Construction World June 2017

PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

HIGH-END HIGH-RISE As Sandton proves itself to be a magnet for city-loving residents, Murray & Roberts Buildings is helping expand the high-rise options for urbanites, constructing the multifunctional, luxury Embassy Towers right on the edge of this humming commercial centre.

• Developer: Embassy Towers JV • Design: GLH Architects • Murray & Roberts Buildings

Management team: Fanie Stadler (contracts manager), Tertius Botha (site agent) and Abdullah Moola (quantity surveyor)

Murray & Roberts Buildings is a division of Murray & Roberts Construction which is being purchased by a consortium led by the Southern Palace Group of Companies; this will create the first major black-owned infrastructure and building construction business in South Africa. Named for its position just behind the US Embassy, the new R615-million sectional title development in Sandhurst will comprise 93 exclusive private residences – 69 two bedroom apartments, 18 three bedroom apartments and six penthouses. A ‘commercial’ or amenities level will include a restaurant, spa and gym, as well as executive offices and boardrooms. Construction work started on Embassy Towers in April 2016 and progress is on schedule, according to Murray & Roberts Buildings contracts manager Fanie Stadler, despite a slightly delayed start due to challenging rock conditions in the foundations. “Formwork design and planning of pour sizes assisted in achieving milestone dates on the structural elements,” says Stadler, “as well as casting the staircases off-site and installing them in their completed form.” The building will rise to 12 floors above ground level, and by the end of February

was already at level 12 with over 460 people on site; this working population will grow to about 750 at its peak. The most labour intensive aspects of the work – brickwork, plaster and screeding – are following closely behind the slab formwork of the main structure. Working in a space constrained urban environment brings its own challenges, so logistics have been closely managed to ensure no congestion on the adjoining roads. The project therefore deploys two tower cranes and vertical hoists; while the cranes deal mainly with concrete pours, formwork and brick lifts, the hoist is a valuable apparatus for handling tiles, joinery items, ceiling boards and other related items. “To reduce the cranes’ lifting load, we pump most of our mortar up to the different levels for brickwork and plastering,” Stadler says. “We also pump river sand up to where it is needed for screeding activities.” Suburban by-laws restrict the working hours to between 6:00 and 18:00, demanding that efficiency remain high throughout the life of the project. “Our success to date has been facilitated by our involvement in the project planning from an early stage,” says Stadler. “Before we began with construction, we already had about four months of planning behind us, where we were able to participate in the planning and development meetings – contributing substantially to the value- engineering and buildability of the project. This allowed for design issues to be resolved early in order to maintain the required progress.” “Every team member needs to understand what our challenges are on the project, and these are well covered in the Project Execution Plan,” he says. “Our prior experience of working in Sandton, as well as our proven expertise in high-rise construction, ensures that possible risks are identified and mitigated timeously.” He emphasises the need to monitor progress on a continuous basis, meeting deliverables and ensuring that the necessary plant and resources were on hand to maintain the construc- tion programme. Safety is also a key driver of operations, aligned with Murray & Roberts Buildings’

Bricks are lowered by crane onto a landing on the south-facing side of the building.

STOP.THINK.ACT.24/7 philosophy aiming at the target of zero harm. The Embassy Towers site retains its lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) of zero to date, says Stadler, as part of the safety culture of the workplace. “This culture must be constantly enforced throughout the project duration, especially among the sub-contractors,” he says. “Our main focus is on preventing major accidents, falling objects and disabling injuries, and our systems are all in place to keep that under control.” Some 12 500 m 3 of concrete will go into the structure, strengthened by 1 200 tonnes of reinforced steel bars on 31 000 m 2 of formwork. Among the design features of Embassy Towers will be marble cladding and extensive glazing on the facades, with a distinctive concrete pergola above the penthouses on the top floor, requiring off- shutter concrete work for which special formwork is being constructed. Five glass- fronted lifts will take residents between the floors; facilities also include a garden, a tennis court and an outdoor pool with a patio area.  “Formwork design and planning of pour sizes assisted in achieving milestone dates on the structural elements.” RIGHT: Murray & Roberts Buildings’ tower crane dominates the skyline as construction nears its final height.

Safety and productivity are enhanced on site as workers travel to their work-floors in the cab of a man-and-materials hoist.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD JUNE 2017