracts VOCs as well as overcomes construction challenges to hydrating and maintaining the optimal hydration of the clay component to ultimately protect our environment.

Important and very exciting to note is the ability of the system to transform a geosynthetic barrier into a closed system where the user has the ability to manipulate

the environmental conditions surrounding the barrier in such a manner that we can extend the service life of our geosynthetic materials to greater boundaries than currently achievable.

3. Design and construction This section reports on the design and construction on two facilities where the enhanced barrier system (EBS) is being applied.

The first facility where this technology will be utilised is at a hazardous waste sludge lagoon for a multinational company. The facility is 50 hectares in footprint and 10 metres deep. The waste facility design was able to conform to the conventional double composite liner with an intermediate leakdetection layer of a hazardous waste lagoon containment barrier standard. This barrier design addressed seepage but required the EBS to resolve diffusion and hydration of the primary liner GCL. The second facility where this technology will be utilised has, at the time of writing

WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER

Where p1 = inlet pressure Ď = fluid density g = gravitational acceleration V1 = inlet velocity z1 = elevation at inlet p2 = outlet pressure V2 = outlet velocity z2 = elevation at outlet hf = system frictional head losses hm = minor head losses hp = pump head.

FIGURE 1: Typical segment at a specific facility

this publication, just been completed from a design point of view and construction is to commence soon. This installation is for a hazardous waste landfill facility and will make use of all three functions of the EBS, removal of heat from the geosynthetic barrier, hydration of the primary liner GCL as well as the removal of VOCs.

3.1 Design The most important design aspect to ensure successful operation of the system is that of even airflow throughout the facility. Each facility is unique and the site-specific parameters as well as the composition of the barrier system components have to be taken FIGURE 2: Working principle

into account at the start of a design.

To ensure even airflow through the facility as well as optimise the size and power consumption of the mechanical extraction fan the facility is divided into compartments. The widths of the compartments are calculated based on the pressure drop over the corresponding flow section to ensure evenly distributed flow as well as taking into account the width of the geomembrane sheets to ensure a practical design. Refer to Figure 1 below for a typical segment at the 50 hectare facility.

The design of the airflow, selection of the mechanical extraction fan as well as the required piping are all based on the basic fundamentals of fluid dynamics, refer to the Bernoulli equation below.

3.1.1 Hazardous Waste Lagoon Getting back to the hazardous waste lagoon, we had to consider pre-hydration means of the GCLs in the primary and secondary composite liners, the rate and direction of the advancing wetting front, and the direction of pollutant migration. This led to the selection of different GCLs in the enclosed primary liner and in the secondary liner applications.

The vacuum induction system with inlets and outlets was designed so as to make use of readily available fittings and vacuum pumps.

The system is designed to induce condensation at the fluid inlet to assist with the rapid hydration of the primary liner GCL. 3.1.2 Hazardous Waste Landfill The design at this facility took into consideration the same aspects as described in section 3.1.1 above. However due to the requirement to extract heat from the barrier system, the fluid flow design was optimised to ensure adequate convection heat transfer between the barrier components and that of the cooler fluid passing under a negative pressure through the leakage detection layer.

3.1.3 Working Principle Figure 2 below describes the working principle of the fluid movement through the pervious zone in the barrier system from a more practical perspective.

The vacuum pump induces the negative pressure to the system, which consequently allows a fluid to enter the flow distribution header, typically located within the anchor trench of a segment. To control the volume flow through the compartment, a control valve is located on the fluid inlet side to vary the flow resistance to meet the system requirements.

From the distribution header, the fluid spreads evenly along the pervious zone to the suction manifold, which is located at

IMIESA October 2014

57

WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER

FIGURE 3 Earthworks preparation

the deepest point, as it may be utilised as the leakage detection piping. The fluid is further conveyed towards the pump station where the piping from all the segments joins into a common manifold, which is ultimately connected to the vacuum pump inlet. Due to possibility of liquid in the piping, a counterweight mechanism is attached to the end of each segment’s leakage detection piping that is closed during normal operation until a certain static head is reached, at which the mechanism will open, discharge the fluid, and close to continue with normal operation.

3.2 Construction 3.2.1 Earthworks The basic geomembrane-lined earth dam construction principals are applied, and include: engineered sloping walls and floors with a regular slope towards the lowest

FIGURE 4 Progress of geomembrane installation

58

IMIESA October 2014

point of the dam with subsoil drains, standard compaction requirements and surface finishes.

3.2.2 Geomembrane Installation Standard geomembrane installation practice is followed giving attention to specific design principles and thermal expansion and contraction wrinkles.

piping is critical to proper performance of the system.

3.2.2.3 Compartment Segmentation Effective separation of compartments needs to be achieved.

3.2.2.4 Quality Control As with any installation, the quality control needs to be an integral part of the installation. QC procedures and documentation are completed and exercised diligently. Electric leak detection is performed on all the geomembranes to ensure that a quality product is delivered.

3.2.2.1 Anchor Trenches Anchor trenches are adapted to accommodate the fluid extraction system.

Timeous backfilling of trenches is important to prevent any localised tension in the geomembrane due to thermal expansion and contraction.

4. Conclusion

3.2.2.2 Installation of Components of the Fluid Extraction System Particular care should be taken to ensure that the installation is according to the design requirements. Connection of the piping to the geomembrane in the anchor trench as well as to the leakage detection

This paper acknowledges that barrier systems have limitations to per formance influenced by temperature, hydration of clay components post loading but prior to exposure to waste, and diffusion of VOCs. Regulations require designers to quantify the service life of geosynthetics in waste facilities and specify how they are

WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER

FIGURE 5 Suction manifold connection in anchor trench

to mitigate the effects of heat on the geosynthetic components as well as the total solute transport through the geomembrane.

Consequently, a proven system is described that has the ability to overcome these challenges and expand the boundaries of barrier systems. The system applies a fluid under negative pressure to pass through the leakage detection system to remove the heat from the geosynthetic components, hydrate a GCL after application of a normal load and prior to exposure to leachate, as well as remove the diffused VOCs from the barrier system to prevent them from contaminating the groundwater. Furthermore, some insight into the design and practical installation of the system was shared to improve the understanding on the system.

Ultimately, the system described provides the industry with an innovative technology that can be utilised to overcome the limitations faced in geosynthetic barrier systems.

WORLDWIDE PATENT Aquatan is the proprietor of this worldwide patent, a copy of which is available. This

patent is currently in force and is relied upon to protect Aquatan’s interests in the claimed invention. The purpose of

IMIESA October 2014

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WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER

Koerner, J. R., & Koerner, R.M. 1999. A survey of solid waste landfill liner and cover regulations: Part 2 – Wordwide Status. GRI Report #23.

Koerner, R. M., & Hsuan, Y. G. 2003. Lifetime prediction of polymeric geomembranes used in new dam construction and rehabilitation.

Proceedings Assoc. of State Dam Safety Officials Conference, Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, ISBN 0-13-726175-6.

Legge, K. R. 2011. Towards revised containment barrier standards.

Keynote address, Landfill Interest Group Seminar, Durban, South Africa.

Pradhan, N., Nathsarma, K. C.,Srinivasa Rao, K., Sukla, L. B., & Mishra, B. K. 2008. Heap bioleaching of chalcopyrite: A Review. Volume 21, Issue 5, Minerals Engineering, p. 355-365.

Ramsey, B., & Wu, Y. 2013. Advances in Geomembranes: Thermal properties and elevated usage temperatures. GhIGS GeoAfrica 2013 Conference.

Rowe, R. K. 2005. Long term performance of containment barrier systems. Geotechnique 55 (9), p. 631-678.

Sangam, H. P., & Rowe, K. 2002. Effects of exposure conditions on the depletion of antioxidants from high density polyethylene geomembranes.

Canadian Geotechnical Journal, Volume 39, p. 1221-1230.

FIGURE 6 Compartmentalisation in progress

Singh, R. M., & Bouazza, A. 2013. Thermal Conductivity of Geosynthetics.

Geotextiles and Geomembranes 39, p. 1-8.

Thiel, R., & Smith, R. E. 2004. State of the practice review of heap leach pad design issues. Geotextiles and Geomembranes 22, p. 555-568.

this note is to formally bring the existence of the patent to the reader’s attention.

60

References

Vangpaisal, T., Bouazza, A., & Kodikara, J. 2002. Gas permeability of a needle-punched geosynthetic clay liner subjected to wetting and drying.

Geosynthetics – 7th ICG – Delmas, Gourc & Girard (eds), p. 841-844.

Foose, G. J., Benson, C. H., & Edil, T. B. 2002. Comparison of solute transport in three composite liners. Journal of Geotechnical and GeoEnvironmental Engineering, Volume 128, p. 391-403.

Waterkeeper Alliance, The Environmental Integrity Project, The Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, Earth Justice. Closing the Flood Gates: How the coal Industry is Poisoning our water and how we can stop it.

Gundle, C. J., Meyer, P. J., Meyer, W., & Schäffner, M. 2013. Technological response for mitigating environmental impacts to achieve long-term pollution prevention. GhIGS GeoAfrica 2013 Conference.

Yoshida, H., & Rowe, R. K. 2003. Consideration of landfill liner temperature. Proceedings Sardinia, Ninth International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium.

IMIESA October 2014

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WATER AND SANITATION

De Hoop Dam

Building a legacy South Africa is currently experiencing a surge in infrastructure development projects, which aim to better the lives of all South Africans.

T

HE LATEST of these projects, the De Hoop Dam project, will see a significant rise in potable and irrigation water to people living in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.

South African President Jacob Zuma attended the opening ceremony, which took place barely a week after the country celebrated National Water Week.

“The dam will be used for two primary purposes. First, to supply water to the towns, industries and poorly serviced rural communities in the Sekhukhune, Waterberg, and Capricorn districts of Limpopo. Secondly,

the dam will supply water to the mines in order to help unlock vast mineral deposits, mainly in the form of platinum group metals found in the region. The dam will be a catalyst for both social and economic development for this region,” said Zuma.

At 347 million m3, the De Hoop Dam, a pioneer in the Southern African cement industry, was commissioned in 2007 and is one of the largest concrete dams in South Africa. It used cement products supplied by PPC and cost in the region of R3.5 billion to complete. It took a staggering 94 963 tonnes of cement to construct the De Hoop Dam.

“We are thrilled that the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) chose our products to construct this much-needed infrastructure project. We have been a part of South Africa’s infrastructure development for over 120 years and we plan to continue to be for the foreseeable future,” said Naseam Ismail, PPC’s Mpumalanga area manager.

The dam will supply water to the surrounding communities and to the mining industry in the province to help stimulate economic growth in Limpopo.

The De Hoop Dam is the first project that forms part of the Presidential Infrastructure

The dam will supply water to the surrounding communities and to the mining industry in the province to help stimulate economic growth in Limpopo

IMIESA October 2014

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WATER AND SANITATION

The construction rate of the De Hoop Dam project was one of the highest achieved in South Africa

Coordinating Commission, which seeks to boost infrastructure development in the country and stimulate economic growth and job creation.

The construction of the De Hoop Dam also signalled several firsts for PPC and the construction of cement dams in the country. At the last Fulton Awards in 2013, the project was awarded the Civil Engineering Structure

66

Award and the Sustainable Concrete Award.

The work done at the De Hoop Dam Project led to significant simplification of the construction process and allowed one of the highest construction rates achieved in South Africa, with a peak of more than 130 000 m3 of RCC placed in one month.

The De Hoop Dam project is also a flagship project for the DWA and will address a significant portion of future water needs in Limpopo.

South Africa is currently seeing a call for collaboration to boost infrastructure development. During the 2014 State of the

Nation Address, Zuma reiterated the call for Government, business and labour to work together and come up with solutions in order for the economy to grow in South Africa at significant levels.

“We have to work together as Government, business and labour to grow our economy at rates that are above 5%, to be able to create the jobs we need. Fortunately this collaboration is already taking place,” said Zuma.

The president went on to say that steps had been made during 2013 to engage with various businesses on specific steps Government could take to make doing business in South Africa easier.

“The willingness of the private sector to engage with government in order to speed up infrastructure delivery is very clear; there are many initiatives. The Business Leadership of South Africa has created a working group that is interacting with Government. Everybody is very excited, it is clear everybody needs a new way for infrastructure to be delivered,” said Ketso Gordhan, CEO at PPC.

IMIESA October 2014

Welcome to the future – a future of Mwangaza We are all writing a part of the script which tomorrow’s society will play out. At Royal HaskoningDHV we would like the title to read: ‘Welcome to the future’ - and for our chapter in that script to read ‘Mwangaza’ - a Swahili word which means ‘light’.

Together with our partners and clients we consider how we can create a welcoming future - developing efficient and smart living.

Whether switching on a light, travelling to work or drinking a clean glass of water - the solutions and work of our engineers surround us, making lives better and brighter. Our work contributes to the sustainable development of communities. Together, we deliver innovative sustainable answers to today’s challenges.

Royal HaskoningDHV is an independent, international engineering and project management consultancy.

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WATER AND SANITATION

Progress at Ingula The multibillion rand Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme, like many of this magnitude and complexity, has suffered delays, not least the site closure ordered by the Department of Labour after last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tragic accident claiming the lives of six construction workers.

P

ROGRESS HAS BEEN made since the incident in October last year, both underground and above ground.

The Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme is now in its seventh year of construction and had it not been for the tragic accident, one of the four 333 MW reversible pump turbines would currently be undergoing commissioning.

The Eskom project is located between Ladysmith and Harrismith in the Little Drakensberg, and will have a generating capacity of 1 332 MW available during periods of peak demand and supplement the base load when necessary â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for example

during outages or essential maintenance of other generating plants.

The design Ingula is a peaking hydropower station comprising an upper and a lower dam or reservoir separated in elevation by 480 m, an underground powerhouse located 116 storeys underground in two excavated underground caverns and housing 4 x 333 MW Francis-type pumps/turbines.

An underground labyrinth of interconnecting tunnels/waterways extends 6.5 km, and 3 km of access tunnels and a number of shafts allow water to be released from the upper Bedford Dam and delivered to the

turbines producing power, before being captured in the lower Bramhoek Dam. During off-peak times, the turbines are reversed pumping water back from Bramhoek Dam to Bedford, in readiness for the next peak event.

Progress Construction senior supervisor Jacques du Plessis from Royal HaskoningDHV, one of ABOVE This Eskom project is located in the Little Drakensberg BELOW Aerial shot of the dam wall

IMIESA October 2014

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WATER AND SANITATION

the three firms of consultants that make up the design and construction supervision team, Braamhoek Consultants Joint Venture, explains recent progress milestones.

“Underground work is proceeding apace with the concrete lining in the tailrace and headrace tunnels completed; cavity and consolidation tunnel grouting are about 75% complete and; concrete slip forming at one of two 91 m high surge chambers recently commenced. All civil works in the transformer hall have been completed and the machine hall and underground control room are nearing completion” he explained.

“The first turbine shaft and runner were taken underground recently, two generator transformers have been installed and mechanical and electrical fit-out work is underway. Above ground the operations and maintenance building on the intake structure is nearing completion as is the stop-log storage facility at the outlet,” says Du Plessis.

The double-storey administration building, whose basement has direct access to the main tunnel leading to the underground

68

power station, has also recently been completed. In addition to office space, the building accommodates the external control centre for the power station. Also recently completed is the visitors centre, which comprises a small office wing, a cinema, various display halls, an auditorium and facilities wings. The surrounding area will be landscaped with indigenous plants to minimise the visual impact of the surface buildings.

Environmental responsibilities “Amid all this heavy engineering work, Eskom is conscious of its environmental responsibilities and in particular the site’s bird life,” explains Du Plessis. More than 275 bird species have been sighted at Ingula, including

all three crane species that, although rare, are regularly seen there.

“The endangered southern bald ibis is a resident of the conservation area and thirty breeding pairs have been counted. However, construction of the upper Bedford Dam, completed in 2011, robbed them of their historic nesting ledges, causing Eskom to construct a massive artificial nesting site to compensate for the loss of their original ones,” he explains.

The dam is expected to fill to capacity during 2015 for the first time, and the hope is that before then the birds will discover the new nesting site themselves. Several dummies were placed in the new site to entice them to relocate. The change in habitat due to the construction of the dams is being monitored by conservation staff and already new species are moving into the area such as spoonbill and flamingo.

Anticipated completion and operation of the first of the four pumps/turbines is expected

by May 2015 with the remaining units coming on stream over the following 12 months.

IMIESA October 2014

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WATER AND SANITATION | COMPANY PROFILE

David and Goliath The founders of Amanzi took a huge leap of faith when they pooled their resources to start their business in an industry dominated by wellestablished international players.

W

ITHIN A SHORT space of time they have managed to establish an exciting business with innovative products that compete on price and quality, and also have export potential.

All standards compliant The water reticulation industry has high barriers to entry due to high development cost and required technology. The regulatory environment is similarly stringent and requires much attention to detail. Amanzi’s manufacturing ranges from raw material to final products, which include water meters, ball valves and meter boxes. Products are NRCS approved where required, a pre-requisite for obtaining municipal tenders. The water meters are also YASWIC accepted.

State of the art manufacturing technology The factory is based in Tongaat, KwaZuluNatal with easy access to the N2 and in

close proximity to Durban’s King Shaka airport. Advanced manufacturing technologies are applied, which start in the design room with CAD drawings done by experienced designers and engineers. Before any tooling is manufactured, a 3D model of the item can be made to check for functionality and ease of manufacturing.

Diversity and support The founders have diverse backgrounds that include manufacturing design, banking and electronic engineering. Amanzi owes much of its success to local suppliers who allowed credit while Amanzi was still in an incubator phase. This gave Amanzi the opportunity to engage in R&D, build prototypes and obtain NRCS approval for its water meters before any sales took place.

On 1 September 2013, Amanzi Meters became a subsidiary of Sebata Municipal Solutions, a member of the MICROmega Group, a public company listed on the main board of the JSE. The synergies within the group provide the opportunity for growth and the ability to provide an

Amanzi Me Meters te designs, devel lo and develops man manufactures its ow wn products own

end-to-end water management solution to municipalities. They now offer a complete meter reading and data management solution to meet the increasing demands on water utilities and to bring water losses under control.

Products and services Amanzi Meters designs, develops and manufactures its own products. Moulding is done in an ISO-rated facility and water meters are tested according to the Trade Metrology Act of 1977 in a SANAS-accredited laboratory to ensure the highest quality. Ongoing development accommodates customer requirements and ensures robustness for field applications.

Product Range • Plastic, volumetric water meters – 15 mm x 114/15 mm x 165/20 mm • Water meter boxes – surface boxes and above-ground boxes • Ball valves – consumer and municipal ball valves, including a tamper-free solution • Restrictor valves – the iMvubu valve is approved for the dispensing of free water • AMR – an AMR device that clips onto the meter for data collection

BELOW The assembly line INSET Amanzi meter and iMvubu assembled in a surface box

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RE-THINKWATER South African manufacturer and supplier of Water meters Ball valves Meter boxes Limiter valves

Tel: + 27 32 944 6034 Fax: +27 86 547 5499 sales@amanzimeters.co.za 9 Walter Reid Road, Tongaat, KZN, 4399, South Africa A

Micromega Group Company

Municipalities are losing up to 40% of potable water supplied and therefore need to implement measures to effectively manage resources. Robust and durable products that can withstand the harsh South African conditions are therefore a prerequisite for effective water management.

