Imiesa April 2013

IMESAIMESAThe official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT •• MAINTENANCE •• SERVICE DELIVERY

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IMIESA April 2013 1

VOLUME 38 NO 4 APRIL 2013CONTENTS

14 African markets

RegularsEditor’s comment 3President’s comment 5

Cover articleThe dawn of a new era 6

InsightThe blueprint of our survival - Part 2 9

Hot seatRoad building excellence 12

AfricaMozambique's economy poised for recovery 14Angola: Cunene River water project 16Is Smart metering enough for Africa? 17

SANRALBring out the Rolls Royce 21N2 overlay and reseal 26

Roads and stormwaterR228 million upgrade of the R55 29Intensive rehabilitation of Northern Cape routes 32

Water and wastewaterThirsty habits require innovation 35R50 million upgrade for Umzonyana WTW 36Urban and rural water storage 38

Nelson Mandela BayHalting the advancing dune fields 39When art and engineering meet 41

SASTTLocal company receives highest accolade 49HDD: Down hole drilling success 51Comparing costs: Trenchless versus traditional 55

Pipes, pumps and valvesConcrete piping for infrastructure project 59Energy efficiency reduces costs 63

29 R55 upgrade

41 Urban renewal

49 Trenchless technologies

Examining pipeline lifetime 65Expanding into Africa 66

Products and servicesLow carbon footprint concrete 81Erosion control for landfill site 83

12

Cover Story SprayPave is an innovative and fully integrated industry leader. Since its establishment over 30 years ago, it has become renowned for its ability to meet the demanding needs of the road construction industry.

in ttthhhe HOOOOTT SSEEEEATT

“Osborn’s road building equipment, manufactured by Astec Inc and Roadtec in the US, provides customers with bespoke solutions, rather than just mere products.” Peet Eksteen, sales manager, Osborn

Panel discussionSustainable road infrastructure 67

Concrete Manufacturers Association

Taco Voogt

68

Ammann Construction Machinery SA

Rocco Lehman71

Much Asphalt

John Onraët73

Terraforce

Holger Rust75

TFM Transtech

Chris Munro77

VNA Consulting

Vikash Narsai79

IMIESA April 2013 3

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Building it “Gangman Style”

PUBLISHER Elizabeth ShortenEDITOR Richard Jansen van VuurenHEAD OF DESIGN Frédérick DantonSENIOR DESIGNER Hayley MendelowDESIGNER Kirsty GallowayCHIEF SUB-EDITOR Claire NozaïcSUB-EDITOR Patience GumboCONTRIBUTORS Candice Landie, Nicola Theunissen, Steve ApeldoornPRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh BotmaPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jacqueline ModiseFINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew LobbanMARKETING AND ONLINE MANAGER Martin HillerADMINISTRATION Tonya HebentonDISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa MasinaDISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha PursothamSUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected] United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571___________________________________________________

ADVERTISING SALESJenny Miller Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223___________________________________________________

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ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: R530.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR.© Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.___________________________________________________

IMESA CONTACTSIMESA Administration Officer: Ingrid BottonP O Box 2190, Westville, 3630Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263Fax: +27 (0)31 266 5094Email: [email protected]: www.imesa.org.za

BORDER BRANCHSecretary: Melanie MatroosTel: +27 (0)43 705 2401Fax: +27 (0)43 743 5266E-mail: [email protected]

EAST CAPE BRANCHElsabé KoenTel: +27 (0)41 505 8005Fax: +27 (0)41 581 2300E-mail: [email protected]

KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCHSecretary: Rita ZaaymanTel: +27(0)31 311 6382

NORTHERN PROVINCE BRANCHSecretary: Cornel TaljaardTel: +27 (0)82 899 8341Fax: +27 (0)11 675 1324E-mail: [email protected]

SOUTHERN CAPE KAROO BRANCHSecretary: Henrietta OliverTel: +27(0)79 390 7536Fax: 086 536 3725E-mail: [email protected]

WESTERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Erica van JaarsveldTel: +27 (0)21 938 8455Fax: +27 (0)21 938 8457E-mail: [email protected]

FREE STATE AND NORTHERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Wilma Van Der WaltTel: +27(0)83 457 4362Fax: 086 628 0468E-mail: [email protected]

REST OF SOUTHERN AFRICARepresentative: Andre MullerE-mail: [email protected]

All material herein IMIESA is copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers.

Cover opportunity In each issue, IMIESA offers advertisers the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the journal. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the cover story and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings contact Jenny Miller on tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223.blishers.

NORTH KOREA is currently domi-

nating news headlines for all the

wrong reasons yet it shares a

border with a country which seems

a million miles away. Apart from admiring

South Korea for its booming economy as well

as the success story of both Kia and Hyundai

motor companies and Samsung (more spe-

cifically the SIII smartphone), I read recently

of the country’s plans to build a futuristic

city: Songdo.

The site for this brand new city lies just

west of Seoul. The Songdo International

Business District is an unprecedented col-

laboration between real estate developers,

architects and computer network company

Cisco Systems. Cisco is to maintain the city’s

complex communications network once it is

complete in 2016. Songdo is being built from

scratch using modern design, environmental

standards and communication technology,

and it will offer the world a glimpse of what

future cityscapes will consist of, featuring a

self-sustaining parkland measuring 40 ha. It

will not need an external water supply system

as it will have recycled plastic cisterns hold-

ing rainwater captured during the wet season

for use during the dry season. A saltwater

canal will be the city’s central waterway and it

will have 12 passenger diesel taxis as public

transport. Turbines will pump water from the

Yellow Sea into the canal, saving thousands

of litres of potable water a day. Using saltwa-

ter in the canal will also prevent winter ice

from forming on the waterway, which would

render it useless for transportation purposes.

Songdo city planners have designed the

city to have 95% of its parking space under-

ground, thus freeing up the roadways above.

The city will be densely developed in the

centre where the buildings will also be the

tallest – giving what urban planners refer to

as skyline identity. The city will be devoid of

waste trucks and rubbish removal vehicles.

Waste will be removed through pneumatic

tubes linked to all buildings as well as to

streets and parks. And last, but not least, the

90-minute commute to the nearest airport,

Incheon Airport, will be cut to just 15 min-

utes due to the construction of the Incheon

Bridge. The bridge is 18 384 m long and

connects Yeongjong Island and the mainland

of Incheon.

Last month I spent some time in Port

Elizabeth visiting some municipal projects,

such as the urban regeneration initiatives sur-

rounding and including the Donkin Reserve

in the central business district as well as

a national road contract on the N2 just

outside the city. Ar ticles on these projects

can be found in the Nelson Mandela Bay

feature on page 40 and the Sanral feature

on page 21. The May and June editions of

IMIESA will focus on Ekurhuleni and the City

of Johannesburg respectively – so if you are

busy with a project and would like to have it

featured, please get in touch!

Richard Jansen van Vuuren

t

URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE

2 3 - 2 5 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3

P O R T E L I Z A B E T H

nelson mandela bay

CONFERENCEIMESAIMESAIMESA

2013

Theme: Municipal Engineering – Meeting Peoples’ NeedsEARN 2.5 CPD POINTS BY ATTENDING

For information: Tel: 031 2663263 Email: [email protected]

The 2013 IMESA Conference will be hosted atthe brand new Boardwalk Hotel & ConferenceCentre on the beautiful Port Elizabeth beachfront.

A variety of exciting technical tours are beingarranged to SA Breweries, Koega Harbour,VW Factory and Van Staden’s Wind Farm.

ONLINE BOOKINGS NOW OPEN!

www.imesa.org.za

Register & pay BEFORE 31 July 2013 - Early Bird for IMESA members @ R4500- Early Bird for Non-IMESA members @ R4750

Register & pay BEFORE 30 AUGUST 2013- Late Registration IMESA members @ R4750- Late Registration Non-IMESA members @ R5000

Register & pay AFTER 30 AUGUST 2013- Last Minute Reg IMESA Members @ R5000- Last Minute Reg Non-IMESA Members @ R5500

IMIESA April 2013 5

PRESIDENT’S COMMENT

AT THE OUTSET I’d like

to complement you

on a well-presented

Budget Speech, a

large portion of which involves

and depends on the performance

of local government. Statements

such as “the need to professional-

ise the public service” are

indeed encouraging.

Having attended a live

broadcast of your 2013

Budget Speech as a guest

of the Durban Chamber

of Commerce and after

receiving input from a

number of members of

the IMESA EXCO, please

permit me to comment

on two aspects of what

was covered.

Expenditure on

capital projects

Various par ts of the

speech spoke of large-

scale infrastructure invest-

ment (which includes

dams, water networks,

new homes and sanitation

schemes) and the intro-

duction of a new local

government equitable

share formula.

IMESA urges that in addi-

tion to providing such capi-

tal funds, ample allowance

is made for the operation

IMESA’s comment on the 2013 Budget SpeechBelow is a copy of a letter sent to Minister Pravin Gordhan in response to his Budget Speech.

and maintenance of these vital

and much needed assets. A

recent article in Business Day,

draws attention to a looming water

crisis in Bloemfontein, Mafikeng,

Nelspruit and Brits – due to a lack

of infrastructure maintenance –

and illustrates the seriousness of

the situation nationally.

Education and training

Mention was made several times

of the reforms that will improve

education, training and work

opportunities. The well-document-

ed severe shortage of municipal

technologists and engineers can-

not be over emphasised. We must,

however, not overlook the similar

situation that exists at artisan

level within municipalities.

In his article published in a

local Durban newspaper

earlier this week, Peter

Davis mentioned that “at

last there is talk of bring-

ing back technical schools

where their aim is to pro-

duce skilled well-rounded

tradesman (such as plumb-

ers and welders) over a

two-year period”. Ideally,

municipalities (especially

the larger cities) should

once again offer good

artisan training.

In conclusion, may I Mr

Minister, assure you that

IMESA remains committed

to being instrumental in

achieving the goals of the

National Development Plan

and will assist its mem-

bers wherever possible.

Yours faithfully,

FB Stevens Pr. Eng, Bsc

Eng (Civil), FIMESA, FSAICE

President: IMESA

(Institute of Municipal

Engineering of

Southern Africa)

Minister Pravin Gordhan

6 IMIESA April 2013

COVER STORY

WESTERN CAPE

The dawn of a new eraAs a subsidiary of the Basil Read Holdings group of companies, SprayPave forms an integral part of one of South Africa’s leading construction companies.

SPRAYPAVE IS AN innovative and fully

integrated industry leader. Since its

establishment over 30 years ago, it

has become renowned for its abil-

ity to meet the demanding needs of the road

construction industry. Backed by the expertise

and experience of its dynamic management

team, SprayPave has successfully maintained

its position at the forefront of the industry.

“We are very proud of SprayPave’s growth,

as well as extremely impressed with the

innovative approach they have taken to get to

where they are today. Furthermore, there are

a number of exciting initiatives currently in the

R&D phase that, when unveiled in the near

future, are sure to give SprayPave an even

more auspicious position and reputation within

the industry”. – These words were spoken

by Mr Marius Heyns, CEO of Basil Read, in

October 2011– words which are on the verge

of coming to fruition.

Keeping abreast of worldwide trends is

critical to remaining competitive on the local

construction scene. Maintaining world-class

quality is one of the greatest challenges in

a time when local companies in the road

construction industry face a multitude of dif-

ficulties, the most evident being the increased

scarcity of reliable bitumen supply. And it is

not only road construction companies that are

under great pressure, the ordinary road user

is now also feeling the ripple effect through

poorer road conditions and additional tax bur-

dens introduced to make up for the financial

deficits of road construction projects that fail

to remain within allocated budgets.

Then there is the introduction of the perfor-

mance grading (PG) of bitumen to the local

industry. A reality that will undoubtedly place

further strain on the supply of bitumen through

refineries failing to ensure an output of prod-

uct that meets the PG standards required.

So what are the options? One that many

are opting for is importing bitumen, a practice

that the likes of Australia have had to adopt

recently. This in itself brings many new chal-

lenges, both from a logistical as well as eco-

nomic standpoint. With the latter, more often

than not, playing a major role in deciding the

source of bitumen to be imported, the odds

of putting a lot of time, effort and money

into importing a product that is significantly

inferior are highly probable. Then we need

to ask the question, what is inferior or sub-

quality bitumen? Is it as simple as relying on

a PG index (provided we can break from the

mindset of focusing on penetration grade)

to tell us this or, if the South African road

construction industry is to survive, should

it know more? SprayPave believes so, and

it is this belief coupled with all of the above

that has led SprayPave to push the

boundaries of its innovative

nature and take a giant leap

in its evolution through the

establishment of a plant in

Cape Town later this year.

“Our philosophy is quite sim-

ply to evolve relentlessly and

never allow ourselves to be

left in the wake of our

competitors through being

COVER STORY

LEFT BELOW SprayPave's new Scania Horses with 34 000 ℓ haulage tankers

ABOVE SprayPave's mobile emulsion plan on-site in Gobabis, Namibia

trapped in comfort zones and falling victim to

antiquated policies and practices. We choose

to drive the times, rather than become their

slave,” says SprayPave’s commercial man-

ager, Phil Chirnside.

SprayPave Cape Town will not only offer

the local market the world-class manufac-

t u r ing, supply and

application of all bituminous road binders,

modified binders, emulsions, primes and pre-

coats that sub-Saharan Africa has come to

know from SprayPave’s Johannesburg plant

in Alrode South and its KwaZulu-Natal plant

in Bothas Hill, but it will also be introducing

pioneering solutions to all of the challenges

illustrated above – and much more.

“The establishment of SprayPave Cape Town

paves the way for some extremely exciting

times, not only for Spraypave itself, but for the

South African road construction industry as a

whole,” says SprayPave’s managing director,

Steven Single.

“While the benefits of the products and

services that the plant will offer will speak

for themselves, we understand that

the key is to educate the

market on both the prod-

ucts being introduced as

well as the technology

itself,” he adds.

In order to facilitate this, as part of the role-

out process for the new plant, SprayPave will

be holding a number of workshops/forums,

in conjunction with the South African Road

Federation where all parties within the indus-

try will have the opportunity to be introduced

to the aforementioned technology and prod-

ucts as well as participate in Q&A sessions

with experts and international speakers on the

global bitumen market.

“These forums will be structured so as to

not only promote what we will be offering

through the establishment of the Cape Town

plant, but to also offer valuable knowledge

to all players within the South African road

construction industry so that we may all

have the ‘tools’ required to not only sustain

the industry, but to radically improve it, thus

securing its existence and offering a far more

positive ripple effect for the everyday road

user,” says Chirnside.

Should you wish to receive further infor-

mation on the upcoming workshops, or

be kept abreast of the establishment of

SprayPave Cape Town, please e-mail:

[email protected]

t +27 (0)11 868 5451/2

www.spraypave.co.za

IMIESA April 2013 7IMIESA offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Companies are afforded the opportunity of publishing a two-page cover story and a cover picture to promote their products to an appropriate audience. Please call Jenny Miller on +27 (0)11 467 6223 to secure your booking.

IME

SA

AF

FIL

IAT

E M

EM

BE

RS

IMESA

Afri-Infra [email protected] Broom Road Products [email protected] SA [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Africa Group Holdings [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Bosch Stemele [email protected] Bosch Munitech [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Civil & Blasting Solutions [email protected] Manufacturers [email protected] Institute of Southern Africa [email protected] Built Environment [email protected] Lynn & Partners [email protected] Bank of SA [email protected] Plastics [email protected] Engineers [email protected] Kent Metering [email protected] Waste Management [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] SA [email protected] Technology [email protected] Enterprises [email protected]@Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] and Green [email protected] Water [email protected] Consulting [email protected]

Knowledge Base [email protected] Water [email protected] Narasimulu & Associates [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Asphalt [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Engineering Systems [email protected] Naidoo & Associates Consulting Engineers [email protected] Construction [email protected] [email protected] Africa [email protected] [email protected] HaskoningDHV [email protected] SBS Water Systems [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Lines [email protected] SA [email protected] Inc [email protected] Water Company [email protected] [email protected] African Society for Trenchless Technology [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Pumps Wastewater [email protected] [email protected] Engineers East London [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] WorleyParsons [email protected] Group Africa [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Surfacing [email protected]

IMIESA April 2013 9

INSIGHT

RURAL COMMUNITIES in parts of

the country that are dependent on

groundwater are negatively affected

because of the natural mineral con-

tent exceeding recommended levels. Untreated

or poorly treated wastewater is severely affect-

ing the quality of water in many areas.

Our water ecosystems are not in a healthy

state. Of the 223 river ecosystem types, 60%

are threatened and 25% critically endangered.

Less than 15% of river ecosystems are located

within protected areas, many of which are

threatened and degraded by upstream human

activities. Of 792 wetland ecosystems, 65%

have been identified as threatened and 48%

critically endangered.

Furthermore, 31% of freshwater fish species

indigenous to South Africa are threatened. This

is of enormous concern, given the crucial role

of wetlands in delivering ecosystem services

such as water purification, flood regulation and

drought mitigation.

This situation has negative impacts on human

health, on rural communities directly dependent

on water-related ecosystems such as wetlands

for their livelihoods and on the mainstream

economy, and demands drastic intervention.

Water resource quality and water quantity

issues and solutions are interrelated and

need to be addressed in an integrated man-

ner. Although it is technically possible to treat

water of a poor quality to a potable standard,

this can be very costly. Water of bad quality

also impacts negatively on farming, recreation,

ecosystems and the economy.

Shared water resourcesSouth Africa shares four major river systems with

six neighbouring states: Zimbabwe, Botswana,

Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho and Namibia.

WATER RESOURCE STRATEGY - PART 2

The blueprint for our survivalThere are significant water quality challenges in South Africa. The main contributors to water quality problems are mining, urban development, industry and agriculture. Compiled by Richard Jansen van Vuuren

International agree-

ments on water shar-

ing are in place in all

of these river basins,

in line with SADC’s

Revised Protocol on

Shared Watercourses.

These shared river

basins raise the impor-

tance of water in the

regional integration

agenda in SADC. South

Africa’s policy and legis-

lation recognises inter-

national obligations

in allocation protocol,

which is dealt with in

the support strategies.

Ethical and cultural value of waterApart from the quan-

titative and qualitative

pressures on its physi-

cal dimensions, water

demand is also growing

due to the broadening

perspective of water

and its ecological, ethi-

cal and cultural roles.

Inadequate financing and poor financial managementInadequate financing

remains a key chal-

lenge. Investment in water needs to double if

the required outcomes are to be achieved. A

recent study by the Department of Water Affairs

ABOVE The demand for freshwater is outstripping supply

10 IMIESA April 2013

INSIGHT

revealed that the capital requirement for the

entire water sector over the next 10 years, in

real terms, is in the region of R670 billion and

that the funding gap is R338 billion over this

10-year period.

Operation, maintenance and refurbishment

are also underfunded. And there is insufficient

funding available for programmes such as

water demand management and conserva-

tion, research, information management, skills

development and effective planning.

A key issue is the lack of effective finan-

cial management in water management. This

includes the ring-fencing of the water ‘busi-

ness’ and the need to be able to measure the

actual cost of water delivery, ensuring cost

recovery with appropriate protection for the

poor, appropriate tariff setting, effective and

long-term financial planning as well as busi-

ness and project viability and the application

of basic water economics. Cost recovery is

essentially based on three sources of revenue:

tariffs, taxes and transfers (generally from

international donors).

These three sources

of income must be

used to cover capital

and operational costs.

It is also critical

that the policy should

guide the allocation

of financial resourc-

es so that sufficient

resources are dedicat-

ed to achieving priority

outcomes. Although

per formance-oriented

budgeting is hard to

implement, and requires extensive analytic and

operational changes in practice, its potential

value cannot be underestimated. A compre-

hensive performance-oriented budget is the

best option.

Shortage of human resourcesThe lack of appropriate skills and capability in

the right places has been identified as a critical

challenge in the sector, from engineers, scien-

tists and artisans to project and programme

management, as well as leadership, govern-

ance and oversight.

In addition to the shortage

of critical and scarce skills in

the right places, the water sec-

tor lacks capability to perform

optimally because of the loss

of institutional knowledge, expe-

rience and competency. This

is of particular importance

when considering the increased

skills and capacity required for

improved water management

and governance.

It must be recognised, how-

ever, that if one looks across

the entire water sector, includ-

ing government, the private sec-

tor and civil society, there is

a range of skills, knowledge

and capability in some areas

that can be drawn on for the

implementation of the National

Water Resources Strategy 2.

The challenge lies in mobilising

these skills and resources to

a common end while urgently

building more capacity in other

critical areas.

