imiesa february 2015

ESAIMESA

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The official magazine

of the Institute of Municipal Engineering

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IMIM

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of SoINFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY

www.infrastructurene.ws

TTHHEE HHOOTT SSEEAATT IINN TT I think it’s important for young engineers to know that the public sector can provide a good foundation to build on.”

Trueman Goba, Chairman, Hatch Goba

A global powerhouse delivering local solutions

Panel Discussion Road network maintenance and management

Municipal focusCity of Johannesburg

Asset ManagementIMESA builds SA’s assets

ININININNININIINNINNNNNNNNINININNININN

CHUCHEKA MHLONGO, DBSAMaking it quick – Speeding up delivery at local level

CCCHHHUUUCCCHHHEEEKKKAAA

Telephone: +27 (0)11 231 2200 • E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.jgi.co.za

J&G, a fi rm which combines time-honoured engineering with cutting-edge solutions.

Services• Agricultural Engineering

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Studies

• Catchment Management

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• Environmental Services

• Geohydrology

• Geology

• Geotechnical Engineering

• Hydrology

• Land Development & Housing

• Mining Infrastructure

• Municipal Infrastructure

• Rail

• Renewable Energy

• Roads

• Stormwater

• Structures

• Traffi c & Transportation

• Urban Drainage

• Waste Management

• Wastewater

• Water

• Water Resources Management

• Water Sector Analysis

IMIESA February 2015 1

VOLUME 40 NO. 2 FEBRUARY 2015CONTENTS

10 MUNICIPAL FEATUREJozi: A journey of change

38 CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT Construction equipment for emerging contractors IMESA

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IMIM

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT MAINTENANCE SERVICE DELIVERY


TTHE HE HOT HOT SEATSEAT IN TIN T think it’s important for young engineers to know that the public

sector can provide a good foundation to build on.”


A global powerhouse

delivering local solutions

Panel Discussion Insight into road

network maintenance

and management


Asset ManagementIMESA builds

SA’s assets

INFINFINNINFNINNNFNNNINFNINF

CHUCHEKA MHLONGO, DBSA

Marking it quick -

Speeding up delivery at

local level

CHUCHEKCHUCHEKCHUCHEKAAA

AAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM

octa

rine

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AECOM has diversified its market presence with the recent acquisition of URS. This has dramatically accelerated AECOM’s strategy of creating an integrated delivery platform, with superior capabilities, to design, build, finance and operate infrastructure assets around the world. P6

Trueman Goba, chairman of Hatch Goba, takes IMIESA’s Hot Seat to discuss the role of engineers in South Africa today. P14

RegularsEditor’s comment 3President’s comment 5Africa round-up 8Index to advertisers 72

Cover Story Aecom 6

Municipal FeatureJozi: A journey of change 10

Hot SeatHatch Goba 14

Human Settlements Putting it together 16Fast-tracking housing delivery 20Building outside the box 23Relocating people the right way 24

Partnering for Infrastructure Funding and support – The key to unlocking rapid development 25

Asset Management Managing municipal infrastructure 29

OOOT SSEATTTHHHHHOOO

Fleet managementReducing fleet costs – A major challenge 35

Construction Vehicles & Equipment Construction equipment for emerging contractors 38

Roads, Construction, Maintenance & ManagementUpgrading a vital corridor 40Panel Discussion 41

Public TransportSmart streets for complete access 58

SHEQSafety through innovative 3D design 60

Cement & ConcreteGood, better, readymix concrete 62Concrete canvas introduced to SA 63Optimising cement production 64

Technology & InnovationsStrength through synergy 66Coordinating a smarter future 68High-performance project delivery 70

63CEMENT & CONCRETEConcrete canvas introduced to SA

ASSET MANAGEMENTManaging municipal infrastructure29

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@infrastructure4 Infrastructure News

PUBLISHER Elizabeth ShortenEDITOR Nicholas McDiarmidEDITORIAL ASSISTANT Liesl FranksonHEAD OF DESIGN Hayley MendelowDESIGNER Kirsty GallowayCHIEF SUB-EDITOR Tristan SnijdersSUB-EDITOR Beatrix KnopjesCONTRIBUTORS B Grib, B Knopjes, L Chetty, D Lievaart, L Palmer & R Byrne CLIENT SERVICES & PRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh BotmaPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jacqueline ModiseFINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew LobbanMARKETING & DIGITAL MANAGER Esther Le RouxMARKETING SPECIALIST Philip RosenbergADMINISTRATION 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: R550.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR.© Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.___________________________________________________

IMESA CONTACTSIMESA Administration Officer: Narisha SoganP 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 BRANCHClarine ColtmanTel: +27 (0)41 505 8019Fax: +27 (0)41 585 3437E-mail: [email protected]

KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCHSecretary: Rita MatthewsTel: +27 (0)31 311 6382Fax: +27 (0)31 701 2935

NORTHERN PROVINCE BRANCHSecretary: Rona FourieTel: +27 (0)82 742 6364Fax: +27 (0)86 634 5644E-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]

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.

ANYONE would be forgiven for arching

their eyebrow at the suggestion that

the current South African public infra-

structure sector may resemble a field

of dreams. The now hackneyed line, famously

delivered by Kevin Costner, suggests old-school

wisdom of the most proactive variety. Is it true?

In the sphere of local government in South

Africa, it may well be. The skills gap in the public

sector is nowhere more profound than outside

the major metropolitan areas. While it is com-

mon cause that rural areas are by far the most in

need and suffer the greatest infrastructure and

service-delivery backlogs, the challenge for the

so-called secondary cities, also known as the

M2 and M3 metros, also lies in attracting and

retaining the technical skills to plan and imple-

ment effectively.

So what has actually been done about this?

Quite a lot, it turns out. The National Development

Plan is widely accepted as an intelligent plan. Its

17 Strategic Infrastructure Projects are extremely

well-strategised interventions, with applications

at local and national level that are mutually ben-

eficial. But plans, much like funding, have never

really been the constraint. The Infrastructure

Development Act, signed into law in June last year

and “aimed at fast-tracking regulatory decision-

making and speeding up the implementation of

strategic infrastructure projects earmarked for

South Africa,” supports this. Again, it comes

back to skills.

The Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating

Committee has come some way in addressing

the implementation challenges. One key strategy

that is emerging as a viable solution – one that

could make the difference, and possibly tip the

scale – is to rapidly and effectively boost develop-

ment and construction of infrastructure, generally,

and revenue-generating infrastructure, specifically

in our secondary cities. While the benefits are

obvious, they are worth enumerating:

• providing the essential services sustainably and

attract investors and create a job market

• empowering the M2 and M3 metros with rev-

enue-generating assets, and decreasing their

dependence on off-the-book funding

• taking the pressure off South Africa’s primary

metros, notably in terms of housing and transpor-

tation backlogs and decentralising development

• increasing economic opportunities for support-

ive industries.

The list doesn’t end there but, as is clear, achiev-

ing infrastructure interventions that can deliver

the foundations for this shift will result in expo-

nential benefits. The DBSA is has taken on the

implementation challenge, and is itself not short

on skills. It has an internal technical capacity that

is proving capable of delivering aligned projects,

in partnership with committees made up of

the private-sector engineering capacity, which is

delivering. Now. The emphasis is on speed; the

emphasis is on catalytic projects; the emphasis

is on delivering as soon as possible. IMIESA

has been in the enviable position of tracking and

unpacking this innovative approach and you can

read up on the details of how the strategy may

just well inject new growth and a new vision for

municipal infrastructure and service delivery.

If there is a cohesive theme to this edition, it

is not so much addressing the skills shortage.

It is identifying the institutional strength that

does exist in the South African public sector,

and how the skills that we do have are in fact

coming up with workable solutions. These include

impressive – and realistic – approaches from the

Department of Human Settlements, the NHBRC,

the CIDB, and several local government imple-

menting agencies who have recently announced

massive infrastructure investment plans. IMIESA

will continue to track the coordination of this mas-

sive enterprise.

Nicholas McDiarmid

IMESA

I S S N 0 2 5 7 1 9 7 8 Vo l u m e 4 0 N o . 1 • J a n u a r y 2 0 1 5 • R 5 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l VAT )

The official

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of Municipal

Engineering

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INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY


THE HOT SEAT IIINNN T

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THE BITUMEN AND

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IMESA

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IMIM

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT MAINTENANCE SERVICE DELIVERY


THE THE HOT SEAT HOT SEAT IN TIN T think it’s important for young engineers to know that the public sector can provide a good foundation to build on.”


A global powerhouse delivering local solutions

Panel Discussion Insight into road network maintenance and management


Asset ManagementIMESA builds SA’s assets

INFINFNFINNFINF

CHUCHEKA MHLONGO, DBSAMarking it quick - Speeding up delivery at local level

CHUCHEKACHUCHEKACHUCHEKA

AECAECAECAECEEECCAECOMOMMMOMOMM

If you build it, they will comeIf you build it, they will come

EDITOR’S COMMENT


PRESIDENT’S COMMENT

THE COUNTRY has just

released the annual

matric results and I

take this opportunity

to congratulate all successful

matriculants and extend warmth

and appreciation to all parents

and teachers for their efforts

over the past year. Early analy-

sis of the results has indicated

a drop in the overall percent-

age of passes, but at the

same time showing a steady

improvement in the quality of

the passes.

Our municipal engineering

environment relies heavily on

the matric candidates who

follow the mathematics and

physical science curriculums,

as an entry requirement for

the engineering courses on

offer at a tertiary institution

level. Alternatively, FET col-

leges also offer construction

learnerships for much-needed

engineering artisans.

I however wish to address the

practical training of civil engi-

neers during and after obtaining

a tertiary qualification, be it BSc

Eng., B Eng., B Tech. or ND in

Civil Engineering.

In the 1970s and 1980s,

national departments such as

Water Affairs, Transport, Public

Works, Provincial Transport and

Roads, as well as the bigger

cities and towns, were primarily

the training hub for civil engi-

neers. Although this was driven

by the need to resource their

individual services’ needs, there

was enough training throughput

to benefit the country as a

whole. Concurrently, consulting

engineering practices were also

training civil engineers.

Things changed in the 1990s

as a result of various factors,

such as restructuring within the

national, provincial and munici-

pal environments. Increased

outsourcing of design work, as

well as the closure of depart-

mental construction teams in

municipalities, affected the abil-

ity to provide an ideal environ-

ment for developing and expos-

ing young engineers to the full

facets of engineering.

An exodus of competent engi-

neers also hit the municipalities

and provinces when the percep-

tion was created (and in most

cases realised) that transforma-

tion was going to sideline them.

This left these institutions with

large gaps in middle manage-

ment and specialist positions,

which are vital to the ongoing

training of entry-level engineers.

The burden of training thus

started falling on the consult-

ing engineering industry more

heavily. In the past, consult-

ing engineers recruited quite

a few professional engineers

from the ranks of govern-

ment institutions. The reverse

started happening when govern-

ment institutions started to

recruit professionals from the

consulting engineering frater-

nity as there was not enough

throughput from their internal

training interventions. Currently,

I don’t believe that the consult-

ing engineering fraternity is

able to provide an ideal training

environment for young engi-

neers because of the tender-

ing system in place. Too high

discounted rates convert to

cutting down on time invested

in training and quality of service

to the client.

National departments are in

the best position to analyse and

understand the need for the

training of engineers through

statistical data collected from

municipalities. They also control

the funding regime of infrastruc-

ture grants and are thus able

to direct appropriate training

interventions. Effectively, they

need to get back to the position

of being the lead in training of

engineers. After all, engineer-

ing and infrastructure go hand

in hand.

Likewise, Metros and large

municipalities need to increase

their training throughput, not

just for their own needs but for

the benefit of smaller munici-

palities; some of which do not

have competent engineering

skills on board to render super-

vision over trainees.

The following interventions are

already in place in some institu-

tions but need to be expanded:

• internship programmes for

graduate engineers, tech-

nologists and technicians,

especially since funding from

SETAs can be accessed

• experiential training for stu-

dent technicians

• placement of trainee munici-

pal engineers with consultants

on projects as part of contrac-

tual arrangements, in order to

obtain the necessary design

and project supervision skills

for registration purposes

• appointment of external men-

tors to oversee the training

requirements and progress

of trainees

• formalisation of experiential

training and the rotation of

trainees so that a wide range

of experience is obtained.

A major contributing factor to

the retention of engineering

skills within the municipalities is

the ability to provide a learning

environment and possibilities

of growth in knowledge, as well

as position in the organisa-

tion. Recognition for obtaining

professional status, as well

as it being a requirement for

further advancement, will

also ensure that candidates

avail themselves for training

interventions and continued

professional development.

Most of all, I appeal to all

government institutions and

municipalities to value and give

the necessary recognition to the

municipal engineering practition-

ers in your employ. Country-

wide, there exists a shortage of

this skill and the country needs

all hands on deck in order to

continue building the required

engineering skills capacity

to manage the much-needed

infrastructure for sustainable

service delivery and continued

economic growth.

A belated greeting of well wishes and prosperity for the new

year to all readers of IMIESA magazine.

Training our future engineers

Duncan Daries, IMESA president

6 IMIESA February 2015

COVER STORY

IN LATE 2014, AECOM – the world’s

top-ranked engineering design

firm – completed its acquisition of

URS Corporation.

Michael Burke, AECOM CEO, says:

“Beyond the compelling benefits that this

transaction creates

for our combined

clients, stockhold-

ers and employees,

the combination of

AECOM and URS

dramatically accel-

erates our strat-

egy of creating an

integrated delivery

platform, with supe-

rior capabilities, to

design, build, finance and operate infra-

structure assets around the world.”

The acquisition fur ther diversifies and

broadens AECOM’s market presence, as

URS brings strong sector exper tise in

important markets, including oil and gas,

power, infrastructure, industrial and gov-

ernment. URS also adds to AECOM’s

construction capabilities, deepening a

core competency that AECOM will be able

to leverage across its global platform.

URS complements and expands AECOM’s

offering through providing a full range

of programme management; planning,

design and engineering; systems engineer-

ing and technical assistance; construction

and construction management; operations

and maintenance; management and opera-

tions; informa-

tion technology

and decommis-

sioning and clo-

sure services.

AECOM and URS have joined resources and now operate as a single company like no other. More than ever, AECOM is having a positive impact transforming and improving lives on a truly global level.

A global powerhouse

AECOM in AfricaWhen scoping the opportunities for enhanc-

ing and protecting the world’s built, natural

and social environments, Africa’s potential

is as vast as its extraordinary land mass.

With a long history of working on the

continent, AECOM’s operations in Africa

now boast more than 1 900 people and

a track record of delivering excellence to

clients in more than 40 African countries.

Its diverse knowledge and experience of

these markets is backed by its strong

technical credentials and knowledge of

Africa’s critical infrastructure needs. URS’s

expertise in engineering, construction and

technical services for public and private

sector clients strengthens AECOM’s capac-

ity to improve the lives of communities

across Africa.

AECOM’s chief operating of ficer in

Africa, Tim Ter Haar, says: “The new

AECOM contains the capabilities to design,

build, finance, operate and maintain

UNPARALLELED SERVICE OFFERINGS:• Architecture• Building engineering• Construction services• Design and planning• Economics• Energy• Environment• Government• Mining• Oil and gas• Programme, cost, consultancy• Programme management• Transportation• Water

AECOM

$19.2 billionFY 2014 combined revenue

AECOM provided full quantity-surveying services for this four-star

green-rated building in Pretoria

Full quantity-surveying services provided for the Portside Green Star-rated building

in Cape Town PHOTO RAPHAEL HELMAN


COVER STORY

delivering local solutions

ABOUT AECOMWith nearly 100 000 employ-ees — including architects, engineers, designers, plan-ners, scientists and man-agement and construction services professionals — serving clients in more than 150 countries around the world, AECOM is a premier, fully integrated infrastruc-ture and support services firm. AECOM is ranked as

the number-one engineer-ing design firm by revenue in Engineering News-Record magazine’s annual industry rankings. The company is a leader in all of the key mar-kets that it serves, including transportation facilities, envi-ronmental, energy, oil and gas, water, high-rise buildings and government. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge,

innovation and technical excellence in delivering solu-tions that create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural and social environ-ments. A Fortune 500 com-pany, AECOM companies, including URS Corporation and Hunt Construction Group, had revenue of approximately $19.5 billion during the 12 months ending 30 September 2014.

AECOM’S CORE SERVICES AECOM serves clients at all phases of the project life cycle. The combined company has a greatly enhanced capacity to provide integrated delivery capabilities, covering all four components of the infrastructure asset life cycle – design, build, finance and operate – that customers around the world increasingly demand.

infrastructure assets across a range of

global markets. Whether we serve clients

at a par ticular phase of a project life

cycle or throughout it, our role is to apply

creative vision, technical expertise, inter-

disciplinary insight, and diverse experi-

ence to address complex challenges in

new and better ways. We help our clients

deliver critical resources and services to

people, improve the places where they live

and work, and sustain a world in which we

can all flourish.”

Diverse disciplines, a common purpose“We draw together teams of engineers,

planners, architects, landscape architects,

environmental specialists, economists,

scientists, consultants and construction

specialists, as well as cost, construction,

project and programme managers,” Ter

Haar illustrates. “Our people are dedicated

to finding the most innovative and appropri-

ate solutions, and improving quality of life.

Enhancing lives, sustaining livelihoods “We understand the importance of fresh

water, clean and reliable energy, efficient

transpor tation systems and industrial

facilities, as well as beautiful and well-

served buildings, communities and cities,”

explains Ter Haar. “We live and work where

you do. We are also dedicated to serving

you in your city or around the globe in more

than 150 countries.”

The new AECOM brings a collective

wealth of experience and skills across a

diverse range of markets to deliver a highly

differentiated service. Its local delivery is

informed and empowered by its truly global

perspective and the expertise of nearly

100 000 employees around the world.

100 000Approximate staff count

AECOM was appointed to initiate the design of the Durban dig-out

port in KwaZulu-Natal

AECOM was the principal agent, project manager and civil, structural engineer for

the Sedibeng Brewery in Gauteng

IMIESA 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.

www.aecom-urs.com


TANZANIATanzania seeks $1 billion infrastructure upgrade via Eurobond The Tanzanian government

has showcased some mega

infrastructure projects worth

over $10 billion to large-scale

financial institutions for poten-

tial consorting through equity or

favourable debt considerations.

The government also plans to

raise $1 billion by floating the

Eurobond for long-term infra-

structure investments, having

an ultimate goal of unlocking

and connecting remote key pro-

duction areas and markets.

Speaking on the issuance

of the Eurobond last week,

the Minister of Finance and

Economic Affairs, Saada

Mkuya Salum, said, “The

responsibility for meeting

the enormous demand for

new and better infrastructure

remains to be of paramount

importance, owing to increased

population and fast-growing

economic activities.”

She said the government was

finalising important processes

that will lead to floating the

Eurobond to finance infrastruc-

ture projects to be outlined in

the next budget. “We needed to

put our house in order before

floating the Eurobond to avoid

INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT

AFRICA ROUND-UP

mistakes made by other sub-

Saharan countries.”

KENYAKenya’s 10 000 km road project kicks offKenya’s 10 000 km of roads

construction project has finally

kicked off.

The roads are going to be con-

structed in three phases, which

will be divided into 2 000 km,

3 000 km and 5 000 km. The

first phase has been subdivided

into 45 lots.

The Permanent Secretary for

the Ministry of Transport and

Infrastructure, John Mosonik,

indicated that the government

has already received bids from

49 individual bidders who have

also been pre-qualified.

The roads project will be

undertaken within a period

of three years under a public-

private partnership.

The total estimated cost of the

project is $9 billion. Other sourc-

es of funding include local banks

and other financiers under the

annuity model with minimum

state funding. In this model,

the contractors will be tasked

with construction, operation and

maintenance of the roads.

ZAMBIAMillions poured into Lake Tanganyika projectThe government of Zambia has

recently received a loan approv-

al worth $22.49 million from

the African Development Bank

(AfDB) for the development of

areas around Lake Tanganyika.

In addition to the installation

of drainage and water distribu-

tion systems, the development

of infrastructure will involve

installing central pivot systems

to enhance the production of

sugar cane. It will also see the

development of 13 modern mar-

ket platforms, as well as small-

scale irrigation schemes.

Part of the Lake Tanganyika

project will also involve the

training of farmers, among other

capacity-building initiatives.

This project is part of

Zambia’s Vision 2030 strate-

gic plan and will help in the

development of the country’s

economy. This will in turn create

jobs for locals and help in rural

improvement.

The Lake Tanganyika project

will be implemented in the

Nsama and Mpulungu districts,

and is expected to take a peri-

od of five years.

The whole project is estimat-

ed to cost $29.62 million. The

Global Environment Facility has

contributed $7 million towards

it, with the government of

Zambia giving $190 000.

UGANDABotched Katosi Road project to cost doubleThe Ugandan government is

negotiating with a new contrac-

tor to build the botched 74 km

Mukono-Kyetume-Katosi-Nyenga

road project.

At USh254 billion (Ugandan

shillings), which is approximately

R1 billion, the project will be

almost double the initial cost.

M/S JV SBI International

Holding and Reynolds

Construction Company Limited

(RCC) are negotiating with gov-

ernment under the emergency

procurement of road construc-

tion works arrangement.

The new ‘favourable’ bid

from SBI and RCC is awaiting

approval from Attorney General

Peter Nyombi, having been

“evaluated as the best bidder

at a total cost of just under

USh254 billion.”

The first contract awarded

to Eutaw last year was worth

USh165 billion but was

cancelled in August by the

Inspectorate of Government

(IG), after allegations sprung

up that Eutaw was a phony

company and that the contract

procurement process had

been mismanaged.

But last November, the Uganda

National Roads Authority, with

authorisation from the IG,

embarked on what they termed

an ‘emergency procurement pro-

cess’ for the project.

Kenya is planning to expand and improve the road network to boost trade and ease transportation across the country

Lake Tanganyika


AFRICA ROUND-UP

This meant there was no open

bidding and two firms, Kolin

Construction and SBI – which

put in a joint bid with Reynolds

Construction Company (RCC)

– were enlisted. We have been

told that Kolin put in a bid of

USh285 billion while SBI (and

RCC) put in the favourable bid

of USh254 billion.

This means that irrespective

of which firm won the deal, the

total cost of the Katosi Road pro-

ject could jump to about USh339

billion on completion. This figure

takes into account the USh25

billion that was advanced to

Eutaw, the new SBI/RCC bid of

USh254 billion, and the USh60

billion compensation sought by

the Chinese firm Chongquing

International Construction

Corporation, which had been

subcontracted by Eutaw.

NIGERIANimasa dockyard construc-tion to gulp N58 billionThe construction of a ship-build-

ing and dockyard facility in the

Delta State of Nigeria is expect-

ed to require over N58 billion

(approximately R3.7 billion).

The contract, which includes

ancillary buildings and

electro-mechanical works

and facilities at the cost of

N40 243 702 763.38, was

awarded to Nairda Limited with

a delivery period of 36 months.