WATER AND SANITATION | COMPANY PROFILE

Verification Laboratory

• Prepaid metering – these are being developed and refined.

Amanzi has developed the iMvubu valve for the allocation and dispensing of free water to indigent communities.

This product is cost-effective and has the potential to save municipalities millions of rands due to the serviceability of the unit. The long-life battery is easily replaceable without exposing the electronics of the unit. An AMR unit is being tested and a prepaid meter and valve combination is being developed as a natural progression of the product.

Research and development

A broader contribution

Amanzi is committed to the ongoing development and enhancement of their products to best serve the needs of their customers. The company’s management philosophy is based on responsibility and mutual respect, while encouraging ownership of responsibilities to help foster personal growth. Amanzi focuses on productivity for growth and profitability, as well as respect for its customers and employees to increase repeat and referral business while minimising employee turnover. Additionally, the company encourages employees to have fun by allowing creative independence and providing work challenges that are realistic, attainable and rewarding.

A strong manufacturing sector is a crucial component of a country’s intellectual capital, innovation capacity and economic prosperity. Manufacturing competitiveness is driven by an empowered talent base, especially as manufacturers around the world integrate technology platforms and interfaces into their products.

The manufacturing sector provides a locus for stimulating the growth of other activities, such as ser vices, and achieving specific outcomes, such as employment creation, development and economic empowerment. Amanzi is collaborating with tertiar y institutions to assist in a much-needed skills transfer, which will allow previously disadvantaged people to get involved in the manufacturing sector.

Amanzi’s initiative to establish a South African manufacturer of water management systems and devices is therefore in support of Government’s drive for local procurement to create meaningful jobs.

+27 (0)32 944 6034 sales@amanzimeters.co.za www.amanzimeters.co.za

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WATER AND SANITATION

Background to pour flush The ventilated improved pit latrine, or VIP, was developed in Zimbabwe in the early 1980s and was soon accepted as the standard for basic sanitation in Africa, including South Africa.

W

HEN PROPERLY designed, built and maintained, the VIP provides a decent basic level of sanitation, and is robust.

However, many aspire to a higher level of sanitation, with flush toilets being universally desired.

The problem with flush toilets is that they require enormous amounts of water â&#x20AC;&#x201C; water that is not always available or affordable in semi-arid areas. The water needed for flushing is significant enough, but what really causes crippling debt is leaking toilets.

VIP toilets, though they do not need water for operation, also have their drawbacks. As they do not have a water seal, they have to be separate from the house. Because the pit is readily accessible, people use them to dispose of all manner of personal and household domestic waste, which means they fill up much faster than they should.

When they are full, emptying is a messy, unpleasant and expensive operation.

Exploring pour flush technology in SA

FIGURE 1: Ventilated improved pit latrine schematic (Sanitation Technology Options, 2002)

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For these reasons, Jay Bhagwan of the Water Research Commission in Pretoria wanted to see what would happen if pour flush sanitation was tested in South Africa.

Pour flush is an intermediate technology, which is different from the VIP in that it has a water seal, and different from full flush in that much less water is required for operation and that flushing is done manually. For 50 years, it has been the basic sanitation standard in South Asia, but it was always felt that it would not suit African conditions.

In 2009, Bhagwan engaged a research team led by David Still to test the appropriateness of the pour flush technology in South Africa.

FIGURE 2: Schematic for pour flush latrine The main differences (Sanitation Technology Options, 2002)

WATER AND SANITATION

toilets in SA between South Africa and South Asia are that in South Africa it is customary to sit on a toilet pedestal rather than to squat over a hole, and it is common to use toilet paper, whereas, in South Asia, people use water.

Due to these differences, pour flush had never been considered as a potential sanitation option in South Africa.

Still’s research team integrated the Asian pour flush concept into a South African-style toilet pedestal and, after a few design iterations, found that the new toilet worked far better than expected. The first field test units were commissioned near Pietermaritzburg on 1 September 2010 and, in 2011 and 2012, a further 30 test units were constructed. These toilets discharge via a short length of pipe to a local soakage pit where the effluent is allowed to dry and compost in the same manner as a VIP latrine, but with the notable absence of solid waste.

Pour flush trials Following the success of the KZN trials, the WRC commissioned Maluti GSM Consulting Engineers to establish pour flush trials in the Western Cape. The ‘front end’ of the toilet is unchanged from the design developed by David Still but, in order to make the technology more accessible to dense urban

OPPOSITE AND RIGHT Typical pour flush latrine installations, Edendale, Pietermaritzburg

settlements, the toilets are connected to a simplified sewerage network that discharges to a centralised biodigestor or septic tank.

This small-scale trial is operating successfully in three Western Cape municipalities, made possible through the willingness of the users and collaboration with the Sustainability Institute, AgriProtein and the Lighthouse Mission.

The pour flush toilet requires no mains water connection, as it is flushed manually by pouring as little as 1 litre of water (or greywater) into the toilet bowl, compared to 6 litres or more for a conventional toilet. In a dense urban context, the pour flush toilet may present the opportunity for sanitation to be installed closer to the user or even inside the house. The technology can assist with the hygienic disposal of greywater and, at a wider scale, has the potential to reduce demand for potable water and alleviate pressure on overstressed sewer networks.

Based on the success of the testing and demonstration work, Durban is now planning to install 600 units at the Oakford Priory housing development, scheduled for construction this year, and Stellenbosch

municipality is considering incorporating pour flush into its design standards.

A Durban-based plastics company, Envirosan, is planning to start making the pedestal using injection-moulded plastic.

This is an exciting development as it will not only result in a high-quality finish, but it will also bring down the costs of the pedestals and make it possible for the technology to compete on price with the current market alternatives.

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The name that really holds water

ELEVATED TANKS

CIRCULAR SECTIONAL STEEL TANKS

GROUND LEVEL TANKS

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WATER AND SANITATION | COMPANY PROFILE

CALCAMITE TANKS

Sanitation comes full circle Calcamite’s mission statement: “To uplift the living standards of our communities by providing safe, acceptable, hygienic and affordable on-site sanitation and water solutions by means of appropriate technologies.”

T

HE ROLE OF standards in sanitation in South Africa has never been more important. Calcamite Tanks has been developing effective SABS and Agrément certified on-site sanitation solutions for the last 30 years and is ready to meet the challenge.

The Department of Water and Sanitation’s slogan, ‘water is life, sanitation is dignity’, is an oft-repeated phrase that belies the fact that South Africa often finds itself falling short of this by rolling out solutions that are substandard and a quick fix. A viable solution must be based on products that meet standards and are fit for purpose.

“When it comes to sanitation, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution,” states John Telford, managing director of Calcamite Tanks. For 20 years, Calcamite Tanks has insisted that a sanitation solution can only be effective if it meets the relevant standards. “We have seen the sanitation cycle come full circle,” says Telford. “In early democracy, the focus was on sanitation, where it belonged. However, it gradually shifted to the more visible elements, such as the top structure. While South Africans BELOW LEFT Biomite recycling system BELOW RIGHT Biomite cistern

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can be proud of the top structures that have been developed, it has shifted the focus away from the heart of the matter; which is providing adequate, above- and below-ground sanitation solutions.”

The sanitation innovation challenge “Calcamite is unique in that it is the only company in world, that we know of, that offers everything from a pit latrine to a package treatment plant and everything in between – all to recognised standards,” notes Telford. “Our product range allows us to service both the high-end home and informal settlements in the most appropriate and effective manner. South Africa’s extreme demographics demand a variety of solutions.”

The company was pioneering in becoming the first company in the world to receive an Agrément certificate for a sanitation system in 1994.

Right for now, ready for the future Calcamite possesses three Agrément certifications and an SABS certificate for its products, and stands ready to help Government roll out sanitation solutions that meet demand. “We are sensitive to the urgency of

this rollout, both to the decision-makers and the affected communities. South Africa may not have the luxury of conducting two-year pilot studies, so only products that already conform to recognised standards should be considered.”

A solution for every challenge Calcamite is ready to deliver four distinct types of sanitation solutions, fit for a variety of purposes and environments, especially those for which pit latrines are not a viable option. These include the: • Calcamite Ecomite dry toilet: a waterless dehydration toilet with optional urine division.

• Calcamite low flush/pour-flush system (agrément certified): an anaerobic primary digester that flows into a evapotranspiration field that consumes between zero and three litres of water per person, per day.

• Calcamite septic tank: an anaerobic primary digestion system which is combined with secondary treatment in the form of the biomat-type soakaway.

• Calcamite wetloo: a full, water flush, recycling toilet which is a closed, recycling system requiring no further water input once installed. It has a patented aerobic treatment process which sees the water in

WATER AND SANITATION | COMPANY PROFILE

ABOVE LEFT Modular conservancy tanks ABOVE RIGHT Diepsloot BRS LEFT School model Biomite recycling system

It has a superior venting system that speeds up the drying process.

Water-based toilets

continuous flow, preventing stagnation and allowing for uninterrupted usage.

All products are easily maintained and give a critical advantage to municipalities using them: servicing and maintenance is minimised and the need for emptying pit latrines vanishes. Calcamite tests all its products on-site and no product that fails these tests makes it into the market.

Installation Calcamite’s product design and manufacturing process is geared for the rapid roll-out so urgently needed right now. “The success of the Calcamite technology is not only that it works, but that it’s been manufactured from tough, durable materials and designed to facilitate ease of transportation, handling and installation. Any contractor with plumbing or building experience with a CIDB grading would be able to install a system, and we are there to support the process throughout,” says Telford.

“Our products lend themselves to making the best of both worlds in the areas of job creation and rapid roll-out. Labour intensive methods can slow some projects down, but the ease of installation of our products ensures quick turnaround times. Authorities that choose Calcamite

products are automatically suppor ting emerging contractors, who are our ideal installation partners.”

Calcamite opens its doors Calcamite invites engineers, municipal managers, counsellors, contractors and project managers to visit its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Rosslyn, Tshwane.

Showcasing in situ installations, visitors will see first-hand the innovative advantages offered by its products. The strength, simplicity of design and physical appeal of all its products are as impressive as their watersaving ability, recycling and efficiency. The visitor leaves with no doubt that Calcamite’s sanitation innovations are indeed ready now, and for the future.

• Conservancy tank: Empty tank with an inlet but no outlet. All wastewater from toilets is collected and is then emptied by a vacuum tanker.

• Septic tank: Tank has an inlet and an outlet.

Solids are intercepted in the tank, anaerobically liquefied into black water which, by hydraulic displacement, overflows into a French drain/soak-away system.

• BRS (Biomite recycling system): As per septic tank except the black water is cleaned to a level which allows it to be reused to flush toilets. It also runs on solar power. This full flush toilet cleans and recycles its own water.

• Biomite package plant: As per septic tank except the black water is further cleaned using an aerobic process which then allows the water to be reused for irrigation or toilet flushing. It usually runs off 220 volts.

It is an ideal upgrade to failing septic tank installations.

Calcamite’s solutions Dry toilets: Ecomite.

The Ecomite toilet was developed to conform to the globally accepted criteria for ecological dry sanitation.

It works on the dehydration principle whereby the urine and faeces are separated from each other, thus allowing the faecal matter to rapidly dehydrate into a stable, non-offensive substrate which can then be easily handled.

Calcamite head office t +27 (0)12 742 0900 f +27 (0)12 543 2234 Product and technical advice: John Telford: +27 (0)82 440 9930 Email john@calcamitetanks.co.za www.calcamitetanks.co.za

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WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER

Technical paper

Enhancing Johannesburg WWTW’s sludge digestion The recent increases in electricity tariffs imposed by Eskom have had a direct bearing on the cost of wastewater treatment in Johannesburg and could lead to an additional financial burden for the water services authority (WSA) and water services provider (WSP) in the future.

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N ORDER TO safeguard against this potential burden, Johannesburg Water has embarked on the implementation of a combined heat- and power-generation programme, using biogas produced at their wastewater treatment works.

In 2013, the five large treatment works operated by Johannesburg Water had the potential to generate 9.5 MW of electricity.

This would have accounted for 54% of the treatment works’ electrical power requirements and resulted in a saving of R80 million in electricity supply costs.

In order to obtain the maximum benefit from the operation of the existing mesophilic digesters, implementation of the following additional treatment processes were recommended: • thicken the digester feed sludge from 2.5% dry solids concentration to between 5% and 6%, using gravity belt thickeners • lysis the waste activated sludge cell membranes using ultrasound technology

• remove the potential for struvite precipitation by the recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus from the digested sludge, prior to sludge dewatering.

This article describes the various technologies evaluated by Johannesburg Water for the enhancement of the existing digester operation in order to fully comply with the 2006 Sludge Guidelines, increase biogas production and electrical power generation and control struvite precipitation.

Introduction The recent increases in electricity tariffs imposed by Eskom have had a direct bearing on the operational cost of wastewater treatment in Johannesburg and the cost could rise from 81c/m³ in 2013 to above 124c/ m³ by 2020. This probable increase will place an additional financial burden on both the WSA (City of Johannesburg) and the WSP (Johannesburg Water SOC Limited).

In 2010, Johannesburg Water (JW) began

COST OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT

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implementation of a combined heat and power (CHP) programme that would assist in reducing the impact of this financial burden.

In 2013, JW treated 998 Ml per day of wastewater, 249 dry tonnes of sludge and consumed 17.5 MWe of electricity at their six wastewater treatment works. The five large wastewater treatment works had the potential to generate 9.5 MWe of electricity by enhancing their sludge digestion operations.

Fifty-four per cent of the electricity required for wastewater treatment could have been generated on-site and resulted in a saving of R80 million in electricity supply costs.

CHP generation programme The revised Sludge Guidelines were promulgated by the Department of Water Affairs in March 2006 and these guidelines now form part of the Johannesburg wastewater treatment works licence conditions. One of the 10 options offered in the guidelines, for sludge stabilisation, was anaerobic digestion, and this option was considered the most cost-effective and sustainable process for Johannesburg.

In order to comply with the new Sludge Guidelines, JW had to embark on a major sludge digester refurbishment programme that included structural repair and the installation of heating and mixing equipment at Northern, Olifantsvlei and Goudkoppies Works. New mesophilic sludge digesters have been recently installed at both Driefontein and Bushkoppie Works.

During 2013, the successful installation of a 1.14 MWe CHP unit at Northern Works led to the decision to extend the programme to Driefontein Wastewater Treatment Works

WATER AND SANITATION

by the installation of 2 x 380 kWe reciprocating engines. The experience gained from the Northern Works digester and CHP operations identified areas of concern and the need to implement solutions for improved sludge thickening, cell lysis and control of struvite precipitation.

Enhancement of the sludge digestion operation All of Johannesburg’s treatment works incorporate the biological nutrient removal (BNR) process for wastewater treatment. Fermentation of primary sludge and controlled solids carry-over enhances the biological nutrient removal process but, at the same time, also reduces the amount of waste fermented sludge available for biogas production.

The digester feeds therefore consist mainly of waste activated sludge (WAS), which is thickened from an average 0.35% dry solids concentration to 2.5% in concrete gravity thickeners.

Additional sludge thickening The present problem with the steady production of biogas at Northern Works is that the digesters are being fed with gravity-thickened waste activated sludge of < 2.0% dry solids concentration. The feed sludge therefore contains an excessive amount of water and it is necessary to increase the digester feed solids concentration from < 2.0% to between 5% and 6% in order to enhance the volatile solids reduction and biogas production rates. Information obtained from a literature survey indicated that the following could be achieved if the digester feed sludge were to be further thickened: • The volatile solids loading rate could be increased from 1.2 kg VS/ m³ of digester capacity to 2.6 kg VS/m³ at a 15 day solids retention time.

• Volatile solids reduction during the sludge digestion process could be increased by about 25%.

• The solids retention time in existing digesters would be increased.

Digester feed solids conc.

2.5 % 5.0 % 5.5 % 6.0 %

VOLATILE SOLIDS LOADING RATE 12 days 15 days 20 days retention retention retention 1.5 kg VS / m³ 1.2 kg VS / m³ 0.9 kg VS / m³ 3.0 kg VS / m³ 2.4 kg VS / m³ 1.8 kg VS / m³ 3.3 kg VS / m³ 2.6 kg VS / m³ 2.0 kg VS / m³ 3.6 kg VS / m³ 2.9 kg VS / m³ 2.1 kg VS / m³

Sludge thickening methods In order to thicken the waste activated sludge further, the following processes were investigated: • dissolved air flotation (DAF) – 2 variants • gravity belt thickeners (GBT) – 5 variants • rotary drum – 1 • thickening press – 1.

All of the above processes require polymer addition with the DAF system requiring the lowest dosing rate. Due to past experience with GBTs in Johannesburg and that redundant GBTs were available for refurbishment on the works, it was decided that this mode of sludge thickening was the most cost-effective option and carried the least risk for Johannesburg Water.

Cell lysis Cell lysis involves the breakdown of cell clusters and disintegration of the cell membrane of waste activated sludge prior to sludge digestion,

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which allows the release of the organic fraction to be readily available for enhanced biogas production. Some of the advantages of incorporating cell lysis technology into the existing sludge digestion operation are: • an increase in the carbon available for biogas production • enhanced electrical power generation • a reduction in digester foaming • a reduction in the mass of digested sludge produced • improved sludge stabilisation and a reduction in odour and vector attraction.

In order to decide on which cell lysis technology to include in the enhanced sludge digestion programme, the following processes were investigated: • thermal hydrolysis – 2 variants • thermo chemical hydrolysis – 1 • mechanical disintegration – 2 variants • ultrasound/ultrasonic – 2 variants • electric pulse – 2 variants • chemical treatment – 1 • mechanical shearing – 1.

Valuable process and operational information

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was provided by literature surveys, presentations by local agents and contact with overseas users of some of the above technologies. The results of the investigations indicated that the ultrasound option was probably the most cost-effective and suitable cell lysis technology for Johannesburg.

Anticipated improvement in sludge treatment operation It is anticipated that the following could be achieved by enhancement of the existing sludge treatment operations: • 25% increase in volatile solids reduction during digestion • 25% increase in biogas production • 15% increase in electrical power generation • 20% decrease in digested sludge production • 50% to 55% decrease in the wastewater treatment electrical power costs.

Struvite precipitation Struvite is commonly referred to as MAP (magnesium, ammonium, phosphate) and

during the digestion process, phosphorus is released from cells and ammonia produced by the reduction in volatile solids concentration. Struvite precipitates after the sludge digestion process by the entrainment of air mainly through turbulence in pipelines and pumps, an increase in pH through CO2 stripping and a MAP mole ratio of 1:1:1.

Struvite forms crystals in pipelines, pumps, sludge storage tanks and dewatering equipment and, to prevent the struvite forming, ferric salts or alum salts or commercial additives are dosed into the digester feed to chemically precipitate phosphorus and so prevent struvite crystals from forming after the digestion process. However, this process does not prevent high concentrations of ammonia in the sludge dewatering liquors from being recycled back to the bioreactors for treatment, which could lead to final effluent non-compliances.

The recovery of both nitrogen and phosphorus from the digested sludge can be achieved by the controlled precipitation of struvite crystals. Since magnesium is the limiting element for struvite precipitation, magnesium ions are

WATER AND SANITATION | TECHNICAL PAPER

Struvite precipitation

added to the digested sludge to increase the magnesium concentration.