AgricultureAbout 8.5 million people are

directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture

for employment and income. The sector con-

tributes about 3% to the GDP and 7% to formal

employment. The agricultural sector is made

up of commercial farmers and subsistence

farmers: about 1.3 million hectares are irri-

gated. The New Growth Path has set a target of

300 000 households in smallholder schemes

by 2020 and 145 000 jobs to be created in

agro-processing by 2020. Irrigated agriculture

is the largest single use of water in South

Africa (60%) and it has a huge potential socio-

economic impact in rural communities. Water

is the major limiting factor to the growth of this

sector and poor water quality has a negative

impact on agricultural exports and associated

foreign income.

Energy sectorAlthough it only uses 2% of water, the energy

sector contributes about 15% to the GDP of

South Africa and creates jobs for 250 000. It

generates about 95% of the electricity in South

Africa and also exports it to other countries in

Africa. The energy sector, including Eskom is

highly dependent on reliable supplies of water

for the generation of electricity (steam genera-

tion and cooling processes), and an elaborate

and sophisticated network of water transfer

and storage schemes has been developed

specifically to support this sector and ensure

high levels of reliability. The water sector is,

on the other hand, highly dependent on a

constant and reliable supply of electricity to

“move water”.

Mining sectorAccording to the South African Chamber of

Mines, the mining sector contributed 8.8%

directly and 10% indirectly to the GDP of

South Africa in 2009. It created about one

million direct and indirect jobs. The sec-

tor accounts for approximately one third of

ABOVE Water resources need to be carefully managed

BELOW Cost recovery for water services is essential

IMIESA April 2013 11

INSIGHT

the market capitalisation of JSE

and it is also the major attractor

for foreign investments. The New

Growth Path has set a potential

employment target of 140 000 new

jobs by 2020 for the mining sector.

Mining and related activities require

significant quantities of water while

also impacting on the environment

with associated potential pollution.

The development of new mines in

water scarce areas requires forward

planning to make arrangements for

the transfer of water and develop-

ment of new sources.

Manufacturing sectorThe manufacturing sector contributed 15.5% to

the GDP and 13.3% to jobs in 2009. The NGP

has set a target of 350 000 new jobs for this

sector by 2020. Water is an input in the manu-

facturing processes and it also used for cooling.

Tourism sectorIn 2009, the tourism sector directly and indi-

rectly contributed 7% to the GDP and it created

575 000 jobs. This sector is earmarked for high

economic growth, which is expected to generate

a huge number of new jobs. The NGP has set a

target of 225 000 new jobs by 2015. Drinking

water quality that matches international stand-

ards as well as a reliable water supply and

sanitation services are critical to the success

of this sector.

Food and beverages sectorsThe food and beverage sectors are highly

dependent on water for the production of their

products; however, the precise contribution of

the food and beverage industries to the South

African economy has still to be reckoned.

Committing water use sectors to sustainable water managementA major gap in the management model is that

water resource management is not effectively

institutionalised in water sector business man-

agement. This has resulted in water-related sec-

tors and industry not giving water the attention

and priority it deserves, and a lack of owner-

ship, commitment and self-regulation in the pri-

vate sector. A recent study revealed that many

South African businesses are not prepared for

managing potential water risks.

Water-dependent businesses can no longer

take water for granted regardless of the indus-

try sector they operate within. One of the earli-

est and most comprehensive discussions of the

risk water represents to businesses was pub-

lished by the Pacific Institute. Business opportu-

nities accompany these risks, for those compa-

nies that can deliver their products and services

efficiently (low water use or no water use), or

can develop technological solutions to provide

clean water to the public and private sectors.

First, there is physical risk to a business,

which arises from decreasing water availability

(water scarcity) and the reliability of supplies.

The first driver of physical water risk is increased

population and its resultant demand from urban

and agricultural uses, coupled with water avail-

ability. The second driver is poor operation and

maintenance of water systems that business is

dependent on.

Increased water scarcity will increase competi-

tion between business and local communities,

particularly between business

and poor and historically mar-

ginalised communities. This

potential competition and associ-

ated conflict must be effectively

resolved by improved manage-

ment and planning.

With declining water quality,

the physical risks to businesses

can become acute. A decline in

water quality can result in the

need for pretreatment, which is

an additional cost to businesses.

This can be especially true when

high-quality water is required in the pharmaceu-

tical, beverage and food processing sectors.

Companies can expect increased regulation of

water quality, and along with increased regula-

tion come potential constraints on availability

and higher costs for quality control.

Water supply-chain disruptions represent

a real and to a large degree unqualified threat.

Businesses are just coming to terms with the

realisation that they must quantify water use

and risk within their supply chain. They have

been grappling with this challenge with regard

to their carbon risk and seem to have made real

progress in quantifying and reducing carbon in

this portion of their footprint. Managing water

risk within a company’s supply chain will be no

small task, as most companies that outsource

manufacturing can only influence, and not con-

trol the behaviour of up-stream suppliers.

Source: Department of Water Affairs/National

Water Resources Strategy II (2012)/Water for

equitable growth and development

ABOVE Increased water scarcity will increase competition between business and local communities

BELOW The demand for rural water supply systems is growing


HOT SEAT

THE ROAD-BUILDING sec-

tor may face many chal-

lenges, but there are also

a myriad opportunities.

Osborn’s road building equipment,

manufactured by Astec Inc and

Roadtec in the US, comprises of

the flexibility and customisation to

step up to the plate and provide

customers with bespoke solutions,

rather than just mere products.

Peet Eksteen, sales manager

at Osborn (Asphalt Equipment),

explains how the company wraps

up road building problems with just

one of its Roadtec products.

Material transfer vehicles (MTV)

- addressing potholes

Problem 1: Material segregation

“Conventional ways of road build-

ing consists of the truck dumping

directly into the hopper of the paver.

The gradation of the aggregate and

uniformity of the asphalt mix

are both very important con-

siderations for mix stability

OSBORN

Road building excellenceOsborn builds its entire client philosophy on providing solutions, rather than products. Its road-building range, specifically, bears evidence of this bespoke approach.

and road mat structure. As a truck

dumps the hot mix asphalt into the

paver hopper the material sepa-

rates, changing the material mix

and causing material segregation.

When the segregated material is

laid down on the road, it is com-

pacted with poor structure, poor tex-

ture or both. The mat will not have

uniform density and the surface will

fail prematurely.”

Problem 2: Temperature

segregation

“The second problem is large tem-

perature differentials within the mix,

especially during long hauls to site

and on colder days. The top layer

of the mix in the truck bed can

have temperature variances of up

to 50˚C when compared to the

rest of the material. Uninsulated

truck sides and tailgates also affect

the mix temperature. Non-uniform

compaction, ravelling, stripping and

potholes can be traced back to

temperature differentials in the mat

used on the road. It does not take

long for the natural elements to

erode a newly laid

road pavement if

a segregated mix

was used.”

Solution: The Roadtec Shuttle

Buggy for longer lasting roads

“The Shuttle Buggy material transfer

vehicle is designed to be the link

between the truck and paver. It

eliminates segregation problems,

thanks to the machine's remixing

action. The unique design

of the remixing augers

allow for

material re-blending. The remix-

ing action tumbles the material,

allowing heat to transfer uniformly

throughout the mix. The Shuttle

Buggy also allows for non-stop pav-

ing due to its storage capacity. This

allows contractors to smooth out

truck cycles, reduce haul costs,

eliminate traffic congestion and lay

down smoother road pavements.

The Roadtec SB2500

Shuttle Buggy has

storage capacity of

22.7 metric tonnes,

can unload a truck at

907 metric tonnes/

hour and has a paver

loading capacity of 544 metric

tonnes/hour. The reduction of seg-

regation results in smoother, more

durable road surfaces. This trans-

lates into cost benefits for both the

road user and road contractor.”

“The road building market offers strong potential and new projects.”Peet Eksteen, sales manager, Osborn


HOT SEAT

Double drum technology

Problem: Many South Africa

asphalt plants are unable to acco-

modate large percentage recycled

asphalt (RA) mixes

“The South African road mainte-

nance and infrastructure upgrade

markets offer strong potential for

road contractors, with many new

projects issued every year. It is

an unfortunate reality that South

African refineries cannot always

supply the local market with bitu-

men as and when needed. Industry

role players have had to revert to

the importation of bitumen to meet

local demands. Another option is

to add a larger percentage of RA to

mix designs. As RA already contains

most of the bitumen needed to coat

the aggregate, this reduces the

amount of new bitumen needed to

obtain the correct mix. Many other

countries use up to 70% RA on their

roads. In South Africa, however,

this is too high a percentage for

most local asphalt plants. The sin-

gle drum parallel flow, single drum

counter flow and the batch plants

are not designed to accomodate

such large RA percentages.”

Solution: The Double Barrel tech-

nology - Well suited for large

RA percentages

“The double barrel dryer/drum

mixer combines the functions of

a dryer and a continuous process

mixer in one compact, efficient

system. Drying of the virgin aggre-

gate is the first step in the process

and takes place in the inner drum.

Mixing of aggregate and other

ingredients follows, which happens

in the outer, stationary shell. The

long mixing chamber and station-

ary outer shell allows sequential

mixing of materials. RA enters the

drum in the outer mixing chamber.

Adding the RA here ensures that

there is no contact with the hot

gas stream of the dryer. This is an

important advantage because the

atmosphere in the mixing chamber

minimizes emissions. RA heats as

it comes in contact with the hot

aggregate. This allows the bitu-

men from the RA to help coat

the heated aggregate. During this

process, steam vapours from light

oils and gases are drawn into the

burner flame and incinerated. This

process allows the Astec Double

Barrel plant to meet such high

emission standards, while also

processing up to 50% RA within

asphalt mix designs.”

Green roads - the future

Problem: Chemical additives add

costs during warm mix process

Warm mix has really come to

the fore during recent years and

is regarded as the fastest growing

asphalt practice worldwide. Warm

mix asphalt is the same as hot mix

asphalt except that it is produced

and placed at lower temperatures

(typically 28 to 42˚C cooler). The

liquid AC is temporarily made to

ABOVE The inner workings of a material transfer vehicle

BELOW Using a material transfer vehicle

BOTTOM Not using a material transfer vehicle

t +27 (0)11 820 7600www.osborn.co.za

have a lower viscosity by either the

introduction of a wax, chemicals

or water.

Solution: The Double Barrel Green

system - No need for expensive

commercial additives

Rather than using a mineral carrier,

the Astec Green System injects

water via foaming nozzles. The injec-

tion of water along with the bitumen

causes the liquid asphalt to foam

and expand in volume. The foam-

ing action helps the liquid asphalt

coat the aggregate at temperatures

that are normally in the range of

110 to 130˚C versus traditional

temperatures of 150 to 172˚C.

This has significant benefits. These

include improved workability of the

asphalt, very little smoke or smell,

longer road life, increased produc-

tion and the use of less fuel. It

also allows the Double Barrel plant

to run significantly higher percent-

ages of RA when compared to

other plants.“protecting the environ-

ment and saving costs one mix at

a time.”

AFRICA

MOZAMBIQUE

THEN KNOWN AS Franki

Africa, the company’s first

project in Mozambique

was at the prestigious

Mozal aluminium smelter on the

outskirts of Maputo. The company

was commissioned to conduct ini-

tial site investigations in late 1997

and early 1998 and when tenders

for the foundation piling were invit-

ed, Franki Africa was awarded a

contract for Phase 1. This was suc-

cessfully completed two months

ahead of schedule in March 1999

after installing over 10 000 driven

cast in-situ Franki piles.

On the back of the success

of the first phase, Franki Africa

secured Phase 2, which called

for the installation of over 8 000

Franki piles and 200 large diame-

ter auger piles supporting the silo

structures. At peak, the compa-

ny’s on-site crew numbered 518.

This contract was also completed

ahead of schedule.

“Even though the country was

Early predictions of growth prove accurateWith the economy of Mozambique poised for a robust recovery, specialist geotechnical contractor Esorfranki Geotechnical is positioned to strengthen its already well-established market position in that country.

going through an economic down-

turn at the time of our involve-

ment in the Mozal project, we

became aware that Mozambique

was ripe with opportunity,” Roy

McLintock, MD of Esor franki

Geotechnical, relates.

“We took a strategic decision,

based on the anticipated positive

impact of the Mozal project, to

establish a registered company

there in July 1998 and populated

it with a pilot team tasked with

identifying business opportunities.

These were skilled people with

access to a full range of equip-

ment to undertake any kind of

local geotechnical work.

“Our predictions proved accu-

rate and our workload steadily

increased. A focus beyond Maputo

resulted in a contract to install

Franki piles at a silo complex

for a Tanzania-based client for

whom we had done similar work in

Dar es Salaam. We also secured

foundations for various bridges in

the rural areas. Another

notable contract was the

provision of general geo-

technical work at Tongaat

Huletts’ Xinavane sugar

mill where we installed

various pile types in both

brownfield and greenfield

areas of the mill.”

Esorfranki Geotechnical

has also installed pil-

ing and lateral support

for four embassies and

numerous buildings and

marine structures in

Maputo. More recently,

the company was involved

in work relating to the infrastruc-

ture for the Moatize coalfields

development for a major multi-

national metals and mining com-

pany. Esorfranki Geotechnical’s

most recent project involved the

piled foundations for rails on an

800-metre-long coal stacker at the

load-out facility in Beira for the

same company. This contract was

extended to include the marine

works and ship-loading struc-

ture foundations as part of the

upgrading of the Port of Beira

Quay 8.

“Having established a pres-

ence in Beira, we’re now

looking at other opportuni-

ties in and around this city,”

says McLintock.

“We’ve been at work in

Mozambique for 15 years and

our projects in various parts of

the country have afforded us an

exceptionally good understanding

of the local culture, business envi-

ronment and ground conditions, as

well as the country’s customs and

logistical processes. This work

has also allowed our Mozambique

team to establish a comprehen-

sive geotechnical database that,

coupled with in-house design capa-

bilities, allows us to provide very

competitive design solutions.

“Future opportunities will cen-

tre around the Moatize coal pro-

ject, port upgrades related to the

export of coal and other resourc-

es, electrification, and general

infrastructure upgrades.”

ABOVE Installation of 27 m CFA piles for the Beira stacker

LEFT An aerial overview of the Beira stacker


A D

aim

ler B

rand

MBS

A/10

4/AX

OR00

1

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TRUCKS. LEASING & FINANCING. FLEET SOLUTIONS. SERVICE & PARTS.


AFRICA

AS ONE OF the prov-

inces devastated

by Angolan conflict,

Cunene has suffered

from a lack of proper supply and

sanitation systems, resulting in

low levels of access to clean

drinking water. Only 15 to 20%

of the rural population has the

advantage of a dedicated water

source, while the rest rely on

walking far distances every day

to retrieve unhealthy water from

local rivers, boreholes and small

dams to provide for their families.

It is little wonder then that over

80% of illness and death in these

communities are caused by water-

borne diseases.

The project consisted of the

construction of a water treatment

facility at Xangongo, so that water

can be extracted from the Cunene

River and treated, and then

pumped along a 100 km pipe-

line to Xangongo, Mongua and

Ondjiva. For the project, Marley

supplied over 98 km of 630 mm

PN6 HDPE pipes as well as about

2 km of 630 mm PN10 HDPE

pipe – one of Marley’s largest

contributions to a single project.

The project, however, was not

without its challenges. In addi-

tion to chief negotiations held

by Marley’s managing director,

Louis Albertyn, and his team to

assess the critical factors and

risks that the project would pre-

sent, Marley’s pipes were also

stringently tested for quality con-

trol to evaluate the most suitable

pipe supplier according to the

WATER TREATMENT

Cunene River Water ProjectAs part of the master trans-frontier plan with Namibia to supply safe drinking water to underprivileged communities in Angola’s Cunene province, Marley Infrastructure was awarded a US$15 million contract by Spanish company UTE Befesa-Riogersa.

ABOVE In excess of 4 800 t of HDPE pipe was supplied to the project

LEFT More than 400 truckloads of pipe were delivered to the site

exacting requirements of the cli-

ent. Marley came out on top with

its range of HDPE pipes, which

are SAPPMA-endorsed and manu-

factured according to sound qual-

ity standards, carrying the SABS

mark for SANS ISO 4427.

Logistically, transporting 15 m

length HDPE pipes to Angola was

no easy feat, and Marley part-

nered with WP Transport to ensure

their safe passage. Sixteen trail-

ers were used, each carrying 16

pipes, and proper crating and

stacking methods were

taken into consideration

to ensure minimal roll

during transportation.

The biggest challenge,

however, occurred once

the pipes had actually

reached the Angolan

border. Not only did

Marley and Befesa have

to make sure that all

documentation for every

truck was 100% in

order, but WP also had

to appoint a dedicated

person to handle the

time-consuming and rig-

orous customs process

– the result of which

was costly delays and

standing time.


AFRICA

KOBUS VAN DEN BERG, an electrical

engineer at Aurecon, takes a dif-

ferent approach, saying it is impor-

tant to understand the additional

functionality of a Smart Metering (SM) system

and see if it meets the specific requirements

of Africa.

“The extensive functionality of an SM system

is not always fully appreciated,” he says.

“However, collecting vast amounts of sys-

tem data is in itself pointless – the value is

in the management of the data. The solution

lies in the integration with a highly effec-

tive Meter Data Management System (MDMS)

and being able to demonstrate benefits for

the consumer.”

The metering systemA typical SM system will have a smart meter at

the customer’s premises with a load switch and

in-house display. These devices communicate

DATA INTEGRATION

Is Smart Metering smart enough for Africa?

Smart Metering systems can support various aspects of electricity distribution management and are generally recommended internationally as the way to enhance the services and financial viability of electricity utilities.

via various communications media and the

data is transferred to an MDMS for storage

and processing.

In the metering mode, the system provides

the measurement and recording functions to

enable effective measurement of consumption

data for billing purposes. It records data at

30-minute intervals, which enables the util-

ity to determine when and where energy has

been used.

The meters can be switched between credit

mode and prepayment mode remotely. Credit

tokens purchased at vending outlets or online

via the internet or cell phone can be transferred

to the meter directly or manually through the

keypad on the Customer Interface Unit (CIU)

i.e. display and keyboard installed in a cus-

tomer’s residence. The meter also allows the

implementation of complex tariffs. The use of

TOU (Time of Use) tariffs allows the utility to

offer new energy products to the customers,

as well as use pricing signals to manipulate the

consumption pattern of consumers to enhance

energy efficiency.

The ‘smartness’ of the metering system

comes from being flexible and multifunctional,

able to enhance the management of distribu-

tion systems and improve energy efficiency.

Advantages of a Smart Metering systemRevenue managementThe SM system can provide accurate meter

readings, timeous billing, preprocessed read-

ings with VEE (validation, estimation and edit-

ing), and remote connect/disconnect. One of

the most important challenges municipalities

face in South Africa is to read meters and

produce accurate bills to enable customers

to pay their dues. It is not always possible

for meter readers to get access to a cus-

tomer’s premises, resulting in ‘no reads’ or


AFRICA

‘estimated’ readings on a customer’s bill. In

the case of SM, the consumption data will be

validated and any inconsistencies corrected in

the MDMS before it reaches the billing system,

ensuring much higher quality billing. The VEE

functions allow the utility to effectively manage

consumption levels, missing readings due to

meter failure and energy theft due to bypassing

of meters.

The SM system supports functionalities such

as remote connection/disconnection. If the

customer does not pay their bill, a warning can

be sent to the CIU. If no reaction from the cus-

tomer occurs, the supply can be switched off

remotely. As soon as payment takes place, the

supply can be restored immediately. An espe-

cially important benefit is that accurate meter

reading and billing will restore customer confi-

dence in the utility and result in an improved

payment performance.

Revenue protection (RP)Most utilities employ RP officials or contract

meter auditors to visit and inspect meter instal-

lations for safety and especially tampering

issues. SM systems can be this ‘guard dog’ to

monitor meters 24/7 and provide reading VEE

to detect anomalies, tamper detection, alarm

generation, energy balancing and loss detec-

tion, and non-payment/tamper disconnection.

While the visibility of meter officials motivates

customers not to tamper with meters, the main

challenge is the time and cost to maintain this

visibility. Soon after a meter audit, customers

tend to revert back to their old tampering habits

or pay ‘contractors’ to ‘adjust’ their metering

system! The SM system can provide a focused,

enhanced and more cost-effective RP service

for the utility.

Maintenance and planning Data collected from the SM system can be

used to identify maintenance actions as well

as network extension and upgrade planning.

Applications include distribution system load-

ing and power flow,

fault log system,

power quality (PQ)

information, sys-

tem loss measure-

ment, parameter

trending facilities,

m a i n t e n a n c e

aler t, job sched-

uling, and meter

error detection.

Meter failures

can be detected

immediately and

the necessar y

maintenance and

repair teams activat-

ed. Customer service

will improve due to prompt reaction to failures

in the distribution network. Capital and main-

tenance budgets can now be based on opera-

tional information from the SM systems rather

than ad hoc measurements in the network.

Keeping customers informedCustomers can either accept and use the

SM facilities or view it as a method to ‘spy’

on them and force them to pay for services.