The contract for the civil work

was awarded to Mangrovetech

Construction Engineering

Nigeria and 15% of the contract

sum of N18 457 283 591.91

has been paid.

The capital-intensive nature

of this project and other

commitments compelled the

director general of the Nigeria

Maritime Administration and

Safety Agency (Nimasa), Patrick

Akpobolokemi, to appeal to the

federal government to exempt

the agency from contributing

to the federation account for a

period of five years.

Akpobolokemi said the dream

of the Nimasa shipyard and

dockyard, which will be man-

aged by the private sector, is to

transform the maritime sector

into an industry that will gener-

ate capable manpower, which

will contribute significantly to

the nation’s GDP.

He said the vision behind

the shipyard, which is being

developed in two phases, is to

have a world-class building and

repair facility that will be com-

mercially viable to transform the

nation’s economy.

LIBERIAPublic Works launches $5.6 million CIDPThe newly appointed Minister

of Public Works, William Gyude

Moore, has officially launched

the first phase of the Community

Infrastructure Development

Project (CIDP), which runs

from ELWA junction to Roberts

International Airport (RIA).

According to the minister, the

CIDP project is worth $5.6

million and will last for a period

of three years.

Moore said the ministry was

committed to building roads and

laying out alleys that would help

provide increased access to

various communities and homes

throughout the country.

He further explained that the

ministry would be aggressive

during this dry season in meet-

ing up with some its plans,

including opening alleys and cor-

ridors within communities along

the road, installing sidewalks,

and planting curves.

The grant for the project is

being funded from the Japanese

rice monetisation programme,

known as the Counterpart

Value Fund.

RWANDAGovernment to upgrade over 7 192 km of roadsThe Rwandan government plans

to ensure that all road construc-

tion projects that were ear-

marked in the national budget

as per the 2014/15 fiscal year

are completed as scheduled.

This is to support the private

sector’s efforts to deliver the

second Economic Development

and Poverty Reduction Strategy

(EDPRS II) goals.

Over 7 192 km across the

country will be repaired or

upgraded to ensure that quality

and adequate infrastructure is

in place to enable the public

and private sectors to deliver

Rwanda’s economic objectives,

according to James Musoni,

Minister for Infrastructure.

“We want to scale up our

efforts towards the realisation

of this objective to reduce the

cost of doing trade in the coun-

try, making Rwanda more com-

petitive and linking producers to

markets,” Musoni says.

Last month, the government

and the African Development

Bank signed a conces-

sional loan agreement worth

$74.4 million to finance the

construction of the 51 km

Base-Gicumbi-Rukomo road.

It is projected that, once

completed, it will greatly

facilitate trade between the

Rubavu, Musanze, Gicumbi and

Nyagatare districts.

Overall, road projects were

allocated about RWF7.4 billion

(approximately R124 million) in

the 2014/15 fiscal year.

GHANA$900 million approved for Ghana’s largest power plantCenpower announced the finan-

cial close of a $900 million pro-

ject financing for the construc-

tion of the largest independent

power plant in Ghana.

The Kpone Independent Power

Project (KIPP) is a 350 MW

combined-cycle multi-fuel power

station to be located near Tema,

Ghana. Once construction is

complete, it is expected to be

the largest independent power

producer in the country, and will

account for approximately 10%

of Ghana’s installed capacity.

The African Infrastructure

Investment Fund 2, which is

advised by African Infrastructure

Investment Managers (AIIM),

a joint venture between

Macquarie Africa and the Old

Mutual Investment Group,

together with its co-investors,

owns a direct interest of 15%

in Cenpower, through an inter-

posed investment vehicle,

Mercury Power.

Other shareholders in

Cenpower include Africa

Finance Corporation, Sumitomo

Corporation and FMO, the Dutch

Development Bank.

“Investors around the globe

have embraced infrastructure as

an asset class, as it provides

stable and growing earnings

and cash flow. Infrastructure is

a lower-risk access platform to

Africa’s growth story. Currently,

we believe there is a large

infrastructure gap in Africa

but demand for it is strong

and growing,” says AIIM CEO

Jurie Swart.

The construction of a ship-building and dockyard facility in the Delta state of Nigeria is expected to require over N58 billion


MUNICIPAL FOCUS

NATION BUILDING requires a col-

lective effort between govern-

ment, through policy making, and

the community, through involve-

ment and empowerment. Nowhere is this

more prominent in South Africa than in

Johannesburg, where government initiatives

such as the City of Johannesburg’s Growth

and Development Strategy 2006 (Joburg

GDS) are taking hold, and making real

inroads in accelerating economic growth,

which benefits all local residents.

Building a sustainable large city on princi-

ples of equality and empowerment is no easy

task, and requires the involvement and com-

mitment of all stakeholders – public, private

and social. Ideas and policies are nothing,

however, without building the infrastructure

to support and encourage growth.

To achieve this, a number of government

agencies coordinate the building and mainte-

nance of infrastructure. Their aim is to align

the short- and long-term goals of government

and bring about the physical manifestation of

these policies. They are the unseen driving

force behind infrastructure delivery, breathing

life into ideas.

Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA)The JDA was established in 2001. It plays

a crucial role in the Joburg GDS and sup-

ports the development of the COJ, primar-

ily through well-planned transport arteries

– the so-called Corridors of Freedom (COF).

These are key development areas chosen for

their location and importance, to be nodes

of urban development. The JDA manages

and facilitates these developments with effi-

ciency and innovation to build an equitable,

sustainable and resilient city.

“The COF initiative speaks to the past in

terms of freedom from apartheid legacy, but

also to the future; a future of a lower cost

of living, less reliance on energy and private

transportation, and a more sustainable eco-

nomic freedom,” says Sharon Lewis, execu-

tive manager: Planning and Strategy, JDA.

By promoting competitive business environ-

ments, improving public spaces and access

to jobs, the JDA takes into account the socio-

economic circumstances of all who live in

the city, and seeks to restructure outdated

and biased town planning, through transport-

oriented development – which makes the city

more accessible – and high-density residen-

tial development.

The JDA achieves this through close work-

ing relationships with all stakeholders and

by awarding government grants to fund

their objectives. The JDA operates with a

twofold responsibility:

• Development facilitation involves talking to

partners, thereby raising awareness of the

JDA’s plans. This is a new function for the

JDA; one it has always implemented but

only recently been funded to do. “Now we

are being funded to do it properly so that

we can set up a development facilitation

team. We need people who know the area,

and can pool the right people together to

spark all sorts of things over and above the

capex work we do,” explains Lewis.

• Development implementation involves

assessing the needs of an area, and

establishing if it is an underdeveloped,

marginalised area that does not have

enough basic infrastructure. The JDA will

start there, and then coordinate. If it is

a more developed neighbourhood, where

there is enough infrastructure, it will start

by looking at potential public-environment

upgrades to create an identity in the same

way the JDA did in New Town. Where there

is existing infrastructure, the focus will be

on gateways to the neighbourhoods, the

sidewalks, landscaping, streets lights, and

public art and parks.

The JDA focuses on neighbourhoods adja-

cent to the COF. Examples of these are the

Empire, Louis Botha and Turfontein roads

in Johannesburg, the Vilikazi and Kliptown

areas in Soweto, as well as Diepsloot and

Orange Farm.

“This development goes in both directions,

when we do our planning, we align with the

planning of other spheres of government. We

look at the Joburg 2040 Development Plan,

and at the NDP to make sure we are lined up

in terms of objectives. The COF has led to a

very positive alignment,” says Lewis.

Key projects for 2016 include the Rea Vaya

A journey of changeThe City of Johannesburg (COJ) demonstrates how a sprawling metropolis fraught with physical limitations and drenched in history can restructure itself to destroy the walls of social inequality and build geo-spatial transformation through cooperation between the public and private sectors. By Beatrix Knopjes


BRT system, particularly linking Alexandra

township with the inner city.

“All other spheres of government need to

consult with JDA when they do planning and

allocate resources, with respect to the City of

Johannesburg’s Integrated Development Plan

and need to align funding allocations with our

plans. It is very much a sustained two-way

conversation; it is not always smooth, but we

work constantly to achieve that alignment to

ensure we do not duplicate efforts or under-

mine each other,” explains Lewis.

Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA)Founded in 2001 and owned by the City of

Johannesburg, the JRA deals primarily in the

planning, design, construction, operation,

rehabilitation and maintenance of the roads

and stormwater infrastructure in the city.

The JRA aims to have ‘the best city roads

authority that enables economic growth and

sustainability’. It also seeks to achieve the

outcomes of safety, mobility and access for

users of the road network and works closely

with other government agencies, such as

the JDA, to ensure its projects align with

the Joburg GDS. To facilitate this, the JRA is

responsible for the JOZI@Work programme.

JOZI@WorkThis is a new programme – launched by exec-

utive mayor Mpho Parks Tau – which aims

to empower communities and enterprises to

address poverty, inequality and unemploy-

ment in the city. The programme will contract

around 1 750 small businesses and create

in excess of 40 000 jobs by 2016.

The programme is designed to inject income

and promote commercial activity in all clus-

ters of the city, from the most deprived to the

more prosperous areas, according to Tau.

“Jozi@Work will enable and empower both

existing entrepreneurs and thousands of new

market entrants, who in turn will draw on the

hundreds of thousands of unemployed and

underemployed people available in the city’s

labour pool,” says Tau.

Improving services offered in the city

will address poverty, inequality and unem-

ployment by providing much-needed jobs.

According to the 2011 census, there are

over 800 000 work-seeking adults in the

city. “The city’s poverty mapping, based

on broader census data, shows that there

remains an enduring and strong correlation

between lack of access to employment and

the wider range of poverty indicators: below-

average income, poor health outcomes, lack

of access to education, and poor living

environment standards.”

Appointed bidders will be providing services

as diverse as de-sludging chemical toilets,

separating and recycling waste as it arrives

at municipal dumps, providing food-to-city

nutrition programmes, resurfacing and main-

taining roads, and providing frontline support

to water and power infrastructure.

Tau adds that workers gaining on-the-job

experience on the work packages assigned

through the system will also be able to build

up their skills through an apprenticeship

programme, which will include digital learn-

ing at recreation centres and libraries after

hours and on days off. The result will be a

trade certification and a chance to take their

expertise further.

A new community innovation fund linked to

the Jozi@Work programme will be introduced

later in the year. Through this initiative, the

city will give the new regional forums the

opportunity to propose locally led projects

that fit the Jozi@Work objectives, but which

are not funded under city departments’ and

municipal agencies’ budgets.

Johannesburg Housing Company (JHC)The JHC was established in 1995. It is a non-

profit NGO driven by a social mission of long-

term sustainability. The JHC has become

known as a pioneer in social housing.

The JHC provides rental units, primar-

ily in the inner city. They have great-

ly contributed to the rejuvenation of the

inner city by refurbishing buildings formally

in a sad state of disrepair and neglect,

MUNICIPAL FOCUS

LEFT Elangeni after the JHC completed renovations

MIDDLE The eKhaya community sports area, a project of the JHC

RIGHT An aeriel view of the Jeppe Oval

“Jozi@Work will enable and empower both existing entrepreneurs and thousands of new market entrants.” Executive mayor Mpho Parks Tau

CALL FOR PAPERS

IMESA

t +27 (031) 266 3263 email [email protected]

S YN O P S I S S U B M I T T E D BY Wednesday 15th April 2015 Debbie Anderson | [email protected] | tel 031 266 3263

THEME: Changing the face of the Municipal Engineer

Political and Legislative Perspectives

Social and Environmental Impacts

Financial Considerations

Transport and Traffic

Water and Sanitation

Roads and Stormwater


and transforming them into respectable,

habitable environments.

The JHC owns and manages 14% of all

residential units in the inner city: 34 build-

ings and just over 4 300 units. It provides

affordable housing for just over 12 000 souls

and provides R35 million per annum to the

city fiscus for rates, water, electricity, sewage

and refuse.

The majority (84%) of the maintenance and

building management costs for these build-

ings are done by BBBEE developers and con-

tractors. These total R26 million per annum

and go a long way to providing employment

opportunities to small and medium contrac-

tors in the city.

Notable projects of the JHC include:• First new build in the inner city in 30

years: Jeppe Oval, 1997

The first ‘new build’ of the JHC was the

Jeppe Oval in 1996. This was the first

new rental accommodation to be built in

Johannesburg for over 30 years. It com-

prises 240 units in a three-storey, walk-up

configuration. The name of the develop-

ment was taken from the historic oval

around which the complex is built.

• First conversion of a hotel to residential:

Landrost, 2000

The conversion of the Landrost Hotel was

the most ambitious refurbishment under-

taking by JHC. It was once a five-star hotel

which had since fallen into disrepair, as

the area become neglected and run down,

and served as a police barracks. The

conversion of the 18-storey block’s 400

bedrooms into 241 units was a high-risk

undertaking due to the high-rise nature of

the property and its location next to the

bustling Jack Mincer taxi rank. The project

was the first conversion from a hotel into

rental accommodation.

Johannesburg Social Housing Company (Joshco)Joshco promotes developments in declining

urban nodes so that the local economies

in those areas receive an injection of public

investment. Joshco was created by the City of

Johannesburg in March 2004 to provide qual-

ity, affordable and sustainable social housing

products. Joshco aims to be a ‘world-class

social housing provider of choice.’

Joshco’s mandate is to manage all council-

owned rental stock, manage and refurbish

staff and public hostels, develop new rental

stock and implement other mutually agreed

housing developments, provide housing man-

agement services and turnaround strategies

where necessary.

In line with the Joburg GDS 2040, Joshco

aims to design and build quality, resource-

efficient, economically sustainable and

affordable products, which are close to

transport nodes, and address the needs

of the community and the environment

in Johannesburg.

In the financial year 2012/13, the COJ

and independent funders made their invest-

ments towards capital development projects

through Joshco. Some of the capital funding

has been utilised for the development of

infrastructure, while the rest has been used

for the refurbishment of existing buildings,

the conversion of hostels into liveable space

as well as new developments. All of these

are for the sole purpose of occupation by

leasing tenants.

One of the aims of the GDS 2040 is

to address energy efficiency in buildings,

as part of the drive towards a low-carbon

economy and the sustainable use of energy

resources. Joshco has started installing

solar panels and heat pumps in some of

its buildings for water heating, and plans on

designing projects that will incorporate rain-

water harvesting.

Joshco’s Community Development

Programme proactively responds to the pre-

vailing social problems in COJ through the

collaborative effort of various stakeholders

within, and outside, the communities, as

well as through strategic programmes and

projects. Joshco’s involvement in developing

communities exceeds the need for housing;

it also intervenes in other aspects such as

providing temporary employment opportuni-

ties through the Extended Public Works

Programme (EPWP), women and youth devel-

opment, and poverty-alleviating initiatives.

Joshco aligns with the COJ’s vision to pro-

mote transport-oriented developments and,

as a result, aims to make maximum use of

land opportunities located close to mass

public transportation corridors, particularly

those of the Corridors of Freedom. These

are linked to mixed-use development nodes

with high-density accommodation support-

ed by office buildings, retail developments

and opportunities for education, leisure

and recreation.

ConclusionInfrastructure is fundamentally perceived as

a physical structure or delivery mechanism,

which is merely the tip of the iceberg. These

Gauteng-based entities have developed to

integrate socio-economic and geo-spatial

transformation, placing nation building at the

centre of its initiatives.

The development oppor tunities in

Johannesburg are abundant as the city con-

tinues to embark on its ambitious plans to

become a vibrant, first-class city. This is a

shining example of what is possible when

government puts social equality, develop-

ment and upliftment at the core of its

policies. Not only that, but the organisation

of these agencies and their focus on job-

creation mean that this will be a city built by

its people – with a united vision – from the

ground up.

MUNICIPAL FOCUS

Building a sustainable large city on principles of equality and empowerment is no easy task, and requires the involvement and commitment of all stakeholders

ABOVE The Nelson Mandela bridge formed an important part of the JDA's efforts to rejuvenate the New Town district by making it more accessable

BELOW The Rea Vaya BRT project was coordinated by the JDA


Congratulations on the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence Engineering; you are a highly respected figure in the infrastructure sector and certainly a leader among engineers: how do you see the role of the engineer in South Africa today? TG Our nation

will not achieve its goals, as

there is a massive job to be

done in South Africa – and in

the rest of Africa – in a short

space of time. Engineers are

at the core of the building of

the economy and well-being of

people, and all infrastructure

that they create and operations

they manage must work and

enable the success needed. We

need to help improve quality

of life in the cities, assist

in enabling municipalities

to function properly and

industries to thrive. In order

for all these things to work, we

need technically skilled people

managing things.

Do you think that South Africa is doing enough to train engineers? The

Engineering Council of South

Africa (ECSA) has raised this

issue to the National Planning

Commission and the conclusion

is that South Africa does not

train enough engineers.

What ECSA demonstrated is

that the best way to compare

how many professionals you

are producing in engineering,

is to compare the popula-

tion to the number of univer-

sity programmes that each

country has.

On average, the rest of the

world has three times as many

programmes as we do, where

an academic programme is

say civil engineering at the

University of Johannesburg or

mechanical engineering the

University of Kwazulu-Natal,

and so on. With that said, it’s

important to note that there will

be scope for more programmes

that our universities will need

to create as matric results

improve and more students are

attracted to apply for admission

into such programmes.

How do you see the role of the public and private sector in tackling the shortage of engineers in South Africa? In the

private sector, we have the

attraction of exciting project

opportunities that young people

learn and gain experience from.

The more they specialise, for

example, the more they improve

their expertise, and that can

be a satisfying route to take.

Private firms will offer more

such opportunities as their

businesses grow and they will

provide not only bursaries but

also opportunities for vacation

work as well as candidacy

training after graduation and

mentorships once a graduate

has acquired registration by

ECSA. It can do this on behalf of

the public sector as well, where

arrangements are made with

individual firms.

In the public sector, we have

the attraction for young regis-

tered engineers to learn to fulfil

the role of planning and imple-

menting policies and strategies

for policy makers for society,

which can be just as rewarding

in the long term under normal

circumstances. The public

sector manages the higher

education as well as monitors

the production of skills in our

country and there is every role

that it can play to ensure that

the academic sector thrives in

the first instance, and that the

environment in the government

sector is highly professional and

attractive for pursuing young

careers in engineering.

The National Development

Plan has several recommenda-

tions in this regard, especially

with regard to improving the

capability of the state. Every

engineer should help with this,

whether in the private or public

sector. We must all adopt the

Innovative engineering

Trueman Goba is a legend in South Africa’s engineering sector. IMIESA is proud to host this hero of infrastructure in this edition’s Hot Seat.

HOT SEAT

TRUEMAN GOBA | CHAIRMAN | HATCH GOBA

ABOVE Umgeni project

BELOW RIGHT Mahatma Gandhi Road sewer pump station relocation project in Durban


HOT SEAT

attitude of mentoring and sup-

porting young professionals,

exposing them to industry and

challenging them to produce

better decisions in whatever

they are involved in.

Do you think South Africa takes the recognition and registration of its engineers seriously?I think the profession is

recognised. However, as a

means to protect the public

in terms of safety, health,

economics, etc., I do not

think the need to register as

many engineers as possible

is fully appreciated. For

this, the industry itself is to

blame. Clients can also play

a role by paying attention to

this and encouraging more

skills development.

ECSA has created the neces-

sary platforms to manage pro-

fessional registration, but the

challenge is that in many cases

young graduates are not men-

tored soon enough.

ECSA – and the profession

as a whole – needs to make

it compulsory for people who

do certain kinds of work to be

registered. This means clearly

defining different types of work

and what they entail.

Recalling your own rise to success, what would you say to young engineers today in terms of building their careers and their responsibilities as engineers? Engineering

is a demanding course and,

once qualified, successful

young graduates need to be

encouraged to stay within the

profession and gain experience

in fields that they have chosen.

Initially it’s all about design

work, monitoring construction,

and so on, while trying to make

sense to what you have learnt

at university. Participating in

seeing things being built or find-

ing design solutions that are

practical and make sense on a

real project can be a great con-

fidence booster. Other stages of

great learning in my experience

are in participating in a new

project that is being initiated, or

seeing to a conclusion and com-

missioning of a project.

Very soon after going through

a few projects or project phas-

es, you become more produc-

tive as you start contributing

to important decision-making,

which is what it’s all about. As

a result, you start to learn to

design or recommend solutions

differently because, now, you

realise you are not only driven

by functionality, but also real

costs, environment, safety,

constructability, etc.

Have the different cultures within Hatch Goba yielded any unforeseen benefits? The different cultures have

resulted from merging into a

global company that is much

more multidisciplinary than we

were. Hatch has a long track

record of private-sector work

in areas such as mining and

metals, energy and industrial

infrastructure. There is also a

culture of innovation that comes

with 60 years of experience

with major projects mainly in

challenging environments,

constrained by tight schedules

and firmly fixed budgets. In

other cases, the experience has

been in helping clients improve

their operations and as a

result in developing the related

consulting expertise with them.

Public infrastructure and smaller

projects, also require the same

levels of quality but different

approaches from a management

perspective. The combined

benefits especially in terms of

systems and processes were

certainly not foreseen by many

of us.

The merger has changed the

way we think on both sides,

yielding a hybrid culture that

delivers new outlooks and out-

comes that would otherwise not

have been possible, especially

for public infrastructure.

What has your work with the National Planning Commission shown you with regards to improving infrastructure delivery in South Africa? We need a more integrated

way of thinking and operating,

and there is always room

for expanded information

sharing on plans for projects.

Projects are often rolled out

in isolation and engineers are

often responding to tenders

that are for components of

larger schemes. We load

relatively small projects with

too many social requirements,

which tends to slow down

achievement of goals that the

project was identified for in the

first place.

In addition, and the PICC has

made progress on this, we have

not always had project pack-

ages that encourage integrated

approaches between the vari-

ous departments and agencies

engaged in development, lead-

ing possibly to planning and

designs that are not maximally

optimised. It also means that

economies of scale are often

not identified or taken advan-

tage of. This needs serious

attention and several entities

are now focusing on this issue.

As an engineer, what vision do you have for the country – and indeed the continent? I dream of

a successful country – and I

hope we all do. The idea of

improving the quality of life for

all and ending poverty in the

next 15 years as recommended

in the National Development

Plan is a challenging one, if

not impossible. However, in

order to succeed in this, we

need this country to be where

everyone plays their part. You

have to be confident that the

NDP will be implemented in

most sectors of society, so that

conditions will get better for

those who come after us.

interventions

www.hatchgoba.co.za


HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

Putting it togetherMega housing 2015

With the focus on housing delivery finding a strong champion in Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, the coordination of the many stakeholders required to deliver on this national commitment is key. IMIESA looks at innovations in technology, financing and the urgent call for ingenuity and the use of alternative building technologies (ABT). By Nicholas McDiarmid

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DURING SISULU’S recent address

to the Banking Association of

South Africa (BASA), she made

three cogent points:

• the need to develop a more equitable

property market

• the role of building affordable stock in

doing so

• how housing finance needs to be extended

to low-income earners on a more formal

and sustained manner.

