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BEST
PR
O
JECTS
43
DECEMBER • 2016
The Stefanutti Stocks Axsys Joint Venture (SSA JV) was
awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of berths 1-4, 13 and
14 in April 2014, a total of 6 out of 15 berths at Maydon Wharf,
the Port of Durban’s largest break bulk, edible oils and dry bulk
handling precinct.
Maydon Wharf was developed for the then expansion of the
Durban harbour, in particular to meet the needs of the growing
Witwatersrand. The berths were built of timber, with berths 1-4 and
13 and 14 later rebuilt using steel sheet piles in the 1950s.
As the largest and busiest shipping terminal in Southern Africa,
the aged berthing structures require far greater capacity than the
original 20 000 DWT vessels it was originally designed for to meet
current and future demands.
The reconstruction of Maydon Wharf consists of demolishing
the existing quay structure, the removal of old timber piles,
installing a new steel combination wall with concrete cope beam
and back of quay layer works. Included in the scope of works is the
deepening of the seabed by some 4 m to achieve a draft of
14,5 m CD, with the placement of scour rock adjacent to the quay
wall, preventing washout by the propellers of the vessels.
The design of a water tight shutter system for the cope beam
construction was complex and required rigorous analysis. Initially,
a detailed concept of a coffer dam was developed. The coffer dam
concept was however discarded due to handling issues that will
be caused by the overall weight of the structure (approximately 30
tons) and the large windage
area provided by the plating.
The effects of wind in the
marine environment require
thorough consideration in
ensuring the safety of our
teams and for safe handling
of loads.
Another innovative
feat was the construction
of cope beam. A sound
solution came in the design
of a hanging shutter.
Project information
• Company entering: Stefanutti Stocks
Marine
• Name of client: Transnet
• Start date: April 2014
• End date: February 2017
• Main contractor: Stefanutti Stocks
Axsys Joint Venture
• Principal agent: Transnet Group
Capital
• Consulting engineer: RCE Consultants
• Project value: R760 817 570
(excluding VAT)
REDDFORD HOUSE SCHOOL
Project information
• Company entering: LCP
Roofing
• Client: Reddord House
• Start date: June 2015
• End date: December 2015
• Main contractor: Murray &
Dickson
• Architect: Centrury Property
Development
• Quantity surveyor: Bain &
Heyns Quantity Surveyors
and Project Managers
• Consulting engineer: C-Plan
• Contract value: R46 024 231
The newly constructed Reddford House School in Northcliff,
Randburg, was capped by an impressive 8 820 m
2
of timber roof
trusses of varying styles and configurations by local leader in
roof truss technology, LCP Roofing. The exposed timber roof truss
work at the school is remarkable. The architectural design and
layout of both these main buildings allow for optimal functioning
and maximum usage of the space, and upon arrival, the sheer size
and aesthetics of the structures make an immediate and profound
impact on the viewer.
LCP Roofing was tasked with fabricating and erecting exposed
timber feature trusses at the gatehouse, main building entrances,
piazzas and the main hall. The client brief called for a number
of exposed timber roof trusses in as many viable spaces in the
buildings as possible, and even the walkways were to be exposed
and supported by laminated pine beams at the eaves. While
structural soundness was paramount, the aesthetic value of the
project was a prominent consideration for the client.
The architect, Michael Bishop of Century Property
Developments, provided detailed sketches of the client’s
requirements, to which the LCP Roofing team answered with
precision, ingenuity and attention to detail. LCP Roofing’s design
office turned the concept sketches into workable blueprints
that allowed the aesthetic components of the project to push
boundaries, all while maintaining the highest level of structural
integrity, collectively making for an outstanding end result.
The trusses in the main hall proved to be challenging, not only
from a design perspective, but from a logistical point of view. With
a pitch of 27 degrees over such a span, a one-piece truss with
a continuous top and bottom chord would simply be too big to
deliver. The solution was to fabricate the trusses in three sections
instead of one, using two two-ply half
modified scissor trusses and a separate
one-ply top hat truss.
Once completed, the modified design
was sent to LCP Roofing’s supporting
engineers for final specification on the
specific fixing, which was ultimately the
use of a sliding shoe on the wall plate
on one side of the building as well as the
necessary bracing details.
Once fabricated and delivered, the
scissor trusses had to be assembled on
site and the top hat trusses were erected
As South Africa’s principal container port generating more
than 60% of revenue, the Maydon Wharf infrastructure upgrade
will result in much needed increased capacity for the country’s
economic functioning and growth, and will alleviate the congestion
currently experienced.
The SSA JV team is proud to have been part of delivering a key
development project for the client and ultimately, the contribution
to society, it will make in employment opportunities in Durban.
Great care is taken to ensure zero harm to the little marine life
that exists in the port through efforts in using biodegrad-
able grease on sheet pile clutches, and biodegradable shutter
oil and foam seals for the shutters.
RECONSTRUCTION AND
DEEPENING OF MAYDON
WHARF: Berths 1-4, 13 & 14
in the Port of Durban
only once the exposed scissor trusses were in place. A mobile
crane was required to hoist the 19,5 metre span trusses above the
double volume of the hall and then to lower them, one by one, into
position. The crane was only available for a limited period of time,
so the LCP Roofing team worked as efficiently as possible, using
the apron of scaffolding along the side of the walls of the hall
provided by the principal contractor.