SSivili Enjinierengivili Enjiniereng - SAICE · in Cape Town. SAICE was invited by the Portfolio...

January/February 2014 Vol 22 No 1

Sivili EnjinierengSivili EnjinierengJJanuary/February 2014 Vol 22 No 1

Stanford Mkhacane: Stanford Mkhacane: SAICE 2014 PresidentSAICE 2014 President

Results of CESA Results of CESA Young Professionals Survey Young Professionals Survey

Bridging the Khan River Bridging the Khan River in Namibiain Namibia

WINNER

www.recosa.co.zaT 27 11 726 6180 E [email protected]

COST EFFECTIVE REINFORCED EARTH® SOLUTIONS

Reinforced Earth - South Africa

Global expertise, experience and innovative design enable cost effective Reinforced Earth® solutions for MSE structures, including Bridge Abutments:

INTEGRAL & SIMPLY SUPPORTED BRIDGES

We offer Consulting Engineers and Contractors our experience and expertise to provide Clients with “State of the Art” MSE solutions.

A reference: M62, Junction 6 – UK Highways Agency : 28m span, Precast Concrete Integral Bridge Deck

Reinforced Earth (Pty) Ltd is a proud member of the Terre Armée Group. The trademark REINFORCED EARTH® is used under license by Reinforced Earth South Africa (RESA).

F R O M T H E C E O ’ S D E S K

Civil Engineering January/February 2014 1

Earlier in January 2014, Stanford

Mkhacane, SAICE’s President for 2014,

and I, represented SAICE in Parliament

in Cape Town. SAICE was invited by

the Portfolio Committee for Economic

Development, to comment on the

Infrastructure Development Bill – that

Bill that seeks, under the watchful

eye of the Presidential Infrastructure

Coordinating Commission, to ensure

that all components of our economy

enjoy maximum benefi t from the tril-

lions of Rands aimed at the Strategic

Infrastructure Projects (SIPs).

SAICE expressed support for the

Bill and provided comment for specific

enhancements in the document. From

information drawn out of SAICE’s data-

base, we showed the changing dynamic

in the engineering and construction in-

dustry in terms of age and demographic

profiles, and stressed the importance

for training and development for young

engineers to be included as imperatives

in the SIPs. We also encouraged plan-

ning, the need for operation and main-

tenance and the desperate need for im-

proved technical capacity in the public

sector. We were clear that SAICE was

willing to assist, given that in a random

survey of about 200 SAICE members,

44% of those surveyed were willing to

join the public sector.

The reception was excellent. Our

contributions were well received and

are being taken into account in the fi-

nalising of the Bill.

But closer to home, there are two

points I wish to make on this matter:

Weeks earlier, just before the fes-

tive holidays began, we installed the

draft Bill on our website and invited

our members to make comment. We

received sufficient comment to compile

a six-page report to Parliament. Of the

11 000 membership, eight members

commented.

At the risk of singing the same tune

– I invite you as a SAICE member to

play an active role in SAICE in whatever

capacity suits you; thereby enjoying

the maximum benefit of your SAICE. I

encourage you to learn more about this

incredible Institution that has served its

members and inspired socio-economic

development through civil engineering

for the last 110 years – learn about our

structures, networking events, pro-

grammes and activities, and how they

impact you.

The second point is: This is SAICE

working for you.

We do remarkable work at SAICE

National Office in Midrand, and via

our units where our members are vol-

untarily involved. But you make this

possible. You empower us to extend the

gospel of civil engineering to the fur-

thest parts of our influence. SAICE re-

spects the fact that most of its members

are extremely busy, probably too busy

to engage directly, but you contribute

via your membership fees. Thank you

for being faithful and diligent with

your membership fees. The honour

conferred to the soldiers is surely also

bestowed on the sender.

As early as 3 January 2014, I was

asked the question, “What does SAICE

do for me and why should I become a

member of SAICE?” This question is

like a broken record.

During my December break, I

bumped into an eccentric manager of a

famous Johannesburg golf course; given

that I am allergic to all things golf, I

seized the opportunity to learn a little.

First things first – cost. At this larney

club, membership fees extend to more

than R10 000 per annum, excluding

levies and fees to the tune of about

R1 000, also per annum. Even after

coughing and spluttering up almost

R11 000, one has to choke out further

fees per game. This varies from R150 to

R300 per game.

The epiphany of my holiday: “So

what happens if I pay my club fees and

don’t pitch up to play golf?” I enquired

of the bourgeois freak show.

“Why would you do that – the

course is always here, Mr Pillay. We’ll

be waiting for you. And of course, you

certainly may not take umbrage if YOU

don’t take full enjoyment of the mag-

nificent grounds that have been mani-

cured especially for your pleasure.”

Men of honour

F O R E X C E L L E N C E I N M A G A Z I N EP U B L I S H I N G A N D J O U R N A L I S M

AAP CA

R D SWW I N E R 2 0 0 7N W I N N E R 2 0 0 8

F O R E X C E L L E N C E I N M A G A Z I N EP U B L I S H I N G A N D J O U R N A L I S M

W I N N E R 2 0 0 9F O R E X C E L L E N C E I N M A G A Z I N E

P U B L I S H I N G A N D E D I T O R I A L

Winner of the 2009 Pica Awardin the Construction, Engineering and Related Industries category for the third year running

ON THE COVERStanford Mkhacane

SAICE 2014 President

Page 9


Sivili EnjinierengJJanuary/February 2014 Vol 22 No 1

Stanford Mkhacane: SAICE 2014 President

Results of CESA Young Professionals Survey

Bridging the Khan River in Namibia

WINNER

FROM THE CEO’S DESKMen of honour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

CIVILUTIONPutting words to hope’s tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

PROFILE OF SAICE 2014 PRESIDENTRemembering the disadvantaged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9The SAICE 2014 Presidential Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Paving the way for dolomitic compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Building Virtual Skyscrapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

The BricsCAD Brigade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

INFRASTRUCTURECan we deliver infrastructure – sustainably? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract: Activity Schedules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Africa’s fi rst aerotropolis in Ekurhuleni – will it foster economic growth? . . . . . . . . . .32

A brief history of transport infrastructure in South Africa:

Chapter 1: Setting the scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

MORE ENGINEERING Nest building – the engineering way? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39Ambient vibration monitoring of the Roode Elsberg Dam – initial results . . . . . . . . . . 43

P49

South African Institution ofCivil Engineering

Using hexagonal steel wire mesh gabions in mass gravity retaining walls

Sivili Enjiniereng = Sepedi

PUBLISHED BY SAICEBlock 19, Thornhill Offi ce Park, Bekker Street, Vorna Valley, MidrandPrivate Bag X200, Halfway House, 1685Tel 011 805 5947/48, Fax 011 805 5971http://[email protected]

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERManglin [email protected] 011 805 5947/8

EDITORVerelene de [email protected] 011 805 5947/8, Cell 083 378 3996

EDITORIAL PANELMarco van Dijk (chairman), Irvin Luker (vice-chairman), Stanford Mkhacane (president), Manglin Pillay (CEO), Steven Kaplan (COO), Dawie Botha, Johan de Koker, Andile Gqaji, Gerhard Heymann, Jeffrey Mahachi, Jones Moloisane, Beate Scharfetter, Phuti Seopa, Marie Ashpole, Verelene de Koker (editor), Elsabé Maree (editor’s assistant), Rebekka Wellmanns (editor’s assistant) Barbara Spence (advertising)

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATESA R605.00 (VAT included), International US$125.00

ADVERTISINGBarbara Spence, Avenue [email protected] 011 463 7940, Fax 011 463 7939Cell 082 881 3454

DESIGN AND REPRODUCTIONMarketing Support Services, Ashlea Gardens, Pretoria

PRINTINGUltra Litho, Johannesburg

The South African Institution of Civil Engineering accepts no responsibility for any statements made or opinions expressed in this publication. Consequently nobody connected with the publication of the magazine, in particular the proprietors, the publishers and the editors, will be liable for any loss or damage sustained by any reader as a result of his or her action upon any statement or opinion published in this magazine.

ISSN 1021-2000


Sivili Sivili EnjinierengEnjiniereng

The use of hexagonal steel wire mesh gabionsin mass gravity retaining walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

INTERNATIONALBridging the way to the second largest uranium mine in the world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

LEGAL

Global claims – quo vadis?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60Record levels in global claims. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

COMPANY PROFILEGeopile Africa (Pty) Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

SAICE AND PROFESSIONAL NEWSThe Candidate Academy grows from strength to strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68Engineering and Built Environment Mentors Needed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Call for Volunteers to serve on ECSA committees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Young Members’ Pages:

Old issues die hard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72(Results of the CESA YPF Western Cape Young Professionals Survey 2012/13)

Did you know?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77SAICE Training Calendar 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Notice to SAICE Corporate Members:

Amendments to the SAICE Constitution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

CARTOONSCivillain by Jonah Ptak. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Mpumi’s cartoon of the month. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

P22

P56

P30

P32

P43

Bridging the way to the second largest uranium mine in the world – through the starkly beautiful moon landscape of Namibia


NEW! Now available for AutoCAD 2014

www.technocad.co.za • [email protected] +27 11 803 8834 • Fax +27 11 803 3452 • TECHNoCAD, P.O.Box 87, Rivonia 2128

V2014Released

Silver PartnerEngineering, Natural Resources &InfrastructureAuthorized DeveloperAuthorised Developer


Hope is the thing with feathers

that perches in the soul

and sings the tune without the words

and never stops at all.

Emily Dickinson

Hope is why most of us have not run

off to Australia or the States. But hope

is despairing because what is wrong is

not being fixed fast enough. We need

action – Civilution – which is exactly

what the upcoming Civilution Congress

is all about.

Th e concept of Civilution is so easy to

grasp, yet so diffi cult to defi ne.

In a roundabout way a severe thun-

derstorm towards the end of last year,

coupled with Nelson Mandela’s passing,

put Civilution into perspective for me.

On Th ursday 28 November the most

severe hail storm that we have ever expe-

rienced in 37 years of living in our home

left our garden in shreds, also stripping

away the leaves of the creeper on our

boundary wall, exposing the tiny nest of

a pair of Cape Robins. Th e nest held three

eggs, and we were concerned that the

parents might abandon the nest and the

eggs, as they no longer had leafy protec-

tion. However, they dutifully took turns

keeping the eggs warm, while watching us

warily as we opened and closed the garage

door mornings and evenings right next to

their nest.

And exactly one week later, on

5 December, while our revered Madiba

departed to another realm, new life

hatched in that little nest – thin-skinned

still, with closed eyes and just the merest

hint of feathers. Th e chicks were so ter-

ribly exposed, they did not seem to have

a chance, but before Christmas two of

them were fl ying around our garden quite

confi dently (the third one had fallen out of

the nest one night).

Th e timing and the symbolism struck

me – Madiba left us a legacy of hope, and

on the day he passed on, these tiny feath-

ered things embraced hope. And grew.

And eventually fl ew. Transformed.

It dawned on me that the new era of

Civilution is now following on the post-

1994 era of transformation. Trueman

Goba, the fi rst black president of our

Institution, and a recipient of the SAICE

Gold Medal, had the following to say in his

presidential address back in the year 2002:

True transformation also has to be

sustainable. I would therefore call on eve-

ryone in civil engineering to start looking

more into the future than into the past.

Our industry will continue to change. And

in a changing environment we will need

to respond accordingly to not only sustain

what has been achieved, but also to appro-

priately infl uence the future.

It’s a new year, and in April a gath-

ering of engineering minds will consider

our infrastructure problems in the light

of the Civilution movement, a new era

in which hope’s tune must be trans-

formed into doable, definable solutions

and actions. Engineers, after all, are the

drivers of transformation in that their

actions work towards the eradication

of inequalities – running water for all,

decent sanitation, safe roads and trans-

portation facilities, roofs over the heads

of school children, etc. With these in

place, a nation can soar.

Let us lead from the bottom up by get-

ting stuck in and fi xing our country one

task at a time, each one of us in whichever

small way, thereby collectively putting

words to hope’s tune.

C I V I L U T I O N

Putting words to hope’s tune

Dates to Diarise!

Verelene de Koker

Editor

[email protected]

Civilution Congress 20146 – 8 April

Emperors Palace, Johannesburg

Register at www.civilutioncongress.com

We invite you to join the movement. Secure your

spot today.

Civilution is a mass movement of engineering professionals –

an engineering revolution in which engineering practitioners

reinstate strategic, technical and intellectual leadership.

For bookings contact:Project Manager – Liza Monteiro E: [email protected]: +27 11 465 0334W: www. civilutioncongress.com

PLACE: EMPERORS PALACE, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

6–8 APRIL 2014


Trevor ManuelMinister in the Presidency: National Planning Commission

Thuli Madonsela Public Protector of South Africa

Nazir AlliCEO of the South African National Roads Agency

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS INCLUDE:


Remembering the disadvantaged

IF I WERE A RICH MAN“I never regretted not growing up rich. I

don’t wish I were born into a rich family,

because then maybe I would not have

made myself into something,” Stanford

Mkhacane, SAICE’s President for 2014,

says somewhat bashfully. “It would have

been nice to have grown up in a world

with more opportunities, but perhaps it

would not have been fun then. Growing

up in a typical platteland environment,

if you wanted to swim, you could swim,

even if it was with crocodiles. ”He cannot

help but wonder what it would have

been like to be born into ‘better’ circum-

stances, but this laid-back man accepted

his happy lot, which eventually turned

into so much more.

“I knew that, through grace and by

doing my best, the path I was on would

lead me to where I wanted to be.”

Born on 9 August 1950, and to all

intents and purposes destined to herd

livestock, Stanford never let his circum-

stances get in the way of accomplishing

his purpose. Th e oldest of seven siblings,

his early days in the village of Botsoleni

in the Mhinga Traditional Authority area

(now the Th ulamela Municipality in the

Vhembe District in Limpopo) were spent

alternating weeks between tending the

family’s livestock and attending school.

With lions and elephants occasion-

ally escaping the nearby Punda Maria

Kruger Park entrance and going on to

kill livestock and sometimes people, life

P R O F I L E O F S A I C E 2 0 1 4 P R E S I D E N T

Rebekka Wellmanns

[email protected]

Unhurried, happy days in Mhinga for Stanford (standing second from left)

Stanford MkhacaneSAICE’s President for 2014

10 January/February 2014 Civil Engineering

was never dull for the pensive boy. It was

here where the seeds of adventure were

incubating that would allow him to forge

along new paths, paths which he could

never have guessed.

STEPPING UPBecoming a civil engineer was never

on Stanford’s horizon until much later,

and he accredits it to “some kind of

coincidence, or rather God’s grace”, so

farfetched was the idea.

Uncertainty about his continuing

education was in fact always on the ho-

rizon. His bus-driver father, a visionary

man who valued the power of education,

after much vacillating chose to con-

tinue Stanford’s secondary education

during the drought of 1963–1965 rather

than sending him to the Makuleke

area, where there were better grazing

grounds, to care for their livestock.

Sending someone in Stanford’s place

was a risky decision, as their cattle were

of great importance, being the measure

of a man’s wealth.

After having started his education

at Botsoleni Primary School in 1958,

Stanford, thanks to his father’s decision,

matriculated from Lemana High School

in 1970.

Stanford cherished dreams of be-

coming an agricultural offi cer or some-

thing similar. His family, on the other

hand, favoured teaching, but he was

determined to rather follow a more tech-

nical career. Having no money to fund his

studies, he applied to the then Gazankulu

Government in 1971 for a study bursary.

Although the government did not award

a bursary to him then, they off ered him

a position as an administration clerk. A

few months later, when the government

off ered civil engineering study bursaries

to employees who had obtained good

mathematics and science matric passes,

Stanford applied, and was accepted.

Seizing the opportunity with both hands,

he completed his National Diploma in

Civil Engineering at Mmadikoti Technical

College in 1974.

Returning to work for the same

government, he became acutely aware

of some often over-looked fundamental

values. One such time was during the su-

pervision of a pipeline in Giyani, where he

had been struggling with its planning and

soon discovered that the land surveyors

had cooked the levels. If it had been done

accurately from the start, and problems

addressed honestly, Stanford would not

have had to struggle along trying to dis-

cover why nothing was going according

to plan. Th is experience strengthened his

motto that, “as a civil engineering profes-

sional, you need to be honest and accurate

in everything you do”.

Later, when working on one of his

fi rst road projects, tasked with managing

a construction team and all its activities,

the challenges of simultaneously bal-

ancing human resources and machinery

rose to the fore. Th e realisation came

soon that “the gist of civil engineering is

listening to others and respecting their

views”.

Th is in part has become what civil

engineering and the future of civil en-

gineering mean to Stanford – not only

relying on accuracy and honesty, but

listening fi rst and then, through a process

of discussion, equipping people to create

their own solutions. “Th is is where more

experienced engineers can make a diff er-

ence. Th e future of civil engineering lies

in the transfer of skills from experienced

engineers – an open-minded approach

where we need to empower younger

engineers. We are an empowered force.

Th is is one of my passions, to see young

people develop, to see people becoming

empowered, becoming professional and

becoming good at what they do.”

After a short stint working as an

engineering technician, Stanford was

again chosen by the government as one

of the technicians to pursue a degree

A chuffed Stanford close to graduating from Mmadikoti Technical College in 1974, looking the part of a professional

A period of fi rsts on site at Bushbuckridge – his fi rst practical training as a resident engineer on a water purifi cation ridge, and the fi rst time in a caravan

Platteland days


towards civil engineering. In 1976 he

enrolled at the then University of the

North for a BSc degree in mathematics,

physics and chemistry, proving that he

had the stamina and determination to

accomplish his fi nal goal of becoming a

civil engineer.

In 1978, after the relaxing of the rules

regarding black students studying at

‘white’ universities, Stanford went on to

enrol at the University of Natal (now the

University of KwaZulu-Natal) for a BSc

Civil Engineering degree, which he com-

pleted in 1981.

He went back to work for the

Department of Works in the Gazankulu

Government, fi rst as engineer and later

as senior roads engineer up until 1991.

During this period he gained vast experi-

ence in road engineering, to the extent

that transportation engineering became

one of his passions, propelling him to

pursue further studies at the University

of Pretoria, where he obtained his BEng

Hons and MEng (Transportation)

degrees, fi nally graduating in 1990. In

2001 he also completed an MBA from

Potchefstroom University (now the

North-West University).

INTO CONSULTING ENGINEERINGWhile at the University of Pretoria,

Stanford studied under Professors

Jordaan and Joubert who, after he had

graduated with his MEng, became his

colleagues at Jordaan and Joubert Inc.

This was a time for growth, being men-

tored, and spreading his wings. This

was also where he met future business

partner, Dr Pine Pienaar. In 1999 Dr

Pienaar and Stanford started Nyeleti

Consulting (Nyeleti meaning star),

a firm of consulting engineers com-

mitted to delivering excellent service,

particularly addressing the needs of

rural communities with appropriate

solutions, and creating opportunities

for all in the process.

Stanford’s experience since 1991

in the consulting engineering in-

dustry – as a director of Jordaan and

Joubert Inc, as chairman of African

Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd, and as

vice-chairman of GIBB Africa (Pty) Ltd

– prepared him well for his role at

Nyeleti Consulting, where, from

1999 to date, he has been serving as

chairman of the company, which now

boasts 100 employees – from initially

only two – and has a presence in three

provinces and Mozambique. Now man-

aging the Polokwane office of Nyeleti

Consulting, over the years he has been

involved in the design and construction

of roads, implementation of labour-

intensive as well as community-based

public works projects, and construction

monitoring of roads and water supply

schemes, the latter being where he pre-

fers to dedicate most of his time.

A moment of relaxation sampling fi ner cuisine during an educational trip to France in the late '80s, with classmates from the Masters class at the University of Pretoria

Celebrating Christmas back home in Mhinga

We need you! Catching up at a transportation conference in Windhoek, Namibia; Stanford was working for African Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd at the time


THE SAICE 2014PRESIDENTIAL TEAM

Stanford MkhacanePresident

Chairperson of the Board of DirectorsNyeleti Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Polokwane Offi [email protected]

Malcolm PautzPresident-ElectAssociate DirectorTransactions & RestructuringGlobal Infrastructure & Projects GroupKPMG Advisory (Proprietary) [email protected]

Tom McKuneVice-President

HOD Civil EngineeringDurban University of Technology

Pietermaritzburg [email protected]

Sundran NaickerVice-PresidentDirectorNyeleti Consulting (Pty) LtdPretoria Offi [email protected]

Errol KerstVice-PresidentDirectorLategan Bouwer [email protected]

Dr Chris HeroldVice-President

Managing MemberUmfula Wempilo Consulting

[email protected]

ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARDAs a boy, the days of sitting in his vil-

lage philosophising with his cousin,

who would later become a lecturer in

research methodology at the University

of Limpopo, fi rst sowed the seeds of pro-

gressive thought regarding education. “My

cousin inspired me … what you want to

be depends on who you surround yourself

with. Not only that, we need information,

we need to stay abreast of all civil engi-

neering activities. Civil engineering alone

will not make us engineers. As custodians

of infrastructure – infrastructure which

truly serves society – we need to be aware

of societal needs to be good engineers.”

“Coming from a typical rural area

gave me an appreciation for the situa-

tion in South Africa. Many are poor, and

coming from such a background myself,

I know what they need.” As SAICE’s 2014

President, Stanford hopes to take civil

engineering to the remote and margin-

alised areas of South Africa, where civil

engineering can provide for the needs of

many, sparking interest in what civil engi-

neering can do, as well as reviving many

of the areas in which SAICE Branches are

not fully active.

Stanford is also involved in a number

of voluntary organisations promoting

science and engineering skills, and is a

member of the South African Black and

Allied Careers Organisation (SABTACO).

He is married to Cate and Phyllis, and

has fi ve daughters and two sons, one of

whom is also a civil engineer.

With a patient and thoughtful

temperament, Stanford loves the tran-

quillity and open air that fishing gives

him, providing time to reflect, but he

laments with a twinkle in his eye, “You

can’t be a fisherman and also want to go

to church.”

Holidaying at the seaside, one of Stanford’s favourite places to unwind

TB

WA

\HU

NT

\LA

SC

AR

IS 0

4012

1

For more information on the Nissan LCV Range visit www.nissan.co.za

THE BACKBONE OF ANY BUSINESS.

Smart Business Choice | Proud Heritage | Proven Capability

NISSAN LCV RANGE.

A Nissan Light Commercial Vehicle is an ideal partner in any business. The Nissan Navara KingKab is the perfect dual purpose vehicle; it is reliable, adaptable and not afraid of hard work. It handles anything you throw at it, from the boardroom to the site, with style and grunt.


I N F O R M A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y

Paving the way fordolomitic compliance

TAKING THE LEADOpen-access fi bre optic infrastructure

provider, Dark Fibre Africa (DFA), has

taken the lead in setting the standard

for the installation of dry services on

dolomitic land in accordance with SANS

1936-3 (2012).

DFA has compiled a comprehensive

set of specifi cations for fi bre optic infra-

structure installation and has introduced a

focused risk management programme for

all DFA installations in dolomitic areas.

Following the release of SANS 1936 in

October 2012, the company assessed the

impact and scope of the dolomite-related

risks associated with the provision of fi bre

optic infrastructure, and compared these

with the cost of mitigation as required by

the standard.