Certainly, the banking sector has been play-

ing ball, as the minister pointed out: “In

2005, the banking sector pledged R42 billion

that would be released into the affordable

housing market by 2008 and over R45 bil-

lion was spent to provide various products in

the affordable housing market,” she began.

“This came a long way in addressing some

of the challenges bedevilling the affordable

housing market as developments such as

Olivenhoutbosch, Brickfields, N2

Gateway, Cosmo City, Glen Ridge

and many others would never have

happened without the commitments

and contribution of the four major

banks and BASA spearheading

them through a partnership with

the department. On the other hand,

more still remains to be done.”

Mind the gap – creating a backlogThe current housing backlog has emerged

as the unintended result of the creation of

a class of earners who earn too much to

qualify for public assistance, but too little to

qualify for commercial mortgages. “Despite

remarkable achievements made in the provi-

sion of h ousing for poor households, the

backlog has steadily increased. Population

growth, rural-to-urban migration, coupled

with smaller family sizes, primarily accounts

for the inability to reduce housing backlogs.

There are still about 2 million households in

urban areas alone that live in substandard

housing conditions.”

Estimates for the number of households

who earn too much to qualify for a fully sub-

sidised housing unit but too little to afford

an entry-level bonded home (the gap market)

total approximately 3.5 million households or

24% of South Africa’s household population.

This backlog unfortunately exists in a highly

challenging economic climate, with a popula-

tion that is growing alongside the demand

for access to services – including housing.

Housing and infrastructure backlogs are

increasing and are often accompanied by

rising community demands and instability.

Access to servicesAccording to the UN Habitat Report on ‘The

State of African Cities, 2014’ access to drink-

ing water for South Africa’s urban population

has increased from 85% to 89%, and sanita-

tion, from 80% to 84% in 1990 and 2008

respectively. “Improved access to services

has been made possible largely through gov-

ernment’s investment in the housing subsidy

programme,” noted Sisulu. “Rising building

and service costs, and standards of the sub-

sidy housing products are putting increasing

pressure on the number of housing units that

can be delivered from the existing

human settlement budgets.”

Having implemented and improved

the housing subsidy scheme for

20 years, many lessons have been

learnt, one of which is


“In the next fi ve years, a target of 1.5 million housing opportunities has been set to address the housing needs of poor and middle-income households.”


HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

that there is a need to “radically revise the

housing finance regime”. It also inter alia

includes: prioritising housing investment in

inner city areas, transport hubs and develop-

ment corridors.

New transport nodes accelerating delivery of affordable housingThe establishment of transport nodes across

South Africa has resulted in a wave of new

affordable housing developments being built

in close proximity.

According to Manie Annandale, head of

Nedbank Corporate Property Finance’s

Affordable Housing Development Unit, devel-

opers have recognised the growing demand

for affordable housing developments that

are located close to newly developed roads

or transport systems, such as the Gautrain

and the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit system

in Gauteng and the MyCiti bus service in the

Western Cape.

Provision of transport could catalyse the use of empty land“Affordable housing is driven by the avail-

ability of suitable land and as this cost

increases, so too does the building of higher-

density developments that can best optimise

these transport nodes.”

He adds that with forecasts suggesting

that 70% of South Africa’s population will be

urbanised by 2030, there is an increased

focus on how best to accelerate the devel-

opment of public transport infrastructure

to reach other areas in major cities. One

such example is the south of Johannesburg,

which still has tracts of under-developed land

that can be made available for affordable

housing developments.

Annandale says that there has also been

a notable trend towards the lower-income

bracket renting (rather than buying) afforda-

ble housing property in recent years. “When

the Nedbank affordable housing book was

established six years ago, these develop-

ments sold out pretty quickly. This has

changed significantly over the last few years,

with rentals now dominating and more than

60% of units being rented in developments

that we are currently funding.

Is it affordable? “The issue is that it can be difficult to prove

affordability for many buyers. Often up to

30% of their disposable monthly income

can be absorbed by transport costs, so to

factor in rates and taxes, as well as a bond

payment, means potential buyers may not

qualify for financing.”

Annandale says that he expects the deliv-

ery of affordable housing developments to

accelerate going forward, as government

continues to release public-owned land. The

aim is to build 50 mega projects – develop-

ments of between 2 000 and 4 000 new

homes – over the next five years as part of

government’s social contract with the private

sector across all spheres of business.

“One of the mechanisms through which

this delivery will be accelerated is via public-

private partnerships (PPP) between govern-

ment, developers and banks. Government

subsequently works closely with large devel-

opers to unlock tracts of land, with the bank

providing the funding.

“There is an urgent need in South Africa

to deliver more affordable housing, to meet

the socio-economic demands of the country

and we are confident that with all stake-

holders successfully collaborating, we will

continue to meet this pressing requirement,”

concludes Annandale.

Mixed tenureThe need to mix up different housing tenure

arrangements – including affordable rentals

and social housing – has never been clearer,

along with promoting mixed-use activities and

land development.

South Africa is experiencing a high demand

for housing units and varying finance prod-

ucts in the affordable housing market, with

an estimated one million homes still needed.

Currently only 20 000 units are developed

annually, which means we continue to fall

far short of meeting the required number

of affordable housing stock. In future, the

demand will increase significantly as the lat-

est census data informs us that about 60%

of South Africans are under the age of 34.

Sisulu cited the recent census, which finds

that the average household income is about

R103 204/annum, with Gauteng’s popula-

tion earning above this average at R156 243

and the Western Cape at R143 460. This

means that sharper and better targeting

instruments should be developed, particu-

larly for the metropolitan areas that are

facing increased migration of people without

the corresponding increase in various forms

of affordable housing.

Unfavourable market imbalanceThe increase in demand and shortfall in the

supply of available stock continues to drive

up prices in the affordable housing mar-

ket. According to the Bureau for Economic

Research (BER), in 2013, the average build-

ing cost of a new house constructed was

10% higher than in 2012. This meant the

cost of building increased to R5 202/m2.

The increase in construction cost translated

to an increase in the house prices of new

homes. In addition, fewer numbers of houses

were constructed.

During 2013, the total number of home

loans that were approved by the banks over

the period was 354 291, with 162 800

loans to the affordable housing market.

While the number of home loans for the

affordable housing market is higher, it still

falls short of what is required to meet the

demand. Reasons given include indebted-

ness of the borrowers and availability of

houses at the right price.

Housing in Diepsloot


The promise of the catalytic projectsIn the next five years, a target of 1.5 mil-

lion housing opportunities has been set

to address the housing needs of poor and

middle-income households. This includes

the development of new catalytic projects

aimed at making a difference in the spatial

form of the country. These projects would

demonstrate spatial, social and economic

integration, while taking into consideration

lessons learnt from the plethora of pro-

jects initiated through the Comprehensive

Plan for the Development of Sustainable

Human Settlements.

Today, a strategy is required to deal not

only with the supply, but also the demand

for affordable housing.

Debate and innovateAccess to housing and access to housing

finance by low-income earners is critical

in ensuring the development of any coun-

try. However, income levels are such that

the majority of households cannot afford

to buy the least expensive house, even

if mortgage finance were available. The

major strategy is to ensure that there is

enough housing stock at the right price in

the right locations. It is therefore neces-

sary to debate and develop innovative solu-

tions to increase the supply of affordable

housing stock.

The recommitments made through the

social contract in October 2014 came at

a time where a similar pledge made by

banks back in 2005 is not only needed but

essential. In the recent indaba to discuss

commitments between all social partners,

the banks and BASA committed to:

• develop proposals to improve ongo-

ing coordination between the National

Department of Human Settlements and

the Banking Association South Africa

• develop proposals that promote sustain-

able human settlements in both urban

and rural areas

• increase and fast-track the supply

and delivery of affordable housing in

well-located land

• increase the number of approved end-

user loans (both mortgage and non-mort-

gages) for affordable housing

• actively monitor and provide semi-annual

reports on objectives.

The programmes that the DHS has for

affordable housing only address those

that earn less than R3 500/month while

only the Financed-Linked Individual Subsidy

Programme (FLISP)is targeted for indi-

viduals earning up to R16 000/month.

However, the demand for both rental and

homeownership in this category is increas-

ing as nurses, teachers, police and many

other professionals require affordable and

decent places to live. It is unfortunate

that the current programmes for the gap

market do not adequately address the sup-

ply side of the housing value chain. Thus,

the department calls on partners to help

develop pioneering responses.

The current direct association with the

banks is through credit-linked subsidies

administered on behalf of the MEC by

banks, financial institutions and other

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS


approved providers of credit (the lenders) – if we need to suc-

ceed in our objectives, things cannot be allowed to continue

in this fashion. The programme, better known as FLISP, was

developed by the DHS to enable first-time home-ownership

opportunities to South Africans and legal permanent residents

earning between R3 501 and R15 000 per month. These are

people falling in the category known as the gap market because

they either earn too little to qualify for a home loan or too much

to qualify for a government full-subsidy house.

FLISP offers down-payment assistance in the form of a grant to

qualifying beneficiaries, who are in a financial position to secure

a mortgage loan from a bank to acquire a home. The objective of

the programme is to reduce the initial mortgage loan amount to

render the monthly loan repayment instalments affordable over

the loan payment term. FLISP support qualifying beneficiaries

who wish to obtain mortgage finance from a lender.

Building with the NHBRCBeneficiaries can build a new house with the assistance of

a homebuilder registered with the National Home Builders

Registration Council (NHBRC).

Depending on their income level, a qualifying beneficiary will

receive a subsidy of between R10 500 to R87 000 towards

financing a property that does not exceed a purchase price of

R300 000. The expectation of achieving a functional and single

property market can only be realised through stronger partner-

ships with all the stakeholders in the value chain.

The NDP mandates the human settlements sector to:

• develop bolder measures to develop sustainable

human settlements

• radically revise the housing finance regime

• revise the regulations and incentives for housing and

land-use management.

Government has thus geared itself towards setting favour-

able conditions for the achievement of the 1.5 million housing

opportunities for poor and moderate-income households. More

importantly, this will contribute towards realising the outcome

of sustainable human settlements and improve household life.

ConclusionI observe that this discussion exists at a time of extreme

income inequality. With South Africa's high Gini coefficient, the

low-income housing sector is still finding its champion. Are we

pushing ahead with one system and failing to test economic

dispensation, which really ought to be the first to tackle? Time

will tell.

20 IMIESA February 201520 IMIESA February 2015

THE COMMITMENT by banks, devel-

opers, mining companies and big

employers officially declares South

Africa as the biggest construction

site in Africa and the developing world.

This project is estimated to be worth more

than R250 billion over five years, in bond

investments by banks, rental accommoda-

tion developments by the private sector and

agencies, government subsidies, housing

investments by big employers and min-

ing companies, bulk services, upgrading

of current informal-settlement infrastruc-

ture and community infrastructure, such

as: schools, churches, business sites and

other amenities.

According to Dr Jeffrey Mahachi, special

technical adviser at the National Home

Builders Registration Council (NHBRC), this

will mean that 300 000 houses will have

to be built every year instead of the current

approximately 200 000.

“There is no way that we can achieve

this by using traditional methods of

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS | PROFILE – NHBRC

One-and-a-half-million houses in fi ve years

Minister of Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu’s commitment to build 1.5 million houses in five years is detailed in the Social Contract for the Development of Sustainable Human Settlements, signed at the end of the two-day National Human Settlements Indaba and Exhibition held at the Sandton Convention in October 2014.

construction. We need to build double the

number of houses that we are building at

the moment and for that we need to look at

innovative building methods,” he says, add-

ing that there is currently a housing backlog

in excess of 2.1 million in South Africa.

Dr Mahachi is also the head of the

NHBRC’s Centre for Research and Housing

Innovation. The purpose of the centre is

to research and provide innovative ways to

fast-track housing delivery and to assist the

Minister of Human Settlements in achieving

the target of 1.5 million housing opportuni-

ties by 2019.

The core business of the new centre is to

establish and promote ethical and technical

standards, to improve structural quality and

to provide housing information.

“We should not be afraid to use innova-

tive building technologies (IBT). These tech-

nologies still need to meet the same high

standards as traditional b u i l d i n g

m e t h -

o d s ,

Fast-tracking housing delivery

20202020200200202002020 IIIIIMIEMIEESA SA FebFFebruau ry y 2012015IIIMIEESA SA FebFFebruau ryy 2012015

BuBuilildedersrs RRegegisistrtratatioion n CoCoununcicil (N(NHBHBRCRC), tthihiss

wwiwilllll mmmeaean nn ththt atatatt 33330000 0000000 hhouses s wwilll hhave e

totot bbe e built t evvere y y yeeyearaar iinsnssn teteteadadad oooff f thhthe e cuc rrene t t

apapapprprproxoxoximimimatatelely y yy 2020200 0 00000.0.

“TT“Theherere iiss nono wwwayayay tttthahahahat tt wewewe cccanan aachchieieveve

ththhhisisisi bbby y y ususussinining g gg trtrtrtradadadititioioi nall memeemethtththodododods s ss ofofof

“W“W“WWeee shshshououldld nnotot bbee afafraraidd ttoo ususee ininnonovava--

titiveve bbuilddining gg tetetechnoloogig ess ((IBT)T). ThT ese techh-

noolologigiesess ssstitilll nnneeeeeee ddd totoo mmeeeet t ththe e sasameme hhigighh

ststs anandadardrdss asas ttraraadididitititionoononalalal b ub u i li l d id i n gn g

m em e t ht h -

o do d ss ,

so that consumers can trust the quality of

these products. There are many good prod-

ucts on the market that have been tested

and retested, and are ready to use.”

Mahachi says all innovative non-standard-

ised construction products, systems, materi-

als, components and processes that are not

fully covered by a SABS standard or code

of practice, are certified by internationally

acknowledged Agremént South Africa, based

at the CSIR campus in Pretoria.

Agremént South Africa certification assures

the fitness for purpose of such technologies,

which optimises resource utilisation and

realises cost savings in industry.

“One of the most important benefits

innovative building technology offers is the

speed at which a house can be completed.

We need to build 1.5 million houses and we

need to build them fast. To achieve that, we

need to be innovative.

“As the Centre for Research and Housing

Innovation, we need to position ourselves

as leaders in knowledge management and

technology solutions.”

He goes on to explain that in order

to achieve this, there is a

need to provide

IMIESA February 2015 21IMIESA February 2015 21


transformational leadership in the

housing industry.

The next step is coming up with new ways

of thinking about building materials and new

ways of construction. According to Mahachi:

“Our research and development will focus on

IBTs and rational design approaches. There

are two ways in which IBT systems can be

approved, either through Agremént, or a

rational design approach that is approved

by the NHBRC. A rational design is based

on theoretical design assumptions of the

IBT systems. However, it should be noted

that when a product is built on the ground, it

may behave differently over time, and hence

there is a need to monitor the performance

of these products as they are still relatively

new to South African conditions.”

This is clearly demonstrated at the

Eric Molobi Housing Innovation Hub in

Soshanguve, Pretoria. A number of houses

were built using IBT systems almost 10

years ago, and the products’ natural pro-

cesses are continuously being evaluated to

determine factors such as durability, thermal

performance and structural integrity.

The observations at Eric Molobi have pro-

vided insightful and valuable information,

and there are IBT systems that are ready for

commercialisation and, with time, will end up

as a South African national standard.

1. RegistrationAll builders involved in building or renovating houses should be registered with the NHBRC. However, the NHBRC warranty only covers new houses.To register, you need to show:• technical competency• financial capability• construction management capability.To show technical competency, builders are required to write an assessment test. If they prove to be incompetent regarding certain aspects, training may be offered by the NHBRC.

2. StandardsNHBRC-registered builders are bound by the standards set out in the Home Building Manual. The manual has been revised and the public has been invited to submit comments before the final document is published.

3. EnrolmentBuilders should enrol all new houses with the NHBRC at least 15 days before construction starts. Late enrolments pose a risk to the NHBRC, because it is then unable to inspect all aspects of the house. Banks will not finance houses that have not been enrolled with the NHBRC.The NHBRC can refuse the late enrolment of a house and will take disciplinary action against a builder that is not registered with the NHBRC or builds a house without enrolling it.

4. InspectionsNHBRC inspectors will visit all enrolled houses a minimum of four times during the course of construction to inspect:• the foundation• the substructure

• the superstructure• the roof.The number of inspections will depend on the competency level of the builder and the value of the house.

5. ComplaintsA housing consumer, if unhappy with the quality of the house that was delivered, has the right to complain. The initial complaint should be lodged with the builder. If that is unsuccessful, he should lodge a complaint with the NHBRC.The housing consumer enjoys the following warranty provided by the NHBRC:• five-year structural warranty• one-year warranty against roof leaks• three-month bad workmanship warranty.

6. ConciliationWhen a housing consumer cannot resolve a complaint with the builder, a conciliation officer is appointed by the NHBRC, who will meet the two parties on-site and make a ruling on the complaint. The ruling made by the conciliation officer is final. However, the housing consumer has a right to appeal the ruling through the office of the CEO of the NHBRC.

7. Remedial workWhen the conciliation officer orders a builder to do some remedial work, he is obliged to carry out the instruction.

8. Warranty fundWhen, for some reason, the builder is unable to carry out the work, the NHBRC carries out the work with funding from its warranty fund. The NHBRC then uses its legal department to recover the money from the builder.

THE NHBRC PROCESS IN A NUTSHELL

SOCIAL CONTRACT COMMITMENTS The signatories to the Social Contract signed at the National Settlement Indaba in October 2014 committed themselves to achieve the following over the next five years:• delivery of 1.5 million housing opportuni-

ties, including 111 000 affordable hous-ing opportunities for the gap market and 70 000 affordable rental opportunities in integrated sustainable communities close to places of work and play

• build 50 catalytic projects and install basic services in all developing towns, including revitalising mining towns

• install basic infrastructure in 2 000 informal settlements, while laying a foundation that will allow communities to save and build for themselves

• eradicate the backlog of title deeds for pre- and post-1994 housing stock

• government committed to cutting the red tape of processing applications to establish townships, approval of build-ing plans and pay contractors at the shortest time possible.

Source: www.gov.za/press-release-minis-ter-sisulu-and-human-settlements-stake-holders-commit-delivery-15-million-housing

22 IMIESA February 201522 IMIESA February 2015

THE NHBRC has just completed a process to review its technical requirements and Home Building Manual to ensure that they are in line with current legislation and industry needs.

Interested persons are invited to comment on the changes to the manual in writing before 28 February.

The NHBRC Technical Requirements and Home Building Manual, first published in Feb-ruary 1999, provides rules according to which housing construction defects can be identified and interpreted on a non-compliance basis, thus providing a framework for NHBRC war-ranty cover.

The manual provides performance-oriented design and construction requirements with the aim of minimising, or even eliminating, defects in housing.

To minimise or altogether eliminate defects, those responsible for the design and construc-tion of houses are required to adopt design practices and specifications that provide satisfactory outcomes. Materials, products and building systems that are suited for their intended purpose and ensure that all work is carried out in a proper, neat and workmanlike manner need to be used .

Although the main focus of the Technical Requirements and Home Building Manual is on structural strength, it also deals with pro-tection against harmful substances and fire, insofar as they relate to the structural stability of the house.

The NHBRC design requirements can be met by: • adopting certain prescribed rules• using a rational design, based on engineer-

ing principles• obtaining Agrément certification from Agré-

ment South Africa. Similarly, the NHBRC construction require-ments can be met by complying with: • construction of elements using the design-

by-rule approach• the standards and specifications referred to

in the rational design • the relevant requirements set out in the

Agrément certification documentation. In terms of the NHBRC Warranty Scheme, com-petent persons (a person registered in terms of the Engineering Professions of South Africa Act or in terms of Section 11 of the Natural Scien-tific Professions Act) are required to: • classify individual construction sites in accor-

dance with the NHBRC site-class designations • assess risks associated with areas underlain

by dolomite and limestone, and to designate areas in accordance with the NHBRC’s dolo-mitic designations

• monitor that the mandatory precautions on sites underlain by dolomite and limestone are correctly implemented

• specify precautionary measures to be taken when trees are to be removed

• advise on subsurface drainage• specify materials and construction methods

where the construction rules are not used.The enrolment of homes in the NHBRC War-ranty Scheme is subject to homebuilders sub-mitting a site soil classification certified by a competent person.

Comments should be sent for the attention of Dr J Mahachi to the National Home Builders Registration Council, PO Box 461, Randburg, 2125, faxed to +27 (0)86 520 4638 or emailed to [email protected]. All submissions should include the name, address, telephone number and email address of the person or organisation submitting the comments.

The Technical Requirements and Home Build-ing Manual is available in print format in all provincial NHBRC customer service centres and electronically on the NHBRC website at www.nhbrc.org.za.

CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT


The centre’s research and development

will also help built environment profession-

als and builders, developers and stakehold-

ers to be able to go to an Internet-based

portal and find material and product sup-

pliers at competitive prices. This will be

launched soon.

“We are negotiating with reputable mate-

rial and product suppliers to offer discounts

to our NHBRC-registered builders and there

are a number of other benefits that we will

be rolling out. The portal will also include

green technologies and products such as

solar water panels and heat pumps, and

will provide guidance on new, innovative

building technologies.”

A core function of the centre is to develop

NHBRC-registered builders, says Mahachi.

“We need to do that through capacity build-

ing and training of home builders. We also

need to uplift and train our inspectors to

reach a certain level, so that they are one

step ahead of the builders.”

Training takes place at the training acad-

emy located at the Eric Molobi Housing

Innovation Hub. The centre offers a number

of training programmes and has already

trained 964 builders, 300 artisans, 58

learners, 123 inspectors and 469 youth and

women in this financial year. The inspectors

have a background in the built environ-

ment and come from various disciplines

such as engineering, quantity surveying

or architecture.

NHBRC-registered builders, ar tisans,

women and government programme

candidates do not have to pay any

training fees.

“If our inspectors identify builders who are

issued non-compliance notices – for exam-

ple, the builder needs to learn how to mix

concrete correctly – we would then provide

on-site assistance and training.”

Mahachi explains that in other cases,

the centre, through the NHBRC provin-

cial offices, conducts technical and con-

struction management competencies,

identifies the gaps and provides the

necessary training.

The broad spectrum of courses ranges

from two days to two years, depending on

the modules and the individual’s needs.

“It is our intention to promote technical

excellence and also ensure that every single

house is inspected and meets the NHBRC

technical requirements and South African

national s tandards on energy efficiency,

SANS 10400XA,” concludes Mahachi.

“There are products at the hub that can

now be adopted and rolled out for imple-

mentation. The idea is to be able to provide

guidance for the industry, and some of

these products have stood the test of time.

However, other products may need further

refinement and we will provide feedback to

the system developer to fine-tune the prod-

uct and improve it.”

In conjunction with other testing labora-

tories, the centre is also able to perform

accelerated tests to determine durability of

materials over 20 to 50 years. Once a prod-

uct’s properties are understood, measured

and tested extensively, and there is an under-

standing of the properties and behaviour over

time, it will become a South African national

standard, administered by the SABS.”

