Construction World December 2018

COVERING THE WORLD OF CONSTRUCTION

DECEMBER 2018

WORLD

CR O WN

P U B L I C A T I O N S

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CONTENTS

16 The Upgrade of N2 between Mtunzini Toll Plaza and Empangeni T-Junction This project included 11 bridges, 21 major in-situ culverts and over 130 smaller crossings. 22 New Discovery Head Office The largest single-phase commercial development in Africa: big, impressive, complex, sustainable. 40 Demolition of Boiler Unit 3 at Duvha Power Station Jet Demolition controlled the rapid removal of a damaged 600 MW boiler and in the process showed off its intricate knowledge of demolition.

48 Rehabilitation of Main Road between Atlantic Road, Muizenberg and Clovelly Road, Clovelly – Phase 3 Unconventional methods were used to overcome the lack of space and the fact that all services had to keep functioning. 62 Stortemelk Hydropower Plant Small, but complex in nature. Aesthetically it fits comfortably into its environment. 64 BCX Head Office With a myriad of sustainable aspects, this project was the worthy winner of the AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction.

ON THE COVER

Skilled engineering and an astute use of concrete have given a seaside home at Bloubergstrand the protection it needs from stormy seas off the Cape’s Atlantic coastline. After recent storms had weakened the wall between client Ernst Hartwig’s three storey house and the beach, it was considered necessary to rebuild the wall completely – to a new and more sustainable design. This was no simple task, considering the proximity of the property to the water’s edge, and the fact that it would have to be built in beach sand. Read the story on pages 4 and 5

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The Best Projects Awards, a highlight on the Construction World calendar, was attended by various of Crown Publications’ staff. FROM LEFT: Erna Oosthuizen, Bennie Venter, Wilhelm du Plessis, Karen Grant (publisher), Wendy Charles, Peter Middleton, Munesu Shoko, Shaun Smith, Karen Smith and Elmarie Stonell.

COMMENT

For the last 10 years we have dedicated the December issue of Construction World to our annual Best Projects Awards. The magazine showcases all the winners and entries while it provides a photographic reportage of the vibrant awards ceremony.

Sadly, however, the construction industry as a whole is anything but vibrant at the moment. Many say that the industry is at a crossroads as the outlook is bleak and activity in the industry declining. Since the build-up to the FIFA World Cup in 2010, the industry has been in consistent decline – and when the turnaround of this downward trend will come, is not clear. This has necessitated some major players to relocate business offshore or change their focus from Africa to other parts of the world. Some companies have also gone into business rescue. Suffice to say that the construction industry’s landscape has changed: the companies once known as the Big Five are no longer the big five. The result is that vital skills are lost as those in the construction industry migrate to other market sectors. This will lead to a long-term shortage of capacity when the turnaround eventually comes, impacting on the industry’s ability to deliver capital projects. There are various reasons for the downward trend: from political uncertainty, investor caution, construction industry restructuring to market legislative conditions. The negative trend has also been caused by international factors. The US economy

is stronger than it has been for a while. At the same time economic growth is forecast to slow in almost every other economy (including China). Sadly this forecast includes emerging markets. This will mean that there will be divergent interest rates between the US market and the rest of the world, which in turn impacts on emerging currencies – something that became evident recently when the Turkish lira lost significant value. The US and China’s (and with other countries) trade stand-off is an example of how this leads to trade tensions. South Africa, as an emerging economy, obviously benefits from multilateralism as trade barriers are reduced. It stands to lose when this is compromised in any way. South Africa cannot do much to withstand such international headwinds, but will have to look inward to weather the storm. In the current domestic climate, there is little to look inward to. The country has experienced negative economic growth in the first two quarters – something that has to be arrested if growth is to sustain the country’s needs. It is consistently negatively impacted by a plethora of factors:

state capture, mismanagement, inability to implement the National Development Plan, corruption and the dwindling global attractiveness of the country. Many refer to this as a ‘lost decade’ for South Africa. The result is that investor confidence has eroded so much that few new projects are invested in. There are positives: The announcement of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s stimulus package, the Jobs Summit in October and the appointment of Tito Mboweni as Finance Minister bode well for a more positive outlook and new outcomes and indicate that the tide for the building and construction sector could be turning. With this mixture of positive and negative sentiments, I wish you a safe and peaceful Festive Season.

Wilhelm du Plessis Editor

Publisher of the Year 2018 (Trade Publications)

@ConstWorldSA

www.facebook.com/construction-worldmagazinesa

EDITOR & DEPUTY PUBLISHER Wilhelm du Plessis constr@crown.co.za ADVERTISING MANAGER Erna Oosthuizen ernao@crown.co.za LAYOUT & GRAPHIC ARTIST Katlego Montsho CIRCULATION Karen Smith

PUBLISHER Karen Grant PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY Crown Publications cc P O Box 140 BEDFORDVIEW, 2008 Tel: 27 11-622-4770 • Fax: 27 11-615-6108

TOTAL CIRCULATION: (Third Quarter '18) 6 092

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. PRINTED BY Tandym Cape

www.constructionworldmagazine.co.za

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The weakened sea wall at Bloubergstrand, needing urgent replacement.

