Construction World December 2018

Consulting Engineers

SONSKYNVALLEI PHASE 2 HUMAN SETTLEMENT PROJECT

F unding from Department of Human Settlements (DoHS) was inadequate for the construction of surfaced roads with associated civil services as well as top structures for all 152 erven. Additional funding was sourced from the MIG fund to cover the shortfall from the DoHS grant. Furthermore, the bulk earthworks design was optimised to maximise the use of cut and fill embankments between the platforms that were created for each individual house. The optimised design minimised the need for retaining walls between house platforms, while still providing vehicular access to all erven. The cost saving achieved with the optimised design made the project feasible with the available funding and also utilising the in-situ materials to achieve this result. Conventional strip footings were not suitable for the residents would receive the balance of the 152 units and existing subsidy houses in Sonskynvallei would be upgraded and repaired. This project was directly linked to the Power Town informal settlement as these residents are residing on a flood line and urgently needed to be relocated. Mosselbay Municipality had numerous consultations over a period of years with both the Sonskynvallei and Power Town communities in an effort to find a new ‘home’ for the Power Town people. An agreement was reached where at least 80 qualifying beneficiaries and their dependants from Power Town would be relocated to the newly constructed 152 IRDP units in Sonskynvallei. In exchange Sonskynvallei

to purchase supplies from the local shops on the other side of this very busy road. The project also created jobs for the community with general labour opportunities but also in particular with the choice of constructing labour intensive brick paved roads. While the project is not only aesthetically pleasing, it has also created jobs for the local community. The relocation of the Power Town people had been a massive challenge for the Local Authority over many years and there was reluctance from the community to move. After the first few houses of this project had been completed, the local authority arranged a bus which took the Power Town people to Sonskynvallei to see the new houses which they would receive if they chose to move. The people were so impressed with what they saw, that their reluctance to move changed to a real desire to make the move and receive a new house. Since the layout of the existing township did not make provision for the safe passage of the major storm run-off along special servitudes through existing houses, special measures were required to manage the peak stormwater run-off. Two retention ponds were constructed which reduced peak flow to manageable limits. 

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: Royal HaskoningDHV • Client: Mossel Bay Municipality

• Main Contractors Civils: Urhwebo E-Transand • Main Contractors Top Structures: Marnol Projects • Consulting Engineer: Royal HaskoningDHV

housing units envisaged for the proposed development. The recommended foundation system for single storey masonry structures is medium rafts on dense/stiff in-situ soil on level platforms. The Sonskynvallei project has improved the living conditions, primary health care and safety of the people in general, especially during extreme weather conditions. In the case of the Power Town people in particular, they have been moved from an area which is below the 1 in 50-year flood line and they no longer need to cross the busy N2 Freeway

2 18 BEST PR O JECTS

Construction WORLD

60