Fibre optic infrastructure is considered

a ‘dry system’, as defi ned in SANS 1936.

Th e release of the standard prompted

urgent action to ensure that DFA in-

frastructure on dolomitic land meets

the requirements of the code, either by

complying directly with its requirements

or invoking the provisions of clause 4.2.5

of SANS 1936-3. Th is clause permits the

introduction of alternative requirements

procedures based on rational assessment

in cases where the requirements of the

standard are not reasonably practicable.

Th e provisions of clause 4.2.5 can only

be invoked after a full assessment has been

carried out for each project, and where ap-

propriate, risk management procedures are

implemented. Th e provisions adopted must

also comply with way leave requirements.

According to previous studies, ap-

proximately 96% of all dolomitic subsi-

dence events that have occurred to date

were man-induced, and were caused by

the ingress of water from leaking water-

bearing infrastructure, poor surface water

management or artifi cial lowering of the

groundwater level.

However, fi bre optic ducts are not

water-bearing, so the risk of fi bre optic

ducts giving rise to dolomitic subsidence

is very low. Fibre optic ducts are not water-

bearing services, and hence have absolutely

no impact on stormwater drainage or the

lowering of the water table.

Th e risk associated with the installa-

tion of such services is signifi cantly lower

than that with other forms of develop-

ment or services, such as water, sewage,

gas and electricity.

Unlike a ruptured water-bearing ser-

vice, a damaged fi bre optic duct cannot

add to the severity of the initial event.

It also poses no danger to the public, as

would be the case with severed electrical

cables or gas lines.

MINIMAL RISKSWith a dry engineering service, the big-

gest risk for sinkhole formation is the

possibility that the service or the trench

in which it is laid may become a conduit

through which water can be introduced

into the ground.

Th e most likely places where water

can gain access to the system are through

non-watertight hand-holes, the point

where the ducts enter the hand-holes, or a

conduit break (e.g. due to physical damage

caused by other excavations in the area).

Alternatively, if the conduit itself is not

watertight, water can gain access by inter-

section or leakage from other services, or

by infi ltration of water from the ground

surface through the trench backfi ll.

Th ese risks can be largely eliminated

by ensuring that the hand-holes, the

hand-hole covers and the connection of

the ducts into the hand-hole walls are

watertight and are regularly inspected. It

is also important to ensure that existing

water-bearing services are not damaged

Setting the standard for the installation of dry services on dolomitic land

Nicol van der Walt Pr Eng

Advising Engineer

Dark Fibre Africa

[email protected]


during the laying operation and that any

existing leakage from such services is re-

ported to the relevant authorities.

Risks associated with water infi ltra-

tion from the surface can be reduced by

ensuring that the backfi ll of the trench

comprises the same excavated mate-

rial compacted to a higher density than

that of the surrounding ground, thereby

reducing its permeability. Also, risks

are further reduced by ensuring that

the ground surface above the trench is

fi nished off in such a way that surface

drainage is not impeded and water does

not accumulate above the trench or

around hand-holes.

Periodic inspection of the accumula-

tion of water in the existing hand-holes

and of the ground surface above the

duct route, in line with the DFA Risk

Management System on dolomitic land,

will provide an early warning of poten-

tial problems.

In order to manage the risk of dolo-

mitic ground conditions, the following

mitigating measures have been intro-

duced by DFA:

■ All installations are designed as if they

are to be installed in D3 or D4 dolomite

area designations, as defi ned in SANS

1936, i.e. by rational assessment of risk

and mitigating measures by a competent

person, peer review of the risk reduction

measures and the introduction of appro-

priate risk management procedures.

■ A competent person (geotechnical)

has been appointed to review the pro-

posed route designs, carry out a desk

study prior to construction and make

recommendations regarding route op-

timisation and avoidance of any known

problem areas.

■ During construction, the competent

person (geotechnical) receives any re-

ports emanating from the requirements

of Clause 4.8.3.1 (SANS 1936:3) and car-

ries out suffi cient inspections to ensure

that no particularly hazardous ground

conditions (e.g. voids, palaeo sinkholes,

etc) are traversed by the duct route.

■ On completion of the construction,

the competent person (engineering)

inspects the entire route to ensure that

the ground surface is free-draining and

properly fi nished off .

■ Appropriate risk management pro-

cedures have been incorporated into

the DFA’s dolomite risk management

system (ENG-PRO-029), prepared in

accordance with the requirements of

SANS 1936-4.

HAND-HOLE DEVELOPMENTIn conjunction with suppliers, DFA has

developed and tested a waterproof hand-

hole constructed using fi bre-cement or

special HDPE plastic units. Although

more expensive than standard hand-

holes, they are signifi cantly cheaper than

a cast-in-situ or precast concrete hand-

holes. Th e placement of the lighter-fi bre

cement or HDPE hand-holes is also not as

risky and labour intensive.

Th e selection of hand-hole positions is

also important. Hand-holes must be appro-

priately positioned, remote from any areas

of potentially high water table (perched or

permanent), areas where water may pond,

or areas where physical damage could

occur. Th e hand-hole cover should be ei-

ther fl ush with the surrounding ground or

marginally proud of it.

Hand-holes are purpose-made for use

on dolomitic land according to DFA’s and

the manufacturer’s specifi cations. Only

hand-holes certifi ed and approved by the

DFA competent person are used, whether

cast in situ or prefabricated. All DFA

hand-holes are certifi ed to be watertight,

with no possible shedding of any accu-

mulated water into the surrounding dolo-

mitic soil or into the ducts. Th e water test

duration is 24 hours with zero water loss.

At the inlet points of ducting into

the hand-holes, the ducting is securely

mounted to withstand reasonable pull-out

forces in case the system is aff ected by

subsidences/sinkholes. During construc-

tion, the competent person (engineering)

Water-tightness test in progress on completed hand-hole with duct and waterproof glands in position


inspects the hand-hole and the duct con-

nections for water-tightness, both prior to

and after completion of backfi ll. A record

is kept of such inspections as part of the

quality assurance procedures.

Furthermore, the area around the hand-

hole is inspected for any signs of surface

settlement or other features which may

give rise to impeded drainage. Th e water-

tightness of cable ducts is also checked.

As part of DFA’s dolomite compliance

investigation, experimental hand-holes

were constructed and subjected to water-

tightness tests under controlled condi-

tions. In addition, control water-tightness

tests are conducted on all fi bre cement

hand-holes at the manufacturer’s prem-

ises prior to delivery, as well at the distrib-

utor’s yard, and again once the hand-hole

has been installed in the fi eld.

INSTALLING THE DUCTSNormally, the installation of fi bre optic

ducts involves bundling four ducts in a

2x2 formation. Th e alternative for dolo-

mite areas is to lay the ducts side by side

with a space between each duct.

Although this necessitates the excava-

tion of a wider trench at additional cost, it

addresses the concern that the open space

between the four bundled ducts could

possibly serve as a conduit for water.

Where bundling of the ducts is permitted

by the authorities, a suitable means is

introduced to seal around and between

the ducts at 100 metre intervals along the

length of the trench.

DFA specifies that ducts shall be

continuous having no joints between

hand-holes. Where joints have to be

introduced, for example if a duct is

damaged by excavation activities after

installation, great care is taken to

ensure that the joints in the ducts are

watertight. All duct installations are

pneumatically tested in accordance with

standard practice.

At regular intervals, the route of all

existing DFA duct lines on dolomitic land

are inspected for any signs of settlement

of the ground surface in general, settle-

ment of the backfi ll, or any obstructions

that have been created and which may

impede surface drainage. If any such

problems arise, depressions are backfi lled

and obstructions are removed.

In addition, all hand-holes are in-

spected for physical damage and are

randomly, or in critical areas, opened

and checked for the presence of water.

Should water be present to the extent

that it creates a risk of infi ltration into the

surrounding ground, an investigation is

undertaken to establish the source of the

water ingress and ensure that it is remedi-

ated. Any movement of ducting, indicative

of soil movement, is also recorded.

Where repairs need to be undertaken

on ducting, a competent person must be

notifi ed and all new joints and repairs

must be made watertight and approved by

the competent person. More importantly,

only approved joint connection means

should be employed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTInputs by Dr Peter Day of Jones &

Wagner Engineering and Environmental

Consultants, who acts as DFA’s geotech-

nical advisor on SANS 1936, are acknowl-

edged and appreciated.


Building Virtual SkyscrapersBuilding Virtual Skyscrapers

BACKGROUNDIMQS Software has served South African

municipalities with asset and infra-

structure management software and

supporting professional services for more

than ten years. Its software combines

infrastructure asset information, engi-

neering simulation results and spatial GIS

data in a single package. Growing demand

for a web-based version of their desktop

application has led to the development

of the latest release of their software that

can be accessed through any web browser

and on mobile devices such as iPads.

Th e software was recently deployed at

a number of municipalities. Th is article

explores the lessons learnt during the

development process.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

What is so hard about software?

As a civil engineering graduate starting

to explore the software development

world, I quickly realised that building

software would be diff erent to building

anything I had been taught at university.

Civil infrastructure projects fi t the tra-

ditional project management approach

well, with a natural progression from

project initiation, planning and design,

to construction, and fi nally completion

and hand-over. In comparison, IT pro-

jects managed in this way tend to hobble

along in a pair of shoes that do not seem

to fi t. Th e reality is that the IT industry

is in its infancy while civil engineering

has been practised since the fi rst human

constructed a shelter. Th e IT processes

and methods are not as well defi ned as

those in civil engineering, and the high

failure rate of IT projects is testament to

this. A recent study of 5 400 large-scale

IT projects found that 66% of software

projects go over budget, 33% overrun

their schedule and 17% do not deliver on

the benefi ts they had promised (Bloch,

Blumberg & Laartz 2013). Using a tra-

ditional project management approach,

IMQS itself had a false start on its fi rst

attempt at developing its web-based

product. Th ese high failure rates may just

be a symptom of treating the younger

sibling like the elder.

A new parenting style: agile project management

Agile project management focuses on

continuous delivery and improvement,

instead of delivering the fi nal product

moments before the deadline. This

Jaco Briers

Software Developer

IMQS Software

[email protected]

Lessons learnt developing a web application for Lessons learnt developing a web application for municipal infrastructure asset managementmunicipal infrastructure asset management

As a civil engineering graduate starting to explore the software development world, I quickly realised that building software would be different to building anything I had been taught at university. Civil infrastructure projects fi t the traditional project management approach well, while IT projects managed in this way tend to hobble along in a pair of shoes that do not seem to fi t.


approach may seem unstructured to

project managers, but managed well,

it has consistently facilitated on-time

delivery of IMQS products (often with

days to spare).

IMQS employs the Scrum meth-

odology for agile project management

(there are other methodologies, such as

Kanban). In order to facilitate continuous

improvement, Scrum involves short feed-

back sessions every morning where the

previous day’s progress and challenges are

discussed, as well as what is planned for

that day. Once every two weeks, a review

meeting is held where production-ready

functionality is demonstrated. After this

review meeting, work is planned for the

next two weeks, and the cycle begins

afresh (each such cycle is called a “sprint”).

Figure 1 indicates the activities that form

part of each sprint.

Clients and other stakeholders are

often involved in review meetings to

provide feedback and suggestions. Th is

process is designed to catch failures early

in the development life cycle instead of at

the end of the project time line. Th is quick

feedback cycle reduces the risk of building

software that does not meet client re-

quirements, and keeps the development

team focused on building working soft-

ware. Th e aim is to fail often and early,

giving the team time to adapt and recover,

rather than fail spectacularly right before

the product delivery date.

In contrast, the traditional project

management approach assumes the

system can be designed in its entirety be-

fore the construction phase begins. With

software development this is very seldom

the case. Where a civil engineer would

fi nd himself walking through a building

with very much the same function as the

one he is designing, software developers

and their clients often fi nd themselves

designing business-specifi c software that

they have never used before. Th e project

management process must allow for this

discovery phase and the unknowns asso-

ciated with it. Th e agile approach fi ts this

bill perfectly.

SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURESoftware architecture is a broad term

that describes how different parts

of a software system fit together.

“Layering”your software architecture

allows one part of your applica-

tion to function independently from

others, while also allowing it to be

replaced without affecting other parts.

“Layering” a civil infrastructure project

would be much harder. No reasonable

client would expect a civil engineer to

design a building where the foundation

could be removed and replaced with

another, but in an IT project a common

question might be: “If we want to switch

to a different database at a later stage,

would that be possible?” In the software

world this f lexibility takes careful plan-

ning, but it is completely feasible. The

core layers that form part of the IMQS

system are indicated in Figure 2.

Web-based architecture

If you open www.google.co.za in your

browser, what you see on your screen

is a very small part of the Google sky-Figure 1: Process diagram for Scrum agile project management

Figure 3: IMQS web-based architectureFigure 2: Layered architecture employed by IMQS


The Intelligent Choice

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

Quarter Page Civil Engineering indd 1 26/04/2013 11:13:09 AM

scraper. The website you are viewing

has a simple box for you to enter some

text, and a button that sends off this

text to a server at Google. This server

distributes the workload and sends

off your request to thousands upon

thousands of other servers, which each

processes part of your request before

sending it back to your browser, which

in turn simply displays the results. The

part of the application that you executed

on your computer only knew where to

send your request and how to display

the results. It knew nothing of how data

from millions of websites were collected

and sorted through to get those results.

This separation of concerns makes web

application architecture very powerful.

A simplified diagram of IMQS’s archi-

tecture inside a client’s IT network is

displayed in Figure 3.

Th e following are a few of the ad-

vantages that led IMQS to choose this

architecture:

Application is always up to date

Web applications do not require instal-

lation (unlike desktop applications). Th e

latest version would always be fetched

from the application’s server. Th is allows

the web application to be updated regu-

larly and without signifi cant interruption

in service. IMQS updates its software on

average three times a day. Th ese updates

are available to all users minutes after

functionality has been developed and

passed quality checks. With desktop ap-

plication architecture this could take days

or even weeks.

IMQS’s web application uses a single

centralised source of data. Th is means

that, once data is imported onto the mu-

nicipality’s IMQS server, it is immediately

accessible to all of its users.

Lightweight

Web-applications are lightweight and only

fetch data that the user requests to view. In

contrast, a desktop application displaying

one of IMQS’s larger clients would require

almost 50 GB of storage space and a fairly

fast processor. With the web application

architecture, this storage and processing

load can be shifted to a single high-re-

source server, making access to lightweight

devices, such as tablets, viable.

High level of accessibility

Th e IMQS web application can be made

accessible outside a municipality’s net-

work with minimal eff ort. Th is allows

secure access to infrastructure informa-

tion to whomever the municipality pro-

vides a username and password. Th is high

level of accessibility also opens the door

to the possibility of public participation

and other input.

INTEGRATION WITH THIRD-PARTY SYSTEMSIntegration with existing software

systems is a common requirement for

any municipal IT project. Th e specifi c

methods and technology used for in-

tegration would diff er from system to

system, but the common key to integra-

tion is communication. For one system

to interact with another there needs to

be a common communication protocol.

If this protocol is clear and well docu-

mented, any two systems can conceivably

be integrated.

In general, it is not sound architec-

tural design for one system to have di-

rect access to another system’s internals

or data. Rather, all interaction should

be routed through what is known as

an API (Application Programming

Interface). An API specifies an ac-

ceptable communication protocol and

should be well documented. Designing

a system in such a manner protects it

from unintended harm and provides an

unambiguous way for other systems to

integrate with it.

Vitens Water Utility in the

Netherlands, a client of IMQS, required

that the IMQS system integrate with

their OSIsoft® PI system. Th is system

stores historical and near real-time

data from their telemetry network.

Even though IMQS’s developers did not

have direct support from OSIsoft®, the

integration was successfully completed

because their API was well-defi ned and

documented, and there were training re-

sources available in the form of YouTube

videos. Figure 4 shows a screen shot of

the successful integration.

SOFTWARE TESTINGDuring the development stage, software

projects are in a constant state of fl ux.

Imagine replacing the foundation of a

building and expecting all the walls to

stand afterwards. Within such a volatile

environment, a software project needs

regular testing to ensure that all new

and existing functionality operates as

intended. IMQS employs more than

300 automated tests that run after

every change to its software. Th ese tests

provide a safe framework for rapid and

robust software development; without

them manual testing of each bit of func-

tionality after every change would be the

only alternative.

SYSTEMS MAKE IT POSSIBLE, PEOPLE MAKE IT HAPPENA skilled developer can easily accom-

plish in a day what a less skilled de-

veloper may need a week to complete.


Figure 4: Integration with Vitens Water Utility’s OSIsoft® PI system allows display of near real-time telemetry data within IMQS

This non-uniform distribution of skills

is another symptom of the IT industry’s

youth, and makes recruiting software

developers a challenge. Quite a number

of the technologies used in the devel-

opment of IMQS software have been

in existence for less than five years.

In this rapidly developing industry, a

software developer’s proficiency and

experience with a specific technology

are less important than a willingness

to learn. Also, involving experienced

developers in the recruitment and

interview process is strongly recom-

mended. A project may have all the

ingredients for success, but lacking

the right people, it will just be another

failure statistic.

CONCLUSIONIMQS successfully developed its web-

based infrastructure asset management

system after changing the way in which

we build software: we implemented

hands-on agile project management,

switched to a layered architecture style,

documented our software and processes,

and employed the right people. Th e soft-

ware industry may still be in its infancy,

but while we build aqueducts today, with

the willingness to learn and adapt, we will

build skyscrapers tomorrow.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ■ Vitens Water Utility and Tshwane

Metropolitan Municipality, clients

for the IMQS web application

■ Quasset, IMQS’s partner during the

development of the Vitens product

■ My colleagues Adam Ricketts, Willem

Pretorius, Ben Harper and Delany

Middleton for their edits and suggestions

during the preparation of this article.

REFERENCEBloch, M, Blumberg, S & Laartz, J 2013.

Delivering large-scale IT projects

on time, on budget, and on value.

McKinsey on Finance, 45, p 28–35.

During the development

stage, software projects

are in a constant state of

fl ux. Imagine replacing the

foundation of a building and

expecting all the walls to stand

afterwards. Within such a

volatile environment, a software

project needs regular testing to

ensure that all new and existing

functionality operates as

intended. IMQS employs more

than 300 automated tests that

run after every change to its

software. These tests provide

a safe framework for rapid and

robust software development;

without them, manual testing

of each bit of functionality after

every change would be the

only alternative.

that took her overseas

HELP BUILD THE AIRPORT WHERE IT ALL STARTED

WE DID

SAY “YES” TO THE LOVE OF HER LIFE IN ARRIVALS

WE DIDN’T

CREATING POSSIBILITIES

www.afrisam.com.

865

5/E


The BricsCAD Brigade

INTRODUCTIONEngineers are pre-occupied with ef-

fi ciency. Anyone who has ever been frus-

trated in a post offi ce or licence renewal

centre will have some appreciation of how

engineers experience the world most of

the time. Th is probably applies to many

other types of people, too, but what makes

engineers unique is that they cannot resist

the urge to do something about it!

Th is kind of frustration was eating

away at my friend and me, both young

South African civil engineers, for the past

few years. In our quest for effi ciency in

our work, we uncovered a piece of Belgian

ingenuity that changed our world, and

that has the potential to hit the technical

CAD market like a bomb!

HISTORYTh e ‘80s were characterised by the boom

of the personal computer. Macintosh

and IBM made their way into the South

African market amid strict international

sanctions. Due to South Africa's isolation,

and a very limited and primitive software

market, South African entrepreneurs

started developing their own tools. Th is

was nowhere more exploited than in

computer-aided drawing applications.

We hail innovations such as AliCad,

Caddie, TurboCad and Padds. All these

programs have their roots in primitive

DOS, coded on the likes of turbo Pascal

and Fortran languages. Today there are

probably only a handful of people who

can still truly appreciate the brilliance of

these early developments.

Th e ‘90s saw the awakening of the

international software empires. Microsoft

monopolised the PC operating system

market, Novell pioneered software cluster

suites, and Autodesk developed its plat-

form champion tool, AutoCAD. Th is was

bad news for the local market which was

trying to come to grips with the interna-

tional scene in a new democracy. During

the past 20 years South Africans have be-

come all too accustomed to over-infl ated

software prices!

A NEW GENERATIONHowever, in the 21st century a new

generation is putting its foot down! Th e

Jean-Pierre Rousseau Pr Eng

Co-founder of Addosoft

[email protected]

Three-dimensional rendering of a bus station; BricsCAD provides a familiar CAD interface with all the advantages of object-based drawing technology


Highly Compatible

BricsCAD reads and writes

very high compatibility with AutoCAD®. In addition,

modeling in native dwg. BricsCAD, so much more than an alternative.

Cloud connectivity

BricsCAD integrates a smart connection with the cloud-based Chapoo

casual document sharing to complete project collaboration. The Chapoo connection tool automatically recognizes xrefs.

BricsCAD is the most development friendly CAD platform in the industry. Thanks to industry compatible API’s third party solutions can run on BricsCAD without modifying the source code.

BricsCAD - Unifying 2D and 3D CAD

BricsCAD® is the powerful CAD software platform unifying 2D CAD and 3D direct modeling for .dwg on Windows and Linux.

Bricsys South Africa

For a quote contact [email protected]

R9 200

Prices BricsCAD editions

Enabling Third Party Applications

Free 30 day trial

BricsCAD Classic BricsCAD Pro BricsCAD Platinum

dawn of the new age showed us once

again what South African ingenuity is

capable of. Entrepreneur and visionary,

Mark Shuttleworth, has the world on fi re

with his open architecture OS Ubuntu.

Alternative packages to high-priced

suites, such as Open-Offi ce, saw the

light, and Google's smartphone open OS,

Android, is fast winning international

market share.

It was in this spirit that Wolter Bijker

and I set out to fi nd a multi-platform-

based, light-weight, advanced, object-

orientated CAD package that would not

cost us an arm and a leg! Th at’s when we

discovered the BricsCAD brigade!

To quote from the BricSYS website:

“With relentless commitment to the

success of the BricsCAD community,

BricSYS is focused on providing an indus-

trial-strength CAD software platform and

industry-leading support at a compelling

price to customers in the AEC, GIS, civil

engineering, process and power, and me-

chanical CAD markets. Founded in 2002,

BricSYS is a founding member of the

Open Design Alliance.”

The Belgium-found company set out

to develop a CAD platform that was not

only affordable, but would ultimately

be driven by the needs and innovations

of its online community, rather than

autocratically deciding what is best for

their customers!

Th e Open Design Alliance is an as-

sociation of CAD customers and vendors

committed to promoting open, industry-

standard formats for the exchange of

CAD data. Th is reduces the development

cost for CAD software companies signifi -

cantly and creates a platform where the

community can steer the future develop-

ment of CAD technology.

BricsCAD takes this advantage

one step further. By re-engineering

industry-standard CAD practices,

and recreating a back-end application

programming interface which is com-

patible with leading CAD products,

they enable third-party developers to

not only utilise the power of object-

orientated CAD technology, but also to

convert previous developments to the

BricsCAD platform.

Th is is exactly where BricSYS caught

our attention. Being able to develop our

own custom application solutions on top

of BricsCAD, at a fraction of the price

off ered by the competition, while still

being fully compatible with the latest dwg

formats, was just too attractive to resist,

so we joined the movement.