COVER STORY

STYLISH CONCRETE WALL PUTS AFRISAM’S WEIGHT BETWEEN HOME AND SEA

A fter recent storms had weakened the wall between client Ernst Hartwig’s three storey house and the beach, it was considered necessary to rebuild the wall completely – to a new and more sustainable design. This was no simple task, considering the proximity of the property to the water’s edge, and the fact that it would have to be built in beach sand. With WSP Group Africa Consulting Engineers and CSV Construction tackling the project and AfriSam supplying the readymix, it was successfully completed earlier this year. According to Alex Pospech, structural division director at CSV Construction, there was no time to lose on the project as the panels of the old wall had begun to tilt and allow sand and soil to wash out from the house-side of the seawall. If the wall was to topple, the ground under the house’s foundations would be undermined. “The shore in front of the house was only accessible at low tides, while at all other times the works area was within the wave zone,” says Pospech. “This constrained our working time to generally only about three hours before low tide and three hours afterwards. It also created various technical challenges as there was no access for construction equipment to the property from the road.” With the advice of civil engineer Francois de Roubaix of WSP Group Africa Consulting Engineers, it was decided to excavate to bedrock so that the new wall would have a more solid foundation. Skilled engineering and an astute use of concrete have given a seaside home at Bloubergstrand the protection it needs from stormy seas off the Cape’s Atlantic coastline.

Jet probes ascertained that there was a rock layer at 1,5 metres below surface, which could provide the firm base for a mass concrete footing of about 2 metres wide. “The challenge was therefore to design temporary works that would keep the sand and ocean out while we removed soil and beach sand from the client’s property to create the footing,” says De Roubaix. The solution The solution was a steel sheet piled coffer dam – a double row of Nippon Type 4 steel piles interlocking with each other – with piles driven to full refusal on the bedrock. While water and sand would have to be kept out, the sheet piled retaining walls would also have to be kept apart by dowels drilled and grouted into the rock at the base. First driving the back row of the sheet piles provided support for the material under the house and protected against settlement; only then was the old wall toppled and the front row of sheet piles installed. “The toppled walls also gave us a working platform for the excavators, and a bit more height which allowed us to work slightly longer before the rising tide ended our working day,” says Hannes Coetzee, civil infrastructure director at CSV Construction. The piles were driven by a specialised high frequency piling hammer attached to an excavator, capable of exerting a 66 tonne downward force, while about 18 metres of horizontal distance could be accomplished in a day. Due to the undulating nature of the bedrock, water would still seep into the coffer dam. A grout curtain was installed to prevent this seepage of sand into the cofferdam. Now the material needed to be excavated from the narrow two metre channel between the piles; to give access to an excavator and wheel loader, a heavy steel ramp was placed from the beach. So limited was the space that the excavator had to move back with

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An excavator drives interlocking steel sheet piles to create a coffer dam before the mass concrete footing can be poured.

The concrete footing is cast down to bedrock between the steel sheet piling.

its load before it could turn and dump into the bucket of a wheel loader, which also used the ramp to get close enough. Some 230 cubic metres of material was removed to create the void for the mass concrete footing. A higher water level was maintained within the cofferdam to equalise the pressure within the cofferdam and to prevent migration of sand into the cofferdam during excavation. Special-purpose underwater concrete As mentioned, however, the coffer dam waiting to receive the concrete was full of water, so special consideration was given to both the concrete mix and the pouring technique. For this underwater application, AfriSam’s special-purpose underwater concrete, Aqua Beton Admixture was used, and the concrete was placed in the coffer dam using the ‘tremie’ method, supplied by a static concrete pump. Tremie concrete requires the placement of a vertical pipe extending from above the surface to the underwater floor. As concrete flows from the bottom of the pipe, more is pushed through to ensure that the tremie pipe is continuously charged with fresh mix. This underwater feed method ensures that neither air nor water is entrapped or mixed in the concrete mass. As the mass expands with the concrete being pushed out of the pipe, only the outer layer is in contact with and affected by the salt water, leaving the rest of the concrete intact and in optimal condition.

“The readymix was supplied from our Peninsula Quarry about 17 km away, and the logistics had to be finetuned to ensure that delivery times exactly matched the low tides when pouring could take place,” says Melanie Ross, AfriSam’s territory manager for this contract. “This was not always easy, as the tide times could also fall when traffic was heavy so this required special attention to detail and timing.” Placing of concrete for the footing had to be conducted in two pours of about 70 cubic metres each, due to the short time window provided by the low tide cycle. Dowel bars were then drilled into the foundation and shuttering prepared for the above surface section of the sea wall, which was completed in six 5,4 metre panel sections cast in situ. With a base of 450 mm wide tapering to 350 mm, the visible wall is stylishly finished with a curved in situ coping along its top. Each of the six panels was completed in a single pour with 40 MPA readymix concrete from AfriSam. The formwork for the coping was specially designed and manufactured to complement the surrounding design; but the outward-facing curve also has a practical function – rolling back the storm waves that reach the wall’s height. This sea wall solution has provided the client with a stylish barrier that matches the architectural impact of the home, while ensuring a solid and economical design that promises longevity for many decades to come. 