IMIESA February 2015 23IMIESA February 2015 23

OTHER CHALLENGES to innova-

tion frequently cited by industry

include the industry’s complex

and fragmented structure; its

highly competitive and risky nature; local

variation in regulatory requirements and their

implementation; the low levels of skill, train-

ing, and investment throughout much of the

industry and its workforce; the difficulty of

obtaining start-up funds, protecting innova-

tions and appropriating financial returns; and

the difficulty of being guaranteed projects.

That said, government has long recognised

the challenges facing innovation and has sup-

ported, through legislation and the National

Building Regulations and Building Standards

Act, efforts to increase innovation in build-

ing construction. Beyond this, government,

through its entity, the National Home Builders

Registration Council (NHBRC), has invested

in housing-related R&D and innovation as a

strategy for pursuing the Minister of Human

Settlements’s goal of achieving 1.5 million

housing opportunities in the next five years.

Most people spend most of their time

indoors. As the nation faces an energy cri-

sis, there is a need to promote the use of

innovative building envelopes and products,

which would result in low-level energy con-

sumption. Worldwide, most regulators are

supporting zero-energy homes, i.e. houses

where there is a zero net electrical usage

through the use of excellent insulation pack-

ages, passive solar designs, energy-efficient

appliances and fixtures, and so on. In 2014,

the South African government increased the

subsidy quantum to the current R110 000

with an endeavour to improve the energy

efficiency of government-subsidised houses

Next-generation housing

Building outside the box

and ensure that the houses comply with the

South African National Standards on energy-

efficiency (SANS 10400XA). All houses are

required to comply with the energy efficiency

standards by the Building Regulations, as

from November 2011.

Over the years, the NHBRC has had some

success in supporting the early phases

of the housing innovation process, such

as conducting research and expanding the

knowledge base, establishing housing inno-

vations hubs (e.g. Eric Molobi Housing Hub in

Soshanguve, Tshwane). However, the NHBRC

has generally been less successful at encour-

aging the adoption and diffusion of innovative

technologies throughout the housing indus-

try. Unfortunately, until new innovations are

steadily developed, adopted and diffused,

their benefits will only accumulate slowly.

Hence the NHBRC would like to engage more

with national and provincial government,

municipalities and the housing industry, so

as to support and accelerate housing innova-

tion system, as a whole and ensure that new

technologies are not only developed but also

commercialised and widely adopted through-

out the industry.

Driven by an implicit (and sometimes

explicit) assumption that innovation is a

natural occurrence, held back only by cer-

tain obstacles, the NHBRC will continue to

have many workshops with developers and

municipalities, roundtable discussions, sur-

veys, research and other efforts to identify

barriers to innovation and ways to overcome

them. Some of the strategies identified by

the NHBRC in advancing innovation include:

• enhancing research activities by sustaining

support for applied research

• strengthening the knowledge base by coor-

dinating government efforts, disseminat-

ing information and supporting education

and training

• supporting product development by provid-

ing technical support, explaining the regu-

latory process and linking innovators with

Agrèment South Africa

• improving market linkages through iden-

tification of market trends and opportu-

nities, supporting product performance

monitoring, and evaluation and recognition

of innovations.

The above strategies could enable govern-

ment to advance innovation by better lev-

eraging what what currently exists in the

housing industry.


Despite the many innovations that have occurred over the last couple of years, innovation in South African housing is much slower than other industries. This can be attributed to the industry’s small investment in R&D and the long adoption/diffusion times for new technologies. By Dr J Mahachi, Pr.Eng, Pr.CPM

st

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr Jeffrey Mahachi is a registered professional engineer and a registered construction project manager. He holds a PhD in structural engineering from Wits University, a master’s degree in structural engineering from Surrey University (UK), master’s degree in information technology from the University of Pretoria, and a BSc in civil engineering from the University of Zimbabwe. He has worked as a project manager and research engineer at CSIR Building Technology. He has also lectured at Wits University and done consulting work in civil and structural engineering. He has written two books on structural engineering and presented several papers at international and local conferences and seminars.

+27 (0)800 200 824www.nhbrc.org.za


HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

WHILE INFRASTRUCTURE

remains a foremost priority in

Souh Africa, GIBB sustainabili-

ty consultant Shantal Rampath

stresses that more detailed consultation

needs to be done when relocating people.

Employed within GIBB’s environmental and

sustainability sector, Rampath presented at

the 2014 South African National Committee

on Large Dams (Sancold) conference, in a bid

to prescribe a guideline to effectively manage

the community consultation process.

The guidelines and sustainability modelWhile the focus at Sancold is sustaina-

ble dam developments in Southern Africa,

the guidelines Rampath and GIBB sus-

tainability manager Karien Erasmus pre-

sented may be used and tailored for any

infrastructural development.

“The model takes an approach aimed at

addressing the potential negative impacts

associated with resettlement at early stages

of infrastructure projects, particularly in rural

areas,” she says.

Rampath says that while there are interna-

tional standards like that of the World Bank

and International Finance Cooperation, these

do not adequately address post resettlement.

“Our model speaks to the post-resettle-

ment scenario, where development and pov-

erty are critical elements once infrastructure

projects are complete,” she stresses.

Rampath has found that, often, people are

moved with little consideration for their future

and this impacts negatively on quality of life

contrary to what infrastructure development

sets out to achieve.

Examples of bad planningRampath cites examples of dam projects

where communities were evidently not con-

sulted properly. “The construction of Sèlinguè

Dam in Mali affected people who lost their

land due to new irrigated plots. In addition,

they were provided with very little support

and could not form new farming techniques

in their new areas,” she reveals.

“As a result, many farmers were faced with

disastrous crops and had their land taken

away as they failed to farm properly on new

land. This ruined their livelihoods.”

Another example is the Tokwe Mukosi Dam

project in Zimbabwe. “Displacement of host

populations and forced migration has dimin-

ished cultural resources and livelihoods, and

increased vulnerability,” she adds.

She advises that the long-term view takes

cognisance of assistance and services that

last beyond the project completion phase,

and the generic long-term impacts of reset-

tlement are largely about losing livelihoods.

“It is important to remember that many

resettlement cases involve vulnerable women-

and child-headed households,” she says.

Some of the challenges relating to

infrastructure projects include: poverty,

service-delivery issues, social exclusion and

the inability to adapt in resettled locations.

“The guidelines and sustainability model

fulfils a comprehensive requirement for post-

project monitoring. This has been identified

as one of the gaps in most resettlement

cases where post-project monitoring was not

addressed holistically,” says Rampath.

“The first pillar refers to localised sus-

tainable economic growth and should be

centered on policies and programmes that

stimulate economic activity. These activities

should benefit long-term development and

the affected people's welfare. Growth and

infrastructure development increase capacity

and efficiency, and allow people to develop

skills through employment.”

The second pillar, which represents inclu-

sive social development, refers to access

to basic facilities such as education, health

care and necessary social services, which

establish opportunities to increase participa-

tion and communities' overall welfare.

“Finally, the third pillar – local authority

support – stresses the importance of good

governance and a local support regime,

forming partnerships with civil society and

mainstreaming good governance,” she says .

“I believe that sustainability should form

the cornerstone of resettlement as outlined

in the guidelines. The key to effectively

integrating sustainability into an early reset-

tlement planning process relates to measur-

ability and applicability,” she warns.

Relocating people the right way

Involuntary resettlement due to infrastructural development has, for the past 20 years, seen more than 10 million people lose their homes on the African continent.


IN SO DOING, the DBSA is demonstrat-

ing a very South African solution to

key challenges hampering delivery key

infrastructure at local government level

and key private sector investment areas sup-

porting the National Development Plan (NDP)

and other areas of legislated development.

In this third of a four-part series, two man-

agers from the DBSA’s SA Financing Division

demonstrate the practical outcomes of the

bank’s successful strategy.

Finance and Capacity Support, Local GovernmentThere is growth in South Africa’s municipal

sector, and the DBSA’s catalytic interven-

tions are set to become big news in the

sector. By linking highly focused capacity sup-

port and finding a workable and practicable

solution to bringing in private sector skills to

unlock projects, it looks like the DBSA has

found a way of solving the problems that

have beset local government for so long.

Chucheka Mhlongo is the general man-

ager of Infrastructure Finance and Capacity

FUNDING AND SUPPORT

The key to unlockingrapid development

With overall disbursements up 39% since its strategic restructuring two years ago, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has carefully and meaningfully integrated implementation support to targeted customer areas.

Support, Local Government, of the SA

Financing Division and provides insight into

this innovative solution. “When the DBSA

restructured, we identified a number of areas

in which to find strategic responses. The

NDP is a highly inclusive and detailed strat-

egy aimed at meeting national imperatives,

and the municipal sector was identified as

having critical restraints and backlogs that

had to be addressed by intermediaries and

institutions in order to deal with the severe

backlogs that stood in the way of national

development,” explains Mhlongo. The lack

of internal skills that beset local govern-

ment, especially in rural areas and aspirant

metros, was identified as a critical constraint

that was compounding the impact of infra-

structure backlogs, and retarding social and

economic development.”

Seventy-eight per cent of municipal fund-

ing is derived from fiscal allocations, with

the balance derived from the municipal bal-

ance sheet. “Other fiscal allocations include

the Municipal Infrastructure Grant and vari-

ous other funding mechanisms derived from

National Treasury. The infrastructure backlog

includes the delivery of essential municipal

services, which means struggling municipali-

ties are not able to capitalise on the potential

services they could be delivering.

Underpinning the municipal delivery chal-

lenge is the well-documented skills gap. “It

is clear that a chronic skills shortage exists

at the municipal level, notably in rural areas,”

says Mhlongo. “The result is an ability to

identify and ring-fence pro-

jects, and the consequent

underspending of annual

budgets. It is obvious that

funding is actually not the

problem and, given the

results of our interven-

tions after only two years,

we were correct in focus-

ing on the most effective

ways of pairing the banks’

engineering skills, and

coordinating input from

the private sector.”

Mhlongo points out

PARTNERING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

Chucheka Mhlongo, general manager: Infrastructure Finance and Capacity Support, Local Government



– very importantly – that the nature of the

problem varies greatly between the metro-

politan municipalities and the rest: “The

scale of the backlogs in aspirant metros and

rural municipalities is far greater than in the

metros.

The Pre-Finance Unit – speeding up delivery“The Pre-Finance Unit has been created

specifically to solve the project identification

problem,” explains Mhlongo. “The unit is

made of dedicated civil engineers, electrical

engineers, development planners and other

essential skills that exist within the bank to

support preparation and planning strategic

municipal projects.” The unit takes projects

from the planning stage to the implementa-

tion stage. “We have brought on board a

panel from the private sector, which is capa-

ble of executing the projects and ensuring

specific conditions are met.”

The projects are prioritised according to

specific metrics, which will ensure the crea-

tion of infrastructure that will catalyse spe-

cific drivers of sustainable growth.

“This way, we create a pipeline of prior-

ity projects for a municipality and signifi-

cantly increase the likelihood of delivering

them on time and within budget,” elabo-

rates Mhlongo. “This in turn creates further

opportunities for the municipality to access

more funding allocations for further projects,

access further funding from the DBSA itself,

and ultimately create a position from which

projects can source funding from the tradi-

tional banking sector, based on more viable

balance sheets.”

Making a startThe DBSA is highly focused on its value as

a catalyst. Its interventions are geared at

unlocking exponential value within sustaina-

ble frameworks. In the case of municipalities,

the bank is focused on targeting intervention

in areas with the highest socio-economic

development potential. “We identify munici-

palities that are home to populations ser-

vicing mines, for example, and that could

potentially attract further investment from

support industries, given the right supporting

infrastructure. We are also interested in cre-

ating new economic drivers in areas that are

natural destinations for significant industrial

development, such as Independent Power

Producers, and other larger infrastructure

projects – the Square Kilometre Array is a

great example,” Mhlongo explains. “Scale

is also a key factor in our decisions, as is

the potential alignment with other planned

interventions, and the ability to rapidly clear

backlogs.” The Pre-Funding Unit seeks part-

ners with a stake in the developments, such

as the mines themselves and the various

national government departments.

By optimising the selection of key catalytic

projects, through the work of the Pre-Finance

Unit in coordination with the private sector

panels, a number of problems are solved,

and a slew of growth opportunities are

unlocked. “The approach we take ensures

that procurement problems are dealt with

and that project planning is ready in time for

the appropriate financial year. Getting pro-

jects to implementation stage on time also

ensures that they are completed on time,

which unlocks further opportunities to budget

for more projects,” emphasises Mhlongo.

The Post-Finance Unit“The Post-Finance Unit is made of engineers

encompassing all areas of municipal delivery

and infrastructure, including roads, bridges

and stormwater, water and sanitation, elec-

tricity distribution and public buildings. We

offer contract management support, project

design services, EIA compliance support

and other core services. Along with teams

derived from our private sector partners,

these teams of dedicated engineers stay on

at the municipalities to ensure the projects

gain traction once they are completed and

start delivering on their promise.

The Post-Finance Unit is centred around

reaping the benefits of doing things quickly.

“There is a category of municipality – the

aspirant metropolitan municipalities – that

we target very actively,” says Mhlongo. “This

particular municipality category works on

multi-year funding allocations, which cannot

be reached due to the backlogs. However,

if we are able to move quickly and drive

implementation of the current year, we are

able approach the two outer years of funding

at the same time, providing bridge funding

for the outer two years and deliver projects

at much bigger scales, much more rapidly.”

This approach has a serious knock-on

effect to the local economies, because the

quicker the projects are completed and the

quicker the services can be provided, the

quicker investments will be secured and

the quicker the local economy can grow. By

focusing on delivering a three-year project in

an 18-month time frame, the prospect of eco-

nomic development becomes a reality within

an impressive and visible period.

“The benefits of this type of acceleration

are exponential,” explains Mhlongo. “The

municipality creates an income-generating

asset now, rather than in three years’ time.

Not only are people accessing services quick-

er, but the municipality avoids annual cost

accelerations on the planned infrastructure

and is better able to attract other investors

– and more customers – to the area.” Speed

is important and Mhlongo is an advocate of

getting things done as quickly as possible as

the benefits are enormous.

“Because we are providing bridging finance,

there are conditions that must be met. The

municipality must provide operations and

maintenance for the assets. Naturally, our

teams create an operations and mainte-

nance plan for the municipality, and we will


work with them to ensure we leave the skills

and the plans in place. We don’t build and

leave – we recently completed a project in

Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, to the value of

R163 million, and the team we sent remains

in place. The DBSA obviously doesn’t have

enough engineers internally for this purpose,

so we subsidise the municipality to ensure

they can attract skills from the private sector.

Operating in such a way catalyses eco-

nomic turnaround at a local level, which

has significant benefits at national level.

The sooner this category of municipality can

stand on its own feet, and develop its capac-

ity to self-fund off its own balance sheet,

the more funds become available for alloca-

tion at national level for those rural areas

without the necessary drivers to achieve the

same results.

A practical solution to the procurement problem“It must be acknowledged that the efficiency

of procurement processes varies greatly

across this sector, and the DBSA does not

involve itself in the municipal processes. The

projects we finance and implement fall under

the bank’s processes, and the procurement

of the consulting engineers and contractors

falls to the municipality itself,” explains

Mhlongo. “Part of our due diligence before

taking on a project includes an assessment

of the municipalities’ procurement systems,

and finding ways of improving them when

required.” The DBSA also reviews the internal

IT systems of municipalities and will go as far

as installing functional IT systems to ensure

processes can support the infrastructure.

Breaking records at break-neck speedAs a catalyst for accelerated development,

the DBSA’s Municipal Finance team is achiev-

ing impressive results. Despite a prevailing

negative sentiment about the prospects of

success in finding meaningful intervention

at local government level, the new focus

on implementation is successfully turning

this story around. “For the first time in our

history, we are breaking records in terms of

the number municipalities we are working

with,” enthuses Mhlongo. “We are already

delivering results in 30 municipalities and,

by the end of this financial year, we will

have exceeded a target of R1.5 billion in dis-

bursements, achieving a figure of over R2.3

billion.” Mhlongo’s team is currently work-

ing with National Treasury to target more

investment potential at municipal level, with

a key focus on secondary cities. “We are

very enthusiastic about the results we can

achieve in secondary cites, like Polokwane

and Rustenburg,” he explains. “If we can

achieve results in these municipalities, we

can look forward to a future of similar results

at rural level as well.” Mhlongo emphasises

that success also depends on the partner-

ships with other public institutions and the

private sector. “What we have found is a real

solution to a South African problem, and it is

a local innovation that is accurately tailored

for the challenge at hand.”

The SA Financing DivisionCyprian Marowa is the general manager of Infrastructure Finance

in the DBSA’s SA Financing Division – a division that is ultimately

concerned with achieving financial sustainability through the

generation of income from deal origination and execution activities.

Cyprian Marowa, general manager: Infrastructure Finance

THE PROJECTS funded by the SA

Financing Division need to deliver

a prescribed return to the bank,”

he explains. “As a Development

Funding Institution (DFI), we are not driven

by profit as much as other banks in the

commercial arena; we are driven to mostly

achieve at-scale development, impact and

improve people’s lives, in a sustainable

manner for the bank,” explains Marowa.

“This key difference allows us to involve

ourselves in influencing and funding the

early stages of infrastructure projects that

the other banks typically would not consider.

It also allows us to consider funding infra-

structure projects that the banking sector

might resist because of the length of time

required for a return on investment, typically

15 to 25 years.”

The SA Financing Division is focused on

funding infrastructure projects in the private

and public sectors, and by both private and

state-owned enterprises that operate on pri-

vate sector principles: commercially viable

projects. “The mandate does not stray

from the principle of funding developmental

infrastructure projects. In this matter, we

refer to the NDP and supporting policies

and projects.

Getting projects to market“The work we do includes early-stage back-

ground feasibility, prior to the public being

aware of infrastructure projects, through

to financing and implementation delivery,”

says Marowa. “We support private sector

participants and state-owned enterprises

with the background financial, markets,

technological, environ-

mental and develop-

mental analyses and

research required to get

a project to implemen-

tation stage.”

Focus sectorsThe SA Financing Division focuses primar-

ily on transport and logistics, energy, ICT,

oil and gas, commercial infrastructure, and

social infrastructure (water, education and

health). “We consider advisory and financing

support in the development of infrastructure

projects and procure experts to establish the

project’s bankability. If we lack the internal

capacity to advise on all sectors, we turn to

partners and specialists, and bring them on

board on a project-by-project basis.”




The SA Financing Division team... is constantly scanning and calling to the markets for project opportunities that meet the bank’s development and viability criteria

For example, the division works actively

with project sponsors in the wider market to

find projects that merit attention. “Amazingly,

we find a lot of promising projects that are in

a conceptual phase but haven’t been devel-

oped to a bankable stage. This warrants a

DBSA intervention in the process, resulting

in expedient project realisation.

A catalytic investorBecause the DBSA is responsive to the

urgency at which South Africa requires infra-

structure to catalyse growth, expediting pro-

jects is extremely important. “We can render

a project bankable in a number of ways. The

bankable feasibility study stage – which is

usually between 5% and 10% of completed

project investment costs – is supported by

offering financing of up to 25% of the total

funding costs subject to due diligence, pro-

ject size and other considerations, such as

the bank’s co-funding mandate. We are, in

that sense, a catalytic investor; with anchor

financing in place, the ability to attract com-

mercial investors is vastly improved.”

The theme of partnership permeates

DBSA’s operations and this division is no

exception. “We stay with a project until it

starts commercially operating, but we are

really there to attract diverse funding part-

ners to projects.”

Differentiating investmentsThe DBSA operates across the three typi-

cally recognisable investor classes: senior

debt, mezzanine debt and equity. The DBSA

is a debt provider and, under certain circum-

stances, will provide mezzanine and equity

products. “Equity is the least preferred and

a rand to lend into a project, our motive is

not so much profit but rather infrastructure

development and the bank’s sustainability,”

explains Marowa.

“It is important to understand the types

of projects started by the private sector

or state-owned enterprises that fall within

NDP areas,” Marowa elaborates. “In the ICT

sector, we funded projects by private sector

sponsors to accelerate the installation of

fibre-optic cables, thus connecting a segment

of the population to broadband infrastruc-

ture, which is a key priority of the NDP.”

The SA Financing Division is making signifi-

cant headway in the funding of BRT systems,

which will ultimately be operated on behalf

of the cities by the affected private sector

parties. “Currently, some cities have cre-

ated special purpose vehicles (SPVs) owned

by taxi associations,” Marowa explains. “In

Tshwane, for example, the DBSA provided

funding for the SPV to procure buses and

allied infrastructure, while the city financed

the road infrastructure and other comple-

mentary support, thus ensuring the project

is sustainable and reliable until such time

as the service has gained sufficient traction

in the market place to sustain itself.” This

approach is important in this key sector, as

it is a cohesive solution to the mass transit

goals of the NDP.

Sustained interventions that build a nationThe Development Bank of Southern Africa is

profoundly altering the infrastructure financ-

ing and delivery landscape. Its strategy to

take on board financing and implementa-

tion support to boost its ability to ensure

meaningful disbursements has proved to

be the key that has unlocked its impressive

results. The issues tackled might be well

worn in the corridors of all stakeholders con-

cerned, but here we find an holistic, effective

solution, innovated for a uniquely South

African context.

Acting as a catalyst, and focused on accel-

eration and sustainability, the measurable

results are already driving significant eco-

nomic and infrastructural development for

communities, while supporting public and

private stakeholders who are equally looking

for sustainable growth.

It is a success story

to celebrate.

most uncommon product in our financing

profile. This is because the bank is limited

in the quantum of equity it may deploy in

projects but, similar to other DFIs, the DBSA

endeavours to support equity investments

where strong development impact warrants

it,” he explains. “Traditionally, the spon-

sors own the project and should deploy

significantly more equity than DFIs. The

sponsors who get paid out of the project last

can expect much higher returns than debt

funders.”

Marking the numbers and finding the projectsThe SA Financing Division has specific growth

targets that literally translate to a significant

quantity of commercial and social infra-

structure projects being built over the next

few years. “We are aiming to disburse

between R6 billion to R7 billion in FY2014.

Furthermore, we intend to grow by 20% annu-

ally over the next few years. This equates

to approximately over R50 billion in dis-

bursements over the coming five years,”

explains Marowa.

The SA Financing Division team is com-

prised of experienced and qualified bankers,

and is constantly scanning and calling to the

markets for project opportunities that meet

the bank’s development and viability criteria.

“The high-level principles guiding our criteria

come down to the DBSA’s sustainability and

large-scale impact on people’s lives by sup-

porting government build key infrastructure,”

he says. “The projects have to be develop-

mental and in support of national goals, but

also have to be commercially viable. When

we go to the financial markets and borrow

+27 (0)11 313 3911www.dbsa.org


ASSET MANAGEMENT

ALIGNMENT OF MANDATES,

expectations, planning, budgeting

and performance monitoring are

key areas that will be addressed.

