Projects Magazine

Owing to the global trade war in steel prices, local manufacturers, such as local steel fabricator Fabcon, are finding it difficult to quote for long-term construction projects. “The stockholding of any steel company is dramatically reduced, as companies are unwilling to hold stock for a longer period of time,” says Fabcon Steel director Andrew van Gool. As a result, fluctuating prices are putting pressure on design elements, which means that engineers have to design around what steel they can get, as opposed to what they want, he remarks. This has created an opportunity for Fabcon, which has “the added flexibility to service small and large-scale projects, unlike many large steel companies that have inherent limited flexibility”, says Van Gool. Fabcon aims to provide turnkey solutions based on engineering services in terms of drawing design and certification, followed by the actual erection of the structures required. This, he explains to Engineering News, gives the company a “lea

Transport Secretary James Macharia. Plans are underway to build a 28-kilometre highway bridge connecting Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) with Kangemi market on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway as the government seeks to tackle traffic congestion in the Kenyan capital city. According to Transport Secretary James Macharia, a team of engineers are currently undertaking soil tests at JKIA to help inform the final design of the massive overpass. “Right now, we have engineers who are testing the soil at JKIA. It is no longer mere talks. We have done the bypasses around the city of Nairobi, we have done the Southern, Eastern and Northern bypasses and about a month ago we signed for Western bypass,” Mr Macharia said Tuesday in Mombasa during the groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrade of Moi International Airport. The 28-kilometre bridge, which will be known as Express Highway, is seen as a means to ease congestion at the JKIA – a key problem that the government is seeking to tackle. “Y

BRIDGE RESORATION a.b.e. Construction Chemicals is involved in the restoration of bridges on the N17 and N14 Preventive maintenance and the timeous repair of infrastructure can save significant costs and extend the life of infrastructure, says specialised construction products supplier a.b.e. Construction Chemicals general construction sales manager Warren Trew. “Unfortunately, many players in the civil engineering and construction industries do not consider preventive maintenance and take action only when infrastructure show signs of ageing and damage,” he said. Further, Trew points out that the civil engineering and construction industries often want to sustain the operation of a structure at minimal cost; however, “waiting until it is absolutely necessary to do maintenance and repairs result in significant costs”. The company supplies specialised coatings that can be used for preventive maintenance and applied to infrastructure during construction. Trew says many people are not aw

Divercity Urban Property Fund has turned the first sod of the Jewel City redevelopment in Joburg CBD. The initiative is a major investment in Joburg and will have a total development value of over R1.2bn once complete. Jewel City has been closed to the public for decades. It spans six city blocks that were the former heart of the diamond and precious metals trade in Joburg. By redeveloping its existing buildings and constructing new buildings of over 40,000sqm, Divercity is converting it into the heart of a thriving, modern inner-city neighbourhood. The revitalised Jewel City will reopen to the public as a vibrant mixed-use precinct. It will be amenity-rich with a school, clinic, gym, parking and convenience retail as well as fast food and restaurants. It will also include 20,000sqm of commercial space, 1,200 new residential apartments in its first phase and up to 1,000 in its second phase. The development will also create significant employment in the city; an estimated 1,279

Hygiene is the most important factor to consider in public bathrooms and the Geberit team believe that a touchless environment is key. The fewer shoppers or maintenance staff need to handle items, the better from a sanitary and hygiene perspective. Geberit sees touchless use in the public sector growing at an astounding rate and define it as one of the strongest trends in public bathroom design. A sad reality is that another prominent trend impacting public bathroom design is the growth of theft and vandalism over the years. Where possible, architects and designers should specify vandal-resistant products. Both trends have also resulted in a minimalistic design style for public bathrooms, with bright lights and polished fixtures and fittings leading the way. So which Geberit products are suitable for public bathroom design, especially when taking into account the touchless, vandal-resistant and minimalist properties ideal for public sanitaryware? Rimfree toilet bowls in the cubicle

SE Controls smoke ventilation system installed at Jeep dealership in Cape Town SE Controls smoke ventilation products have been used at two new prestige, sports and SUV car dealerships in Tokai, Cape Town. An extensive range of smoke control products from SE Controls Africa is being used as part of the dedicated smoke ventilation systems at two new prestige, sports and SUV car dealerships in Tokai, Cape Town. Jaguar Land Rover Constantiaberg, which is part of SMG network and William Simpson’s new Jeep, Fiat and Alfa Romeo dealership, are both major motor retail groups in South Africa and their new two-storey premises were designed by architects Reynolds & Associates together with Smuts and Boyes Architects to provide state of the art showrooms and service facilities. As fire safety is a vital part of the design, specialist consultants and fire engineers, Sparq Consulting, was appointed to provide all consulting services on HVAC and fire engineering to both dealership projects