A panel of the in-situ cast sea wall is completed while formwork goes up in preparation for the next panels.

The new sea wall is complete, while workers apply finishing touches to the cut-off tops of steel piles.

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The Best Projects 2018

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RECOGNISING THE BEST The winners in the 17 th annual Best Projects Awards competition were announced at a function in Johannesburg on 31 October. This award is the only one in the country that recognises excellence across the entire construction industry. Projects are independently judged – by submission only.

Construction . The judges remarked that the competition in this category was fierce. They gave two projects a Special Mention: ‘Stortemelk Hydropower Project’ (Earthworld Architects) and ‘The Upgrade of the N2 between Mtunzini Toll Plaza and Empangeni T-Junction’ (Concor Infrastructure). ‘New Discovery Head Office’ (WBHO Construction) was Highly Commended and the category was won by SVA International’s ‘BCX Head Office’. Best Projects Awards ensures that entrants receive wider recognition – not just from their own professional organisations. The continued good number of entries is proof that the construction industry regards this initiative as having value. At the height of the construction boom, Best Projects had 72 entries. For the past five years, the Best Projects Awards consistently attracted between 50 and 60 entries. This is proof that excellence continues, despite challenges. The value of the Best Projects Awards

rightfully, produced two winners: ‘New Discovery Building’ (Winner) and ‘Times Square Casino, Arena & Hotel’ (Highly Commended). The projects’ scale, innovation and complexity impressed the judges. The Specialist Contractors or Suppliers category had a clear winner: ‘Demolition of Boiler Unit 3 at Duvha Power Station’ by Jet Demolition. The intricacy, complexity and scale of the project deeply impressed the judges. Franki Africa’s project ‘Clairwood Logistics Park’ was given a Highly Commended award. The innovation showed for this project was reason enough to recognise its excellence. The 12 entries in the Consulting Engineers category were of an exceptionally high standard and the judges eventually awarded four projects: a Special Mention to ‘Sydney Metro Cable-Stayed Bridge’ (SMEC), Highly Commended Awards to both ‘Construction of Neckartal Dam Phase 1 Bulk Water Supply’ (Knight Piésold) and HHO Consulting Engineers’ ‘Upgrade of N11 Section from Middelburg to Loskopdam’. The category was won by Knight Piésold’s ‘Rehabilitation of Main Road between Atlantic Road, Muizenberg and Clovelly Road – Phase 3’. What impressed the judges about this project was that a major arterial road had to be worked on while still fully operational. The Architects category was won by Earthworld Architect’s project ‘Stortemelk Hydropower Project’. This is proof that a project does not have to be massive for it to illustrate excellence and innovation. The ‘BCX Head Office’ by SVA International was Highly Commended and ‘Cornubia Mall’ received a Special Mention. Best Project Awards’ main sponsor, AfriSam, also sponsors the AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable

This year the competition attracted 53 entries – a few more than last year. The main sponsor was AfriSam, while Den Braven was the bronze sponsor and MBA North and Sika South Africa both associate sponsors. The judges – Trueman Goba, Rob Newberry and Nico Maas – have, over the many decades they have been in the industry, seen the construction industry peak and dip. In what is a difficult time for the construction industry, they commented how encouraging it was to see the quality and diversity of construction projects in the country. Some categories needed robust discussion as the score between the Winner and Highly Commended projects was often slight. In the end, the choice of winners was unanimous. Hope for the future “I enjoy being part of such an important event. This year’s entries really gave me hope for the future South Africa,” said Nico Maas, who is a past President of the MBSA. Rob Newberry, who has been a Best Projects judge since its beginning in 2002 and who is a past President of the CIOB, refers to Best Projects as the ‘gold standard’ in the industry. Trueman Goba, Hatch Africa’s Chairman, who has also been a Best Projects judge from the start, was highly impressed by the standard of the submissions. The winners The ‘Upgrade of the N2 between Mtunzini Toll Plaza and Empangeni T-junction’ by Concor Infrastructure was the winning project in the Civil Engineering Contractors category. The judges remarked that this project stood out in terms of scale, innovation and the sensitivity it showed towards the environment. CSV Construction’s ‘Replacement of Seawall ERF 234, Blouberg Strand’ received the Highly Commended Award in this category. This project, despite small in scale, was innovative and overcame the challenge that the foundation for a wall had to be dug below sea level. The Building Contractors category, with its many highly innovative and often iconic buildings, was this year dominated by WBHO Construction. The company,

Previous spread: 1. Rehabilitation of Main Road 2. Sydney Cable-Stayed Bridge 3. BCX Head Office 4. Clairwood Office Park 5. Cornubia Mall 8. Upgrade of N11 9. Upgrade of N2 10. Neckartal Dam 11. Seawall in Blouberg Strand 12 Stortemelk Hydropower Project 13. Times Square 6. Discovery Head Office 7. Demolition at Duvha

The judges for the Best Projects 2018 Awards were (from left): Nico Maas, Rob Newberry. and Trueman Goba.