Th e BricSYS website (www.bricsys.co.za)

allows interested users to download a

30-day trial version that may be extended

on special request. Th e software can run on

Windows or Linux with versions for 32-bit

and 64-bit operating systems. A release for

Apple OSX is also on the cards. Th e website

hosts a massive database of international

third-party developer tools, ranging from

architectural add-ons to civil engineering

and surveying tools.

We set out to share this discovery

with South Africans by partnering with

BricsCAD as a local re-seller. While

researching and developing custom ap-

plications for bridge design, our company,

AddoSoft, acts as local support channel

and community platform for South

African users.


The collaboration between Addosoft

and BricSYS aims to bridge the gap

between advanced CAD systems and

locally developed solutions within

the South African market. BricSYS

provides the ideal combination of a

light-weight yet smart CAD platform,

which is extendable in terms of add-on

applications. With BricSYS, Addosoft

sets out to bring back the local South

African ingenuity of specialised design

and drafting modules on a very ad-

vanced and cost-effective CAD system,

without reinventing the wheel.

With BricSYS the community can steer the future development of CAD technology (left) and BricsCAD is compatible with the latest 3D mouse technology (below)


SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT has

been much advocated, but some have seen

a clash between its two key goals – sustain-

ability (living within the Earth’s fi xed en-

vironmental limits) and development (eve-

ryone’s right to develop out of poverty). In

South Africa these two have been charac-

terised as the ‘Green’ and ‘Brown’ agendas,

as in Figure 1. Th is comes to a head when

considering new infrastructure, which is

absolutely critical for development, because

it must serve social and/or economic needs,

and tends to regard some accompanying

environmental damage as inevitable.

Engineers who struggle with these di-

lemmas have a new source of help: a new

book from ICE Publishing – Sustainable

Infrastructure: Principles into Practice 1 .

Its fi rst section on ‘Principles’ starts with

the two goals above as absolute principles:

living within environmental limits and

the right to development. It acknowledges

the challenge of reconciling them, but

fi rmly advocates that it can be done, pro-

vided engineers know the right questions

to ask and ask them early enough, and at

the right time in the project delivery se-

quence. To this end, the central ‘Practice’

section of the book is set out with one

chapter for each stage of a typical pro-

ject delivery process, and abounds with

answers to the question ‘What can engi-

neers do?’, supported by project examples.

Th e outline design or feasibility stage of

the process (see Figure 2) is often the fi rst

time an engineering team gets their ideas

heard, and can provide a short window

in which the scope can be creatively

enlarged. Th e book describes how to iden-

tify, hang onto and push ‘the best sustain-

able option’ through this critical stage.

One key reason for the assumption

that you cannot satisfy both ‘Green’ and

‘Brown’ agendas at the same time is the

pervasive idea that ‘being more envi-

ronmental always costs more money’.

This originates from the old way of

doing things – in which we had to add

in measures to mitigate environmental

damage after completing detail design.

The book shows how, by considering

sustainability from the start of the

delivery process, lower costs can be

achieved at the same time as, for in-

stance, low carbon emissions.

Although the book is written by UK

authors, its principles and practice recom-

mendations are relevant internationally.

It advocates using procurement for infra-

structure to improve people’s training,

social and commercial development to

reduce inequality, and uses three South

African examples, including that of the

Zibambele road maintenance project 2 ,

where the challenge was to maintain steep

rural roads, strongly aff ected by regular

rainfall. Th e poorest ‘head of household’

local women (see Figure 3) were selected

and registered as hand labour maintenance

contractors. Th ey were given the tools and

training to maintain a 0.5–1.0 km stretch

of road close to where they live, and were

paid for two days’ work each week.

GREEN AGENDAEco-systemic wellbeing

Forever

Local to global

Future generations

Protect and work with

Use less

Affl uence and over-consumption

BROWN AGENDAHuman wellbeing

Immediate

Local

Low-income groups

Manipulate and use

Provide more

Poverty and underdevelopment

Key concernTime frame

Scale

Concerned about

Nature

Services

NORTH

SOUTH

Prof Charles Ainger

Senior Associate

Cambridge Programme for

Sustainability Leadership

[email protected]

Dr Ron Watermeyer

SAICE President 2004

Founder: Infrastructure Options

[email protected]

Can we deliver infrastructure– sustainably?

Figure 1: The Green and Brown Agendas

I N F R A S T R U C T U R E


As well as being very practically ori-

entated, another innovation in the book is

its section on ‘Change’ – on how to per-

suade clients and teams to try out these

new ideas. One aspect of this is the idea

of ‘stages of innovation’ (see Figure 4) as a

new infrastructure practice moves from

just a new idea (bottom left) to fi nally

become a sector standard process (top

right). Th is emphasises that it is not just

vital to get a fi rst innovative project done,

but also to get the evidence it contains

quickly published, to encourage and en-

able others to follow – because engineers

rely on evidence for argument and design.

One recent example of this is the UK

Treasury’s latest ‘Infrastructure Carbon

Review’3 (which is another document

well worth a read). It has used the now

available ‘low carbon = low cost’ evidence

from three programmes/projects to argue

authoritatively that ‘low carbon = low cost’,

and advocates clients’ setting hard carbon

targets to drive innovation and hence lower

costs. Th is would not have been possible

without the published real project evi-

dence. So, one key role for professional in-

stitutions like SAICE can be to provide an

authoritative platform for publishing case

studies of innovative sustainable projects4.

Sustainable Infrastructure: Principles

into Practice is a practical and accessible

book which addresses the key principles

of sustainability for engineers and built

environment professionals. Try it out, and

see if it works for you. And in this spirit

of innovation, the authors would welcome

feedback from engineers about how prac-

tical and useful the book is.

REFERENCES1. See:

http://www.thomastelford.

com/books/bookshop_main.

asp?ISBN=9780727757548%20

&BookTitle=Sustainable%20

Infrastructure:%20Principles%20

into%20Practice

2. See:

http://www.ice.org.uk/topics/

International-development/civil-engi-

neers-toolkit-for-development/In-use/

Procurement-and-delivery#card_65)

3. See:

http://www.cinqueltd.co.uk/uploads/in-

frastructure_carbon_review_251113.pdf

4. Ainger, C 2012. Briefi ng: Speeding up

‘innovation’ by better fi rst use reporting.

Proceedings of the ICE – Engineering

Sustainability, 1(1): 8–10

Convertor remove

itUse and maintain

it

Set the strategy Define

the project

Choose and

procure the solution Design

the solution

Deliver to achieve savings

Detailed design, construction Outline

design

Project scoping Business

strategy

Procurement and contracts

Operation & ‘in use’

End of life

Planning Development Implementation Operation Decommissioning

Stakeholder engagement

and construct

Figure 2: Ask the right questions at each stage of project delivery

Figure 4: The S-curve stages of innovation in infrastructure

Figure 3: Poverty alleviation and road maintenance under the Zibambele Project, eThekwini Municipality

Delivering sustainable

infrastructure that

improves our world.

“DOING GOOD WHILE

DOING BUSINESS”

Contact www.bigenafrica.com, or the office most convenient to you: Pretoria (012) 842 8700; Johannesburg (011) 802 0560; Bloemfontein (051) 430 1423; Cape Town (021) 919 6976; Durban (031) 717 2571; East London (043) 748 6230; Gabarone [email protected]; Kuruman (053) 712 2882; Mafikeng (018) 386 2111; Mthatha (047) 532 5234; Nelspruit (013) 755 1421;

Polokwane (015) 297 4055; Richards Bay (035) 753 1235; Rustenburg (014) 597 3655; Umtata (047) 532 5216; Windhoek +26 461 237 346.


NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract:

INTRODUCTIONISO 21500 (2012), Guidance on Project Management, defi nes an

activity as an “identifi ed component of work within a schedule

that is required to be undertaken to complete a project.”

Th e PMI Global Standard (2008), A Guide to the Project

Management Body of Knowledge, defi nes:

■ an Activity List as “a documented tabulation of scheduled

activities that shows the activity description, activity identi-

fier, and a sufficient detailed scope of work description so

project team members understand what work is to be per-

formed”; and

■ a Schedule (or Project Schedule) as “the planned dates for

performing scheduled activities and planned dates for meeting

scheduled milestones.”

Th e NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) makes

provision for the following two Main Options:

■ Option A: priced contract with Activity Schedule

■ Option C: target contract with Activity Schedule

The questions that are frequently asked are: “What is an

Activity Schedule in the NEC3 ECC?”, “What is the pur-

pose of an Activity Schedule?“, “How does one compile

an Activity Schedule?” and “What are the benefits of an

Activity Schedule?”

AN ACTIVITY SCHEDULE UNDER NEC3 ECC OPTIONS A AND CTh e NEC3 ECC does not explicitly defi ne an Activity Schedule. It

defi nes it as a document “which is identifi ed in the Contract Data

unless later changed in accordance with the contract” (clause

11.2(20)). What it does say is that:

1. Information in the Activity Schedule is not Works Information

or Site Information (clause 54.1).

2. Th e Contractor provides information which shows how each

activity on the Activity Schedule relates to the operations on

each programme that he submits for acceptance (clause 31.4).

3. Th e prices are the lump sum prices for each of the activities in

the Activity Schedule, unless later changed in accordance with

this contract (clause 11.2(30)).

4. If the Contractor changes a planned method of working at his

discretion so that the activities on the Activity Schedule do not

relate to the operations on the Accepted Programme, he sub-

mits a revision of the Activity Schedule to the Project Manager

for acceptance (clause 54.2).

5. Assessments for changed Prices for compensation events are in

the form of changes to the Activity Schedule (clause 63.12).

Under the NEC3 the contractor is required to show the following

on each programme which he submits for acceptance by the

project manager:

■ the starting date, access dates, Key Dates and Completion Date

(and if applicable sectional completion dates)

■ planned Completion

■ the order and timing of the operations which the Contractor

plans to do in order to Provide the Works

■ the order and timing of the work of the Employer and Others

Dr Ron Watermeyer

SAICE President 2004

Founder: Infrastructure Options

[email protected]

Activity Schedules


KEEP IT REAL. KEEP IT CAT®

You have to push every day. To meet tomorrow’s deadline. To securethe next contract. To stay ahead of the competition. No matter what challenges lie ahead, Caterpillar and Barloworld Equipment are committed to bringing you machines, solutions and support to help your business keep pushing forward.

BUILT FOR IT.

For more information contact our call centre on 0800 21 22 48 or visit www.barloworld-equipment.com

C ®

© 2014 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge”trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

as last agreed with them by the Contractor or, if not so

agreed, as stated in the Works Information

■ the dates when the Contractor plans to meet each

Condition stated for the Key Dates and to complete other

work needed to allow the Employer and Others to do their

work

■ provisions for fl oat, time risk allowances, health and safety

requirements and the procedures set out in the contract

■ the dates when, in order to Provide the Works in accord-

ance with his programme, the Contractor will need access

to a part of the Site if later than its access date, acceptances,

Plant and Materials and other things to be provided by the

Employer, and information from Others

■ for each operation, a statement of how the Contractor plans

to do the work identifying the principal Equipment and

other resources which he plans to use

■ other information which the Works Information requires

the Contractor to show on a programme submitted for ac-

ceptance.

Accordingly, an Activity Schedule as a minimum comprises

a list of activities, which may be grouped together or listed

on their own, with an amount entered against each activity

linked to the Accepted Programme.

THE ROLE OF THE ACTIVITY SCHEDULES IN THE NEC3A Contractor is paid the amount for each completed activity

identifi ed in the Activity Schedule under Option A (priced

contract with Activity Schedule).

Under Option C (target contract with activity schedule)

the Activity Schedule is used to:

■ adjust the total of Prices (target) when compensation events

occur or when quotations for acceleration are accepted, and

■ calculate the Contractor’s share after Completion, i.e. the

share of the diff erence between the total of Prices (sum of

amounts for activities in the Activity Schedule) and the

Price for Work done to Date (Defi ned Cost Plus the Fee).

Th e Activity Schedule is linked to the Accepted Programme,

which also shows the order and timing of the operations that

the Contractor plans to do in order to Provide the Works,

provisions for fl oat and time risk allowances and particulars

about the intended use of principal Equipment and other

resources, including subcontracted work. Th e Activity

Schedule accordingly integrates time and money and allows

cost models to be generated to optimise expensive or scarce

resources. Th is also allows estimates at the time of tender to

be made on the costs being generated directly by the method

and timing of the construction.

Contractors are required to submit details of their as-

sessment of compensation events in the form of changes to

the Activity Schedule with each quotation. Where the pro-

gramme for the remaining work is altered by a compensation

event, the Contractor is required to include alterations to

the Accepted Programme. Th e revising of both the Activity

Schedule and the Accepted Programme ensures that all the

resources for the compensation event operations (the method

statement) and forecasts of fi xed, quantity-based and time-

related actual costs are included in the quotation. Th is also

allows alternatives to be considered to optimise changes in

Prices versus changes in completion against the Employer’s

project objectives and time or cost constraints.


WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BILL OF QUANTITIES AND AN ACTIVITY SCHEDULE IN TERMS OF THE NEC3 ECC?Th e ICE Civil Engineering Standard System of Measurement

(CESMM3) – Southern African Edition – defi nes a Bill of

Quantities as a “document that lists the items of work, the quan-

tities and rates associated with each item to allow contractors to

be paid at regular intervals an amount equal to the agreed rate

for the work multiplied by the quantity of work completed.”

A Bill of Quantities under the NEC3 ECC is a document

which is identifi ed in the contract data and which is changed

in accordance with this contract to accommodate implemented

compensation events and for accepted quotations for accelera-

tion. Th e Prices are defi ned as “the lump sums and the amounts

obtained by multiplying the rates by the quantities for the items in

the Bill of Quantities.”

A contractor is paid under Option B (priced contract with bill

of quantities) the “quantity of the work which the Contractor has

completed for each item in the Bill of Quantities multiplied by the

rate and a proportion of each lump sum which is the proportion of

the work covered by the item which the Contractor has completed.”

Under Option D (target contract with bill of quantities) the Bill of

Quantities is used to adjust the Prices when compensation events

occur or when quotations for acceleration are accepted, and to

calculate the contractor’s share after completion.

A diff erence of quantities can, in certain circumstances

under Options B and D, be a compensation event. Inconsistencies

in and departures from the rules for item descriptions and divi-

sions of work into items in terms of the method of measurement

in a Bill of Quantities are also compensation events.

Accordingly, where Bills of Quantities are used, the con-

tractor is not at risk if quantities are incorrectly measured, items

which should have been measured are not measured or a mistake

is made. Th is is not the case with an Activity Schedule, as the

contractor is required to take responsibility for quantities and

the pricing of the works information.

DEVELOPING AN ACTIVITY SCHEDULEA work breakdown structure is a tree structure which shows

a subdivision of eff ort required to achieve an objective. It pro-

vides a common framework for the natural development of the

overall planning and control of a contract, and is the basis for

dividing work into defi nable increments and tasks which can be

resourced, cost and programmed.

A work breakdown structure should, as relevant, break down

the works in the fi rst instance into parts, e.g. in the case of build-

ings into:

1. external works and services, and

2. discrete buildings, discrete spaces within a building or the

structure of a building, or any combination thereof.

Th ese parts are then broken down into elements, e.g. in the case

of buildings:

1. broad sub-systems which are functionally connected, e.g. ex-

ternal envelope, special dividers, roof, services etc, and

2. types of fi nishes, e.g. fl oor, internal wall, ceilings etc.

The ASAQS’s Guide to Elemental Cost Estimating and

Analysis for Building Works (1998) presents a system for el-

emental estimating. This document subdivides buildings into

elements – foundations, ground floor construction, structural

frame, independent structural components, external envelope,

roofs, internal divisions, partitions, f loor finishes, internal

wall finishes, ceilings and soffits, fittings, electrical instal-

lation, internal plumbing, fire services, balustrades etc, and

special installations.

Elements should in turn be broken down, where necessary,

into logical groups of components and assemblies, e.g. the

structure is broken down into foundations, surface beds, beams

etc. Where a specifi c component forms a relatively high cost in

relation to the works, the component should be subdivided into

sub-components and sub-assemblies.

Not all activities in an Activity Schedule will necessarily

relate to construction. Th ey can also relate to design, testing or

administrative activities.

An Activity Schedule needs to be prepared by the

Contractor, particularly under Option A, as the Activity

Schedule establishes the contractor’s cash fl ow. Th e activities

also need to be structured around the contractor’s planned pro-

gramme and method of working.

For the purpose of comparing tenders, or monitoring defi ned

cost under Option C, it can be useful for the Employer to require

the Contractor to develop the Activity Schedule around a par-

ticular work breakdown structure. Where this is required, the

Employer should specify the parts and elements and some of the

components. Th e Contractor should then be permitted to break

any component into subcomponents, or to describe components

where no descriptions are provided, and to extend the num-

bering system to accommodate such items.

Th e Activity Schedule should as a minimum contain the

information shown in Table 1.

GETTING VALUE OUT OF AN ACTIVITY SCHEDULE IN THE TARGET CONTRACT OPTION Th e Project Management Institute’s Practice Standard for

Earned Value Management suggests that the three corner stones

of Earned Value Management are:

■ Planned Value – the authorised budget assigned to the sched-

uled work to be accomplished

■ Earned Value – the value of the work performed expressed in

terms of the budget assigned to that work

■ Actual Cost – total costs actually incurred and recorded in

accomplishing work performed during a given time period.

Planned Value is the numeric refl ection of the budgeted or

planned work (Activity Schedule) that is scheduled to be per-

formed (accepted programme). It sets the baseline against which

actual progress is measured. Planned Value can only be changed

through compensation events or accelerations, which change the

Activity Schedule and the Accepted Programme, i.e. the latest

programme accepted by the project manager.

Earned Value is a snapshot of progress measured in terms of

completed and partially completed activities at a given point in time.

Th is can readily be established from the Activity Schedule and the

Table 1 Example of minimum information required onan Activity Schedule

Item Number

Programme Reference

Activity Description

Price excluding VAT


3847

Wet

pain

t Adv

ertis

ing

Culverts & Wingwalls that last for more than a lifetime

ROCLAOUR DIFFERENCE IS CONCRETE

Contact ROCLA now on Tel: (011) 670-7600 or

Fax: 086 675 8985Web: www.roclaproducts.co.za

The world is changing around us - everyday. Technological advances demand ongoing upgrades and solutions, upkeep and maintenance, but not ROCLA Culverts and Wingwalls. Superb design and leading-edge

manufacturing processes ensure that ROCLA provides truly permanent Culvert and Wingwall solutions. ROCLA Culverts and Wingwalls are

maintenance-free and never require upgrading – if it’s not broken, why fix it?

ROCLA is ISO 9001:2008 certified and has the SABS mark of approval on all applicable

products.

accepted programme, as the activities in the Activity Schedule

and accepted programme are linked to one another.

Actual Cost on the other hand, is an indication of the

level of resources that have been expended to achieve the

work performed to date. Defi ned Cost plus the fee in Option

C (target contract with an Activity Schedule), allows cost to

be forecasted and measured.

Th e relationship between Planned Value, Earned Value

and Actual Cost can be readily understood should the cu-

mulative values of these three metrics be plotted against one

another. Th is will enable a manager to analyse where a pro-

ject is and where it is headed, i.e. answer the questions:

■ How are we doing time-wise?

Are we ahead or behind schedule?

How effi ciently are we using our time?

When are we likely to fi nish work?

■ How are we doing cost-wise?

Are we under or over our budget (target)?

How effi ciently are we using our resources?

How effi ciently must we use our remaining resources?

What is the project likely to cost?

Will we be under or over budget?

What will the remaining work cost?

OBSERVATIONSAn Activity Schedule can be likened to a series of bars on

a Gantt chart, the difference being that each bar (activity)

has a Price attached to it and the Contractor is paid for

each completed activity whenever payment is assessed.

Activity Schedules accordingly require the tenderer

to programme the works before pricing it, and as such

forcing him to prepare a more thorough tender. This leads

to a reduction in risk pricing, but requires more time to

prepare tenders.

Jon Broome in his book, NEC3: A User’s Guide (2012),

suggests that a rule of thumb is that it takes 10% more time to

prepare a tender than a Bill of Quantities if the tenderers are

provided with the quantities. On civil engineering projects

it takes 20% – 30% more time if the Contractor is required

to take off quantities. On building projects this can be more

than 50%.

Th e assessment of the eff ect of a compensation event

is easier and fairer than is the case in a Bill of Quantities.

Changes in resources or methods associated with an ac-

tivity can be compared with those stated in the Accepted

Programme before the compensation event occurred.

Assessment of amounts due to the Contractor is also easier

and requires fewer hours to assess. Accordingly, the cost of

managing and administering a price-based contract with an

Activity Schedule (Option A) is less than a price-based con-

tract with a Bill of Quantities (Option B).

Th e diffi culty with target contracts with Bills of

Quantities (Option D) is that the target is a running target, as

it depends on the quantity of work that is required. Th e total

of the prices (i.e. the fi nal target) is only known after comple-

tion. Th e management and administration of a target con-

tract with a Bill of Quantities (Option D) is signifi cantly more

than a target contract with an Activity Schedule (Option C),

as the quantities need to be tracked and adjusted for compen-

sation events to maintain a real-time target.


Africa’s fi rst aerotropolis in Ekurhuleni

WHAT IS AN AEROTROPOLIS? Air travel is ubiquitous in modern life, not only for passenger

travel, but to satisfy our growing need for the just-in-time provi-

sion of goods and services. Th e consequences of this is a dra-

matic increase in the number and scale of airports, their growth

as sources of employment and increase in the consumer base,

together with the growth of the airport as a destination.

In modern cities, airports have therefore become major

drivers of urban form, economic activity and city competitive-

ness. Th e aerotropolis aims to take advantage of these changes

and optimise the positive eff ects the airport can have on the

economy and on communities.

Essentially, the aerotropolis is an economic development

strategy designed to increase competitiveness in global markets,

leveraging the access that air travel and air freight provide to

global clients.

Critically, an aerotropolis does not involve simply building

additional retail stores in an airport terminal or more light-

industry parks on the land surrounding an airport. It is about

taking advantage of all the economic opportunities an airport

off ers, refl ected at times by new physical infrastructure, but also

by alternative retail, entertainment, employment and commercial

land uses – and these can stretch out in a radius of 30 km or

more from the airport itself.

THE AEROTROPOLIS IN EMERGING ECONOMIESWith aviation only starting to boom, and routes, passenger num-

bers and business investment still comparatively low in many

emerging countries, is it too early to consider the aerotropolis

approach for growing economies?

Airports traditionally develop in a piece-meal fashion. Many of

the world’s current major airports started as small landing strips

Danie Wium

Aurecon Government Industry Leader

[email protected]

Matt Coetzee

Aurecon Urbanisation Competency Leader

[email protected]

– will it foster economic growth?– will it foster economic growth?

In September 2013 it was announced that an

Aurecon-led consortium had won the contract to

develop the Ekurhuleni OR Tambo Aerotropolis in

Gauteng. The aerotropolis concept is now mainstream

in aviation planning, and there is little doubt that it

has brought substantial economic and social benefi ts

to airport owners, as well as local businesses and

communities. However, this experience has largely

been gained in the airports of Europe and North

America. The Ekurhuleni Aerotropolis offers a unique

opportunity to apply the lessons learnt at these other

airports to develop a truly African solution.