This toolkit will be based on the 2010

toolkit developed for provincial government

and is hosted by the CIDB. The 2010 CIDB

toolkit is built on three delivery process-

es, namely portfolio management, project

management, operations and maintenance

management. National Treasury will use

experiences of municipalities who have

implemented infrastructure asset manage-

ment or aspects of the discipline to both

update and modify this 2010 toolkit for use

by local government. Proposed procedures,

processes and methodologies will be tested

for suitability and alignment with municipali-

ties. Ultimately, it is expected that a clear

link will be created between the services

delivered and the infrastructure manage-

ment actions.

The International Infrastructure Management ManualThe failure of municipal infrastructure to

deliver services can occur when there is

inadequate asset maintenance and invest-

ment in asset capacity and strength. The

development of infrastructure management

systems assists in the provision and mainte-

nance of assets.

In South Africa, the Infrastructure Delivery

Management System (IDMS) was developed

Well-managed infrastructure assists municipalities in the cost-effective, efficient and reliable delivery of mandated services. National Treasury has embarked on a process to develop an Infrastructure Delivery Management Toolkit for local government, which should improve life-cycle infrastructure asset management. By L Chetty*, D Lievaart*, L Palmer* and Roger Byrne**

Managing municipal infrastructure

PART 1 OF 2


ASSET MANAGEMENT

as a process model to facilitate the delivery

of public-sector infrastructure. The model

identifies three distinct processes; namely

(a) portfolio management process, (b) project

management process, and (c) operations and

maintenance processes.

The International Infrastructure

Management Manual (IIMM) documents good

practice in municipal infrastructure man-

agement. The IIMM was developed in New

Zealand and Australia. The World Bank’s

Strategic Asset Management Advisory Note

(1999) recognised the management of

municipal infrastructure, practised in these

countries, as being representative of world

best practice. The IIMM was prepared in

response to a number of global realities: (1)

the vast investment made in infrastructure

by municipalities; (2) the traditional focus

on the creation of new infrastructure rather

than long-term maintenance and renewal;

and (4) a growing number of well-publicised

infrastructure failures.

This work illustrates the mechanisms by

which an infrastructure delivery management

toolkit for local government can be easily

achieved by implementing the asset manage-

ment processes presented in the IIMM.

Infrastructure delivery management system Portfolio management processThe objective of the portfolio management

process is to develop, implement, moni-

tor and control the optimal management

of all the assets that make up the entire

asset portfolio of the respective municipality.

Portfolio management aims to achieve this

objective by prioritised projects based on

long-term plans, available budgets and the

municipality’s management capacity.

Optimal portfolio management is achieved

by managing life-cycle costs. Portfolio man-

agement aims to link municipalities’ strategic

service-delivery plans with the infrastructure

required to deliver those services. The key

to portfolio management activities is the

development of the asset register. The asset

register must reflect the condition and work

history of each asset.

Portfolio management aims to identify two

types of infrastructure management risks:

(a) infrastructure planning risks, and (b)

programme management risks. Portfolio

management also proposes that a budget

is prepared for all life-cycle stages includ-

ing (a) acquisition, (b) rehabilitation, (c)

maintenance, (d) support costs required to

manage the infrastructure through all its

stages, and (e) disposal costs. The medium-

term economic funding (MTEF) cycle takes

three years to complete with preparation/

planning, implementation and close-out being

the predominant phases undertaken in each

year. Portfolio management proposes that an

infrastructure delivery cycle (IDC) be devel-

oped. Portfolio management proposes that

the IDC be four years, due to the lead time

required for planning, design and project/

works procurement. Portfolio management

proposes that the following outputs also be

TABLE 1 Synergies between IDMS and IIMM

INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROCESSES

ASSET MANAGEMENT PROCESSES

1. Portfolio management (1) Develop the asset management policy1.1 Infrastructure planning (2) Define levels of service and performance

(3) Forecast future demand(6) Identify asset and business risks(7) Life-cycle decision-making techniques

1.2 Programme management1.2.1 Construction procurement strategy (10) Capital works strategies1.2.2 Programme management plans (11) Financial and funding strategies

(13) Asset management plans2. Project management2.1 Planning (15) Asset management service delivery2.2 Design (15) Asset management service delivery2.3 Works (15) Asset management service delivery2.4 Close-out (15) Asset management service delivery3. Operations and maintenance3.1 Recognise and accept assets (4) Understand the asset base (the

asset register)(5) Assess asset condition

3.2 Mobilisation for facilities management (14) Information systems and tools3.3 Operations of assets (8) Operational strategies and plans3.4 Maintain assets (9) Maintenance strategies and plans3.5 Demobilisation for

facilities management(13) Asset management plans

3.6 Asset management team (12) Asset management teams3.7 Disposal of assets (13) Asset management plans

(16) Quality management(17) Continuous improvement

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pFIGURE 1 The 17 quality elements of asset management


Asset management comprises 17 quality

elements, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Table 1 illustrates the synergies between

IDMS and asset management processes.

Due to the synergies evident in Table 1, the

remaining sections of this paper will illustrate

how asset management processes can be

used to implement IDMS.

Asset management processesPolicyThe asset management policy provides a

clear direction regarding the appropriate

focus and level of asset management prac-

tice expected. The asset management level

reflects the strategic business objectives

as well as meeting legal requirements, com-

munity needs and available resources. Asset

management policies and objectives reflect

the municipality’s commitment to the ser-

vices it provides and its long-term asset

management strategies. The municipality

may initially focus on implementing core sys-

tem functions and evolve to more advanced

functions over time, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Developing and monitoring levels of serviceLevels of service are key business driv-

ers and influence all asset management

decisions. Levels of service statements

describe the outputs the municipality

intends to deliver to customers and com-

monly relate to service attributes such as

quality, reliability, responsiveness, sustain-

ability, timeliness, accessibility, and cost.

The key objective of asset management

planning is to match the levels of municipal

service delivery with the levels of service

expectations of customers.

Asset management planning enables the

development of the relationship between

cost and the level of service. Performance

measurement provides an indication of a

municipality’s performance against its goals

and levels of service. The municipality may

developed: (1) asset management plans and

(2) construction procurement strategy.

Project management processThe objective of the project management

process is to execute prioritised projects.

IDMS has identified that public sector infra-

structure projects are implemented in four

phases, namely (1) planning, (2) design, (3)

works and (4) close-out. Each phase consists

of a number of sub-phases. The IDMS toolkit

discusses in detail the different methodolo-

gies of implementing public-sector infrastruc-

ture projects.

Operation and maintenance processesThe objective of this process is to operate,

maintain and dispose of assets. Operations

and maintenance is the process of receiving

assets into a portfolio of assets,

managing and maintaining it over the

asset life cycle and eventually demo-

bilising the asset when it is due to be

terminated.

The operation and maintenance

processes comprise the following

sub-processes: (a) asset recognition,

(b) mobilisation for facilities manage-

ment, (c) operations of assets, (d)

maintenance, and (d) demobilisation

of facilities management.

Synergy between infrastructure asset management and IDMSThe objective of asset management is to

meet a required level of service, in the

most cost-effective manner, through the

management of assets for the present and

future. Evaluating the objectives of asset

management and an infrastructure delivery

management system illustrates that there

are synergies between these processes.

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ASSET MANAGEMENT

FIGURE 2 (above) Asset management policy maturity index

FIGURE 3 (below) Levels of service maturity index The failure of municipal

infrastructure to deliver services can occur when there is inadequate asset maintenance and investment in asset capacity and strength


ASSET MANAGEMENT

initially focus on implementing core system

functions and evolve to more advanced func-

tions over time, as illustrated in Figure 3.

Future-demand forecastingThe ability to predict future demand for

services enables asset managers to plan

ahead and identify the best way of meeting

that demand. Understanding the key driv-

ers of demand is an important first step in

demand forecasting.

Once the factors are understood, math-

ematical modelling processes are often used

to assess the impact of these factors on

future demand. The municipality may initially

focus on implementing core system func-

tions and evolve to more advanced functions

over time, as illustrated in Figure 4.

Establishing base-asset knowledgeMany asset management practices are ini-

tiated by understanding the assets the

municipality owns, along with key supporting

information such as value and age. Post

identification of service requirements, asset

managers need to be able to assess the

asset capability to meet requirements now

and in the future.

Long-term information management pro-

vides the foundation for asset management

planning. A staged approach is often the

most practical method of data collection.

Stage 1 is initiated by identifying minimum

data required for legislative compliance and

reporting requirements. The highest priority

is generally to be able to value the asset and

identify broad replacement programmes. The

second priority may be supporting mainte-

nance management.

The final phase of data collection may be

to allow risk management and optimised life-

cycle analysis. Similarly, the level of detail to

which data is captured may be progressed

in a staged manner. Initial exercises may

capture information at a higher asset level,

later breaking down into more detailed com-

ponents where the need is justified. The

municipality may initially focus on implement-

ing core system functions and evolve to more

advanced functions over time, as illustrated

in Figure 5.

Assessing asset conditionAsset condition is a measure of an asset’s

physical integrity. Information on asset con-

dition underpins effective, proactive asset

management programmes by enabling the

prediction of maintenance, rehabilitation and

renewal requirements. Asset condition is

also critical to the management of asset

risk, because it is linked to the likelihood

that that asset will physically fail. Condition

assessment techniques range from sim-

ple visual inspections through to detailed

FIGURE 4 (right) Demand forecasting maturity index

FIGURE 5 (middle) Asset register maturity index

FIGURE 6 (bottom) Asset condition maturity index


mechanical, chemical or electrical testing.

The municipality will typically start with a

more basic approach, focusing condition

data collection on its most critical assets.

‘Top-down’ approaches may be used where

asset age and staff knowledge are applied

to assess condition and remaining life for

groups of assets. The municipality may

initially focus on implementing core system

functions and evolve to more advanced func-

tions over time, as illustrated in Figure 6.

Identifying critical assets and business risksRisks are events that may compromise the

delivery of the municipality’s strategic objec-

tives. The risk policy should define risk objec-

tives, scope and strategies, including the

definition of ‘unacceptable’ risks. Risk man-

agement should be seen as a core business

driver that influences all decision-making,

rather than an activity undertaken as an

isolated process. Therefore, a corporate risk

framework should be consistently applied

across the municipality. The framework

should identify the criteria against which risk

can be evaluated and the responsibilities for

managing risk. The municipality may initially

focus on implementing core system functions

and evolve to more advanced functions over

time, as illustrated in Figure 7.

Decision-making techniquesPost identification of any level of service

gaps, demand requirements or risk issues,

adequate operational, maintenance or capi-

tal investment strategies must be

chosen. Decision techniques can

be used to determine the best

solution. There are many decision

techniques that can be used and

also many different types of deci-

sions from deciding the best time

to replace the asset to minimise

overall life-cycle costs, through to

complex decisions involving a trade-

off between social, environmental

and economic impacts. Benefit-cost

analysis identifies the financial impacts of

various options, in terms of both ben-

efits and costs, over the duration of the

analysis period.

Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) can provide

clarity to the decision-making process when

decisions are more complex and the ben-

efits and costs cannot be readily quantified

in financial terms. With MCA, a range of

criteria are selected to represent the ben-

efits provided, such as criteria relating to

improved water taste, better access to parks

and amenities, etc. Each attribute is scored

and weighted for the different options, and

the results can be used to identify preferred

solutions. The municipality may initially focus

on implementing core system functions and

evolve to more advanced functions over

time, as illustrated in Figure 8.

In next month’s edition of IMIESA, the sec-

ond and final instalment of this article will be

published, and the complete article will be

made available at www.infrastructurene.ws

Part two will lead with key information on

decision making after identification of service

level gaps.

The rest of the article will examine how

asset management processes also assist

the municipality to fully justify capital and

operations expenditure and related price

structures and their levels of service to the

full range of stakeholders, from ratepayers to

provincial and national government.

*Asset Management, eThekwini Metropolitan

Municipality, South Africa

** RB&A, Australia

ASSET MANAGEMENT

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FIGURE 7 (above) Risk management maturity index

FIGURE 8 (below) Decision-making maturity index The objective of asset

management is to meet a required level of service, in the most cost-effective

manner, through the management of assets for the

present and future

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FLEET MANAGEMENT

MOST FLEETS are managed

operationally,” says Murray

Price, managing director of

Eqstra Fleet Management,

which is the only company in South Africa

to offer its clients a totally integrated fleet

management function, making it simpler for

fleet managers to set up effective controls

to measure and manage costs.

“Very few municipalities consider the total

cost of ownership when making fleet deci-

sions. We assist our clients by offering

them a total overview of their costs, bench-

marked against researched norms, ena-

bling fleet managers to make the most

efficient decisions relating to the operation

of their fleet.”

Eqstra offers six tips to effectively manage

a fleet and to control costs:

Match fleet strategy to the operational objectivesMost municipalities have a clear strategy

in relation to what they intend to achieve,

which includes cost reduction, core activities

and carbon reduction, but fleet operations

seldom match these objectives, resulting in

exacerbated costs.

Understand the operational requirementsMake a vehicle selection based on the fol-

lowing considerations, all of which should be

included in the original costing:

• payload requirements (fuel costs can

increase by as much as 30% when vehi-

cles are overloaded), could have a long-

term impact on maintenance spend and

tyre usage, resulting in a ‘cheap’ vehicle

costing far more than the right vehicle

• vehicle reliability (some manufactures

have a far better record than others in

terms of reliability)

• the cost of the vehicle standing.

Baseline all costs and adopt a total cost of ownership (TCO) approachTraditional fleet departments focused on

interest/depreciation and maintenance,

which contributed more than 50% of all costs.

However, in recent years, fuel price increases

(now more than 48% of fleet costs) and other

sundry costs have encouraged fleet manag-

ers globally to adopt the TCO approach.

Total cost of ownership is made up by

the following factors: finance/depreciation

Reducing fl eet costs A MAJOR CHALLENGE

Reducing overall fleet costs has become the major challenge facing municipal and corporate fleet managers, and this has come at a time when fuel prices have risen by an average of 13% per annum over the past 10 years, despite some relief from the recent decline in the price of crude oil.


t +27 (031) 266 3263 email [email protected]

28-30 OCTOBER 2015

THEME: Changing the face of the Municipal Engineer

Earn 2.5 CPD points by attending

ONLINE REGISTRATION www.imesa.org.za

The 2015 IMESA Conference will be hosted at the Grand West Hotel and Casino – Goodwood

IMESAORGANISER

THE INSTITUTE OF MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (IMESA)

OPEN MID MARCH

Register and pay before 31 July 2015

– R4860.00

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Register and pay AFTER 31 August 2015


costs, tyre costs, fuel costs (based on actual

fuel expenditure), cost of travel allowance,

cost of fuel reimbursement, cost of admin-

istration, cost of unbudgeted items, on-road

cost of the vehicle, tax impacts/tax recovery

and VAT impact.

Benchmark costs vs the actual cost of vehiclesOnce all costs have been incorporated,

benchmark and compare different vehicles

and, in so doing, budget for the total fleet

and individual vehicles. “We have calculated

the TCO per kilometre based on published

manufacturer rates and are now able to

compare these with actual spend,” explains

Price. “This allows us to identify vehicles and

drivers who are not delivering efficiencies,

and therefore make improvements.”

Perform well to benchmarkIdentify vehicles performing outside the

TCO. Once these rogue vehicles are identi-

fied, it is the task of the fleet team to work

out whether it is the wrong vehicle for the

application or whether the inefficiency is

due to driver abuse or negligence. Driver

behaviour has become a major considera-

tion in this area and the latest telematics

technology allows fleet managers to meas-

ure and control actual driving style, which

can significantly control costs.

“In one instance, a review of this nature

highlighted one driver who was realising by

far the highest TCO and, after inspection,

it was found that the employee was using

the vehicle as public transport during week-

ends. By investing in a telematics solution,

which allows the client to receive reports

and manage vehicle costs monthly, the cli-

ent has shaved 12% off their monthly fuel

bill,” he explains.

Pull it together into one fleet budget, run projections and set accurate future forecasts“This sounds relatively simple, but most

municipalities use isolated suppliers,

including their own departments, to try to

manage their fleets,” says Price.

“Our management tools allow us to bench-

mark vehicle costs, and pull together critical

data into analytical and visual tools that can

be used to make the best decisions about

fuel management, safety, compliance, and

overall efficiency; track vehicle and driver

performance; and allow us to prepare a

single and detailed report for assessing the

financial impact.

This allows our clients to effectively

control and maintain their fleet costs,

which can today significantly impact on

a municipality’s operational budget,”

he concludes.

FLEET MANAGEMENT

“Very few municipalities consider the total cost of ownership when making fl eet decisions.” Murray Price, managing director of

Eqstra Fleet Management


CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT

WHEN LOOKING FOR construc-

tion vehicles and equipment,

it is essential to consider

the industry, procurement

and management options, as well as taking

financing into account.

Boosting your bottom lineThe construction vehicle market has seen

numerous changes to equipment over the

last year. Many manufacturers have moved

to align their products with the needs and

wants of the industry.

Manufacturers have steadily started to

replace older models of equipment with

newer versions that promise better per-

formance, improved ergonomics and low

maintenance, in order to help customers

lower their operating costs and receive a

rapid return on their investment.

Improvements to most of the equipment

focused primarily on better cooling sys-

tems, redesigned hydraulic and transmis-

sion systems, enlarged fuel tanks, stronger

parts to handle heavier loads, and the use

of specially designed parts that require

no maintenance.

One example of design innovation in

this sector is the Bobcat S450 M-Series

compact loader, which features unique

no-maintenance axle bearings, which are

automatically lubricated with chain case oil

and never require greasing.

The unit is also fitted with a maintenance-

free chain case, automatic drive-belt ten-

sioner and exclusive fixed-axle tubes that

never require adjustment.

Newly designed parts and systems like

these allow for extended operating time

meaning jobs are completed efficiently. Your

equipment’s ability to affect your bottom

line is a major factor that continues to

inspire and motivate manufacturers, and it

should feature as strongly when it comes to

buying or renting your equipment.

Going the extra mileMany construction equipment distributors

and manufacturers have support systems

available to assist emerging contractors

with equipment maintenance and manage-

ment, finance, and even training.

Bell Equipment, a South African manu-

facturer and supplier of material handling

equipment for the construction industry,

offers customers assistance through the

Bell Assure Programme.

The aim of the programme is to provide

additional services tailored to the needs of

the contractor. The programme starts off

by offering emerging contractors advice on

site requirements and machinery selection,

followed by financing.

Some of the programme’s features

include a preventative maintenance pro-

gramme, access to a fleet management

tool, as well as operator and maintenance

training – providing contractors with an ideal

holistic offering.

At the core of many support programmes

is operator and maintenance training. Willie

Haasbroek, who heads up the Barloworld

Equipment Operator Academy, believes

that effective machine drivers or operators

equate to better machine life, which in turn

saves the contractor money.

“We don’t take shor tcuts and every

operator trained by the academy will pass

on measureable savings for their company,

both in terms of operating efficiencies and

downstream maintenance costs.”

Each year, Barloworld Equipment’s

Operator Academy, based in Johannesburg,

qualifies around 700 candidates, some of

whom attend for refresher training, while

others are brand new to the industry.

The academy offers a full training pro-

gramme, which involves the completion of

the NQF Level 2 Plant Operation course.

“The Plant Operation programme com-

prises a five-day theoretical component,

which is classroom-based, together with

an additional 15 days (on average) of

The new year is finally in full swing and, for many people, this means the start of something. If you are one of those who launched a new business or are looking to expand your current business in the construction industry, you may be on the hunt for some construction vehicles and equipment; but where do you start?

Construction equipment for emerging contractors

CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT

practical in-field machine operator train-

ing,” says Haasbroek.

“This practical component will vary depend-

ing on the machine class, some being

more complex than others to operate,”

he continues.

Upon completion of the course, the opera-

tor will receive a competency certificate

which is valid for 24 months. “Thereafter,

reassessment and recertification is required

in terms of South African legislation for all

earth-moving machine classes, irrespective

of industry segment,” notes Haasbroek.

The use of simulators is another way equip-

ment distributors and manufacturers add a

practical element to the training services

they provide. Simulators are a cost-effective

and safer way to engage in practical training.

One such example is the Bell Simulator

Programme, which is a PC-based approach

to training construction equipment opera-

tors. The company offers three types of

simulators for tracked dozers, wheeled

loaders and motor graders.

The wheeled loader and tracked dozer

operator training simulators can be used to

teach a full range of common worksite tasks.

According to the equipment manufacturer,

the motor grader is one of the most com-

plex machines on the jobsite. “The motor

grader operator training simulator allows

students to learn the proper skills and

techniques before using real equipment for

the first time.”

ATLAS COPCO SOUTH AFRICA LISTS NINE TOP REASONS FOR RENTING:• Control expenses: Renting provides

significant savings over buying, so you can improve your bottom line.

• Inventory control: You can acquire equipment as and when you need it for the specified period and return it once the job is completed, so you keep your equipment inventory at a minimum.

• The right equipment for the job: Renting lets you fit the type and size of equipment to the job for economy and safety.

• Save on storage/warehousing: You can significantly reduce your costs by eliminating the need for large equipment storage areas and buildings.

• Reduce down time: If equipment breaks down, your supplier will handle it efficiently so your employees can keep working.

• No repairs: Suppliers can take care of the maintenance on the equipment, so you won’t need a repair shop, spare parts inventory, mechanics, or extra staff to take care of inventory maintenance records

• Save disposal costs: You won’t need to spend the time and money preparing, advertising and selling used equipment.

• Equipment tracking: The presence of continuous billing on rented equipment keeps it top of mind and establishes personal accountability.

• Conserve capital: Rent the equipment you need and use your capital for other, potentially more profitable, ventures.

Financing, renting, buyingWhen all is said and done, and the right

equipment has been selected for the job, you

still need to consider where the finance will

come from for your purchases. M ost equip-

ment distributors and manufacturers offer a

financing service that works in collaboration

with most banks; through these programmes,

they are able to structure a financing solution

that will best fit your requirements.

The decision on whether to buy or rent

equipment is dependent on your needs as

a contractor, but equipment distributors and

manufacturers offer the option to rent equip-

ment for its ability to improve the bottom line

of your business.

The option to rent equipment is particu-

larly appealing to the emerging contractor

as someone who does not yet have a steady

flow of work. This option allows you to save

money because you will not be paying for a

machine that is not being used.



ROADS, CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE & MANAGEMENT

TRANS AFRICA CONCESSIONS

(TRAC) has awarded a 22-month

contract for upgrade work on the

strategically vital road connecting

South Africa with Mozambique.

Scope of work The contract handover was made to Murray

& Roberts Infrastructure at the beginning of

September 2014 with completion anticipated

for July 2016.

The scope of work for Murray & Roberts

Infrastructure focuses on the section of

the N4 near Middelburg, just east of the

Rockdale interchange, and ending just west

of the Arnot interchange.

“Murray & Roberts Infrastructure will con-

struct a new dual carriageway in an easterly

direction. Upon completion of the new east-

bound carriageway, the existing westbound

carriageway will be converted into a three-

lane carriageway,” project manager Derek

Brink says.

The new carriageway will feature a 40 mm

thick asphalt pavement layer, while the exist-

ing westbound carriageway will be rehabili-

tated and surfaced with a 13.2 mm single-

seal layer.