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BEST PROJECTS: 2018’S WINNERS The Best Projects Award ceremony took place in Johannesburg on 31 October. Here are the winners.

Civil Engineering Contractors

Winner The Upgrade of the N2 between Mtunzini Toll Plaza and Empangeni T-Junction – Concor Infrastructure Jonathan Pearce – Concor Infrastructure The project also received a Special Mention in the AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction .

Highly Commended Replacement of Seawall Erf 234, Blouberg Strand – CSV Construction Alex Pospech – CSV Construction

Building Contractors

Winner New Discovery Head Office – Tiber/WBHO Construction Joint Venture From left: Tinie Bonnet, Leandro Feitera, Nicholas Robbins, Hugo Leite, Trevor Dillon and Jéan le Roux. The project also won Highly Commended in AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction.

Highly Commended Times Square – WBHO Construction From left: Richard van Gool, Anton Steenkamp (Sun International), Keith Willoughby, Sibusiso Mwandla and Tommy Gravett (WSP).

Specialist Contractors or Suppliers

Winner Demolition of Boiler Unit 3 at Duvha Power Station – Jet Demolition From left: Joe Brinkmann, Marthinus Botes, Raymond Lopes, Percy Piper, Ruan Zaayman, and Rickus Nell.

Highly Commended Clairwood Logistics Park – Franki Africa From left: Paul Timba, Nobukhosi Gumbo, Nicol Chang, SamMakuwa and Gordon Heasman.

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Consulting Engineers

Winner Rehabilitation of Main Road between Atlantic Road, Muizenberg and Clovelly Road - Phase 3 – Knight Piésold From left: Laurie Geldenhuys, Leon Furstenburg, Sharlenee Moodley, Tjaart van der Walt and Graham Jennings. Knight Piesold also won Highly Commended for Neckartal Construction of Neckartal Dam Phase 1 Bulk Water Supply.

Highly Commended Upgrade of N11 Section fromMiddelburg to Loskopdam – HHO Consulting Engineers From left: Bongani Matlala, Rirhandzu Mtebule and Donovan Hugo.

Special Mention Sydney Metro Cable-Stayed Bridge – SMEC Roger Dickson (left) and Anne van Vliet.

Architects

Highly Commended BCX Head Office – SVA International Richard de Klerk (left) and Ray Shaw. BCX Head Office also won the AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction.

Special Mention Cornubia Mall – Bentel Associates International Stephen Roberts (left) and Tim Harlech-Jones.

Winner Stortemelk Hydropower Plant – Earthworld Architects Bertrand Collet (left) and André Eksteen.

The AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Architecture

Special Mention Stortemelk Hydropower Project – Earthworld Architects Bertrand Collet (left) and André Eksteen.

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LUCKY WINNERS As usual, various prizes were given away at the Best Projects Awards. Here are the winners.

Ngage gave away a wireless speaker. Renay Tandy, Ngage’s Public Relations Director handed the prize to Mike McDonald, the manager of AfriSam’s Centre of Excellence.

A Makita 18V Cordless DHP482RFE Impact Driver Drill Kit was won by SamMakuwa from Franki Africa. Here he is receiving his prize from Shirley McInnes from Porcupine Productions (representing Makita).

Den Braven Sealants – not only the Bronze Sponsor of Best Projects, but also the sponsor of the Architect category – sponsored a hamper of Den Braven products. Here the Financial Director, Colene Baker hands over the prize to Joe Brinkmann, Director of Jet Demolition.

Concor sponsored two hampers. Jay Juganan, Contracts Director at Concor Infrastructure handed them to Hugo Leite (Tiber Construction) and Victor Bouguenon (CemteQ Building Solutions).

BEST PROJECTS AWARDS SPONSORS

Bronze Sponsor and Sponsor of the Architect category

Main Sponsor

Associate Sponsor

Associate Sponsor

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Civil Engineering Contractors

WINNER and SPECIAL MENTION in the AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: Concor Infrastructure • Client: SANRAL • Contract value: R830-million (excluding VAT & escalation) • Start date: 29 February 2016 • End date: 30 June 2019 • Main Contractor: Concor Infrastructure • Consulting Engineer: UWP Consulting