Central terminal at the OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng


in the 1920s and have grown incrementally over time, although

not always in a perfectly logical manner. Th ere is extensive evi-

dence to show that a large portion of the cost and development

ineffi ciencies inherent in further developing existing airport cities

come from a lack of strategic planning at an early stage. Emerging

economies tend to have an advantage here, as many of the new

airports are greenfi eld developments, with relatively modest cur-

rent infrastructure. Where the opportunity for economic growth

exists, early planning will therefore enable that growth to be stra-

tegically developed, made more attractive and maximised.

THE AEROTROPOLIS PLANNING PROCESSAerotropolis development embraces urban and regional plan-

ning, but with a strong focus on how these can be used to enable

strategic economic development. Th e ultimate goal is to max-

imise the economic competitiveness, attractiveness and growth

of the city and its surrounding region through the identifi cation

of the optimal mix of land uses and infrastructure investments.

Th e nature of these investments, how they are fi nanced, where

they are made, their timing, how they relate to the broader

economy and their alignment with economic and social sustain-

ability, are all key outcomes of the planning process.

Th e planning process for the aerotropolis in Ekurhuleni will

follow a process of information gathering, analysis, scenario

planning, evaluation and selection. What matters most is the

who, what and how included in this process.

WHO?An aerotropolis development plan requires an integrated breadth

of input across urban and transport planners, economists, fi -

nancial and logistics experts, environmental managers, market

researchers and strategists.

Aurecon, a global consulting engineering fi rm, will lead the

multi-disciplinary consortium with the added advantage of ex-

tensive experience working on planning and infrastructure pro-

jects in the Ekurhuleni locality. Th is local knowledge is blended

with international aerotropolis specialist expertise in research

and strategic planning from MXD, and urban planning and

branding from RTKL. Two of Imperial Logistics’ subsidiaries are

also involved and will lead the integration of logistics and freight

studies into the project. Turner and Townsend will contribute

specialist PPP and fi nancial advice, and South Africa’s Council

for Scientifi c and Industrial Research(CSIR) will provide addi-

tional traffi c modelling experts.

What makes this consortium a strong candidate to success-

fully collaborate on this project beyond the extensive technical

expertise, is the collaborative culture and absolute focus on

excellence. Aurecon’s proprietary tool to be used on this project,

HUB-id, is all about recognising the inter-relationship between

transport, land-use and economics. When examined together,

there is potential to deliver social, economic and environmental

benefi ts. Th is is at the heart of the aerotropolis solution.

WHAT AND HOW?

Building the development pattern picture

By analysing the trends in demographics and economics, and

comparing those with land use, and air and surface transporta-

tion infrastructure in the project area, the team will need to

defi ne so-called economic clusters and distinguish between:

■ those clusters that are best served by the current systems (be

they infrastructure, economic or cultural),

■ those likely to improve with the already planned regional de-

velopments, and

■ those where new or substantial infrastructure is required to

make them viable for further development.

One of the challenges of an aerotropolis study is in gathering and

analysing a large amount of data, and then building a complete

picture of the aerotropolis and its current evolutionary path.

Th e team will make use of a number of high-level tools, such

as spatial data analysis systems, sophisticated economic analysis

tools, and transport modelling and planning systems, to deliver

the necessary innovation a project of this magnitude demands.

Th e breadth of information and the sophistication with which it

is analysed and integrated will be critical to ensuring that all op-

portunities are captured and optimised.

Catalytic drivers and optimising development

Inevitably some of the identifi ed economic clusters will have

the potential to grow faster than others, while some will further

have the potential to facilitate growth across the whole region.

Th ese are considered catalytic developments. By identifying the

supplying and supporting industries for economic clusters in the

region, and taking into account current realities from the informa-

tion-gathering stage, the team will identify such catalytic clusters.

Th e team will also need to consider how to maximise the

positive impacts of these clusters on the regional economy

through leveraging upstream, downstream and cross-over in-

dustry activities. By considering how other aerotropoli evolve

and how particular economic clusters are supported by those

developments, the team will determine which of the region’s

niche economic clusters could benefi t particularly from airport-

supported economic activities.

Further, by analysing the characteristics of recommended

target economic clusters and their supporting industries, the

team will then assess how to maximise the eff ect of these indus-

tries. Th ese industries will form the consideration of a Sector

Support Plan with investment prioritisations. Th e team will also

look for opportunities to enhance economic and social potential

through intensifi cation, adaptive re-use or re-development of

strategic land sites, as well as the potential for transit-orientated

development to create positive momentum for long-term com-

munity enhancement.

In examining these economic clusters, the specifi c nature

and structure of the Gauteng economy, including the informal

sector, will be taken into consideration.

Fitting the options to the objectives of Ekurhuleni

Ekurhuleni is confronted with certain realities that infl uence

how economic development can best benefi t its social objectives.

Th e municipality is home to three of South Africa’s seven poorest

townships and the hub of South Africa’s ailing manufacturing

sector. Equally, however, it also hosts the largest airport in

Africa, eff ectively forming the gateway to the continent.

As part of the planning process, a series of development

scenarios will be developed, and each evaluated to maximise

potential benefi ts, according to the following criteria:

■ Demographics: Will the planned development adequately

address the poverty, skills development and unemployment

objectives of the city?


■ Proposed land-use: Will this be effi cient and create an attrac-

tive environment?

■ Forecasted demand transport facilities: Will this ensure the

maximum effi ciency of movement of people and freight in the

region, and within each facility?

■ Economic growth: Will this ensure the economic wellbeing of

Gauteng and Ekurhuleni’s businesses and community – from

the smallest informal trader to the largest multi-national cor-

poration?

■ Predicted CO2 emissions: How much of an impact on the envi-

ronment will it have?

TYING IT ALL TOGETHERLike most planning processes, the aerotropolis study is not

a completely linear process and a number of tasks run either

parallel or through an iterative cycle throughout the life of the

project. In addition, there are many other activities outside the

aerotropolis study, such as logistic and supply projects, fi nancing

arrangements and marketing of the development to various

stakeholders, that run alongside the very technical aspects of

analysis and planning. Th ese are in fact just as important to the

project’s overall success, and it is very much a case of not having

any weak links.

It is a challenging prospect, and a great responsibility, to

deliver a project as comprehensive as this, but the team is con-

fi dent that they can deliver the innovative yet implementable

aerotropolis project that Ekurhuleni deserves.

URBAN PLANNING TERMS

Intensifi cation Similar to densifi cation, but refers more broadly to an increasing level of activity and uses

Adaptive re-use New usage of land or a building after discontinuing current use

Re-development Actions that lead to renewal and improve-ment of existing areas; can be fi nanced through public and/or private investment

It is a challenging prospect, and a great

responsibility, to deliver a project as

comprehensive as this, but the team

is confi dent that they can deliver the

innovative yet implementable aerotropolis

project that Ekurhuleni deserves.


PREFACEFor a country to prosper, eff ective means of moving people and

goods are essential. Th e adequacy or otherwise of a country’s

transport infrastructure plays a signifi cant role in its social and

economic development; there are some who suggest that effi cient

transport is second only to education as a catalyst for a country’s

growth. Th e role of good transport in a country’s growth is espe-

cially important in South Africa where the nearest port is some

600 km away from the industrial heartland, where there are no

navigable rivers, and where the vast part of the interior of the

country is situated on a plateau some 1 000 metres above its ports.

Th roughout the centuries the progress of any community has

been dependent on the provision of cheap and effi cient transport

of people and goods. For transport to function eff ectively, how-

ever, adequate supporting infrastructure is a necessity.

In order to chart the future, an understanding of the past

is necessary. Th is résumé of the development of transport in-

frastructure in South Africa covers the period up to the end of

the 20th century and is broadly divided into two separate eras,

namely the “early days”, up to the middle of the 20th century, and

the “modern era”, which covers the last fi fty or so years of the

Chapter 1:Setting the scene

Dr Malcolm Mitchell

Professional Advisor

South African Road Federation

[email protected]

Herewith the fi rst chapter of a new series comprising nine or ten chapters, which will appear in Civil Engineering over the next few months. This

résumé of the development of transport infrastructure in South Africa is not intended to be a comprehensive

one, but by airing the subject readers might be encouraged to participate and add additional value to

an understanding of this facet of our history.

A brief history of transport infrastructure in South Africaup to the end of the 20th century


20th century. Th is series of around nine or ten chapters (to be

published in Civil Engineering over the next few months) is by no

means a comprehensive one. However, it is hoped that by airing

the subject others will be encouraged to participate and add addi-

tional value to an understanding of this facet of our history. Also,

it is unfortunate that records have only been found regarding the

transport system of the “white settlers” in South Africa in the

early part of this period. Perhaps this defi ciency might be recti-

fi ed.

SETTING THE SCENETh ere is evidence that trade was conducted in the subcontinent

in early times amongst the indigenous inhabitants, i.e. the Bantu

in the eastern, and the Khoikhoi in the western parts. Cattle and

sheep, iron and copper, implements and ornaments, and according

to Professor TRH Davenport (1989), “dagga” were among the com-

modities that were traded. Th ere are, however, no records of the

trade routes used in those days to facilitate this interaction.

At the time the predominant form of local and long-distance

transport was porterage. In some places an indigenous technology

of sledge transport was also developed. However, largely as a result

of environmental constraints and political instability, the volume

of regional trade in pre-colonial southern Africa never reached the

proportions which would have necessitated the establishment of a

formalised network of trade routes and infrastructure on the scale

that occurred in other parts of the African continent.

Borrowing from OH Muller (circa 1985) and Professor TRH

Davenport (1989) in this scene setting, "the very discovery of the

shores of southern Africa by European mariners is linked to a

transport event, indeed to one of the great transport calamities

of all time”. When the Turks conquered the Byzantine Empire,

culminating in the fall of Constantinople in 1453, they cut the

trade routes along which caravans had moved since time imme-

morial to supply the people of Europe with the treasured goods

of the East, notably spices. A race started in earnest to fi nd an

alternative route for this lucrative trade. Th e Portuguese were

particularly enterprising and sent their mariners out in search

of such a route. In 1487/8 Vasco da Gama discovered the passage

around the southern part of Africa, thus securing for his country

the treasured prizes of the East.

Once regular shipping was established, there was an obvious

need for resting points along the route of the gruelling eighteen

month voyage. Th e Portuguese and the Dutch established such

places along the shores of southern Africa. Th e best known of these

is Cape Town, which was founded in 1652, right at the southern tip

of the continent. Th e sole reason for its coming into being, and its

principal purpose for at least the fi rst two centuries, was to serve as

a halfway station between the West and the East. For many decades

after being established, the settlement at the Cape retained its

original character as a trading post for serving the passing ships, and

there was little need to develop trading routes into the hinterland.

Th e earliest reference to transport infrastructure in South

Africa is found in the diary of Jan van Riebeeck, the fi rst gov-

ernor of the Cape. On 4 August 1653 he wrote: “Th e bookkeeper

Verburgh was (today) sent to the forest with 13 men, to make a

good road for the wagon to transport wood.” In fact, no road was

built; Verburgh and his 13 men merely marked out a route, thus

setting the road building pattern for the next 150 years – the

ox wagons of the time merely following the footpaths and game

trails over the mountains.

During the period from 1652 to 1806 the Cape was consid-

ered valuable only as a service station for its owners’ East Indian

trade. Apart from a small length of street work in Cape Town,

no roads were built. Making the sands of the Cape Flats and the

mountain barriers beyond passable for road transport was alto-

gether beyond the fi nancial ability or the needs of the settlement.

Tracks of a sort led to Van Rhynsdorp, Tulbagh, Uitenhage and

Graaf-Reinet, but these were not used by vehicles if pack animals

or riding horses would do.

On the other hand, extensive exploratory journeys were under-

taken or fostered by the Company and the country was explored as

far afi eld as Keetmanshoop, Kuraman, Bethulie and Butterworth,

chiefl y by Van Haerwarden, Potter, Danekaert, Van Meerhof,

Cruythoff , Croes, Bergh, Van der Stel, Schryver, Beutler, Hop,

Coertse, Gorden, Plettenberg, Williams and Janssens.

Th e exploration of the hinterland was, as mentioned earlier,

greatly handicapped by the adverse geographic and topographic

conditions. Unlike North America, which was “opened up” at

about the same time, and where “a thousand rivers” facilitated

deep penetration into the hinterland, the southern African coast-

line is singularly compact and unfriendly. Th ere are virtually no

natural harbours, no navigable rivers or waterways permitting

access to the interior and the oceans are whipped up by frequent

gales, to which the many hundreds of ships wrecked along the

South African coast since the days of Vasco da Gama bear wit-

ness.

Having been established at Cape Town, the settlers’ land

transport chances looked as bleak as those encountered by

the mariners. Th e hinterland consists of a plateau of circa

1 000 metre altitude, barred from the coastal regions by virtually

insurmountable ranges of mountains, some of which extend all

the way to the coast. As a result, expansion was very slow and

development severely hampered.

For the fi rst 150 years, until the early 1800s, geography con-

fi ned most early settlers in southern Africa to the fertile coastal

regions, with the principal obstacles to inland movement being,

as mentioned above, the escarpment, the deserts and the lack of

navigable rivers. Where transport was possible, the wagon and

“transport-riding” became the dominant form of transport right

up to the mid-19th century

By way of exception, however, in the early years of the 18th cen-

tury when the crop farmers of the Cape peninsula and Stellenbosch

were running into harder times, the trekboer was starting to emerge

as the Cape’s fi rst white frontiersman. Th e advance of stock farmers

east across the Hottentots Holland Mountains into the Overberg re-

gion began at the start of the 18th century. Th e people who had fi rst

settled at Table Bay under the fl ag of the Dutch East India Company

brought with them two revolutionary means of land transport–the

horse and the wagon–which gave them transport opportunities in

terms of speed, range and capacity far superior to anything ever

seen before in this part of the world.

Th e principal means of travel was by ox wagon, an ingen-

iously conceived vehicle, robust and fl exible at the same time,

much smaller and lighter than the big, rumbling aff airs which

could still be seen on the dusty roads of the highveld as recently

as the mid-20th century. It was drawn by ten or twelve oxen and

could negotiate unbelievably tough terrain. Although more ef-

fi cient than porterage, especially for heavy bulk transport, the ox

wagon and the oxen were slow and vulnerable to fl oods, droughts

and annual disease. As such it proved incapable of satisfying the


Geotechnical Drilling &Investigative Specialists

JK Drilling specialises in GeologicalInvestigations with extensive experience in the extraction of information from Dolomite areas.

Serving the construction and mining industries,we offer a wide range of

services such as:

Dolomite stability investigations. Sinkhole investigations. Water monitoring boreholes and

Burrow pit investigations. bridge and building piles.

Phone: +27 (0)12 668 9905/6Mobile: +27 (0)82 554 9443

Fax: +27 (0)12 668 9907Email: [email protected]

w w w . j a y k . c o . z a

growing transport demands of the 19th century local economy.

Its high cost and vulnerability were such that the fi rst major ore

deposits discovered in the Cape in the 1670s were not exploited

because of the prohibitive cost of ox wagon transport.

Muller (circa 1985) quotes the Reverend CI Latrobe as reporting

from his travels during the early 1900s that, “It was not so much the

steepness which rendered the pass so dangerous, as the extreme un-

evenness of the road, if road it may be called, where, as yet, art had

not assisted nature, and the traveller may pass over rocks. In steps of

one or two feet perpendicular height, the wagons bouncing down,

reeling from side to side, and but for the management of Hottentots

accustomed to such service, in continual danger of over-setting.

Th ey support the wagon, by thongs fastened to each side, pulling

with all their weight, either to the right or left, as otherwise, in sev-

eral places, the wagons, with all their contents, and the poor beasts

staggering before them, would be precipitated into the abyss below.

Less serious accidents occurred quite frequently.” Th omas Bains,

well-known traveller/explorer, painted no fewer than 25 pictures

showing ox wagons capsized or broken down.

Th e next phase in the development of transport infrastruc-

ture in South Africa was the period from 1806 to 1895 during

which South Africa was gradually opened up as the permanent

home of a large and rapidly increasing settler population. Under

various governments, ambitious and expensive road schemes

for that time were undertaken, linking all parts of the country.

During the early part of this period the exploratory journeys

continued until the general topography and nature of the whole

country and its surroundings were fairly well known. Th ese ex-

plorations were followed by the Great Trek, as a result of which

the whole country became populated by settlers, and a system of

routes was established throughout.

Th e discovery of diamonds at Hopetown in 1867, and gold in

the Murchison range in 1870, and on the Witwatersrand during

1880, gave rise to the transport riders’ roads linking the mines

to the principal ports. Th ese were subsequently used by the

stagecoach services. Th e roads were rough at best, but they were

developed in a very short time, they carried an immense amount

of traffi c for the time, and they established the basic route system

for the then Transvaal, Orange Free State, Northern Natal and

Northern Cape, which prevails to this day.

In 1805 Cape Ordinance for the Administration of Country

Districts number 264 stated: “One of the most eff ectual means to

promote internal trade and civilisation is a regular and safe in-

land communication; the Field Cornets shall take particular care,

therefore, to establish this.”

Th roughout this period (1806–1895) formal, permanent

road construction was carried out vigorously in the Cape. In the

Western Cape, Tulbagh Kloof (1807), Fransch Hoek (1831), Hex

River Pass, the successful Cape Flats “Hardepad”, Bainskloof,

Mitchell’s Pass (1840–1855), and the fi rst Orange River Bridge

(1877) were built primarily for economic trade reasons.

Graham Ross (2002) quotes Sir Lowry Cole, in his dispatch in

1830 to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Viscount Goderich,

justifying having constructed Sir Lowry’s Pass without having

obtained prior approval, as writing, “Th e Colony is miserably

poor, with a population separated from the more civilised parts by

mountains over which there are few passes. Being cut off from a

market for their produce there is no stimulus for industry and the

inhabitants must ever remain in their present state of poverty and

semi-barbarism until these passes are made passable.”

The next phase in the development of transport

infrastructure in South Africa was the period

from 1806 to 1895 during which South Africa

was gradually opened up as the permanent

home of a large and rapidly increasing settler

population. Under various governments, ambitious

and expensive road schemes for that time were

undertaken, linking all parts of the country.


In the Eastern Cape there was even greater activity to provide

military roads for the “Border Wars”, but, also incidentally for the

benefi t of the settlers and farmers. Th ese included Port Elizabeth

to Grahamstown (1820–1830), Graaf-Reinet to Van Ryneveld’s

Pass over the Oudeberg, Grahamstown to Fort Beaufort over the

Katberg Pass, and Grahamstown (bridging the Great Fish River)

to King Williams Town.

Normal and heavy transport between the Western and

the Eastern Cape was by sea, but, to provide a fast and reliable

service for dispatches, mail and military personnel, the road

from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth was greatly improved from

1843 onwards by bridging some of the rivers and constructing

the Montagu Pass over the Outeniqua Mountains, so that by

1849 this 600-mile journey was done regularly in three days by

post cart. Th e route was later further improved, notably in 1892

by bridging the Gouritz River with a steel arch, which was for

many years the longest and highest span in Africa. Th e credit

for most of this work must be given to John Montagu, Colonial

Secretary of the Cape, for initiating it, and Mitchell, Andrew

Geddes and his son, as well as the surveyor John Stanger for

carrying it out.

Th e activity in the Cape was not paralleled in the then

Transvaal or the Orange Free State Republics, however. In the

Orange Free State the country is easy, the soils are generally

good, and there were no large concentrations of populations, so

that there was neither the need nor the money for a large road

programme, as the existing track satisfi ed the local farmers, and

the transport riders had only to start a new track alongside the

old one when it was worn out. In the Transvaal, much the same

situation prevailed, except that the Drakensberg Mountains

which parallel the eastern border, involving heavy passes, were

climbed by in-spanning two or three spans to each wagon in

turn. In addition, there was and still is, a good deal of very poor

soil. In 1875 the government levied a road tax and built a military

road into Sekukuniland, which was subsequently extended to

Lydenburg, Pilgrims Rest and Barberton, to serve these gold-

fi elds. A number of badly needed bridges were built near the end

of this period on the main roads between the principal towns.

Serious work only started in Natal in 1847 when William

Stanger, transferred from the Cape, began the Durban to

Pietermaritzburg road.

By 1875, there were 500, and by 1893, 2 750 miles of made

road, and 34 bridges in the country.

Unfortunately the same economic development that pro-

duced this remarkable growth in road transport brought about

its virtual extinction in the period between 1895 and 1920,

when the large-scale construction of railways was started, which

deprived the transport rider, stagecoaches and wagons of their

custom and soon destroyed them altogether. Th e construction

of road infrastructure was held in abeyance in favour of this new

form of transport, the steam locomotive.

However, with the advent of the internal combustion engine

leading to road motor vehicles, the construction of a rudimen-

tary road network commenced in earnest during the fi rst half of

the 20th century. Th is formed the foundation of the current 21st

century country-wide South African road network, which will

be explored in the next chapter of this history of transport infra-

structure in South Africa.

BIBLIOGRAPHYDavenport, T R H 1989. South Africa, A Modern History. Second

edition. Southern Book Publishers: Bergvlei.

Department of Transport, Notes on Departmental File, E18/62 by

Col F Vincent: Pretoria.

Muller, O H circa 1985. Transportation in South Africa – a

Historical Sketch. Informal document, exact date un-

known.

Personal discussions, by M F Mitchell with the late P A de Villiers,

B Slabbert and E B Cloete during the period 1960 to 1965.

Ross, G 2002. Th e Romance of Cape Mountain Passes. David

Phillip Publishers: Cape Town.

Normal and heavy transport between the

Western and the Eastern Cape was by sea,

but, to provide a fast and reliable service

for dispatches, mail and military personnel,

the road from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth

was greatly improved from 1843 onwards by

bridging some of the rivers and constructing the

Montagu Pass over the Outeniqua Mountains,

so that by 1849 this 600-mile journey was

done regularly in three days by post cart.


INTRODUCTIONRock martins (Hirundo fuligula) are

regular summer-breeding visitors to the

Braamfontein campus of the University of

the Witwatersrand (Wits). Th e diversity

of architectural styles of buildings on the

campus off ers a range of suitable sites for

the nesting needs of birds like the rock

martins. Th e nest is constructed of sand/

clay pellets, used as a form of adobe, stuck

together to form a ‘half-cup’ with sides

adhering to a vertical wall or rock face. A

number of the building façades provide

the overhang structure necessary to

protect against rain and nest predators.

Figure 1 shows an example of such a nest

that held three chicks. Th e adult can be

seen engaged in feeding duty. Th is article

discusses observations made on the use,

damage and subsequent reconstruction

of the nest shown in Figure 1, with a par-

ticular focus on the possible preferential

use of waste Portland cement mortar

from construction activities. Some com-

ments are also off ered on the confi gura-

tion of the nest for structural stability.

Th e observations were made between

September 1992 and April 1993.

LOCATION OF THE NEST OBSERVEDTh e nest in Figure 1 was located on the

south side of the southeast corner of the

South-West Engineering Building. Th e nest

is approximately 8 m above the ground

and, as shown in the fi gure, was built

Nest building– the engineering way?