In addition, the contract includes construc-

tion of a new bridge, the extension of an

existing bridge, minor rehabilitation to exist-

ing bridges and construction of six large on-

site culverts and associated drainage works.

Project challenges The most challenging aspect related to the

ancillary infrastructure is the location of

the bridge over the Klein Olifants River and

the fact that one of the culverts is at the

entrance of the Middelburg Dam.

“The latter is probably the biggest chal-

lenge associated with this project, not

just from a construction point of view, but

also from an environmental point of view,”

Brink comments.

“The client and its consultants have com-

piled environmental management plans while

we have our own in-house environmental

manager to assist us, if need be.

“The contract commenced effectively at the

beginning of the rainy season, which in itself

does pose a challenge,” Brink says.

He adds that the bridge over the Klein

Olifants River is not expected to pose any

specific problems. The full scope of the

contract is a good benchmark for Murray &

Roberts Infrastructure’s expert capabilities

and total service offering.

Build, operate and transferThis section of the N4 is a build, operate

and transfer (BOT) toll road owned together

by South Africa and Mozambique, which will

both reassume responsibility for the project

once TRAC’s 30-year concession expires

in 2027.

While the economic lifespan of a road is

about 20 to 25 years, TRAC’s ongoing main-

tenance and rehabilitation measures mean

that ultimately the toll road will be handed

back in an ‘as new’ condition.

Upgrading a

The N4 toll road stretches for 570 km from the Solomon Mahlangu off-ramp near Pretoria to the Port of Maputo in Mozambique, and includes six toll plazas.

vital corridor

ABOVE Rock fill for new alignment at Middelburg Dam

BELOW Temporary berm construction for dewatering at Middelburg Dam for the construction of C1637


IMPROVING AND DEVELOPING South

Africa’s road and highway infrastructure

is a large business and essential to the

continued growth and development of

the nation.

All roads start somewhere, and their plan-

ning, design and construction is a multi-dis-

ciplinary process which requires specialist

technical services.

Thanks to new technologies and innova-

tions, such as highly sophisticated software

that allows engineers to see 3D models of

their designs, they can optimise the com-

plete life cycle of roads and highways.

In the same way that planning and equip-

ment in the road-building industry have been

influenced by technology and innovation, so

have the materials being used. New ways

of production, transportation and storage

of bitumen/asphalt during the construc-

tion process are emerging and the use of

additives is prevalent in both bitumen and

cement roads.

Although bituminous products and mix-

tures have historically been the material of

choice for road building – cement roads also

have a long history, but the cost and percep-

tion of the material have worked against it.

New cement products have been entering

the market to change those perceptions.

Understanding the different types, qualities

and uses of aggregates, cement, asphalt

and bitumen is central to road building

and maintenance.

Once the road is built, the work doesn’t end

there and maintenance management, tech-

niques and general repair take centre stage.

This IMIESA Panel Discussion takes a

look at expert input from across the entire

value chain to provide insight into planning

and design, equipment and materials, main-

tenance and road network management.

PANEL INTRO

Roads construction, maintenance and management

www.afrisam.com Building our Future Together

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ROAAD CONSTRUUCTIONN, MAINTEENANCEE AAND MMAANAAGEMMENNT

Nithia Pillay | Product Technical Manager: Construction Materials | South Region | AfriSamShaughn Smit | Sales Manager: Construction Materials | Western Cape | AfriSam

In terms of durability of readymix, what are the most important

factors and innovations? NP Durability of concrete

can be quite complex and

can be potentially misinter-

preted due to the belief that

higher strength means better

durability. It was also previ-

ously believed that straight

OPC mixes were more durable

when compared to mixes which

incorporated extenders. It has

been shown that blends of OPC

with PFA and/or GGBS produce

superior concrete durability

properties. It is important to

note that adequate curing is

vital in order to derive the ben-

efits of the extenders.

The most important factors to

consider when specifying durabil-

ity include:

• the anticipated service life of

the building

• usage of the building; the

environment in which the

building exists

• construction method

• building aesthetics

• materials being used by the

concrete supplier

• whether the concrete sup-

plier is reputable and shows

evidence of applying stringent

quality control and quality as-

surance programmes.

The concrete supplier should

belong to industry bodies such

as Sarma and Aspasa and work

closely with institutions which

are heavily involved in develop-

ments and research related to

concrete durability.

A lot of work is still in pro-

gress, researching the ingress

mechanisms and methods of

containing the degree of ingress

for the various sources of con-

crete degradation. It should be

noted that site practice plays a

fundamental role in the final du-

rability properties the structures

display, site practice related to

receiving, placing and curing of

the concrete can take compliant

concrete and change it to non-

compliant concrete.

When it comes to using concrete structures to support massive loads, as in this instance, what tests does the readymix undergo, and what are the key elements in de-veloping it? Where concrete

is supplied in such instances,

much due diligence goes into

the design of the structure.

From the design, concrete speci-

fications can be developed for

the specific project or structure.

These specifications can be

extremely detailed. Once the

mix design is finalised, a testing

procedure, which forms part of

the supplier’s quality procedure,

is applied.

The supplier would ensure

that early and late strengths

are tested as required for the

application. Statistical analysis

of the results would provide

indications to all parties if the

strengths are compliant or if any

intervention is required to cor-

rect the performance of the mix

design. All materials being used

in the mix design are also moni-

tored on a scheduled basis for

variations and performance and

again this allows interventions

to take place as necessary.

Batching tolerances are also

monitored to ensure compliance

to SANS 878.

AfriSam recently com-pleted a contract for a Sanral road project in the Western Cape; what was its scope? The N7 project ex-

tended from the Melkbosstrand

interchange to the Atlantis inter-

section, which runs about 9.5 km

and includes the interchange

ramps. AfriSam supplied approxi-

mately 650 000 tonnes of layer

works material and 750 000

tonnes of overburden, as well as

about 15 000 m3 of Readymix

concrete for bridge construction.

Apart from the layer works and overburdens, AfriSam also developed a readymix specifically for the interchange bridges. How did the company approach this process? Upon receipt of specifications

from the customer, the sales

team forwarded the require-

ments to AfriSam’s technical

team who designed an appropri-

ate concrete mix. Trials were

conducted to ensure that the

mixes performed optimally and

that the desired strengths were

achieved in the required time-

frame. Once our technical team

was satisfied, we proceeded to

supply the project as required.

Given the sheer volumes of daily material AfriSam delivers on this project alone, what is the com-pany’s logistics and fleet capacity, and how does it distinguish the company? Our quarry in Durbanville Hills

supplied the aggregate used on

the project. This quarry typically

has between 25 and 30 trucks

available to supply stone on any

given day. AfriSam also has six

readymix plants in the Western

Cape and access to a fleet size

of 41 readymix trucks. Plant

capacities range from

42 m3/hr to 54 m3/hr. Most

mixes are standardised across

all plants to enable uninterrupt-

ed supply of readymix concrete.

What contingencies have to be considered when planning logis-tics on projects of this scale? The first consideration

is whether the primary plant

and quarry would be able to

provide continuous supply at

the rate required. This includes

having the capacity to produce

the necessary products for the

duration of the project. Other

considerations are given toward

having a backup plant from

which to supply products should

any unforeseen circumstance

impact on the ability of our plant

to supply the project.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Construction is underway in one of the biggest contracts awarded to AfriSam by Sanral to improve the N7 between the Melkbos and Atlantis intersections in the Western Cape

Ammann Construction Machinery229 Hull Road, Rynfi eld

Benoni 1500, South AfricaTel. + 27 11 849 3939Fax + 27 11 849 8889

[email protected]

Asphalt mixing plant Prime.

Prime 140 is the highly mobile version of Ammann’s very successful continuous asphalt mixing plants. It was developed specifi cally for markets where high mobility is in demand. All continuous asphalt mixing plants from Ammann are equipped with a continuously running two-shaft paddle mixer, and the Prime 140 is no exception. One of its special features is a controllable outlet gate that enables the fi lling height and therefore the mixing time to be set depending on recipe and output. The outlet gate also drastically reduces losses during start-up and shut-down of production. Additives, fi bres, Ammann Foam etc., can be added optional far away from the heat source.

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

Productivity Partnership for a Lifetime

Asphalt mixing plant Prime.


PANEL DISCUSSION

I DREAM OF thousands

of kilometres of tarred

roads running all round

the Earth, linking the coun-

tries and oceans together.’’

These words of Swiss physi-

cian Dr Guglielminetti were

spoken at the first International

Roadbuilding Congress held in

Paris in 1908, the very same

year the Ammann Group first

moved into the road construc-

tion market. Family-owned and

-managed Ammann has been

pioneering innovations in road

building equipment ever since.

Rocco Lehman, managing direc-

tor of Ammann SA, joins this

month’s panel to discuss how

the company’s extraordinary

legacy is contributing far more

than its products to South

African market.

How has the legacy of Ammann’s origins as a family-owned and -man-aged company been incorporated into the way Ammann SA operates locally? RL Ammann started

out more than a century ago as

a producer of agricultural equip-

ment in Switzerland, and moved

into road building in partnership

with a gentleman by the name

of Heinrich Aeberli, who was

the director of roads in Zurich,

and very much a pioneer of the

same road building techniques

that are familiar today. While the

introduction of the automobile

was a very important motivation

in developing Switzerland’s road

infrastructure, public health and

safety was also a critical concern

at the time. Ammann’s venture

into road building started out as

a partnership, and Ammann SA’s

core values are based on that

same principle of partnership,

reflecting Ammann’s legacy in a

local context.

mature, challenges are going to

emerge, and require honesty and

integrity to resolve. Our partners’

best interests are always our

priority, and this is built not just

on our technical expertise, but

on how those expertise position

our clients in constantly chang-

ing market conditions.

One of our larger clients pur-

chased an asphalt plant prior

to the appearance of reclaimed

asphalt as a specification for

some national roads. A year

later, when consulting with this

client on a second asphalt plant,

it became apparent that his first

purchase would now need a

retrofit to meet this new condi-

tion. So not only was the second

plant going to need more tech-

nology than he anticipated, there

was a potential need for more

capital outlay on the first plant.

If Ammann SA were solely

focused on the business of sell-

ing product, it would have been

easy to meet this client’s initial

expectations and simply sell him

the second plant. As a partner,

however, we chose instead to

walk a tougher route. Ultimately,

we would rather take the more

difficult route than compro-

mise the values that form a

real partnership.

Going back to the technical integrity of Ammann’s innovations, how does that value translate in practical terms? We are the only

company in South Africa that

builds all its components in-

house. This is precisely why we

are able to retrofit an asphalt

plant with the mechanical and

technological components that

enable the use of reclaimed

asphalt. Other manufacturers

cannot make these sorts of

adjustments and would have to

sell a client in this position a

completely new plant.

What is at the heart of Ammann SA’s ap-proach? The company

entered the market in 1908 in

a partnership that saw the in-

novation of modern road build-

ing methods that have been

adopted worldwide. Similarly,

Ammann SA is partnering with

this particular market, and de-

livering innovations that ensure

its success.

IN ADDITION TO DEVELOPING the first continuous ballast coating plant, Ammann also developed its own range of asphalt paving equipment but later stopped production to concentrate on mixing technology. One of Ammann’s early machines was powered by a 27 hp Lister engine, which operated at 1 000 rpm and had two forward and one reverse gear. The machine could surface variable widths between 2.4 m and 3.6 m and weighed in at 8 tonnes.and 3.6

Switzerland 1908 to South Af-rica 2015: Ammann’s evolution as a business, an innovator and manufacturer has been sustained by the strong values of family and partnership

What specific values go into building Ammann SA’s partnerships? Ammann SA has over 80 years

of technical expertise in the lo-

cal market, and we are therefore

uniquely positioned to introduce

Ammann’s products in a manner

that suits local conditions. Every

piece of equipment we sell to a

local partner is the end result of

a journey of consultation, consid-

eration and adaptation, which

then continues indefinitely, as

we provide technical support,

trouble-shooting and very practi-

cal advice to ensure our part-

ners can always deliver optimal

results to their customers.

What would be a good example of Ammann SA’s partnering approach in terms of the local mar-ket? Our partnerships usually

begin way before we actually

do a business transaction, and

are quite specific to the size

and development of the partner

company. When we work with

smaller contractors, for example,

we make our expertise and sup-

port available to them so that

they can engage with the market

confidently. We have helped

an emerging contractor draw

up a highly practical business

plan and attended his techni-

cal presentations to a public-

sector development agency. By

reinforcing his technical capacity

as a partner, he was able to

incorporate Ammann’s technical

expertise into his own brand eq-

uity, with full commitment prior

to any actual purchase.

What other values guide Ammann SA as its partnerships develop? As

partnerships

ROOAD CCONSTRUCTION, MAINTEENANCEE AND MMANAGEMMEENT

Rocco Lehman | Managing Director | Ammann SA

Polymer modified bitumen made with Elvaloy® RET has storage stability that is unmatched in the market. It reacts chemically with the bitumen, which enables it to maintain initial binder properties even after prolonged storage and shipment. Together, we can enhance the physical performance of road infrastructure. Welcome to The Global CollaboratoryTM.

For a bitumen modifier designed to fight all major road failure mechanisms – from rutting and fatigue cracking to cold cracking and binder stripping – contact Richard Ntombela on +27 11 218 8600 or [email protected]

Copyright(C) 2015 DuPont. All rights reserved. The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™ and all products denoted with ® or TM are registered trademarks or trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.

To learn more, visit www.dupont.com/asphalt


Richard Ntombela | Sales & Technical Specialist | DuPont

South Africa faces very spe-cific challenges

with regards to both the maintenance of roads and the building of new roads. What is your com-pany’s perspective on these challenges? RN It is

essential to maintain the asset

that we have already spent a lot

of money on during construction.

If we maintain our roads in time

we will save money on the costly

rehabilitation of some sections

of road and save lives lost due

to poor road condition. The sav-

ing through timely maintenance

can then be spent constructing

new sections.

What specific solutions does your company spe-cialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? DuPont developed

and produce Elvaloy RET, the

asphalt modifiers which enable

long-term performance for roads

throughout harsh climate condi-

tions and heavy traffic loads.

As an example, our partner in

South Africa, a bitumen supplier

is manufacturing Elvaloy RET

PMB (polymer modified bitumen)

in South Africa and transport-

ing by road for over 1 600 km

to Zambia. The Elvaloy RET

PMB does not lose or change

binder properties during prolong

transportation due to its unique

polymer chemistry.

Are there any specific obstacles to getting your products and/or services into the market, and how would you like to see them being solved? The

major obstacle in some of the

countries is the non-availability

of proper specification for PMB

or the situation where the

PANEL DISCUSSION

country is using outdated

PMB specification. We recom-

mend that our countries in Africa

step up R&D on construc-

tion materials and monitor

closely the development around

performance specification.

As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? As DuPont, we

collaborate with our partners to

come up with the best solution

not only to meet project speci-

fication, but with the ultimate

goal of extending the lifetime

of the pavement and reducing

maintenance cost. DuPont has

innovation centres and R&D cen-

tres dedicated to our partners.

What is the latest thought leadership – globally and locally – regarding the role your products and services have to offer? DuPont hosted the first ‘Brain

Trust’ on infrastructure develop-

ment that seeks to generate dis-

cussion on new approaches to

the socio-economic dilemmas.

We believe that the private

sector should collaborate with

government to solve South

Africa’s problems and brain-

storm workable solutions that

lend themselves to public-

private partnerships. A more

proactive approach, innovative

thinking and the willingness to

work together could achieve far

more than the general tendency

to blame-shift.

There is an ongoing debate regarding the use asphalt versus concrete in road building; what are your thoughts? There

are cases where concrete and

asphalt complement each

other. This should be left to

design engineers who are well

positioned to evaluate each

case based on local conditions.

Asphalt pavements seem to be

more flexible in terms of design

and construction.

What particular admix-tures/additives do you currently believe offer best value from a us-ability and sustainability point of view? Our products

were specially designed for

roads binders several decades

ago. During that time, we

provided holistic solutions to

our customers globally, with a

regional emphasis.

How can South Africa’s roads authorities improve their working relationship with the private sector? As part of the private sector, we

need to reach out to authorities.

There will always be differ-

ences but great success will be

achieved when private sector,

government and other stake-

holders collaborate to tackle

challenges we face.

Infrastructure is key to the

development of Africa, as it

will help countries in Africa to

attract investments. Poor road

infrastructure leads to slowdown

in economic activity and it will

also affects food security.

Labour intensity is an in-trinsic part of social and economic transformation and road construction and maintenance has been at the centre of this activity for a while now. The EPWP has entered its third phase now; how does your company respond to this need? Paving is a labour-intensive

industry. Bitumen emulsion is

the most appropriate technique

to combine labour-intensive

construction and desired road

quality, because it does not

require heating and it can be

easily shipped to the most

remote sites.

DuPont is at advanced stages

in the development of emul-

sion from Elvaloy RET PMB. Our

Global Paving Centre in Prague

is in the process of evaluating

the effect of different emulsi-

fiers on the performance of the

final emulsion product.

Collaboration in Ghana re-

sulted in DuPont, along with lo-

cal bitumen emulsion suppliers,

producing the first Elvaloy RET

PMB emulsion in West Africa.

In conclusion, what key sales point defines your company and its role in the industry? DuPont is at

the forefront of the innovation

efforts to support infrastruc-

ture provision in Africa. We will

continue to collaborate with our

partners to provide the best-

performing materials for the

road industry.

Paving in Mozambique

Paving in Ghana


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Edoardo Zannoni | Business Unit Manager: Geosynthetics | Maccaferri

PANEL DISCUSSION

What is your company’s perspective

on South Africa’s road building and maintenance challenges? South Africa's

infrastructure is strained due to

an overloaded road system and

a lack of maintenance, resulting

in delays of the infrastructure

upgrading and cost increasing.

Maccaferri offers solutions

for both the maintenance and

construction of new roads using

innovative products, overcoming

issues such as costing, lack of

materials, time and services in

the road layerwork.

What specific solutions does your company spe-cialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? Maccaferri provides

reinforcement of the pavement

layer works, in subgrade, sub-

base and asphalt-reducing the

mechanical stresses in each

layer using geosynthetics, thus

increasing the lifetime of the

pavement or reducing the thick-

ness or the quality of the layer

maintaining the same traffic

loading. Geosynthetics comprise

a wide variety of products (geo-

textiles, geogrids, etc.) offering

not only reinforcement but also

drainage, filtration and separa-

tion, which can be applied to

roads, parking decks, runways

and container depots.

Are there any specific obstacles to getting your

products and/or services into the market, and how would you like to see them being solved? South

African design models do not

comprise the use of geosyn-

thetics for reinforcement in

pavements, however, geosyn-

thetics were first used in haul

roads in the 1970s and today,

geosynthetics are an integral

part of road designs backed up

by continuous research aimed

on improving current design

models. South African pavement

engineers should get closer to

the geosynthetic industry and

increase their trust in such

products and design models as

in America and Europe.

As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? Maccaferri

is able to provide technically

sound solutions supported by

design and site supervision, in

order to support the engineer

and the contractor during the

project, ensuring that the solu-

tion is designed correctly, the

right product is chosen and

more important, the solution is

installed correctly.

What is the latest thought leadership – globally and locally – regarding the role your products and services have to offer? Geosynthetics have

changed their role in a project.

From marginal/complementary

products, they are now a critical

part of a design carrying the

difference between a safe and

a failed design. A thorough

design and product knowledge is

paramount in order to fulfil any

critical aspects of the design

and construction. Our engineer-

ing service strives to cover not

only the product but the design

and the installation.

How does your company approach the issue of sustainability and what should the industry

understand about it? Maccaferri's solutions have al-

ways considered the sustainabil-

ity of the solutions, using rocks

available on-site to fill gabions

for hydraulic protection. Our

solutions in pavements allow

using weaker in situ material or

avoiding stabilisation of layers,

saving the environment from

opening new quarry, transport,

time and cost.

In conclusion, what key sales point defines your company and its role in the industry? Maccaferri

has always strived to succeed

with engineering solutions, for

more than 50 years, in South

Africa. The solutions offered

are above the current market in

terms of knowledge, service and

efficacy. Maccaferri does not

try to sell products but rather

aims to create a legacy in the

industry, seeking the benefit of

our solutions to the project and

highlighting that engineering is

the best solution.

ABOVE MacTex W1 placed in the subgrade to avoid contamination of the layerworks and reinforce the weak subgrade

BELOW LEFT Asphalt Reinforcement in Durban using MacGrid AR to prevent reflective cracking on the overlay

BELOW RIGHT Placing of Macgrid EG 30S in the subgrade for ground stabilization (Glentana, Western Cape)


South Africa faces very specific challenges with

regards to both the main-tenance of roads and the building of new roads. What is your company’s perspective on these challenges? PG South

African government resources

are unfortunately limited in

terms of the budgets allocated

or available to build both new

roads and maintain the existing

road network infrastructure,

especially at district and local

municipal levels.

National Cold Asphalt is part-

nering with SMMEs/infrastruc-

ture development initiatives to

focus specifically on all road

repairs and maintenance.

NCA’s 100% BBBEE local

manufacturing supplier model

will ensure supply of world-class

asphalt materials to newly

trained SMMEs and coopera-

tive units that can effectively

and efficiently deliver on the

major backlog in road repairs

and maintenance that faces our

country today.

What specific solutions does your company specialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? Our

asphalt materials and innovative

technologies for road repairs

and maintenance specialise in

labour-intensive job creation

applications without compromis-

ing the cost, quality, time and

productivity thereof.

Our cold-mix as-

phalt is considered

to be in the top

five globally. It has

been around for

more than 20 years

and is used in over

25 countries.

Our hot-mix-in-a-bag asphalt

material is cutting edge and

the all-inclusive, mobile oven

trailer unit requires low capital

outlay with optimum profitability

and productivity.

Are there any specific obstacles to getting your products and/or services into the market, and how would you like to see them being solved? Matching current road speci-

fications to alternate product

specifications with respect to

all road building, repairs and

maintenance is often an issue,

especially with labour-intensive

methodologies and materials

such as cold-mix asphalt.

This needs to be formalised in

our road-building manifesto to

integrate all qualified alternates

available, where the use of such

methodologies, technologies

and materials are recognised,

aligned and incorporated

by our various leading local

roads authorities.

As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? We are a

division of a JSE-listed com-

pany that allows government

and SMMEs/our partners to

optimise not only the use of

our leading materials but also

unilateral access to our multina-

tional infrastructure and human

resources expertise.

What is the latest thought leadership – globally and locally – regarding the role your products and services have to offer? NCA is com-

mitted to aligning its products

to international standards while

developing business models

that align themselves specifi-

cally to South African national

and local government policies

and core objectives.

How does your company approach the issue of sustainability and what should the industry understand about it? Understanding the environment

in South Africa, in which we all

aspire to play a meaningful role,

infrastructure is fundamental to

attracting foreign investment,

leading to job creation.