In most cases, after magnesium enhancement, phosphorus becomes the limiting factor in struvite precipitation. Although phosphorus in the digested sludge is reduced to low concentrations by controlled struvite precipitation, test results also indicate that in excess of 90% of the ammonia concentration in the digested sludge can be removed at a pH of 9.0 and a MAP mole ratio of between 1:1:1 and 1.2:1:1.

The recovery of struvite crystals for use as a slow-release fertiliser was being investigated by JW.

Enhanced sludge treatment operation In order to enhance the existing mesophilic sludge digestion operation in a cost-effective and efficient manner, a combination of technologies is required. After thoroughly investigating the suitability of the various technologies available for sludge thickening, cell lysis and struvite recovery, the following recommendations were made: • Thicken the WAS, using existing gravity thickeners, to achieve a solids concentration of 2.5%.

• The gravity-thickened WAS is to be further thickened to between 5% and 6% dry solids concentration, using gravity belt thickeners.

• The thickened WAS is lysed using ultrasound technology.

• The lysed WAS is combined with waste fermented sludge and recovered fats, oils and greases before being fed to the existing mesophilic digesters.

• After the sludge digestion operation, the digested sludge is passed through a MAP recovery process for ammonia and phosphorus removal.

• The sludge is then dewatered on existing belt filter presses, solar dried, composted and screened before final disposal.

• The recovered struvite crystals can either be blended with the compost or used separately as a slow-release fertiliser.

The recommended sludge treatment processes are to be installed at the Driefontein Wastewater Treatment Works in order to verify the assumptions made for digester volatile solids loading, volatile solids reduction, volume of biogas produced, electrical energy generated and the reduction in the mass of digested sludge to be dewatered.

Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions By implementation of an enhanced sludge digestion operation at Driefontein Works, it is estimated that the following reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be achieved: • CO2 6 690 tonnes/annum • SO2 113 tonnes/annum • NOx 31 tonnes/annum • CH4 26 tonnes/annum • CO 20 tonnes/annum.

If all five large treatment works in Johannesburg incorporated the enhanced digestion operation, the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would then be: • CO2 146 000 tonnes/annum • SO2 2 480 tonnes/annum • NOx 672 tonnes/annum • CH4 582 tonnes/annum • CO 438 tonnes/annum.

Conclusions Future increases in electricity tariffs will place an additional financial burden on the WSA and WSP, especially for powerintensive activated-sludge-type processes.

An improved anaerobic sludge digestion operation enables wastewater treatment plants to fully comply with the 2006 Sludge Guidelines, increase biogas production and enhance CHP generation.

The introduction of additional sludge thickening from 2.5% to between 5% and 6%, enables the volatile solids loading rate to be increased from 1.2 kg VS/m3 to 2.6 kg VS/m3 at a solids retention time of 15 days in the digesters. This substantially reduces the digester capacity required for sludge stabilisation.

Cell lysis of thickened waste sludge increases the organic carbon available for the enhancement of biogas production and on-site electrical power generation.

Precipitation of struvite immediately after the digestion process allows the digested sludge treatment operation to function without blockages to pipelines, pumps and sludge dewatering equipment.

It also prevents high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, in the dewatered sludge filtrate, from being recycled to the bioreactors, which could cause effluent non-compliances.

The proposed enhancement of the sludge digestion operation would ensure reductions in future electricity supply costs for wastewater treatment.

The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is dependent on the amount of kWh of electricity produced, and large reductions in CO2 emissions could be achieved by the wastewater treatment works incorporating CHP generation from the biogas that they produce.

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WATER AND SANITATION | COMPANY PROFILE

AQUADAM’S ALL-PURPOSE, ALL-ENVIRONMENT

Muleby Tank System A leading South African manufacturer of water storage solutions has developed their broad range of tanks and reservoirs with conservation of this precious resource as their guiding principle.

A

QUADAM has expanded its engineer-designed water storage solutions to cover just about any application, and beyond conservation, the products are cost-effective and functional, making the company a true force to be reckoned with in South Africa.

Aquadam’s product range includes the Future Tank, Smart Tank, Muleby System Tank, Rhino Steel Coated Tank and the Gunite Dam. These locally manufactured water tanks are the safest, healthiest, most cost-effective solutions available.

Modular precast concrete system The Muleby System Tank precast prestressed reservoir – also known as the MST – is a tough and versatile modular tank with a prefabricated production process that is engineer-designed. This modular system is comprised of standard concrete panels that are precast in Aquadam’s factory to ensure exceptional quality. The product is

then transported and assembled on-site on a reinforced concrete base. The concrete panels are sealed and stressed both vertically and circumferentially, resulting in a structurally sound and stable reservoir.

The post-tensioned panel reser voir is available in volumes that range from 174 m3 to 5 715 m3.

Individual panels are 1.58 m wide, between 130 mm and 160 mm thick, and vary in height from 3 m to 7 m. The number of panels used in a single reservoir construction can range from 15 to 66 panels, which means the system offers outstanding versatility.

The vertical joints between the precast panels consist of a waterproofing mortar, and, once the panels and joints have been assembled, the entire system is posttensioned using horizontal circumferential mono strands. This ensures an exceptionally durable, perfectly watertight system.

Manholes, pipes, anchorages etc. are cast into the concrete panels during the

manufacturing process as required, and the concrete panel tank system can be closed with a pre-cast or cast-in-situ concrete roof.

Installation and standards The Aquadam pre-stressed panel reservoir meets the highest European standard of water tightness, Euro Code 2: design of concrete structures – Part 3: Liquid retaining and containment structures.

Durable competitive advantage • The concrete units are produced in a controlled factory environment that guarantees high quality.

• High-quality concrete ensures durability.

• The pre-stressing process allows for a slender panel that reduces transport costs.

• Efficient production and fast assembly provides short construction time.

• The Muleby System Tank can be installed virtually anywhere: sunken, partially buried or at ground level.

• ‘Supply and install’ saves money and empowers people.

• Rapid construction turnaround allows for increased installations.

• Rapid, safe, labour-non-intensive installation, in almost all weather conditions.

t +27 (0)12 810 0940 www.aquadam.co.za

VERSATILITY FOR MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS These tanks can be used in any number of applications, such as sedimentation tanks, digestion tanks, aeration tanks, stormwater retention basins, elevated reservoirs, clarifiers, filtration tanks, sprinkler tanks, firefighting tanks, flammable and/or environmentally dangerous liquids safety tanks, loose storage tanks (salt, sand, chipping, etc.), agricultural application tanks and rainwater harvesting tanks.

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THE SOUTH AFRICAN MARKET LEADER IN SPIRALLY WELDED STEEL PIPES

WATER IS LIFE AND THE JOURNEY STARTS WITH US. Group Five Pipe design and manufacture their own pipe making, pipe handling and pipe testing equipment.

Group Five Pipe manufacture spirally welded steel pipes ranging from 610 mm to 3.5 m in diameter, using various steel grades up to 25 mm in thickness. Standard lengths are 12 and 19.2 m, but any other length can be manufactured.

Group Five Pipe’s involvement in pipe making extends beyond the manufacture of pipes to include a service for the design of the actual pipe needed for a specific application.

Group Five Pipe offers linings and coatings that are essential in prolonging the life of any pipeline used in a corrosive environment.

Pipes are manufactured to API, SABS or to clients’ specifications.

CAPE TOWN Montreal Drive, Airport Industria PO Box 6074, Roggebaai 8012 Cape Town, South Africa Tel: +27 (0)21 386 1923 Fax: +27 (0)21 386 2514

GAUTENG Verwoerd Street, Meyerton PO Box 694, Meyerton 1960 Meyerton, South Africa Tel: +27 (0)16 362 2236 Fax: +27 (0)16 362 2235

pipes@groupfivepipe.co.za

www.groupfivepipe.co.za

WATER AND SANITATION

The Jeffreys Bay WWTP upgrade A state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant has been unveiled at an official ceremony in Jeffreys Bay.

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HE EXISTING treatment plant – an oxidation pond system – was constantly exceeding its capacity and producing an inferior treated-effluent quality, as a result of the considerable growth in the area. The Jeffreys Bay WWTP was in urgent need of being upgraded.

Jeffreys Bay is a constituent part of the Kouga Local Municipality in the Cacadu District, in the Eastern Cape. Speaking at the launch, on behalf of the consulting engineers that were appointed for the project, Willem Hofmeyr, technical director: Water and Civil Infrastructure for WorleyParsons, commented: “When we received approval for this project, the Department of Water Affairs required that the initial oxidation

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ponds be scrapped and used for storage. However, working with Tecroveer, we developed technology that enabled us to put a portion of water through the original oxidation pond system, to clean water to the requisite standard. As a result, rather than creating a system capable of treating the 5 Mℓ of water per day that was initially needed, the plant is now capable of treating 8 Mℓ per day.”

Tecroveer, an established water and environmental engineering business, put in an alternative bid on a design- and supply-type basis to retrofit the existing oxidation pond system by incorporating their PETRO process into a Tecroveer-type design. The name PETRO is a proprietary name and is an

acronym of the concept title ‘Pond Enhanced Treatment and Operation’.

The system makes maximum use of anaerobic biodegradation followed by aerobic degradation in oxidation ponds prior to the polishing stage in a secondary unit. This process was originally developed by the Water Research Commission to which Tecroveer has acquired the rights. This solution, with Tecroveer’s layout and design, presented significant savings for the Kouga Municipality.

Tecroveer president Zack van den Berg says: “This project opened the door for us to offer a completely innovative solution.

As a design and supply contractor, we are generally limited to smaller projects. The size of the project and the opportunity to

WATER AND SANITATION

LOCATION Town: Jeffreys Bay City: Port Elizabeth Municipality: Kouga Local Municpality/ Cacadu District Municipality Population: 27 000+ offer a design and supply solution gave us the ability to develop a new, innovative and cost-effective technology.

“This project is a good example of a strong partnership that was developed through the client, the consultant, the funders, the main civil contractor and ourselves as the design and supply contractors, who together were responsible for implementing this project,” says Van den Berg.

Technological innovations On discussing the technological innovations used in this project, Van den Berg says: “In this country we have a considerable number of ponds and when these plants

are upgraded, they are discarded. On the Jeffreys Bay project, we already had the the ponds needed for the PETRO process, and we were able to utilise these, which immediately gave us an edge on the capacity.

“However, we did not offer this process as a saving, we offered it as an extra over, and therefore won the bid based on the 5 Mℓ specification. We have provided a sustainable solution, together with the extra capacity, so that in the future the Kouga Municipality will be able to undertake extra developments,” says Van den Berg.

Another technology that was deployed in the design was Tecroveer’s patented transfer mixer, which in effect reduces the number of pumps that are required for the internal process recirculation to take place, in order to optimise the process performance.

“There are no pumps that perform the major recycling. The recycling of the return sludge from the secondary settling tank by using transfer mixers is a first in the world,” comments Van den Berg.

LEFT Secondary settling tank with adjoining chlorine contact tank in the foreground TOP View of pond systems incorporated into the new design ABOVE Quality of the treated final effluent being discharged from the new treatment works

Van den Berg explains that they built a fullscale model in their factory. “We physically tested and calibrated the full-scale mixer in our test bay in Glenharvie before shipping it out to Jeffreys Bay. We have now developed the capability to elevate raw sewage into the reactor, A-recycle, R-recycle and S-recycle with transfer mixers. The low energy requirement, non-clog capability and adjustable transfer rate have created new equipment frontiers for us. There are huge opportunities opening up globally with this technology.

“Keeping in mind that innovation is only innovative if it creates a cost saving in the application, the technology we have developed here is going to play a major role in the

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WATER AND SANITATION

future of activated sludge worldwide,” says Van den Berg.

Challenges The area where the plant is situated is called Fountains, known for the high level of ground water in the area. One of the challenges encountered on-site was the fact that there were actual fountains underneath the reactor. Van den Berg explains that during construction, they were excavating to 5 m and there were considerable quantities of ground water to cope with during the construction.

“We have to compliment LRC Civils, the civil contractor, for operating in these difficult conditions and producing high-quality civil work,” says Van den Berg.

Van den Berg also points out that they were not working on a greenfield site, but that this was an active site that was receiving flow as they constructed and integrated

PROJECT TEAM: Client: Kouga Local Municipality Consulting Engineers: WorleyParsons Turnkey Contractor: Tecroveer Projects Main Civil Contractor: LRC Civils

the existing process stages into the design.

The treatment of sewage during construction and converting the existing ponds into a PETRO system was an additional challenge and as a result the project duration had to be extended.

Wastewater quality Hofmeyr comments: “The quality of the water before this project was implemented was poor, but it now exceeds the required ‘general limit’ by quite a margin. In fact, the treatment facility is close to ‘special limit’ effluent standards. This shows that the plant goes above and beyond the required standards of efficiency.”

Over the past two years, the Jeffreys Bay plant has been upgraded from treating 3 Mℓ per day to 8 Mℓ, meaning that the plant can, with some small future adjustments, augment municipal supply. Because of the system’s current efficiency, engineers predict that treatment capacity could easily be increased to 10 Mℓ per day, at a relatively low cost.

“In the past, it was thought that effluent from an old plant like this, with ponds, was a liability. This plant changes all that. The

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Official unveiling of the plaque. From left: Cllr Vernon Stuurman, Cllr Patrick Kota, Willem Hofmeyr – technical director of water & civil infrastructure of WorleyParsons, and Piet van der Merwe – managing director of Tecroveer Projects Piet van der Merwe, managing director of Tecroveer Projects speaking at the opening function Process controllers have received training to ensure the efficient operation and maintenance of the new plant Pic 6 – New Jeffreys Bay WWTP in the background. From left: Ashley Perils PMU manager of Kouga Municipality, Cllr Vernon Stuurman, Cllr Patrick Kota, Jacques van Heerden - CEO of the Mufasa Coaching Practice, and Gary Brown – marketing manager of Tecroveer

plant is no longer a liability but an asset,” says Hofmeyr.

In closing, Van den Berg comments, “We are a total-solution engineering company and apart from designing and implementing solutions we also operate and maintain a number of wastewater treatment plants throughout the country. Tecroveer not only supplies a solution but maintains and sustains it to ensure clean water for future generations.”

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PIPES | COMPANY PROFILE

FIBERPIPE

Corrosion-free GRP Fiberpipe is currently the only glass reinforced pipe (GRP) manufacturer in sub-Saharan Africa. The advantages of GRP pipes and fittings are increasingly appreciated in markets that reach beyond South Africa’s borders, including Zimbabwe, Namibia and Malawi.

CHARACTERISTIC

ADVANTAGE

Corrosion-resistant

• long, effective service life • no need for linings, coatings, cathodic protection, wraps or other forms of additional corrosion protection • low maintenance costs • hydraulic characteristics are essentially constant over time.

Lightweight (1/4 weight of ductile • low transportation cost (able to nest pipes) iron pipe, 1/10 • eliminates need for expensive pipe handling equipment. weight of concrete)

G

RP SYSTEMS are a cost-effective piping solution as the pipes are corrosion free, have a proven resistance to acidic environments in water and sewage systems, and are lightweight and therefore easy to handle.

The advantages of Fiberpipe’s GRP pipe systems go far beyond its light weight and resilience, as the table illustrates.

Advantages of GRP Hein Momberg, managing director of Fiberpipe, has placed significant focus on ensuring customers get the most value from the company’s products: “Fiberpipe’s combination of manufacturing and sales engineering services enables us to deliver valueadded services based on the requirements of its customers. Through partnerships, we find workable solutions aimed at achieving maximum utilisation of pipe systems where operational effectiveness is sought.” The company provides training in installation and maintenance, free of charge to South African customers, among other value-adds.

GRP pipe and fittings are used in potable, raw and industrial water applications, as well as in seawater, wastewater, bulk water and sewer applications.

The GRP products are manufactured according to the following local and international standards: SABS 1748-1 (glass-fibre-

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Long standard lengths, 12 m

• fewer joints reduce installation time • more pipes per truckload means lower delivered cost.

Smooth bore

• low friction loss • lower operating costs.

Superior hydraulic characteristics

• extremely smooth bore • Hazen-Williams flow coefficient of approximately C=150 • low friction means less pumping energy needed and lower operating costs • Manning’s flow coefficient n + 0.009 • minimal slime build-up means lower cleaning costs • excellent abrasion resistance.

• tight, efficient joints designed to eliminate infiltration or exfiltration Precision Flowtite • ease of joining reduces installation time coupling with • accommodates small changes in line direction or differential elastomeric gaskets settlements without additional fittings.

Flexible manufacturing process

• custom diameters can be manufactured to provide maximum flow volumes with easy installation for slip lining projects • custom lengths can be manufactured to provide maximum flexibility for ease of direct bury or slip lining installation.

Advanced technology pipe design

• multiple pressure and stiffness classes to meet the design engineer’s criteria.

reinforced thermosetting plastic pipes), AWWA C950 (fibreglass pressure pipe for water services), ASTM D3754 (fibreglass sewer and industrial pipe), ASTM D2996 (filament-wound fibreglass pipe) and AWWA C950 (fibreglass pressure pipe). The 113-employee company’s 13 500 m2 factory, located in Germiston South, boasts a continuous filament winder for the manufacture of Flowtite products and a non-continuous winder for the manufacture of Vectus products.

t +27 (0)11 864 2040 • www.fiberpipe.co.za

PIPES | SAPPMA

PIPES VIII

Hard work and hope This year’s Pipes VIII conference, hosted by the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers’ Association (SAPPMA) at the Bytes Conference Centre in Midrand, highlighted the important role plastic pipes have to play in ensuring a country’s infrastructure is able to provide daily necessities such as clean drinking water and a working sewage system.

M

ORE THAN 200 DELEGATES attended this year’s conference entitled ‘Plastic Pipe in Infrastructure’ – the only 2014 conference specifically dedicated to plastic pipes. Sixteen local and international experts, from as far afield as Germany, Switzerland, Abu Dhabi and the United States, shared their views on matters relating to water infrastructure.

The audience consisted of experts involved in the manufacture, installation and

specification of plastic pipes, as well as the development of pipelines around the world, and included civil engineers, plastic pipe manufacturers, representatives of local and provincial governments, and the media.

“Government has been making promises of massive expenditure (R800 billion) to improve the country’s infrastructure. The NDP has set a fixed investment target of 30% of GDP by 2030 and, concurrently, the Department of Trade and Industry is developing a strategic vision for the broader

plastics industry. All of these plans certainly appear to be good news, but we are not yet seeing them translated into reality,” said Jan Venter, SAPPMA chairperson.

The supply/demand imbalance According to SAPPMA, the supply of plastic pipes currently far outweighs the demand.

“The simple fact is that local municipalities are not investing in replacing or upgrading their water infrastructure. As a result, our industry is currently taking strain and is battling for survival despite the fact that the country’s infrastructure is sorely lacking.

Many of our member companies are forced to shift their focus to elsewhere in Africa in order to keep their doors open,” Venter said.

LEFT Delegates at Pipes VIII BELOW LEFT Marley Pipe Systems Gold winner BELOW RIGHT Awaiting the next speaker

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PVC

REAL BENEFITS, NO PIPE DREAMS PVC pipes are all around us, mostly invisible, but always present. It forms an indispensable part of our daily lives, transporting clean drinking water; drainage for the waste we produce, for surface water; and protection for our telecommunication systems.

