Construction World August 2015

The business magazine for the construction industry

AUGUST 2015

WORLD

CR O WN

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

Combating ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS 24/7

Getting the most value from YOUR FAÇADE ENGINEER Bridge Park – GOING FOR GREEN AT CENTURY CITY Giant 131 000 m² Mall of Africa ALMOST FULLY LET

CALL FOR ENTRIES 2 15 BEST PR O JECTS

> CONTENTS

INDUSTRY HAILS PROMPT PAYMENT MEASURES MBA North on the positive impact of proposed legislation.

04

WEIGHING HEAVILY ON INDUSTRY The negative impact of underperforming projects.

06

CONCRETE EXPERTISE IMPERATIVE Concrete technology knowledge is vital for the performance of civil engineers.

08

22

COVER STORY Durban based company, Spill Tech, leads the market in oil and chemical pollution control, including the specialised field of bioremediation, backed by a Cat earthmoving fleet. Wherever there’s industrial activity, from petrochemical plants to manufacturing centres, underground services, sewage treatment works, mining and construction, Spill Tech provides a 24 hour emergency response solution to counter unexpected environmental threats.

PART OF AN ICONIC PROJECT Proud to have been involved in the Portside development.

16

16

ESTATE LIVING REACHING NEW HEIGHTS Steyn City is setting the stan- dard for ± 6 000 closed communities.

18

CENTRAL SQUARE New R1,8-billion mixed-use development is set to become a popular public space.

24

1

UMGENI INTERCHANGE WINS FULTON One of the biggest projects undertaken, wins in the over R100-million category.

26

30

CHALLENGING CAVENDISH PROJECT Geotechnical work on basement parking project in Claremont.

30

INNOVATION AT MERRIMAN SQUARE Two towers are being linked with the innovative Megatruss.

34

REGULARS Marketplace

GOING FOR GREEN AT BRIDGE PARK Century City development based on sustainable construction principles.

4

38

14

Environment

44

20 YEARS OF PRESTRESSED SLAB PRODUCTION Hollow concrete slab pioneer is celebrating its 20 th year.

44

18

Property

24

Projects and Contracts

R500-MILLION FACELIFT The Zone@Rosebank is undergoing an extensive revamp.

50

38

Project Profile

56

Equipment

MALL OF AFRICA: 90% LET Opening in April 2016, this mall is almost fully let.

52

63

Products and Services

68

50

Diary and Appointments

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015

COMMENT

>

In a world where regular load shedding has become a reality, industry and normal South African citizens have looked to renewable energy sources as a way to become independent of Eskom and its dependence on electricity generated from fossil fuel and nuclear energy.

Wind energy now accounts for about half of all renewable energy generated in South Africa: 740 MW of electricity is contributed to the grid – out of the 45 000 MW of installed power in South Africa. According to Johan van den Berg, CEO of the SA Wind Energy Association, the entire fleet of wind turbines is currently at a capacity of 70% – this is because wind does not blow consistently. If one looks at our wind energy in context, South Africa currently produces around 2,5% of what Denmark produces (wind energy). Van den Berg is the first to admit that there is huge room for improvement – especially given the optimal South African winds that are still unharvested. South Africa’s winds South Africa’s size counts in its favour as far as harvesting wind energy is concerned. A project that mapped winds has found that South Africa has very good winds by international standards. In fact, it found a 20 000 MW wind industry quite possible. According to Van den Berg, an

industry of this size equates to around 7 000 towers and turbines. As far as the wind situation goes: the mentioned study showed a U-shape – starting about 400 km north and west of Cape Town, running down to the coastline and to the edge of the former Transkei. This means that areas inland – such as the central Karoo, are also good wind areas. Advantages of wind energy Apart from the fact that it is renewable, the biggest advantage is the relatively short up-time of wind power when compared to fossil and nuclear power generation. Van den Berg says that a wind farm can reach the bidding process within four years. He indicates that this has already taken place and various wind farms are at the execution stage. From bidding, the next phase, according to Van den Berg is ‘financial closure’ during which construction begins. Depending on the size of the wind farm, construction can take between 12 and

14 months (for a small wind farm), while larger farms take longer. In South Africa, by international standards, extremely large wind farms are being built – up to 60 large turbines (130 MWand 140 MW). Even though the construction of such farms may take up to 18 months, it is still much faster than conventional power plants that may take up to 15 years to complete.

2

Wilhelm du Plessis Editor @ConstWorldSA

EDITOR Wilhelm du Plessis constr@crown.co.za ADVERTISING MANAGER Erna Oosthuizen ernao@crown.co.za LAYOUT & DESIGN Lesley Testa 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: (First Quarter ’15) 4 698

PRINTED BY Tandym Cape

www.constructionworldmagazine.co.za

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

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015

3

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015

> MARKETPLACE

INDUSTRY HAILS PROMPT PAYMENT MEASURES

Hennie Bester, MD of Gauteng Piling, says many subcontractors come from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, and their new businesses rely on prompt payment for survival.