Our local manufacturing plant

model, world-class materi-

als and SMME development

programmes mean that all

stakeholders involved will

always optimise cost, quality

and productivity.

Our roads are the arteries and

life-blood that connect our com-

munities. Their longevity means

inevitable hope and success for

all. Corporate South Africa has

to get involved to fully develop

and utilise our road networks.

How can South Africa’s roads authorities improve their working relationship with the private sector?

We have to be open, innovative

and talk to one another, shar-

ing ideas and playing to each

other's strengths.

Labour intensity is an intrinsic part of socio-economic transformation and road construction and maintenance has been at the centre of this activity for a while now. The EPWP has entered its third phase now; how does your company respond to this need? Optimising labour in construc-

tion without compromising cost,

quality, time and productivity

should be mandatory in all road

design and the maintenance

thereof. Our products and meth-

ods fully embrace and embody

labour intensity.

This is something we are

very proud of and will continue

to develop in conjunction with

local and national government

policies and objectives.

In conclusion, what key sales point defines your company and its role in the industry? NCA is

part of a JSE-listed entity, so

access to significant expertise,

world-class materials, innova-

tive technologies and historical

credibility is extensive.

Our latest, hot-mix-in-a-bag

oven trailer, allows SMMEs

minimal capital outlay and the

ability to do hot asphalt pothole

repairs anywhere.

PANEL DISCUSSION

LEFT LT40 heating plant

MIDDLE Manual chip spreader

RIGHT Hot-mix-in-a-bag production unit


Pascal Garrioch | Strategic Business Development Consultant | National Cold Asphalt


PANEL DISCUSSION

South Africa faces very specific challenges with

regards to both the main-tenance of roads and the building of new roads. What is your company’s perspective on these challenges? NB South Africa

has many well-qualified person-

nel and long-standing, vastly

experienced companies that

can provide these infrastruc-

ture needs. From consulta-

tion, design, engineering and

construction, to specialised

equipment providers, they are

all here. Prudent recognition of

them, which unfortunately is not

happening to keep pace with the

country’s requirements, would

make a huge difference.

What specific solutions does your company specialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? Osborn

is a Johannesburg-based

equipment manufacturer for

the mines and quarries, as well

as the Southern African dealer

for sister Astec Group compa-

nies, Roadtec and Astec Inc.

These being specialised mobile

asphalt paving and asphalt

plant equipment suppliers out of

USA respectively.

Are there any specific obstacles to getting your products and/or services into the market, and how would you like to see them being solved? Referring to the asphalt products

only, there is a small footprint

of equipment in the region, but

client recognition and paying a

premium for quality equipment is

an age-old problem. Thus we’re

always open for discussion to

partner with prospective clients.

As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? As we are

targeting the Roadtec products

here, their attributes include

innovation and an understanding

of how roadways are built and

best maintained. The well-known

Roadtec Shuttle Buggy is a prime

example of innovation. In stabili-

sation, Roadtec SX line stabilis-

ers are unique in that they have

a four-speed transmission built

into the machine to allow imme-

diate rotor speed change.

What is the latest thought leadership – globally and locally – regarding the role your products and services have to offer? Roadtec products

are sold all around the world.

Our products are designed to

enhance the contractor’s bot-

tom line with features to either

perform more work in a shorter

time or decrease the cost of

doing business.

There is an ongoing debate regarding the use of asphalt versus con-crete in road building; what are your thoughts? Engineers will specify asphalt

or concrete for roadways based

on their criteria. Roadtec serves

the asphalt paving industry

manufacturing equipment for the

placement, mixing and recycling

of asphalt pavements.

What particular admix-tures/additives do you currently believe offer best value from a us-ability and sustainability point of view? Bituminous

emulsion is used worldwide

to be mixed with cold-recycled

asphalt material from the cold-

milling process. It is easy to

engineer, easy to develop a mix

design and does not require a

lot of sophisticated equipment.

A layer of old asphalt remixed

with bituminous emulsion not

only provides a strong material

but also has the added benefit

of providing an excellent crack

relief layer.

Second to this is the foaming

process, which does a similar

job, is far more technical in

nature and requires more

sophisticated equipment. Foam

also does not do as good a

job of providing crack relief

where needed.

How does your company approach the issue of sustainability and what should the industry understand about it? Recycling of pavements has

proven to be one of the most

sustainable techniques known

to modern science, as asphalt

pavement is now the most

recycled material in the United

States by tonnage. In fact, since

the advent of the milling machine

in the 1970s and the recycling

asphalt plant in the 1980s,

there are major asphalt paved

roadways that have been recy-

cled several times. Each of the

successive recycle operations

have met the exacting modern

standards for gradation, penetra-

tion and stability. Each of these

operations have saved new mate-

rials for other uses and reused

the existing stone and bitumen.

How can South Africa’s roads authorities improve their working relationship with the private sector? If South African roads author-

ity allows the use of the latest

in technology to improve the

service life of the roadways

and decrease the cost burden

on the public, then using new

methods such as paving with

remixing MTVs or cold-in-place

recycle with stabilisers or milling

machines will benefit everyone.

In conclusion, what key sales points define your company and its role in the industry? Roadtec

has become a world leader in

innovation with the advent of the

world’s first remixing MTV to add

service life to asphalt roadways

by eliminating segregation.

Roadtec also is a leader in cold

recycling, mixing new materi-

als into the old and benefiting

the public through a decrease

in cost without a decrease in

specification.


Noel Bessler | Sales Director | Osborn South Africa

Our strength, Your vision.

Because we understand that the foundation for durable road construction is important, we’ve created PPC Sureroad CEM II 32.5 Cement. Sureroad is made for long-lasting road stabilisation and excellent performance with a range of soil types, giving you the right start for the longevity of your project. Continual innovations in service and technology for all construction applications has made PPC the leading brand for over 120 years.

Sureroad is available directly from PPC Ltd. For more information, call our toll-free line on 0800 023 470 or visit www.ppc.co.za



Thabiso Maloa | PPC Technical Consultant | Pretoria Portland Cement

What is your com-pany’s perspec-tive on South

Africa's road sector chal-lenges? TM PPC believes the

private and public sectors need

to work together, each contribut-

ing to planning and providing

technical skills and professional

experts to build the construction

industry coalition. Public-private

partnerships bode well for the

future and should be built on

strong working relationships

built on trust in order to achieve

effective collaboration.

What specific solutions does your company specialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? PPC has a proud

and successful track record

spanning over 120 years, and is

the leading supplier of cement

in South Africa, Botswana and

Zimbabwe. Our strong geographic

footprint makes PPC an ideal

partner supplier in all countries

we operate in.

PPC offers specially formulated

road stabilisation, Sureroad, a

CEM II 32.5N product. It is a fly

ash and/or limestone extended

cement. Sureroad has been

engineered to improve the

engineering properties of the soil

by reducing the plasticity index,

unconfined compressed strength

and indirect tensile strength of

the base material. Sureroad

enhances durability and achieves

superior performance with most

road material.

In addition, PPC also has

brands such as the market-lead-

ing SureBuild, the first branded

general-purpose cement on the

market, Botcem in Botswana,

Unicem and PMC in Zimbabwe,

Obras in Mozambique, and OPC,

a special-purpose high-strength

premium cement.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Are there any specific obstacles to getting your products and/or services into the market, and how would you like to see them being solved? International imports into the

domestic market have proved to

be a challenge for the industry.

The growing volume of cheaper

imported cement sold in many of

the country’s coastal regions is

a cause for concern. Cement pro-

ducers in South Africa are of the

opinion that bagged cement from

other markets is being ‘dumped’

at lower prices than normal.

As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? PPC is a truly

African success story – a fo-

cused business that reflects the

strengths of its people, products

and services. PPC prides itself

on offering services that stretch

far beyond the contents of a bag

of cement. As an organisation,

it remains passionate about

investing in meaningful initiatives

and projects that advance the

industry’s excellence.

We strive to produce and sup-

ply the premium product in the

industry. PPC provides technical

support, group laboratory servic-

es, and support to our communi-

ties, including skills transfer in

the FET colleges and the overall

training in the industry.

What is the latest thought leadership – globally and locally – regarding the role your products and services? PPC launched its

Cement and Concrete Cube – a

first-to-market, online platform

where people can collaborate,

interact and share informa-

tion relating to the cement and

concrete industry. The platform

streamlines interaction with

PPC experts and ensures an

increased flow of information

including the latest trends and

international journals.

There is an ongoing de-bate regarding the use of asphalt versus concrete in road building; what are your thoughts? It is PPC’s

view that concrete roads are

more sustainable and durable.

Concrete pavements have a

longer design life, making the

comparative life-cycle costs more

equitable with asphalt roads.

However, the upfront agency cost

is higher for concrete and this is

one of the stumbling blocks.

On busy roads, concrete

performs better and rehabilita-

tion should only be needed after

30 to 40 years, compared with

20 for asphalt. This reduces the

costs of delays and congestions

over the 40-year period, making

concrete an attractive alternative.

How does your company approach the issue of sustainability and what should the industry understand about it? Sustainability encompasses the

balanced integration of corporate

governance, social, ethical,

economic, environmental as well

as health and safety factors into

all the planning,

implementation

and decision-

making stages of

the business. PPC

exercises due dili-

gence in all areas

of operation to pro-

mote sustainable

development in its business,

employees, the environment and

communities in which it operates.

PPC is committed to integrating

environmental and sustainability

issues into our business strategy.

The EPWP has entered its third phase now; how does your company respond to this need? The EPWP is a great

initiative that requires diligent

management, planning and super-

vision. It has a great impact on job

creation; however, quality must be

well monitored on-site. Concrete

roads have been making a way

in the township roads, all this is

done labour-intensively through

the EPWP.

In conclusion, what key sales points define your company and its role in the industry? PPC is a customer-

focused organisation. We believe

that we need to give our custom-

ers more than just a quality prod-

uct. Our customers need solutions

not just products. Strength is our

trusted quality product, but we go

beyond the bag through identify-

ing and understanding our various

customers’ needs and building

relationships. We believe that to

stay ahead, we have to be innova-

tive. The skills and commitment of

our people to our customers, com-

munities, country and continent

are central to our success.

Reya Vaya project on Katherine Street in Sandton


South Africa faces very spe-cific challenges

with regards to both the maintenance of roads and the building of new roads. What is your company’s perspective on these challenges? For

roads and highways, deficiency

problems include broken or

separated concrete slabs, faulty

joints, surface voids, voids in

the layer works, and sloping or

inconsistant pavement levels

that also result in poor driving

conditions and increased vehicle

maintenance.

Pavement problems

can significantly

impact on the flow of

traffic and the amount

of traffic congestion.

The financial loss to

the individual and for

industry in general is

incalculable.

Traditional methods

of addressing these

problems have pro-

vided less than ideal

results. The older

systems and materi-

als require lengthy

installation times and

provide temporary

repairs and minimal

life expectancy at best. Uretek

is a proven system which saves

time and money, and is backed

by a 10-year guarantee

What specific solutions does your company specialise in and what are the elements that make it unique? Uretek

addresses problems with two

patented technologies: Uretek

Slab Lifting Method and Uretek

Deep Injection. Both technolo-

gies use the injection of high-

density structural polymer. In

the first instance, the polymer

is precisely injected via 14 mm

holes drilled through the pave-

ment into existing void spaces

directly below the concrete. With

deep injection, voids are located

at deeper levels, for instance

below sub-base of paved roads,

the 14 mm injection tubes are

inserted into the drilled holes to

the required depth.

As the pavement is lifted,

its movement is precisely

monitored on the surface using

laser level-measuring devices.

The polymer expansion reaches

90% of its full compressive and

tensile strength within 15 min-

utes, therefore road closures

are kept to short times. An

additional advantage of the

polymer material is its extremely

light characteristic.

Are there any specific obstacles to getting your products and/or services into the mar-ket, and how would you like to see them being solved? Uretek has been

active worldwide for the past

30 years but is a relatively new

company in South Africa. That

said, Uretek SA has succesfully

completed contracts for Sanral

through different contractors

including Basil Read, Roadspan,

and N3TC. Uretek SA has also

executed stabilisation of about

110 000 m2 of concrete road

for eThekwini on Solomon

Mahlangu Drive, which carries

a high volume of heavy vehicle

traffic to and from South Africa’s

busiest port.

As a provider of goods and services in the roads market, what sets your company apart from its competitors? Flexibility and

speed are the charac-

teristics of the injection

process. We are able

to reach the areas to

be treated without the

use of heavy equip-

ment, as the polymer

is conveyed by flexible

hoses that can reach

100 m from the

mobile workshop.

What is the latest thought leader-ship – globally and locally – re-garding the role your products and services

have to offer? We have a

proven product. Thirty years of

experience, with over 100 000

projects completed worldwide,

make Uretek a logical alternative

to conventional methods, saving

time and money.

How does your company approach the issue of sustainability and what should the industry understand about it?

Should any failures occur due

to bad compaction or water

damage to the existing road

structures, Uretek offers the

solution for remedial work and

preventative maintenance. The

Uretek technologies are able

to extend the lifespan of roads

and infrastructure.

Uretek materials and process-

es have a low carbon footprint.

Expansive resins greatly reduce

material consumption compared

to alternative methods, substan-

tially cutting down on production

and transportation emissions.

Our efficient processes involve

no demolition, excavation or

heavy machinery and create no

waste; repairing not replacing;

restoring not rebuilding.

How can South Africa’s roads authorities improve their working relationship with the private sector? We believe that the local engi-

neers should consider alterna-

tive methods and move away

from conventional methods,

technology has vastly improved

over the past 20 years and we

are way behind.

Uretek technologies have been

at the fore as the alternative

technology of choice in the US,

Europe and Australasia. In South

Africa, Uretek is starting to

make inroads as more and more

consultants become exposed to

the Uretek processes.

In conclusion, what key sales points define your company and its role in the industry? Most

importantly, there are minimal

traffic disruptions due to the

non-disruptive, efficient, effec-

tive and mobile nature of the

injection process. We offer a

10-year guarantee, backed by

an international company. We

increase the lifespan of roads

and pavements, thereby making

replacement redundant.

PANEL DISCUSSION


Tony Pappalardo | Managing Director | Uretek

Slab lifting on the N3 Cedara highway


PUBLIC TRANSPORT

FRANO COMBRINCK, project tech-

nologist in the traffic and transpor-

tation team at GIBB, has for years

stressed the importance of tactile

ground surface indicators (TGSI) being devel-

oped as a universal norm in South Africa,

and it appears that his efforts are finally

paying off.

“Although non-motorised transpor t is

recognised as a valuable component of

transportation systems, it has historically

not been included in traditional transport

planning, with walkways and cycle paths

generally implemented as afterthoughts,

and sometimes, not at all. There was also

little infrastructure to accommodate the

needs of the physically challenged (the

elderly, people in wheelchairs, the blind,

deaf and young children) and this is now

being addressed by applying the principles

of universal access in all transport pro-

jects,” he says.

TGSI is a touch-based way-finding system

included in external or internal pedestrian

surfaces to help guide pedestrians and

define routes. They also warn a pedestrian

of imminent hazards, such as warning the

pedestrian of a dropped curb at a pedes-

trian crossing.

Leading South African-owned engineer-

ing consulting firm GIBB has earned a

reputation for its out-of-the-box innovation

and engineering excellence, and TGSI has

been flagged for its benefits to people

with disabilities.

The first of the projects has been piloted

in the City of Tshwane where sidewalks

were developed with the nodes required for

people with disabilities – and specifically the

visually impaired – to be able to commute

with less risk.

“Universal access or design improves

facilities for people of all ages, at different

stages of their lives and health, and there

is urgency around making infrastructure

accessible to all – this is the true essence

of ubuntu,” he says.

Smart streets for complete access

For most people, crossing the street or negotiating an intersection is a simple, straightforward process with caution paid to the obvious dangers. But for others with disabilities, and especially those visually impaired, the task presents some serious challenges, often deterring them from using urban infrastructure altogether.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT


To achieve this, Combrinck says that

the removal of obstacles that can hinder

trying to move from Point A to Point B is

crucial. Combrinck was introduced to TGSI

while working in London 12 years ago, and

concedes that while South Africa has some

way to go in making our roads universally

accessible, there is certainly a bigger focus

on it now. In his experience, Combrinck

says that South Africa is at least 20 years

behind in terms of universal access to

urban developments.

“With some first-world countries, there are

technologies built into tactiles that send

out a signal to another device that clips

onto a cane, and automatically vibrates

when a visually impaired person’s cane is

close to the crossing, warning him or her

of imminent danger. Of course, there is a

long way to go for the complete roll-out of

tactile crossings, but government is seeing

the importance of this for social upliftment

and is working toward the ultimate goal of

boasting world-class urban infrastructure,”

he says.

The City of Tshwane hosted an orientation

for members of the South African National

Council for the Blind recently, where blind

and partially sighted people experienced

first-hand the convenience of TGSI.

Chris Budeli, manager: Education, Social

Inclusion and Development for the South

African National Council for the Blind,

says: “It is our duty to ensure that the

lives of the blind and par tially sighted are

improved and the implementation of TGSI

is a positive move that will bring posi-

tive change to them. Blind and par tially

sighted persons who experienced the TGSI

in Tshwane found that TGSI helped them

in identifying safe areas to cross, as well

as direction, from one side of the road to

the other.”

He adds that the TGSI would also contrib-

ute in allowing blind people to explore their

environment, have more land marks to find

shops and places that they need to visit

from time to time and be able to give each

other directions.

The MyCiti project in Cape Town, as well

as the A Re Yeng BRT system in Tshwane

will receive the single biggest tactile focus

in South African history – all according to

GIBB’s prescribed world-class standards,

and endorsed by the National Department

of Transport.

The City of Johannesburg has also adopt-

ed the tactile layout and design into its

complete street guidelines and will incorpo-

rate it into the extensions of the Rea Vaya

BRT project.

TGSI would also contribute in allowing blind people to explore their environment, have more landmarks to fi nd shops and places that they need to visit from time to time


SHEQ

INNOVATIVE INTELLIGENT 3D design

software is enabling the production

of higher-quality, improved designs

with significantly better accuracy. In

addition, the imbedded metadata can effi-

ciently deliver an accurate bill of materials.

Standards such as the NRS and SANS are

now embedded into the symbols themselves

Enhancing safety through innovative 3D design

Safety in the engineering environment is increasingly being improved through the use of innovative 3D design. The application of visual aids is contributing to the reduction of project construction and safety risks, while helping engineers comply with client and international standards. By Barry Grib

to ensure high standards are utilised

throughout the designs. The flexibility of

the latest design software can be utilised

to accommodate various customer needs

with reference to templates used or mate-

rial descriptions. As well as improving the

quality of designs, the developments in 3D

software are also proving to be the means

to achieve significant gains in productivity,

through the clever data links imbedded into

the symbols, giving the symbols properties

such as size, weight of material, grouping

of voltages and current capacity, restriction

of proximity of other equipment, associated

pairing of other equipment, and many more.

The potential for 3D design, combined with

intelligent design software, is well illustrated

by Aurecon’s highly efficient substation

designs, which have come a long way from

the old 2D designs for engineering works.

A future scenario can clearly be envisaged

where the high cost of fixing design mis-

takes or altering issues on-site is virtually

eliminated, proactively and cost-effectively.

Engineers are starting to be able to visu-

alise and analyse various options relatively

inexpensively. Already, Aurecon has con-

siderable experience with intelligent 3D

software that allows efficient and innova-

tive designs to be developed with various

detailed options built in, at a lower cost than

conventional 2D designs. These features

include design options such as selectable

choices of soil types for foundations.


SHEQ

3D evolution gathers pacePrinting:The 3D design concept has been available

to the engineering sector for some time

and the latest 3D laser scans can easily be

manipulated into a 3D design model. We are

now utilising 3D models to move into the 3D

printing arena with great printing possibili-

ties that are affordable to everyone.

Visualising refurbishment:In future, the risk of a professional indemnity

claim for eng ineering mistakes on a refurbish-

ment project should be minimal, if the power

of 3D interactive modelling is employed. In

advanced modelling, a proposed project can

be rotated in any direction and individual ele-

ments can be switched on or off at will.

With detail designs becoming more and

more vivid, intricate and complex, it makes

sense to utilise software that can graphi-

cally show mistakes in the design even

before a single page of paper is printed. The

3D design also greatly enhances the under-

standing of refurbishment projects where

existing equipment needs to be removed

and replaced with new equipment, and the

relation between old and new can be easily

displayed for all to grasp.

Examining the unseenConfined spaces and safety zones add to

the complexity of any design, but the 3D

design platform can highlight the engineering

challenges, and readily enables the engineer

to mitigate safety risks identified within the

visual model.

Analysing a design can begin with a 3D

design file, which is mathematically sliced

into 2D cross sections, showing the internal

arrangement of the unseen portions of the

design. This feature can be used to add

value to the underground arrangements or

optimise the rebar encased within the con-

crete foundations.

It also aids in the visualisation of the struc-

tural integrity and complexity of internal com-

ponents, as well as the fabrication products

needed to complete any part of the design.

Is there a limit on detail?Aurecon’s experience has shown that for

electrical-related aspects of a substation

design, there is almost an unlimited amount

of detail that can be added into the 3D

model. An array of features can be shown,

such as panel construction details, cable

bends in trenches, electrical clearances,

water tables in trenches, equipment arrange-

ments, conductor and clamp configurations,

terrain elevations with underground drain-

age pipes and containment areas, lightning

protection coverage and even visual aids for

step potential protection.

Focus on the futureWith the growth in computer technology,

increasingly detailed 3D interactive designs

can be displayed on a tablet or laptop.

Bringing this level of information to a con-

struction site adds immense value to any

site inspection and enhances safety engi-

neering. Any portion of the design can

be evaluated at any given time through

visual elements, facilitating discus-

sion with non-technical departments and

support functions.

Safety in design is fur ther enhanced

through establishing electrical clearances

in the initial symbol design. This feature

is programmed to selectively indicate the

phase-to-phase electrical clearance param-

eters or the phase-to-earth clearance.

The time is rapidly approaching when

a 3D presentation will be standard for

any engineering design request, and the

norm will soon be to have a 3D printed

model to display the design on an equally

visual level. The normal working clear-

ances, as set by national and international

standards, can also be tested and visu-

ally shown through the utilisation of scaled

human models in the design. Spacing

parameters associated with the different

electrical voltages can now also be prepro-

grammed into the foundation symbols, in

order to ensure the correct placement of

the associated equipment.

The future of engineering design lies in

providing clients with safe, innovative, cost-

effective, quality designs. Aurecon is apply-

ing its expertise to include all the safety

factors and standards in sophisticated

3D software, while mentoring young and

upcoming engineers to master this technol-

ogy. The aim is to effectively entrench the

safe design concept into the hearts and

minds of our future design leaders.

FIGURE 1 3D designs can be cross-sectioned into 2D images, allowing the user to see the internal structures of a design

FIGURE 2 Utilising scaled human models enables the testing of working clearances and spacing parameters


CEMENT & CONCRETE

In order to do so the association’s

mancom has adopted a number of key

resolutions that are aimed at ensuring

the continuous improvement of the

industry. Interventions will include the adop-

tion of tighter standards in quality, safety,

health and environmental protection, as well

as the provision of education and training

for workers within all levels of the industry.