The performance of PVC piping is exceptional thanks to the key attributes of this type of plastic, which allow it to outperform traditional metal pipes. PVC pipes can be recycled over and over again without any degradation of its physical properties. PVC pipes are versatile and can be moulded into various forms, and an impressive longevity means that it can function for well over 100 years with minimal maintenance.

Low-cost installation, outstanding recyclability and durability, excellent hydraulic performance and low maintenance costs all amount to a tremendously cost-efficient piping system.

Even though we might not notice it, PVC pipe offers significant advantages to Southern Africa and we experience these benefits every day.

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PIPES | SAPPMA

Water distribution, waste disposal, irrigation and telecommunications all rely on pipelines to function, and an extensive network of reliable water and sewage pipelines is essential for the establishment and growth of civilisation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;South Africa is experiencing a great need in this regard, and one would therefore expect our industry to flourish. Ironically, though, the South African plastic pipe indus-

reached the end of their effective lifespan and have begun to corrode. Unless urgent attention is given to the replacement and maintenance of the water infrastructure, the end result is predictable: bursts will start occurring on a daily basis, followed by catastrophic component failure and regular, prolonged disruptions in service delivery,â&#x20AC;?

Venter warned, alluding to recent violent protest actions by angry residents left

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It will take consistent, hard toil and working together, but our country has a bright future that beckons.â&#x20AC;? JP Landman, analyst and author

Conclusion

of The Long View

try repeatedly finds itself in a situation of low demand and this scenario is simply unacceptable,â&#x20AC;? he reiterated.

SAPPMA represents more than 80% of the plastic pipe produced in South Africa, and focuses its efforts on ensuring pipe systems are leak-free and durable for long-term use. It also focuses on the rehabilitation of old pipelines. According to SAPPMA, both water quality and quantity are under severe pressure in South Africa, aggravated by rapidly increasing demand, severe pollution and huge losses in distribution.

Ageing infrastructure Venter explained that the majority of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing pipes were installed in the early 1960s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have undoubtedly

focused on how the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy is growing and industry is succeeding in moving forward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;South Africa is on a steady forward trajectory. It will take consistent, hard toil and working together, but our country has a bright future that beckons,â&#x20AC;? he told the audience.

Other highlights of the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presentations included Manglin Pillay (CEO of SAICE), Colm Lyons (Georg Fischer Schaffhausen, Switzerland), Ulrich Schulte (PE100+ Association, Germany), Andrew Wedgner (Borouge, UAE) and Andrew Seidel (Underground Solutions Inc., USA).

without water or sanitation in the North West province. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The two major causes of water loss are corrosion and poor jointing. For this reason, old steel or asbestos pipes should be replaced with plastic pipes, because they do not corrode and the joints are leakproof if done correctly. We are therefore urging municipalities to realise that pipelines lie at the heart of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure and should be replaced before they fail.â&#x20AC;?

JP Landman, analyst and author of The Long View, came on stage after Venterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presentation and managed to lighten the mood by convincing the industry that all was not doom and gloom.

Landmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presentation was entitled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No miracle, but no apocalypse eitherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and

Overall, SAPPMA concluded that there is much to be excited about, but also a lot of hard work is required if promises are to be turned into action. â&#x20AC;&#x153;South Africans are finally waking up to the fact that water is fast becoming a critical problem as they begin to experience first-hand the impact of failing water infrastructure. We can only hope that decisionmakers pay attention to the warning signs by implementing a pipe-replacement project and investing in developing the necessary technical skills required â&#x20AC;&#x201C; something greatly lacking in our country,â&#x20AC;? Venter concluded. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As an industry, we are appealing to Government to preserve and distribute scarce water resources effectively, to put promises into practice by investing in infrastructure and rolling out the much-talkedabout project, and to absolutely reject incompetence and inefficiencies.â&#x20AC;?

IMIESA October 2014

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Southern African Vinyls Association

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PIPES | COMPANY PROFILE

Sangio Pipe KZN achieves ISO 9001 listing Founded in 1997, Sangio Pipe is one of South Africa’s leading manufacturers of HDPE piping in Southern Africa.

They service the construction, mining, agricultural and industrial markets.

T

HE COMPANY, which is now 100% owned by the JSE-listed DAWN Group, has been placed under DPI Plastics management control with product quality, factory efficiencies and cost containment as a focus. As a fellow ISO 9001 listed company and SAPPMA member, DPI Plastics will also provide technical assistance to Sangio’s customers as well as to Sangio’s factory personnel.

Obtaining an ISO 9001 listing was the first step in achieving Sangio’s long-term objectives and the company is very proud to announce its recent accolade. Some of the benefits of ISO 9001 listing are:

Increased efficiency and improved quality Companies that go through the ISO 9001 certification have clearly defined their processes and how to maximise quality and efficiency. Guidelines are in place for anyone to follow easily, making training, transitions and troubleshooting simpler.

International recognition ISO is recognised worldwide as the authority on quality management.

Factual approach to decisionmaking The ISO 9001 standard sets out clear instructions for audits and process reviews that facilitate information gathering and decision-making based on data.

Raw materials supplier standards Mutually beneficial supplier relationships are one of the attractions of ISO certification. Following the processes for documentation and testing ensures that quality raw materials from reputable suppliers go into the production system.

Comprehensive workflow documentation The ISO standard requires documentation of all processes and any changes, errors and discrepancies. This ensures consistency throughout production and accountability of all staff. This also guarantees traceable records are available in the case of non-compliant products or raw materials.

Consistency across all departments All processes, from research and development to production and delivery, are defined, outlined and documented, which minimises room for error.

Enhanced customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction is a key focus of ISO 9001 as it aims for company efficiency, consistency and dedication to quality ser vice.

Sangio Pipe employs in excess of 160 staff members at their Cato Ridge factor y, predominantly from previously

disadvantaged backgrounds, and is committed to providing training and upliftment for the staff.

Sangio’s Aquaflow HDPE ranges properties, such as impact resistance and resistance to abrasion, have made it the pipe of choice in the mining and industrial markets.

Piping made from polyethylene is a costeffective solution for a broad range of piping applications in the municipal, industrial, marine, mining, landfill, duct and agricultural industries. It has been tested and proven effective for above-ground, surface, buried, slip-lined, floating and sub-surface marine applications.

HDPE can carry potable water, wastewater, slurries, chemicals, hazardous wastes, and compressed gases. In fact, polyethylene pipe has a long and distinguished history of service in gas, oil, mining and other industries. It has the lowest repair frequency per kilometre of pipe per year compared with all other pressure pipe materials used for urban gas distribution.

Polyethylene is a strong, extremely tough, very durable product that offers long service and trouble-free installation.

HDPE is generally used for high-pressure applications ranging from 3.2 to 25 bar, in conjunction with compression, butt-weld or electrofusion fittings. Sangio’s Aquaflow HDPE piping conforms to the SABS ISO 4427 specification.

+27 (0)31 782 3781 www.sangiopipe.co.za

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JOIN THE DRIVE TO COST SAVINGS WITH AMT

Automated Manual Transmission means that the transmission is manual but the shifting mechanism that changes the gears is electronically controlled. There is no driver operated clutch, which limits the risk of abuse on that component.The truck is always in the right gear, at the right time. No more expensive clutch replacements.

With AMT Isuzu Trucks brings to market a range of N- and F-Series models that retain performance, durability and fuel economy usually associated with a manual transmission.

Customer Care and 24 Hour Roadside Assist call 08600 ISUZU (47898).

For more information or to locate your nearest Dealer, visit www.isuzutrucks.co.za

COMPANY PROFILE

Isuzu trucks drive service delivery Service delivery is a term on everyone’s mind in modern society and effective municipal service delivery requires road transport to match the tasks that South African urbanisation is creating. This is where Isuzu trucks are proving their versatility and worth in both large and small municipal fleets.

Truck crew cabs – essential feature for municipal operations Service delivery not only requires efficient wheels but, in many cases, is conducted by a municipal crew that must be transported with the truck. Regulation 247 is a legislated risk for those engaged in construction and service industries where staff is conveyed on trucks.

There is no restriction on the number of persons that may be carried on the back of a goods vehicle but it must be empty of tools or goods – with the exception of personal effects – unless they are separated by a partition. While the number of persons is unrestricted, a truck’s GVM may still not be exceeded. However, the ‘people factor’ is an essential part of the GVM makeup.

The solution to this challenge is provided through Isuzu truck crew-cabs.

Isuzu has established a leadership role in offering municipalities standard crew-cab models for both medium and heavy-duty 4 x 2 trucks. Isuzu can supply three models with stepped GVMs at 5 200 kg, 7 500 kg and 13 500 kg respectively. Isuzu N-Series crew-cab models NMR 250 and NPR 400 can seat six and seven respectively – both including the driver. The new heavy-duty Isuzu F-Series range includes one crew-cab model. The heavy-duty Isuzu FSR 750 is a 13 500 kg GVM (around 6 500 kg payload) truck offering fully homologated seating for seven.

AMT – an advanced technological feature for municipal drivers An additional benefit is that the Isuzu NPR 400 crew-cab model has a significant feature not found on any medium-class truck, providing a unique technical advantage – an automated manual transmission designated as ‘Smoother AMT’.

Automated manual transmission has been a major success for Isuzu trucks wherever it has been introduced into South African municipal operations. It converts a standard transmission into an

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COMPANY PROFILE

heavy F-Series Isuzu models – the seven-person crew-cab model FSR 750.

What makes AMT so suitable for municipal work? Isuzu AMT makes a good driver out of a poor or mediocre driver, and fuel consumption will benefit from improved driving style. Further, because it ensures the correct gear ratio for take-off and gradient, clutch abuse is eliminated. Smooth, seamless AMT gear changing has a positive effect on the whole driveline. That’s why Isuzu trucks equipped with AMT are identified as ‘Smoother’ models.

Road safety is not negotiable in a municipal truck fleet. In today’s ever-increasing traffic conditions, a truck driver is constantly monitoring the surrounding rapid changes on the road. AMT provides a truck driver with more scope to concentrate on the situation at hand without the distraction of selecting the correct gear.

Isuzu AMT starts the day efficiently and ends a day on the road with the same efficiency. This is not possible for any driver, who will tire behind the wheel, and multiple drivers will only aggravate driveline

A truck range must offer a wide GVM choice for payload efficiency and the cost of capital investment automated shift gearbox for a positive drive and fuel efficiency.

Isuzu was the first truck manufacturer to take a step forward by introducing the AMT concept in their N-Series medium truck range in 2010. The concept has been so well received in municipal operations that Isuzu has now extended its heavy F-Series truck range with an additional four AMT models, ranging from 11 000 kg GVM up to 15 000 kg GVM. These Isuzu trucks offer a payload from around five to eight tonnes, depending on the type of cargo body fitted.

AMT is a standard feature on one of the four

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IMIESA October 2014

wear. Isuzu AMT Smoother models are a technological answer to modern municipal transport problems.

A GVM for every task When it comes to payload and application, it’s not possible to find a universal answer in one truck model with one GVM. A truck range must offer a wide GVM choice for payload efficiency and the cost of capital investment. That’s where Isuzu trucks have the answer for municipal and government operations in their new N- and F-Series trucks because there is a GVM for every task.

Warranty and service Isuzu trucks have a class-leading warranty – two years with an unlimited distance or two-year warranty for all Isuzu trucks from 3.5 tonnes GVM and above. A three-year anti-corrosion warranty for the entire Isuzu truck range completes the warranty package.

There are currently 35 Isuzu truck dealers in Southern Africa. Isuzu trucks over 3.5 tonnes GVM are assembled from SKD packs in Port Elizabeth.

www.isuzutrucks.co.za

SHEQ

Engineering for road safety The function of municipal engineers to provide roads comes with obligations, including safety. Roads are public property: they are provided at public cost for common use. At the level of local government, municipalities are the road authorities in terms of Section 156 of the Constitution of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996. By Louis de Villiers Roodt, Department of Civil Engineering, Stellenbosch University

A

S ROAD AUTHORITIES, municipalities are liable for faults that cause damage through negligent acts or omissions. Gone are the early days of motorisation when the concept of sovereign immunity guided the views of engineers and politicians with respect to road safety. Accidents were seen as a consequence of mobility. Damages suffered from faults and failures of roads were thus not claimable from the road authorities. Use of a public road was considered a privilege, not a right.

Since the 1970s, the society has come to appreciate the cost of road crashes in terms of health services, loss of production and opportunities. Internationally, road crashes are considered to be a burden on the health

and financial system, as well as having a grave psychological impact on the community. Road safety is a public policy issue and the promotion of road safety a reflection of the good values of society.

The International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD) in its 2013 Annual Report (OECD/ITF 2013) reports that in South Africa in 2011 about 13 500 deaths resulted from road crashes, giving a rate of 27.6 fatalities per 100 000 of population.

The country with the lowest rate for 2011 is the United Kingdom with a rate of 3.1 fatalities per 100 000 people. “It is estimated that road crashes cost around $36 billion every year” (OECD/ITF 2013: 384).

The cost was calculated using the human capital method.

Chapman's Peak Drive has long battled safety issues for motorists

In the foreword to a publication An update on the implementation of the Road to Safety Strategy – 20 November 2002 the then Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar, stated that: “On 20 November 2001, I – together with the MEC’s of Transport – was privileged to launch the ‘Road to Safety Strategy’ with our Deputy President, Jacob Zuma.

The objective of the strategy is to reduce crashes, deaths and injuries on South Africa’s roads by 5% year-on-year until the year 2005 – at a saving to the economy of R770 million per annum – and then, based on the strengthened institutional platform,

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SHEQ

by at least 10% per year-on-year until the year 2009.

Notwithstanding the strategy, fatal crashes increased from 11 200 in 2001 to 15 400 in 2006, before declining to 14 000 in 2008.

The World Health Organisation declared the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 – 2020 to reduce road fatalities: “The most important reason, though, is that road deaths are preventable – and it is our collective responsibility to support every effort possible to curb the carnage on our roads. Leading road safety experts believe that, with the right action, up to 5 million lives could be saved and 50 million injuries prevented during the Decade of Action. This will represent a reduction of about 50% on the predicted global death toll by 2020.”

The Decade of Action is built on five pillars: • road safety management • safer roads and mobility • safer vehicles • safer road users • post-crash responses.

Flowing from safer roads and mobility, road safety engineering should entail a roads development plan: “A strategy that requires that systematic attention be paid to upgrading the road infrastructure and signage on the basis of continuous audits of hazardous locations and accident red spots,” according to the WHO. South Africa has subscribed to the World Health Organisation Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 – 2020 strategy and the goal to reduce road fatalities by 50% by 2020. This is now considered policy.

Road safety policies are seen to be the expression of the good values or the general legal convictions of the community and the actions of a road authority will be measured against these.

Legal duty of road authorities The question of the legal duty of the road authority and the road engineer arises where, in cases of delict, damages have been suffered and claims on the grounds of negligence follow. The South African courts treat each case on its merit, preferring not to prescribe what the legal duty or the standards of care in provision or maintenance should be.

Loubser & Midley (2010) define legal duty as “a duty to act without negligence or not to be negligent”.

Legal duty can stem from statutory duty.

Neethling, Potgieter & Visser (2001) state:

Flowing from safer roads and mobility, road safety engineering should entail a roads development plan

“The causing of damage by means of conduct in breach of a statutory duty is prima facie wrongful.”

The highest authority of this statutory duty in the context of the road environment stems from the Constitution of South Africa as stated in the Bill of Rights: “24. Environment. – Ever yone has the right – (a) to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being”.

The example given by Neethling et al. (2001) is of the old Divisional Councils Ordinance 18 of 1976, but it could be argued that if the principle was good then, it must still apply now.

In certain provinces, a divisional council is compelled by ordinance to build and maintain roads (Divisional Councils Ordinance 18 of 1976). Consequently, the council has a statutory duty to take care that defects do not develop in the roads. If the council fails to do so and someone is injured as a result of such omission, the council’s conduct is prima facie wrongful.

The concept of safety was only recently incorporated into legislation. The SANRAL and National Roads Act 7 of 1998 states the functions of SANRAL are, inter alia: “25 (e) to provide, establish, erect and maintain facilities on national roads for the convenience and safety of road users; [-] 39 (3) The Agency must determine its business and financial plan and strategic plan and the standards and criteria for road design and construction and for

Chronic road failures like this are costly and dangerous

road safety within the framework of the national roads policy as determined by the Government and published in terms of subsection (1).”

In the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Roads Act 4 of 2001, the KwaZulu-Natal province legislated that it would only be liable should loss or damage result from the “wilful or negligent act or omission of an official.” Scott JA elaborated on this point in McIntosh v Premier, KwaZulu-Natal (632/07) [2008] ZASCA 62 (29 May 2008): “In the present case the second respondent is enjoined in terms of s 3(1) of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Roads Act 4 of 2001 to administer the provincial road network in accordance with national and provincial norms inter alia ‘to achieve optimal road safety standards within the Province’ and to ‘protect and maintain provincial road network assets’.

In terms of s 3(2) the second respondent’s responsibility is said to be ‘within the Province’s available resources’. However, a public law obligation does not necessarily give rise to a legal duty for the purpose of the law of delict. See Rail Commuters Action Group v Transnet Ltd t/a Metrorail 2005 (2) SA 359 (CC) paras 79-81. But in the present case s 9(3) of the Act puts the issue beyond doubt. It provides: ‘9(3) The Minister (i.e. the second respondent) is not liable for any claim for damages arising from the existence, construction, use or maintenance of

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SHEQ

any provincial road, except where the loss or damage was caused by the wilful or negligent act or omission of an official.”

Principles of law of delict: impact on road authorities The liability of municipal road authorities falls under civil law. The law of delict (civil wrong) is the part of civil law that set the standards of behaviour. This is the branch of law under which claims are made against road authorities. It is thus important that municipal engineers are familiar with the

wrongful, subject to the qualification that the local authority is not required to do more than may be reasonably expected.”

Fault has two main forms of fault: intention and negligence. The latter is typically the form present in road maintenance-related claims.

These terms refer to the legal blameworthiness of conduct. The criterion established to determine whether a person acted carelessly is relative to the objective standard of the reasonable person. Note that in a technical environment, the reasonable person is not the man in the street, but an appropriately

The municipal engineer should be aware of the cases that have been decided on the liabilities of municipalities and roads authorities terms. If wrongful and blameworthy conduct results in harm or damage to someone, there is a right to claim compensation.

The law of delict comprises five elements: the act, wrongfulness, fault, causation and damage/loss.

The act is the conduct that leads to damage and could be in the form of a positive act or an omission. In the context of municipal roads this may be the erection of misleading signage or not erecting signage where this was required to warn of danger.

Wrongfulness in the context of road safety is the breach of the legal duty owed to the public to ensure reasonable safety, mitigate, reduce or control risks and hazards, and warn of danger. As such, wrongfulness is determined with reference to the general legal convictions of the community. Policies on road safety indisputably prove society’s convictions that road transport safety is important.

In the verdict in Graham v Cape Metropolitan Council 1999 (3) SA 356 (C), J van Deventer said: “The legal principles to be applied in cases of this kind may be summarised as follows: Wrongfulness in terms of the sense of justice and legal convictions of the community now applies to omissions by a public authority. A duty of care towards road users should apply to the controlling public authority unless there is a valid basis for its exclusion. However, as this, is whether the sense of justice of the community would view the failure of the local authority to take positive action as

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experienced and competent technical person. A person would act with negligence if he were in a position to foresee the reasonable possibility of his conduct injuring another in his person or property and causing him loss and not taking reasonable steps to guard against such occurrences.