Whatever the case may be, the customer

should be persuaded and shown that the SM

provides essential and useful information,

such as consumption feedback, cost and tariff

information, outage warnings, bill payment

information, remote disconnection/reconnec-

tion, and prepayment options.

For successful implementation of SM, it must

be to the advantage of the customer in terms

of energy management, as well as the improve-

ment of services. The SM system opens a new

communication channel to customers to inform

them of the actions and

intentions of the util-

ity without reverting

to call centres and

the media.

Demand control Many African coun-

tries are in the

predicament that

the demand for

electricity is at

times very close to

or exceeds the supply

capability. The SM sys-

tem provides meth-

ods of managing the

demand for electricity

on the consumer side of the supply network

through direct control of devices such as gey-

sers, air conditioners and pool pumps, load

limiting during high demand/supply shortage

crisis situations, and indirect load and energy

efficiency control via TOU tariff structures. The

first method enables the utility to switch off

the supply to non-critical appliances such as

air conditioners, pool pumps and hot water

geysers, as well as other residential loads or,

motivate customers to disconnect loads them-

selves. The second method is to use TOU tariff

structures to reflect the actual cost of energy

at a particular moment and also send a strong

price signal to the customer. This information

enables the customer to reschedule certain

loads and save electricity cost, as well as

improve energy efficiency.

In conclusionSM has a place in African utilities to meet

the needs and particular characteristics of

Africa’s electricity consumers. SM is only

really smart if it is carefully integrated into the

distribution system with a specialised MDMS,

and the system used to improve business

processes, utility operations and particularly,

customer services.

*This article is based on the paper titled ‘When

is Smart Metering really smart?’ presented

at the 63rd AMEU Convention, Ekurhuleni,

by its author: Kobus van den Berg (PrEng),

BEng (Elec). MMedSc, MBA. Electrical engi-

neer, Aurecon)

SM MDMS

Revenue ManagementPQ

Customer Info

RP

NetworkmanagementMDMS

Demandmanagement

MaintenancePlanning

CIU

Load Switch

SM data flow

FIGURE 1: Data flow to various functional applications

ABOVE Collecting vast amounts of system data is in itself pointless


SANRAL

THE PROJECT, BEING undertaken for

the South African National Roads

Agency SOC (Sanral), includes both

the rehabilitation of the existing N2

Section 11 from the eastern boundary of

the Coega IDZ (km 56.0) to the Colchester

(69.0 km), and the construction of a new

carriageway to the south of the existing road.

The project is referred to as the N2 Coega to

Colchester project. The completed dual car-

riageway cross section will comprise 2 x 3.7 m

lanes, a 2.5 m wide outer shoulder and a 1 m

wide inner shoulder per carriageway, with a

17.4 m wide median. The project is approxi-

mately 80% complete, having commenced in

November 2010. The anticipated completion

date is February 2014.

This contract was initiated by Sanral to

improve the capacity of the N2 between Port

Elizabeth and the Nanaga Interchange. This

link of the N2 carries the highest volume of

intercity traffic on the national road network in

the Eastern Cape and reached the point where

improvement was required.

The need to provide an additional carriage-

way presented the opportunity to construct

the new carriageway first while not inter fer-

ing with the traffic on the existing road.

Once completed, traffic was diver ted onto

the new carriageway and provided unlimited

access to the existing one in order for the

contractor to undertake the required reha-

bilitation work. Undertaking the work in this

way limited the impact on the travelling public

substantially, which is always a concern on a

multi-year project.

The roadwork aspects of the contract include:

• construction of mass earthworks for the

new carriageway

• construction of selected and sub-base layers

using gravel and crushed borrow pit material.

• construction of a crushed stone base and

asphalt surfacing

N2 SECTION 11

Bring out the Rolls RoyceA professional team on a road contract in the Eastern Cape has been hampered by record rainfall during two winters and out-of-the-ordinary piling challenges for one of the bridge elements being constructed. Richard Jansen van Vuuren visited the site.

Backfilling a services trench

• the replacement of existing

drainage culverts smaller than

600 mm in diameter

• extension or reconstruction

of existing drainage culverts

where required

• construction of sub-surface drains

and lined open drains

• upgrading of the existing at-grade

intersections providing access to

Cannonville and Colchester

• Relocation and protection of exist-

ing services

• relocation and upgrading of street

lighting on the section between

the Cannonville and Colchester

at-grade intersections

• provision of drains and

mitre banks

• provision of all other roadwork

ancillaries required, including road signs and

markings, fencing and guard rails

• opening and final rehabilitation of borrow pits

• construction of approximately 1.6 km of sur-

faced access road to provide alternative access

for affected parties as a result of the removal

of the overpass bridge at Cannonville.

The structural work under the contract includes:

• construction of a new bridge over the

Sundays River

TABLE 1 Culverts constructed during the contract

LOCATION (KM)

STRUCTURE NO. NAME TYPE SIZE

59.00 C172Uitenhage Road agricultural underpass

Major culvert underpass

2.450 m x 2.450 m in-situ concrete box culvert

63.09 C173The Downs agricultural underpass



64.02 C174 CerebosMajor culvert underpass


64.92 C0291Cannonville underpass



• raising of the existing bridge over the

Sundays River

• extension of three agricultural underpasses

• construction of an underpass

• two cuttings near the Sundays River are

through dunes that are situated inside the

existing road reserve. The cutting will be sup-

ported by a reinforced earth retaining system.

Sundays River BridgeThe N2 crosses the Sunday’s River at

64.76 km. The upgrading of the N2 to a dual

carriageway therefore required the construc-

tion of a new bridge over the Sundays River to

accommodate the new westbound carriageway.

The existing bridge is approximately 3.2 km

from the sea, with tidal movement under it.

The bridge will have a similar configuration and

design as the existing bridge in order to limit

the hydraulic impact of multiple bridge struc-

tures as well as for aesthetic reasons. The new

bridge will consist of six spans of 33.53 m with

a total length of 201.2 m. The overall width

of the new bridge will be 12.5 m, which will

be sufficient to allow for 3 x 3.5 m lanes and

1.0 m shoulders of the facility to be upgraded

to a six-lane freeway in the future. Precast

concrete F-shape parapets of 1.1 m high are to

be used. The bridge is founded on exceptionally

deep piles – more specifically 45 m auger piles.

What made the piling more challenging was a

3.5 m boulder layer located at 36.5 m depth

as well as the high water table caused by the

tidal river. All the piles are socketed 5.0 m into

the mudstone formation underlying the boulder

layer. The initial estimate of four days per pile

turned into 12 days per pile. An alternative

method was sought as it had become apparent

that the initial oscillator rig was not coping with

the geological demands and the piling contrac-

tor brought out what many considered as the

“Rolls Royce” of piling rigs – a Bauer 36 BG

equipped with a torque multiplier. The new piling

rig increased the rate at which the piles were

installed to achieve the original rate of four

days per pile. The delays suffered as a result

of the initial slower rate of pile installation was

overcome by a considerable effort by the main

contractor in order to accelerate the construc-

tion of the bridge in order to still complete the

contract within the allowed time for completion.

The new bridge is approximately 90% complete.

Raising the existing bridge over the Sundays RiverBased on the hydraulic study, it was resolved that

the bridges needed to cross the Sundays River at

a level which is 2.25 m higher than the level of

the existing bridge in order to provide the required

freeboard in the event of a one in a hundred year

flood. In this regard, the new bridge was built to

new higher level and the existing bridge will be

SANRAL

TABLE 2 Bridges constructed during the contract

LOCATION (KM)


64.76 B1215Sundays River Bridge

Road bridge over river 6 x 33.528 m spans

TABLE 3 Bridges to be demolished during the contract

LOCATION (KM)


65.29 639Cannonville Overpass

Road bridge over road1 x 26.3 m span + 1 x 11.5 m span


SANRAL


WIRE ROPE

QUADGUARDS

ALPHA 70K TMA

END TERMINALS

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Port Elizabeth 041 486 3674 | Bloemfontein 051 432 0707

Web: www.armcorsp.co.za

raised to the same level once the new bridge has

been completed.

Cannonville Overpass BridgeThe existing Cannonville Overpass at km 65.29

provides access to 13 properties north of the N2

and forms a link between these properties and

the southern residential areas of Cannonville.

The bridge has a history of settlement, which

caused vertical clearance problems on the N2.

As a result, a dip formed in the vertical alignment

of the N2 under the bridge. Correcting the verti-

cal alignment as part of the rehabilitation of the

existing N2 would require the raising of the bridge

as well as attending to the bridge’s founding

conditions. The aforementioned would effectively

result in rebuilding the existing bridge. It would

therefore be more economical to construct a new

access road to replace the function of the bridge.

The overpass bridge will therefore be demolished

once the access road has been completed. In

addition to the access road, a single lane under-

pass is being constructed to maintain a grade

separated crossing between the northern and

southern parts of Cannonville.

Eastbound carriagewayThe existing carriageway was built in the 1970s

with a cement stabilised base course layer. This

method of construction has subsequently fallen

out of favour as a result of the significant block

cracking that occurred in these layers due to the

shrinkage of the strongly cemented material.

Although the cracking in itself is not problematic

it is the secondary distress that forms thereafter

(washing out of material under the blocks that

lead to further fragmentation of the blocks under

the action of the traffic that ultimately leads to

break outs, which form dangerous potholes) that

is problematic.

The stiffness of the existing base layer has

protected the underlying pavement and as a

result little deformation has taken place on this

section of the road. The exception being the

outer edge where the base course material was

not cemented to the same extent and the mode

of failure includes deformation. In order to take

advantage of the high strength offered by the

existing cemented base layer, it was decided to

construct the new C3 subbase layer and crushed

stone base layer on top of the existing road after

N2 Coega to Colchester project participants:

Employer• Sanral

Consulting engineers• SFC Engineers/Aurecon Joint Venture

Main contractor• Concor Roads and Earthworks

Suppliers• Kaytech• Concrete 4 U• Doka• Steeldale• PPC Cement• Much Asphalt• Colas• Afrimat

Subcontractors• Dura Soletanche• Freyssinet• Ibhayi Contracting

SANRAL


some of the worst areas were repaired by means

of removing the distressed material and replacing

it with new cement treated material as well as

strengthening the outer edge that was previously

not cemented to the same extent.

With the existing base course now being the

new subbase layer, the road would have a high

load-bearing capacity. Constructing the road

in this way was not only advantageous from

a load-bearing point of view but also the more

economical option.

The surfacing for the rehabilitated road com-

prises a new semi-gap graded asphalt with rolled

in chips between 56.0 km and 64.8 km. The

bitumen used for the aforementioned comprised

A-P1 binder. The section between 64.8 km and

69.0 km will be surfaced with a combination of

40 mm medium continuously graded asphalt fol-

lowed by a 20 mm ultra-thin friction course mate-

rial. The latter was viewed being more suitable to

reduce the traffic-related noise for the adjacent

residents of Cannonville and Colchester.

Westbound carriageway The results of the centre line materials sur-

vey indicated from the start of the project to

approximately km 60.00 of the carriageway is

underlain by calcrete to a depth exceeding 1 m.

The calcrete is generally covered with 100 to

300 mm of sand or sandy silt, typically of G9

quality. Beyond km 60.00, the underlying cal-

cretes are replaced with deep sands and silty

sands. The subgrade conditions did not require

any special treatment for the construction of

the new carriageway, which was constructed

using a fairly conventional design comprising

two cement stabilised subbase layers and a

crushed stone base layer. The surfacing use for

the new carriageway is the same as that used

for the rehabilitated carriageway.

Unexpected weather conditionsDuring the course of the contract, two of the

wettest years on record were experienced.

The recorded rainfall was more than double

the long-term average rainfall. Some 798 mm

and 821 mm rain were measured on-site in

2011 and 2012 respectively, as opposed to

346 mm, which is the long term average. In

October 2012 a total 271 mm of rain was

measured on site while 233 mm was recorded

over eight consecutive days, making it the

wettest October month on record. Fortunately,

it was a near coastal event and the Sundays

River did not go into flood. However, in spite

of the more than expected rainfall, the contrac-

tor still managed to keep the progress of the

work on track and all indications are that the

work will be completed within the allowed time

for completion.

Piles for the Sundays River Bridge are 45 m deep

People interviewed in this article

Jan Verduyn, resi-dent engineer: SFC Engineers/Aurecon Joint Venture

George Langeneg-ger, assistant resi-dent engineer: SFC Engineers/Aurecon Joint Venture

Junior Nortje, site agent: Concor Roads and Earthworks

Renaldo Lorio, San-ral project manager

SANRAL

THIS CAME ABOUT

through a success-

ful tender bid made

to Sanral by Bosch

Stemele and BCP Engineering,

which sees them jointly commis-

sioned to undertake the project.

As work progressed, it became

evident that further maintenance

was needed and this appointment

was extended to include an addi-

tional adjoining 15 km of the N2.

The necessity of the project

EASTERN CAPE

N2 overlay and resealBosch Stemele, in a joint venture with BCP Engineering, is undertaking the special maintenance of a 15 km section of the N2 to the west of Port Elizabeth.

became clear earlier on as this 30 km portion of

dual carriageway, from Van Stadens River Bridge

to the Bramlin Interchange, is in dire need of

structural maintenance. The portion of road had

last received maintenance in the mid-1990s,

resulting in the surfacing exhibiting severe forms

of distress.

Bosch Stemele and BCP Engineering’s investi-

gations showed that with minor exceptions, the

layer works below the surfacing were adequate

for the design life traffic if they were kept dry.

The team therefore set about upgrading the

surface drainage, as well as subsoil drainage,

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SANRAL

IMIESA April 2013 27BS Imiesa Half Page FINAL.ai 1 2013/03/15 8:20 AM

in both the median and outer edges of the car-

riageways. The project required some special

attention as much of the surrounding terrain

was very flat, requiring them to pay particular

attention to ensuring free flowing side drains,

resulting in the need for concrete lining.

This was followed by extensive repairs of the

distressed roadway surfacing by milling out

the top layer of asphalt and replacing it with

new asphalt. This was restricted generally to

the slow lanes to allow traffic flow. Selected

deep structural patches were also undertaken

ensuring that the road will be better equipped to

withstand its traffic load.

Structural assessment of the pavement indi-

cated that a 40 m asphalt overlay was required

for the Van Stadens to St Albans interchange

section. Similar assessments led to opting for a

surfacing seal for the St Albans interchange to

the Bramlin Interchange portion.

The asphalt overlay comprised a semi-gap

mix, utilising an E2 polymermodified bind-

er to improve rut resistance, with 19 mm

rolled-in chips at the sur face to improve

skid resistance.

The surfacing seal comprised a

19 mm/6.7 mm double seal with

modified binder. The 6.7 mm aggre-

gate was split into two applications,

the first a choke layer to close off the

19 mm shoulder voids and the sec-

ond a cover layer to provide a dense

6.7 mm carpet as the final trafficked

sur face. Due to the very course

texture of the existing aged asphalt,

a texture correction treatment was

required to the westbound slow lane.

A fine slurry was applied as texture

correction and it was exposed to traf-

fic prior to seal work commencing.

Bosch Stemele and BCP

Engineering successfully completed

the Van Stadens to St. Albans por-

tion in December 2010 at a final contract

value of R80 million. The reseal of the St

Albans to Bramlin section is currently nearing

completion, with the seal work expected to be

completed before the start of Sanral’s winter

seal embargo. The final contract value is esti-

mated at R30 million.

OPPOSITE The portion of road had last received maintenance in the mid-1990s, resulting in the surfacing exhibiting severe forms of distress

ABOVE Bosch Stemele and BCP Engineering successfully completed the Van Stadens to St Albans portion in December 2010

bidim R


ROADS AND STORMWATER

ROAD AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION

R228 million upgrade of the R55After successfully completing the R200 million Phase 1 section of the

infrastructure upgrade project in November 2010, SMEC South Africa was

appointed as the project management consultant for Phase 2 of the project

undertaken by the Gauteng provincial government. Richard Jansen van Vuuren

met with SMEC South Africa technical director Tshepo Matshego on-site.

PHASE 1 ENTAILED the construc-

tion of a dual carriageway between

the N14 freeway and Wierda

Road. Phase 2 involved more than

R228 million worth of upgrading and reha-

bilitation work to the 4.2 km section of the

R55 carriageway from Sunderland Ridge to

Laudium, a major ar terial road between

Johannesburg and Pretoria, which also con-

nects the region to the N14 freeway.

SMEC South Africa technical director,

Tshepo Matshego, explained that the com-

pany’s scope of work included the upgrade

of the road from a single carriageway to a

dual carriageway, and the construction of two

bridges over the Hennops River. To improve

safety and night-time visibility, 10 km of

street lighting was installed over the full

length of the road, from the N14 interchange

into Laudium.

“The narrow 6-metre-wide single carriage-

way could not cope with the increased traffic

volumes, and SMEC South Africa designed

the works such that the appointed contractor

constructed the new carriageway while leav-

ing the existing road open to minimise the

impact on traffic,” he explained.

“The fully completed carriageway is world

class, and is now separated by a wide

median and paved shoulder to ensure fur ther

motorist safety.”

ABOVE Compacting fill as part of the shaping of the road prism to the desired levels

RIGHT SMEC South Africa technical director, Tshepo Matshego

BELOW Applying precoated chips to the asphalt



Matshego noted that the erection of the two

bridges over the Hennops River proved to be

a major challenge, due to the dolomitic nature

of the soil, which is prone to sinkholes.

“In order to ensure the structural integrity

of the bridges, we had to make sure that

the bridge piles were securely founded on

subsur face rock, which was up to 25 m deep

at cer tain points.”

The piles were successfully sunk using

the ODEX piling method, which involves the

application of pressurised air during excava-

tion to remove any debris.

Matshego added: “While this method

proved to be successful, it took longer than

anticipated to sink the piles due to the fact

that pockets of underground air caused the

excavation machinery to jam. Despite this,

we managed to reach bedrock with piles vary-

ing between 8 and 25 m in depth.”

Matshego highlighted the fact that unsea-

sonably high rainfall between December

2010 and March 2011 also proved to be a

major challenge.

“The heavy rainfall and variability of the

ground conditions delayed the piling works

for five months, which in turn delayed the

progress on the two bridges crossing the

Hennops River. Some isolated sinkholes also

developed on the road, which required rectifi-

cation and bridging by utilising geotextiles to

strengthen the immediate areas.”

Commenting at the official opening of the

new R55 dual carriageway, Gauteng MEC for

Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi, hailed the

project as an overwhelming success.

“The successful and timely completion

of this dual carriageway ensures that road

users are provided with a safe and quality

alternative route to the Ben Schoeman free-

way, which often sees heavy traffic volumes.

I thank all contractors for the quality of the

road, and its timeous delivery,” he stated at

the time.

In addition to creating a more advanced

and efficient road network for motorists,

Matshego pointed out that Phase 2 of the

R55 upgrade project also generated skills

development within the surrounding commu-

nities, with more than 150 local jobs created

as a direct result of the project.

“All of the locally employed contractors

received full training and cer tificates of quali-

fication in their respective fields, which will

go a long way in ensuring that they are better

equipped for future employment.”

Looking to the future, Vadi announced at

the opening ceremony that the remaining

ABOVE Members from the EPWP programme constructing side drains

BELOW Asphalting the final layer onto the road



sections of the R55, between Main Road in

Laudium and Maunde Street in Atteridgeville,

would be scheduled for rehabilitation in the

next financial year at an estimated cost of

R50 million. Matshego added that he was

confident that SMEC South Africa is in a

strong position to be awarded this extension,

given the company’s excellent track record on

the project to date.

RIGHT Predrilling for the piling operation at the Hennops River bridge

BELOW Piling operation at the Hennops River bridge


New shoulders for Northern Cape routesUpgrading strategic routes interconnecting South Africa’s Northern Cape hinterland, Roadmac Surfacing Cape (Roadmac) is currently pressing ahead on four major road projects for Sanral.

THREE OF THESE contracts are on

Route 27 (R27), starting at Calvinia

and extending northwards beyond the

town of Brandvlei. The total incremen-

tal distance is around 210 km, split equally into

approximately 70 km portions that are running

concurrently, requiring precise project planning

and delivery. The scope of works on all sections

entails the strengthening and widening of the

existing road surface, plus a new reseal.

Roadmac started on the initial Calvinia sec-

tion some nine months ago, with the balance

of the projects awarded in set phases. The

middle and second section, awarded in October

2012, runs south from Brandvlei, while the third

travels 70 km north from Brandvlei to Verdoorst

(Section 10) and commenced in May 2012.

Running parallel with these projects is a fourth

Sanral widening, repair and reseal contract on

the N7 between the towns of Vanrhynsdorp

(km 0.00) and Bitterfontein (km 80.42), which

commenced in August 2012.