Johan van Wyk, general manager of the

association, explains that six resolutions

were adopted at the association’s recent

annual general meeting. These would be

driven by Sarma members and would give buy-

ers and users of readymix the benefit of using

a wider variety of products for all applications.

They will also have the additional peace

of mind that the concrete they purchased

is being mixed by a team of skilled work-

ers who are operating according to world-

class standards in an accredited and

certified plant.

The new resolutions:

• Sarma will investigate and adopt minimum

standards, which will allow it to act as a

certifying body and ensure that readymix

plants are not able to simply set up and

begin producing concrete without meeting

necessary minimum standards.

• It will work closely together with civil and

consulting engineers, architects, contrac-

tors and construction companies to make

them aware of the need to specify and

use only accredited quality readymix.

• Sarma will urgently focus on developing

training for the readymix industry in South

Africa. A full training plan with dates, ven-

ues and training information is to be devel-

oped to become part of Sarma’s 2015

calendar. Courses will be in line with SAQA

requirements and will be accredited where

feasible. The training courses will also be

implemented nationwide through regional

structures to allow maximum coverage.

• With ever-stricter requirements being

placed on quality by the association, it

was decided that laboratories, test meth-

ods, standards and outcomes of tests be

scrutinised more carefully in future, and

investigations are also being done on

whether laboratories used to test concrete

on behalf of Sarma members should also

be subject to an annual audit as a part

of audited member companies’ safety,

health, road transport, environment and

quality audits.

• In order to speedily and effectively deal

with disputes involving Sarma members,

the association is in the process of

identifying an experienced and suitably

qualified legal representative or firm

to handle disputes on behalf of the

association’s membership.

• Another important resolution adopted

by the association to introduce unan-

nounced audits during the 2015 sea-

son was widely applauded. At least four

readymix plants will be randomly selected

per region and an audit conducted per

plant to ensure compliance is maintained

at all times. Independent auditors are to

be used and the full costs paid by Sarma.

Unannounced audits are anticipated to

give ‘teeth’ to Sarma and keep the indus-

try on its toes.

During the board meeting, the decision was

also taken to improve communications with

members. As a result, the association has

recently begun sending out an electronic

newsletter covering newsworthy and statu-

tory information that needs to be urgently

communicated to the industry.

“The adoption of these resolutions shows

that we are progressively working toward

making the Southern African readymix

industry one of the best in the world,”

concludes Johan.

Good, better, readymix concreteThe Southern Africa Readymix Association (Sarma) is laying the foundation to upskill local readymix concrete manufacturers to be able to provide products and services that are comparable with the very best available in the world.

Newly elected mancom members of the Southern Africa Readymix Association are, from left, Charl Marais, Nico Pienaar, Frikkie Viviers, Anton Combrink, Johan van Wyk, Kevin Quayle, Chris Diemont, Malose Chaba

Inset: Chairman Deon Fourie


CEMENT & CONCRETE

CONCRETE Canvas is used specifi-

cally for the lining of culverts, chan-

nels, slope protection, and remedia-

tion of existing concrete structures.

Concrete on a roll Concrete Canvas is part of a revolutionary

new class of construction materials called

geosynthetic cementitious composite mats

(GCCM). It is a flexible, concrete impregnated

fabric that hardens on hydration to form a

thin, durable, waterproof and fire-resistant

concrete layer.

Essentially, it’s concrete on a roll. The can-

vas allows concrete construction without the

need for plant or mixing equipment.

It consists of a three-dimensional fibre

matrix containing a specially formulated dry

concrete mix. A PVC backing on one sur-

face of the mat ensures the material is

completely waterproof.

The material is hydrated either by spraying,

or by being fully immersed in water. Once set,

the fibres reinforce the concrete, prevent-

ing crack propagation and providing a safe

plastic failure mode. It is available in two

thicknesses: CC5 and CC8, which are 5 mm

and 8 mm thick respectively.

Easy to useThe canvas can be laid at a rate of

200 m2/h, up to 10 times faster than

conventional concrete solutions. It is also

available in shorter rolls that are manage-

able by hand for applications with lim-

ited access. The concrete is pre-mixed so

there is no need for mixing, measuring or

compacting – you just add water. The speed

and ease of installation mean it is more

cost-effective than conventional concrete,

with less logistical complexity. Concrete

Canvas is a low-mass, low-carbon technol-

ogy, which uses up to 95% less material than

conventional concrete for many applications.

Strong, flexible, durableThe PVC backing on one surface of the GCCM

ensures that the material has excellent

impermeability. The fibre reinforcement pre-

vents cracking, absorbs energy from impacts

and provides a stable failure mode.

Concrete Canvas is twice as abrasion-resist-

ant as standard OPC concrete, has excellent

chemical resistance, good weathering perfor-

mance and will not degrade in UV. It also has

good drape characteristics and will closely fol-

low the ground profile and fit around existing

infrastructure. Unset Concrete Canvas can be

cut or tailored using basic hand tools.

Concrete Canvas introduced to SA

Kaytech has recently signed a distributorship

agreement with Concrete Canvas to supply geosynthetic

cementitious composite mats to the South African civil

engineering industry, including road and rail applications.

TOP Concrete Canvas can be used to rapidly reline and refurbish existing concrete structures suffering from environmental degradation and cracking

ABOVE A cost-effective alternative to bitumen spraying or rebuilding damaged culverts, while offering a durable means of providing erosion protection


CEMENT & CONCRETE

CEMENT-MILL ADDITIVES com-

prise grinding aids and activa-

tors. Grinding aids have been

developed specifically for raw

meal production, as well as for the cement

grinding process itself. The productivity of a

raw mill can be increased by 6% to 12% and

the cement mill by 10% to 25% by the use

of such grinding aids.

Chryso activators allow for increased use

of supplementary cementitious materials

(SCM), which assists in reducing the per-

centage of clinker in the cement. Clinker

production is the most energy-intensive part

of the cement-making process. Reducing

clinker content decreases carbon emis-

sions as well as the costs associated with

carbon taxes. The most common SCMs are

slag, pozzolan, fly ash and limestone. Most

Chryso activators are designed to work

with specific SCMs, contributing to signifi-

cant savings associated with lower cement

production costs.

“We formulate these products with a com-

bination of activators and grinding aids. The

activators effectively react with the clinker

material and/or SCMs to improve the hydra-

tion reaction of the cement in the concrete,”

says Trevor Smith, newly appointed general

manager: Cement.

“This results in the formation of cal-

cium silicate hydrates and other crystalline

structures that give concrete its strength.

Some activators provide for early strength

enhancement and some for late strength

enhancement, while some do both,”

Smith explains.

Specific products for customer needs“We have a range of formulations that

allows us to select a specific product for

a customer’s application.” The process

begins with understanding a customer’s

cement-manufacturing operation and the

chemistry of his clinker

and cement, and what

he wants to achieve in

terms of cement quality

and performance. For example, does he

want early or late strength; improved output,

which will result in improved efficiency; a

special product for a specific application; or

a combination of all three?

Initially, we will look at our broad range

and then make some suggestions and follow

that up with laboratory and plant trials. In

some cases, a customer might be import-

ing clinker from different sources where he

operates a grinding facility only. He really

does not want to use a different product for

each type, so we will look to supply him with

a more robust, broader-spectrum product to

cover all his requirements,” explains Smith.

Such close working relationships often

mean that the company enters into long-

term partnerships with its customers. It

supplies products to the mining, precast,

readymix, construction and general indus-

trial sectors. “We have the logistical capabil-

ity, in addition to three manufacturing facili-

ties, to be able to export to most countries

in Africa at present,” says Smith.

Focus on Africa“We have also developed innova-

tive stock management systems

to ensure that our clients do not

run out of product. Initially devel-

oped in South Africa, we have now

rolled this out into a number of Africa

export countries due to the long lead

times.” Smith says Africa remains an

Optimising cement productionA construction chemicals specialist in South Africa now offers a full range of cement additives to optimise different stages of the cement manufacturing process.

“The growth and development on the continent is being lead by a requirement for cement at all levels, from bricks and blocks to roads, to major mining and oil and gas projects, and to water and power infrastructure.” Trevor Smith, general manager: Cement, Chryso


CEMENT & CONCRETE

important focus. “The growth and develop-

ment on the continent is being lead by a

requirement for cement at all levels, from

bricks and blocks to roads, major mining

and oil and gas projects, and water and

power infrastructure.”

Latest developments from Chryso

Southern Africa include a range of cement

additives developed specifically for vertical-

roller mills to enhance stability, which leads

to reduced vibration

and improved output. Traditional milling cir-

cuits comprise ball mills in tandem with sep-

arators that classify the milled product to

produce a cementitious product. However,

vertical roller mills, with internal classifica-

tion and lower specific energy consumption,

are becoming increasingly common

as cement producers seek to

optimise their manufactur-

ing process.

Chryso Southern Africa has developed a range of cement additives specifically for vertical roller mills to enhance stability, which leads to reduced vibration and improved output

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS


THE VISION FOR the new building

was to somehow link the look of the

new building to Sasol’s logo. The

logo, which encapsulates the com-

pany’s values, comprises a central sphere,

which denotes stability, while six rotating

spheres representing the business units

suggest a force greater than the sum of its

parts – strength through synergy. Paragon

Architects took up the challenge to make

this logo a visual component of the design.

Strength through synergySasol, the integrated energy and chemicals company, is building its new corporate office on Katherine Street in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The major chal-

lenge was the site

on which this build-

ing will stand – a curving edge of Katherine

Street. The architects had to ensure this

10-storey building, which will serve as

offices for up to 7 000 people and span

almost 70 000 m2, could be accommo-

dated and well-connected both vertically

and horizontally.

Pushing boundariesIt was important for Paragon to push bound-

aries in this design, which is characterised

by light volumes

externally and two

dramatic skylights

(ar ticulated with

acoustic baffles)

internally. These

elements cre-

ate a feeling of

airy spaces and

allow as much

natural light into

the structure

as possible.

The concept of

open, transparent

and remote work

spaces is extend-

ed to embody the

values of Sasol

to include restau-

rants, canteens,

art galleries, cof-

fee shops and a

One Stop Shop.

The result is an

external facade

of reflective per-

formance glass,

which has a high

light transmission

level and maxim-

ises visibility out

of the building, while maintaining a high

comfort level.

There are over 2 000 panels of floor-to-ceil-

ing unitised double-glazed panels of vision

glass and spandrels. The shapes and glass

variations are encapsulated in each panel.

The spandrels are a bespoke textured,

custom-glazed unit, fired at 680 degrees,

with a silver backing, insulation and an

aluminium panel; the glass is Safety Shield

Imagin Krizet with Ipasol chrome coating.

This glass has not been used in South

Africa before and this project seeks to

exploit its properties to its best advantage.

In addition to glass performance, the

building volumes have impacted on the

design. Where sections of the building

cast shadows on itself, the size of the

spandrels decrease to allow more light

through. Facade patterning has generated

an environmental analysis and heat gain to

reduce energy consumption and maximise

user comfort levels.

Externally, the park-like staff facilities

include courtyards and braai and yoga facili-

ties with water-wise planted areas. Sasol is

committed to supporting birdlife in South

Africa and this will be accommodated by pro-

viding an indigenous environment for birds.

The landscaping has been designed to

shade the facade, where heat gain is high-

er. On lower levels, planting gets thicker.

“Considering the complexity of this build-

ing, BIM technology and Revit modelling

have contributed towards streamlining

the coordination process and allowed all

15 consultants to interact with one 3D

model. This has not only made it easier to

work together, but we have also avoided

wasting time and building materials,” said

Tershia Habbitts, project architect from

Paragon. The team at Paragon Architects

is steaming ahead on Autodesk Revit and

Autodesk Navisworks.”

The project is scheduled for completion

in 2016.

Reinforcement for Strength, Flexibility and SafetyKaytech geosynthetics give you cost-effective reinforcement, and construction does not require specialised skills or equipment.

Geosynthetics also provide greater fl exibility, tolerating large lateral deformations and differential vertical settlements, when compared to conventional rigid structures.

Kaytech gives you the widest range of products and

professional engineering support to give you the complete solution for your specifi c project.

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A SMART GRID can be defined

as an evolved grid system that

has been expanded through the

addition of intelligence that man-

ages electricity demand in a sustainable,

reliable and economic manner,” explains

Jaco Cronje, operations director for EES

Africa. “The smart grid allows the integration

of all types of power generation, including

renewables. Smart grids are an integral part

of smart cities.” Moreover, multidirectional

data communication is also a hallmark of

an intelligent grid, allowing for superior

management of the grid itself, by identifying

technical faults before they have a major

impact on the whole system. This capabil-

ity optimises the health of the grid and can

result in massive savings in the medium

and long term.

The grid was originally designed for

the supply of low-cost abundant ener-

gy sourced far away from where it was

required by consumers. Renewable energy,

such as solar and wind technologies, then

star ted to contribute to the grid. This did

not make the grid a smart grid, but rather,

a grid with some green energy suppli-

ers. It was the introduction of the smart

meter that initiated the evolution of the

smart grid.

How the grid got it smarts“Today, a smart meter is used to provide

information and enable customer control

and knowledge of energy usage. This type

of data allows the energy consumer to

know the amount of electricity being used,

when it is used, and by which appliance.

The smar t grid brings about a whole

new industry of technology, intelligence

and ef ficiencies previously unknown,”

says Cronje.

This year, Johannesburg City Power

announced the roll-out of 55 000 smart

meters. It should be noted that the smart

meter is only one constituent, albeit a vital

one, of the smart grid.

Barriers to implementing a smart grid“In discussing the barriers to implementing

a smart grid, it is important to note that we

are not building a smart grid or smart city

from the ground up in South Africa,” Cronje

states. “We have inherited cities and a

grid that we need to morph into the most

sustainable solution.”

Coordinating a smarter futureA smart grid facilitates the efficient, intelligent use of available energy and can achieve significant energy savings. This would be of tremendous benefit to South Africa, which is experiencing a dire energy crisis. So what is holding us back?



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The major barriers:• Public perception needs to be managed.

Contrary to what a large percentage of the

public appears to believe, smart meters

and smart grids do not lead to increased

energy costs. It has been unfortunate that

the roll-out of this key component has

coincided with electricity increases.

• Financing can present challenges. It

should be remembered, though, that this

presents opportunities for venture capital-

ists to embrace the developing smart grid

and capitalise on opportunities that did

not exist before.

• Policies, regulations and the roadmap of

the smart grid need to be clearly commu-

nicated. Some cities in South Africa have

found this to be a challenge and therefore

embarked on a process of rolling out with

little communications. Other cities have

really embraced the opportunity and are

leading by example.

• Data privacy and cyber security need

to be taken into account. Information

obtained by the smart meter provides

any marketer with valuable insight into

consumers, without the consumers explic-

itly allowing such information to be made

available. A further risk is that such data

would need to be secured, through vari-

ous levels of barriers, from hackers and

fraudulent activities.

• Regulations and frameworks can stifle

the market, and this can be prohibitive

as it may stifle ingenuity, which is needed

for the smart grid to grow in its early

stages. Once the early stages have been

implemented, it is then appropriate for

the different vendors and mechanisms

to interoperate.

• In designing and implementing smart

grids, energy industry players need to

ensure both products and installation

techniques are of adequate quality to

ensure the solution outlasts the deploy-

ment period.

• Connectivity requirements must be met so

that data can be obtained and made avail-

able for use. Connectivity can be achieved

through various technical mechanisms.

• Skills shortages can be a problem, as the

creation of the smart grid and smart cities

is a reasonably new initiative.

The steps to a smarter futureThere a number of challenges to overcome

in South Africa if we are to benefit from

smart grid technologies. Complete stake-

holder buy-in is essential, and this requires

connectivity and communication between all

industry players. These include:

• government and the regulator (NERSA)

• utilities, which are Eskom and independ-

ent power producers (IPPs)

• vendors, which are Eskom and municipalities

• consumers or the end users.

Regulations need to be put into practice to

encourage ingenuity in the early phases of

planning, followed by ongoing implementa-

tion in accordance with specific processes

and protocol.

A staggering strategyCronje also advises that roll-out plans

should consider a staggered approach.

“Residential, small business and industri-

al implementation should be segmented,

starting in the residential market, and then

moving into business and finally industry.

This allows large amounts of data to be

processed without influencing the industrial

energy consumers.”

Financial solutions are of course criti-

cal. The National Empowerment Fund is

leading this space through its support for

venture capitalists.

A ‘Pull vs Push’ paradigm should be adhered

to. All stakeholders should be ‘pulled’ to

smart grids and smart cities, as opposed to

punitive legislation being used.

What to do with the data?“Finally, smart data management is non-

negotiable,” Cronje emphasises. “This

intelligence facilitates the real benefit of

the smart grid. Smart data management

informs industry players what the viable

procedures and trends are that should be

followed, resulting in optimum efficiency in

energy management.

“The smart grid allows the integration of all types of power generation, including renewables. Smart grids are an integral part of smart cities.”Jaco Cronje, operations director, EES Africa


BY USING BENTLEY software,

Guangdong Hydropower Planning

and Design Institute, for exam-

ple, shortened its schedule for

the Qingyuan pumped storage power sta-

tion. It did this by improving multidiscipline

design collaboration, with a reduction of

400 man days of design and lowered project

delivery costs.

Similarly, J.L. Patterson & Associates was

able to react quickly to alignment changes on

the Tehachapi mountain range project, which

significantly improved design efficiency and

reduced project delivery time by three to four

months. The cost savings, just for a single seg-

ment, were approximately $2.7 million. Marc

A Cañas, vice president of J.L. Patterson &

Associates, says, “Bentley products and their

inter-platform exchange capabilities allowed

us to become more efficient and effective in

our project deliveries to our clients.”

Specific solutionsWith Bentley i-models, construction com-

panies are improv-

ing handoff and

handover of 3D

information mod-

els and associated

project documen-

tation. Arabtec

Construction LLC

used i-models on its

2014 Be-Inspired-

n o m i n a t e d

Fairmont Hotel,

Abu Dhabi, project

as a way of simpli-

fying and automat-

ing the sharing of

models and related


project information. Its ultimate goal was 4D

and 5D integration and site management

during tender, post tender and construc-

tion stages. Estimates showed that the

use of i-models to coordinate the busi-

ness process for this project reduced the

time for project delivery by approximately

1 000 man days and reduced delivery cost

by 30%, while improving the quality and

reliability of information distributed to the

extended enterprise.

Ahmed Balawi, BIM manager for Arabtec

Construction, says, “Bentley provided a flex-

ible, extendable, and robust platform for

content creation and project information

management with i-models at the heart.”

Delivering i-models to owners can benefit

owners and as well as constructors. Chen

Han, vice director of DEC for Guangdong

Hydropower Planning & Design, commenting

on his organisation’s 2014 Be Inspired-

nominated project in the Innovation in

Megaprojects category, says, “Thanks to the

delivery of i-models of the 3D design of cable

laying, we were able to reduce the owners’

maintenance cost.

As a result, they provided $600 000 in

additional design maintenance expenses. The

Qingyuan project has also committed to con-

tinuing to provide additional

expenses of $700 000 for

information-rich i-models in

the next project.”

By leveraging interopera-

ble and collaborative tools,

EPC firms are improving

design quality, reducing

design errors, and providing

better plans to minimise

risk, resulting in high-perfor-

mance project delivery.

High-performance project deliveryTime is money for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms and, by reducing project delivery time, these firms are able to achieve savings throughout project life cycles.

Arabtec Construction's Fairmont Hotel project


IME

SA

AF

FIL

IAT

E M

EM

BE

RS

AECOM [email protected] Broom Road Products [email protected] SA [email protected] [email protected] Manufacturing Infraset [email protected] Africa Group Holdings [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Bosch Munitech [email protected] Stemele [email protected] Brubin Pumps [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Corrosion Institute of Southern Africa [email protected] Built Environment [email protected] Bank of SA [email protected] Plastics [email protected] Engineers [email protected] Kent Metering [email protected] Engineers [email protected] South Africa (Pty) Ltd [email protected] [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Goba [email protected] [email protected] Technology [email protected] Enterprises [email protected]@Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] Environment [email protected] and Green [email protected] Water [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] & Templer (K&T) Consulting Engineers [email protected] Base [email protected] Water [email protected] Narasimulu & Associates [email protected] Padayachee & Associates (Pty) Ltd [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Pipe Systems [email protected] & East [email protected] [email protected] Macdonald PDNA [email protected]

Much Asphalt [email protected] Consulting (Pty) Ltd [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Engineering Systems [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] HaskoningDHV [email protected] SABITA [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Water Systems [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Lines [email protected] SA [email protected] Water Company [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Sobek Engineering [email protected] African Society for Trenchless Technology [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Pumps Wastewater [email protected] Syntell [email protected] Engineers East London [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] VIP Consulting Engineers [email protected] VOMM [email protected] VUKA Africa Consulting Engineers [email protected] Institute of Southern Africa [email protected] Water Solutions Southern Africa [email protected] South Africa [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Group Africa [email protected]

IMESAIMESA

BMK Consulting [email protected] Pragma [email protected]

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATES


AECOM OFC

AfriSam 42

Altech Netstar 31

Ammann Construction Machinery South Africa 44

Babcock 4

Bauma Conexpo Africa 2015 63

Bell Equipment 2

Development Bank of Southern Africa 25

DuPont 46

Eqstra Fleet Management 37

Fiberpipe 66

Hatch Goba 14

Jeffares & Green IFC

Kaytech 67

Maccaferri Southern Africa 48

Model Maker Systems 70

National Cold Asphalt 50

NHBRC 20

Osborn Engineered Products 52

PHB Engineers 59

PMSA 39

Precision Meters 69

Pretoria Portland Cement 54

Quality Filtration Systems 19

SMEC 18

Tosas 41

Uretek Geo-Systems 56

Vital Engineering 65

WRP Consulting Engineers IBC

Water & Sanitation Services OBC

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

To advertise: Jenny Miller on +27 (0)11 467 6223 or [email protected]

To subscribe: Trust Makina on +27 (0)11 233 2600 or [email protected]

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ISSN 1684-7946 Mar/Apr 2013 Vol. 11 No. 2 / R40.00 incl. VAT Barbara Mommon, CEO, MCLI – Ten years of

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A F R I C A N U P D AT E S O N T H E G R O U N D A N D U N D E R G R O U N D

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Promoting integrated resources management

The of cial journal of the Institute of

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Institute ofWaste Managementof Southern Africa

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RecyclingIndustry commits to ‘Zero plastics to landfill by 2030’

CogenerationA viable and effective power source for Durban

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Golder’s Andre Venter, divisional leader of integrated waste

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Water & SanitationAfrica

Complete water resource and wastewater management

The best way to promote sound water resources management

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MEDIA

OPINION

Managing groundwater

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Promoting professional excellence in the water sector

IN THE HOT SEAT

Partnering change in Africa

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Quality and sustainability

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RAND WATER

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INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

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