Negligence must be proven by the plaintiff.

The determination of fault as conduct of the defendant can be offset against the contributory fault of the conduct of the plaintiff. The defence of contributory negligence must be proven on a balance of probabilities.

Causation is the requirement that the wrongful act must be the proximate cause of the damage or loss: there must be a plausible connection between the act and the result to be determined from the facts of the case. The series of linked actions cannot, however, be stretched to extreme ends: the wrongdoer is not liable for harm that is ‘too remote’ from the conduct.

Damage: Neethling et al. (2001) give a definition of damage as the diminution, as a result of a damage-causing event, in the utility or quality of a patrimonial (transmissible or relating to money) or personality interest in satisfying the legally recognised needs of the person involved. The losses typically involved in accidents at maintenance work are real rights (e.g. property), loss of rights (e.g. profit), direct and consequential loss, general (intrinsic, e.g. pain and suffering) and specific (e.g. medical expenses incurred up to trail) losses. The loss of future rights such as income, profit or expenses is the subject of prospective patrimonial damages.

Mitigation of loss places some obligation on the plaintiff to take all reasonable steps to limit the damage caused by the defendant’s delict. A plaintiff who fails to take reasonable steps cannot recover damages in respect of loss that could have been prevented.

Cases The municipal engineer should be aware of the cases that have been decided on the liabilities of municipalities and roads authorities.

The following cases serve as illustrations.

Administrator, Natal v Stanley Motors and Others 1960 (1) SA 690 (A) One of the oldest cases against a road authority involved a bridge that was washed away during heavy rain and the ensuing flood in the Natal South Coast in October 1956.

The judge set a stringent test of duty for the engineers for the design of bridges as critical elements of roads.

The duty of engineers constructing a bridge across a river is to construct it in such a manner as to be capable of resisting all the violence of weather which in the climate concerned might be expected, though perhaps rarely, to occur.

Cape Town Municipality v Bakkerud 2000 3 SA 1049 (SCA) Mrs Bakkerud tripped in a pothole on the sidewalk. Marais JA found the municipality negligent.

In the present case there is very little in the way of evidence to go on when it comes to deciding whether or not it should be held that the municipality was under a legal duty either to repair these holes or to warn the public of their existence and that its failure to do either was negligent. However, there is just enough to warrant a finding that it was. Sea Point is a densely populated suburb. The pavement abutted on residences and would have been in constant use. There were two holes in close proximity to one another and they were not shallow. There was also a pole near the holes from which a wire cable ran which was attached to the pavement in the vicinity of the holes. It had the effect of shepherding a passer-by in the direction of the holes. The pavement was relatively narrow. The holes had been there for many months. No evidence was given on the municipality’s behalf.

In this court Mr Binns-Ward adopted the position that unless the immunity conferred by the municipality cases were reaffirmed, the

SHEQ

municipality accepted that it would be liable.

In the circumstances, it is unnecessary to subject to any further scrutiny the factual foundation for the existence of a legal duty and a finding that there was culpa in failing to fulfil it.

Graham v Cape Metropolitan Council 1999 (3) SA 356 A rock fell on Mr Graham’s vehicle on Chapman’s Peak Drive in June 1994, paralysing him. The ensuing court cases led to what can be regarded as some of the most comprehensive judgements on the duties of the road authority. Not only the condition of the road, but the understanding of the weather and geotechnical conditions of the land adjacent to the road came under scrutiny.

The judgment listed inter alia the following points from which some principles could be deduced: “Held, that wrongfulness in terms of the sense of justice and legal convictions of the community applied to omissions by a public authority.” The act that causes damage is not only a positive action, but could be an omission.

“Held, further, that a duty of care towards road users had to apply to the controlling public authority unless there was a valid basis for its exclusion. Such a duty only

arose, however, when the injury could have been avoided by reasonably practical means.

Put differently, the norm to be applied in cases such as the present was whether the sense of justice of the community would view the failure of the local authority to take positive action as wrongful, subject to the qualification that the local authority was not required to do more than might be reasonably expected.” The cost of mitigating measures is a consideration in the determination of the reasonableness of imposing a legal duty, where the legal convictions and sense of justice of the community are taken into account.

“Held, further, that on the above approach it followed that a local authority which was in control of a dangerous road such as in the present case was under a duty to warn intending road users specifically of the nature of the hazard and the risk involved, by special and appropriate road signs or other means.” The law acknowledges that a road cannot be perfectly safe. However, where hazards occur, there is a duty to warn.

MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport v Esterhuizen 2006 SCA 96 (RSA) A group of young people were travelling from Dealesville to Bloemfontein in 2001.

Gone are the days when road safety was no longer a public liability

The driver, Joubert, testified that a small buck tried to cross the road and he swerved to the left, driving off the road. Attempting to return to the road, he drove over an edge drop-off greater than 75 mm and lost control, driving into the veld on the right. Esterhuizen – a passenger in the vehicle – was seriously injured. Cachalia, AJA found that: “The court found as a fact that the point at which Joubert had attempted to bring the two left wheels back on to the tar had a dangerous difference in height between the gravel and the tar.

This, it concluded, was the cause of the jerking action of the steering wheel which resulted in Joubert’s loss of control of the vehicle. The appellant was held liable because it had failed properly to maintain the road.”

McIntosh v Premier, KwaZuluNatal (632/07) 2008 ZASCA 62 McIntosh and friends went cycling on a rural road in the Kamberg district in KwaZuluNatal in 2004. Riding down a hill, McIntosh encountered a pothole in the middle of the road and swerving to avoid the pothole,

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the pedal cycle skidded and he fell on the guardrail, sustaining severe injuries. Scott JA found that: “The pothole which resulted in his fall had been allowed to grow to such a size as to be described as creating a dangerous situation. Given that the road was inspected on a weekly basis, the failure to repair the pothole over such a long period is indicative, I think, of a greater degree of negligence than that attributable to the appellant. In the circumstances an apportionment of 60:40 in favour of the appellant seems to me to be fair and equitable in all the circumstances.”

platoon and did not see the pond of water in the curve. He hit the water as he reached the curve, thus entering the dam with the vehicle’s wheels turned. The vehicle aquaplaned and spun out of the curve, hitting an approaching vehicle and then crashed into a tree. The matter was viewed as similar to the damage that would result from a burst municipal water pipe flooding a shop.

The case was settled, although the driver accepted the major part of the contributory negligence. The municipality must consider the impact of services on the road, not only the road conditions.

Recent investigated crashes settled out of court

See-through effect on road cut off by freeway in cut

The following cases illustrate dangerous conditions on the road that could and should have been corrected.

A local road on the urban edge between a mixture of small holdings and townhouse developments. The road has street lights located on the far side of the urban area.

The smallholdings were severed by the P157 – 2 (R21) freeway in the 1980s. At the urban edge, the freeway is in a cut deeper than 5 m. The road traffic signs within the smallholdings have not been replaced since the construction of the P157 and most of the signs are faded or missing. The road on either side of the P157 is straight for distances in excess of 1 km. The last section of the road on the east side, past the last junction, is gravel. There is no ‘dead end’ sign at this last junction and at the P157 road reserve there are no signs indicating the end of road. Approximately 50 m before the P157 road reserve heaps of soil and rubbish had been dumped. The crash happened at night when a group of young people, not familiar with the area, got lost and travelled westwards. The street lights, shining on both sides of the P157, give the impression of continuity along this historically straight street. Driving down the road, with no warning signs, the driver was surprised by the heaps of soil in the road. He swerved to the left and hit other heaps of rubbish.

The car was damaged and the occupants injured. The case has not proceeded since the investigation.

Pothole on side of Class 2 road In 2009, a Vespa scooter driver drove off from the stop line of a traffic signal controlled intersection on Jean Avenue in Centurion. A pothole with sharp edges had developed in the bell mouth where a slight depression held water when it rained, weakening the sub-base of the pavement. A late right-turner from the side road drove across the scooter’s line of driving, forcing it to the side of the lane. The scooter tire burst on hitting the sharp far end of the pothole. The rider was flung from the scooter. Despite the crash helmet the driver sustained brain damage. This Class 2 road should be inspected often, especially as it is in a dolomitic area.

In fact, by the time the author’s inspection was done, the road was closed due to a sinkhole that appeared less than 100 m further on. Potholes should not be allowed to develop on this class of road in this area. The case was settled in favour of the plaintiff.

Burst water pipe in sag curve This road is adjacent to a very old suburb with an asbestos cement water pipe reticulation system. Pipe bursts in the area are common. The municipality has not prioritised the replacement of these pipes.

A pipe burst in a side road leading to a T-junction on a major collector road. The water ran into a sag vertical curve in the major collector road. The water dammed and ran over the crown of the road to the kerb inlets on the outer side of the road.

The road is curved with a radius of about 200 m. The driver was driving second in a

Discussion Road safety is an acknowledged problem in South Africa. The convictions of society are that safety must be promoted, in line with stated policies. The South African public is becoming more legal-wise and claims against road authorities will increase as a result of poor maintenance and the capping of the

Road Accident Fund’s payouts. The conduct of the professional engineer and technician will be measured against the reasonable, knowledgeable, experienced engineer.

Most claims for damages result from poor maintenance and poor warning. Standards for pavement failures such as edge break, drop-off, potholes and rutting, have not been quantified, but guidance from documents such as TMH9 reflects reasonable engineering practice. The South African Development Community (SADC) Real-Time System Management (RTSM) similarly guides the reasonable engineer and will be used to evaluate what is acceptable.

Municipalities need to have proper and adequate maintenance procedures. Asset management systems should be implemented in all road authorities as best practice.

Records of complaints and responses are particularly important to defend against claims of negligence.

Verdicts in recent cases were mostly in favour of the claimants. These cases set legal precedents. Many cases are settled before going to court. Operational staff are often not given sufficient feedback on these verdicts. Executive mayors, politicians, municipal managers and treasurers are often not well informed of the need to prioritise road maintenance. This can lead to underfunding. Municipal engineers are the custodians of road safety on behalf of the public.

References JM and Visser PJ. 2001. Law of Delict. (4th ed.). LexisNexis Butterworth: Durban.

OECD/ITF. 2013. Department of Transport.

2002. ‘An update on the implementation of the Road to Safety Strategy’.

Available online at: www.info.gov.za/view/ DownloadFileAction?id=70264). Accessed on: 1 April 2012.

Loubser M and Midley R (eds). 2010. The Law of Delict in South Africa. Oxford: Cape Town.

Neethling J, Potgieter IRTAD 2013 Annual Report of The International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD). (www. internationaltransportforum.org/irtadpublic/pdf/13IrtadReport.pdf) Accessed 2013/07/25 World Health Organisation. 2009. Global status report on road safety: time for action.

Geneva, World Health Organisation Available online at: www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2009. Accessed on: 2013/07/25 World Health Organisation. 2010. Decade of Action. Geneva. Available online at: http:// www.who.int/roadsafety/decade_of_action/ plan/en/. Accessed on: 25 July 2013

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ROADS

Reconstruction of Putfontein Road Gauteng Road and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi recently opened the Putfontein Road, which will provide a major link between the N12 and R59, and result in major relief for traffic flow.

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T

HE EKURHULENI Metropolitan Municipality commissioned GIBB to carry out the materials investigation, design and supervision for the reconstruction of Putfontein Road from Cloverdene Road to Kingsway Road in Van Ryn smallholdings. “We received a 100% satisfaction report back from the client – something we are very proud of. This project’s challenges included a tight deadline and several hidden pitfalls that GIBB managed to overcome with a devoted team and outstanding expertise,” said Johan Le Roux, GIBB’s on-site project leader.

Delivering ahead of schedule The 2 450 km long Putfontein Road, together with intersections at Cloverdene Road, Harry Gwala Street, North Street, Van Ryn Street, Jenkins Street and Nicol Road, needed to be completed in a period of six months as the appointment for the contractor, Superway, ended in December 2013.

“We are proud to announce that the project was handed over to Superway for

construction in August 2013 and handed over to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality on 10 December 2013, as complete, ahead of schedule,” said Le Roux.

Five additional taxi lay-bys were also completed during the construction period.

These taxi lay-bys were placed at strategic areas at intersections that are safe for both pedestrians and road users. Up to three taxi buses are able to stop at the same time at the lay-bys, which aim to alleviate traffic congestion caused by traffic approaching the intersections.

“More taxi lay-bys within South Africa’s road network need to be constructed. These roads should be on main collector roads and taxi routes, as this will alleviate traffic congestion and the frustration of road users,” said Le Roux.

Constructing a new drainage system According to Le Roux, another challenge for the project was to overcome problems with the drainage system. “The previous drainage

system was a natural open drain that was overgrown and silted over the years. This caused water to pond in the open drains and on the road during rainy seasons, which caused serious damage to the underlying pavement layers,” he explained.

Open, concrete-lined drainage channels were constructed on both sides at certain sections of the Putfontein Road to drain all the surface water to existing stormwater pipelines and concrete channels. A new 600 mm diameter stormwater pipeline, with junction boxes and manholes, was placed at areas where the stormwater pipes cross the Putfontein Road, to ensure adequate water drainage.

“We are extremely proud of this project.

The client was informed regularly on the progress and expenditure of the construction works and this resulted in completing the works on time and within budget.

Progress and technical meetings were held on-site on a weekly basis between GIBB and Ekurhuleni, to resolve technical and progress issues quickly,” Le Roux said.

IMIESA October 2014

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Repair & Reseal Chip and Spray, Slurry, Asphalt Paving

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was founded November 2008. Originally Actophambili Roads (Pty) Ltd main focus was light road maintenance i.e. patching, crack seal and slurry seal. In November 2012 Mr. Johan Pelser joined the management team with the aim to add a new dimension to the relatively small company.

The new Actophambili Roads (Pty) Ltd specialise in Asphalt surfacing, Seals, Slurry, Crack seal and Asphalt patching. In January 2013 the following key personnel joined the team: Herman Van Der Westhuizen - Contracts Manager Renier Ackerman - Contracts Manager Johannes Ferreira (Kleinjan) - Contracts Manager John Monareng - Chip & Spray Foreman William Tatana - Asphalt Paving Foreman Christo Limbach - Asphalt Paving Foreman All of the mentioned personnel have vast experience in road surfacing and have worked on several SANRAL contracts.

Actophambili Roads (Pty) Ltdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surfacing and asphalt teams are equipped with plant from leading manufacturers that is either brand new or in very good condition and are operated by experienced operators.

The surfacing team is supported by an experienced and highly effective admin team lead by Dean Saffy CA (SA) (Financial Director), Elsa Negre and Liesl Claassen (Tender department).

We currently have a CIDB grading of 6CE, 5SB and will be upgrading to a level 8CE, 6SB soon.

GAUTENG OFFICE: Building R02, Denel Aviation Campus 3-8 Atlas Road, Kempton Park Tel: 011 395 2293 Fax: 011 395 3767 Fax2email: 086 611 3633 Email: liesl@actophambili.co.za (Liesl Claassen) Email: johan@actophambili.co.za (Johan Pelser) FREE STATE OFFICE (ADMIN): 1 Haarburger Singel Westdene, Bloemfontein Tel: 051 444 0178 Fax: 086 549 9061 Email: dean@actophambili.co.za (Dean Saffy) POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 16661, Atlasville 1465

ROADS

The recently awarded district roads asset management projects in four district municipalities in KwaZuluNatal, Nor thern Cape and the Free State will involve substantial skills transfer and capacity building and use the latest in-house developed technology.

RAMS project transfers skills, builds capacity

T

HE R22 MILLION Road Asset Management System (RAMS) project awards were made under the Rural Roads Asset Management Grant (RRAMG) and will span the next two years, terminating in June 2016. The district municipalities involved include uMgungundlovu, Xhariep, John Taolo Gaetsewe and Lejweleputswa.

Royal HaskoningDHV’s project manager and student mentor Winas Vukeya explains that the firm became involved with the RRAMS back in 2012 with the inception of the programme when it was appointed by uMgungundlovu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.

• contributing and assisting the Department of Transport with the annual refinement of the grant conditions as published in the Division of Revenue Act • executing trial study areas on the incorporation of Class 6 roads • being ‘first on the road’ in KwaZuluNatal, capturing road inventor y data electronically and assisting the provincial coordinators with the first trial areas • in-house use, set-up and programming of computer tablets for data capturing.

“As a result of our groundbreaking work since 2012, we now have a well-established RAMS unit with a support structure that can manage all four RAMS projects over three provinces,” explains Vukeya.

Pioneering work Royal HaskoningDHV has pioneered the development of the programme with many new initiatives. These include: • appointing, training and developing of S4 civil engineering technician graduates (training up 22 technicians in the process) • assisting Mike Pinto of Target Computing with the development of the Mobicap software package that is used for the field data capturing of visual condition assessments • developing the GIS structure and methodology using free software Quantum GIS and training the S4 civil engineering technician graduates in GIS processing of field data instead of hiring external GIS specialists

Detail of RAMS RAMS is designed to assist district municipalities as the planning authority in the management and implementation of local municipality road networks. It provides both district and local municipalities with a complete picture of their respective road networks, condition, what maintenance is

required at what cost and how to plan and budget for it.

“A RAMS assessment is a requirement/ mandatory condition when applying for a municipal infrastructure grant and other sources of funding,” he explains.

The work includes: • visual condition assessments • traffic counts • capturing of road inventory • bridge and culvert assessments • GIS work • data analysis • project management • training.

“Although there was a lot of competition for these projects from other consultants – up to 20 bids for each – our track record and experience counted heavily in the successful award.

By being able to capture the visual condition, road inventory, bridge condition data as well as road alignments electronically using computer tablets and developing open-source software for GIS, we have simplified and made the whole process more efficient,” concludes Vukeya.

“A RAMS assessment is a requirement when applying for a municipal infrastructure grant and other sources of funding.”

Winas Vukeya, Royal HaskoningDHV project manager

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ARCHITECTURE

Celebrating award-winning Four women have been honoured in the 2013/14 Corobrik-South African Institute for Architects (SAIA) Awards of Excellence presented at a gala dinner in Durban.

T

HIS IS A notable achievement in an industry where women are only recently coming to the fore,” said Nina Saunders, past vice-president of SAIA. “The Corobrik-SAIA Awards of Excellence recognise exceptional contributions to the field of architecture and have

been conferred every two years since their introduction in 1990.

“Less than 20% of SAIA members are currently women. However, almost 28% of members have earned the title PR Arch (Professional Architect), the highest level of membership, and we are seeing an

encouraging trend emerging with 40% women in the Architect in Training category.”

Best in building Awards of Excellence – the highest accolade that can be bestowed on a building in South Africa – were presented for eight

Michele Sandilands UNISA

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women in architecture

Koop Hopewell VC (Photo credit: Koop Design)

Wits Art Museum

Babylonstoren

projects and, in three of these projects, the lead architects were from female practices or from those who have a woman as lead architect.

The four award-winning architects are: • Anne Graupner, principal at 26’10 South Architects in Johannesburg • Michele Sandilands, principal of Michele Sandilands Architects in Cape Town • Charlotte Chamberlain, par tner at Charlotte Chamberlain & Nicola Irving Architects in Cape Town • Nicola Ir ving, par tner at Charlotte Chamberlain & Nicola Irving Architects in Cape Town.