T he substantial project scope includes 11 bridges, 21 major in-situ culverts under the highway and over 130 smaller crossings constructed with precast portal and pipe culverts. Two of the bridges are built over rivers while two are over railway lines and two over arterial roads; there are also four agricultural over-passes and one underpass. In addition to the scale of this project – being conducted while high volumes of traffic continue to use this busy route – there were large complex structures to be installed and several section of the N2 highway between Mtunzini and Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal. The existing road is also being rehabilitated to form the future southbound carriageway. THE UPGRADE OF N2 BETWEEN MTUNZINI TOLL PLAZA AND EMPANGENI T-JUNCTION In one of the largest South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) projects currently under way, Concor Infrastructure is constructing a new double-lane northbound carriageway over a 34 km

rivers to be negotiated. The natural environment is also sensitive, requiring careful adjustment of plans to reduce the construction footprint. The project’s positive socio-economic impact in the area has also been considerable, with over 600 people at work. Perhaps one of the contractor’s most important contributions to the client was made even before the project began. An innovative proposal regarding project sequencing was able to achieve not only cost savings to the client but a three-month reduction in project duration. In addition, this decision had a positive environmental impact as earlier access to the existing road allowed greater use of recycled asphalt in the project and less use of virgin aggregates. The two large bridges over the uMhlathuze and the uMlalazi rivers are among the engineering highlights of the project. These comprise, respectively, a 240 metre, eight span structure and a 120 metre, four span bridge. The bridge piers were constructed on bases underpinned with 900 mm diameter piles in causeways pushed into the rivers. The 30 metre precast, post-tensioned beams were built near the work sites by a subcontractor supplied with concrete from an on-site batching plant. 

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Civil Engineering Contractors

C hallenges included limited time for reconstruction due to ongoing erosion, tidal working, lack of working space for machines, beach access only, wave breaking during high tides, continuous sand movement, safety of the public, prevention of excavated concrete migrating to sea, excavation below water alongside existing structures and durability requirements for the marine environment. The difficult nature and limited scale of works demanded innovative methods of working. The solution of a mass concrete footing founded on bedrock and a reinforced concrete seawall was successfully completed and demonstrates the effective use of concrete as a permanent coastal protection solution. Restricted excavation between an old existing seawall and the now defunct seawall was required to be carried out down to the bedrock level at -2.0 MSL (mean sea level). This was within the tidal zone on An existing concrete seawall, located in the beach intertidal zone of a seafront property in Kleinbaai, was undermined during a worst-ever recorded sea storm in 2017, and in the process of collapsing into the sea. Undermining of an existing gravity main foul sewer and three-storey house structure directly behind the wall was inevitable. Repair of the wall was no longer feasible, making urgent reconstruction the only option. REPLACEMENT OF SEAWALL ERF 234, BLOUBERG STRAND

HIGHLY COMMENDED

the beach: A mass concrete foundation, embedded on the bedrock, for a new and reinforced concrete seawall to safeguard the existing three- storey house and surrounds. CSV Construction proposed to make use of interlocking Nippon Type IV steel sheetpiles to be installed to form a cofferdam within which the excavation could be carried out. The failed seawall was constructed a number of decades ago with its foundations placed on top of a layer of sand that overlaid bedrock at -2.0 m below MSL. At the time it would have been challenging to excavate below the sea level to be able to build a founding structure directly on top of the preferred bedrock. During a severe sea storm in 2017 the sand was washed from the beach on a large scale resulting in the seawall’s foundations to be undermined. This caused the wall to lean forward, about to topple. WSP Consulting Engineers, in consultation with Southern Oceaneering Marine Contractors and CSV Construction was able to design the new wall to be constructed, anchored directly onto the bedrock level at 3,5 m deep below ground level. The steel sheetpile cofferdam solution offered by CSV Construction enabled the Engineers to design the permanent structures to be constructed within the confines of the temporary works that were constructed under extremely challenging conditions, within the tidal wave zone. The project has since been completed successfully with no damage to the existing buildings and providing peace of mind against the onslaught of the ocean for years to come. 

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: CSV Construction • Client: Hartwig Trust • Contract value: R7-million • Start date: May 2018 • End date: September 2018 • Main Contractor: Southern Oceaneering • Principal Agent: WSP Group Africa • Consulting Engineer : WSP Group Africa • Specialist Contractor: CSV Construction

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Civil Engineering Contractors

CONSTRUCTION OF A THREE CELL BOX CULVERT AND EARTH RETAINING STRUCTURE STC3971 ON D1357 AT KM 5,56

T he purpose of this structure was to overcome frequent flooding of the existing section of roads which prevented traffic and if attempted, was life threatening to cross. One of the major challenges of the project was to work safely within the heavy rainfall periods but there were also numerous other challenges that were systematically overcome, resulting in one impressive constructed structure. Construction commenced in September 2016. Management of this project encompassed the usual facets such as monitoring productivity, quality control, budget control, material procurement, scheduling of panel deliveries, process management, effective The 21,5 metre tall culvert and earth retaining structure on the D1357 located between the towns of Impendle and Himeville on the Southern Drakensberg side of KwaZulu-Natal was truly an innovative and challenging project which was completed successfully in April 2018. The client was the Department of Transport, the engineers were D.E. consulting engineers and the contractor was Durant Civils.

communication, safety and environmental management and labour relations. One of the first major challenges during construction was the uncertainty of the terrain. Rock was discovered and since the structure commenced after the road works, lifting the structure was not an option and the rock had to be painstakingly removed to the required depth resulting in the programme slipping by six weeks. The culvert was relatively straightforward. However, the earth retaining structure was proving complex. Since there are not many double sided Reinforced Earth retaining structures constructed, fewer that are on a curve, and even less as tall as the one on the D1357, getting the right supervision for the job was key. The general foreman was a highly experienced and creative individual who designed a method of lining the panels along the slope by utilising everyday construction materials. Reinforced Earth retaining structures are complex, requiring material complying with mechanical and chemical specifications and eliminating aggressive materials that would cause corrosion of the reinforcing strips that may eventually lead to failure. 