Charl Venter, president of MBA North, says the new Security of Payment regulations would be a lifeline for a struggling building sector.

Master Builders Association North has enthusiastically described the Department of Public Works' draft Prompt Payment regulations as a ‘lifeline for survival’, and has urged all players in the construction industry to immediately register their strong support for the proposed amendment to current legislation.

"The fact that the proposed legislation covers both private sector and public sector clients is to be welcomed. If the legislation is promulgated, it will lead to a huge improve- ment in the financial wellbeing of all stake- holders’ in the construction Industry and also counter unemployment. Employees in the industry are often retrenched or find themselves without a job when a business fails as a result of late or non-payment," Duncan stated. Hennie Bester, another past president of MBA North and MD of Gauteng Piling, which has acted as subcontractor on several multi-million rand projects, said: "For subcontractors, the biggest obstacle in successfully doing business has been delay in payments. Many subcontractors are relatively small companies, some from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, and such businesses simply cannot survive with the pressure late payments have put on their profitability. Gauteng Piling is, therefore, extremely happy about the new proposed regulations." Nico Maas, MBA North and Master Builders SA past president, who has been a campfighter for the new regulations for many years, has urged all involved in the construc- tion industry to voice their unequivocal support for the new regulations. "It must be remembered that the new law is, at this stage, still a proposed measure, and building industry members must also bear in mind that there are parties likely to oppose the new regulations. It is therefore imperative that the building industry shout its support from the rooftops for a legal amendment that could save thousands of jobs," Maas urged. Wesley Soutter, commercial & legal director of MBA North, said bodies such as the Construction Adjudication Association of SA would have to play major role to ensure that the ‘rapid’ mandatory statutory adju- dication outlined in the draft legal amend- ments is complied with. "It is unfortunate that the new proposed legislation at this stage does not extend to house-building but it is undoubtedly a stepping stone towards economic stability in the construction industry," he stated.

Industry comments Charl Venter, current president of MBA North and director of the Pretoria contracting firm, J.C. Van der Linde & Venter Projects, commented: "The proposed new legislation is a lifeline for survival, something MBA North has been seeking for almost 16 years. If legislated, the new rulings will have a huge impact on the construction industry in which it has almost become the norm for a contractor to finance projects in the public as well as private sector. "Hopefully, the new legislation will ensure that local, provincial and national government, as well as private developers' finances are in place before any construction work is started. Cash flow is the most impor- tant factor in any business. Without cash flow no company can exist – and in the struggling construction sector the situation is critical. Due to poor market conditions and very low profit margins since 2007, most contractors do not have any retained earnings and there- fore little or no cash flow," Venter added. Neil Duncan, past president of MBA North and chief financial officer of flooring company, Kevin Bates Albert Carpets, agreed: "Many good companies have been forced out of business as a result of late or non-pay- ment. When a project fails, it is generally the main contractors and sub-contractors that bear the brunt of the failure because developers’ or clients have failed to secure adequate funding before starting a project. Government projects are renowned for late payment which places emerging businesses – who do not have sufficient working capital – under severe pressure.

Interested parties had until 28 July this year to comment on the amendment to the Construc- tion Industry Development Board (CIDB) Act 2000, published in the Govern- ment Gazette on 29 May, 2015. The CIDB Prompt Payment Regulations and Adjudication Standard, contained in the draft amendment, proposes changes that would enable a ‘fair and speedy’ resolution of payment disputes and provide contrac- tors with unprecedented legal recourse to demand timely payment for completed work. A CIDB survey found that 43% of payments to contractors were made more than 30 days after invoicing. What it entails The new proposed Security of Payment regulations prohibit the policy of ‘pay-when- paid’ and withholding of payment, and allow for the fair suspension of construction activities owing to non-payment. It also enti- tles a contractor to charge interest on late payments, and insist on regular payments within a defined time frame, or strictly within 30 days of being invoiced. The proposed changes also incorporate a mandatory statutory form of adjudica- tion – a ‘fair, rapid and inexpensive’ mech- anism. In essence, parties would under the new legislation be compelled to resolve >

4

disputes through adjudication within 28 days, extended by 14 days only in prescribed circumstances.

Similar Security for Payment regulations are applicable in the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand Australia and Malaysia.