Chamberlain and Irving won their awards for the new pre-school and art buildings for the

Tshwane University of Technology

campus of Springfield Convent School in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. Graduates of UCT, the two worked together at Louis Karol Architects and both spent time gaining experience in Europe; Chamberlain in France and Irving in England. It was after Nicola had spent five years in Australia, and Charlotte had started a practice of her own, that the two joined forces to create Charlotte Chamberlain Nicola Irving Architects, both with a strong motivation to build a practice that worked towards a better life for the wider community.

Leap of faith Commenting on their award, Chamberlain said: “Acknowledgment from your peers is

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a really good indication that what we are up to is going in the right direction. Winning an award is not the true test of a building or project – rather it is the happiness of the people using and inhabiting the spaces. An award is welcome recognition for the client, who had the ability and foresight to trust in our processes.

We often ask our clients to extend their briefs and vision for their projects way beyond their initial thoughts, and it is a leap of faith to go ahead with what is mostly an unknown to them – until it is built.”

Regarding the role of women in architecture, Irving says: “We don’t really see that women have a specific role, but we truly do need representation and diversity in our society, in all aspects and forums to do with our built environment, in order to continue evolving and growing in a worthwhile direction.”

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ARCHITECTURE

Alice Campus UFH Auditorium

It must be acknowledged that a higher percentage of women have been lead architects on the awardwinning projects this year and this must be viewed as a healthy development for the profession

Passion and drive Sandilands’s award is for her work on Phase 2 of UNISA on the Cape Flats – creating an inspiring house of learning to accommodate administrative offices, student registration, exam rooms and teaching venues.

She established her own practice, Michele Sandilands Architects, in 1998 and has a wealth of experience, having designed many

of Cape Town’s foremost corporate, commercial and public buildings. Her practice has won several national and regional awards.

After graduating from the University of Cape Town in 1985, she worked at MLH Architects and Planners where she was responsible for several projects, among them the three cableway buildings, for which she was principal design architect.

Sandilands says she is thrilled to win a Corobrik-SAIA Award of Excellence, not only for herself but also her team, who worked many late hours and weekends.

She says she is driven by passion for her chosen career. “Architecture is not for the faint-hearted, but the smell of wet cement and the thrill of having your dreams realised for the benefit of generations of users is rewarding.”

Educational buildings are a particular interest of hers. “We want to make a positive difference by everything that we design and so the design and construction of places of

learning fulfils this ideology. Buildings that have a minimal impact on the carbon footprint and that set sustainable examples are a focus of ours.”

Turning constraints into opportunities A studio home in Brixton, Gauteng, won a Corobrik-SAIA Award of Merit for Anne Graupner of 26’10 South Architects. She was lead architect on the project. This project is close to her heart as it is the home in which she lives with her partner Thorsten Deckler and because it enables her to be both a mother to her two young children and work as a fulltime professional architect and urban designer.

Educated in Vienna at the University of Applied Arts, Graupner graduated cum laude in 2001. She worked at the Architecture Centre Vienna before returning to South Africa, her country of birth, in 2002. Two years later, she co-founded 26’10 South

Public porch taxi rank

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Seed Library

Architects with Thorsten Deckler, which was selected as the top emerging practice in the country in 2012.

Graupner has lectured and designed exhibitions locally and abroad. She co-authored (with T. Deckler and H. Rasmuss) the book Contemporary South African Architecture in a Landscape of Transition.

“Recognition in the form of awards is very welcome but is not the main reason for being an architect,” says Graupner.

“Architectural and urban design projects are highly complex and could be looked at and judged in many ways. However, being recognised for design excellence validates some of our conceptual thinking and values.

“Happy users that take ownership of our work are the best awards,” says Graupner.

“Turning constraints into opportunities often requires reading between the lines, amplifying what already exists and challenging the status quo. Designing spaces that creatively encourage the end users to inhabit them would constitute a successful project for me.”

that, it must be acknowledged that a higher percentage of women have been lead architects on the award-winning projects this year and this must be viewed as a healthy development for the profession.”

During her time as vice-president for SAIA, she gained an acute insight into the necessity of diversity, both in race and gender.

Saunders says fringe work is having an

effect on mainstream architecture with architects becoming more equitable so they are able to work on relevant projects.

Saunders is a programme manager for strategic architectural projects at eThekwini Municipality’s City Architecture department and a member of the organising committee for the Union of Architects World Congress in Durban this year.

Walmer Link

The essence of diversity Nina Saunders believes that if you are a good architect it doesn’t matter whether you are a man or women. “Having said

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CEMENT AND

CONCRETE Data shows a significant steady growth in cement consumption, indicating a continuous increase in the use of concrete in general construction and infrastructure. As cement and concrete markets become increasingly dynamic, the need for innovation is important, while precast cement has seen some important developments.

CEMENT AND CONCRETE

Call to professionalise concrete supplies Concrete gurus from around the country have called on professional bodies within the construction industry to become stricter when specifying concrete in order to improve the standard of construction in South Africa.

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PEAKERS AND participants in the Southern Africa Readymix Association (SARMA) annual conference agree that more has to be done to ensure that the concrete used on construction sites, albeit for infrastructure or housing, needs to be more carefully specified and controlled. This is in order to prevent building collapses and the undue deterioration of structures.

Considering the important role that concrete plays in the majority of our built structures and roads, comparatively few stipulations are put forward by industry bodies for their members to adhere to when specifying concrete. For example, concrete of an unknown origin can be used on most sites as long as it passes a slump test and later on passes strength tests.

Engaging role players “But what about the overall integrity of the concrete?” asks SARMA general manager Johan van Wyk. “It is the responsibility of everyone involved in the industry to ensure that this most critical element is properly specified, the correct material is delivered and it is used and cured correctly. That includes the architect, engineers, project manager, contractor and concrete suppliers.

“They all have a role to play and for this reason the association is leading talks with industry bodies representing diverse professional memberships, including civil engineers, designers, municipal Some of the speakers and participants in the Southern Africa Readymix Association annual conference

managers, road pavement specialists and civil engineering contractors.

“We want them to make it a requirement of their members to specify concrete only from certified suppliers who comply with national standards relating to the supply of readymix concrete. In addition, the requirement should call for these suppliers to be audited annually to ensure ongoing compliance. They should also be able to prove compliance with environmental, health and safety standards,” Van Wyk adds.

He says that there are hundreds of concrete manufacturing plants out there that have been audited and certified by SARMA and who produce quality concrete.

Simultaneously, there are low-quality and unscrupulous operators out there that do not comply with any regulations and who

Jaques Smith, Go Consult

Ray Bonser, Af

risam

Kevin Quale, NPC Cimpor

, rassman Marius G ng ti s Te te Concre nt Equipme

Jason Drew, AgriProtein Technologies

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produce thousands of tonnes of consistently poor quality concrete that is sold and used within the industry every day.

Overall integrity Experts leading a panel discussion on determining the integrity of concrete agree that consistent quality can only be produced if all the correct ingredients are used and no corners are cut. Ray Bonser, national product technical manager aggregates and readymix at AfriSam, says all the correct elements needed to be taken into consideration to make concrete consistent. This included the use of locally certified cement, quality aggregates that are suitable for the job at hand, as well as the correct mixing done under the supervision of experienced and qualified employees.

Jacques Smith of Go Consult agrees, saying that a weak link anywhere in the process – right up to the proper laying and curing of concrete – could be disastrous with potentially dire results for either the end user, developer, contractor or readymix company (or all of them) in the event of a failure. Dealing with a properly accredited and certified supplier with the correct testing equipment and facilities was the safest and most proactive way of ensuring that a quality product will be delivered, every time.

NPC Cimpor general manager Kevin Quayle states that independent laboratory tests in KwaZulu-Natal conducted on ‘cheap’ imported cement had found that many of the bags sold were either underweight or simply did not meet strength requirements. “This is an example of how concrete suppliers may try to cut costs and in the process ruin the overall integrity of the concrete that they supply.”

Keeping records Another speaker, Marius Grassman of Concrete Testing Equipment agrees, saying that testing raw materials used in the manufacture of concrete, as well as the end product, provides concrete manufacturers and users with a valuable tool to ensure quality and provide a record of proof if needed in future.

“The laboratory is possibly the most important part of setting up a readymix plant and is, sadly, the last thing most people think of when starting a plant. Professionals need to not only make sure that they correctly specify concrete, but they also need to test it and make sure it conforms with

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their requirements – from the types and grades of aggregates used, to the quality of cement, mixtures and final pouring of cement. Everything should be documented and checked to ensure that the correct concrete is being used.”

Sustainability is key Another equally important aspect was that of sustainability of both the concrete and the construction industries. Keynote speaker Jason Drew of AgriProtein Technologies says that it is vital for all industries to innovate and find better solutions to current problems.

His fly breeding programme, for example, looked at the problem of waste blood from abattoirs and turned it into a thriving business supplying protein to fisheries while removing the environmentally harmful blood waste from the environment. Similar innovations in the concrete and building industries may remove waste from the system or find alternative dwelling structures to meet the needs of the planet’s growing population.

Monty Olivier of Sustainable Green Consulting adds that companies in these industries could also add to the future sustainability of the environment by following a green path, which includes recycling and seeking more energy-efficient alternatives to their processes, as well as seeking energy efficiency and recycling alternatives in offices and factories. All staff members should be made aware of the importance of environmental issues, especially when people consider that the world is running out of resources like oil and water.

People matters The industry should also change its way of thinking about staff and not follow old stereotypes. This is according to auditor Karin Standford, who delivered a meaningful talk on the important role that women play in the concrete industry.

Despite preconceptions about women not being physically strong enough to do the job, she has found many instances where they are equally good as men and often bring new skill sets to these environments that can add enormous value. She recommends more women should be brought into the industry in order to secure the sustainability of the industry’s workforce and bring new ideas to the table.

Other speakers at the conference include Peter Norton of Concrete Laser Flooring, Dan Payton of CivilSure, David Bowerman of BASF and Charles van Eck of Tilt Up Systems.

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CEMENT AND CONCRETE

ProAll Reimer gets to mix with the best History was made at this year’s SARMA Readymix Conference by ProAll and Reimer South Africa when the first continuous concrete production plant was officially accredited by SARMA.

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HORTLY AFTER the announcement was made that ProAll Reimer Mixers has been accepted and accredited by the Southern Africa Readymix Association (SARMA), a similar unit was purchased by 3Q Mahuma Concrete. Although the ProAll Reimer Mixers have been available in the market for some time now, a thorough certification process had to be followed to ensure the trucks could produce concrete of a consistent standard to meet the association’s strict requirements.

Reimer South Africa markets and supports a unique readymix system that allows dry cement, aggregates and other ingredients of concrete to be transported to site and mixed to specification. The system is able to overcome the challenge of ensuring concrete is fresh when being transported over long distances and can mete out small amounts at many different sites in a day without the risk of the concrete losing slump.

their fleets are many and the accreditation of the system means that they can rest assured that it is able to produce the same consistent quality as their existing batching plants,” said Johan van Wyk, general manager of SARMA. “Certification follows a lengthy verification process in which Go Consult trains the operator, does the mix designs, determines the settings and maintains quality control.

SARMA officials audited the manufacturer’s systems for accreditation. They also measured the performance and quality of the system against stated outputs. Only then, once they were satisfied that the ProAll

Reimer Mixer units met performance criteria, were they able to certify South Africa’s first continuous concrete production plant.”

He concluded that the new system would provide members with a viable means of extending their reach into remote areas and allow them to measure out smaller quantities to clients who would usually have no other option but to settle for less reliable site-mixing options.

Reimer South Africa managing director Dirk Moolman addresses the audience at the Readymix Conference by SARMA

Ready-to-go With sophisticated metering systems aboard the ProAll Reimer Mixers, exact quantities of raw materials are fed into the screw auger and can be batched to meet each individual customer’s requirements along the way, that is: strength, consistency and workability. An immediate printout acts as certification of the mix for on-site record keeping purposes and is recorded for purposes of proof of delivery of supplier. The unmixed product remains usable.

“For our members, the advantages of having a ProAll Reimer Mixer of this sort in

ProAll Reimer’s dry readymix system has been certified by the Southern Africa Readymix Association

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South Africa

SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS

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As a member of the Ingérop Group of companies - a long established privately-owned French consulting engineering firm currently employing more than 1,500 permanent staff members – we have immediate access to international expertise and technologies enabling us to continuously provide our clients with innovative and appropriate world-class solutions.

Established in 1957, Ingérop South Africa has developed strong capabilities to serve both the public and private sector clients in the fields of: infrastructure, public transport, energy, water, environment and socio economic studies. Our range of services include consulting and feasibility studies on any subject relevant to our disciplines, design and construction supervision, as well as commissioning of works on major projects.

Corporate Social Investment (CSI) is another key element of the company's business strategy. Our CSI initiatives are aimed at establishing and sustaining positive social development in our surrounding communities. With education being one of our primary CSI focus areas, we continuously concentrate on improving and uplifting previously disadvantaged schools.

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CEMENT AND CONCRETE

SA needs a sustainable construction industry If South Africa is to prosper and meet its full potential, we need sustainable human settlements that are socially acceptable and able to support economic development and expansion.

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ICO PIENAAR, director of the Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of Southern Africa (Aspasa), says that sustainability is not just the domain of environmentalists, but refers rather to the whole supply chain within the construction and infrastructure development process.

This includes the use of quality products and skilled labour. It also includes the protection of nature from which building materials are derived and requires building products and services to be made available at a fair and equitable price.

Start at the beginning “Looking around the country, it is clear that much work is needed, as there are still many communities without proper housing.

Urbanisation is putting further pressure on our cities’ infrastructure and facilities and these too need to be upgraded in order to properly service communities,” says Pienaar.

“In future, South Africa will need to create cities where economic and social systems actually support the notion of long-term sustainability. We will also need to create work and living spaces that enable the creation of jobs and facilitate wealth-building.

Communities can then become more socially coherent and this will enable individuals to work together for the greater good of their own societies.

“This can only be done if people have proper shelter and decent affordable housing. They need to have a liveable environment

and have a sense of belonging, as well as a sense of pride in their surroundings and in their city. Infrastructure must therefore be created that will enable the ongoing sustainability and improvement of these areas,” he says.

Formalising the industry He adds that industry associations such as Aspasa play an important role in the sustainability of the construction industry. Aspasa members, for example, supply the key ingredients of all building and construction projects in the form of sand and stone, which make up the vital building blocks of concrete structures and road construction.

At the core of its existence, the association’s main purpose is to look after the longterm sustainability of the quarrying industry by aligning it with legal, quality, environmental, labour and social requirements. The building industry can improve sustainability simply by dealing with accredited and sustainably operated suppliers, as well as denouncing unscrupulous and illegal suppliers.

While the regulated quarrying industry is constantly busy cleaning up its act and ensuring that social and environmental, as well as health and safety, obligations are being met, the illegal operators are still selling their goods and severely impacting the sustainability of the legal trade in South Africa.

that will ensure that the structure and roads they build will last, as well as ensuring their businesses remain profitable in future. By supporting quality suppliers they are, in turn, ensuring that they become quality builders.

As a measure of construction sustainability, we suggest companies throughout the supply chain adopt: • sustainable and energy-efficient designs • environmentally friendly practices • sustainable maintenance practices • sustainable production of materials • a concern for quality materials • practices that maximise benefits for surrounding communities from all building and construction activities

On the right path “In order to be truly sustainable, the building industry needs to follow certain steps

“Urbanisation is putting further pressure on our cities’ infrastructure and facilities and these too need to be upgraded in order to properly service communities.”

Sand, aggregates and cement need to be procured from professional accredited suppliers to ensure sustainability

Nico Pienaar, Aspasa

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• a sustainable legacy of skills development and job creation.

“In addition, role players need to be identified to drive development and act in a leadership role to ensure sustainability,” explains Pienaar.

Ethically operated quarry

Identifying role players Pienaar continues that Government is the first and most important role player, as it needs to focus on infrastructure development. Schools, hospitals, police stations, houses, roads and other key structures need to be planned, developed and made to service the community in a sustainable manner.

The money allocated through the fiscus needs to be spent wisely to ensure it ticks the boxes of social and environmental sustainability. This is the infrastructure that is put in place to facilitate economic development and facilitate employment and social coherence. No corners can be cut at this stage as it will form the basis of all future developments, will create social cohesion and create jobs etc.

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Government also has a role to play to regulate the quarrying industry and create a level playing field by stopping illegal mining, preventing imports of cheap inferior building materials and cement. In this way quality local producers can create jobs and a thriving and lively upstream building supply industry.

Building industry professionals Following Government’s role, it is the responsibility of our built environment professionals to strive for sustainability in terms of quality, as well as social and economic upliftment. In terms of building materials, the sustainability of supply can be done

by simply insisting on locally produced cement, Aspasa-accredited aggregates and correctly manufactured readymix concrete from an accredited supplier.

When dealing with industry association-accredited suppliers, professionals can rest assured that the companies comply with regulations, products meet standards as laid out by the SABS, suitable care is taken of employment conditions and the environment surrounding communities.

“For this reason, we plead with role players to look at the big picture when planning for sustainability. Government and building professionals need to look beyond the use of green products for new developments.

In order to have a truly sustainable building industry, we need to make sure the products we use are ethically derived and comply with standards. We also need to deal with suppliers and contractors that are focused on true sustainability in terms of social, environmental and economic upliftment of the region and the country,” concludes Pienaar.

CEMENT AND CONCRETE

Restoring Margate tidal pool For two decades the once-popular tidal pool in Margate on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast was non-functional. Thanks to the Margate Urban Renewal Project, it has now been fully restored.

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Y SUPPLYING ONE of its highly effective admixtures, SikaPlast V210, as well as its Macro Fibres, Sika played a critical role in this challenging R1.8 million project, planned and managed by Royal HaskoningDHV. To commence the project, a cavity in the pool had to be plugged while the old slab was broken and removed. In order to achieve the required concrete strength, SikaPlast V210 was added to a blend of NPC Plus L and Protec cements.

SikaPlast V210 is a mid-range water reducer for pumped concrete flatwork as well as applications where superior finishing characteristics are required with low retardation.

The mid-range water reduction of SikaPlast V210 provides several advantages, including high, early compressive strengths, increased strengths and more durable, dense concrete with reduced permeability. It does not contain formaldehyde, calcium chloride or any other added chlorides and will not initiate or promote the corrosion of steel present in the concrete.

After 30 years in a salt-water environment, the original reinforcing of the pool was completely corroded. To ensure sufficient reinforcement for the new pool structure, the addition of Sika Macro Fibres to the concrete

was of utmost importance. The fibres used were 50 mm in length with a ratio of 4 kg of fibres/cube of concrete.

Sika Macro Fibres are structural synthetic fibres with an X-shaped surface area for maximum bonding in concrete. They are a cost-effective alternative to welded mesh and provide increased load bearing and energy absorption in the concrete. They are safe and easy to use, provide a homogenous reinforcement and are corrosion resistant.

Overcoming challenges Due to the ocean tides, the biggest challenge facing the contractor was draining the 600 m² pool at low tide every day, and then having just five hours in which to pour 150 m3 of concrete before high tide once again filled the pool.

A further challenge was pumping the concrete into the pool from 100 m away due to restrictions of the concrete truck accessing the beach. A problem which Kencrete Readymix Concrete were able to solve by supplying a sufficiently long pump.

