Modern Quarrying July-August 2016

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Top prize for architectural student
Vedhant Maharaj from the University of the Witwatersrand
recently won first prize at the Corobrik Architectural Awards,
which took place in Johannesburg recently. For nearly three
decades, this prestigious award has been presented to a tal-
ented young graduate who is on the brink of making a name
for themself in the competitive architectural profession.
Maharaj’s winning disser tation, entitled Yantra,
Infrastructure of the Sacred and Profane, exhibited critical ele-
ments selected by the judges – innovation and technical excel-
lence expressed with a keen understanding of the combined
social, economic and environmental context that is changing
the approach to the built environment today.
Maharaj’s dissertation is a water purification infrastructure
for the hazardously-polluted River Ganges in India.
New national CSSA president
Hanlie Turner has been inaugurated as the Concrete Society’s national president for
2016/2017. She is a technical information specialist with cement company PPC and
has been a member of the Concrete Society for many years, holding several voluntary
positions in the organisation including chairperson of the inland branch, and more
recently as national VP.
Past president Tseli Maliehe of Ibhayi Contracting in Port Elizabeth says he is confi-
dent that the Society is being placed in good hands under Turner’s leadership, guidance
and enthusiasm for all things concrete.
Oil price uptick
not enough
The oil price has increased to its high-
est since the last six months recently,
after sinking below US$30/barrel in
February. Many analysts are express-
ing relief, saying that the uptrend is
likely to continue.
Jenny Erskine, partner in oil and
gas at Deloitte in the Western Cape,
says that the slight uptick in the
oil price is not enough to provide
security for players in the industry.
“Since the oil price’s downward spi-
ral, upstream oil and gas companies
have roughly faced a 70% drop in rev-
enues. Companies operating in this
sector should not get ahead of them-
selves by focusing on the short term.
There is still a lot of water that needs
to flow under the bridge before oil
will deliver the same returns to com-
panies operating in this sector as in
2014, when the price peaked about
± $105/barrel,” she adds.
AROUND THE INDUSTRY
Vedhant Maharaj is the winner of the 2015 Architectural Student of the Year awards.
New Concrete Society president Hanlie Turner
pictured with outgoing president Tseli Maliehe.