Upgrades on the R27 cater for rising traffic

volumes, particularly from heavy vehicles ser-

vicing industries that include salt and gypsum

mines surrounding Brandvlei. The current road

width along the R27 is 6 m, which will now be

widened by 1 m on both sides to include a full

TOP RIGHT Roadmac Surfacing Cape’s recently acquired Cat RM500 rotary mixer deployed on a section of the R27

RIGHT The current road width along the R27 is 6 m, which will now be widened by 1 m on both sides to include a full width shoulder

OPPOSITE From left to right: Christo Ihlenfeldt, Barloworld Equipment Bellville Cat sales professional; Christie de Klerk, plant manager, Roadmac Surfacing Cape; Charlie Backlund, MD, Roadmac Surfacing Cape; and Dieter Rencken, contracts manager, Roadmac Surfacing Cape

INTENSIVE REHABILITATION

width shoulder. The same design approach is

being constructed by Roadmac on its N7 project.

“Our scope of works also includes the repair

of failed sections using in-situ reclamation

techniques,” explains Dieter Rencken, Roadmac

Surfacing Cape’s contracts manager.

Sub-base layer works on both

the shoulders and in-situ repairs

are being cement stabilised.

Road construction material is

sourced from two hard rock

quarries, with on-site crush-

ing and screening carried

out by Raubex Group entity,

B&E International.

To meet these intensive

contracts, Roadmac is deploy-

ing an extensive plant fleet.

This includes the recent addi-

tion of a Cat RM500 rotary

mixer, supplied and supported by Barloworld

Equipment’s Bellville operation. This Cat unit is

being deployed on one of the R27 sections and

there forms a key component of the construc-

tion works.

Commenting on the RM500’s performance




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to date, Rencken says that the unit has shown

itself to be an excellent all-rounder in both mill-

ing and mixing applications, particularly when

facing tough and varied ground conditions.

“In this respect, the RM500 is well-suited to

the challenging demands placed on it, and we

are achieving good daily advance rates in line

with the construction programme.”

Powered by a Cat C15 ACERT engine delivering

a gross power output (SAE J1995) of 403 kW,

the Cat RM500 is Caterpillar’s flagship recycler.

The machine has an operating weight of approxi-

mately 28 145 kg.

“Equipped with the 2.4-metre-wide Cat uni-

versal rotor, comprising 200 carbide-tipped bits

arranged in a chevron pattern, the RM500

excels in reworking dense in-situ materials, cut-

ting and mixing to a maximum depth of 406 mm,

and in the process achieves the highest levels

of material pulverisation and gradation,” says

Christo Ihlenfeldt, Barloworld Equipment Bellville

Cat sales professional.

These and other technological innovations

continue to drive Roadmac Surfacing Cape’s

road rehabilitation business model, where the

company has experienced major growth over the

past 10 years. Recently completed milestone

contracts include a 17-month repair and reseal

project on the N1 north of Laingsburg, which

involved around 100 000 m³ of in-situ recycling

over a 70 km section.

“Given South Africa’s matured road infrastruc-

ture environment, the emphasis by national

and provincial government departments is on

maintenance and rehabilitation, areas where in-

situ recycling is the preferred approach,” adds

Rencken. “It’s a fast and efficient method.”

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WATER AND WASTEWATER

ACCORDING TO PETER Shepherd,

partner and principal hydrologist in

the Johannesburg office of SRK

Consulting (SA), the problem is fur-

ther exacerbated by the uneven distribution and

seasonability of rainfall, with 43% of rain falling

on just 13% of the land. Also, the major urban

and industrial developments are some distance

away from the country’s larger water courses.

He says that per capita water consumption

in urban areas, where about 25% of our water

is used, is about 200 ℓ/d – an unsustainable

quantity for our available resources.

“We are not a country with unlimited water

resources and our water usage will exceed our

available freshwater within the next 20 years,”

states Shepherd.

Thirsty habits require

ongoing innovation

As citizens in a semi-arid country, South Africans are wasteful water users, using as much as five times more water per person than they should.

WATER USAGE

“We urgently need to review our water usage

habits,” he explains.

“The more water we use, the more we have to

find and we are running out of cheap and easy

places to source water.”

South Africa already transports water over

great distances – about 10% of our water

originates from Lesotho – and it becomes more

expensive as these distances grow.

“Our gardens are where a lot of our water is

used, so we need a more ‘water-wise’ approach

to how we design our gardens and choose our

plants,” says Shepherd. “Being vigilant about

water leaks is also vital; we could be losing

in excess of 20% of our water supply through

unattended leakages and ageing infrastructure,

despite good progress being made to renew

and improve municipal infrastructure.”

He says South Africans could learn from

neighbouring countries like Botswana, where

most low-cost houses are built with rainwater

tanks and innovative methods are used to

catch run-off t hat can infiltrate water into under-

ground water systems.

South Africa boasts top-class hydrological

skills, which have ensured that the country has

found ways to keep the taps on.

“We have some of the best hydrologists in the

world, who have also developed very good mod-

elling tools for us to understand and address

our water-related challenges,” he continues.

An important factor that strengthens the

country’s ability to manage scarce water

resources is the solid statistical platform that

underpins national strategies and the applica-

tion of technologies.

“However, our hydrology skills base is ageing

steadily and there are not enough qualified

youngsters coming through to fill the gaps that

are forming,” says Shepherd.

“The good news is that this is a broad and

exciting field for young South Africans to con-

sider as a career, and the demand for skills

is high.”

There is plenty of potential – researching and

understanding more about fields like ground-

water flow, modelling, yields and sustainable

exploitation, for example.

Even beyond hydrology itself, there are a

range of disciplines involved in the water

cycle, each of which is fertile ground for new

skills development.

“Hydrologists are engaged in quantifying vol-

umes in surface and groundwater resources,

and planning the size of dams, for instance,”

states Shepherd.

“Biodiversity experts would then examine

the in-stream flow requirements to estimate

how much water

is needed to stay

in the river to sus-

tain downstream

water users.

Environmental and

social scientists

would explore the

impact of a dam

on downstream

users, nearby villages and others affected by

the project. Only then could engineers get to

the design stage, and work with the contractor

to actually build the dam.”

The hydrology profession, he maintains, is

not doing enough to foster awareness among

school leavers, and promoting the potential

areas of work in the field of water management.

“School children know what a lawyer or

accountant does, but few school leavers know

what a hydrologist is,” he adds. “We’re not

doing ourselves any favours by our reticence to

better publicise the vast opportunities in this

exciting field of work.”

TOP Off channel storage dam – part of the Lebalelo water supply scheme

RIGHT Peter Shepherd, partner and hydrologist, SRK Consulting (SA)

BELOW Our water usage will exceed our available freshwater within the next 20 years


THE BUFFALO CITY Metropolitan

Municipality has appointed Royal

HaskoningDHV as the consultants on

the project.

“The UWTW was built in the early 1900s as

the main water supply to the borough of East

London and has been progressively enlarged

from the initial small, slow sand filtration plant

to the existing sophisticated treatment works

with an output of 120 Mℓ/d of purified water,”

explains project manager Victor Helberg.

The aim of the project is to meet the

increased drinking water demand caused by

new developments and the increasing number

Umzonyana WTW to receive R50 million upgradeThe 100-year-old Umzonyana Water Treatment Works (UWTW) is to be refurbished in a R50 million upgrade project, which will increase its treatment capacity by 30 Mℓ/d – from 120 to 150 Mℓ/d.

WATER DEMAND

of households in Buffalo City Metropolitan

Municipality (BCMM) area. This project will

ensure that the required volumes of clean

water for BCMM’s communities can be pro-

vided at the lowest possible cost, thus enabling

the municipality to fulfil its mandate of being

the Water Services Authority (WSA) and pro-

vider (WSP) to its constituents.

This upgrade, which is calculated to meet

the anticipated water demands for the next

15 years, will involve the designs and imple-

mentation for additional sedimentation tanks,

sludge ponds, upgrading of the Mdantsane

pump station Number 2, new chlorination and

ammonia plants as well as the completion of

the new inlet works.

“The project is especially challenging as por-

tions of previous upgrade work were designed

by other consultants and construction of cer-

tain works has been started but not complet-

ed,” says Helberg.

“Part of our remit is to investigate and incor-

porate those portions of works into the new

upgrade to ensure their effective and beneficial

use,” he explains.

BELOW An aerial view of the Umzonyana Water Treatment Works




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Sedimentation tanksThere are six sedimentation tanks with varying

capacity from 9.7 to 43.8 Mℓ/d. To increase

treatment capacity as

well as improve final

water quality, additional

sedimentation process-

ing is required.

Sludge lagoons/pondsCurrently, there are

three sludge lagoons

built in rocky outcrops

situated above in

the north part of the

Umzonyana Dam where supernatant is drained

back into the dam. Sludge lagoons fill up quick-

ly, hence construction of additional capacity

nearby is needed, including appropriate fencing

around new and existing lagoons.

Upgrading of the Mdantsane pump station Number 2This pump station comprises two pump sets,

and the new works will include installation of

a reflux valve on a 525 mm AC rising main,

upgrading of pump motors with new switch

gear, as well as a pos-

sible upgrading of the

adjacent substation.

Chlorine dosing plantThe existing plant will

be replaced by a new

construction, which

is envisaged to be

detached from the main

building. The design of

the new plant will be

future focused to accommodate upgrades and

compatible with the proposed modular form of

design where plant trials (1/3) for flocculent

can be run parallel to regular chemical (2/3),

dosing efficiency, etc.

Ammonia dosing plantThe current position of this plant is awkward in

terms of deliveries, hourly inspections as well as

safety of process controllers, especially at night.

“We will put forward an improved solution to

the client, which addresses current shortcom-

ings as well as investigating and recommend-

ing other forms of ammonia for use at the

UWTW,” states Helberg.

Completion of the new inlet works“The 900 mm diameter siphon from the

dam was due to be replaced by a 1 200 mm

diameter outlet from the bottom of the

dam but the construction was never com-

pleted and this work is par t of our scope

of works,” says Helberg. Also construction

of new holding tanks of flocculent to suit

the increased capacity and dosage trends

is par t of the works. Completion of the new

inlet works includes the refurbishment of

the existing +/-1 km by-pass canal around

Umzonyana Dam, together with fencing of the

dam perimeter.

The project was awarded to Royal

HaskoningDHV early in November 2012 and

work has commenced, with an anticipated

completion date of December 2014.

The aim of the project is to meet the increased drinking water demand caused by new developments and the increasing number of households


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of tanks suitable for the harsh South African climate and for export

into Africa and worldwide. SBS Tanks capabilities range from 12 kℓ to

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In 2012, SBS announced its accreditation to the Proudly South

African campaign and is proud to establish itself as a business that

Cost-effective water storage solutionsSBS Water Systems has announced the launch of its Proudly South African SBS Tanks product range.

URBAN AND RURAL

locally manufactures and supplies a range of tanks instead of import-

ing them.

ISO 9001: 2008 is the international standard for quality manage-

ment systems and cer tification to this standard provides a competi-

tive edge to companies, enabling them to assure confidence in their

products and service. ISO 9001:2008 provides structure and is

focused towards customer satisfaction and continual improvement.

SBS is moulding a company culture of excellence by implementing the

ISO 9001:2008 standard in its operations. SBS is looking forward to

incredible growth, and there is no doubt that exciting times lie ahead.

“The customer is our benchmark and SBS is completely focused on

exceeding customer expectations and ISO 9001:2008 is the per fect

tool,” explains Delayne Gray, managing director of SBS.

SBS is expected to hang its ISO 9001 flag high by November 2013.

“We have worked hard on the process of manufacturing our own

tanks and aim to supply both our new and current customers a cost-

effective product of premium quality,” concludes Gray.

BELOW SBS’s biggest tank being installed at Baynesfield (3.3 Mℓ)BOTTOM The entire process of installation at the Baynesfield site took only 13 days


NELSON MANDELA BAY


[email protected] | www.gibb.co.za | +27 11 519 4600

The Intelligent Choice

A STUDY CONDUCTED by consult-

ing engineering company GIBB on

the Noordhoek dune fields revealed

that the rate at which the dunes

were advancing nearly doubled from 14 to

25 m per year over the 20-year period.

The study also revealed that should growth

continue at this rapid rate, in approximately

10 years, dune sand will begin to swamp

Solutions for Nelson Mandela Bay dune fi eld issue

ENVIRONMENT

Dune fields, south-west of Nelson Mandela Bay have doubled their advance rate over a 20-year period between 1989 and 2009.

maturation ponds. Gibb was commissioned

by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to

evaluate the risk that the migration of the

Noordhoek dune field had on the Cape Recife

Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) and

other infrastructure in the region. The mandate

from the municipality stipulated that two alter-

native management methods be investigated,

one being the stabilisation of the Noordhoek

dune field and the other, the relocation of the

infrastructure in the area. With approximately

26 000 m3 of sand being blown inland every

year – the equivalent of around 5 000 truck-

loads – naturally removing accreting material

was not possible. Even if the means to do

so was available, the causative coastal pro-

cesses of long-shore drift and wind cannot be

stopped, as more sand will always arrive.


NELSON MANDELA BAY

Historically, convict labour and the introduc-

tion of alien plants originating from Australia

were used to stabilise dunes. This process

has been used in South Africa since 1845.

Today, because of weed regulations based on

the Conservation of Agricultural Resources

Act of 1983, this process is now prohibited

under the National Biodiversity Act.

The current industry best practice is to

only stabilise areas when absolutely neces-

sary, and even then only using indigenous

plant species. While this method is not in

contravention of any legislation, successful

stabilisation takes at least 5 years and is

costly and labour-intensive. Therefore due to

costs and legislative constraints, the process

of large-scale dune stabilisation is one that

could not be considered as the preferred

solution for this problem.

At first the

relocation of

the maturation

ponds and other

inf rastr ucture

to the nor th of

the WWTW was

the only alterna-

tive to the sta-

bilisation of the

dune field using

appropriate techniques. Abandoning of the

existing maturation ponds has considerable

advantages, as

it allows for the

reinstatement of

natural coastal

processes, offers

a permanent

solution unaf-

fected dune sand

and requires no

ongoing financial

expenditure and

staff commitment

to dune stabilisa-

tion work.

Unfor tunately,

the creation of a

new pond proved

rather costly

owing to unfa-

vourable topog-

raphy that required major ear thworks and

pumping of effluent to overcome gravity.

However, during the course of the study,

another option

emerged from

the research.

While aban-

doning of the

existing matu-

ration ponds

has consider-

able advan-

tages, a pro-

posed upgrade

of the WWTW presented the oppor tunity

to extend the existing deliver y of treat-

ed effluent for irrigation purposes to

more users than just the nearby Nelson

Mandela Metropolitan University and the

Humewood Golf Course. A return effluent

scheme supplying water to inner city and

beachfront lawns, flower beds and trees,

has long been on the cards. The improve-

ment in quality would now render this a

safe and highly desirable option.

Adopting the recommendations made

by the coastal specialist from GIBB’s

Environmental Sector, the Nelson Mandela

Bay Municipality has now appointed a

team of engineers from the Infrastructure

Sector to commence with the design for

the WWTW upgrade.

*Photograph by Richard Jansen van Vuuren

With approximately 26 000 m3 of sand being blown inland every year – the equivalent of around 5 000 truckloads – naturally removing accreting material was not possible

LEFT The Noordhoek dunefield

ABOVE A typical view of the dunes surrounding Algoa and St Francis Bays

When art and engineering meetURBAN LANDSCAPE

Donkin Reserve has a rich history and is both a part of the origins of Port Elizabeth

as well as the recently designed and constructed Route 67 Arts and Culture

Heritage Route through landmarks within the centre of the CBD. By Richard Jansen van Vuuren

DONKIN RESERVE IS essentially a

small open public space that was

proclaimed by the founder of the

city, Sir Rufane Donkin. It meas-

ures roughly the size of two small city blocks.

Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the

Donkin Reserve is the touching memorial to

Sir Donkin’s wife. This pyramid-shaped struc-

ture bears a plaque with the inscription: “To

the memory of one of the most perfect of

human beings who has given her name to the

town below.”

As local development drivers, the Mandela

Bay Development Agency in conjunction with

the National Lottery Distribution Fund launched

a public art campaign in 2009 on the Donkin

ABOVE View of the 470 m2 mosaic situated between the pyramid and the Great Flag celebrates the multicultural heritage, diverse histories and abundant fauna and flora that characterise the city and the Eastern Cape province


The Mandela Bay Develop-ment Agency (MBDA)

was established in 2003 by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) with support of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and is a special-purpose development company that has become the driving force behind urban regeneration in Nelson Mandela Bay. The agency operates under a mandate in terms of its articles of association and service delivery agreement with the NMBM. While the MBDA falls under the local authority, it operates as a separate entity, but works closely with relevant municipal directorates.Its aim is to project-manage the regenera-tion of the Port Elizabeth CBD with a view to promoting economic and tourism develop-ment against the backdrop of urban renewal. The mandate area of the MBDA includes the central area of the city, including the CBD,

as well as the existing harbour. While the metropolitan area covers roughly 1 950 km², the mandate area is only 10.39 km². However, since 2007, the MBDA has been mandated to extend its geographical reach to include other

parts of the metropolitan area, such as New Brighton, Uitenhage and Despatch, the Happy Valley area and the new stadium precinct.It is well known that Port Elizabeth has his-torically gone through a long period of urban decay and decentralisation from the inner city. The rationale for the establishment of the agency in 2003 was to create a special-purpose vehicle that would reverse the trend of urban decay and bring people and busi-ness back into the inner city by leveraging existing assets.In 2002, a number of planning studies were undertaken for the metro, including a vision for the inner city and the downtown study that focused on the CBD. A major recommenda-

What is the Mandela Bay Development

Agency?

NELSON MANDELA BAY

Reserve. The project is a phased initiative

that will ultimately see 67 pieces of public art

strategically placed around the Port Elizabeth

CBD. The project consists of four phases; the

fourth is currently nearing completion.

“Phase 3 was by far the most interesting of


NELSON MANDELA BAY

the phases, consisting of the con-

struction of the wheelchair access

path, more fondly called the snake

path by the locals,” explains

Rober t McSporran from Aecom’s

local branch.

“This phase consisted of approxi-

mately 240 m of retaining walls,

with a mixture of both fair-faced

concrete and reinforced concrete

cavity stone mason-

ry retaining walls.

The snake path was

designed to grades

to confirm to the

latest require-

ments for the dis-

abled in terms of

grades, providing

easy access from

Chappell Street

to the top of the

reserve,” he continues.

Central in the reserve is a massive

LEFT TOP A view from inside the Tower Sculpture acts as a beacon to announce the journey through the Donkin Reserve and responds to its sur rounding elements to allow wind and light to bring it to life

LEFT BOTTOM The access paths and steps overlook the harbour area of Port Elizabeth

flagpole measuring 60 m high, 45 m of which

was manufactured in Dubai, with the remain-

ing 15 m manu-

factured locally.

“The foundation

for the flagpole

consisted of a

50 m3 concrete

base measur-

ing 6 m x 6 m

x 1.2 m and a

stub column of

1.7 m x 1.7 m

x 1.5 m. The

flagpole has a diameter of 1 150 mm at the

bottom and 170 mm at the top. The South

“Donkin Reserve is a heritage monument

that is steeped in the colonial history of

the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality”

NELSON MANDELA BAY


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tion of those studies was the establishment of a develop-ment agency to implement a number of the projects iden-tified at that time. In 2004, the MBDA commenced with its first catalytic project: the Environmental Upgrading of Govan Mbeki Avenue.Current projects being undertaken by the MBDA include:• Donkin Reserve environmental upgrading:

The environmental upgrading of the Donkin Reserve has been about creating an activity space that means something to all residents of the city. Apart from being a space to use for activities, it is also designed as a central hub of art works and links right down to Strand Street via the proposed Route 67 Art Journey, which will tell the history and growth of the city in parallel with a celebra-tion of Nelson Mandela’s life.

• Upgrading of the Athenaeum: The MBDA is

spending over R3 million on renova-tions to the Athenaeum Building in Belmont Terrace, converting it back to its former glory and hoping to develop it as an arts and crafts hub that will be used seven days a week, attracting

residents and tourists to it and to the sur-rounding areas.

• Strand Street redevelopment: A first phase of the upgrading of Strand Street saw the reopening of old Jetty Street, albeit in the form of a pedestrian link between Vuyisile Mini Square and Strand Street. This has been achieved by breaking out the old concrete deck that covered and boxed in the bus station and introducing a new open stairway. Vuyisile Mini Square, the central city’s main square and the heart of its planned cultural precinct, will now be linked to the historic Campanile.

• Kings Beach redevelopment: MBDA is cur-rently in the process of awarding a tender


Agency?

African flag flies proudly and measures 15 m

x 10 m and is made from parachute mate-

rial,” states McSporran.