With Sika’s trustworthy concrete solutions breathing new life into it, Margate’s tidal pool will undoubtedly stand the test of time and help to boost tourism to this popular seaside town.

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TECHNOLOGY IN

CONSTRUCTION

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The municipal engineer’s responsibility Life cycle infrastructure asset management and integrated communication have been added to the financial asset register.

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HE INTRODUCTION of Generally Recognised Accounting Practice (GRAP) within local government has focused attention on asset management. The National Treasury additionally issued a number of asset management practice and reporting requirements. These include the need to identify, value and track the health of assets, establish programmes and provide resources to care for assets, and report on these matters.

Given that these requirements are driven from an accounting perspective, the municipal engineer may be tempted to leave all responsibility for asset management to the CFO. However, not only is the value of the municipal engineer indispensable in the process, there are unprecedented opportunities for engineering professionals as a result of the introduction of GRAP. IMQS believes it is extremely well placed to support the municipal engineer, with well over 70 municipal and six metropolitan clients across South Africa, managing a combined total of more than 288 000 km of water, sewer, road, stormwater and electricity networks. IMQS’s pedigree means there are no asset classes, nor any scale thereof, that cannot be managed by the geo-referenced IMQS Integrated Infrastructure Management System.

IMQS is a market-leading, international software company that provides strategic and operational decision

support solutions to the municipal infrastructure market. By leveraging the latest browser, cloud and desktop technologies, as well as its own proprietar y GIS software, IMQS has created a modern deviceindependent solution with a clean, welldesigned inter face. It is intuitive and the user can access information in real time, from any location, to carr y out their work and deliver an optimised ser vice.

The execution of GRAP and the provision of essential engineering services will require significant investment in capital works, and supporting systems and processes, over the next 15 years, for it to be scalable and sustainable. Investment will be aimed at all infrastructure asset types. The true value of each of these initiatives will not be realised on the day a road is completed or when a new water purification plant is activated, but rather when the road remains in good condition even with increased traffic and age, or when the purification plant delivers clean and safe water to the client. To achieve this, each of these assets needs to be treasured and carefully managed throughout its life.

Key elements of Integrated Asset Management include: • knowing where your assets are • managing risks associated with asset failures • continuous improvement in asset management knowledge and practises • cost-effective management strategies for life cycle asset management

• defined level of service and monitoring performance • understanding the impact of growth • updating of asset register through integrated system support.

In effect, the government could spend an extraordinary amount of money investing in infrastructure and, in doing so, transform the country’s economic landscape. To preserve this, the fundamental principles of asset management need to be applied rigorously and systematically.

The IMQS Integrated Infrastructure Management System is designed to support the process of making a city work. Using an open-service-based architecture, IMQS seamlessly integrates with other mission critical systems and is able to extract information from underlying engineering, maintenance and ERP systems to inform and add value to a client’s systems and infrastructure investment. The system supports asset componentisation to the level where maintenance-significant items are easily identified, as well as providing a complete range of tools to gather and manage key properties like life expectancy, performance, utilisation, criticality and operational costs. These are critical in updating the infrastructure asset register annually.

IMQS supports all national and international standards like GRAP and PAS55, making it the solution of choice for infrastructure asset managers. It provides the capability to create the fundamental asset inventory that underpins any asset management strategy, and storing this information in a configurable geo-referenced asset register. IMQS is well positioned to support any asset management initiative which will ultimately result in better infrastructure on which to build an economy and deliver a professional service.

www.imqs.co.za

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TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION

IT in Africa’s construction industry Information technology is an integral component of today’s construction industry. Utilising the data it generates, IT contributes significantly to meeting industry needs and adapts to, and supports, construction trends.

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T IS IN FACT ONE of the core utilities that supports an infrastructure.

This results in tremendous risk to the business should there be any IT downtime. To mitigate downtime, it is necessary to build resilience into IT components and design.

Industry context and trends “Africa is currently experiencing increasing industrialisation and urbanisation.

Related to this is a rise in energy demands. This leads to the need for increased access to, usage and sharing of, data generated or ‘pulled’ by IT,” explains Jaco Cronje, operations director for EES Africa, an ISO 9001:2008 certified company.

Construction industry trends and requirements lead to IT-specific trends, the first of which is connectivity. “Connectivity, especially via mobile communication devices, is accelerating and a rapidly increasing number of people in Africa are becoming connected.

An example of connectivity is the fast-growing use of broadband in Kenya, while that of mobility can be seen in MTN and the rise of its mobile phone penetration throughout Africa,” explains Cronje.

In 2010, the world’s population was 7 billion and there were 12 billion connected devices. It is estimated that there will be an impressive total of 25 billion connected devices by 2015.

Relevant to this is a second trend, which is coined the ‘Internet of things’. “Lifestyles are increasingly being lived in a virtually connected fashion. Fundamental to this is making connectivity simpler, easier and faster,” says Cronje.

The third trend is ‘energy management’, which addresses rising energy demands. IT monitors energy usage and manages how it can most effectively be utilised. An example here is the energy grid. IT is essential in the implementation of a ‘smart’ grid. This unlocks numerous benefits related to the managing of energy generation and consumption.

IT components and infrastructure design The core utilities or services that support a facility or infrastructure today are not only water, electricity and gas, but also the data generated by IT. “Data has long passed the point of being a requirement, and is now a distinguishing factor in buildings,” Cronje emphasises.

Data, as the fourth utility, enables more efficient management of: • office services, which include email, Internet and telephony

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‘When the Bottom Line counts’

It is estimated that there will be an impressive total of 25 billion connected devices by 2015 • security, which includes access control, CCTV and alarms • building intelligence, which makes use of sensors to monitor and manage the infrastructure; for example, generator fuel levels and monitoring the number of cars in a parking area • power, which is run over ethernet, enabling monitoring and management of lighting and other power usage.

This is done by means of convergence.

Convergence, which is the combination of multiple functions by means of only one cable, can achieve a 20% capital saving in buildings. Convergence of ser vices also covers energy efficiency ser vices and this can proactively contribute to maintenance, offering a 30% operational saving.

Increasing the resilience of an IT system It is necessar y to build resilience into IT components and design in order to mitigate the risk IT downtime can present to organisations, resulting in serious cost implications. Cronje explains that the primar y focus with regard to building resilience should be on the data centre, which is the heart of IT in a building or smart city. The data centre is evaluated

based on its resilience to risks and is then rated accordingly.

“To ensure it has optimal resilience, the data centre must also have an uninterruptible power supply which is achieved by back-up power and generators as an example of power supply, among many other environmental dependencies. It must be operated efficiently and be properly equipped with necessar y monitoring systems. Additionally, its location and access must also be secure.”

Vital to the IT system is not only the physical equipment and installations, but the system architecture too, which needs active-active resilient and redundant systems for continued operations and reduced risks. Load must be spread to create resilience throughout the entire IT system.

Resilience should also be increased in cabling and routing, which must be installed according to industr y guidelines and shielded from power cables.

Cronje adds, “To achieve optimum IT efficiency, IT requirements must be analysed for each individual project in order to meet specific client needs. As it is a core ser vice, IT needs to be included in the construction process from day one, rather than tr ying to retrofit a solution.”

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TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION

Turning data into imagery for better decision-making High-tech computer applications for data management, mapping, modelling and imagery help present large amounts of data in a more accessible, visual way, enabling clients and stakeholders to quickly understand and make informed and better project decisions.

Front (sitting, left to right): James Morris and Angus Bracken

S

RK CONSULTING IN KwaZulu-Natal is currently doing this to bring together data from various elements of a project – such as planning, geotechnical, environmental and social – into a geographical information system (GIS) framework to create highly detailed spatial images.

“This allows the information to be communicated more easily within multidisciplinary project teams and especially to non-technical users,” explains James Morris, partner and principal civil engineer in SRK’s Durban office.

“We have found that the data is far easier to understand and explain when presented in a more visual way – on a local or regional map, for instance. When this information is only in text, tables and graphs in a thick report, it can be very daunting and timeconsuming to digest; the significance of key data can also be difficult to extract.”

The systems developed by SRK are then integrated with the company’s decision-making tools, so that the improved understanding of selected decision criteria and technical information can help decision-makers in considering the available options.

“Whether in the private or public sector, those with the duty and authority to make decisions must have a firm foundation of evidence on which to base their choices,” he says. “By using high-tech solutions to integrate the necessary data, we can ensure that the best options are highlighted, and this makes for well-informed decisions and better impact.”

Back (left to right): Nic Brien, Keagan Allan, Raven Kisten and Murray Sim

Non-technical stakeholders may include financial officials, municipal councillors, and a range of interested and affected parties; this method of sharing project plans and details is also beneficial to contractors working on the project itself, who often prefer to see a visual representation of what needs to be done.

Mapping data with spatial GIS Mapping of data using GIS tools is used both for analysis and prediction, says Morris.

Where water quality in a river could be negatively impacted by a proposed settlement, for instance, data on existing conditions can be modelled and compared to possible future conditions. The predicted results can then be plotted in colours on a map of the area, with a scale of colours showing levels of negative and positive impact.

“A data-rich visual impression is then able to quickly convey those areas where there are challenges or where better options are available,” he says. “Our clients frequently display these maps in their offices to inform

their ongoing discussions, and to share the issues with other stakeholders. It is particularly beneficial when working with infrastructure projects, as much of the work we do on infrastructure is spatially related.”

The ability to integrate data seamlessly and represent it simply is also key to the efficiency of the project team, says Morris.

Case study: assessing groundwater Working on a rural groundwater supply project in the Amajuba District Municipality of KZN, SRK has also applied high-tech methods while making sure that their findings and recommendations are effectively communicated to clients and affected parties.

“In doing an assessment of groundwater resources in rural areas for a local municipality, for instance, we have taken a more regional approach, which will optimise sustainability and water quality,” says principal hydrogeologist Raven Kisten.

“This is an innovative departure from previous practices, where boreholes have generally been drilled without a full understanding of the area’s water balance or aquifer characteristics.”

Using remote sensing and an interpretation of geological structures and faults, SRK has completed a catchment-scale

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TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION

ABOVE LEFT Typical screenshot of the system in use for a housing infrastructure project ABOVE RIGHT An aerial image indicating a geological lineament identified through remote sensing techniques as well as the proposed drilling targets identified

assessment in the Amajuba area; this identified areas with high groundwater potential for well-field development, offering a more sustainable water supply and quality. The

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work lays the foundation for production boreholes to be integrated with bulk groundwater supply schemes with larger footprints and appropriate maintenance and groundwater monitoring programmes.

In presentations to council officials and public representatives, it is useful to show the extensive project-related data on maps rather than just in reports, and this allows for ongoing capacity building among stakeholders, explains Kisten.

Using mapping tools to diagnose problems “We spend a great deal of time conducting highly sophisticated assessments,” says SRK partner and principal civil engineer Murray Sim. “But, we then need to convey the essence of our results to decisionmakers and sometimes also the public.

While a plain cadastral map is not always well understood, we can map our data in layers and provide images that make it

IMIESA October 2014

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TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION

ABOVE LEFT An extract from a high-tech data collection tool, using a web-based inspection toolkit allowing for the fast and reliable collection of data in the field. Used for the inspection of infrastructure in the rural environment ABOVE RIGHT A suitability index attribute map indicating areas suitable for development. Red areas are not suitable; green areas are suitable for development and expansion RIGHT Various spatial datasets can be combined to present a meaningful representation of development constraints

much easier to show the current situation and highlight various future options.”

While used mainly in planning, these mapping tools can also be used for diagnosing problems, says Angus Bracken, partner and principal engineering geologist based in SRK’s Pietermaritzburg office. In a project to investigate technical problems occurring with some of the houses in a nearby settlement, the area was analysed by overlaying a range of maps – including geological, soil, topographic, drainage and geotechnical data.

“This facilitated the process of examining the factors that could affect the integrity of the buildings,” says Bracken. “After helping us identify the causes of the problems, the mapping techniques can now be used to ensure the problems are avoided in the future – as the maps can show quite clearly which areas are more suitable for housing purposes.”

Case study: solving flooding in eThekwini In a recent project at Isipingo, south of Durban, historic satellite images were vital in helping SRK solve a regular flooding problem for the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality emanating from a wetland between the highway and the coastline.

“Having modelled the catchment area of the wetland and assessed the drainage infrastructure, we then compared satellite photographs from year to year and discovered that one of the property owners bordering the wetland had, over time, caused a significant blockage to the main drainage channel,” says SRK principal civil engineer Nic Brien.

“This was not obvious due to overgrown vegetation and limited previous knowledge of the wetland’s layout. However, the consequences of this blockage were such that even a moderate storm would cause flooding.”

Based on this assessment, works are under way to implement a new drainage path comprising a concrete canal installed on the side of the wetland, as well as the upgrade of a number of culverts and canals in the industrial area where most of the flooding occurred.

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“The solution not only addresses the flooding but reduces the silt deposition that clogged up the wetland,” says Brien. “During major storms, the majority of the silt will now bypass the wetland via the canal, with the concrete base enabling easier dredging when required.”

CONSTRUCTION

VEHICLES

EQUIPMENT

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES

Power leads to economic resilience

Africa is intensively pushing to build and grow its economy on the back of increased domestic demand, aggressive infrastructure construction activities and economic interconnectivity among countries in the continent.

(Lead Author) Robert Bagatsing, Marketing Manager, Altaaqa Global CAT Rental Power; (Contributor) Hendrick Mtemeri, Africa Business Development Director, Altaaqa Global CAT Rental Power; (Contributor) Paul Heyns, Southern Africa Manager, Altaaqa Global CAT Rental Power

I

N A RECENT ANNUAL meeting in Rwanda, the African Development Bank (AfDB), presenting its African Economic Outlook 2014, repor ted that the continent’s economy was expected to grow by 4.8% in 2014 and 5.7% in 2015, approximating its growth figures pre-economic downturn.

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The ongoing economic efforts on the continent will have to be supported by energy. Gone are the days of organic economies, where economic growth could be achieved through mere human and animal strength. Today, almost all economies rely on power to sustain their activities and produce results. Power has become such an integral

component of any economy or society that outages and blackouts could bring about devastating consequences.

Africa’s power scenario To support Africa’s ambition to achieve economic sustainability, diversity and viability, it will primarily need to boost its infrastructure

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES

to support the growth of its various industries. To achieve that, the continent will require massive amounts of power. The question is whether or not it has enough energy to sustain this power-intensive phase.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) sounded a warning that an escalating power supply deficiency in Africa may hamper the

when the underwater cable lines supplying power to the archipelago failed, owing to a huge surge in demand. As a result, residents needed to shell out $10 per day to run diesel-powered domestic generators, while businesses requiring refrigeration or heating had to suspend operations until power was restored.

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

projected economic growth. It has been documented that some 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa were facing an energy crisis, evidenced by rolling blackouts; some 30 countries in region have suffered acute energy crises in recent years.

While the Key World Energy Statistics by the International Energy Agency reported that electricity generation in Africa rose from 1.8% in 1973 to 3.1% in 2011, the continent still has the smallest share globally, despite being the second most populous continent.

With Africa’s population expected to double to approximately 1.9 billion people by 2050, and with the continent’s industries projected to require power at almost full capacity, the World Bank said that a much higher investment would be needed to at least double Africa’s current levels of energy access by 2030. In fact, it is estimated that the subSaharan region would require more than $300 billion in investments to achieve total electrification by 2030.

The power instability: the bigger picture Sub-Saharan Africa was observed to have absorbed much of the blow of the recent power crisis. Blackouts brought cities to a standstill and spelt terminal financial losses to small- and medium-scale companies.

Mining, one of the region’s pillar industries, was severely affected, even prompting mining companies to shelve expansion plans and curtail local power usage.

Nigeria, for instance, a country that has three times the population of South Africa, only has one-tenth of the power generation capacity of the latter, and businesses in the country are reportedly starting to feel the effects of power interruptions in their daily turnover.

In Tanzania, a blackout that lasted for almost a month was experienced in Zanzibar

In Angola, the occasional recession of the water level in some of the rivers affects power production, distressing allied services like water distribution. Luanda’s water supply firm, EPAL, cites that various areas in the city experience water supply shortage, owing to challenges related to power distribution.

The Democratic Republic of Congo – touted to be Africa’s biggest copper producer – in May 2014, advised mining companies in the country to suspend any project expansion that would require more power, amid a power shortage that will take years to resolve.

Even South Africa is not exempt from power-related woes. In a communiqué in June 2014, Eskom, supplier of 95% of the country’s electricity, warned residents of a rolling blackout due to load-shedding, which, it said, was necessary to protect the electricity grid from total blackout. Eskom said it had begun scaling down maintenance to prepare for winter, but in the face of a rising energy demand, particularly during peak hours, it appealed to the public to reduce power consumption by at least 10%. If the power demand did not decline, the company said load-shedding would be the last resort to avoid a total power shutdown.

At present, solutions are underway – but these, naturally, will not come without a hefty price and cannot be completed within days or weeks. Economic reports indicated that, at the prevailing growth rate of the demand from industries and residents, the region would have to double its power generating capacity by 2025, at an approximate cost of $171 billion in South Africa alone.

In order to sustain this projection, several governments in Africa have identified potential sources of funds, such as power rate hikes and foreign investment. Power hikes could stir social unrest and could prompt industrial entities to cut down on operations, putting jobs and production at risk. Foreign

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investment agreements could take time to materialise. The planning, designing, installation and commissioning of permanent power generation projects may take several years, if not decades.

How temporary power plants can help Power is a fundamental element for any economy to function, as every sector of the modern society, be it domestic, commercial or industrial, is dependent on electricity. A power interruption affecting critical facilities, like hospitals, airports, telecommunications

towers, data centres, mining facilities and oil and gas installations, has the potential to bring an entire country, region or city to a standstill, and in light of globalisation and economic integration, the consequences could spill over regional, national or even continental borders.

Hiring interim power plants to bridge the gap between the demand and the supply of electricity yields many advantages, particularly where there is a foreseeable delay in the construction of permanent power generation facilities or while waiting for the permanent power plants to be completed.

Rental power companies propose solutions that address the issues of urgency, cost efficiency, reliability, energy efficiency and environmental safety

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When time is of essence, rental power companies, like Altaaqa Global CAT Rental Power, are capable of providing solutions as needed, when needed.

Utility companies in the region, like Eskom in South Africa, Kenya Electricity Generating Company, Tanzania Electric Supply Company, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, the Concelho Nacional de Electricidade in Mozambique, the Empresa Nacional de Electricidade in Angola and the Société nationale d’électricité in DRC, among others, can hire temporary power plants. This is done in times when the demand outpaces the supply, when the electrical grid becomes unstable due to a spike in electricity requirement or when power distribution networks are unavailable, like in the rural areas.

This will allow them to bridge the supply deficit immediately. Hiring power generators can prove to be a viable solution to power supply inefficiency, bridging the power gap while the permanent power solution is still in progress.

With an immediate solution on hand, the governments and the utility companies can avoid resorting to raising the prices of electricity or curtailing the supply of power during peak hours. In a greater scope, an instantaneous resolution of Africa’s escalating energy supply challenges will preclude social and political instability and massive financial losses to businesses and individuals.

The power to go further The continent that was once regarded as a tail-ender in terms of development is now making an aggressive move towards economic stability and viability. To sustain the economic growth that Africa is now enjoying, it is imperative that the governments on the continent address the critical issue of chronic power shortage, which could hamper the development of various industries in the countries. The effort that African governments are putting to address this predicament is commendable, but other entities exist that can help them to further alleviate the situation. Rental power companies propose solutions that address the issues of urgency, cost efficiency, reliability, energy efficiency and environmental safety.