Prof Yunus Ballim

Construction Materials

School of Civil & Environmental Engineering

University of the Witwatersrand

[email protected]

M O R E E N G I N E E R I N G

Figure 1: An active rock martin nest on the side of the South-West Engineering Building at Wits

Some observations on material selection for nest building by rock martins and the possible preferential use of waste Portland cement mortar


against the wall directly below a decorative

overhang just below roof level. Th e general

layout of the area is shown in Figure 2.

OBSERVATIONSTh e bird activity at this nest was observed

starting in early 1990, from a window in

the Hillman Building which is directly

opposite and at a similar level to the nest.

Over three breeding seasons, the pattern

of bird activity around the nest was gener-

ally as follows:

■ Around late August to early September,

a pair of house sparrows (Passer do-

mesticus) would arrive, inspect the nest

and start preparing it for their nesting

needs. Th e sparrows would arrange an

untidy nest of grass and bits of paper

inside the ‘adobe’ cup nest, and the fe-

male would regularly enter and adopt a

hatching position inside the nest.

■ Th is sparrow activity continued for

around ten days until the martins

arrived and, after a few swoop-by skir-

mishes, the martins would successfully

eject the sparrows from the nest and

clean out the grass and other sparrow-

nesting material.

■ Th e martins would then proceed to

feather the nest, lay two or three eggs

and, over the period of observation,

successfully fl edge the chicks.

■ Th roughout the period of nesting, al-

though not very frequently, the martins

continued to spend time chasing off

house sparrows.

At the beginning of September 1992 the

house sparrows again started preparing

the nest for their needs, but on one of

their early ‘fi tting’ visits, the sparrows

managed to break off the front wall of the

cup nest. Th e damaged nest is shown in

Figure 3. Th e sparrows then abandoned

the nest and such material as they had

brought to the nest either fell out or was

removed by the wind.

On 7 September 1992 the martin pair

arrived and spent a number of visits ‘in-

specting’ and picking at the broken edge

of the nest. Each visit lasted between 30

and 60 seconds. Th is continued into the

next day with the most frequent visits to

the nests occurring around midday.

Over the following two to three

days the visits decreased significantly.

While the pair seemed to be f lying

about above the nest, landings at the

nest were very infrequent.

On 11 September, at around 09:00,

the martins started feathering the nest.

It seemed that one partner (male?) was

doing all the work of feathering while the

other often fl ew past and briefl y hovered

at the nest while looking in. Th is con-

tinued until 21 Sept, when one of the pair

(female?) started sitting in the broken nest

in the hatching position for a few minutes

at a time. Th ere was no evidence of eggs in

the nest at this stage.

Repair work on the broken wall of the

nest started on 25 September and was

substantially complete by 30 September.

At the time that the repair work was

being undertaken, there was some small

building activity on the south side of

the South-West Engineering Building.

Contractors were installing a wheel-chair

access ramp at the south entrance to the

building (shown in Figure 2), and this ne-

cessitated some brick and plaster work. At

the end of the workday, the builders would

wash their equipment of excess Portland

cement mortar and leave behind small

pools of cement mortar with excess water.

I was alerted to the possible use of

this cementitious material when I no-

ticed a martin taking material from one

of the wash pools near the construction

Figure 2: View of the area between the South-West Engineering and Hillman Buildings indicating the location of the nest

Figure 3: The nest in Figure 1 after it had been damaged by the house sparrows


work. Upon inspection, it appeared that

the martins had indeed used the cement

mortar for the reconstruction of their

nest. However, what was particularly

interesting was that the cement mortar

had only been used in the upper sec-

tion of the repair work, in the area that

structural engineers would refer to as the

‘ring-beam’– a strengthened top edge-

ring intended to improve the structural

integrity of such free-ended walls or

shells. Figure 4 shows the presence of ce-

ment ‘pellets’ in the nest reconstruction.

It appears that the nest had been

repaired using clay pellets for much of the

reconstruction of the front wall. A layer

of cement mortar, one to two pellets thick

was then placed on the top edge of the

repaired wall. To give the nest cup a level

upper surface, the left-hand side of the

wall was raised using clay pellets and this

was then topped off with a second, single-

pellet layer of cement mortar.

Although the martins remained in

the area and actively chased off any spar-

rows visiting the nest, they only laid eggs

in the nest in late January 1993. Th e eggs

hatched around 20 February 1993 and the

chicks had the fi rst observed fl ight on 22

March 1993.

After the chicks had fl edged and left the

nest, the adults set about further raising the

wall of the nest so that the gap between the

top of the nest and the overhanging ledge

was signifi cantly reduced. With this further

work, the upper edge of the nest was fl ared

outwards to give greater rigidity to the ‘ring-

beam’ section of the nest cup. Th e com-

pleted nest is shown in Figure 5. At the time

of this extension work, the building work

had been completed on the access ramp to

the South-West Engineering Building and

there was no cement mortar available in

the immediate vicinity. Nevertheless, the

martins still used what looked like cement

mortar pellets in the upper, fl ared rim of the

extension work.

Th e entire external surface of the

South-West Engineering Building was

cleaned during the winter of 1993. Th e

contractor used high-pressure water hoses

to clean the surfaces and the nest was

destroyed in this operation. To date, a nest

has not been re-established at this site.

SOME THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS BY WAY OF CONCLUSIONa. Although it is not obvious from the

photographs shown in this article, rock

martins usually add lengths of dry grass

to the soil construction, most likely in

order to contain the shrinkage of the

soil. September is also the end of the

dry season on the Highveld and the

soil pellet structure would then be at

its maximum shrinkage. It is likely that

tensile stresses or cracking associated

with such shrinkage was a contributing

factor in the breakage of the front wall

of the nest during the sparrow activity.

b. While cement sets within a few hours

after mixing with water, the hydration

reactions, responsible for strength

development, continue for a very long

time thereafter. After the martins had

placed the mortar pellets – as a mix-

ture of cement, sand and water – the

hardening process would continue and

would certainly result in a stronger

pellet than the dried soil pellets.

c. It is likely that the martins select their

soils based on particle size distribution.

Th e clay component, having the fi ner

particles, is good for cohesion and adhe-

sion. However, the clay on its own would

crack too much upon drying. Some sand

and silt fraction particles would have to

be present to limit the shrinkage, but not

so much as to compromise the cohesion

properties of the mixture. Water content

can be controlled by squeezing out the

excess water.

d. Th e selection of cement mortar may well

happen on the same principle, with the

cement gel representing the fi ne, ‘clay’

fraction and the plaster sand being rec-

ognised as the sand and silt fractions.

e. Th e preferential use of the cement

mortar in the part of the structure

requiring maximum strength and

stiff ness remains unanswered. It is

tempting to believe that the birds ap-

preciated the benefi ts of the stronger

material, but this may well have been

coincidence.

f. Th e fl ared upper edge of the extended

nest is also not necessarily an indication

that the birds understand the structural

advantages of a stiff ened upper edge

to the nest. Th is was certainly not a

feature of the pre- and post-damage

construction of the nest and, although

with very limited observation, has not

been noted in the construction of any

other rock martin nests.

Figure 4: Repaired nest with what appears to be cement mortar pellets in the upper rim of the nest cup

Figure 5: Nest with wall raised and top edge fl ared (note: a mirror was used to refl ect light onto the front of the nest)


bidim R


INTRODUCTIONBecause they retain a large quantity of

water, concrete dams are important engi-

neering structures for public safety. When

these dams fail, there is an economical loss

and a loss of life. Examples of dam failures

around the world include the Banqiao Dam

in China, and the Mill River Dam and

Austin Dam in the USA. Failure of several

dams around the world led to the develop-

ment of dam safety legislation to guide

dam owners on the evaluation of the struc-

tural integrity of dams in order to avoid

disasters. Th ese Acts entrust the dam engi-

neer with the responsibility of continuous

monitoring of a dam, including the keeping

and interpretation of operational data.

Visual inspection, although the most

widely used method of identifying prob-

lems on dams, involves subjective judge-

ment and the detection of local and visible

fl aws only. Visual inspection of some

critical parts of the dam cannot be evalu-

ated quantitatively. For example, damage

on the upstream side, under the water

level or at the contact between the dam

wall and the foundation rock, is diffi cult

to observe directly.

In order to overcome these shortcom-

ings, and inspired by new available data

acquisition hardware, as well as advances

in analytical signal processing techniques,

structural health monitoring (SHM)

– also known in the dam engineering

community as dam surveillance – has

been adopted to complement and enhance

visual inspections.

As a branch of SHM, one of the

important inspections is to apply vibra-

tion tests to existing dams to obtain

experimental results that allow a better

characterisation of eventual deterioration

phenomena based on the hypothesis that

these phenomena could induce structural

changes in the dynamic characteristics,

mainly changes in the natural frequen-

cies. Th ere are two kinds of vibration tests

Ambient vibration monitoring of theAmbient vibration monitoring of theRoode Elsberg Dam – initial resultsRoode Elsberg Dam – initial results

Patrick Bukenya

PhD Student

University of Cape Town

Department of Civil Engineering

[email protected]

Prof Pilate Moyo

Department of Civil Engineering

University of Cape Town

[email protected]

Dr Chris Oosthuizen

Department of Water Affairs

The Roode Elsberg Dam is a concrete arch dam located

near Worcester, in the Western Cape Province. The structure is

being monitored by a recently installed dynamic monitoring

system. The article describes the dam structure, its dynamic

parameters identifi ed with a previous ambient vibration test, installed monitoring equipment

and the results achieved during the two weeks of observation.

Photo 1: The Roode Elsberg Dam


that have been applied to dams, namely

forced vibration tests and ambient vibra-

tion tests (AVT), with the latter being

the preferred method because it is cheap

and tests the structure in its operating

conditions. Over the last decade and a

half some researchers have investigated

the dynamic behaviour of large dams

(Danielle & Taylor 1999; Darbre et al

2000; Darbre & Proulx 2002) using AVT.

Th ese studies highlighted the fact that

results obtained by AVT are very attrac-

tive and useful.

In South Africa, ambient vibration tests

of dams began in 2008, with the particular

aim of understanding the dynamic behav-

iour of the Roode Elsberg Dam. Several tests

have been carried out on this dam since

then to obtain the dynamic characteristics

of dams to be used as baseline measure-

ments for long-term dam safety monitoring,

and for the calibration of the FE models

(Moyo & Oosthuizen 2010; Bukenya et al

2012; Bukenya et al 2013).

Th e aim of this article is to present ini-

tial results from the dynamic monitoring

system installed at the Roode Elsberg Dam.

ROODE ELSBERG DAMIn this section the main characteristics of

the Roode Elsberg Dam will be described,

and the experimental results obtained

until now will be presented.

Dam description

Th e Roode Elsberg Dam (Photo 1) is a

double curvature concrete arch dam with

a centrally situated overspill section. Th e

height above the foundation is 72 m, the

length of the crest is 274 m and the gross

capacity of the reservoir is 8.210 million

m3. It was built in 1968 and is situated

on the Sand Drift River 30 km from

Worcester, in the Western Cape Province.

Th e dam was constructed to provide

supplementary water in order to create a

more assured supply of water for irriga-

tion farmers in the Hex River Valley.

Experimental results

Ambient vibration tests were carried out

on the Roode Elsberg Dam in September

2013 as part of the fi eld tests carried out

to obtain experimental data to charac-

terise the dam’s dynamic behaviour. Th ese

tests were also carried out in order to

fi nd the best blocks where accelerometers

could be placed on the dam crest for a

dynamic continuous monitoring system.

For more details about the equipment

used see Bukenya et al (2013). Table 1

shows the fi rst fi ve natural frequencies of

the dam obtained using the frequency do-

main decomposition technique (Brincker

et al 2000). Figure 1 shows an average of

the normalised singular values of spectral

density matrices of all data sets collected

during these ambient vibration tests.

DYNAMIC MONITORING SYSTEMTh e monitoring system manufactured by

GeoSIG Ltd consists of a triaxial AC-43

force balance accelerometer (Photo 2) with a

dynamic range of more than 125 dB at ± 2 g

full-scale within the 0.1 to 50 Hz range. Th e

accelerometers are connected to the digit-

iser, which communicates with the indus-

trial computer running the GeoDAS soft-

Table 1: Natural frequencies of the Roode Elsberg Dam

Mode Natural frequencies1 3.052 3.232 4.433 5.624 6.505 7.23

Figure 1: Singular values of spectral density matrices of the ambient vibration test

Photo 2: Accelerometer placed on the dam wall


Powerful Interface User-defined Beam Creep and Shrinkage Reinforcement Design

ware using an Ethernet cable. Th e computer

and the digitiser are placed on the dam wall

inside the upper gallery of the dam to avoid

any environmental eff ects (Photo 3).

Th e Roode Elsberg Dam is symmetric

and the previously performed ambient

vibration tests have proven that natural

frequencies from both sides are approxi-

mately identical. Th erefore, as the number

of available accelerometers was limited, it

was decided to instrument just one half of

the dam instead of smearing the sensors

along the whole dam. Currently only two

accelerometers have been installed on

the most active dam blocks. Th e system

collects data at a sampling rate of 50 Hz,

with data being stored on an hourly basis.

Furthermore, this dynamic monitoring

system is complemented by an inde-

pendent weather station installed on the

dam crest. It records the air temperature,

humidity and wind velocity, which can be

used to investigate the possible eff ects of

these variables on the natural frequencies.

Monitoring results

Th e dynamic monitoring system of the

Roode Elsberg Dam has been in contin-

uous operation since 25 November 2013.

Th erefore, quite a big database of accel-

eration time series and identifi ed natural

frequencies is already available. Th e results

obtained during the fi rst two weeks of op-

eration are presented in this article.

In the context of a monitoring pro-

gramme, it is very important to have good

tools for processing data in order to extract

the dynamic characteristics which can

then be used to evaluate the dam struc-

tural health. Th e following tasks are ex-

ecuted during the processing of raw data:

■ Creation of a database with original data

(sampled at 50 Hz) that can be used later

to test alternative processing methods

■ Pre-processing of data to eliminate the

off set

■ Processing of data in the frequency

domain

Photo 3: Industrial computer for collecting fi eld test data


■ Creation of a database with processed

results

■ Inspection of plots for most relevant

results.

Analysis of the relation between dynamic

characteristic and environmental changes

(especially temperature) has not been

completed yet, because this would require

several months of measurements, and

the system has only been working for just

over a month (at the time of the writing

of this article). Figure 2 shows frequency

response functions (FRFs) obtained from

raw data collected on 25 November 2013,

while Figure 3 shows the tracking of

the fi rst three modes for a period of two

weeks. No data could be collected on 26

and 27 November due to a power failure

at the dam.

CONCLUSIONSTh is article presents an application of

a state-of-the-art, long-term dynamic

monitoring system recently installed on the

Roode Elsberg Dam. Th e data, continuously

measured by two acceleration sensors, is pro-

cessed on arrival at the University of Cape

Town’s Department of Civil Engineering.

Th e results obtained during the two

weeks of observation do not show a fre-

quency shift yet. In the coming months

we will build/collect a database of the

evolutionary natural frequencies, which

we hope will allow better insight into the

infl uence of environmental conditions on

the dam dynamic characteristics. Future

studies will be conducted with the aim

of detecting anomalies in the dynamic

characteristics of the tested dam.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSTh e authors would like to acknowledge

(1) the support provided by the Water

Research Commission of South Africa

to the University of Cape Town for the

development of research in the area of

long-term dynamic monitoring of dams,

(2) the support provided by the dam

owners, the South African Department

of Water Aff airs, and (3) the PhD scholar-

ship provided by the Concrete Materials

and Structural Integrity Research Unit

(CoMSIRU) to the fi rst author.

REFERENCESBrincker, R, Zhang, L & Anderson, P

2000. Modal identifi cation from

ambient responses using frequency

domain decomposition. Proceedings of

the 18th International Modal Analysis

Conference (IMAC-XVIII). Kissimme,

Florida USA.

Bukenya, P, Moyo, P, Beushausen, H &

Oosthuizen, C 2012. Comparative

study of operational modal analysis

techniques using ambient vibration

measurements of a concrete dam.

Proceedings of the 25th International

Conference on Noise and Vibration

Engineering, Leuven, Belgium: 17–19

September 2012.

Bukenya, P, Moyo, P & Oosthuizen, C 2013.

Experimental Modal Identifi cation

of a South African concrete arch

dam. Proceedings of the Experimental

Vibration Analysis of Civil Structures

(EVACES’13) Conference, Ouro Preto,

Brazil: 28–30 October 2013.

Danielle, W E & Taylor, C A 1999. Eff ective

ambient vibration testing for validating

numerical models of concrete dams.

Earthquake Engineering and Structural

Dynamics, 28(11) pp 1327–1344.

Darbre, G R, De Smet, C A M, Kraemer,

C 2000. Natural frequencies

measured from ambient vibra-

tion response of the arch dam of

Mauvoisin. Earthquake Engineering

and Structural Dynamics, 29(5) pp

577–58.

Darbre, G R & Proulx, J 2002. Continuous

ambient vibration monitoring of the

arch dam of Mauvoisin. Earthquake

Engineering and Structural Dynamics,

31(2) pp 475–480.

Moyo, P & Oosthuizen, C 2010. Ambient

Vibration Survey Trials of Two Arch

Dams in South Africa. Proceeding

of the 8th ICOLD European Club

Symposium, Innsbruck, Austria.

Figure 2: Natural frequencies from raw data on 25-11-2013

Figure 3: Frequency tracking of the three modes

National Tel: +27 87 742 2710International: Tel: +27 31 705 0500Branches:Durban (HO), Johannesburg,Cape Town, East London, Tongaat (Factory)www.maccaferri.co.za

A F R I C A

Design Software

Macsta rs W fo r the des ign and ana lys is o f :

Gabion Mass-Gravity Retaining StructuresReinforced Slope StabilityMechanically Stabilised Earth Wall (MSEW)Soil Nailing & Compound StructuresLimit Equilibrium Method

OTHER SOFTWARE AVAILABLE:

MACRA 1 Bank Protection

MACRA 2 Weirs

GAWACWIN Gabion Gravity Walls

MACRO STUDIO Rockfall Protection

MACREAD 2.0 AASHTO Design of Pavement Structures

For your FREE copy, contact our office or visit www.maccaferri.co.za for download

SANS 1580


The use of hexagonal steel wire mesh gabionsin mass gravity retaining walls

Example of a packed gabion

Most engineers know double twist mesh gabions from their use in rivers and channels as gabions, and Reno mattresses which offer excellent solutions in hydraulic conditions. Many of us have been fortunate to have encountered gabions in road and civil projects where they are also very effective as a simple building block for the construction of mass gravity retaining walls. The simplicity of installation, the advantage of using unskilled labour, and the fact that no mechanised construction equipment is required to construct such walls, have created a perception that such structures, no matter how high or crucial, are non-technical and need no engineering input.

In fact, every application should be engineered from the design stage right through to the completed structure. All of us, i.e. clients, consultants and contractors, are well schooled and disciplined regarding the necessity of engineering inspections. Yet one can dig out case histories where gabion walls of more than 10 m high were constructed without any inspection or assurance that the mesh wire or the lacing wire was of the correct diameter or correctly coated. A mistake in either could result in a total collapse of the structure, as can other errors such as inadequate lacing, unsuitable rock, or an ineffective geotextile fi lter.

All these and many other operations are in fact essential design requirements which are often treated as trivial owing to their simplicity. Gabions are excellent structural elements, but they will get a stigma that they do not deserve if they are wrongly designed or constructed.

The article on the next few pages therefore aims to assist engineers in their understanding of gabions when using them as mass gravity retaining walls.


ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DOUBLE TWIST MESH GABIONS

■ Gabions are easy to install and are the most suitable means

of building sophisticated, dependable structures with unso-

phisticated means. A gabion wall does not need electricity,

water, petrol, skilled labour, machinery, or access roads. Every

element in the building of the structure can be carried out on

the site.

■ Gabions do not need concrete foundations or footings. In

this day and age wall designs are based on soil data provided by

certifi ed geotechnical engineers, ensuring that the base width

will be a minimum of two thirds of the height to meet bearing

pressure conditions. All that is normally required is that the

topsoil and organic material be removed before the placing of

the gabions. In the unlikely event that a foundation is required,

it can be provided by a rock-fi lled mattress which is nothing

more than a fl at, wide gabion.

■ Th e possibility of a global slip failure must always be

checked when introducing a new structure to the environ-

ment. Th is includes investigating the presence of problem soils

such as expansive or collapsible soils or clays and muds that

could be aff ected by the structure.

■ Gabions are very porous and even a well-packed gabion

could have void ratios as high as 30%. Th is allows the wall to

dissipate the pore water pressures from the backfi ll, which

is the biggest concern when designing retaining walls.

Weep holes with drains and fi lters are provided in concrete

walls, but they are a concern as they could get blocked. Th e

blocking of the voids can even occur in gabions when the

fi nes from the backfi ll migrate into the gabion. All gabions

should therefore be lined with a geotextile fi lter material at

the interface of the gabions and the backfi ll material. Filter

textiles are discouraged under gabions, but may be required

for drainage purposes.

Many codes suggest that an even higher porosity of 40%

results from the packing of rocks, particularly when the rocks

are more round than rectangular.

Th e suggested higher porosity is mentioned by codes not to

be considered as a porosity bonus, which it is, but as a warning

that designers must consider the reduction in weight if rocks

are unintentionally loosely packed.

This possible variation in the porosity adds an inter-

esting challenge, as the designer needs to see the effect on

the bearing of a heavy wall if the rocks are tightly com-

pacted (30% porosity) and the sliding and overturning of

a lighter wall if the rocks are loosely packed (40% to 50%).

Such “what if ” calculations can give the designer a very

good feel to what extent the packing can be relied upon.

Installation requirements and quality control measures can

be specified accordingly.

It is also always advisable to check, even though gabions

are porous, the possibility that the structure could lose its per-

meability or at least have a slow draw down owing to combina-

tions of rocks that are very well packed (which is mandatory in

high walls) and a geotextile that has become clogged and less

eff ective, and a well compacted backfi ll that is slow to dissipate

the water to the wall.

All this comes down to engineering judgement, but precau-

tions have to be taken to counter worst case scenarios.

An interesting fact is that a gabion fi lled with good rock of

SG 2.6 and a porosity of approximately 40% can have a mass of

less than 16 kN/m3, which will be lighter than a gabion fi lled

with sand.

And yes, gabions can be fi lled with sand by either lining

the cage with geotextiles or using sand bags. Precautionary

measures need to be taken for sand-fi lled gabions, though, as it

is diffi cult to brace them without creating holes through which

the sand could leak out, and sand-fi lled gabions and sand bags

will lose sand if punctured.

Th ese are interesting challenges which can be overcome

by a combination of a basket with rocks packed in the front to

provide a façade, and sand bags behind the façade, or even by

having all the exposed gabions packed with rock and all hidden

baskets fi lled with sand.

Sand-fi lled gabions should, however, not be used in hy-

draulic applications.

■ Gabions are easy to pack, but this is both an advantage and

a disadvantage as it is time-consuming to pack gabions cor-

rectly. Th e need to speed up construction, coupled with the

reluctance to spend time to get the baskets stretched and taut

or to use the optional shutter frames, often results in a poorly

packed basket. Poorly packed gabions are often rejected for

aesthetic reasons, even if it can be proved that the stability is

not impaired.