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015

5

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015

> MARKETPLACE

WEIGHING HEAVILY ON INDUSTRY

Over half of construction project owners experienced one or more underperforming projects in the previous year, despite confidence in project planning and controls, according to KPMG’s 2015 Global Construction Project Owner’s Survey: Climbing the Curve . Further, project owners said only 31% of their projects came within 10% of budget, and just 25%within 10% of original deadlines, in the past three years. project controls and risk management have been significant, yet there is further work to be done to reduce the number of project failures, and bring more projects in on-time and on-budget. The industry globally has not yet reached a stage of maturity where there is sufficient predictability of project outcomes and the African major projects industry is clearly no different” Greater emphasis on planning and prioritising While rates of underperforming projects are troublesome, KPMG’s survey shows that owners of major capital projects are implementing more mature planning and approval processes, with 84% reporting that their company screens projects using both financial and risk analysis, and 74% of firms requiring formal project delivery and contract strategy analysis, prior to authorisation. Project owners surveyed also expressed confidence in their approach to risk, controls and governance. Sixty-four percent say their management controls are either ‘optimised’ or ‘monitored,’ and almost three-quarters feel comfortable with the accuracy and timeliness of project level reports. More than half also indicate that they are either ‘satisfied’ or ‘mostly satisfied’ with the return on investment in project management tools and training. “Over the past decade, owners have introduced software to improve project controls, with some positive results,” says Shaw. “But at the same time, our research found only half of companies have project management > “As engineering and construction projects get bigger, the complexity grows significantly,” says Jeff Shaw, director, infrastructure and major projects at KPMG.“The improvements by owners in planning,

information systems that raise the quality of decision-making in each phase of the project life cycle – which suggests that there is considerable room for improvement. Lack of robust interfacing between corporate information systems and project management information systems leaves management without the tools to gain full transparency into project status” “And, it’s not just the quality of the controls,” adds Shaw, “you also need to develop the skills of those managing the projects and using the various tools. Across the board, there is a critical need for more skilled talent.” This sentiment is reflected in the survey, with 44% acknowledging a struggle to attract qualified craft labour and 45% citing a lack of planners and project managers. Consequently, the majority – 69% – say their firms hire external resources equivalent to more than five percent of their total project workforce. The shortage of skills in Africa is particularly acute and must be a cause for concern once the market improves. Project owners need to invest in talent management in all project disciples in order to identify, train and retain skills. Push for greater contractor collaboration KPMG’s survey also puts the owner/contractor relationship under the spotlight, revealing a global thirst for closer working ties, with 82% of respondents expecting to see greater collaboration with contractors in the next five years. However, there still appears to be a ‘trust gap,’ with only about a third claiming to have a ‘high level of trust’ in their contractors. Indeed, 69% identify poor contractor performance as the biggest reason for project underperformance. Again the Africanmarket shows similar trends but it would seem that the lack of trust between contractors and public sector owners is of particular concern in our market. Global research into major projects shows that one of the most critical indicators of project success is the quality of leadership in both the contractor and owners teams and integrated teams working towards a common vision of project success is critical. “Project owners should continue to invest in relationships with contrac- tors to raise mutual trust and discuss problems or shortcomings,” says Shaw. Consideration needs to be given to more collaborative forms of contract and the development of mature team members who are able to operate in mixed teams while maintain a focus on long term outcomes. “Improving collaboration, along with continued investment in project management tools and processes together with a focus of talent manage- ment should help pave the way to greater project success.”

6

ZAMBIAN WATER AND SANITATION PROJECT UWP Consulting of South Africa has been appointed as the construction supervising engineer for the Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation and Drainage (LWSSD) project.

submitted the best technical and financial proposal”, he said. “We have high expectations of the quality outputs from UWP Consulting, which will play a critical role in ensuring co-ordination and collab- oration among the different players working on this project.” UWP’s contract will be led by ChristoDudenski, director and head of UWP’s Water Division, as project director, with technical director Tom Rule as project manager. Other key staff will include eight resident engineers, a water supply engineer, a treatment works engineer, a health and safety manager, an environmental manager and a social and gender manager. UWP will have up to 30 full time staff, including technical and administrative support staff, on site over various periods. UWP SA is the lead consultant providing most of the key staff, but will be supported by Allione Consulting of Zambia and Metaferia Consulting of Ethiopia, which will assist and provide some of the key and support staff. Signing the contract are (seated from left): Christo Dudenski, UWP Consulting proj- ect director and Pamela Bwalya, CEO of MCA-Zambia.

The contract was signed recently by UWP SA and the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Zambia, a local entity formed by the Zambian Government to manage the project. It is expected to positively impact more than a million Lusaka residents with better access to reliable water supply, sanitation and drainage. UWP tendered against some of the largest companies in the world for this project, which was made possible by a USD355-million grant to Zambia by the US donor funding agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The project includes eight separate water supply, sanitation and drainage developments in and around Lusaka, with a total construction value of approximately USD250-million. Work started on 8 July 2015 and completion is sched- uled for the end of 2018. The contractual value of UWP’s services is around USD9,7-million, making this one of the largest single awards to the firm. >

The scope of the construction supervision contract awarded to UWP involves oversight of the contractor’s activities, including verifying that the work is executed according to the plans and specifications, project schedule and budget, and providing support to MCA-Zambia in managing and implementing the project. MCA-Zambia board member Luke Mbewe is confident that UWP has the experience and expertise to ensure the project is delivered within the stipulated time frame and budget and to the required standard. “UWP was selected through a highly compet- itive and rigorous procurement process and