The Aluminium Federation of South Africa (AFSA), is pleased to announce the appointment of Muzi Manzi as Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 August 2018 following the resignation of Mark Krieg in March 2018. Chairman David Mertens commented: “I’m delighted to announce Muzi Manzi’s appointment. After a thorough search process, the Board came to the unanimous conclusion that Muzi is best equipped to succeed Mark in leading AFSA into the future. Muzi Manzi, Chief Executive Officer, Aluminium Federation of South Africa Muzi has a qualification in Metallurgical Engineering and is currently enrolled for an MBA, has extensive aluminium industry-specific experience, especially in, both policy development and stakeholder engagement. He has also achieved notable success within the Metals Desk of the Department of Trade and Industry. He has been instrumental in supporting South Africa’s Aluminium Agenda. He joins AFSA at a time when the Department of Science and Technology and the CSIR

Chicago Pneumatic impressed crowds with its advanced CPPG5 5.5Kva portable generator during the Mining & Technical Exhibition (MTE) held in Amandelbult, Limpopo, on 08 November 2018. This high-performance generator is also the prize in a lucky draw held at each of the MTE exhibitions during 2018, with the compliments of Chicago Pneumatic. When the time arrived for the highly anticipated generator give away in Amandelbutl, Van Der Vyver announced the winner as Corne Rademan from Anglo Platinum. “With the MTEs soon drawing to a close for the year, we were determined to have our generators leave a positive and lasting impression on Limpopo MTE attendees,” states Eben van der Vyver, Business Development Manager at Chicago Pneumatic Construction Equipment in South Africa. Industry renowned for their compact, efficient and robust tools and equipment, Chicago Pneumatic understands customers’ need for reducing costs whilst increasing productivity and has accordingly designed the inno

Plugs, sockets and couplers required for the electrical cable connection to bulk mobile equipment are infamous for their high theft risk. Subsequent replacement costs are compounded by downtime and production losses. To counter this problem, Powermite has designed a patented ProAlloy coupler to provide optimal performance whilst deterring theft. Mines and plants require components which are rugged, cost-effective and reliable. Couplers are traditionally manufactured from brass, leaded gun metal or stainless steel, materials which are renowned for high theft risk due to their elevated weight-to-value ratio. “Following three years of intensive research and development initiatives, we found a seamless solution; a coupler manufactured by Powermite’s sister company, Proof Engineering, also in the Hudaco Group, from a zinc, copper and aluminium blend,” states Donovan Marks, Director at Powermite. “The material mix of this innovative product which we have named a ProAlloy coupler, is c

Kenya on Monday signed a Sh519 billion Joint Co-operation Agreement with the European Union (EU) to support government programmes between 2018 and 2022. The funds in the form of concessional loans and grants will be primarily channeled towards President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big 4 Agenda. The second phase of the co-operation agreement attracted 19 EU member states with the first one between 2014 and 2018 having brought 10 on board. “EU has been a big development partner to Kenya and I want to assure that the support which will be in grants will be well used towards the realization of our government’s Big Four Agenda. "The support will be distributed to different ministries and sectors such us Devolution Ministry to ensure county government deliver their services effectively,” stated Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich. President Uhuru Kenyatta at a past forum His comments were echoed by EU Ambassador to Kenya Stefano Dejak who asserted the need for Kenya to work closely with

Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo is constructing a Ksh80 million mansion which will serve as the official residence. According to People Daily, the governor insisted that he will continue with the construction plans despite opposition from leaders including the Senator, George Khaniri. "The Governor's residence which will cost Ksh80 million will act as a symbol of authority," Governor Ottichilo stated. Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo Senator Khaniri opposed the project by the County boss indicating that it should not be a priority at the moment. Speaking during the launch of 2018/2022 County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP), Ottichilo indicated that the plans of building the house were already at an advanced stage and those opposed to it should keep off. The Senate, in July 2018, ordered Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo not to authorise any funds for constructing houses for governors and speakers. The order also froze the "exorbitant" allocations for

On 14 September 2017 the Green Building Design Group introduced the Green Public Sector Awards during its 5th Going Green Conference which took place in Pietermaritzburg, KZN. The focus of this conference is to award companies and industry participants that are promoting and leading the advancement of the green economy in the public sector. According to Green Building Design Group CEO Songo Didiza, this award is provided to companies and other industry partners that have excelled in the promoting of the green economy in South Africa and is selected at the discretion of the Going Green conference technical committee. This committee comprises of green industry experts from the academia, private and public built environment industries in South Africa. The leadership platform seeks to collaborate with corporates and government stakeholders that have shown excellence in making strides towards green infrastructure developments through education and sustainable investment efforts in South