The project also included small items like

the wetland stairway, which required a com-

plex Vierendeel stress mechanism for the

design of the raking beams. All planting

and landscaping within the Donkin Reserve

A life-size laser-cut steel figure of Nelson Mandela heads a voting line that evokes a memory of voters as they were seen during South Africa’s first democratic elections

NELSON MANDELA BAY

consists of indigenous flora, which requires minimal main-

tenance. All watering is done through an irrigation network

supplied from an on-site underground borehole.

“Route 67 is a celebration of Nelson Mandela’s 67-year role

in South African politics and brings tourists to the histori-

cal centre of the city,” explains Mandela Bay Development

Agency’s (MBDA) planning and development manager,

Dorelle Sapere.

The MBDA was formed by the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro

(NMBM) as a development agency for the municipality and has

been tasked to implement various urban renewal initiatives

and projects in the metropolitan’s area.

“Route 67 will ultimately comprise 67 different pieces of

ar t that represent each year of Madiba’s contribution to

public life and each piece will represent a specific period

during these 67 years through quotes, media ar ticles and

historic events that helped shape South Africa into what it

has become today. The MBDA is aiming to make people of

the metro become more aware of what public ar t can do

towards creating an interactive urban space and also to

ABOVE LEFT The wheelchair access ramp to Donkin Reserve features crosses that represent people standing in the long queues to vote in the 1994 democratic elections. More than 3 000 of Nelson Mandela Bay’s youth left their marks on the path to indicate their roles as future voters

BELOW The mosaic stairs that interlink with the wheelchair ramp into Donkin Reserve represent an experiential journey that starts in darkness and turbulence, and progresses to a new dawn and explosion of colour, hope and new beginnings


NELSON MANDELA BAY


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Endorsing Associations As part of Media partners Organised by

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for a makeover of the city’s premier beachfront area, King’s Beach. An RFP was issued inviting consortia of specialist consultants in the fields of urban design/landscape architecture, civil engineering and transportation plan-ning to review existing plans for the King’s Beach area and then to prepare fresh plans for the area’s redevelopment as well as to oversee the implementation thereof. The net result, it is hoped, will be the re-creation of one of the jewels in the city’s tourism crown, attracting not only the spending power of outside visitors but drawing the city’s own residents to enjoy and appreciate the area again.

• Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Precinct: Since its completion, the iconic Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium has become one of Nelson Mandela Bay’s great identifying features and is something that residents are really proud of. However, its high

annual maintenance costs need to be offset by creating other revenue generating activities on the land surrounding the stadium while, at the same time, utilising that land to maximum advantage. This project

therefore has two components: market research and planning, and then imple-mentation. The first component involves an in-depth market research investigation designed to ascertain exactly what the real market wants in the area and can sustain. Once complete, the results of the research will be used in the preparation of a master plan that identifies specific sites for specific uses and activities in the areas around the stadium, all of which will form part of a revenue stream that will assist in sustaining the stadium as a via-ble, business operation. The implementa-tion will involve marketing the different sites to prospective developers who will, over time, develop the sites as identified in the master plan.


Agency?

engender a feeling of pride in the city.

Fur thermore, the creative industry in South

Africa is a largely untapped one and if cor-

rectly managed, will be able to become a key

driver for employment, social upliftment and

economic development,” explains Sapere.

“Donkin Reserve is a heritage monument

that is steeped in the colonial history of the

NMBM. As such, the redevelopment of this

public open space into one that celebrates

the Father of the Nation and the freedom

struggle is very symbolic of how we as a

people and country have progressed since

independence as we now want this public

space to become embraced by all the people

of Nelson Mandela Bay. We therefore see

this precinct becoming a vibrant centre for all

residents to visit and interact with the various

public ar t pieces as well as to come and visit

the Balcony of the City with its panoramic

views. We are also in the process of creating

a heritage precinct where we have just recent-

ly refurbished the Athenaeum Club building

just across the road, which is currently being

used to exhibit ar t pieces of over 200 local

ar tists,” highlights Sapere. * All photographs by Richard Jansen van Vuuren

INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY IS top of

the governmen t’s agenda and will be

spearheaded by the National Planning

Commission, which is chaired by the

Minister in The Presidency.

The Public-Private Infrastructure Forum, to

be held on 19 and 20 June at the Killarney

Country Club, Johannesburg, affords a further

critical platform for addressing the important

topic of infrastructure delivery and how it can

be implemented.

Ron Watermeyer and Abe Thela (depu-

ty president of CESA) will be among the

high-profile speakers.

Watermeyer will fur ther explain the

Infrastructure Delivery Management system

(IDMS) and its ISO standard developed from

the cidb toolkit and standard for uniformity. He

will explain how this system will be rolled out

in Cape Town and other metros.

The Public-Private Infrastructure Forum will

focus in greater depth on how the public

and private sectors can work together to

ensure the successful implementation of

the Infrastructure Plan, spear-headed by

The experts speak out on infrastructure deliveryAttend the Public-Private Infrastructure Forum to unpack the issues further.

the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating

Commission (PICC).

EXPERT SPEAKERS from government,

state-owned entities and the private sec-

tor will be invited to give presentations on

what the challenges are, what progress has

been made to date and what future solu-

tions are being proposed. Delegates from

the public and private sector will be able

to pose questions to the expert speakers.

Thereafter both speakers and delegates will

participate in workshop sessions to identify

sustainable solutions to the issues affecting

infrastructure development.

THE FORUM WILL FOCUS ON

• problems and solutions for government

implementation of the Infrastructure Plan

• problems and solutions for capacity building,

skills development and job creation

• problems and solutions for delivery of the

infrastructure plan by the private sector.

FIND OUT

• how government plans to transform the built

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environment and maintain current struc-

tures through its Presidential Infrastructure

Coordinating Commission and Infrastructure

Delivery Improvement Programme

• how the Infrastructure Delivery Management

System (IDMS) has been developed and will

be rolled out across the country

• how the cidb’s National Contractor

Development Programme will develop skills

to deliver on infrastructure goals

• how IMESA and SAICE are assisting with

capacity building to ensure that there are

the necessary engineering skills in munici-

palities and on tender boards

• how ECSA is repositioning the organi-

sation to align with the goals of the

Infrastructure Plan

• how CESA, SAICE and SAFCEC can solve

problems with execution and delivery,

and assist government in rolling out the

Infrastructure Plan

• what future opportunities will be available in

the construction sector

• how the public and private sector can work

together… AND MUCH MORE!

THE EXPERTSNazir Alli,CEO of South African Roads Agency Limited (Sanral)

Dr Oswald Franks, CEO of the Engineering Council of South Africa

Frank Stevens, President of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

Gerard Naidoo, Programme manager for growth and contractor development at the cidb

Abe Thela, Deputy president of Consulting Engineers South Africa

19 to 20 June 2013 Killarney Countr y Club, Jhb.

SASTT contact details:

Web: www.sastt.org.za

President: Michael king

Tel: (021) 417 2900Fax: (021) 417 2999

E-mail: [email protected]

Honorary director: Joop van Wamelen

Tel: (012) 567 4026 Fax: 086 668 4026

E-mail: [email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Tel: (011) 206 2000Fax: 086 517 8122

Email: [email protected]

JACKED PIPELINES a division of WK CONSTRUCTION (PTY)LTD

PIPE JACKING AUGER BORING

"Pioneers and leaders in South African Trenchless Technologies"

YOU ARE NEVER AN

ILLUSION IN OUR WORLD


SASTT

THE AWARD WAS presented in rec-

ognition of a contract that the com-

pany undertook for the Mandela Bay

Development Agency involving the

rehabilitation of two parallel sewers located in

the heart of Port Elizabeth’s CBD.

Trenchless Technologies’ managing

member Sam Efrat says that the ISTT

Annual Project Award is the highest

accolade available worldwide in the

trenchless technology industry and

is chosen from nominations received

from companies that are members

of the 30 ISTT-affiliated trenchless

societies across the globe.

The contract was undertaken by

Trenchless Technologies in con-

junction with Afri-Coast Consulting

Engineers, Sekisui Rib Loc Australia

(part of SPR Asia), subcontractor

Tuboseal as well as consultant Pipes

and Engineering Advice and Services.

Efrat explains that this was the sec-

ond phase of a two-phase project –

phase one was completed in 2009

Local entity receives highest accoladeSubsurface pipeline construction and rehabilitation company Trenchless Technologies has been awarded the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT) 2012 Annual Project Award.

ANNUAL PROJECT AWARD

and involved the reha-

bilitation of 570 m of

450DN sewer using

SPR EX technology,

as well as 560 m of

840DN sewer using

SPR PE spiral wound

technology. The pipe-

line rehabilitation

took place concurrent

with an urban envi-

ronmental upgrad-

ing project involving

decorative paving and

resurfacing works on

the surface above the

existing pipes.

Further downstream, the 450DN and 840DN

sewers increased in capacity to 525 mm and

1 000 mm in diameter. Phase two involved

the rehabilitation of these two sewers. Efrat

explains that what made this project unique

was its location – the 525DN

sewer was located beneath one

of Port Elizabeth’s busiest and

most heavily congested streets,

Govan Mbeki Avenue. Additionally,

the 1050DN sewer was located

underneath a newly constructed

Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) lane.

Considering that the BRT and road

lanes are utilised every day, only

non-destructive trenchless tech-

niques could be employed for the

rehabilitation of these pipelines.

Efrat explains that condition

assessments were carried out on

both sewers using CCTV inspec-

tion and cutting of windows from

the sewers for physical inspection.

LEFT Phase 1: 450 cast iron pipe before cleaning

ABOVE Trenchless Technologies’ managing member Sam Efrat

BELOW Phase 1 (before): 840 concrete sewer with deep sill worn away at pipe base


SASTT

Our range of services include:

• Pipe Bursting

• Horizontal Directional Drilling

• Pipe Rehabilitation

• Slip Lining

• Pipe R ming

• CCTV Inspection

• Dewatering

• Industrial Pipe Cleaning

• HDPE Welding

• Deep Excavation and Shoring

• Underground Service Detection

• Close-fi t lining: COMPACT PIPE

For more information you can contact us: +27 (0)21 761 3474 F +27 (0)21 797 1151 E [email protected] www.tt-innovations.co.za

Trenchless Technology Specialists

It was ascertained that the 525DN sewer was

severely corroded around its entire circumfer-

ence due to acidic effluent with pH values

measuring as low as 3.3. The sewer’s mortar

had corroded out of the construction joints and

was no longer watertight.

Additionally, the 1050DN sewer was severely

corroded above the water line and the reinforce-

ment was exposed and corroded away at plac-

es. Particularly severe deterioration occurred

at the sides and invert of the sewer due to a

combination of corrosion and erosion along the

sections of the sewer where the fluid velocity

was high. Efrat explains that this corrosion is

typical of what occurs in a sewer downstream of

a rising main where there is an accumulation of

gas due to long retention times. He points out

that it was estimated that sections of the sewer

would collapse within 10 years.

Speaking on the technology used by

Trenchless Technologies on the project,

Efrat explains: “Altogether the project used

five different trenchless techniques: spi-

ral wound expanded to a close fit, spiral

wound in-place, ambient cured-in-place pipe

(CIPP), UV CIPP and pipe bursting. The

contract was awarded based on utilising

spiral wound technology, namely SPR EX

for the 525 sewer and SPR RO for the

1050 sewer. However, during the project

unforeseen site conditions, such as a 15 m

90-degree radius bend on the 525 pipe and

a 43 m length of 800 mm diameter pipe

was discovered where the 1 000 sewer

reduces in size, which required the intro-

duction of additional ambient cure and UV

CIPP methods. Additionally, pipe bursting of a

225DN clay lateral pipe became necessary as

a cracked and leaking lateral 225DN clay pipe

was preventing plugging and over-pumping at a

critical manhole.”

Efrat adds that the

wide range of tech-

nologies used on this

project allowed for

a complete ‘no-dig’

solution that enabled

rehabilitation to take

place entirely through

access chambers.

What’s more, the solu-

tion was design-com-

pliant and the risk was

lower as the entire

process could be

reversed in the event

of unforeseen problems. With CIPP, once the

liner cures, it is extremely difficult to remove

in the event of a failure, whereas with spiral

wound it is far easier to remove your liner if you

have a failure, thus your risk is lower.

Despite the challenges encountered, the

combined team managed to pull off the suc-

cessful rehabilitation of the two sewer pipe-

lines without any disruptions to traffic or the

public. “This project is an excellent example

of using trenchless technology options to

address unanticipated site conditions allow-

ing the project to be completed success-

fully without excavation and site disruption,”

maintains Efrat.

LEFT Phase 1: 450 cast iron pipe after cleaning

BELOW Phase 1 (after): 840 concrete pipe after relining with Rib Loc Ribline


SASTT

THE PROJECT INVOLVED the instal-

lation of four ducks of 110 mm in

diameter over a distance of 130 m

through solid rock, crossing under N1

in Centurion and under the very active Gautrain

rail lines. “Several companies had failed and

the project had been waiting for a year or

two for the right contractor,” says Robert

‘Chico’ Garcia, JCS Pipeline’s operations and

horizontal directional drilling (HDD) manager,

adding that the evidence of previous contrac-

tors’ attempts to get all the way across were

cleary visible.

Challenging conditionsThe biggest challenge on-site was the hard

rock. “South Africa has some of the hardest

rock in the world,” says Garcia. The majority

of the bore was solid rock, tested at over

300 MPa. The continuous traffic on the N1

was also challenging, according to Garcia,

as well as the fact that the drilling had to

cross under the tracks of the Gautrain line.

“All of these are very different obstacles that

not everybody can overcome, but we did,”

states Garcia.

The equipment of choice in this challeng-

ing context was a downhole hammer sup-

plied by Vermeer’s alliance partner Pioneer,

on a Vermeer D130 x 150 drill rig, which

Craig Burnie, MD at Vermeer Equipment

Suppliers, says was sourced from Vermeer’s

Beijing Factory. The rig itself was designed for

large-diameter HDD projects and, according to

Burnie, has “the features and power needed

for demanding job site conditions”.

In addition, the open-top vice increases vis-

ibility for the operator and offers the ability to

set large tooling in the vice with ease.

The hammer in this case was used to trav-

erse the approximately 130 m of solid sub-

surface rock, after the initial hole was opened

to a diameter as prescribed by the consulting

engineers. “Using the hammer was Step 1 –

the hammer is only 160 mm in diameter – but

it allowed us to get all the way across, which

then allowed us to proceed with the rest of the

project,” explains Garcia.

The entire drilling process took only 15 days

for Garcia and his team from JCS Pipelines,

with the pilot bore itself done in only a couple

of days. Several days were required for a size-

able single jump to the final 355 mm hole

opener (rock reamer). “The hammer and rig

worked very well in the South African condi-

tions,” adds Garcia.

Training essential“Not many people have the experience to use

the hammer and the related equipment. This

takes a lot of specialised skill,” warns Garcia,

adding that the hammer and rig that Vermeer

supplied were supported by training from a

Pioneer specialist from the US, with Vermeer‘s

assistance, who showed Garcia and his team

exactly what the hammer and rig were capable

of. This allowed the already highly skilled team

to push the equipment to the limits of its capa-

bilities on-site in order to deliver on time and

according to exacting specifications.

“I was very impressed with the team from

Vermeer. They always give us outstanding

service and their aftersales service is also

excellent,” concludes Garcia.

Downhole drilling successA recent drilling project crossing under the N1 in Centurion, near the active Gautrain high speed rail, proved tricky until the right contractor for the job, armed with the right equipment, managed a breakthrough.

The entire drilling process on-site took only 15 days

HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING

PROFILE

IN 2011, an office was opened in South

Africa trading under the name Coleman

Tunnelling Africa. Coleman Tunnelling

offers a wealth of expertise in trenchless

technologies. This has been demonstrated by

numerous kilometres of completed tunnels

(of varying diameters, lengths and methodol-

ogy) that have been constructed in all types

of ground conditions over the years. “We

Shaking up South Africa's “situation normal”

have remained abreast of latest technology

by investing in modern equipment and train-

ing, thus ensuring that we can continuously

offer our clients cost-effective and innovative

trenchless crossing solutions,” explains South

African contracts manager, Luke Woodhams.

Coleman Tunnelling offers various trench-

less technologies, from conventional

hand-excavated tunnels to mechanised tun-

nelling, with on-site staff that have the skill

set to ensure efficient implementation, which

they have mastered over many years of work-

ing on projects around the world in all types

of ground conditions. The use of modern

technologies significantly reduces the amount

of time that an excavation face is open at the

head of the tunnel; this reduces the disruption

GLOBAL EXPERTISE

Coleman Tunnelling’s late founding member, John Coleman, is considered to have

been a pioneer of trenchless technology and was a founding member of the Pipe

Jacking Association, originally established in the UK. Under his leadership the

company expanded its market base over several decades, undertaking projects

throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.



PROFILE

Luke Woodhamst +27 (0)79 388 8031

e-mail: [email protected]

of the local in-situ strata which, in turn, limits

the risk of settlement above the length of

the tunnelling activities. In addition, it limits

the number of people operating within the

danger zone. “Ground conditions dictate the

mode of tunnelling for each and every cross-

ing and we strive to carry out these crossings

in the safest and most cost-effective way,”

says Woodhams.

Coleman Tunnelling Africa has introduced

auger boring, mechanised excavated tunnels

– “digger shields” – and microtunnelling. To

date, Coleman Tunnelling has carried out

three major projects in South Africa utilising

modernised techniques, namely:

Transnet New Multi-Product Pipeline – this

project can be broken down into two separate

contracts. For the 16 and 24-inch pipelines, we

installed a total of 1 500 m respectively. The

tunnels were installed in all types of ground

conditions ranging from running sands to hard

rock. To cope with the varying ground condi-

tions and the tight programme of works, we

mobilised four auger boring crews.

Mahatma Gandhi Road Project – this project

consisted of 221 m of 1200ND precast con-

crete pipes with a MDPE liner sewers with a

design curve radius of 353 m. The proposed

tunnel was constructed under existing live

road and sewers throughout the length of the

tunnel in saturated/tidal sands; as stated

previously, the ground conditions dictated the

method of tunnelling, therefore on this project

we introduced microtunnelling using AVN1200

Microtunnel so as to allow continued use of the

road above while tunnelling along the road and

underneath the existing services.

Sasol Gauteng Network Pipeline Projects

– this project consisted of 21 crossings total-

ling 946 m of 900ND precast concrete jacking

pipes in various types of ground conditions.

To cope with the demanding programming of

works we mobilised two auger boring crews.

OPPOSITE 36-inch auger bore in running sands in Angola. Bored from a sheet piled cofferdam into a receiving sheet piled cofferdamABOVE LEFT 36-inch auger bore under the N3 highway (Sasol Gauteng Network Pipeline)ABOVE RIGHT 200 mm nominal diameter drill and blast pipe jack (Olifants River Water Resources Development Project - Phase 2. Steelpoort)BELOW LEFT Recovery of the AVN1200 microtunnelling machine for the Mahatma Gandhi Sewer Project (Durban)BELOW RIGHT 42-inch auger bore using a rock head for the Gully Crossing on the BTC/SCP Pipeline


ADVERTORIAL

t +27 (0)11 845 4247 – Johannesburg +27 (0)31 465 2024 – Durban +27 (0)21 945 2416 – Cape Town

Corrocoat SA’s linings and coatings can be tailored to suit almost any environment. Advantages include

impressive savings when compared to overall life cycle costs, reduced downtime and increased life expectancy.

FLUIGLIDE FRICTION REDUCING ENERGY COATING SYSTEMS – INCREASED EFFICIENCY

PIPELINE MAINTENANCE USING PIPE PIGGING TECHNIQUES

Electrical power costs savings are possible by the use of new technology in coating materials, aimed at maximising the performance of pumping systems.

Water pumps can be fine-tuned to either increase volume or decrease pressure and/or save electrical pumping costs.

Corrocoat has a proven fluid efficient lining, namely Fluiglide. Fluiglide offers dual benefits; the system not only achieves a notable increase in overall

efficiency levels, but also provides an effective corrosion barrier, preventing a premature drop in performance due to nodular growth and surface corrosion.

Performance tests carried out by water authorities verify and quantify these benefits and indicate that short-term payback times of less than a year can be

expected. Introduced in 1985, the system has been applied to pumps, inlet pipework and discharge manifolds in pump stations worldwide.

Over an expected lifespan of 20 years, only 2.5 to 3% of the cost of pump operation relates to the purchase price of equipment, with a further 2 to 2.5%

attributable to maintenance costs. The remaining 95% is consumed in the cost of the electrical power to run the unit. With the ever-increasing cost of energy

over the life of a pump the potential savings from the average 4 to 5% improvement in fluid efficiency achieved by the Fluiglide system, fast payback on

the initial lining costs can be expected. Visit www.corrocoat.com.

Pipelines transport large quantities of raw water, potable water, sewage etc. Just as with any other technical component, pipelines can deteriorate with

time and eventually fail due to corrosion or block up with scale or sediment.