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015

7

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015

> MARKETPLACE

CONCRETE EXPERTISE imperative An in-depth knowledge of concrete technology The target audience for the course includes qualified and experienced civil engineers, cement chemists, the full spectrum of cement and concrete industries, as well as the

leadership positions in South Africa, " Theo- dosiou states. "Concrete is one of the most widely used materials in infrastructural construction all around the world. Yet many civil engineers – regardless of their professional field of prac- tice and past general experience – still do not have sufficient state-of-the art knowledge to take full advantage of the many benefits of concrete as a building material – and also understand its limitations. "It has, with some justification, been said that civil engineers 'build the world'. Certainly, when in a decision-making consulting capacity, civil engineers carry tremendous responsibility for the design and construction of multi-million rand dams, bridges, buildings, canals, roads, and pipelines to name just a few type of projects. Failure of some of these structures would not only be costly but also disastrous to neigh- bouring communities. A key factor to prevent such devastating failures is knowledge of concrete technology, and how to build durable, safe concrete structures. "Consulting engineers should, for example, know that the serviceability and performance of concrete depend not only on its strength but also on its durability. They should understand the limitations of concrete with respect to durability issues. Generally, the present day civil engineer should be fully familiar with concrete science. The Advanced Concrete Technology course helps to provide this essential knowledge," Theodosiou adds. The ACT course covers about 75 topics, including essential training for civil engineers in subjects like principles of reinforced and pre-stressed concrete, assessment of concrete construction, special processes and technology for particular types of structures, repairing concrete, Quality Control, and standards, specifications and Codes of Practice.

> tute of Concrete Technology. The ICT is a professional affiliate body of the UK Engineering Council and promotes concrete technology as a recognised engineering discipline. The School of Concrete Technology in Midrand – the only training institution in Africa sanctioned to present the respected ACT course – offers ACT training every two years and over the past 24 years, 77 students have passed the demanding course and received ACT diplomas. "In many instances, the ACT Diploma has been a major career stepping stone for past students who now occupy important academic and industrial is important for civil engineers to perform key construction projects adequately and responsibly, says Gary Theodosiou, lecturer at The Concrete Institute's School of Concrete Technology which will be presenting another Advanced Concrete Technology (ACT) course from January 2016. The ACT course, which is globally accepted as the leading qualifi- cation in concrete technology, is examined by the UK-based Insti-

mining sector. Delegates who pass a specific research thesis and successfully complete two three-hour examinations will receive the ACT diploma and qualify for corporate membership of the ICT. Recommended entrance requirements is an appropriate qualification in civil engi- neering or any other appropriate branch of science and technology. Successful comple- tion of the School of Concrete Technology's SCT 41 and 42 Concrete Technology and Construction correspondence courses, aimed at improving concrete technology knowledge of civil engineering technicians or engineers, and other appropriate qualifications could also facilitate admission to the course. For more information about the ACT course, contact Course Administrator, Rennisha Sewnarain via email: rennishas@theconcreteinstitute.org.za

8

Gary Theodosiou, lecturer at The School of Concrete Technology.

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015 I

MARKETPLACE

Congratulating the school on this milestone, MacLean said,“Lafarge South Africa believes in being a responsible classrooms – I can’t begin to tell you how it has changed their lives, as well as the lives of the teachers.” A key strength of Lafarge South Africa is its ability to address a challenging project holisti- cally and offer an innovative, integrated solution that meets the needs of the situation. In the case of the Busy Bee Primary School, the clear need was to provide four well-built classrooms as soon as possible, before the children were exposed to another Highveld winter. As a leading player in the plasterboard ceilings and partition market, the Lafarge Gypsum business unit was able to take the lead in this project and provide a rapid high quality solution. This approach was also in line with the CLASSROOMS FOR 20 TH ANNIVERSARY On 12 June 2015, Lafarge South Africa’s Country CEO, Ken MacLean, handed-over four new classrooms to the Busy Bee Primary School near Kaal fontein, Gauteng, on the occasion of the school’s 20 th anniversary. >

Government’s strategy of promoting Advanced Building Technology (ABT) construction in all of its social infrastructure projects. A design for a new school block comprising four classrooms, each of approximately 65 m², was drawn up. Inclusive of a good outside covered walkway, the total area was 316 m². The Lafarge Readymix teamprovided over 26m³ of concrete as a sound screed and foundation for the floor. Lafarge Gypsum supplied 1 365 m of Lightweight Steel Frame for the wall frames and roof trusses, together with all insulation and cladding. All fitting systems and materials such as roof sheeting, gutters and downpipes, were also supplied or sourced by Lafarge Gypsum.