■ Gabions are environmentally friendly, can be greened and

have an exceptionally small carbon footprint compared with

alternative structures. A gabion wall built using rocks sourced

from within 100 km has a carbon footprint of 5 000 kg CO2 eq,

and one built from rocks from a distant quarry has a footprint

of 8 000 kg CO2 eq, both impressively lower than the carbon

footprint of 53 000 kg CO2 eq for an equivalent concrete

wall. Th is does not take into account the carbon absorption

of a greened gabion relative to a concrete structure. Over

time some gabions in fact become totally absorbed into their

natural surroundings.

■ Gabions are aesthetically pleasing, blending very well into

landscaped or architectural surroundings.

■ Gabion walls make very good noise barriers.

■ Double twist mesh gabions are fl exible and have an advan-

tage over more rigid structures, because they can conform to

ground movements, dissipate energy from fl owing water and,

as mentioned above, drain freely. Th is fl exibility makes them

very popular as rock fall barriers – they can take the impact

and not lose their stability even when they have suff ered

major deformations. Designers should take care when using

dowels or ancillary bracing which remove this fl exibility, as

such restraints could cause a buildup of strains which would

otherwise have dissipated naturally. One also needs to be very

mindful of movements when rigid structures are built on or

adjacent to gabions.

■ The life expectancy of gabions is dependent on the

lifespan of the wire and not the contents of the basket.

This is important, as the wire is unfortunately, like the skel-

eton of a crustacean, on the outside, and is therefore vulner-

able to mechanical damage, theft and corrosion. Structural

gabions, unlike reinforced concrete, do not have the luxury

of having the steel cast into the concrete with a good cover

to protect it from the elements. In gabions, the wire is to-

tally exposed to the elements, making it heavily reliant on

protective coating. This has resulted in a well-researched


When I say I’ll deliver... I deliver!Peter YamanGeneral Manager - Projects/Heavy Lift Division

Together, the Johnson team delivers a SMART liftSafety | Maintenance | Availability | Reliability | Total Cost Effectiveness

Tel: +27 (011) 455 9222 or 0860 CRANES | Fax: +27 (011) 455 9230

Prod

uced

by

Cor

alyn

ne &

Ass

ocia

tes

Tel

: (01

1) 4

22-1

949

and well-documented science of zinc galvanising which,

with its aluminium-enhanced alloys, provides the engineer

with very good guidelines for estimating the life expectancy

for various locations and applications. Such galvanised wire

can last for as long as 50 years before the coating is lost and

can then still continue to function for many years as the

diameter slowly decreases until it becomes thinner than the

required design diameter.

Th is constant decrease in the thickness of the coating and

the eventual gradual decrease in the diameter can be allowed

for in the design.

Additional protection is available by extruding a polymer

sleeve of PVC or nylon over the wire to protect the wire from

the elements, thereby adding decades of eff ectiveness. Th e

main requirement, other than ageing, is to be able to resist

mechanical or chemical damage by being hard, fl exible and

permanently adhered to the wire. All these properties are

achieved by the polymers, and provide the designer with an

additional protection to the zinc or zinc alloy thicknesses

required to ensure life expectancy. Although polymers melt

under a fl ame, they stop burning as soon as the fl ame is re-

moved, minimising the damage. Such damaged areas can be

patched, as can areas that have been destroyed when vandal-

ised for the theft of wires.

DESIGNING MASS GRAVITY GABION RETAINING WALLSTh e steps taken to design a mass gravity wall are very similar,

whether it be built from concrete, brick or gabion baskets. Th ese

design steps can be summarised as follows:

1. Determine the forces acting on the wall.

2. Check that the resisting moment exceeds the overturning mo-

ment by a suitable safety factor.

3. Check that sliding resistance exceeds the active horizontal

force by a suitable safety factor.

4. Check that the resultant force falls within the middle third

of the wall’s base, and that the maximum bearing pressure is

within the allowable limit.

5. Check the internal stability of the wall for compression and

shear.

6. Repeat these steps until a suitable design that meets all criteria

is achieved. Note that the wall stability must be checked at the

base and at each course of gabions.

1. Determine the forces acting on the wall.

Th e forces acting on the wall are mainly the forces due to the

retained soils, and the forces due to any surcharge loadings and

live loads as per loading codes. Th e most widely used method

to assess the magnitude and distribution of these forces is the

limit equilibrium method which randomly selects the sliding

surfaces and determines the forces acting on the edges of

the soil mass. Th e surface selected will be the one which will

increase the thrust up to its maximum. Th e active thrust can

increase during an earthquake due to the horizontal and ver-

tical acceleration of the ground. Th ese induced forces must be


considered in the force equilibrium.

Coulomb’s theory is another method used to calculate the ac-

tive and passive thrust acting on a retaining structure. It assumes

that the soil total shear resistance is mobilised along the sliding

and failure surface located within the soil mass.

Th ere are cases where gabions are required as free-standing

walls, and in such cases one would need to consider wind load-

ings on the wall or wind loading from fences that have their posts

set into the gabions, as well as possible horizontal impact forces.

For many other forms of the wall hydrostatic forces may be

present, but for most gabion structures hydrostatic forces need

not be considered if one can ensure a free draining stone or rock-

fi ll in the gabion and when one can provide internal drains for

groundwater.

Ponding on the backfi ll should be avoided by grading the sur-

face away from the wall and by allowing for outlets at low points

behind the wall where the geometry of the area could cause

water to accumulate.

2. Check that resisting moment exceeds the overturning moment.

Th e structure’s stability check against overturning is conducted

by comparing the moments of the restoring active forces and the

moments of the overturning active forces. Th ese moments are

calculated with respect to the lower front of the base of the wall

which represents the overturning point.

Th e forces which contribute to the wall stability are the

weight of the structure, the loads acting on the wall and the pas-

sive thrust. Th e recommended embedment or buried depth is in

practice one tenth of the height, or 300 mm minimum. Th e pas-

sive thrust is often ignored in design to avoid reliance on passive

resistance, and to allow for unplanned excavations at the front of

the wall.

Th e possibility of reduced weight owing to poor fi lling of the

baskets must be taken into account as mentioned previously.

Th e inertia forces induced by the seismic eff ect, and the uplift

pressures which are involved when the wall is partially under-

water, are considered in the calculation of the structure unit

weight and contribute to decreasing the restoring moment.

3. Check that sliding resistance exceeds the active horizontal force.

Th e tendency of the active earth pressure to cause the wall to

slide horizontally must be opposed by the frictional resistance at

the base of the wall.

All the factors that could decrease the weight, as mentioned

above, need to be considered when calculating the frictional re-

sistance. Th e passive thrust should again be ignored owing to the

possibility of unplanned excavation in front of the wall, which

could remove the assistance gained from the embedment.

Only the base width can be utilised against sliding, as the

common practice of providing a key below the base as is done

with concrete bases, is not an acceptable practice.

Th e available resisting force is given by:

T = N tanØ

where Ø is the angle of friction between the foundation and

the base of the wall, and B is the length of the base.

If a geofabric fi lter is not placed under the base of the wall, Ø is

assumed to be equal to the angle of friction of the foundation

soil. Otherwise the angle of friction is reduced by a percentage

to be decided by the designer. Many engineers prefer not to use a

geotextile under the gabion, but if it is necessary, then a “default”

reduction of 15% is recommended, but there is unfortunately no

validation of this 15% fi gure.

There is additional resistance offered by a cohesive soil

and by the anchoring effect of a protrusion of the base into

the backfill. If the anchorage effect of an extended base is

required, then the tension in the “anchor” is limited by the

allowable tensile strength of the gabion mesh, which is ap-

proximately 50 kN/m.

4. Check that the resultant force falls within the middle third of the wall’s

base, and that the maximum bearing pressure is within the allowable limit.

Th e key to analysing the pressures acting on the foundation of

the structure is to fi rst determine the point of application of the

normal force and the moment equilibrium with respect to the

point of overturning, which is given by:

d = (Mr – M

o)/N and

e = B/2 - d

where Mr and M

o are the moment of resistance and over-

turning moments, N is the normal force, and d is the distance

from the front of the base to the normal force.

From e one can determine the maximum pressure which is given

by:

omax

= N/B (1 + 6e/B)

The designer must also be cognisant of the fact that the base

of a gabion is not rigid and that it cannot have an even distri-

bution of pressure that is theoretically based on a rigid base

obtained from a reinforced concrete base. It is for this reason

that the designer should strive to keep the eccentricity well

within the mid third.

Anyone brave enough to disregard this advice must adjust the

pressure by acknowledging that the base is not fully utilised, and

use the higher pressure of omax

= 2N/3D, but it is strongly recom-

mended that this situation be avoided.

It is also good practice to place the gabions with the longest

dimension perpendicular to the wall, i.e. from front to back in

header courses rather than from left to right in stretcher courses.

Th is avoids a train of say four 1 m wide units laced together to

form a 4 m wide base which will be more fl exible than a base made

from a single 4 m long unit or a base made from two 2 m units.

High pressures on the lower gabions of walls higher than 4 m

can also be countered by using smaller 0.5 m x 0.5 m units which

provide a higher percentage of wire per cubic metre of rock and

accordingly increases the shear strength and bearing capacity of

the fi lled gabions.

Another good practice is to build all walls with a batter of

approximately 6°, but checking that the shear of the top basket is

not negative, otherwise the wall will fall backwards.

An alternative to providing a batter is to provide a front-

stepped gabion rather than a vertical front-faced gabion. Th is

also off ers an aesthetic advantage, as the steps conceal instal-

lation imperfections or post-construction movements, both of

which become very conspicuous when trying to provide a per-

fectly smooth vertical front face. Gabions stepped on the outside

are also easier to vegetate.


5. Check the internal stability of the wall for compression and shear.

Besides the analyses previously described, the retaining structure

must also be checked against the possibility of internal failure,

since it is subject to internal stresses due to the thrust and to the

surcharge loads directly applied to the wall.

In the case of gabions one must, at every layer, check the

pressure on the gabions and check each layer against sliding

with respect to the layer above or below it. For this analysis, one

must determine the active thrust which acts on the wall por-

tion above the analysed section, using the same procedures as

for the other checks.

For calculating maximum bearing versus allowable bearing,

the maximum normal stress at a layer is given by:

omax

= N/2d or N/(B-2e)

where N and d are obtained from the force and moment

equilibrium.

Th e allowable value is dependent only on the density of the rock

and is obtained from empirical formulae derived from research

and tests:

oall

= 50 γ – 30 (t/m2)

where γ is the gabion unit weight which is the eff ective

density of the packed rock in t/m3. Example of a MacStars gabion wall


For example, a rock of 2.6 t/m3 which, with a porosity of 40%,

would give a density of:

γ = 2.6 x 0.6 = 1.56 t/m3

oall

= 50 γ – 30 = 50 x 1.56 – 30 = 48 t/m2

or oall

= 480 kN/m2

for rock of SG 2.6 and porosity of 40 %.

Many engineers use oall

= 610 kN/m2 which is for rock of SG 2.6

and porosity of 30%.

γ (kN/m3) oall

(kN/m2)

14 400

16 500

18 600

Th e table alongside can be inter-

polated for a quick check on al-

lowable bearing for various com-

binations of gabion densities.

Maximum shear versus allowable shear

A research study on gabions has identifi ed the geotechnical

parameters of the “equivalent soil” in accordance with the Mohr-

Coulomb interpretation model (τ = C + o tanØ) where the “cohe-

sion” is provided by the mesh characteristic and the “angle of

friction” by the rock characteristics:

τall

= Cg+ otanψ (kN/m2)

Cg = overall cohesive eff ect of the wire mesh

Cg = 0.3 P

u - 0.5 (t/m2)

Pu = is an empirical value based on a combination of the mesh

strength and weight in kg per m3 of wall.

An approximation of Pu can be obtained by assuming that it is

the weight per cubic metre of the empty basket.

Th e Pu values for gabions whose tensile strength are in the

region of 50 kN/m can be assumed to be at the least:

Pu = 15 kg/m3 for 0.5 m gabions of mesh type 80 and 2.7 mm

Ø wire, and

Pu = 9 kg/m3 for 1.0m gabions of mesh type 80 and 2.7 mm

Ø mesh.

Th is converts to cohesion values of :

Cg = 40 kN/m2 for 0.5 m gabions of mesh type 80 and 2.7 mm

Ø mesh

Cg = 22 kN/m2 for 1 m gabions of type 80 and 2.7 mm Ø mesh

ψ = internal “fi ctitious“ angle of friction of aggregate

ψ = 25γ - 10°

where γ is the gabion unit weight which is the eff ective den-

sity of the packed rock in t/m3.

Example:

ψ = 29° for rock of SG 2.6 packed to 40% porosity, and

ψ = 35.5° for rock of SG 2.6 packed to 30% porosity.

SUMMARY OF GOOD GABION PRACTICES

■ Be aware of the effect of any water at or near the wall and provide additional drainage if required. ■ Be wary of clay in the vicinity of the wall. ■ Always have a geotechnical engineer review the founda-tions and the global stability. ■ Design with a batter or a stepped front face. ■ Base should be >2/3H and e<B/6. ■ Embedment must be >H/10 and >300 mm. ■ Consider the impact on the design if gabions are poorly packed. ■ Choose a wire coating to suit the environment and the desired design life. ■ Only use SANS 1580 approved gabions from a reputable supplier. Inferior gabions will compromise the safety of the wall. ■ Ensure that gabions are correctly assembled, laced and braced as per SANS 1200DK and to the manufacturer’s in-stallation manual. Incorrectly installed gabions will increase the risk of failure. ■ Position gabions with the longest dimension perpendicular to the wall. ■ Tension empty baskets longitudinally until they are taut and the correct lengths. ■ Use 0.5 m gabions in the lower third of walls >4 m or if necessary gabions manufactured from 3 mm wire mesh, or additional bracing. ■ Very high walls must have the mesh of the panels of the front face aligned vertically. ■ Use correct strength and size of rock and ensure it is cor-rectly packed. ■ Pack rocks to lie fl at like bricks rather than standing up like books on a shelf. ■ Encourage the use of temporary formwork during con-struction to provide a good front face. ■ Be aware of possible corrosion to the wire from salts in soils, pollutants, fertilisers, etc. ■ Minimise damage to geotextiles and protective coating of wire. ■ Provide at least 300 mm laps to geotextile. ■ Avoid deforming of the gabions during the construction of the backfi ll. ■ Avoid clay in the backfi ll.

The assembly on site of gabions is the most

vulnerable of all the processes involved from the

drawing board to the fi nished product. It cannot

be stressed enough that a badly installed

gabion will have a direct effect on the stability of

the structure.


Slope stability check of internal strength

A good evaluation of the fi nal design can be obtained by as-

suming that the wall is replaced by a stand-alone bank whose

cohesion Cg and the angle of friction ψ and the density γ are

the same as those obtained for the gabion parameters above.

Using a slope analysis methodology such as Bishop’s will en-

able the designer to get a satisfactory and realistic indication

of the stability of his design.

CONCLUSIONTh e above information should hopefully empower the de-

signer to become versant with gabions as a means of off ering

a viable solution for a mass gravity retaining wall. Th ere are,

in addition, numerous commercial and proprietary software

programmes available that could assist to perfect the design

and enable the designer within minutes to run alternatives by

varying all the parameters mentioned in this article.

The focus must then move to the sourcing of the ga-

bions. The easiest way to ensure that the units delivered

to site meet the design requirements is to specify that the

gabions are manufactured to SANS 1580, which is the

relevant code for the manufacturing of hexagonal steel

wire mesh gabions. This will ensure that the gabions are

manufactured under strict ISO controls and will have

the desired strength capabilities. Gabions that are for any

reason substandard will not be able to withstand the high

pressures that occur in such mass gravity structures.

Th e same applies for the assembly on site of gabions

as this is the most vulnerable of all the processes involved

from the drawing board to the fi nished product. It cannot

be stressed enough that a badly installed gabion will have a

direct eff ect on the stability of the structure.

Th e designer must therefore ensure that the gabions

are installed according to SANS 1200 DK, the standard for

the installation of gabions (Standard Specifi cations for Civil

Engineering Construction of Gabions). SANS 1200 DK further

requires that the installation also adheres to the manufac-

turer’s installation specifi cations. Complying with these

measures will ensure that the wall is correctly built.

INFO

Tim Freeman (PDR) Pr Eng

Technical Manager

Maccaferri SA (Pty) Ltd

[email protected]

Black empowered,

JSE-listed Afrimat

is one of the largest

suppliers of a broad

range of construction

materials and

industrial minerals,

including aggregates.

Mining & Aggregates

is making its mark by

supplying the highest

quality aggregate

while at the same time

ensuring a minimal

environmental impact.

Operating its own

crushing plants,

Mining & Aggregates

also provides

earthmoving, plant

hire, sub-contracted

transport and quality

assurance services.

Mining & Aggregates

supplies to large

scale civil engineering

and infrastructure

projects as well as to

the group’s Concrete

Products and

Readymix divisions.

Afrimat also services

blue-chip clients

supplying products

such as readymix,

concrete products,

mobile contracting

services and

industrial minerals.

Telephone: +27 21 917 8840

Facsimile: +27 21 914 1174

[email protected]

www.afrimat.co.za

®

Mining &Aggregates


Bridging the way to the second largest Bridging the way to the second largest uranium mine in the worlduranium mine in the world

INTRODUCTIONTh e longest bridge since the independence

of Namibia in 1990 is set to be completed

by April 2014, connecting the Husab

Uranium Mine with the outside world.

Th is new bridge-over-river is located in

the Khan River Valley approximately

14 km south of the B2 main road leading

to Swakopmund, and about 7 km north of

the proposed mine on a route that winds

partly through the Welwitchia plains of the

Namib Naukluft Park. Th is 22 km stretch

of surfaced road will connect the new mine

with the Namibian road network, and,

with its unique moon landscapes, promises

to be one of the most picturesque routes

within Namibia once completed.

Swakop Uranium (Pty) Ltd, as the

client, has set out to construct a world-

class uranium mine about 50 km east

of the coastal town of Swakopmund,

which is situated on the central western

coastline of Namibia. Lithon Project

Consultants (Pty) Ltd was appointed to

conduct the design and construction su-

pervision of the road and bridge, and has

subsequently sub-contracted Gibb (Pty)

Ltd, a South African-based fi rm, to assist

with the specialist works, particularly

regarding the bridge-over-river structure.

HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT AREAA stretch of about 10 km of the route has

historic signifi cance, as the old German

railway line from Swakopmund to

Windhoek had been constructed along

this route and was used in the late 1800s

and early 1900s. At the time a bridge was

also constructed in the same place where

the new bridge is now being built to cross

the Khan River. Th ere are still signs of the

old rail embankment, while the old water

pits are also still visible adjacent to the

bridge site. Th ese ruins and landmarks

need to be preserved, posing signifi cant

challenges in the design and construction

of the road and bridge.

ROUTE SELECTIONOne of the highlights of the project is

the fact that it is a greenfi eld project. Not

many engineers or contractors have the

opportunity to work on greenfi eld projects

in this day and age. Th is, however, brings

with it certain environmental constraints

and responsibilities, as part of the route

crosses the proclaimed Namib Naukluft

Park, and passes a number of historically

signifi cant landmarks, as had been men-

tioned above. As part of the route within

the Namib Naukluft Park runs through

the Welwitchia plains, an environmentally

sensitive area abounding with unique

desert fl ora and fauna, the route had to

be well positioned to prevent signifi cant

negative impact on the surroundings. A

further factor that had to be borne in mind

during route planning was that, due to the

unusual beauty and historical signifi cance

(with the old Khan mine also still in the

vicinity) of this area, it attracts numerous

tourists and tour operators.

Another challenge was to select the

most feasible route. Part of the route runs

through the so-called moon landscapes

– very rough terrain consisting of solid

granite rock – hence most of the route is

within tributaries of the Khan River, with

a 3 km stretch within the dry river bed.

All the above factors had to be consid-

ered and accommodated during the selec-

tion and design of the route, which in turn

constituted a highlight of the design phase,

as 4x4 vehicles, motorcycles and men on

foot were the main modes of transport

during the interesting investigation and

feasibility stage. LIDAR surveys with photo

Gert Maritz Pr Eng

Director: Transportation

Lithon Project Consultants (Pty) Ltd

[email protected]

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Connecting the Husab Uranium Mine in Namibia with the outside world – aerial view of the starkly beautiful moon

landscape through which the road descends to the Khan River


imagery were also conducted over a large

portion of the area to assist with the route

selection.

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTIONAt the point of the river crossing, the

sandy river bed is roughly 200 m wide,

with an elevation of 294 m, and is fl anked

on both sides by the steep slopes of

rugged mountains.

Th e proposed 160 m long Khan River

Bridge is positioned reasonably centrally

within the estimated overall fl ood width

of the river. Th e bridge has been de-

signed for a single carriageway road and

comprises eight simply-supported 20 m

long deck spans carried on solid circular

reinforced concrete piers, with pier heads

and closed cantilever type abutments with

return walls and earwings. Wingwalls are

constructed utilising gabion boxes. Th e

bridge caters for a 7.6 m roadway between

kerbs (2 x 3.5 m lanes plus 300 mm wide

shoulders), and 0.855 m wide raised side-

walks are provided on both sides resulting

in an overall bridge width of 9.37 m

between parapets. Th e fi rst six spans are

on a 210 m circular curve with a 6% super

elevation, and the remaining two spans at

the southern end are on a straight align-

ment with the super elevation reducing

from 6% at the last pier on the east bank

to 2% at the east abutment.

Th e bridge is founded on 38 reinforced

oscillator piles socketed within the river

bedrock, each 900 mm in diameter with

a length ranging between 14 m and 24 m.

Each pier is supported by four piles, and

the two abutments by fi ve piles each.

The bridge over the Khan River under construction, with the famous ‘paddaklip’ visible on the left-hand side of the photo

Construction of road within the Khan Valley


[email protected] | www.lithon.com

Lithon Project Consultants is a well-established and dynamic consulting engineering firm that was founded

in Namibia in 2002. We provide project management, multi-disciplinary consulting engineering and mining

services to our clients through our 4 offices in Namibia and 2 recently opened offices in South Africa.

Lithon is a company with a clear vision, which is to make a difference in the world through our God-given skills as

Engineers. Our long-term strategy and dream is to have a global presence by partnering with like-minded and

like-hearted individuals that share our vision. If you are one of these, please contact us at [email protected] in

order to strengthen our team that will enable to meet the growing demand of our clients.

lithon ad quater 20jan2014 cmyk indd 1 2014/01/28 4:33 PM

ROAD CONSTRUCTIONTh e pavement design consists of a fl exible

pavement sealed with a 19 mm Cape Seal.

Th ere is a single carriageway in each direc-

tion, with climbing lanes on the ascending

sections on either side of the Khan River to

ensure that slower traffi c is accommodated

on the steep slopes. Th e travel way in each

direction consists of a 3.5 m lane, 300 mm

surfaced shoulder and 1.7 m gravel shoulder.