Following months of crowd-gathering at the successful Mining & Technical Exhibitions (MTEs), Chicago Pneumatic once again exhibited its highly sought after CPPG5 portable generator at the Mooinooi MTE in the North West Province on 27 September 2018. Chicago Pneumatic possesses decades of knowledge on compact, high performance tools and equipment which has led to the company gaining enhanced capabilities to provide innovative solutions. Forming part of Chicago Pneumatic’s reliable and rugged generator range, the 5.5Kva petrol-driven CPPG5 generator is ideally suited to meet customers’ requirements through its superior quality components and powerful performance. This robust generator is the prize for a lucky attendee at every MTE throughout 2018. The CPPG5 generator impressed Chicago Pneumatic stand visitors at the Mooinooi MTE with its versatile and cost effective features. Attendees were eager to be the winner of the machine, but in the end Ernest O’Neill from Lonmin Mine, wal

PEORIA, Ill. (Nov. 8, 2018) — Off-highway trucks are designed to haul ton-after-ton of material throughout quarries, mines and traverse unpaved haul roads in the pursuit of building economies and infrastructure around the world. From time-to-time, the truck bodies on these trucks cannot contain the material they need to maximize efficiency. Whether the off-highway truck has a tailgate or not, the addition of PHIL Sideboards is useful in increasing the volumetric capacity of the truck body, and it assists in minimizing material spillage over the body sides. PHIL Sideboards are available in 1-inch increments from 9 inches to more than 40 inches for most makes and models of articulated haulers and rigid frame trucks. To compete in a highly competitive rental market, a Caterpillar dealer recently came to Philippi-Hagenbuch to increase the volumetric capacity of their Cat 745 articulated dump truck by adding 9-inch sideboards. Installation was done at the PHIL factory, but can also be d

ST. CATHARINES, Ontario (Nov. 6, 2018) — Haver & Boecker, a leading equipment manufacturer and solutions provider in aggregates and mining applications, has launched the Tyler F-Class portable plant that includes several new technologies to improve setup time and extend equipment longevity in quarry and mining operations. The portable plant features a new custom-built chassis equipped with six hydraulic run-on jacks that quickly level the plant, eliminating the need for cribbing. The run-on jacks also ensure the chassis stays level during operation, which minimizes equipment wear. “Portable plants should not only give producers the flexibility to move from site to site or within a quarry,” said Karen Thompson, Haver & Boecker Canada president. “They should also be fast and easy to set up. We are committed to producing portable vibrating screen plants that possess these qualities, with the same durability, longevity and minimal maintenance as stationary vibrating screens.” P

On 8 November 2018, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions South Africa proudly hosted the official opening of its Technical Training Academy situated at their Service Centre in Chloorkop. The company extends a sincere thank you to Naledi Pandor, Minister of Higher Education, for her participation in the prestigious ribbon cutting ceremony. “Our aim is to offer first class technical training programmes to raise the technical proficiencies and standards of our industry and to set further benchmarks for excellence on the African continent,” states Philipp Nellessen, CEO at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Sub Sahara Africa. “We want to develop exceptional skills in Africa for Africa!” “Our decision to build a Technical Training Academy was motivated by our goal to develop exceptional candidates for our workshop and site team environments combined with the tremendous skills shortage faced by the country,” comments Ruben Lamprecht, General Manager of thyssenkrupp Service Centre. “This was a

Transport Minister Blade Nzimande on Tuesday officially opened the R1.1-billion Mount (Mt) Edgecombe Interchange, in KwaZulu-Natal. The Minister described the interchange as a veritable civil engineering work of art that contributes greatly to easing traffic congestion, while promoting road safety and enabling business. The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) awarded the contract for upgrading the intersection of the N2 and M41 in 2013. Sanral CEO Skhumbuzo Macozoma described the bridge as a vital artery of the greater eThekwini metropolitan highway system, adding that it has greatly contributed to small, medium-sized and microenterprise (SMME) development. “Owing to the expansion of the uMhlanga and La Lucia Ridge areas, the existing interchange had been operating at capacity, with vehicles backing up on the M41 and onto the N2 in peak hours. “An additional 40 000 vehicles were entering or leaving the N1 from the M41 daily. This, together with expected expansions of

Dangote Cement, Africa’s biggest producer of the building material, expressed an interest in acquiring Kenyan rival ARM Cement, according to three people familiar with the matter. ARM has been exploring a sale since at least October 2017. The company, part-owned by CDC Group, was placed in administration in August after failing to find a strategic investor to help it manage debts of 14.4-billion shillings ($141-million). Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and the owner of Dangote Cement, said in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday that the company is in talks about a potential acquisition of a company with operations in Kenya and Tanzania. While he didn’t identify the company, ARM has assets in both countries, as does Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim. Dangote Cement first signaled its interest in ARM last year and renewed its attention after management of the company was handed over to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s Kenyan unit, said two of the people. Other parties that considered