WATER FLOW RESTRICTED BY CORROSION BUILD AND DEBRIS

INCREASED WATER FLOW AFTER CLEANING USING PIPE PIGGING TECHNIQUES

MECHANICAL CLEANING

SCRAPER PIGSCALE REMOVAL IN FRONT OF CLEANING PIG

Pigging techniques for mechanical and chem-

ical cleaning can be used for the removal

of old internal bitumen linings, crumbling

cement mortar linings as well as mud, algae

and biofilms. Removal of fat and sediment

from sewer lines can also be achieved.

New lining material developments, revised appli-

cation methods and modified pigging equipment

have made it possible to apply thick film linings

as corrosion barriers to the internals of pipes

using pigging techniques.

Using pigging techniques instead of water jetting means that much longer pipelines can be cleaned while buried under ground. New confined space legisla-tion will no longer allow man access into pipelines of 600 NB or less.

Reduce electrical pumping costs and save money

Several Corrocoat materials have SABS potable Water Certifi cation

S imply put, rehabilitating pipelines as long as 20 km can now be achieved, creating a structural GRP pipe within an existing steel or concrete pipe. These

new materials offer chemical, temperature and abrasion resistance for the internal protection of pipelines.

As part of the larger worldwide Corrocoat Corrosioneering Group, comprising more than 47 operations across five continents, Corrocoat SA has the

necessary resources and research and development capabilities to offer turnkey corrosion engineering solutions to all spheres of industry, regardless of

project size or complexity.

• www.corrocoat.co.za

SASTT


Trenchless versus traditional

Trenchless technology is recognised as environmentally and sociably acceptable

COMPARING COSTS

THE POTENTIAL USE and application

of trenchless technology in rehabili-

tation or renewal of water services

in Australasia is staggering, with an

This article compares costs and discusses the factors that impact a project and the environment and society that should be considered when selecting the appropriate pipeline construction methodology.By Steve Apeldoorn: Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology

estimated 96 000 km of sewer and

sewer pressure mains approaching or

exceeding their design life. This situa-

tion is akin to other western nations;


SASTT

• GRUNDOMAT soil displacement hammers for pipes up to ND 150 - extremely precise due reciprocating chisel head.

• GRUNDORAM ramming machines for steel pipes up to ND 4000 - also applicable vertically for ramming sheet piles.

• GRUNDOBURST static pipe bursting systems for the replacement of pipes up to ND 1000

• GRUNDODRILL HDD systems for steerable bores up to ND 600 - with percussive hammer for stony soils.

• FÖCKERSPERGER PIPE AND CABLE PLOWS - for trenchlessly plowing in pipes up to OD 225 and cables in open terrain.

• PRIME DRILLING - Midi & Maxi HDD rigs for pipes up to 1400 mm.

ALL THIS AND MORE ONLY FROM TT.ALL THIS AND MORE ONLY FROM TT.

TT sales partner in South Africa: Reef Trenchless Technology SA (Pty) Ltd · 19 Shamrock Road, Primrose, P. O. Box 2168 · Primrose 1416 · South Africa Phone: +27 (0)11 828 2397 · 828 5782 · Fax +27 (0)11 828 7981 · E-Mail: [email protected] · www.reeftrenchless.com

the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

estimated that it would cost US$1.3 trillion

(R12.04 trillion) over the next five years to

maintain current underground infrastructure

systems (R Mohammed et al. Oct 2008).

Growth in the use of trenchless technologies

comes as communities become more aware

of the impact of infrastructure development

and renewals on our social and ecological

environments, and as the ageing pipelines

in our built up and congested urban areas

require replacement. Trenchless technology is

recognised as an environmentally and socially

acceptable method of construction, particu-

larly in comparison with traditional open exca-

vation alternatives, but comparing the costs

between trenchless and open cut methodolo-

gies on a dollar to dollar basis can be difficult

and inaccurate when we consider the total

cost to the community. The amount of money

paid for installation or renewal of water and

wastewater pipelines by local authorities does

not represent the total cost to society, broader

consideration of all costs – both project and

social costs – should be given when selecting

the best method for constructing or renewing

piped infrastructure.

Trenchless technology eliminates disruption of services

The question: “What is the cost of trenchless

construction or renewal projects relative to

conventional open-cut methods?” is the most

frequently raised question by potential trench-

less users, but unfortunately it is also the most

difficult to answer.

The cost of both open-cut and trenchless

methodologies is affected by many factors,

such as the location of the pipeline, its depth,

size and also the local availability of the various

trenchless technology methodologies. The cost

of a pipeline construction or renewal project

can be divided into several components. The

costs fall broadly into the costs paid by the

utility as direct and indirect construction costs,

and those paid for by society at large, termed

social costs, that are a result of the project

being undertaken.

The direct and indirect costs are those most

often associated with the “project costs” or

“construction costs”, which are usually relatively

straightforward to estimate using standard esti-

mating methods and are greatly represented

proportionally by the construction cost fees ten-

dered by contractors. The cost of any particular

rehabilitation or renewal method, open-cut or

trenchless method varies significantly dependant

on the site conditions.

The variability of costs and uncertainty of

what cost items are included or not included in

project estimates, makes comparing the cost

between open-cut and trenchless methods dif-

ficult and there is little recent published data

available. A published case study in 2008

compared the potential cost of open excava-

tion versus pipe bursting to replace the sewer

network in the City of Troy in Michigan, US, con-

cluded that the trenchless method of renewal if

implemented would be 25% less expensive than

open excavation (R. Mohammed et al. 2008).

The study had a number of caveats and areas

for further research: sewer laterals and lateral

connections had not been considered as part

of the comparison study, nor had the possible

effects of ground condition variability.

Approximately 70% of the cost of open exca-

vation construction is simply excavating and

replacing the ground dug up during the process

(R. Mohammed et al. 2008). However, it does

not always necessarily translate that trenchless

technology is one third the cost of open excava-

tion. In some cases the cost of construction

using trenchless technology exceeds that of

open excavation particularly in greenfield and

shallow conditions. Trenchless technologies do,

however, have a tendency to become better

priced than the open-cut options in higher density

urban areas where access, traffic control and the

cost of reinstatement of surfaces become more

expensive per meter

of pipe and where pipe

depths are greater

requiring expensive

shoring and sig-

nificant increases in

excavation resources.

In the paper

“ M i n i m i z i n g

Environmental Impact

through Trenchless

C o n s t r u c t i o n ”

(Ariaratnam et al.

2008), it was also

concluded in the

case study that the

expected reduction

in greenhouse gas

emissions by use of

horizontal directional

drilling (HDD) was

around 97%.

Another important

social cost factor

that should also be

considered in a com-

parison is the visual

impact on the envi-

ronment. Trenchless

technology projects

have a far smaller

Trenchless technology can be up to 25% less expensive than open excavation

SASTT


impact on the project zone, not only reducing

the disruption that may be caused but also the

stress and effect on the lifestyle of the inhabit-

ing community, particularly during large and long

duration projects.

uppe

mar

keti

ng A

0778

2

INFR SET

PAVING • RETAINING WALLS • ROOF TILES

ROSSWAY (MIDRAND) – TEL: +27 (0)12 652 0000

KWAZULU NATAL (EFFINGHAM) –

TEL: +27 (0)31 569 6900

Aveng Manufacturing Infraset produces a diverse range of precast concrete products to world-class quality standards and actively contributes to SADC infrastructure development. Our range includes concrete pipes, culverts, manholes, special precast products, various type of pre-stressed railway sleepers, turnouts, maintenance-free railway electrification masts and poles, paving blocks, retaining wall systems and roof tiles.

Aveng Manufacturing Infraset’s admired heritage is founded on innovation, technical and service excellence.

Aveng Manufacturing Infraset

Steeldale House

TEL: +27 (0)11 876 5500

FAX: +27 (0)11 872 1713

EMAIL: [email protected]

www.infraset.com

PIPES • CULVERTS • MANHOLES:

GAUTENG – TEL: +27 (0)11 876 5100

CAPE TOWN – TEL: +27 (0)21 908 1156

KWAZULU NATAL (PIETERMARITZBURG) –

TEL: +27 (0)33 387 2236

RAILWAY SLEEPERS • POLES & MASTS

NATIONAL – TEL: +27 (0)11 813 2340

INTERNATIONAL BRANCHES

SWAZILAND – TEL: +2682 518 4236 | ZAMBIA – TEL: +260 21 131 1838

BUILDING DURABLE INFRASTRUCTURE WITH PRECAST CONCRETE PRODUCTS


PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES

THE PRECAST CONCRETE pipes were

specified by the Johannesburg Roads

Agency (JRA) for what is seen as one

of Gauteng’s largest infrastructure

projects to date. The initial Waterfall City devel-

opment will comprise 800 000 m² of lettable

space when completed in 2018. The storm-

water piping project began in November 2011

and will be completed in November 2012.

Measuring between 450 and 1 950 mm in

diameter, the pipes discharge into three water

channels. Manholes are being constructed at

all other areas where pipe direction changes.

According to KC Ooijkaas of C-Plan Consulting

Concrete piping for massive infrastructure projectJust under 5 000 m of precast concrete stormwater piping is what it will take to drain Waterfall City, currently under construction and earmarked to become Midrand’s new CBD.

Engineers, the company handling Waterfall

City’s infrastructural planning and civils project

management, all the roads are being built to

JRA’s standards for which concrete stormwater

piping is mandatory.

“Precast concrete is the best material for

stormwater drainage, which is why it forms

part of the JRA road-building specifications,”

says Ooijkaas.

Besides fairly steep gradients, other engineer-

ing challenges include outcrops of rock and a

high water table. Stone bedding comprising

19 mm imported aggregate is providing addi-

tional founding stability.

The pipes are connected with ogee joints and

are rendered waterproof through the applica-

tion of a water-based damp seal on 20 mm of

piping surface on either side of the joints. They

are then covered with A4 bidem sheeting and a

second coating of damp seal.

In addition to precast concrete piping, pre-

cast concrete wing walls have been installed

at Waterfall City’s three discharge points.

Recently introduced to the local market by

Rocla and JRA approved, precast wing walls

PRECAST PRODUCT

A 5 t precast concrete wing wall and concrete toe prior to installation


offer much quicker installation, a lower material requirement, no

formwork and no waste. They are installed by crane, and depend-

ing on ground conditions, take between 15 minutes to an hour to

install. By contrast in-situ wing walls take a minimum of two days

to construct and require seven days to cure.

Craig Waterson, sales and marketing director of Rocla, com-

ments that wing walls direct stormwater into a flow path, which

results in the least amount of turbulence.

“Precast concrete wing walls are supplied with a separate pre-

cast concrete toe that keys the entire unit to the ground. The toe

also reduces the risk of soil scouring below or to the side of the

toe,” advises Waterson.

CMA president and acting director, Taco Voogt, says that

besides its durability and long lifespans, precast concrete piping

is far less dependent on embedment material than a flexible pipe.

Because precast concrete piping is rigid, contractors don’t incur

the same sort of difficulties with it as they do with the proper

installation of flexible pipe products. These difficulties become

even more pronounced when working in trenches.

“There is a great deal of knowledge on concrete and its

related per formance, as opposed to new piping materials

on which field knowledge is scant. If you want value for your

money and aim to get it right the first time, concrete is the

route to go. We can’t afford to have reworks in South Africa,”

maintains Voogt.

RIGHT Two 1 950 mm pipe sections prior to being connected by an in-situ built manhole

BELOW Sections of 650 mm concrete pipe are aligned with laser beams prior to joining and sealing



PROFILE PROFILE

SINCE ITS INCEPTION in 1991, Group

Five Pipe (G5P) has supplied pipes

to numerous clients, including the

City of Cape Town, the Department

of Water Affairs, Bloem Water, Umgeni Water,

Mhlathuze Water and Rand Water. Since being

awarded the first job to supply pipes to Rand

Water, the company’s relationship with this

water authority has grown to such an extent

that the duo have jointly developed new meth-

ods for stiffening pipes and for coating pipes.

The team even submitted a joint overseas

tender to design and build a pipeline.

Design and researchThe biggest cost when manufacturing large

steel pipes is obviously the cost of the steel.

Selecting the cheapest combination of steel

grade and thickness is of great importance if the

cost of a pipeline is to be kept to the minimum,

Pipeline powerSPECIALIST TECHNOLOGY

As economies of scale tighten within the construction industry, clients are leaning toward cutting costs wherever they can. Group Five Pipes’ long-term success rate on two of its corrosion coatings – polyurethane and BituGuard – ensures the longevity of its steel pipes is increased; further contributing to sustainable infrastructure.

BELOW LEFT Large diameter pipes ready to be delivered to site

without compromising on quality. Pipes have to

be designed to carry the forces from the ground

while also being able to withstand internal pres-

sures from liquid or gas. Thus the controlling

factor when selecting wall thickness for large

diameter pipes is often the stability of the pipe

walls; however, thick-walled pipes use a lot of

steel and can be very expensive.

Rather than relying on thick walls, pipe sta-

bility can be achieved by using a thinner wall

thickness and ‘stiffening’ the pipes at regular

intervals along the pipeline. G5P has designed

equipment for making pipe stiffeners, which

can be welded onto the outside of pipes. The

company’s first job for Rand Water was award-

ed in 1993. G5P, which was over 10% cheaper

than other tenderers, were awarded the con-

tract to manufacture 35 km of 2 960 mm diam-

eter pipes. Many of the pipes were made from

steel, which needed to be stiffened to prevent

the pipes from deforming due to the vacuum

inside. The traditional means, using steel chan-

nels, was an expensive stiffening method and

G5P devised a technique

for making trapezoidal

stiffeners from relatively

cheap steel coils. Rand

Water worked with G5P on

the development of trap-

ezoidal stiffeners, which

are, today the standard

stiffener used for large

diameter steel pipes.

The company’s design

and research not only

cover pipe-making equip-

ment, but also includes

other areas of pipe manu-

facture, such as coatings

and linings. Conventional

coatings (such as polyurethane or epoxy with

a polyethylene rock shield over the epoxy)

can add considerably to the overall price of

a pipeline.

In order to be able to offer clients a variety of

coatings, G5P teamed up with Danish company

Phonix and Shell in Holland to develop and

test a polymer modified bituminous coating

called BituGuard. G5P has recently completed

a content for DWA requiring 26 km of 711 mm

diameter pipe using BituGuard as the coating.

In the pipelineG5P’s impressive work speaks for itself, with

the company being awarded two jobs for the

Department of Water Affairs in Limpopo –

50 km of pipe for Valdezia and Vuwani . To add

to this, G5P has also just been awarded 29 km

of pipe for Lower Thukela, with 3 km of pipe

scheduled thereafter for Mhlathuze Water in

Richards Bay and another Rand Water project

totaling 16 000 t. All of these pipes are pol-

yurethane-coated. The company also recently

completed BituGuard-coated pipelines – 23 km

of pipe for Bushbuckridge.

G5P prides itself on offering clients cost-

effective pipe supply solutions with high-quality

workmanship, coupled with the latest develop-

ments in pipe-making techniques. G5P was

also instrumental in introducing a polyurethane

pipe coating to the local market, which other

pipe manufacturers may soon be offering.

t +27 (0)21 386 1923 • +27 (0)16 362 2236em [email protected]

www.groupfivepipe.co.za



SKF ENERGY Monitoring Service –

Pump Systems can help plant opera-

tors achieve these important and

often elusive goals.

Industry assessments show that energy

costs for pump systems can be cut by 20%

or more simply by improving pump system

efficiency. These reductions in energy use

Reducing costs and improving productivityIn today’s competitive economic environment, plant operators across all industries are looking for ways to minimise costs while improving productivity.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

ABOVE Industry assessments show that energy costs for pump systems can be cut by 20%

translate to lower operating costs. But the ben-

efits of optimisation don’t end there. For exam-

ple, shaft misalignment is responsible for up to

50% of all costs related to rotating machinery

breakdowns. Accurately aligning shafts can pre-

vent pump breakdowns and reduce unplanned

downtime that results in a loss of produc-

tion. SKF Energy Monitoring Service – Pump

Systems is a comprehensive energy manage-

ment programme that plant operators can use

to carry out routine measurements and energy

efficiency monitoring in pump systems. Pump

Systems in parallel with a condition monitoring

programme can assist in determining when to

rebuild or modify pumps to restore efficiency

and reduce associated costs.

Pressure pipes

Sewer & drainage pipe

Durafuse electrofusion

and butt-fusion

Worldpoly butt

fusion welding

equipment

Sizabantu Piping Systems is primarily a marketing and sales company, which supplies a comprehensive range of quality piping & drainage solutions to the

Agricultural, Civil, Mining, Industrial & Builders Merchants Markets in Southern Africa.

Having a combined 200 years experience in the plastic pipe industry, the Sizabantu Piping Systems management team is able to the highest standard of service.

We have achieved a B-BEEE level 4 rating (Empowerdex rated B-BBEE Certificate) and have operations in Gauteng (Johannesburg & Centurion), Limpopo, Northwest Province, Central Province, Eastern Cape,

Western Cape and Kwa Zulu Natal.

Pressure pipesPresssuree pipepes

wer & drainage pipewer & draainagge ppipee

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quipmentuipmennt

Sizabantu Piping SystemsSizabantu Piping Systems is primarily a marketing and sales company, whicis primarily a marketing and sales company, whicsupplies a comprehensive range of quality piping & drainage solutions to thesupplies a comprehensive range of quality piping & drainage solutions to the

Agricultural, Civil, Mining, Industrial & Builders Merchants Markets in Southern Afg cu tu a , C , g, dust a & u de s e c a ts a ets Sout e

i bi d i i h l i i i d hH i bi d 200 i i th l ti i i d t th

YOUR PIPING

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Please contact us

www.sizabantupiping .co.za

KZN T +27 31 7929500 F +27 31 7002108 | Gauteng T +27 11 2372200 F +27 11 2372222

Nelspruit T +27 13 7552707/ 7552708 F +27 13 7532800 | Mozambique T +27 82 554 2281

Polokwane T +27 15 293 1527 F +27 15 293 1167 | Bloemfontein T +27 51 434 2226 F +27 51 434 1225

Klerksdorp T +27 18 462 5564 F +27 18 462 5567 | Eastern & West Cape T +27 21 976 632 C +27 82 574 6329 F 086 544 8453

O-PVC Piping

Specialist



Unlocking energy effi ciency and savings

THE MAIN FACTORS that determine

energy efficiency throughout the life

cycle of a pipe are the type of raw

materials used, the production pro-

cess, the finish of the product and its use-

ful life. The advantages of Oriented PVC

(PVC-O) pipes, manufactured by Spanish com-

pany Molecor, are not just limited to their

technical and operational features. Yolanda

Martínez, quality and product manager at

Molecor, highlights the other benefits.

Raw materials and production PVC-O pipes are manufactured by means of

a conventional extrusion process, followed

by molecular orientation. The basic extrud-

ed pipe undergoes stretching under specific

temperature and pressure conditions. This

produces a laminate structure on the inside

of the pipe, which significantly enhances its

mechanical properties while maintaining its

chemical properties.

Efficiency during use The useful life of a pipe for the transportation

Plastic pipes have proven to be a cost-effective, maintenance-free and environmentally friendly product. Combine these qualities with a unique air-based system to manufacture PVC-O pipes and you have a product that could revolutionise the bulk water and distribution industry.

PIPELINE LIFETIME

of water is relatively long; a lifespan of 50

years is assumed for research purposes, but in

reality this could be considerably longer.

Optimisation of transportThanks to the lighter PVC-O pipe weight, arising

from the reduced thickness of the wall, more

liquid can be transported. This results in fuel

savings and a minimisation of CO2 emissions.

Efficiency in installation costsIts lighter weight results in less labour and

machinery required for installation. There is a

considerable reduction in the installation time,

which gives rise to associated savings. Bearing

in mind that the price of a PVC-O pipe also has

competitive advantages when compared to

those manufactured with other materials, the

total cost can be reduced by over 50%, depend-

ing on the materials used and the diameters to

be installed.

Efficiency during operationPVC-O pipes have a greater hydraulic capac-

ity of up to 40%, meaning that more water is

transported with the same energy consump-

tion. This increased hydraulic capacity is partly

due to the larger internal diameter afforded

by reducing the

wall thickness

during molecu-

lar orientation.

In addition, the

fact that the

material is not

as rough means

that the smooth

interior of the

pipe minimises

load loss and enables fluids to circulate at a

higher speed. Simply put, these pipes repre-

sent a very eco-friendly solution because of

their greater contribution to sustainable devel-

opment of the planet.

Long useful lifeThe laminate structure obtained during the

molecular orientation process in the manufac-

turing of PVC-O pipes provides a significant

enhancement in their mechanical properties,

resulting in fluid transportation with great

resistance to impact and external loads. It also

makes them highly resistant to the propagation

of cracks towards the interior of the pipe.

Optimisation of water resourcesSupply networks manufactured with traditional

materials register a high percentage of leak-

ages, due to lack of water-tightness in unions

and breakages produced by pipe deterioration.