and supportive neighbour to the communities close to its operating sites. Nothing is more important in our endeavours to contribute to the sustainable development of local commu- nities than helping the children receive a proper education. We are pleased to havemade a signif- icant contribution to improving the wellbeing of these children.” Caring for over a hundred children in dilap- idated and unsafe buildings, the small farm school was providing a remarkable service for the surrounding community. Director of the Busy Bee Primary School, Gloria Padi, commented, “When we asked for a cement donation, we had no idea that it would solicit such a wonderful response. Thanks to Lafarge South Africa, our children have beautiful, warm

From left: Acting general manager of Lafarge Cement – Tshepiso Dumasi; director of Busy Bee Primary School – Gloria Padi; DDG of Education – Edward Mosuwe and the principal of Busy Bee Primary School – Elvis Ncube.

> MARKETPLACE VITAL COLLABORATION

The opportunity exists for closer collaboration between municipalities and the body regulating the engineering profession in order to ensure that the constitutional right to service delivery of every South African is met. This has stemmed from the challenges faced by municipalities in ensuring a seamless flow of service delivery and an ongoing focus on quality infrastructure development.

competency against the prescribed stand- ards for the different categories. In addition to this ECSA has a role to ensure that the code of conduct is adhered to by all registered engineering practitioners in their engineering activities. This was welcomed by the stake- holders, who indicated the need for closer collaboration in ensuring the standards set by ECSA are the same that are insisted on in service delivery roll-out, across all local government structures. Solutions to challenges In outlining the solutions to some of these challenges, ECSA recommended the profes- sionalisation of systems at municipal level, which would ensure that professionals are empowered to do their jobs through an appreciation by administrators, of the nature and value of engineering. ECSA stressed the need for consideration to be given to creating a central tender awarding system at a national level which must then be supported by professional assessment and consultation. There are also challenges at an oper- ational level for engineers working within local government, and we would recommend greater delegation of tasks, as technical staff is not given the authority to make importance decisions – with decision-making being an integral part of the engineering process. Engi- neers working in local government are often not in a position to sign off their projects and make decisions. “The need to return authority to line management cannot be over-empha- sised,” said John Cato of ECSA. The meeting adjourned with an agree- ment from all stakeholders that there is a need for a regular predicted interaction, working on specific milestones and delivera- bles per region.

This was outlined during the panel discussion around municipal service delivery challenges, with the panel comprising executive

to meet the growing demands of the commu- nities we serve,” Baloyi added. Speaking specifically about the Ekurhu- leni Municipality, Gungubele said that their ability to provide quality service has been impaired by poor standards of work. “It costs our municipality more to fix engineering work that has not been executed profession- ally in the first place. In Ekurhuleni, the focus is on how we can make the entire value chain of service delivery simpler, better and faster,” he added. Ekurhuleni, through the construc- tion of the O.R Tambo Cultural Precinct, has demonstrated that there is local engineering expertise that can offer specialised services to its community, such as a solar farm producing 200 KW of energy; and efficient technologies such as rain water harvesting and waste water management. “This facility generates its own resources and recycles the waste as well,” added Gungubele. In responding to the challenges outlined by the local government and municipal stakeholders, ECSA emphasised its role as the regulator of the profession, which includes setting standards; the registration of persons who meet educational requirements in candi- date categories; and registration of persons in professional categories who demonstrate

>

mayor of Ekurhuleni, Mondli Gungubele; executive mayor of Midvaal, Bongani Baloyi in his capacity as SALGA’s chairperson munic- ipal trading services; deputy public protector, advocate Kevin Malunga, and Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) executive education standards and policies, John Cato. Speaking on behalf of the people, advocate Malunga indicated that the bulk of queries coming to the office of the Public Protector in the last financial year have been targeted at municipalities. Out of the complainants received, the highest number was against municipalities, with the top five complaints being: (i) poor service delivery, (ii) land and housing, (iii) billings & service delivery, (iv) tender process irregularities and (v) housing delivery gone wrong. “The number of requests we have received speaks to the public’s frustration With a mandate which speaks to ensuring a democratic and accountable local govern- ment for communities, SALGA has a vital role to play in ensuring that the lost faith is restored. In outlining some of the challenges experienced by local government in its 15 year trajectory, Baloyi indicated that in some instances, unregistered engineers had delivered unacceptable work, resulting in a municipalities being unable to provide some critical services to its constituents. “Our primary objective is to ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner, with our residents as the primary focus of our work,” said Baloyi. The first 15 years of local government’s existence has seen some significant successes, although there is room for improvement. “We have seen great achievements in the last 15 years, but we still need to do more work. It may appear as if we have not met all of our targets. However, as you can imagine, the population has grown, and this has meant that we need to keep improving our delivery in the ability of the state to provide public services to its residents,” said advocate Malunga. SALGA’s vital role

10

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015

11

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015

Construction WORLD

2 15 BEST PR O JECTS

CALL FOR ENTRIES

A2

Building Contractors

Prerequisites for entries • Only South African construction and civil projects. • Projects are eligible during the execution of the project and up to 12 months after completion. • Projects must be 50% complete at time of entry. Criteria for category A2 • Construction innovation technology • Corporate social investment • Design innovation • Environmental impact consideration • Health and safety • Quantifiable time, cost and quality • Risk management

First held in 2002, Construction World ’ s Best Projects showcases excellence in the South African building, civil engineering and project management sectors. The aim of Construction World’s Best Projects is to recognise projects across the entire construction industry: from civil and building projects to professional services to specialist suppliers and contracts.