PROJECT INFORMATION • Company entering: Durant Civils • Client: Department of Transport

• Contract value: R31 198 522 • Start date: 22 September 2017 • End date: 30 April 2018 • Main Contractor: Durant Civils • Principal Agent: D.E. Consulting Engineers

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SEDIMENTATION OF THE NEW STATION 5 AT ZUIKERBOSCH PUMPING STATION

T he contract was awarded in July 2015 and is scheduled to be completed in March 2019. The sedimentation contract comprises the construction of the following: • Three 14 00 diameter steel inlet pipes leading into the flocculation tanks • Three 45 metre diameter circular flocculation tanks, 2,8 metres high • A four compartment sedimentation tank approximately 300 metres long by 150 metres wide by 4,8 metres high • The installation of two 50 metre long de-sludge bridges on the sedimentation tanks • A 100 metre long carbonation tank • A sludge pump station housing the sludge pumps, Motor Control Center and Programmable Logic Controller • Associated interconnecting pipes, channels and valve chambers The contract involved the design and construction of the plant. WorleyParsons was employed for the design aspect of the Station 5a Sedimentation Plant at Zuikerbosch Pumping station is one of four construction contracts awarded by Rand Water for their 600 mega litre water purification plant. This will eventually supply much needed water from the Vaal River basin to Gauteng.

contract and the civil works for the contract was performed by a joint venture between Stefanutti Stocks Civils and Axsys Projects. Strict health and safety and environmental regulations were a requirement of Rand Water for the project. Stefanutti Stocks was able to meet these requirements. To date over one million hours have been worked on the project without a disabling incident and no major environmental incidents have occurred. A large portion of the labour force has been recruited from communities in the surrounding areas which include Sebokeng, Sharpville and Deneysville. Employees have gained valuable experience in the trades of formwork, concrete and reinforcing, as well as health and safety regulations. During the design phase of the project it was considered beneficial to use a precast solution for certain structural elements of the plant. The spiral walls to the flocculation tanks and the U-shaped launders to the sedimentation tank walls were all precast and proved to be an efficient method of construction, saving substantial time and money. This is the first time that flocculation tanks have been constructed in this manner within a water retaining structure. The quality of the concrete achieved on the project is of a superior nature and the end result is aesthetically pleasing. 

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: Stefanutti Stocks Civils • Client: Rand Water • Contract value: R395-million • Start date: August 2015 • End date: April 2019 • Main Contractor: Zuikerbosch Consortuim • Consulting Engineer: IX Engineers

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Building Contractors

WINNER and HIGHLY COMMENDED in the AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction

NEW DISCOVERY HEAD OFFICE November 2014 marked the start of an epic journey whereby the Tiber/WBHO Construction Joint Venture undertook the construction of the behemoth new Discovery Head Office in the Sandton precinct. The project would become the largest single-phase commercial office development in Africa.

T he construction included a nine floor super basement with an overall foot print of approximately 225 000 m 2 . Over and above the basements, three towers were constructed. The tallest rising 10 floors above the ground level. Total occupied floor space in the office towers consist of 110 000 m 2 . A total of 12 900 tons of high tensile reinforcing was fixed and approximately 132 400 m 3 of concrete was poured in to the structure. Construction innovation technology The two larger towers were joined together by means of post tensioned bridges over a central concourse, each consisting of a central set of lift cores, these cores were climbed utilising a PERI climbing system and concrete was placed utilising a Putzmeister 36 m boom pump that was lifted between the shafts floor by floor. Due to the programme and sequence of the construction, a total of eight tower cranes were erected to distribute material across the site. Some of the tower cranes required temporary columns in order to tie and jack them to the required higher positions. These columns were then later removed. The massive atriums were particularly challenging with structural steel beams spanning from edge to edge (34 m spans), the skylights were fully glazed utilising a moving gantry with hoists to place the large panels. The fact that a Boeing 737 could be placed in the west tower atrium without touching any edges is testament to the scale of the atrium. A multi axis laser scanner was utilised to plot the atrium slab edges (as built) to assist in streamlining the installation of the balustrade channels. Over all, approximately 4 km of internal atrium/concourse glass balustrade was installed and a further 1,5 km of stainless steel balustrade was installed on the podium and roof levels. A total of 1 300 tons of access scaffolding was utilised within the atriums and concourse areas. One of the most challenging aspects of the new Discovery Head Office in terms of construction was the construction of the iconic cantilever “nose” of the west tower facing the corner of Katherine and