In many cases, this means that pipes have

to be replaced just a few years after instal-

lation. With PVC-O pipes, there is no need

to be concerned about the nature of the soil

where the pipes are to be embedded; protec-

tive coatings are not required, either internally

or externally, and the pipe is not affected by

corrosion, thereby preventing the release of

oxides and metals to the water, which in the

case of drinking water could give rise to a pub-

lic health problem if quality limits for human

consumption are exceeded.

Local piping solutions company Sizabantu

Piping Systems has partnered with Molecor

and offers the new PVC-O pipe, in addition to

standard uPVC, MPVC, solid Wall HDPE, struc-

tured wall HDPE and composite HDPE pipes.

BELOW 24 km O-PVC bulk water line being installed in Delareyville, North West province



ATVAL IS ONE of only a handful of

local companies that manufacture

their entire range of valves entirely

in-house. These products offer

drop-tight sealing against numerous media

– including liquids, gases, vacuum, pulp and

slurries – and are available in sizes from 25

to 1 500 mm, with working pressures of up

to 40 bar and operating temperatures ranging

between -20 and 120˚C.

Atval’s managing director, Ted Atkins, says

he believes that the company is a world

leader in the manufacture of pinch valves.

“The technology is entirely developed in

South Africa in conjunction with the local

LOCAL MANUFACTURER

Expanding its reach into AfricaFollowing a strong financial performance last year, pinch and knife gate valve manufacturer Atval is looking at consolidating its success by focusing on expansion across Africa.

mining industry, which requires valves to

handle slurries at higher pressures than

anywhere else in the world. The pinch valve is

an ideal product for this application because

of its full unrestricted flow pattern and the

use of gum rubber as an abrasion resistant

closing membrane.”

Atval’s operations director, Mark Atkins,

highlights the fact that pinch valves are

specifically designed for both low- and high-

pressure applications, in addition to abrasive

transpor t systems and fluid and powder

metering and flow control.

“The Atval ranges of pinch valves are ide-

ally suited for heavy-duty service in applica-

tions such as mining, chemical plants, min-

eral dressing plants, fer tiliser plants, sewage

water works, power stations, cement works

and general industries.”

According to Mark, the Atval range of knife

gate valves has been developed to comple-

ment the range of pinch valves and, in many

instances, they are supplied together to

the same processing plants. He explains

that Atval’s simple yet innovative design

includes a one-piece body, knife-edged blade

and field replaceable seats to ensure ease

of maintenance.

“The valve gets its name from the blade or

gate, which has a ‘knife-like’ cutting edge.

The gate moves perpendicular to the direction

of flow, providing a guillotine action that ena-

bles it to shear through semi-liquid media.”

Ted points out that Atval has developed a

reputation for being a preferred manufacturer

of high-quality products since its establish-

ment in 1985, despite the continued influx

of cheaper products imported from Asia in

recent years. As an experienced local manu-

facturer, Atval has gained an in-depth under-

standing of the requirements of the local

market, thereby ensuring that customers are

provided with superior quality products that

are specifically designed for African condi-

tions. As a result, the lifetime cost of the

product offers considerable value for money

for Atval customers.

Mark notes that Atval experienced particular

growth in the African mining sector during the

course of 2012.

“Having gained a number of high-profile

mining contracts across Southern Africa, our

main focus for 2013 is on expanding into

sub-Saharan Africa by highlighting the proven

capabilities and benefits of our products

through carefully selected distribution part-

ners in countries where we anticipate the

greatest potential for growth. We are actively

searching for these partners, and distributor-

ships are available in certain areas.”

Atval operations director, Mark Atkins (left) and MD, Ted Atkins

PANEL DISCUSSION


COMPANIES INVOLVED IN the

construction and maintenance of

roads are again faced with the inev-

itable of a bitumen shortage within

the first half of the year as all three refineries

that supply the by-product will be shutting

down simultaneously for maintenance. Some

contractors and suppliers will import the mate-

rial at high cost while others will have to find

innovative and resourceful ways to cope with

the ripple effect of the shortage. This again

ROAD CONSTRUCTION

Sustainable road infrastructure

raises the issue of concrete being the mate-

rial of choice for road construction as it is no

secret that local bitumen supply is becoming

less and less of a priority for the refineries,

and it is estimated that within five years there

will be no supply at all. This IMIESA panel

discussion will consist of two parts: the first

highlighting what contractors, suppliers and

manufacturers of bitumen-based road con-

struction and maintenance pro ducts will be

doing to not only address the short-term issue

at hand, but also the long-term challenge. The

second will highlight what innovative, tried and

tested or traditional products and services

with regard to the use of pavers, kerbing,

drainage and bridge construction and reha-

bilitation are being used to build and maintain

South Africa’s roads. South Africa’s extensive

road network plays an important role in the

country’s economic future and that of several

African countries – how will you be involved in

securing a viable future?

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Email your details to [email protected] to receivea copy of IMIESA every month.

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PANEL DISCUSSION

Taco Voogt | Technical Director | CONCRETE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

THHE SUUSTAINABBILITY OF ROADD INFRASSTRUCTTUREE

In the first instance, what I think we need to establish is do CBP manufacturers have the capacity to make up the shortfall in asphalt supplies? TV The short answer

is an emphatic yes. There is more

than sufficient cement, sand and

aggregate – the basic ingredients

used to manufacture concrete

blocks – to supply South Africa’s

needs. In fact, the industry carries

considerable spare capacity and

production could easily be stepped

up to meet increased demand.

Is CBP a viable road-building alternative? Very

much so. The first public roads

to be surfaced with CBP were in

Chatsworth, Durban, 49 years ago.

These roads have been essen-

tially maintenance-free and have

provided double the service life of

a good asphalt surface. Moreover,

they are still in very good condi-

tion. There are countless other

examples where CBP has been

used for public roads, especially in

urban areas.

Apart from alleviating the asphalt shortage, are there any other factors to be considered when taking the CBP route? Undoubtedly. As has been demon-

strated in Chatsworth and other

townships, sustainability is one of

the major considerations in choos-

ing CBP.

Cost, closely

allied to

sustainability,

is another

and so are

poverty

alleviation,

safety and

aesthetics.

Could you elaborate? Let’s look at

sustainability

first, because

I think it is the most important

aspect. As we well know, most lo-

cal governments are under severe

budget constraints and in many

cases are unable to maintain their

existing road networks, largely

paved with asphalt. We also

know that CBP is essentially

maintenance-free, provided it

is laid in compliance with

best-practice standards. What’s

more, the initial capital outlay

on CBP roads is only marginally

greater than the asphalt equiva-

lent. Therefore it makes sense

for all new urban road projects to

be surfaced with CBP. The saving

on maintenance would be huge

and would very quickly offset any

higher capital spend.

This is by no means pie-in-the-

sky. The Royal Bafokeng Admin-

istration (RBA) is saving some

R13 million (R42 000 per kilome-

tre) annually on the maintenance

– or lack thereof – on concrete

block paved roads in North West

Province. The programme began in

1996 when the RBA chose CBP to

surface the roads of 28 villages on

the outskirts of Rustenburg.

CBP is also spearheading a

poverty alleviation and road

resurfacing project in George. The

local municipality is resurfacing

its deteriorating low-trafficked

suburban asphalt roads as well as

some gravel roads with CBP in all

residential areas.

This ongoing project began in

2001 and some 53 km of roads

at an average width of five metres

have been resurfaced with CBP

since then. In addition, 49 km of

pavements 1.5 m wide have been

surfaced with CBP. The project

also includes a small percentage

of roads and parking areas in the

CBD as well as some servitudes

and footpaths.

And in a new housing project in

Klapmuts, Western Cape, half the

roads and access-course surfaces

have been paved with CBP. A high

water table and unstable sub-grade

material (earth) meant that asphalt

was only used where the water

table was deemed low enough and

the sub-grade sufficiently stable by

the main contractors. The contract

included a 10-year latent defect

clause and this was the main rea-

son why CBP was deployed in the

sections where the sub-grade was

unstable. The company believed

that asphalt roads would have be-

gun cracking after only five years.

There are countless other exam-

ples of local governments opting

for CBP as the most cost-effective

and sustainable solution, and not

only in South Africa.

Ripon, a city east of San Francisco

in California, US, has standardised

on CBP for all new roads. This

decision was prompted by the

destruction of a new asphalt road

by heavy-truck traffic a few months

after its completion.

In addition, Ripon’s cost of

LEFT This CBP road surface in Chatsworth still looks good after 49 years

BELOW One of several CBP roads in Jordaan Park, an upmarket suburb in Heidelberg (Lesedi)

In light of the current asphalt shortage, IMIESA spoke to the technical director of the Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA), Taco Voogt, about how concrete block paving (CBP) could provide a more viable and sustainable road-surfacing alternative.


PANEL DISCUSSION

maintaining its existing asphalt

road structure was US$4.24 mil-

lion (R39.21 million) a year,

whereas the revenue available to

meet that requirement was only

US$710 000. Building better

roads that required less mainte-

nance was deemed to be part

of the solution and the council

opted for CBP as the standard

road material. Another deciding

factor was that in addition to the

structural stability, pavers offered

a significant and pleasing

visual contribution.

How does CBP assist with poverty alleviation? Laying

roads with CBP lends itself to the

government’s Expanded Public

Works Programme. It is labour

intensive and offers the unskilled

and unemployed an opportunity of

acquiring a marketable skill and

earning capacity. Over the years,

thousands have benefitted from

CBP projects. The income earned

has a multiplier effect, stimulating

economic activity in other sectors

of local communities. Moreover, it

imbues residents with homes on

CBP roads with a new-found pride

in their communities and this is

reflected with cleaner streets and

better-maintained houses.

Could you describe how CBP contributes to greater safety? As we are

aware, road-safety is high on

the government’s agenda and

CBP contributes significantly in

this regard. First, the chance of

aquaplaning on wet surfaces is

ABOVE A CBP road under construction in Phumelela (formerly Vrede) using members of the local community to do laying work

BELOW A close-up of an open-channel drain paved with concrete block paving in Lefaragatlhe, one of the 28 Royal Bafokeng villages in North West province where CBP has been used extensively

greatly reduced with CBP roads.

The two to three millimetre water

sheet often found on asphalt

roads during heavy downpours is

virtually non-existent, especially

when the pavers are bevelled. One

may find an isolated water channel

crossing a CBP road, but not water

sheeting over an extended area.

Permeable paving installations,

which are specifically designed

to soak up stormwater, are even

more effective at dispersing

surface water and can be installed

on sections of road where water

channels are likely to form. CBP

also offers better braking owing

to its rough texture and broken

(channelled) surface. In addition, it

provides better road marking with

coloured and luminous concrete

pavers. They offer constant and

maintenance-free signage, unlike

painted surfaces which require

regular maintenance.

Besides urban and town-ship roads, what other applications lend them-selves to CBP? We would

like to see major intersections

paved with CBP. The accelera-

tion and breaking of heavy trucks

destroys tarred intersections fairly

quickly. Intersections paved with

CBP last a lot longer. Then there

is the noise factor. As a vehicle

moves from a tarred to a CBP

surface the change in the road’s

noise can alert a driver that a

crossing is imminent.

You mentioned aesthet-ics, which I think is

self-explanatory, but are there any other aspects which advance the cause of CBP? Yes. For example,

individual paving blocks can be

lifted during the laying of water

pipes and underground cabling,

and then replaced with no visible

sign of disturbance, unlike tar sur-

faces which must dug up and then

patched. Another plus for CBP for

road surfaces is that it is very

easy to construct pavements and

cycle paths adjacent to the roads

at very little extra capital. Proper

pavements and kerbing have an

uplifting effect on communities,

enhancing pride of ownership

among residents in surround-

ing properties.

Does the CMA offer any advice, technical or other-wise, on the installation of CBP? The CMA has numerous

technical manuals and audiovi-

sual aids, which are available at

a nominal cost. For instance, we

have published a general booklet

on the advantages of CBP and

last year we published our Step-

by-step guide to Perfect Paving,

aimed mainly at the unemployed

township dweller, who, by using

the manual, can develop a useful

income-producing skill. While its

principal objective is to generate

employment opportunities, the

manual is sufficiently informative

and technical to be of used as

refresher material for contractors,

both large and small. It is also be-

ing offered to training and techni-

cal institutions as course material.

The DIY user too will find the

manual of considerable benefit.

We have also published a booklet

which compares the cost of CBP

with premix asphalt paving, and we

offer several specialist manuals.

These include: CBP Drainage,

Specification and Installation, and

Site Management and Laying.

We also offer paving-design soft-

ware – Lockpave for conventional

paving and PermPave for perme-

able installations.

Finally, where do you see the greatest growth opportunities for CBP?

Irrespective of the supply situation

for asphalt, we believe that all

new urban and rural roads should

be surfaced with CBP. It makes

socio-economic and environmental

sense and would free up much-

need funding for other areas. All

it requires is a mind-shift on the

part of local authorities to step

up a process that many have

already begun.

Ammann Construction Machinery South Africa

229 Hull Road, Rynfi eld, Benoni 1500Tel. + 27 11 849 3333 Fax + 27 11 849 8889

Mobil + 27 82 554 7620rocco.lehman @ ammann - group.com

An innovative family fi rmAmmann is a leading supplier of plant and machinery, with the focus very fi rmly on road building. Our strengths are the forthcoming approach of a family fi rm that has been operating for many years, coupled with our strong and well - established international presence. Ever since 1869 we have been setting benchmarks in the road - building industry, thanks to countless innovations and solutions which are as competitive as they are dependable.

For more information on compaction machines, asphalt mixing plants and pavers go to www.ammann - group.com

Productivity Partnership for a Lifetime


PANEL DISCUSSION

Please give a brief background to Ammann Construction Machinery South Africa RL The Ammann

Group has been indirectly involved

in the South African market for the

past 25 years through dealerships

mostly supported by Europe.

When markets worldwide were

under extreme financial pressure

in late 2011,

Ammann took

the bold step

to enter the

South African

and sub-

Saharan Afri-

can markets

by opening

a dedicated

local office:

Ammann

Construction

Machinery South Africa.

What areas of the road construction industry are you currently focus-ing on? Ammann Construction

Machinery South Africa has been

tasked with marketing a full

range of products throughout the

sub-Saharan region. The company

is renowned as a supplier of

high-quality and technologically

superior asphalt plants with an

BELOW Inside a European manufacturing facility

BOTTOM Ammann construction machinery SA's road construction machinery on display

extensive and complete range

of compaction equipment and

asphalt pavers.

What are the company’s views on sustainable con-struction? Being a leader in

the asphalt industry brings about

a more serious global issue: the

environment. We pride ourselves

in being at the

forefront in

development

with greener

technologies

such as warm

mix asphalt

and various

options for the

extensive use

of recycled as-

phalt. Asphalt

plants are now

marketed and sold directly to

clients, and parts and services

are also operated by the Ammann

South Africa technical team, which

is supported by more than 100

years of extensive experience in

the asphalt industry.

What about your smaller machinery such as rollers and pavers? The compaction

and paver products will be distrib-

uted and serviced by a network of

Rocco Lehman | General Manager | AMMANN CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY SA


Ammann Construction Machinery South Africa has been

operational for more than two years, although Ammann has been

operational for more than 140 years and involved in the South Afri-

can market for the past 25 years. We pride ourselves as the leader

in asphalt technology. Ammann is a leading global supplier of mixing

plants, machines and services to the construction industry, with core

expertise in road building. Ammann offers products and services that

meet customer expectations and distinguish themselves from the com-

petition through greater customer benefit. We express our values of

independence, sustainability, credibility, quality, commitment and flex-

ibility through our actions towards customers, employees, suppliers and

the general public. Ammann is a long-term partner you can rely on.

dealers. This decision has been

made with the customer in mind.

Carefully selected regional dealers

understand the customer base

in the areas they service and will

offer the Ammann customer a

complete service package with

Ammann Construction Machinery

in support.

You recently held an open day for clients and suppliers. What were the highlights of the day? The

Ammann Construction Machinery South Africa has been tasked with marketing a full range of products throughout the sub-Saharan region.

highlight of the day was having all

our customers attending

the plant visit with a live pav-

ing demonstration.

TOGETHER WE CAN...That’s our ethos at Much Asphalt.

We are part of a team that delivers quality results – safely, sustainably and cost effectively.

A Level 3 BBBEEE contributor

T: +27 21 900 4400F: +27 21 900 4468E: [email protected]


John Onraët | Marketing Director | MUCH ASPHALT


Why is asphalt the domi-nant road material?

JO That’s simple: price, availabil-

ity, speed of application, variety of

product options and noise reduc-

tion. We believe there is a place

for both concrete and bituminous

roads – it largely depends on the

pavement design requirement of

any particular road project. It is,

however, a fact that the majority

of roads worldwide are built using

bituminous surfacing and we

do not see this changing in the

foreseeable future. Studies in the

US show that on average, asphalt

pavements are more cost effective

than concrete pavements over a

40-year period.

What is your response to the country’s bitu-men shortage? The South

African market consumes between

400 000 and 450 000 t of bitu-

men per annum. The combined

production capacity of the four

bitumen-producing refineries in

South Africa can meet this require-

ment. However, scheduled mainte-

nance shutdowns, which can last

between four and eight weeks,

coupled with regular unsched-

uled plant breakdowns, result in

periodic shortages. Unfortunately,

the local refineries are all old (30+

years) and regular plant break-

downs have become the norm.

The industry is becoming more

comfortable with importing bulk

shipments of bitumen during peri-

Much Asphalt is Southern Africa’s largest commercial supplier of an

extensive range of hot and cold asphalt products to the road construc-

tion industry.

LEFT Much Asphalt plant and head office in Eerste River, Cape Town

BELOW WMA plant, Much Asphalt Benoni

ods of short supply. Since October

2011, the industry has imported

several bulk shipments of bitumen

and this will escalate in the future.

The South African government has

recently announced a full rebate

on the duty for imported bitumen.

There are also plans to establish

bulk bitumen storage facilities at

strategic points in South Africa.

What recycling and reuse initiatives are in place in the bitumen industry? With

milling, crushing and screening

equipment now readily available,

as well as warm mix asphalt

(WMA) technology being introduced

to the local market, recycling has

become the norm with up to 40%

being required by clients as re-

claimed asphalt (RA) reintroduced

into asphalt mixtures.

Are there any unique technologies used in your products? Yes, we manufac-

ture WMA, cold mix asphalt, high

modulus asphalt and special bitu-

men modified mixes. WMA is man-

ufactured at substantially lower

temperatures than hot mix asphalt

(HMA), resulting in a significant

range of benefits during production

and paving. Trials based on con-

tinuously graded WMA have shown

quality performance to be equal

or even superior to that of HMA.

On the other hand, high modulus

asphalt, introduced to the local

market in 2011, has superior load

spreading characteristics as well

as a high resistance to permanent

deformation, which enables the

construction of thinner asphalt

pavements for roads and airports

exposed to severe traffic condi-

tions. Cold mix asphalt is sold in

bulk or bagged for the filling of

potholes, trench reinstatement

and emergency road repairs.

What makes Much As-phalt’s products advanta-geous for specification?We have an extensive quality

assurance programme, the most

up-to-date manufacturing equip-

ment, and we are able to satisfy a

huge variety of customer product

requirements. Mobile mixing

plants give us the capability to

supply asphalt to the most remote

locations. Much Asphalt's Central

Laboratory (Cenlab) in Eerste

River, Cape Town, has achieved

South African National Accredi-

tation System (SANAS) quality

systems accredita-

tion every year

since 2006.

What added value do you provide your customers?Much Asphalt

launched its

Best Practice

Workshops on

Hand-laid HMA in

2006, facilitated by

technical experts

within and outside

the company.

The programme

continues to attract

large numbers of

delegates due to

significant demand

by individuals

looking for new skills, as well as

SMMEs, emerging contractors,

and local and provincial govern-

ment departments wishing to

educate their own staff and con-

tractors. The aim is to establish a

uniform, industry-wide standard for

high-quality hand-laid HMA.

What three recent projects have you been involved in? Most of the Gauteng Freeway

Improvement Projects, N2 Coega

to Colchester, and the N12 to Tom

Jones. In addition, we have current

or recent projects at most of the

country’s airports.

PANEL DISCUSSION


PANEL DISCUSSION

Holger Rust | Director | TERRAFORCE


How do your products aid in the construction of road and bridge side retaining walls? HR Ter-

raforce products feature strongly

in the development and improve-

ment of infrastructure projects.

Bridge abutments, and roadside

retaining and stabilisation fea-

ture prominently in the line-up of

projects that we are proud of.

What make Terraforce’s hollow reversible inter-locking concrete blocks unique? Terraforce pioneered

the reversible, one-block retain-

ing system on five continents.