A3

Civil Engineering and Building Contractors (outside South Africa)

12 12

Prerequisites for entries • Projects outside South Africa, executed by a South African contractor. • Projects are eligible during the execution of the project and up to 12 months after completion. • Projects must be 50% complete at time of entry. Criteria for category A3 ( As per category A1 and A2)

A1

Civil Engineering Contractors

Prerequisites for entries • Only South African construction and civil projects. • Projects are eligible during the execution of the project and up to 12 months after completion. • Projects must be 50% complete at time of entry.

B

Specialist Contractors or Suppliers

Criteria for category A1 • Construction innovation technology • Corporate social investment • Design innovation • Environmental impact consideration • Health and safety • Quantifiable time, cost and quality • Risk management

Prerequisites for entries • Only South African construction and civil projects. • Projects are eligible during the execution of the project and up to 12 months after completion. • Projects must be 50% complete at time of entry.

Criteria for category B • Construction technology innovation • Corporate social investment • Environmental impact consideration • Health and safety

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015 Special issue The December issue of Construction World is dedicated to the various winners and entries and is thus an overview of activity in the built environment during the past year.

Awards evening The awards evening, in the form of a cocktail function, will be held on Wednesday, 4 November 2015 at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, Johannesburg.

E

The AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction Description of category: Working with the community on a project that has socio-economic impact. Prerequisites for entries • Only South African construction and civil projects • Projects are eligible during the execution of the project and up to 12 months after completion.

C

Professional Services*

Public Private Partnerships Prerequisites for entries • Only South African construction and civil projects • Projects are eligible during the execution of the project and up to 12 months after completion. • Projects must be 50% complete at time of entry. Criteria for category D • Construction innovation technology • Corporate social investment • Design • Environmental impact consideration • Health and safety • Quantifiable time cost and quality • Risk management • Motivating facts about the project Prerequisites for entries • Only South African construction and civil projects. • Projects are eligible during the execution of the project and up to 12 months after completion. • Projects must be 50% complete at time of entry. Criteria for category C • Construction innovation technology • Corporate social investment • Design • Environmental impact consideration • Health and safety • Quantifiable time cost and quality • Risk management Submitting entries • Each entry must be accompanied by the completed entry form; available on www.constructionworldmagazine.co.za or by requesting it from constr@crown.co.za. • The maximum length for submissions is 2 000 words • Each submission must clearly state which category is entered for* • IMPORTANT It is to the entrants’ own advantage to address ALL the criteria as set out in the category being entered. • The written submission must be accompanied by up to six D *An award for both consulting engineering AND architects will be made. high resolution photographs with applicable captions. • The submission must also contain a summary list of important project information such as client, main contractor etc. – i.e. the professional team involved in the project. • Electronic submissions are acceptable – entrants do not need to produce hard copies of entries. * Construction World retains the right to move entries into a more appropriate category.

• Projects must be 50% complete at time of entry. This category will be judged on the project’s (i) change and transferability (ii) ethical standards and social equity (iii) ecological quality and energy conservation (iv) economic performance and compatibility (v) contextual and aesthetic impact

Criteria for category E • Construction innovation technology • Corporate social investment • Design • Environmental impact consideration • Health and safety • Quantifiable time cost and quality • Risk management • Motivating facts about the project

13

Judging A panel of independent judges from the construction industry has been appointed. They are Trueman Goba, chairman of Hatch Goba; Naude Klopper, former president of Building Indus- tries Federation of SA; and Rob Newberry, managing director of Newberry Development (past president of the Chartered Institute of Building). Each criterion as set out for the various categories will be scored out of 10. (10 being the highest score and one being the lowest). It is VERY important that entries address the criteria for the particular category it is entering. Not every crite- rion may be applicable to the contract and obviously need not be addressed. In each category and Overall Winner Award and one or two Highly Commended Award(s) will be made. A ‘Special Mention’ award may be given. Deadlines Deadline for entries is Friday, 11 September 2015 at 17:00. Contact For further information contact the editor, Wilhelm du Plessis on 011-622-4770 or constr@crown.co.za

Main sponsor:

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015

ENVIRONMENT

Creating emotionally intelligent spaces: Hassell ‘Intelligent buildings’ is a term that means different things to different people. While a building needs to be technically intelligent, it also needs to be emotionally intelligent. “An emotionally intelligent building understands people’s motiva- tions and feelings. Instead of looking at technology first, rather focus on the way people work and interact in these spaces. In that way, people lead the design of the building, rather than technology leading the people. Engineers, designers and consultants need to find out what the future occupants want from a building, how they want to work and interact in this space and design the building and the technology around the occupants’ needs,” explains Hassell’s Coster. Intelligent buildings are becoming simpler. While the technology, innovation and engineering in the building structure might be very complex, the user experience needs to become easier. “The best buildings get out of the way and let people connect and complete their tasks at the speed at which they want to complete tasks. Technology should not create barriers to doing business. What people want is a building that lets them operate at the real speed of business. Any technology and engineering that can help people do this is an intelligent building,” says Coster. People are not necessarily caught up in the technology of a building, they just want to be able to achieve their desired outcome. “If a person wants to be able to control the temperature in their environment, they don’t mind if this is achieved by pushing a window handle or by using technology. Sometimes the most low tech solutions are the most natural and effective for people. The common theme for successful intelligent solutions is simplicity,” he says. Intelligent buildings are usually associated with new buildings, but heritage buildings can also be intelligent. Heritage buildings and the reuse of existing structures can be a powerful feature of organisations, particularly in terms of cultural alignment. “One of the primary goals of leadership within an organisation relates to culture and a building can help companies align their physical company, Telstra, about intelligent building design. Aurecon, Hassel and Telstra have partnered with each other in various capacities for projects and have come to develop deep insights of how intelligent buildings can change the lives of the people who occupy them. Leaders discuss INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS Peter Greaves, expertise leader, Aurecon, recently interviewed Steve Coster from multidisciplinary design practice Hassell and Ben Crosby from Australia’s largest telecommunications and media

Peter Greaves, expertise leader, Aurecon.

environments with their corporate cultures. An intelligent building is deliberate and conscious in the way that it motivates people. A heritage building is often authentic and it shows the history of a company. If people don’t like the space that you are offering to them for work, then they will go and work somewhere else,” asserts Coster. When asked about how intelligent buildings should cater for millennials as the work force ages, he explains that buildings shouldn’t be designed for different generations. “Intelligent buildings need to be designed for how different individuals choose to work. Whether the building occupants are Gen Y, Gen Z or baby boomers, the environment you provide needs to work for the individuals while simultaneously connecting them to each other for their common goal.” Future trends of intelligent buildings: Telstra A building is not intelligent if it is full of technologies that don’t commu- nicate with one another. A building is intelligent when it’s aware of its inhabitants, aware of their needs and is able to adapt to these needs. “If a person is able to walk into a meeting room and the meeting starts automatically, or if a building recognises that there are certain patterns in how people use different spaces and automatically adapts the lighting and air conditioning to those patterns, then it is an example of an intelligent building. Technology needs to blend into the back- ground of a building in such a subtle way that people aren’t even aware of the technology around them,” says Crosby. Artificial intelligence continues to evolve and companies continue to invest in big data as well as machine learning and analytics, with the hope that this will lead to artificial intelligence. “As an industry, we need to put more thought into how the artificial intelligence will operate, how it’s going to be controlled and how it will evolve. We need to figure out how we are going to respond to artificial intelligence from a legal perspective, policy perspective and from a human perspective,” he says. Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace and the way people work will continue to evolve over the next 20 years, which will lead the evolution of intelligent buildings. “I predict that there will be more remote workers and building systems and technology will need to offer more mobile connectivity in order to accommodate wherever a person chooses to work from. People need to have the same connectivity and experience whether they are working from home, a café, a client site or from the office, so they still need to be connected to instant messaging, video confer- encing and all the communication facilities that would be available to them from the office,” comments Crosby. “The trend will shift to fewer large meeting rooms and more social spaces as the younger generation enters the workforce. Millennials place a greater emphasis on work-life balance and people will become more fluid in their decisions regarding which teams they want to participate in, so intelligent buildings will need to accommodate this,” says Crosby.

14

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015 CONSTRUCTION ORLD AUGUST 2015

ENVIRONMENT

STORAGESPACE

Meeting the need for

Pretoria building contractors, J.C. van der Linde & Venter Building Projects' ongoing need to rent storage containers on its building sites led to the company's decision to establish Container Agents, one of South Africa's fastest-growing container rental and sale companies. >

spaza shops, guard houses, laboratories (with special chemical-resistant floors), classrooms, sheds some with floors, and even mobile bachelor studios, also with floors. Willie Mouton, GM of Container Agents, says a potential major growth area is for the provision of containers converted into top-end sanitary facilities, including toilets, showers and wash basins. "This will enable the renter to add men and women's toilets to the container storage space and container offices he or she already hires from us. It is now compulsory to provide separate male and female ablution blocks on building sites so the demand from contractors for containers with ablution facilities is increasing all the time. For customers who prefer the normal chemical toilets for workers on site, Container Agents offer these through a joint venture with Coastal Tool Hire," Mouton stated. Container Agents has a fleet of four crane trucks to deliver both rented and sold containers. The company also owns a special container-handling forklift to assist customers at the company's yard in Donkerhoek, Pretoria. The company can also supply containers to other African countries and arrange trans- port from the nearest harbour to selected building sites.