Th e fi rst 4 km of the road is over a

relatively fl at terrain before descending into

the moon landscapes – a rough terrain con-

sisting of solid granite rock. Ten kilometres

of the route runs within tributaries of the

Khan River, with 3 km within the Khan River

itself. Th e road within the Khan River has

been positioned on the northern embank-

ment of the river and protected with gabion

boxes and mattresses over the entire length

of the river section. Th e last 3 km of the route

are on the relatively fl at Welwitchia plains.

CONCLUSIONTh e total budget of the project is estimated

at N$170 million, of which the bridge

construction amounts to approximately

N$21 million. Even though the bridge and

road construction forms only a very small

percentage of the total capital outlay of the

newly developed mine, the road and the

bridge together serve as an invaluable lifeline

for the import and export activities of this

new mine.

PROJECT TEAM

Client Swakop Uranium (Pty) Ltd Professional teamLithon Project Consultants (Pty) Ltd with Gibb (Pty) Ltd as specialist sub-consultantMain contractorBasil Read Namibia (Pty) LtdMajor sub-contractorsBotes & Kennedy Namibia (Pty) Ltd (bridge)Stefanutti Stocks Geotechncial (Pty) Ltd (piling)Basil Read Blasting and Excavation Namibia (blasting)

Underside of the completed deck bridge


1.

2.

3. 4.

Yodalarm Industrial Combination

Johannesburg011 677 2500

Cape Town021 593 1114

Bloemfontein051 448 0996

Durban031 319 5400

Port Elizabeth041 374 1687

www.wacoelec.co.za

1. Series YL5IS 2. Series YL80 3. Series YL80 Super 4. Series YL60


L E G A L

Global claims– quo vadis?

PROBLEM SPECIFICATIONOf the order of 40% of construction contracts overrun time

and cost budgets, and require the management of change and

the administration of Extension of Time (EOT), and Delay and

Disruption Claims (DD). Th e requirements for the management

of change and the administration of the progress of the Works

are embodied in the standard forms of contract, and generally

form the factual matrix of contractual claims.

Since the 1990s the contractual requirements (such as

Critical Path Method) within world-class contracts, e.g. the

NEC3 and the FIDIC suite of contracts, have been developed

with the aim of limiting disputes. In parallel with this evolu-

tionary process, the Society of Construction Law developed

its ‘Delay and Disruption Protocol’ in 2002. Irrespective of the

contractual development and advances in technology, case law

refl ects a perpetuation of the ineffi ciencies inherent in these

categories of claims. Th is article considers a single problematic

issue within the claims environment, which is simply the legal

stance on the submission of global claims.

Th e benchmark for assessing whether or not a global claim

is acceptable for consideration by a Mediator/Adjudicator/

Arbitrator or the Courts is set against the current international

trends in law. Th e development of English and American law is

considered to be well suited, as fi rstly this case law has persuasive

value, and secondly there is a commonality within the develop-

ment of construction contracts and law, as is evidenced in the

familiar feel in GCC and ICE Conditions and the embracing by

the CIDB of the ICE Adjudication procedures.

THE DEFINITION OF A GLOBAL CLAIMElliott (2005) identifi es the legal defi nition of Global Claims, or

composite, rolled-up, total loss or total cost claims (Boulding

2006a) as claims where: “… the claimant does not seek to at-

tribute any specifi c loss to a specifi c breach of contract, but is

content to allege a composite loss as a result of all the breaches

alleged, or presumably as a result of such breaches as are ulti-

mately proved” (Byrne, in Holland v Kvaerneri).

THE LAW

The United Kingdom

EOT and DD claims remain a problematic area in law (Burr & Lane

2003), and the success of an action is largely dependent upon the

facts, as Pallis-Clark (2010) emphasised in the article Delay Analysis

Facts are King. At the outset the approved programme (as in Balfour

Beatty v Lambethii), as submitted by the contractor at the com-

mencement of the works, with the associated method statement and

resource demand, is essential to defi ne an ‘expected cost’ (as prepared

tender cost), as defi ned in Bernhards v Stockleyiii. Th e law, as Judge

Humphrey LLoyd QC stated in Alfred McAlpine v Property and

Leonardo Errera Pr Eng C Eng

Claims Management and

Dispute Resolution Consultant

Adjudicator and Arbitrator

[email protected]


Landiv, is clear in that it seeks certainty when ascertaining actual loss

or expense. Mr Justice Dyson, however, in How v Lindnerv, stated

that the civil standard of proof is required and that there is scope for

exercise of judgment. Th ese developments in law led to concerns, as

expressed by Burr & Lane, that the judiciary had a “somewhat incre-

mental and individualistic approach to claims for delay and disrup-

tion”. Further legal issues associated with the ownership of fl oat and

concurrent delays are identifi ed by Scott, Harris & Greenwood (2004),

but these issues fall outside the scope of this article.

Th e courts have had, what Burr & Lane view as an expan-

sion and retreat regarding the legal inadequacies or otherwise

of global claims. Th e courts are now more reluctant to disallow

a claimant to proceed based upon the lack of particularity in its

pleadings, and are less averse to allowing a claim to proceed on

the basis that there exists a chance that the claimant may be able

to demonstrate that it is impractical or impossible to better break

down the complex interaction of events comprising its claim.

Lord & Gray (2011) have welcomed this development and sug-

gest that claimants should provide the courts with a cost benefi t

analysis to motivate for the consideration of global claims. Lord

& Gray are of the opinion that, should the courts conclude that

the analysis is reasonable and defendable, then the acceptability

of submitting global claims will be considerably enhanced. Th e

fi nal report of Sir Rupert Jackson (2009)vi might be seen as sup-

porting the concept of proportionality and could well allow for a

further relaxation in the courts’ attitude towards, and considera-

tion of, global claims. Th e O.G.C. (2003) Report also emphasises

the need to improve the effi ciency and economics of the con-

struction industry. In contrast to the relaxation in law as to the

acceptability of global claims, we fi nd the courts’ unwavering

demand for the establishment of a causal nexus by a claimant in

order to prove his claim. Ndekugri, Braimah & Gameson (2008)

and Palles-Clark (2010) emphasise the need for the claimant to

maintain a focus on the causal link as, without the proof of cause

and eff ect, complex analyses are of minimal or no value.

The United States of America

Global Claims do present causative challenges, but a transgressor

will be held to account where the quantifi cation of the individual

heads of claim are impracticable to determine. Court of Claims –

Boyajian v United States (1970) 423 F 2d 1231:

“Th is theory has never been favored (sic) by the court and has

been tolerated only when no other mode was available. Th e ac-

ceptability of the method hinges on proof that:

1. nature of the particular losses make it impossible or highly

impracticable to determine them with a reasonable degree

of accuracy;

2. the plaintiff ’s bid or estimate was realistic;

3. the plaintiff ’s actual costs were reasonable; and

4. the plaintiff was not responsible for the added expense.”

THE AIM OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM“Th e aim of the legal system is to secure conformity to certain

Standards of Conduct,” say Hart & Honoré (1985). Causation in

law is a constant and does not vary across the realms of actions,

according to Willis & Brown (2004). Th ompson (2007) is of the

opinion that it is only in exceptional circumstances that the rules

of causation “can be modifi ed on policy grounds”, and by the

requirements of justice, as in Fairchild v Glenhavenvii. It is against

this benchmark that causation within the Built Environment

LEGAL CAUSATION(subject also to the

intrusion of factual-causal concepts)

The boundary between factual and legal

causa on is ‘blurred’

.

CAUSE (c)---------------------------------------------------EFFECT (e)The cause of ac on is

chosen by the claimantTIER ONE

CAUSE OF ACTION

------------------ -

THE LAW

STATUTECONTRACT LAW

(bespoke clauses)COMMON LAW

True scope of the rule which imposes liability.Iden ca on of the grounds upon which the rule imposes liability.The kind of loss for which it provides compensa on.

‘General Causa on’

‘Individual Causa on’

‘Fault Causa on’

Hypothe cal ‘parallel series’The speci c replacement in law for cause and e ect

Replacement Cause (c*)--------------------Replacement E ect (e*)established on the balance of probabili es

TIER TWOLIMITATION OF LIABILITY IN LAW

FACTUAL CAUSATION

Factual matrix pertaining to both (c) and (e) and (c*) and (e*) applied to the limits of liability set in law in order to determine

the quantum of Time and Financial claims

TIER THREEDEFINITION OF

QUANTUM

FACTUALCAUSATION

(partly a legal ques on)

THAT WHICH DID TRANSPIRE

Figure 1: Contrastive Causation – research model to manage Extension of Time and Disruption Claims (Errera 2013)


must be assessed. Figure 1 illustrates an overview of the

Contrastive Causation Model, within the Built Environment, as

proposed by Errera (2013) to manage EOT and DD claims.

Th e Standard Forms of Contract call for the contractor to

submit a Works Programme with associated Method Statement

and Cash Flow which allow the employer, and his duly appointed

agent, to monitor progress and manage change. Th e require-

ments in law for the management of change by the application of

Critical Path Method techniques are succinctly proff ered by H.H.

Judge Humphrey LLoyd Q.C. in Balfour v Lambethviii:

“… the foundation must be the original programme (if ca-

pable of justifi cation and substantiation to show its validity

and reliability as a contractual starting point) and its success

will similarly depend on the soundness of its revisions on

the occurrence of every event, so as to be able to provide a

satisfactory and convincing demonstration of cause and ef-

fect. A valid critical path (or paths) has to be established both

initially and at every later material point since it (or they) will

almost certainly change. Some means has also to be estab-

lished for demonstrating the eff ect of concurrent or parallel

delays or other matters for which the employer will not be

responsible under the contract.” (underscoring provided)

ACCEPTABILITY OF GLOBAL CLAIMSLord Reid, in McGhee v National Coal Boardix stated that:

“It has always been the law that a pursuer succeeds if he

can show that the fault of the defender caused or materially

contributed to his injury. Th ere may have been two separate

causes but it is enough if one of those causes arose from the

fault of the defender.”

Th e general test for matters of this nature is the “material contri-

bution test” (Th ompson 2007). Th ompson is of the opinion that it

is unlikely that the exception to the general rule of causation will

stray outside of the guidance off ered by Lord Hoff man in Barker

v Corus UK Ltdx:

“Firstly, with regard to the limits of the exception to the general

rule, Lord Hoff man stated that the essential condition for the

exception was that, ‘the impossibility of proving that the de-

fendant caused the damage arises out of the existence of another

potential causative agent which operated in the same way.’

Secondly, with regard to the extent of liability under the excep-

tion, Lord Hoff man adapted the approach that the defendant is

liable only for the proportion of his contribution to the loss and

hoped that, ‘practical and economic’ criteria could be developed

for the qualifi cation of the claimant’s loss in such situations.”

Global Claims seek to consolidate the quantifi cation of the

impact of the claimant’s individual heads of claim. Th e Global

Claim compromises the level of detail, or particularity, of Tier

3 of the Contrastive Causation Model (Errera 2013). Boulding

(2006a) describes the composite claim as a situation in which,

“the claimant openly declares its intent to not adduce evidence

to prove the basic elements but rather puts forward … a total

amount of loss incurred ...” Elliott (2005) emphasises that the

courts will look to the claimant to meet the burden of proof that:

1. a breach, or breaches, or claim events have occurred;

2. the defendant is factually and legally responsible for these events;

3. the Relevant Events caused the loss;

4. the global quantum of the loss fl ows from the Relevant Events.

Pennicott (2006) recognises the existence of parallels between

Fairchild v Glenhaven and global claims. Pennicott concludes

that, although global claims should be viewed as the exception

rather than the rule, Doyle v Laingxi is a source of encouragement

for the construction industry.

CONCLUSIONAlthough the Protocol discourages the practice of making com-

posite claims, research (Errera 2013) indicates that the law has, and

will always, recognise the need to address claims of this nature. Th is

view has gained further support and has now gained precedence in

the ruling of Lord Justice Aikens in Walter Lilly v Mackayxii.

“It is clear that, generally speaking, when there is a claim for

the type of expenses that have been claimed in this action,

they have to be claimed, as it were, individually, setting par-

ticular claims alongside particular events. However, in certain

circumstances there can be what is known as a ‘global claim’,

or what I think in one of the cases is termed a ‘rolled up award’.

Th at type of approach however is only permissible in certain

clearly defi ned circumstances.”

Th e effi cient resolution of global claims does not detract from the

single most important fact in the resolution of all DD and EOT

claims, which is simply that the construction delay process commences

at project inception. Th is article did not attempt to address the fi ne

nuances in law but rather sought to identify the “clearly defi ned cir-

cumstances” which permit the claimant to submit a global claim.

REFERENCES

LEGAL i John Holland Construction & Engineering (Pty) Ltd v Kvaerner R J

Brown (Pty) Ltd [1996] S.C. (Victoria) 11 October 82 B.L.R. 81.ii Balfour Beatty v Th e Mayor & Burgers of London Borough of

Lambeth. [2002] E.W.H.C. 597 (T.C.C.) (12 April).iii Bernhards Airways Pension Trustees Ltd v Stockley Park

Consortium Ltd [1997] 82 B.L.R.39.iv Alfred McAlpine Homes Limited v Property and Land

Contractors Limited [1996] 76 B.L.R.59.v How Engineering Services Limited v Lindner Ceilings Floors

Partitions Plc [1999] C.I.L.L. 1521.vi Th e Jackson Review (2009).vii Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd [2002] U.K.H.L. 22.viii Balfour Beatty Contruction Ltd v Th e Mayor and Burgesses of

the London Borough of Lambeth [2002] E.W.H.C. (T.C.C.).ix McGhee v National Coal Board [1973] House of Lords 1 W.L.R.1.x Barker v Corus UK Ltd [2006] 2 A.C. 572.xi John Doyle Construction Ltd v Laing Management (Scotland)

Ltd [2004] B.L.R. 295.xii Walter Lilly and Company Ltd v Mackay and Another[2013]

EWCA Civ 1.

BOOKS AND DISSERTATIONS

Abrahamson, M. (1979) Engineering Law and the ICE Contracts.

4th ed. London, E & F.N. Spon.

Eggleston, B. (2006) Th e NEC3 Engineering and Construction

Contract: A Commentary. 2nd ed. Oxford, Blackwell Sciences.

Errera, L. (2013) Contracting for Delay and Disruption.

Dissertation, MSc Construction Law & Dispute Resolution,

Leeds Metropolitan University.

FIDIC (2006) Conditions of Contract for Construction.

Multilateral Development Bank Harmonised ed. Geneva

Switzerland, FIDIC.


Th e Institution of Civil Engineers (NEC3) (June 2005 with

amendments 2006) Engineering and Construction Contract.

3rd ed. London, Th omas Telford Publishing.

Th e Institution of Civil Engineers (2011) ICE Manual of

Construction Law. London, Th omas Telford Publishing.

REPORTS

Jackson, R. (2009) Review of Civil Litigation Costs – Final Report

(Th e Jackson Review). London, H.M.S.O.

O.G.C. (2003) Improving performance, project evaluation and

benchmarking. Achieving excellence in construction procure-

ment guide 08. London.

Society of Construction Law (2002) Delay and Disruption

Protocol. October (2004 reprint), Oxfordshire, Society of

Construction Law.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Boulding, P., Q.C. (2006 a) Global Claims in 2005. Keating Chambers

Seminar, (23 August), [Internet]. Available at:

<http//www.keatingchambers.co.uk/resouces/publications/2006/

pbglobal_claims_2006.aspx> [Accessed 29 May 2012].

Boulding, P., Q.C. (2006 b) Th e New Engineering Contract: A

Progress Report. Keating Chambers Seminar, (20 October),

[Internet]. Available at:

<http//www.keatingchambers.co.uk/resouces/publica-

tions/2006/the_new_engineering_contract_a_progress_re-

port.aspx> [Accessed 29 May 2012].

Burr, A & Lane, N. (2003) Th e SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol:

hunting snarks. Construction Law Journal, 19(3), pp. 135–143.

Elliott, T., Q.C. (2005) Global Claims in 2005. Keating Chambers

Seminar, (27 July), [Internet]. Available at:

<http//www.keatingchambers.co.uk/resouces/publications/2005/

te_global_claims_2005.aspx> [Accessed 29 May 2012].

Lord, W. & Gray, T. (2011) Cost benefi t analysis approach to

global claims. International Journal of Law in the Built

Environment, 3(3), pp. 222–236.

Ndekugri, I., Braimah, N. & Gameson, R. (2008) Delay

Analysis within Construction Contracting Organisations.

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,

A.S.C.E. (September).

Palles-Clark, R. (2010) Delay Analysis Facts are King.

Construction Law Review, C.I.C.E.S. (2010).

Pennicott, I. (2006) Global Claims. Keating Chambers, [Internet].

Available at:

<http//www.keatingchambers.co.uk/resources/publica-

tions/2006/ip_global_claims_scl_newcastle.aspx> [Accessed

24 May 2012].

Scott, S., Harris, R. & Greenwood, D. (2004) Assessing the

New United Kingdom Protocol for Dealing with Delay and

Disruption. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering

Education and Delay Common to Construction Contracts,

A.S.C.E. (January).

Th ompson, J. (2007) Th e Law of Causation in the Law of Tort:

Concurrent Issues. Keating Chambers/Resources, (21 March),

[Internet]. Available at:

<http//www.keatingchambers.co.uk/resouces/publica-

tions/2007/the_law_of_causation_in_the_law_of_tort_con-

current_issues.aspx> [Accessed 24 May 2012].

Willis, M. & Brown, W. (2004) A Change in the rules? Th e New

Law Journal, 154(7157), N.L.J. 1882, (December).

Civillain by Jonah Ptak


Are you prepared for ...... defending claims against delays?

In construction nowadays, tight deadlines and highly demanding programmes increase the risk of delays in both design and construction, which could be could be extremely costly. Claims for the extension of time and financial compensation need to be effectively anticipated, substantiated and defended.

We, at Binnington Copeland & Associates, are highly experienced in the formulation and defence of claims affecting contractors, administrators, designers and suppliers in the engineering, building and construction industries. This is done with close attention to the terms and conditions of the contract, as well as the prevailing circumstances in each and every case.

BCA, as part of the Hill International group with 3,500 employees in 110 offices throughout the world, are able to provide an up-to-date resource of programmes in all aspects of project management, construction management and claims, and consulting services.

Engineering News Record, recently ranked Hill International as the 11th largest construction management company in the United States.

Consult with us “a little” now, to avoid “a lot” later.

Tel: +27 (0)11 888 6141 Email: [email protected] w w. b c a . c o . z a

Reco

rd lev

elsin

globa

l clai

ms

INTRODUCTIONSo, global claims are alive and well and were recently found living

in London! According to many, the judgement of Akenhead J, in

the recent case of Walter Lilly & Co v Giles Patrick Cyril Mackay,

DMW Developments Ltd (2012), shows that global claims are

making a comeback. If you believe this to be true I suggest that

you keep away from internet banner ads that off er ‘one weird tip

for a fl at belly’.

As with all decisions of the courts we must read the full judge-

ment and be wary of stretching precedent beyond breaking point.

As I recall, Robert Akenhead QC was always sceptical about global

claims when being consulted as counsel, and I suspect his view

has changed little now that he is a judge. I would suggest that this

decision in this case turns on some rather peculiar facts rather

than signifying a seminal moment in the history of global claims.

Th e judgement is clear, sensible and worthy of proper considera-

tion, but as noted in the judgement, global claims have been

discussed and ruled upon in much higher courts and so it would

be unwise to read into the judgement a precedent that contradicts

earlier binding decisions. Rather the judge clarifying the existing

thinking.

PROBLEMS WITH GLOBAL CLAIMSIn truth, the basic problem with global claims is one of evidence

and it will always be so. Judges and Tribunals want to be con-

vinced that ‘on the balance of probabilities’ the claimant’s loss

arose as a direct consequence of a respondent’s act or omission.

To meet this burden of proof is not so diffi cult if records have

been maintained, analysed and compiled in a workmanlike way.

Please note the use of the word ‘workmanlike’; you don’t have to

be academically brilliant or extraordinarily talented to compile

and use records wisely.

Claims are a part of everyday life in engineering,

building and construction industry contracts.

There is often a tendency, however, for a claim

to be formulated on a ‘global’ basis, as opposed

to being built up from individual events showing

cause and effect in each case. Such claims do

not fi nd favour in South African courts. In the

July 2012 issue of Civil Engineering (page 48)

Dawson Jenner of Binnington Copeland and

Associates (BCA) in Johannesburg commented

extensively on this topic, comparing the South

African and English positions. In this current

article, Jeff Whitfi eld, Claims Group Director

at leading world-wide claims consultants Hill

International, who recently acquired a controlling

interest in BCA, takes the matter further, with a

candid discussion on the chances of success

with a global claim, as seen from abroad.


We’ve thought about where we came from! The company formerly known as Duktus Tiroler Rohrsysteme GmbH is reverting to the name Tiroler Rohre GmbH. This means the products are also reverting to their original names. For more than 40 years, Tiroler Rohre in the heart of Europe has stood for superb quality and efficiency. Our pile systems, in particular, rank in the top class all over the world.

As in the past, you can obtain the TRM pile (formerly the Duktus pile) in its customary excellent quality from our reliable partner GeoPile Africa (Pty) Ltd (W www.geopileafrica.co.za E [email protected]). TRM – back to the roots!

We’ve thought about where we came

Back to the roots – The Duktus pile becomes the TRM pile

Global claims are usually presented because one of three

things has happened – sensible records were not maintained,

sensible records were not safely stored, sensible records were

not referenced in the compilation of the claim. As the quantum

expert witness in the reported High Court case of Petromec Inc

v Petroleo Brasileiro SA (2007) I testifi ed that adequate records

to prove individual losses had been maintained. In that case the

judge decided that individual events should be separately evi-

denced, ruling against the global claim approach suggested by the

claimant. Th e Court of Appeal agreed later.

It is, therefore, still my view that if records are available which

(a) prove causation and (b) link it with the value of the damage

resulting, then to ignore those records and submit a global claim

would be unwise and possibly fatal to a successful outcome.

If adequate records simply do not exist or were lost I believe that

there are two possible outcomes – the Tribunal may have sympathy

with the claimant’s argument that it was unable to maintain the

necessary records due to the circumstances in which the claimant

was expected to perform the works, or the Tribunal may have sym-

pathy with the respondent’s claim that it would respond favourably

to a particularised claim but the claimant is off ering no substantive

evidence that the respondent was liable for the alleged losses.

I suspect that Akenhead J, in the recent Walter Lilly case ref-

erenced above, adopted the fi rst approach and, if you doubt that

conclusion, read the full judgement.

BEST PRACTICE?Th e advice following this case is broadly the same as the advice

before. In order to give yourself the best possible chance of suc-

cess with any claim, you should:

1. Keep excellent contemporaneous records and store them securely.

2. Identify causes of delay contemporaneously and record the

impact of the delay.

3. Identify causes of disruption contemporaneously and record

the impact of the disruption.

4. Compile these records showing the link between cause and eff ect.

5. Present records that link the eff ects with the damage.

If you are obliged to submit a global claim then you must make

yourself a sympathetic claimant and approach the Tribunal

with openness and what the courts call ‘clean hands’. Hopefully

you will then fi nd a sympathetic judge or Tribunal that will up-

hold and take the time to assess your entitlement.