Rivonia. The cantilever extended 20 m over the podium level. The Nose consisted of three transfer beams constructed on the podium level that carried five temporary columns. These five columns supported six levels of structural steel and reinforced bon-dek concrete slabs until such time that the transfer beams on the roof could be completed. Once the beams were post tensioned and the support columns released, the temporary columns and transfer beams would be demolished and removed. The 3,5 m high, 2,5 mwide transfer beams spanned a maximum of 34 m. The beams on the roof level consumed a total of 700 m 3 of 70MPa low heat of hydration, self levelling concrete as well as approximately 170 tons of reinforcing. Corporate social investment Tiber/WBHO Construction employed staff from the local community in an effort to ensure the local and surrounding communities benefitted in terms of employment and skills development over the duration of the project. Design innovation The three towers consist of 20 escalators, 15 passenger lifts, three fire/ goods lifts, two visitor lifts, one MIP visitor lift, three goods lifts and 12 staircases. The roof consists of a 620 m running track covering the east and west tower, a soccer court, a multi-purpose court, a yoga deck, 200 m 2 of planted landscaping. Vendors within the west and east tower include: Woolwoths, Vide E Café, Starbucks, Edgars connect, Clicks, Seattle coffee, Kauai to name a few. Attenuation tanks for domestic water store 850 000 ℓ with a further 500 000 ℓ for firefighting. Six generators will keep the building running with a storage capacity of 76 000 ℓ of diesel. Each floor across the three towers consist of six ablutions blocks, 10 fire escape staircases, six data patch rooms and half a

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kilometer of high performance full vision glazing. The construction of the atrium sky light was a first of its kind in SA by utilising a gantry crane fixed on a set of rails/tracks to complete the glazing installation. Environmental impact consideration The area in which the project is situated is considered highly developed and as such, the environmental sensitivity of the surrounding land is considered low. There were however a few potential adverse impacts identified prior to construction, which were minimised as follows: Water The prevention of stormwater pollution was prioritised on this project, and the following mitigation measures were implemented: • Stormwater inlets were protected by means of silt traps to prevent any sediment or debris from being washed down into the system. • The roads were kept clean and free of debris through daily sweeping. • Care was taken to prevent spills by making use of drip trays and any activities which could result in spills were undertaken in a controlled manner. Air Quality Dust may impact on the health and safety of employees and impact on the surrounding community through respiratory, visual and aesthetic impacts. The following measures were implemented for reducing and managing these impacts: • Dust suppression by means of watering was done throughout the project, especially on exposed soil surfaces and during windy conditions. • Service providers transporting loose/fine material were required to make use of tarpaulin to cover their loads. • Plant and equipment used on the project were always kept in good working condition to ensure that fumes were kept to a minimum. Noise Construction only took place during specified hours and neighbours were informed of any noise generating activities which would have a higher impact. A Complaints Register was kept on site at all times to record any complaints. Soil Contamination of soil from accidental spills was prevented by ensuring that the correct storage, handling and refueling procedures were followed. Soil protection measures included the use of drip trays, ground sheets and mixing trays. Site Access and Traffic In order to prevent congestion of traffic and reduce emissions from vehicles the following measures were implemented: • Deliveries of materials only took place at designated areas and under strictly controlled conditions to minimise traffic disruption. • Construction vehicles were restricted to designated routes. • Safe pedestrian walkways were provided for passers-by. Green building aspects The new Discovery Head Office is the largest new build project to receive a 5 Star Green Star rating from the GBCSA to date. Features of the new building which have contributed to the rating

include high-efficiency air conditioning that leverages an outside air economy cycle and indoor air CO 2 monitoring. Added to this is the low- energy lighting, occupant control and daylight optimisation in conjunction with a fully automated “sun tracking” louvre blinds system, as well as the building’s high-performance double-glazed curtain wall. Other sustainable building features include but are not limited to the following: • By implementing a comprehensive Waste Management Plan from project inception to project completion, more than 70% of all demolition and construction waste was diverted from landfill through reuse/recycling; • There was in excess of 30% replacement of Portland Cement by industrial waste products for all concrete used in the project which allowed for the reduction in mining of natural resources and Green House Gas emissions associated with cement production; • At least 20% of all construction materials that were selected for the project were sourced and manufactured within a 400 km radius from the site, reducing the impact of long distance transportation emissions on the environment; • Exposure of building occupants to air pollution was minimised by using and installing low VOC paints, adhesives & sealants and flooring systems (carpets and vinyl); and • All insulation, refrigerants and gasses installed in the building have an Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of zero, thereby ensuring no further long-term damage to the ozone layer. Health & Safety Health & Safety being the TWJV’s highest priority throughout the duration of the project. With a project of this magnitude, there are very few things that can be said to justify the challenge it was to ensure the safety of all staff on the project and to ensure a safe working environment for all, all of course was made up of around 3 400 staff on site. TWJV are proud to have been awarded the following achievements over the duration of the project: • 2015 MBA Regional award (2 nd Place) (Super Category 750 m+) • 2016 MBA Regional award (1 st Place) (Super Category 750 m+) • 2016 MBA National award (2 nd Place) (Super Category 750 m+) • 2017 MBA Regional award (3 rd Place) (Super Category 750 m+) Milestones/objectives achieved on the project include: • Personal growth by numerous employees and management involved on the project • Continuous improvement by numerous contractors towards health and safety compliance and a total buy into safety principles on site. • Learning from previous incidents and incorporating measures to prevent further similar incidents from occurring. • Striving for a zero tolerance approach to any form of unsafe acts and conditions on site. • Only one prohibition notice was issued by the Department of Labour Quantifiable time, cost and quality “Quality Assurance of the Discovery Project was of the utmost importance and essential to both Tiber and WBHO. We developed the building to the best quality, as we knew that if we did not, it could have