Based at the N4 Gateway Industrial Park, east of Pretoria, Container Agents – which will next year celebrate its 10th anniversary – is a member of Master Builders Association North, with its director, Charl Venter, the current president of MBA North. José Frazao, MD of Container Agents, says the company has come a long way since it was founded in 2006. "The company's growth was given major impetus during SA's staging of the FIFA 2010 World Cup for which we supplied storage containers for all the new northern stadia building sites. We currently have a stock of over 1 100 pre-used shipping containers, in an unusually diverse range of sizes. Our units are 3 m, 6 m, and 12 m long, and 2,4 m wide and 2,4 m high.

But we also stock the relatively rare 'high cube containers' – which are 2,8 m tall – for rental or sale," he stated. Container Agents focuses on rental busi- ness in an area of within 350 km of Pretoria with about 80% of its customers active in the construction industry. "The containers are generally used for storage of building materials on site or for standard or execu- tive offices, for which we can do a standard conversion, but could also convert according to customers' requirements, with fittings such as specific air vents or air-conditioning, windows and doors, partitions, ablutions (some with showers), and even corporate colours and logos added if required." Container Agents' conversion of containers also produce 'structures' such as

15

Container Agents has a special container handling forklift truck, pictured here moving a massive 12 m unit. INSET: Containers are vital site storage components for the South African building industry.

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015

ENVIRONMENT

ICONIC PROJECT

Part of

The building sets a South African benchmark in sustaina- bility and collaboration as the first AAA grade commercial WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is proud to have been involved in Cape Town’s iconic Portside building, which received a merit award at the SAPOA Innovative Excellence in Property Development Awards this year. >

ment. Therefore, the structural engineering expertise required on this project was of the highest calibre as far as high rise commercial building projects are concerned,” says De Jager. The design team was involved in providing the preliminary and detailed civil and structural design for the Portside devel- opment and all the structural and civil tender and construction documentation. WSP Africa also provided full time construction moni- toring for the project. “Overall, the complex nature of the project presented several major challenges,” notes Sebastian Dockter, WSP Africa regional director in structures. “The sheer size and height of the Portside building, for instance, constituted a challenge simply because not many buildings of this size have been built in South Africa, and especially not in Cape Town. As such and to ensure the highest quality design, we sought advice from our New York office with the aim of capitalising on their expertise in high-rise buildings. “The origin of the majority of challenges experienced on this project was its extremely fast-paced nature; from conceptual design to construction completion,” adds De Jager. “However, constant collaboration within a driven and dedicated project team ensured that any challenges were addressed in a professional and timely manner.” Sustainability De Jager further indicates that all parties of the professional team were committed to a responsible and sustainable development. “Although this originated with the clients’ decision to pursue GBCSA accreditation, as being beneficial to both the environment and their investment, this commitment filtered through all disciplines and stakeholders and constant cognisance was given to the various GBCSA requirements that needed to be taken, right from the project’s inception.” “We are tremendously honoured to have been part of the team that delivered such a remarkable new addition to Cape Town’s skyline. The structural design was delivered in time and

office development and tall building in South Africa to achieve a 5 Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) – and is currently also being assessed for a 5 Star Green Star as-built rating. Portside is a joint venture (JV) devel- opment between FirstRand Bank and Old Mutual. Situated in Cape Town’s central busi- ness district and emerging regional economic hub and financial district, the JV called for the creation of an office development that would serve as the regional headquarters of FirstRand Bank’s three divisions as well as rentable office space. According to Charl de Jager, one of WSP’s structural engineers on the project: “With an investment value of R1,6-billion, the client placed significant priority on meeting the deadline for completion of this project for occupancy. Construction therefore commenced in August of 2011 and an extremely fast-tracked construc- tion programme was implemented to keep everything on track, which enabled us to deliver on the majority of the project within 34 months.” No sacrifice on quality Despite the tight construction deadline, however, there was no sacrifice on quality. “As the first tall building constructed in Cape Town in the past 20 years, Portside towers at 139 m tall. It’s successful comple- tion was underpinned by a commitment to responsible and sustainable develop-

16

aligned with the client’s brief and architectural intent, while being built to an acceptable degree of quality and accuracy. The success of the Portside development was the product of extensive professional collab- oration with all stakeholders, patience, long hours of hard work and constant commitment – certainly a project to be proud of,” concludes De Jager.

Photographs by Raphael Helman

CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015 CONSTRUCTION ORLD AUGUST 2015