It is advisable that utility companies provide for a contingent power solution in cases of power interruption that may lead to operational delays and negative social, political, economic and financial consequences.

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES

New Barloworld home for Metso mobile

Metso’s mobile crushing and screening solutions footprint in Southern Africa has been given new traction with the launch of a dedicated Metso mobile business unit within the handling division of the Barloworld group.

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HE TRANSFER OF BARLOWORLD’S Metso business – previously part of Barloworld Equipment – to Barloworld Handling has the support of Metso Minerals Southern Africa.

Metso Minerals Southern Africa appointed Barloworld as sole distributor of the full range of Metso mobile crushing and screening equipment in Southern Africa 10 years ago.

For Metso mobile plant customers in Southern Africa, it will be business as usual, with added focus provided by a

dedicated resource. The Metso mobile team remains in place, headed up by new GM Brandon Arnold, and will continue to provide optimised mobile crushing and screening solutions to construction, quarrying and mining customers in Southern Africa, with full aftermarket care.

Barloworld Handling is geared to help broaden Metso’s market-leading mobile footprint in Southern Africa, says Barloworld Handling South Africa chief executive Godfried Heydenrych. “The new business unit will benefit from synergies within the

Metso’s track-mounted Lokotrack range is a market leader in Southern Africa

handling division, which has an extensive sales, service and support network throughout the region. Our existing markets include those of the Metso mobile business, making this a good fit.”

Barloworld Handling has been the Southern African Hyster lift truck dealer for more than 80 years and distributes the Massey Ferguson and Challenger product ranges through its agriculture business unit. Over the past six years, Barloworld Handling’s IMIESA October 2014

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CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES

strong customer support infrastructure has been instrumental in establishing SEM as a leading utility wheel loader brand in the local market. Similar synergies will benefit Metso, says Heydenrych.

Focus areas will include the strengthening of service capability and parts availability throughout Southern Africa.

“Our ultimate objective is to provide more dedicated time and support for the Metso product, ensuring that customers have the correct equipment, excellent parts availability and the highest levels of technical support in order to maximise their uptime and increase their production capability,” says Heydenrych.

Reducing overcompaction The new compaction indicator on the Atlas Copco LG500 reversible plate saves time and money. The technology helps reduce machine wear and over-compaction.

Stay up and running.

Uninterrupted.

Metso portable plants allow you the use of various crushing and screening operations: from a single, stand-alone unit to two-, three-, even four-stage complete plants providing several end-product fractions. The LT series complete plants can be easily adjusted to accurately suit your crushing application.

You can choose feeding to crusher or feeding to screen options to meet your end-product requirements.

Quick move and setup times allow minimum loss of production. This combined with the support and backup service of Barloworld Handling keeps you up and running. Uninterrupted.

LOWEST SUSTAINABLE COST PER TONNE. For more information contact your local Metso Mobile salesman, call +27 (0)11 929 0000 or email info@bwhandling.co.za

T

HE COMPLEXITY of different soil types makes quality compaction a challenge. Too little compaction and the soil may settle, causing structure failure; too much compaction leads to unnecessary machine wear and downtime. Over-compaction can also cause some soils to crack under increased pressure. The compaction indicator on the LG500 reversible plate measures the vibration patterns in the plate and shows how well the soil is compacted beneath the surface.

The compaction indicator is mounted at the centre of the handle and the system communicates via a clear system of indicator lights. The three lights – yellow, green and red – signal the different stages of compaction. When the red light flashes, the particular soil type has reached maximum compaction and it is time to stop.

By combining compaction-indicator technology and the operator's knowledge, the risk of over- or under-compacting is much reduced. The combination will save operation time and increase uptime for the reversible plates. Less machine wear means less servicing is required.

To get an even safer compaction experience, Atlas Copco's CompBase provides detailed compaction data and capacity information based on full-scale tests. The machine and method selection is based on the material to be compacted and provides information on the expected depth effect and degree of compaction after any given number of passes.

New compaction indicator on Atlas Copco LG500 reversible plate helps reduce machine wear and tear

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CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES

‘Superfloor’ status for SA’s largest indoor concrete polishing project The largest single indoor concrete floor polishing project in South Africa to date is currently being undertaken in Johannesburg by Platinum Concrete Solutions (PCS), which is making use of the HTC Superfloor concept.

P

CS MANAGING DIRECTOR Gershuan Ramlah reveals that work on the massive 30 000 m2 project based in Linbro Park, Johannesburg, began in April 2014 and is expected to last several months, due to the sheer scale of concrete placement, grinding and polishing required.

To complete this project to the highest standard, Ramlah states that PCS is making use of HTC Superfloor, a revolutionary flooring concept that uses grinding and polishing techniques to create a strong and hard-wearing concrete floor.

The HTC Superfloor concept, which utilises internationally recognised HTC floor grinding and polishing machinery, is exclusively available through Superb Flooring Systems – a subsidiary of the Pan Mixers South Africa (PMSA).

Not your daily grind PMSA sales and marketing manager Quintin Booysen explains that the HTC machines and diamond tools are used to grind and polish concrete floors, thereby removing the surface paste and exposing the stronger concrete underneath.

“HTC Superfloor offers an easy-to-clean and durable flooring solution. Dirty, grey concrete floors are transformed into brilliant, easy-to-clean, environmentally friendly and durable polished surfaces. This results

in a strong, shiny and beautiful polished concrete floor,” he says.

Johannesburg-based PCS specialises in the preparation, levelling, grinding, polishing and maintenance of concrete floors and has developed a strong working relationship with HTC and Superb Flooring Systems over the last four years.

Global standard “All PCS work is completed in accordance with approved HTC standards, which feature the highest level global rating with regard to

Managing multiple contractors Ramlah admits that a project of this scale comes with a number of challenges. “Large projects such as this involve a number of different contractors being located on-site simultaneously. Accidental damage is a common occurrence when there are so many people working around each other.”

He indicates that these challenges were overcome through constant inspection and communication between the various subcontractor foremen, as well as postponing certain grinding steps until it was safe to

“Polished concrete is poised to be a massive market in South Africa and has the potential to set the industry standard for flooring.” abrasion resistance, fire classification friction, electrostatic discharge, life cycle costs and energy costs. I believe that this proven quality and in-depth experience led to PCS being awarded this large-scale contract,” states Ramlah.

What’s more, Ramlah indicates that a team of 17 highly skilled PCS employees are working on the Linbro Park project. “Grinding is a specialised skill, it is only through understanding concrete and the different processes that a truly magnificent floor can be achieved. Thanks to a strong team, work on the project is running smoothly and will be completed on time and within budget.”

continue. “It is important to protect the floor through all stages of the project,” he adds.

Setting the standard for polished floors Ramlah believes that the polished concrete market in South Africa is set to achieve measurable growth within the next two years.

“Polished concrete is poised to be a massive market in South Africa and has the potential to set the industry standard for flooring.

As the market grows, PCS intends to open offices in Cape Town and Durban, as well as expand in terms of staff and machinery,” he concludes.

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UniBatch

UniBatch 260 t/h.

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Slimline dimensions and core components designed to maximise performance make it top of our mixing plant range.

For more information on compaction machines, mixing plants and pavers go to www.ammann-group.com

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CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT | VEHICLES

Transforming the brick-making business A Pretoria brick manufacturer has boosted production and reduced operating costs thanks to the recent purchase of a Pilot Modular horizontal impact crusher from local crushing and screening specialist, Pilot Crushtec

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HE PILOT Modular BR0605, commissioned in June, has already proven its worth by adding value to the business in a number of important areas. First, it empowers the operator to crush damaged or off-standard bricks back down to -10 mm, delivering large volumes of what would have been discarded as waste back into the manufacturing process. Second, the company is now able to produce its own raw materials by crushing sandstone, rock and concrete to produce bricks, blocks and other related products.

In order to produce bricks, the manufacturer was previously paying around R73 per m³ of sand from local quarries as well as the cost of transport. The unit’s R275 000 purchase price translates into an excellent investment.

Tried and tested technology Pilot Crushtec International national sales manager Nicolan Govender believes that his client’s experience illustrates how the use of tried and tested crusher technology can transform a relatively small operation virtually overnight.

“While it is still early days, we have already identified areas where, over time, the addition of Pilot Modular components, including a feed hopper, screen and conveyors, will further enhance the operation without incurring major expenditure,” he says.

Govender has detailed knowledge of the market and offers some well-informed observations relating to product selection within the brick manufacturing industry.

Picking the right crusher “Small granulator jaw crushers are often used by inexperienced operators and rarely achieve the volume and quality of output of

a product like the Pilot Modular BR0605.

This means that manufacturers utilising this type of equipment typically suffer the ongoing cost burden of continually recirculating the crushed product until they finally achieve the required standard and quantity of fines.”

He strongly believes that a Pilot Modular BR0605 should be a permanent feature in every brick and block yard. Many are cluttered by stockpiles of reject bricks, blocks and piles of concrete that can be easily converted back to their original state, generating savings in both money and space.

The electrically powered Pilot Modular BR0605 is a versatile, high-performance

The Pilot Modular BR0605 boosts production and reduces costs for a local brick manufacturer

horizontal impact crusher. Its relatively low cost, combined with ease of operation and maintenance, makes it an ideal product for the smaller contractor or start-up operation, especially those located in rural areas.

The skid-mounted, semi-mobile product has been designed to suit a number of applications including rock crushing and sand production, coal production and the recycling of green waste, glass, building rubble and concrete.

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Equipment company expands into Zimbabwe Bobcat Equipment South Africa has extended its sales and service support to customers in Zimbabwe with the appointment of Harare-based SRTC as its official dealer in the region.

B

OBCAT IS PART of the Goscor Group of Companies and the Imperial Group. It has been a trusted partner to the local construction, mining, industrial, utility, governmental, agricultural and landscaping markets for 25 years, with the supply of its internationally esteemed range of Bobcat compact machines.

“Delivering superior service to customers is as important as delivering quality products,” comments Bobcat Equipment South Africa’s managing director, Les Lothian. “To maximise our customers’ uptime and production, our comprehensive product range is supported by a team of highly trained technicians, located throughout our national, wellstocked branch network.

“The appointment of SRTC expands our capabilities so that we are able to deliver our product and service offering right to the doorstep of our customers across the border,” asserts Lothian.

“We recognised SRTC as the right company to take our skid steers, mini-excavators and telescopic handlers to the Zimbabwean market, as the company has many years’ experience in supplying equipment to the local market including mining, industry and agriculture.”

With a staff complement of 73, the company’s headquarters, which houses the administration support staff and a 24/7 national support centre, is based in Workington, Harare. The Parts and Service Centre is situated on a separate premises nearby.

The Service and Parts Centre, which comprises approximately 5 000 m2 of covered area and some 3 500 m2 of warehouse space, houses a 1 500 m2 full-service workshop complete with a dedicated enginerebuild room, hoists and electronic service tools. “With 16 trained technicians, six field service vehicles and a vast range and volume of spares and parts, we are able to ensure fast turnaround times to maximise uptime for our customers.

“Expert training by Bobcat on the compact machines will enable us to offer our customers the right product solution backed by specialist end-to-end service and after-sales service. At the moment, we are a Bobcat sales dealership but there are plans to setup a rental facility at a later stage.”

Bobcat skid steers, mini-excavators and telescopic handlers are available to the Zimbabwean market through newly appointed Bobcat dealer SRTC

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IMESA NEWS

IMESA NORTHERN BRANCH AGM

Innovations and elections The IMESA Northern Provinces Seminar and Annual General Meeting took place on 29 August 2014 at the Edenvale Library in Gauteng’s East Rand.

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HE EVENT WAS sponsored

by Nyeleti Consulting, a leading empowered firm of engineers with a notably high-profile executive, including Abe Thela, Pine Pienaar and Stanford Mkhacane. It happens to have been a big year for the company, celebrating its 15th anniversary in August – the same month it won two awards at the CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards.

The day was organised and hosted by Werner Bruhns, chairman of the Northern Branch, and he put together a very stimulating programme with the help of the secretariat, with special thanks to Rona Fourie.

Werner is a highly committed, longstanding IMESA member and his significant contributions are appreciated.

The day began with the seminar, which consisted of six engaging presentations, providing insight into a broad area of disciplines, from sanitation and environmental management, through to innovations in online infrastructure management.

Ultra-thin reinforced concrete pavement Hans Brink is a civil engineering consultant based in Tshwane and his presentation focused on work conducted in the city. Ultrathin reinforced concrete pavements (UTRCP) is a method of replacing both the base layer and conventional bituminous surfacing of a road with a 50 mm layer of 30 Mpa concrete, reinforced with welded mesh. Because it is applied in continuous process, requiring no transverse joints, the concrete layer functions like a stretched sheet of material, tied in at both ends, resulting in most of the load taken up as tensile forces by the mesh.

Brink referenced a couple of projects, including the Roodekrans Quarry road, which was built in 2002 and has been subjected to massive and frequent truck loads. The road remains highly functional and the trucks are still using it. Referring to a test performed

by the CSIR, Brink noted that the stretch of in situ UTRCP was subjected to more than three million E80s, yet there was no sign of failure.

Waterval solid waste site Peter Legg Consulting has been working with Golder and Associates (G&A) on the planning and construction of a new industrial waste facility in Rustenburg. The facility currently consists of two general waste cells, a rubble disposal cell, a leachate pond, a contaminated SW pond, a public drop-off area and other supporting infrastructure.

The Waterval site, an old opencast platinum mine, was chosen after a formal site selection process and detailed investigations. A scoping report was completed and submitted in 2008 with the EIA process starting in early 2009. The property on which the site is located belongs to Anglo Platinum and is being leased to the municipality.

Construction began in 2013 under G&A’s supervision and is being funded through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant.

The waste disposal facility is envisaged to set a benchmark in solid waste management and is a win-win operation in saving substantial rehabilitation costs and saving the local municipality the cost of acquiring the land.

Way-leave eave management system m of the City of Tshwane Francoiss Grobler of Graphic Engineering ns and Services presented the Solutions ayleave Central, which is an new Wayleave online portal for the processing of ve applications. Already way-leave arly phases of in the early ions operations at City of Ts h w a n e , Werner Bruhns, chairman of the Northern Branch

this web-based system is open to the public for consulting engineers to submit and track applications, and automates a range of procedures including pre-submission checks, service enquiry processes, and TRH26 and TRH27 compliance. Task assignments integrate all stakeholders and track their responses with automated reminders and escalations. The system enables design reviews and is fully integrated with smart mobile technologies.

Remaining presentations CJ Marks gave an intriguing presentation on acid mine drainage in Gauteng, and walked the audience through dramatic visuals of a plant recently committed for this purpose.

Raymond van den Berg of Bio Sewage Systems gave an overview of the company’s innovative wastewater treatment solutions that are designed to break down effluence using mechanisms inspired by nature. By using a series of anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic reactors, these systems deliver effective and economical sewage treatment.

Adriaan Kurtz of the City of Tshwane gave a powerful presentation that clearly mapped out the hydropower potential that is currently nascent in the city’s bulk water pipelines and could truly impact on the country’s energy supply security. With various ways of using this source of power, from fro feeding the grid to operating infrast infrastructure, Kurtz gave an overview of an a installation in Tshwane, the Pierre van Ryneveld Conduit Hydropower Pl Plant.

The presentatio presentations were all of great interes interest and IMIESA will profile them in more detail in the coming months months.

Readers are invited in to contact the editor on nicho nicholas@3smedia. co.za for further infor information.

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Obituary: Vincent Granger

By David Granger, with assistance from Kevin Wall

Emeritus Professor Vincent Louis Granger, an eminent municipal engineer who was the 1980-1982 President of the South African District of the UK Institution of Municipal Engineers (which existed in parallel with IMESA for 20 years, before being absorbed into IMESA in 1984), passed away in Somerset West at the end of 2013 at the remarkable age of 96.

B

ORN IN RONDEBOSCH on 17 September 1917, in 1934 Vincent matriculated from Wynberg Boys’ High School, where he was Head Boy. In 1938 he graduated with a BSc (Eng) in civil engineering at UCT, gaining a first class for his thesis. The following year he joined the Cape Town City Engineer’s Department.

However within months, the Second World War began. Vincent enlisted with the 3rd Field Company South African Engineers Corps in 1940. Commissioned as an officer in 1941, he qualified as a diver and worked on coastal defences and Robben Island harbour – and married Estelle Baumgarten, whom he had met at UCT. In 1942 he was posted to Egypt and, in 1943, seconded to the Royal Engineers, travelling through North Africa with the British 6th Armoured Division, advancing through Italy until the end of the war in Europe. His duties were mainly recces, mine and boobytrap clearance and road and bridge building.

The war ended, Vincent returned to the City Engineer’s Department, working as resident engineer on the Cape Flats (including the development of Epping industrial estate). In 1949 he was awarded his PhD (thesis title: ‘The workability and proportioning of concrete’), only the second time this degree had been awarded by the Engineering Faculty of UCT. In 1950 he was promoted to district engineer, Cape Town Southern Suburbs.

The following year the family immigrated to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) where, after a spell as Senior Engineer of the National Building and Housing Board, he established a consulting practice. His work

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took him through what are now Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. Notable among his projects were 200 km of roads, several bridges, including five prestressed concrete bridges and Thornhill Airport, Gwelo (now Gweru), designing the then longest runway in Central Africa. He was also foundation consultant on several multistorey buildings in Salisbury and on foundations for Umtali Oil Refinery and the Beira-Feruka Oil Pipeline.

Vincent founded the first private sector materials laboratory in the region. This undertook a wide range of testing and research, including road failures, soil and site investigations, and much of the local testing for the Kariba Hydro-Electric Scheme.

He qualified as a pilot so that he could more readily visit construction sites throughout the country.

In 1962 Vincent was appointed scientific advisor to the Southern Rhodesian government, reporting directly to the Prime Minister. He was responsible for planning industrial, scientific and research policy; coordinating scientific and technical educational effort and assessing Rhodesia’s engineering needs. He was the inaugural

chairman of the National Housing Advisory Council of Rhodesia, a body representing all local authorities, central government, as well as industrial and commercial interests.

In November 1964 he returned to the Cape Town City Engineer’s Department, to become one of the two senior assistant city engineers, the immediate deputies to Dr Solly Morris, city engineer. Here he had responsibility for all Works and Construction Branches and Parks and Forests – a total staff of about 10 000.

In 1972 Vincent left the City Council to take up the newly created post of fulltime dean of the Faculty of Engineering at UCT. In between his deanship duties, he lectured postgraduate courses on concrete technology.

He served as chair of the CSIR’s Western Cape Building Research Advisory Committee, and was in 1979 appointed to the Council of the CSIR. He was also on the Council of the University of Cape Town.

In 1982 he retired from UCT and became a consultant. Five years later he and Estelle moved to the Helderberg Retirement Village in Somerset West, where she passed away in 2005 and he on 8 November 2013.

Having sustained a severe back injury during the war, the St Giles Association for the Physically Handicapped was a cause always close to his heart. His Honorary Life Presidency of the Association was granted in recognition of his fundraising and other forms of support over three decades.

He is sur vived by his daughter Rosemar y Kahn, son David Granger, four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

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