Advance infrastructure construction at Polihali and Katse, which forms part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) Phase 2, is set to begin in early January, following the award of a contract, valued at about 394-million Lesotho Maloti, to the WBHO and LSP Construction joint venture (JV). At Polihali, where the Phase 2 Polihali dam is to be built, the scope of work includes earthworks and the creation of platforms for buildings, water and wastewater systems, landfill, roads, drainage, electrical and telecommunications networks. At Katse village, the village built in Phase 1 to accommodate consultants and contractors working on the project, the works cover the upgrade of existing water and wastewater systems, a landfill site, as well as roads and utilities. Advance infrastructure comprises temporary and permanent housing and offices, labour camps, main access roads, bulk power supply and telecommunications transmission lines, to be completed before the start of construction of

The National Construction Week brings together key events including the flagship conference ICoRCE, and official exhibition, The Big 5 Construct East Africa. Exhibition and Conference showcase the latest building solutions and leading industry insight from 7-9 November at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre. The National Construction Week series of events has been officially opened today at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre by Prof. Paul Maringa, Principal Secretary State Department of Public Works Designed to promote and uplift the construction industry in Kenya. The week brings together two major events, the International Construction Research Conference and Exhibition (ICoRCE) and The Big 5 Construct East Africa. Prof. Paul Maringa, Principal Secretary State Department of Public Works remarks on the industry: “Kenya’s slot in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Report 2019 is at an impressive 61, up 19 spots from last year. The country’s economy is predicted t

Atterbury’s Richmond Park development, the site of the biggest land restitution in the Western Cape, will see its first large commercial building completed before the end of the year. Mustek, the largest assembler and supplier of personal computers in South Africa, will begin operating from its new corporate office premises at Richmond Park before the month is out. Development at Richmond Park has gained exciting momentum. By the end of 2019 the park should boast six completed buildings, have another four under development and the brand-new Richmond Corner shopping centre will be going up. Richmond Park is a multibillion Rand mixed-use development in Milnerton, Cape Town, by major shareholder Atterbury, the leading South African property investor and developer, and partners the Richmond Park Communal Property Association (CPA), Old Mutual Properties, Qubic 3 Dimensional Property and Bethel Property. One of the largest property developments in Cape Town, Richmond Park’s 300,000m2

JSE-listed SA retail real estate investment trust (REIT) Vukile Property Fund has acquired a substantial section of Giuricich Bros Construction’s new premium-grade offices at 104 Oxford Road, Rosebank. Giuricich, the leading South African family-owned construction firm, began work on the 6,400sqm office block development in September 2017 and is set for completion by year end. Vukile has invested in 1,500sqm of sectional title offices, comprising the entire top floor of the five-floor building as well as its rooftop gym and entertainment area. Vukile will begin working from its landmark new address from early 2019. Adrian Faccio of Giuricich says, “As a leading listed property company with international assets, Vukile knows exactly what makes an excellent head office location and offers great value. We are thrilled that they chose our 104 Oxford Road development for their new headquarters.” Vukile is well versed in the quality of Giuricich’s buildings. The two have previously co

Construction of Kengen’s Olkaria 5 geothermal power plant in Naivasha is making continued progress as the project is now 75 percent complete, chief executive Rebecca Miano has said. Crews have finished the assembly of a powerhouse crane and specialised hoisting system onto which generators will be loaded – signaling the imminent completion of the Olkaria V plant. Last week, two generator units – each weighing 130 metric tonnes – left the port of Mombasa for Olkaria in Naivasha. The generators will be loaded onto a 9-metre-high reinforced concrete platform (deck) using a specialised mobile hoist supplied by a sub-contracted firm from the UK. The lifting and placing of each generator unit will take about three days with preparations before hoisting arrival for each unit taking a minimum of a week. The contractor has already delivered turbine casing and condenser units at the project site. Dubbed OlKaria V Geothermal Power Plant, the 165.4 megawatt (MW) facility that has been unde

The housing department in Kenya is set to receive US $208m for the affordable housing project following the National Treasury re-organizing its spending plan in favor of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s “Big Four” economic plan. The president signed a Supplementary Appropriation Bill that authorized the treasury through the Consolidated Fund, to release US $467m for the provision of various public services. Almost half of the released fund; US $208m will be directed into the affordable housing project through the housing department. “The allocations in the new law reflect a significant reduction from what was allocated in the last financial year which is in line with the ongoing austerity measures aimed at cutting down Government expenditure,” reported a statement from State House. Affordable housing units guidelines The cabinet passed the affordable home guideline last week that will ensure high quality and affordable homes. The standards set will help in the financing, costing and des