The system allows for variations

in appearance, smooth scal-

loped or flat elevation as well as

rock face finish. Further, the sys-

tem is suited for creating various

features such as corners and

curves without having to resort

to accessory blocks. Wall inclina-

tions are not fixed, which helps

in adapting to site conditions,

while the design of these walls

can be easily adjust to suit most

sites. The walls can be designed

to be plant supportive too.

What erosion control methodology does the company offer? Our Ter-

rafix blocks have been on the

market for almost 30 years now

and have proven to be a most

reliable

erosion

control

system.

The

blocks

have been

used in

applica-

tions with extremely high water

velocities in river beds and have

survived where other sys-

tems failed.

How do your products

Terraforce is a well-known and award-winning Cape Town-based company that offers interlocking concrete blocks (earth-retaining blocks) for environmental landscaping and concrete retaining walls. The company is a Level 4 BBBEE contributor. Terraforce pioneered the hollow reversible interlocking concrete block that is unmatched in its versatility, both in application and elevation. The wide range of plantable retaining wall blocks is tailored to create environmentally friendly domestic or industrial installations and to support sustainable development in soil stabilisation. Walls can range from light gravity walls to geogrid reinforced earth-retaining or heavy gravity double-skin walls.

BELOW CAPTION PLEASE. CAPTION PLEASE. CAPTION PLEASE. CAPTION PLEASE.

aid with roadside land-scaping? Some of the largest

landscaping/terracing projects

ever undertaken with our blocks

are in the Persian

Gulf region, for

obvious reasons. A

one-block system

has its advantages

insofar as expen-

sive equipment and

stock levels are

kept in check while

the installation

process is relatively

easy to master.

What other in-frastructure ap-plications does your product feature, such as the work done on landfill sites? Infrastruc-

ture applications

include slope protec-

tion, strip roads and

parking areas with

permeable pavers, culvert wing

walls and stormwater control,

stormwater attenuation mea-

sures, toe walls and more.

Tell us about the com-pany’s biggest and most recent infrastructure project. The biggest installa-

tions done with Terraforce blocks

are all

abroad

– Dubai,

Qatar

and Tur-

key. Lo-

cally, our

licensee

Remacon

supplied 67 000 L11 blocks to

Cradlestone Mall near Krugers-

dorp, which rank as one of the

biggest projects in recent times.

During 2012, our blocks were

used at a number of solid waste

and wastewater management

facilities, including the Kuilsriver

solid waste

management facility and

Cape Flats Wastewater Treat-

ment Works.

Tell us about the compa-ny’s most recent awards. Terraforce and its partners have

consistently won the premier

awards at the biannual CMA

Awards for Excellence. We are

proud of our achievements in

this regard, particularly the years

2006 and 2008 when we won

multiple awards. In 2012, we Our blocks were used at a number of solid

waste and wastewater management facilities

won the Terraforce trophy for the

most sustainable project.

How long has Terraforce been in business? Ter-

raforce was founded in Cape

Town 33 years ago and is now

represented on five continents.

Our business is still growing, in

spite of the ‘reverse engineers’

who like to pitch up their tents

in very close proximity to

our campsite.

www.transtech.co.za

Contacts us on +27 (0)21 948 4746 email [email protected]

When sweeping with the C201 Compact, Johnston’s “Water Curtain” technology traps small dust particles (PM10 and PM2.5) helping air quality by preventing their airborne release into the environment. Link air quality to the reduced fuel consumption of the C201 in work mode – up to 40% less fuel than other sweepers in its class – plus Eco Mode fitted as standard for in-transit fuel savings, and the Johnston C201 Compact is one of the cleanest sweepers available. Finally with an annual reduction of CO2 to 16 tonnes, the Johnston C201 is an environmental winner.

Clear Air and Clean Streets

C201 – Refreshingly ClearThe

www.transtech.co.za

The VT650

Contacts us on +27 (0)21 948 4746 email [email protected]

The VT Range of truck mounted sweepers is now established as the most durable and dependable road sweeper ever produced by Johnston, a fact supported by our sweepers maintaining the highest residual value.

With more than 50 years of engineering expertise and design the VT Range leads the way, offering you years of outstanding performance.

You can choose your VT Range options from our selection of Customer Packs and save even more time, cost and labour.

Ask about our Contractor’s Pack, the Productivity Pack or our Eco Pack and you can be confident that whatever you specify, the VT Range from Johnston will provide you with the best solution in an ever demanding market.

Surprisinglyaffordable,totallydependable


PANEL DISCUSSION

Chris Munro | Managing Director | TFM TRANSTECH


TFM Transtech is re-nowned for its waste management solutions, but what sweeper prod-ucts do you offer? CM

We’re fortunate to have the

world’s top and class leading

sweeper brands in our fold. Our

Johnston sweeper range includes

both compact purpose-built ma-

chines as well as truck mounted

vacuum sweepers in model and

size configurations, designed

and built for every sweeping task

and the toughest applications.

The Johnston CN201 and CN401

models offer high performance

efficiency and economy within a

“compact” package that enables

them to work in highly congested

(inner city) vehicle traffic areas,

even during peak and business

hours – and dare I say they are

very attractive machines too!

Our Madvac PS300 walk-behind

sweeper is designed for use in

high volume pedestrian areas, on

pavements and difficult to reach

spaces – anyone who has ever vis-

ited many of the world’s major cit-

ies will have seen these machines

scurrying around doing their job at

all times. The Johnston VT range

of truck mounted sweepers, which

we also like to refer to as our

full-size machines in deference of

their volumetric payload capacity

and heavy duty suction capability,

TFM Transtech is a Cape Town-based company that sells and pro-

vides after-sales support for a wide range of waste handling municipal

equipment throughout South Africa. The company believes that noth-

ing is more important than the quality and accessibility of service. As

such, it offers mobile support units that visit customers on a full-time

basis, every day of the week. TFM Transtech’s client base ranges from

local government and municipalities to leading contractors countrywide.

Its products include some of the best equipment and internationally

acclaimed global brands.

LEFT Johnston VT650/1 mounted on an Iveco SWB truck chassis with dual steering (for LH and RH sweeping in any direction) and automatic transmission – the most effective package for nearly every sweeping application. This sweeper is painted in “Springbok colours”, a true champion

are particularly suited to municipal

and road construction work. The

VT range also extends to highly

specialised machines including

airport and runway sweepers.

What makes the VT range best suited for municipal clean-ups? As mentioned, it’s

capacity and performance. More-

over the VT651, our most popular

model has proved to be extremely

versatile and durable in all man-

ner of different applications, such

as the nature of municipal work.

The VT range, which delivers

consistent high performance,

also enables contractor work

such as road planning and dirt

pick-up around construction sites

and access roads. Johnston has

a unique design hopper (void),

which creates a cyclone effect in

the system for efficient filtering

of dust and debris particles, prior

to discharge to the air, through

filter mesh screens – this makes

it ideal for construction sites

as well. This unique design is a

standard feature of all Johnston

VT sweepers. Our VT sweeper

models can be mounted on a wide

range of well-known truck chassis

(makes). This is important in

terms of “user friendliness” and

wider service and spare parts

availability. Where economic

realities dictate, such as with

municipalities in Southern Africa,

the Johnston VT651 has to be the

better choice.

How do the Johnston sweepers fare in terms of sustainability? Very well

indeed! For example, the VT range

comes with an optional water

reticulation system that recycles

excess water in the body space

into the suction nozzle. This not

only conserves water and reduces

dust emissions, but also extends

on-the-job time. This range is the

first Europe-manufactured equip-

ment to achieve full PM10 test

compliance in stringent air quality

tests on whole vehicle emissions

(European standards). There

is the option of a high-power

auxiliary engine, which further

reduces emissions. The VT range

has a heavy-duty Wearsaf fan for

superior suction power. The fan

speed is automatically adjusted to

deliver air flow and suction pres-

sure to match sweeping demands,

thereby keeping noise emissions

to a minimum while conserving

fuel. With regard to the compact

range of sweepers, all our equip-

ment comfortably meets emission

standards, while most also

comply with international dust

emission limitation legislation.

What makes TFM Trans-tech's range of equipment so versatile? We manage to

offer a full and complete range of

sweepers within the constraining

realities of the markets where

we operate. What I mean is that

in our part of the world we do

not have the luxury (and must

decidedly avoid) the attraction

of too much choice. The main

reasons for this has already been

mentioned but the importance

for a sweeper to be durable, with

a long life expectancy that can

be achieved only through ease

of maintenance and assured

spare parts supply, cannot be

over emphasized. It pains one to

sometimes come across sweepers

in remote areas that have been

rendered obsolete totally unneces-

sarily for the said reasons. Africa’s

geographic realities places us far

from many specialised service re-

quirements – necessities that are

often not even rated that highly in

the “Western world” when a pur-

chase decision is made. However,

here this is vital and we believe

that TFM Transtech offers a range

of machines that are specifically

suited for our environment, backed

with the support of people that

understand the market and that

have been in the industry locally

for many decades.


PANEL DISCUSSION

Vikash Narsai | CEO | VNA CONSULTING


In terms of sustainable road management, what expertise does VNA Con-sulting offer the indus-try? VN At VNA, we believe that

understanding road infrastructure

is key to sustainable manage-

ment thereof. As proud partners

of the ARRB Group (Australia)

and Grontmij (Europe), we have

invested massively in leading

world-class network survey

technology to enhance road and

bridge interventions.

The company offers solutions

that utilise network survey and

asset management technologies

to ensure we give our clients only

the best service. All our person-

nel undergo stringent training and

testing with respect to their core

functions. This has assisted in

the optimal execution of our busi-

ness. In addition, specialist pave-

ment management equipment

provides accurate and significant

data of the road infrastructure

and performs non-destructive,

non-intrusive testing on road

pavement layers and surfaces.

Tell us more about VNA’s involvement in the 17 000 km of roads in KwaZulu-Natal. VNA was

VNA Consulting is a professional built environment and infrastruc-

ture management service provider that serves the building and civil

engineering fraternity through its niche product lines in management

consulting, design, and asset management techology solutions. This

allows for the transformation of its clients’ needs into real-time solu-

tions that are practical and usable. The business is focused around

a full cycle professional service ranging from project or programme

management, engineering and design, through to information, which

will enable efficient infrastructure delivery.

tasked by the KwaZulu-Natal

Department of Transport (KZN

DOT) to undertake a complete

network analysis of both the

paved and unpaved road network.

The client requested only a visual

condition index (VCI) and a bear-

ing capacity analysis. Using the

Hawkeye 2000 and Falling Weight

Deflector (FWD), we were able to

acquire information for 7 300 km

of paved roads and 10 000 km of

unpaved roads. Images from the

Hawkeye were analysed in-house

and a VCI report was drafted. The

rutting, texture and international

roughness index data collected

with the laser profiler supple-

mented the visual assessments,

while the FWD analysis proved

useful in identifying roads with

structural capacity deficiencies.

Your website speaks of modern infrastructure requiring integrated solu-tions. How does this ap-ply to the local roads and bridges sector? Modern

infrastructure is more than just

building a road, school, infra-

structure for water, or providing

electricity. It’s about providing an

integrated solution that fosters

growth and ensures continuous

development, either human or re-

source related. To enable growth

and development, access through

local roads and bridges needs to

be provided. Communities and

individuals can only flourish if

they are given the opportunity to

interact and enrich themselves

through self-development. Local

roads and bridges play a crucial

role in linking communities and

providing access to public and

social amenities.

VNA prides itself on as-set management technol-ogy through the collec-tion of data and scientific assessments thereof. Briefly explain this pro-cess. The information is stored

electronically and accessed at

an office, with the advantage

of going back and forth through

the data without having to revisit

the site. Images are captured at

intervals of 20 m, while profiles

(IRI, RUT, TEXTURE) are recorded

between 1 and 25 mm inter-

vals. All data is geo-referenced

with sub-meter accuracy. The

Hawkeye is also used to identify

and record roadside inventory

for asset management. The data

is also non-destructive, so layer

thickness and bearing capaci-

ties can be tested by the Ground

Penetration Radar (GPR) and FWD

as opposed to the conventional

method of digging up test pits. In

comparison to the conventional

method of visual assessments,

our method of assessment rules

out the subjectivity as it has a

high level of repeatability.

What is your view of South Africa’s road infrastructure and what suggestions would you propose to local govern-ment? During our assessment

of the 7 300 km of paved roads,

we observed that the network

maintained post-1994 by the KZN

DOT has since deteriorated to

an extent where a high degree of

rehabilitation is required. In initiat-

ing the Pavement Management

System (PMS) for KZN DOT, we

utilised all our asset management

equipment to obtain scientific

data in order to validate the condi-

tion of the road network by input-

ting this data into the RosyCam,

which is a PMS that optimises the

network and produces a report

on prioritisation of repair. These

outputs are then modelled around

budget constraints and repair

strategies. We believe that local

government should use such sys-

tems to ensure the longevity of its

network – most of the paved road

network across all provinces has

reached the end of its design life

(25 years). Government’s priority

should be focused on conserving

the road network by ensuring that

adequate funding is set aside for

maintenance and upkeep.

BELOW Image of road from Hawkeye Survey Vehicle.


PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

IT IS BECOMING the norm for pres-

tigious office building projects to be

designed and built to achieve both

‘Office Design v1’ and ‘As Built v1’

Green Star ratings from the Green Building

Council of South Africa.

Progressive developers are setting targets

for low energy usage, greener footprint build-

ings and every aspect of design, construction

and materials is coming under scrutiny for its

impact on the environment.

While concrete is intrinsically ‘green’ by

vir tue of being chemically inert and almost

infinitely recyclable, Lafarge Readymix offers

a range of mix options to improve the carbon

dioxide (CO2) emission

and sustainability per-

formance of concrete even further.

“The challenge is to achieve the physical

properties expected from concrete, in terms

of strength, workability, durability and an aes-

thetically attractive finish while securing the

‘green’ credits necessary for the target Green

Star SA rating,” explains Darren Jacobs,

Lafarge regional quality manager.

“We create concrete that meets all the

end users’ per formance expectations,

although we use a fundamentally different

mix design approach to gain the added

sustainability benefits.”

Improving the CO2 per formance of concrete

focuses primarily on reducing the impact of

the high CO2

emissions arising from the tra-

ditional cement clinker production process.

By incorporating clinker replacement prod-

ucts with negligible carbon footprints in the

concrete mix, such as fly ash or slag, CO2

per formance is enhanced and the consump-

tion of non-renewable raw materials and fossil

fuels reduced.

Fly ash is a reactive cementitious by-product

of South Africa’s pulverised coal-fired power

GREEN CONSTRUCTION

Low carbon footprint concrete

stations, while slag is a by-product of the

steel manufacturing industry.

The Green Star SA rating system is currently

the only rating system in South Africa for sus-

tainable construction.

“For concrete as a construction material,

the Green Star ratings vary depending on

whether the product is conventional in-situ

concrete, precast or stressed concrete,”

explains Jacobs.

“However, the same principle applies to all

applications where a single ‘green’ credit is

awarded for achieving a minimum percent-

age clinker reduction and a further credit for

an even higher specified clinker reduction.

Depending on the application, we can earn

clients a third credit by incorporating recycled

aggregate in the concrete.”

Currently, for a standard structural applica-

tion, a single ‘green’ credit point is awarded if

the clinker content of the concrete is reduced

by 30%, and a second point is awarded if the

clinker content is reduced by 60% compared

with a standard reference mix. Lafarge has a

range of low CO2 mixes, to suit the application

and meet the requirements of the customer.

These products are in line with the Green

Star SA rating system and offer solutions with

reduction in clinker content up to 60%, as well

as the replacement of virgin natural stone

with recycled aggregates.

BELOW LEFT Agilia is a self-compacting concrete

BELOW RIGHT Hydromedia is an innovative stormwater drainage solution

Lafarge’s Low CO2 concrete, or ‘green’ concrete, has been developed to

support contractor clients in meeting South Africa’s increasingly stringent environmental protection standards, which are aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment.



Integrated Waste Management PlansWaste Disposal StrategiesIdentification and permitting of landfill sitesDesign of General and Hazardous Waste sitesDesign of Solid Waste Transfer StationsDesign of Material Recovery FacilitiesOptimisation of Waste Collection SystemsAuditing of Waste Management FacilitiesDevelopment of Operational PlansClosure and Rehabilitation of LandfillsQuality Assurance on Synthetic LinersWaste Recycling Plans

Specialist Waste Management ConsultantsSustainable and appropriate engineering solutions with integrity and professionalism.

Jan Palm Consulting EngineersTel +27 21 982 6570 / Fax +27 21 981 0868 / E-mail [email protected] / www.jpce.co.za

Gansbaai Recycling Centre

Velddrif Transfer Station

Botrivier Drop-off

Herman us Materials Recovery Facility

Vissershok Waste Management Facility

Stanford Drop-off

EROSION CONTROL

Saving the slopes Topsoil on the slopes of a landfill

site alongside New England Road,

Pietermaritzburg, was being eroded by rain

and strong winds, resulting in blockage of

surface drains at the base of the slopes.

THIS BLOCKAGE CAUSED excessive

surface water to build up, with sub-

sequent damage to site infrastruc-

ture, while the resultant run-off was

polluting the nearby Msunduzi River.

Envitech Solutions, which specialises in

landfill engineering, specified Kaytech’s envi-

ronmentally friendly SoilSaver as the solution

to this destructive, costly chain of events.

Although an alternative might have been

hydroseeding directly onto the slopes, the

first heavy rainfall would have resulted in

seeds being washed down to the base and the

slopes left bare of vegetation.

Made from woven 100% jute yarn with a

The rainfall drainage system at the landfill site under strain



coarse 65% open mesh structure, SoilSaver

serves to conserve moisture and holds seeds

and soil firmly in place. Once vegetation is

established, SoilSaver decomposes without

drawing on valuable nitrogenous reserves,

unlike many other natural materials. In fact its

residue is beneficial by adding fibres, which

actually improve the quality of the soil and

hence the vegetation.

SoilSaver, which is extremely effective in a

wide variety of erosion control applications in

any climatic conditions, is supplied in light-

weight bales that are easily handled by one

person. It is simply rolled out and pegged

down at intervals without the necessity of

equipment or skilled labour. Seeding can be

done before or after SoilSaver is laid, with or

without prior mulching.

The contractor commenced with the pro-

ject in mid-September 2012, covering the

TOP AND ABOVE The slope of the landfill before and after the installation of the jute yarn

LEFT The installation process

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

Ammann Construction Machinery SA 70

Armco Superlite 24

Aveng Manufacturing Infraset 58

Aveng Manufacturing 22

Babcock 82

Bell Equipment 25

Bosch Stemele 27

Concrete Manufacturers Association 68 & 69

Coleman Tunnelling 52 & 53

Corrocoat 54

Dynamic Fluid Control 60

Elster Kent Metering IFC

Esorfranki 19

Fiberpipe 61

Gibb Engineering & Science 39

Group Five Pipe 62

Horizontal and Vertical Drilling 57

Jan Palm Consulting Engineers 83

Kaytech 28

Lafarge Industries 80

Mercedes-Benz SA 15

Much Asphalt 72

Model Maker Systems 44

National Asphalt 31

Osborn Engineered Products 12, 13 & 55

Reef Trenchless Technology 56

Robor 34

Royal HaskoningDHV 37

Sanral 20

SBS Water Systems 38

SIKA 42

SFC Engineers 23

Sizabantu Piping System 64

SMEC Vela VKE 33

Spraypave OFC

Stalcor 43

Terraforce 74

The Rare Group t/a Rare 63

Totally Concrete Expo 45 & LI

TFM Transtech 76

TT Innovations 50

Vermeer Equipment Suppliers OBC

VNA Consulting 78

Watertec Africa/Pumps Valves & Pipes Africa 2013 LI

WK Construction 48

WRP Consulting Engineers IBC

landfill slopes with a total of

39 800 m2 of SoilSaver. The

company had previous experience

with Kaytech products and by

following advice on installation

procedures, encountered no prob-

lems. Despite inclement weath-

er for almost two weeks, the

project was completed a month

later. Fortunately, the rain was

light enough not to damage the

slopes prior to the installation of

SoilSaver and the installation was

hassle free.

Having halted the adverse chain

of events, numerous benefits

have emerged – the major one

being the minimisation of envi-

ronmental impact. With minimal

erosion occurring due to the stabi-

lisation of the slopes, the surface

run-off is significantly decreased,

resulting in far less pollution of

the Msunduzi River. The surround-

ing community will benefit from the minimisa-

tion of the harsh visual impact of a closed

landfill site that will soon be covered in a

blanket of green grass.

From an economical and time-saving aspect,

the Msunduzi Municipality will benefit greatly

due to the considerably decreased mainte-

nance costs for the stormwater drainage

system, as well as little or no damage to site

infrastructure along New England Road. As a

cost-effective, environmentally friendly prod-

uct, which is easy to transport and simple to

install with minimal labour required, Kaytech’s

SoilSaver has proven to be a winner.

Documents

Imiesa April 2013