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PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: Tiber/WBHO Construction Joint Venture • Client: Growthpoint/Zenprop JV • Contract value: R2,4-billion • Start date: November 2014 • End date: October 2017 • Main Contractor: Tiber/WBHO Joint Venture • Architect: Boogertman + Partners • Principal Agent: Morta Project Managers • Quantity Surveyor: RLB Pentad • Consulting Engineer: Sotiralis Consulting Engineers

• Weather – Mitigated

a negative impact on the life span and life cycle of the Project. More importantly, if we produced a poor quality, construction safety, services, costs, maintenance and functional requirements would be affected. We as Tiber/WBHO construction pride ourselves in delivering the best quality, as it ensures we deliver the best product for our clients, the environment and every person who interacts with it." Risk management Due to the complex nature, and size of this project various risks were present which needed to be closely monitored and managed. Major risks were identified as follows: • Subcontractor capacity – Risk mitigated by splitting trades into smaller packages • Program – Risk mitigated by closely monitoring program, and finishing areas early wherever possible

by installing temporary waterproofing to mitigate possible impact of weather related delays and damages • Escalation – Mitigated by placing orders early, and securing bulk prices up front Motivational facts about the project The team at Tiber/WBHO have gained a world of experience and knowledge in terms of construction technology and the use of new construction techniques on order to achieve the necessary goals. 

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Building Contractors

HIGHLY COMMENDED

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: WBHO Construction • Project value: R1,8-billion • Start date: September 2015 • End date: March 2018 • Main Contractor: WBHO Construction • Architect: LYT Architecture • Principal Agent: Proman Project Management • Quantity Surveyor: MLC Quantity Surveyors • Consulting Engineer: WSP

Overview This is the latest and largest property to be developed by the Sun International Group since their Grand West Casino in Cape Town in 2000. This hails the start of a new era in conferencing, entertainment and events in the heart of Menlyn, Pretoria. The four distinctive facets of this prestigious job for Sun International are: A super basement Three levels below ground level. Providing adequate parking for all three sections of the Time Square complex. Construction for the complex began with the site handover on 14 May 2015 and the commencement of excavation and lateral support soon thereafter. The first concrete foundation was cast during September 2015. A multi-level casino With 2 000 plus slot machines, 60 gaming tables, four fully catered private gaming rooms and 14 restaurants, lounges and bars of which some have never seen before in the country. A distinctive feature above the main entrance to the Casino is the Globe Bar. Included in the Casino section is an entire level designated for Sun International operations personnel offices and back-of-house facilities. The construction work by WBHO Construction commenced on site during October 2015 and the Casino was completed for trading by the end of March 2017. An 8 230 seater sun arena This has the capability to house up to 10 000 show goers in various configurations. The bottom tiered seating can be retracted out of the way to cater for this. In addition, there are four suites and 13 star dressing rooms, plus a Magic Co for the kids and Spur restaurant right at the main entrance. The Arena opened its doors for the first time in September This is the latest and largest property to be developed by the Sun International Group since their Grand West Casino in Cape Town in 2000. This hails the start of a new era in conferencing, entertainment and events in the heart of Menlyn, Pretoria. TIMES SQUARE CASINO, ARENA & HOTEL

2017 for a trial run, with the first public event occurring during November 2017.

The Maslow Hotel It consists of 17 floors with 238 bedrooms, from the standard rooms at levels 2 to 5, through to the luxury levels at levels 6 to 11 and ending with the premium rooms and some apartments all the way up to level 17. This new concept offers a mixed grade of accommodation within a single building. The most prestigious suite being the Presidential suite on level 17. For the health conscious there is a gym situated at the 11 th floor with swimming pools at levels 1 and 15. A magnificent ballroom awaits you on the 1 st floor, with various conferencing facilities available throughout. The Hotel was fully completed and received its first batch of guests during April 2018. Horology, the art or science of measuring time, was chosen as the main theme, with references to watches, clocks, sundials, cogs, gears pendulums and springs used throughout. This theme carries through from the main entrance right down to the attire worn by the croupiers, porters and other staff. The actual construction cost was approximately R1,8-billion, with an overall development cost of R4,25-billion. Challenges Initially, the Arena was to sit atop the multi - level Casino, which would have complicated matters to a large degree as the Casino would have been trading whilst construction work above would have been carrying on. The Client was able to secure another erf to the East of the Casino, and the Arena was relocated to this site. This creates an amazing outside space - the Piazza - which links all three venues together, with the Hotel towering over them all. At night, it is transformed into a vibrant, busy

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