INFO

Ivor Evans Pr Eng

Binnington Copeland and Associates

+27 11 888 6141

[email protected]

David Brodie-Stedman

Senior Vice-President and Managing Director

Asia, Middle East and Africa, Hill International

+971 2 627 2855

[email protected]

David Merritt

Senior Vice-President and Managing Director

Middle East and Africa, Hill International

+971 4 337 2145

[email protected]

66 January/February 2014 Civil Engineering666666666 JaJaJaJaJanunnununuarararary/y/y/y/FeFeFeFeFebrbrbbrbrbruauaauuauaryryrrr 2201010100014444 CCCCiviivivivvililililil EEEEEEEEnnnggngngn iiinini eeeeriririingngg

GEOPILE AFRICA (Pty) LtdBRIEF HISTORY Th e company registered in 2004 as a spe-

cialist foundations and piling contractor,

and in 2011 entered an exclusive agree-

ment for the patented TRM-Ductile piling

system. In the same year successful TRM-

Ductile piling trials were undertaken

together with the University of Pretoria’s

Civil Engineering Department, and in

2012 the company was awarded its fi rst

TRM-Ductile piling projects.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FOR TRM-DUCTILE PILING SYSTEM GEOPILE AFRICA’s exclusive contract

with TRM-Ductile from Austria, who

manufactures patented plug and drive

system ductile piles, ensures round-

the-clock technical support from TRM-

Ductile and their 30-year old database.

MAIN ADVANTAGES OF TRM-DUCTILE PILING SYSTEM

■ Fast installation (up to 400 m/day)

■ Adjustable pile length (up to 50 m)

■ Simple, patented, fast Plug & Drive joint

system creating rigid connection

■ Less preparation of working platforms

■ Virtually no vibration

■ No spoil and no waste

■ Safe working loads up to 1 400 kN

■ Use of light and standard excavator

equipment

■ Rock and cobbles can be penetrated

giving friction on both outside and

inside of pile

■ Pile head trimming pro-

cess included (thus no time/

cost for general contractor)

■ Environmentally friendly (made from

100% recycled materials)

GRAIN MILL SILO, HARRISMITH, FREE STATE PROVINCEIn April 2013 GEOPILE was awarded the

piling works for the fi rst phase of a grain

mill project in Harrismith, in the Free

State Province.

C O M P A N Y P R O F I L E

Specialist piling and foundations contractor GEOPILE AFRICA is

increasingly establishing itself in the geotechnical engineering

environment as a reliable, professional and technically

skilled partner who gets the job done safely and in the shortest

time possible.


Th is was a fast-track construction

programme, as the customer needed all

the piling to be completed in the shortest

possible time. In addition, the site was

tiny and surrounded by existing struc-

tures, including adjacent railway lines and

overhead cables – all this inside a working

grain mill.

Rising to these challenges GEOPILE

duly mobilised the excavator piling

rig and installed all 22 piles within six

working hours on site, including the pile

head trimming works. All piles were suc-

cessfully installed, embedded into the

underlying sandstone bedrock.

RIVER BRIDGE NEAR TZANEEN, LIMPOPO PROVINCEIn June 2013 GEOPILE was awarded

the piling works for a river bridge near

Tzaneen, based on a redesigned pile

layout using TRM-Ductile piles with

approximately 80 vertical and raking

piles. The raking piles were designed to

be installed at angles between 10° and

35° in order to support the significant

lateral loadings.

Th e alluvial layer with cobbles and

some small boulders had to be penetrated

by the piles in order for them to reach into

the underlying medium-hard bedrock.

Piles were therefore driven open-ended,

allowing the high energy delivered by the

powerful Atlas Copco hydraulic hammer

to be fully transferred to the pile cutting

shoe at the toe.

The piling works were completed

in two weeks’ working time on site

and in accordance with the agreed

programme, with all piles successfully

penetrating the alluvium and embed-

ding into the bedrock.

CAR DEALERSHIP, EAST LONDONIn July 2013 GEOPILE installed 41 piles

for a car dealership in East London. Piles

had to be driven through uncontrolled

fi ll containing obstructions, and em-

bedded into the underlying shale. Piles

were successfully installed at depths of

between 6 m and 8 m, with the entire

works completed in two days on site,

including pile head trimming at fi nal

cut-off level.

THE CUBE, RIVONIA, JOHANNESBURG – SHOW JOBIn May 2013 GEOPILE completed the

piled foundations for a five-level resi-

dential private building development in

Rivonia. The works included installa-

tion of 220 piles at depths between 2 m

and 5 m, including the immediate cut-

ting off of every pile at final trim level.

All piles were driven to be embedded

into the granite bedrock, with loads of

up to 1 000 kN.

GEOPILE completed the piling

works in one week on site, and when

the piling rig was demobilised the gen-

eral contractor had already concreted

75% of his pilecaps and ground beams,

as well as almost 50% of his column

starter pours.

GEOPILE ran this as a ‘show job’

and hundreds of invited guests visited

the site to see the piling works in action

first hand.

RENEWABLE ENERGY TRIALS AND TESTING WORKSGEOPILE believes that trials and load

tests are essential for large renewable

energy projects, and they have per-

formed TRM-Ductile piling trials and

load verification tests on several CSP

projects. Trials and tests are fast to

perform and more are planned for the

months ahead.

“Trials and tests prove to the cus-

tomers that GEOPILE can achieve instal-

lation speed and tight tolerances, and

enable back analysis of important geo-

technical parameters,” says Jared Prowse,

GEOPILE Projects Manager.

KEY PERSONNELGEOPILE has developed a very well

trained and experienced operational team

to focus on TRM-Ductile piling works. In

addition the company has highly expe-

rienced top management and technical/

design staff .

HIGH STANDARDSGEOPILE aims to achieve the highest

standards of safety, professionalism,

quality, speed and satisfaction for all

their customers in all respects, and,

in this regard, has often been named

number one contractor on the sites

where they operate.

INFO

Rob Marsden

Managing Director

GEOPILE AFRICA (Pty) Ltd

+27 11 966 7760

+27 82 311 1339

[email protected]

Grain mill silo – GEOPILE installed all 22 piles within six working hours

Bridge near Tzaneen – the raking piles were installed by GEOPILE at angles between 10° and 35°

Car dealership – GEOPILE installed 41 piles at depths of between 6 m and 8 m in two days on site

The Cube, Rivonia – GEOPILE installed 220 piles at depths between 2 m and 5 m in one week on site


S A I C E A N D P R O F E S S I O N A L N E W S

The Candidate AcademyTHE CANDIDATE ACADEMY experi-

enced a bumper year in 2013 with attend-

ance increasing 30% over 2012. Allyson

Lawless, SAICE Professional Development

and Projects Director, and driver of the

Candidate Academy, says: “Companies

used the quieter periods experienced in

2013 to invest in developing and training

their young graduates. We hope to see the

same level of commitment to training, if

not more, in 2014.” Well over 4 500 del-

egates have attended Candidate Academy

courses since its inception in 2010.

THE ROAD TO REGISTRATION SERIESDuring 2013 the full range of ‘Road to

Registration’ courses was in great de-

mand, including:

Th e Road to Registration

for Candidates

Th e Road to Registration for

Mature Candidates

Th e Road to Registration

for Supervisors

Th e Road to Registration for Mentors,

Supervisors & HR Practitioners

It is expected that, with many changes

being implemented by the Engineering

Council of South Africa (ECSA) with

respect to registration requirements,

numbers will continue to increase on

these courses.

SUPPORT FOR MATURE CANDIDATESIn 2013 there was a strong focus on ma-

ture candidates; these are practitioners

who have long since been eligible for

registration, but have simply never sat

down to write up their applications. Th e

mature course helps delegates to struc-

ture their submission, complete their

fi rst and last Training and Experience

Reports under guidance, and plan their

major engineering report. With this guid-

ance they can then complete the rest of

the submission with confi dence. Many

attendees have reported that they have

fi nally been registered as a result of this

training. Cathy Hossack delighted the

training team when her registration was

confi rmed and she decided to throw a

registration party. Cathy said: “I promised

myself a party if I was successful, so here

is the invitation!”

“Here at the Candidate Academy we

are committed to supporting and en-

couraging mature candidates, as well as

candidates who have been deferred,” says

Allyson. “Candidates who are deferred do

not understand what went wrong in most

cases. At the Candidate Academy we try

to assist these candidates to get to the

root of such deferrals and off er corrective

feedback so that they can fi nally develop

adequately for registration.

SUPPORT FOR MENTORS AND SUPERVISORS An innovation in 2013 was the delivery of

half-day, in-house ‘Road to Registration’

courses for busy supervisors. It was

recognised that supervisors were key to

briefi ng, coaching and developing can-

didates, but were not up to speed on the

current ECSA requirements, or in many

instances on coaching and other training

techniques to get the most out of their

candidates. Well over 250 supervisors

attended courses during the course of the

year.

Th e mentor course was also in demand,

which gave mentors insight into how to

run training programmes, and in par-

ticular how to develop training plans and

assess progress towards registration.

CORPORATE SUPPORTWith increasing demand to train

graduates to the level of competence

required for professional registration,

the Candidate Academy has also become

involved in assisting companies to design

and implement training programmes.

Hundreds of candidates are now being

trained in a structured manner towards

registration as a result of this support.

MENTORS NEEDEDPart of the corporate service in many

instances has been the provision of ex-

ternal mentors to oversee the process and

assist companies to institutionalise their

training programmes. Anyone interested

in serving as an external mentor should

send his/her CV to Nadine Naude at

Allyson’s offi ce ([email protected]).

THE GETTING ACQUAINTED SERIES Th e ‘Getting acquainted with’ series of

courses was also well received in 2013.

Th e line-up for 2014 includes:

Getting acquainted with GCC 2010

Getting acquainted with Fixing and

Anchoring Technology

Getting acquainted with Sewer Design

Getting acquainted with Water

Resource Planning

‘Getting acquainted with GCC’ (General

Conditions of Contract) was popular for

those who were new to GCC. Th e courses

grows from strength to strength


on concrete, and fi xing and anchoring

technology also found ready markets.

Substantially increased interest in the

sewer design course was seen in 2013. Th e

course is consequently being expanded

for 2014 and will be off ered by a municipal

engineer with years of experience in water

and sanitation.

‘Getting acquainted with Water

Resource Planning’ will be off ered for

the fi rst time in 2014. Th is course will

provide attendees with a basic insight

into the water resource planning process,

and covers a range of aspects such as data

sources and processing, hydrology, water

resources systems modelling, water al-

location and intervention planning. Th e

course is aimed mainly at young profes-

sionals in the water sector, but would

benefi t anyone with an interest in water

resource planning, including employees of

national, provincial and local government,

water services authorities, bulk water sup-

pliers and large water users, as well as en-

gineers, hydrologists and environmental

practitioners.

WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGETh e Candidate Academy website is the

place to visit for details of all courses

available. Th e website also off ers various

resource pages to support candidates,

including details of other Voluntary

Associations and industry bodies who

off er training, and lists of Acts, books,

guidelines, policies and standards which

young practitioners need to know about –

visit www.candidateacademy.co.za to fi nd

out more.

Th e Candidate Academy Facebook

page allows candidates to share ex-

periences and support one another

regarding the registration process in

particular (http://www.facebook.com/

CanAcademy?ref=hl).

COURSES FOR 2014Over and above the courses discussed

above, the following courses will continue

to be off ered during 2014:

Basic Contract Administration and

Quality Control

Basic Pressure Pipeline Design

Road Construction and Maintenance

Please refer to the training calendar on

page 70 for details about the courses

planned for March, May and June 2014

(no courses during April).

Th e Academy prides itself on delivering

top quality services and products that are

Thabo Sekha had been sceptical about registering, especially after his fi rst at-tempt on his own had been deferred. “I consulted with Rob du Preez who made the process seem very easy and straightforward. The guidance he provided was valuable and profound. Thanks Rob, I’m fi nally registered. My advice to younger engineers is to do it sooner rather than later. To all who made this possible at SAICE and ECSA – thank you!”

Delegates getting to grips with problem-solving on a ‘Road to Registration’ course for Candidates

Delegates hard at work preparing their submissions on a ‘Road to Registration for Mature Candidates’ course


relevant and practical; so, if you have ideas

that could improve our off erings, please

contact us (contact details below).

IN-HOUSE COURSES Th ere was enthusiastic demand for in-

house courses during 2013. So, if you

have large numbers who require training,

let the Candidate Academy customise a

course to suit your needs.

As an indication of the extent of

customisation off ered, the Candidate

Academy has structured a modularised

training course for a provincial road au-

thority to guide inexperienced engineers,

technicians and technologists in the

work place. A range of modules intro-

duces them to the relevant specifi cations,

manuals, standards and Acts used in

industry, outlines the composition of the

pavement and types of materials, and

covers pavement management systems

(PMS), design, quality control and ten-

dering, etc.

CANDIDATE ACADEMY COURSES MARCH – JUNE 2014

Course March May June

Road to Registration for Candidates(1 day)

5 MarchCESA Cape Town

28 MaySAICE Port Elizabeth

Road to Registration for Mature Candidates(1 day)

10 March SAICE Cape Town

11 March CESA Cape Town

13 MarchSAICE Johannesburg

25 March CESA East London

27 MarchCESA Port Elizabeth

13 MayCESA Richards Bay

22 MayCESA Johannesburg

2 JuneSAICE Durban

3 JuneCESA Durban

10 JuneCESA Nelspruit

Road to Registration for Mentors, Supervisors & HR (1 day)

9 JuneCESA Johannesburg

Getting Acquainted with Fixing & Anchoring Technology(1 day)

25 JuneCESA Cape Town

Contract Administration & Quality Assurance(3 days)

26–28 MarchSAICE Cape Town

28–30 MayCESA Johannesburg

Pressure Pipeline Design(2 days)

14–15 MaySAICE Durban

Road Construction & Maintenance(3 days)

10–12 MarchSAICE Johannesburg

Getting Acquainted with Water Resource Planning(2 days)

10–11 MarchCESA Johannesburg

17–18 JuneSAICE Durban

HELPING HANDThe Academy is an initiative of SAICE Professional Development and Projects (PDP), and Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA), and was set up to improve the numbers and quality of engineering gradu-ates eligible to register with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). Since its inception, the demand for training has grown and many delegates report ‘sailing through’ the ECSA process as a result of the insight they gained from the courses.

For more details or to book on one of the courses, contact SAICE or CESA:

■ For SAICE-arranged courses, contact Margie at [email protected] ■ For CESA-arranged courses, contact Mary at [email protected] ■ For more information, go to www.candidateacademy.co.za

REGISTRATION AND INVOICING Registration at SAICE and CESA for courses offered by the Candidate

Academy is done online. After registra-tion, an invoice is generated by SAICE or CESA, depending on who the host is. Payment should be made up front to the appropriate organisation. Candidate Academy courses are advertised on http://www.saice.org.za/training-courses when SAICE is managing the registration, and on http://www.cesa.co.za/node/162 when the courses are offered through CESA.

INFO

RMAT

ION

BOX

The fact that engineering candidates need support towards profes-sional registration with ECSA (Engineering Council of South Africa) was identifi ed by SAICE Professional Development and Projects (SAICE-PDP). In this regard, please also refer to the Candidate Academy article on page 68 of this edition.

Few companies have the capacity to plan and manage workplace training or offer adequate mentoring/coaching. The SAICE-PDP fi lls this gap, as was reported in the aforementioned Candidate Academy article. However, the SAICE-PDP requires mentors for its many pro-jects nationwide.

■ CETA: The CETA (Construction Education and Training Authority) has awarded funding to the SAICE-PDP to design and institu-tionalise structured Candidacy Phase Programmes, by providing mentoring to a range of consultants and contractors. Depending on their internal capacity, either mentoring oversight (approximately

10 hours per candidate per annum) or full mentoring support (ap-proximately 24 hours per candidate per annum) is required. ■ Public Sector: We have a number of public sector structures who are looking for mentors. Notably, municipal and provincial roads and public works departments need a range of engineers, project managers and quantity surveyors. We also need structural engi-neers and all engineering disciplines associated with hospitals. ■ Contractors: We are looking for mentors with contractual experi-ence, and who are preferably also registered with the SACPCMP (SA Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions).

Whether your experience matches our current needs or not, we welcome all CVs, as we store these on our database for any future opportunities that may arise. If you are interested, please forward your CV to Nadine Naude ([email protected]) and include the approximate time that you have available to dedicate to mentoring. (Due to the complexity of the professional registration process, it is preferable that mentors have knowledge of the registration require-ments of their professional body.)

Engineering and Built Environment Mentors Needed


As many of our members are aware, most of the ECSA commit-tees function only because of a substantial commitment by volun-teers from recognised Voluntary Associations like SAICE.

The largest group of SAICE members are those involved in the peer-review process for registration of professional civil engineers. The number of applications per year is rising steadily, increasing the workload on those existing hardworking members who are currently involved.

The ECSA Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) Civils is responsible for considering applications for registration as professional civil engineers. The PAC has a panel of reviewers who are appointed to carry out the professional review function that is a part of the registration process. SAICE performs part of the administrative function for registration, as it arranges the professional reviews for the PAC. Senior SAICE members are also called upon to be appointed by ECSA to serve on an appeal panel, when such a need arises.

It is critical that SAICE identifi es persons who are willing and able to fulfi l these functions for the profession, and that SAICE then proposes these members to the PAC and ECSA for appointment.

Many of our long-standing reviewers have now retired, and the increase in workload due to the number of applications being received by ECSA is making the process more and more chal-lenging. SAICE therefore urgently needs to recruit more reviewers to assist with the reviewing process.

The task is not as daunting as some may imagine, as the development of the skills for the task of assessing applicants for registration can be a progressive process, with a member fi rst serving as a reviewer paired with an experienced reviewer. Once experienced, the next step can be to serve as a PAC member and then later as an appeal panel member.

If you have been registered as a professional engineer for at least ten years and would like to volunteer to serve as a reviewer, a potential member of the PAC, or to be available to serve on an appeal panel, please advise Dawn Hermanus ([email protected]) so that SAICE can continue providing this valuable service to

the profession. Kindly also include your area of expertise in civil engineering with your application. Reviewers currently receive an honorarium from ECSA.

Call for Volunteers to serve on ECSA committees


INTRODUCTIONTh e Young Professionals Forum (YPF) of Consulting Engineers

South Africa (CESA) is a voluntary group representing the inter-

ests of Young Professionals (YPs), i.e. engineering professionals

under the age of 35 who are employed by CESA member fi rms.

Th e YPF was formed in order to uplift the engineering industry

and built environment professions, where new ideas could be

generated to assist and promote the industry, and also to identify

and address possible problems which the industry may be facing.

Th e purpose of this article is to present the results of a

survey, undertaken between 2012 and 2013 by the Western Cape

branch of the YPF.

In 2006 the YPF Western Cape (founding) branch conducted

an industry-wide survey of Young Engineering Professionals

(YPs) in the province in order to identify and defi ne the problems

facing the industry at large, and the YPs specifi cally.

Th e results of the survey would not only highlight a number

of issues facing YPs at the time (dubbed the Golden Th read

Issues), but would also form the basis of the mandate of the YPF

committee going forward, which would later be fed into the YPF

National Business Plan.

Th ese Golden Th read Issues were defi ned within the fol-

lowing problem areas:

■ Large age gap between junior and senior engineers

■ Remuneration

■ Recognition

■ Mentorship.

Th e Golden Th read Issues identifi ed by the Western Cape

(WC) branch were agreed and adopted by all branches as being

a common denominator, and the provincial committees then

YOUNG MEMBERS’ PAGES

Duncan Pascoe (PRDW)

Engineer – Marine Structures

WC YPF Chairman 2012

[email protected]

Michael Vice (J&G)

Graduate Civil Engineer

WC YPF Chairman 2014

[email protected]

Nicholas Gorman (SMEC)

Engineer – Structures

WC YPF Vice-Chairman 2013

[email protected]

Think more.Be more.

DIE HARDResults of the CESA YPF Western Cape

Young Professionals Survey 2012/13


started focusing on dealing with solutions to the problems. Over

the years a number of workshops have been held to address the

issues, as well as educate YPs and stimulate involvement with the

growing number of YPs in the industry.

Th e industry has changed somewhat since 2006 and, as a re-

sult, the WC YPF committee ran its second industry-wide survey

some six years after the fi rst, starting in October 2012. Th e

second survey was established with the following aims:

■ To re-evaluate the pertinent issues facing YPs in the WC and,

in doing so, redefi ne the Golden Th read Issues.

■ To determine measures to address these issues.

■ To re-focus the YPF WC committee to address these issues

and, as a result, better serve YPs in the WC.

Th e survey was conducted in two stages, as follows:

■ Stage 1: Online Survey (October 2012)

■ Stage 2: Discussion Forums (July 2013)

Before moving on it must be stated that the contents of this ar-

ticle are not presented as purely factual, but rather represent the

point of view of the YPs as given through the survey process. In

some cases their perception of the issues may be incorrect, but

the fact that this perception exists is a problem in itself. Th e ap-

peal to YPs, senior staff and parent bodies is to take this informa-

tion for what it is worth and use it to begin taking positive steps

towards addressing both the real issues as well as the percep-

tions, in order to improve the industry as a whole.

STAGE 1: ONLINE SURVEYTh e online survey was run from 2 October to 16 October 2012,

using Google Survey as the platform, with responses from 174

young professionals (from a possible 220 registered CESA YPs in

the WC). Of this group, 82% held a tertiary qualifi cation in civil

engineering. A full summary of the respondents’ demographics

is available on request. Th e survey was unbiased and anonymous,

with questions which were developed to re-evaluate the Golden

Th read Issues, while investigating other issues which had be-

come well established in the industry. It comprised a total of 30

questions, covering fi ve sections:

■ Demographics

■ Remuneration

■ Professional Registration

■ Careers

■ Tendering and Procurement.

Th e complete results of the survey are available from the YPF

WC committee on request, but, for now, it is important to

highlight what was arguably the most signifi cant outcome of the

entire survey process.

Question 1.5 of the survey, the fi rst question asked once the

demographics of respondents had been captured, was as follows:

“Please indicate up to 5 key issues that you feel aff ect

young engineering professionals.”

Th is question was purposefully asked fi rst in order to provide

responses that represented the honest views of the YPs, and that

would be unbiased by the rest of the survey (although there was

signifi cant personal bias in the responses!). Th e results were con-

clusive, with very little scatter for such an open-ended question,

and formed the basis for the re-defi nition of the new Golden

Th read Issues.

Th e responses indicated that the issues remain much the

same as they were in 2006, with one notable diff erence being the

recognition of the current public tendering and procurement

processes as a burning issue.

Th e new Golden Th read Issues identifi ed in the survey are

shown in Table 1, in order of occurrence of mention in Question 1.5.

Mentorship and Training

It is clear that YPs recognise the importance of mentorship and

the development of skills early on in their career, and the fact

that 50% of respondents independently raised these as issues,

is a concern. Th is is further reinforced by the fact that 33% of

respondents indicated that they felt they were not provided with

adequate training once they started working (see Figure 1).

Many YPs are concerned that they are not receiving the

training they require, that the training they are receiving is

unstructured and that they do not have strong mentors. Th e cur-

rent procurement system was also identifi ed as an issue, as the

fast-track project mind-set that comes with discounted tendering

limits opportunities for training and technical development.

Remuneration

Th e second-most cited issue was remuneration, which was listed

as an issue by 37% of respondents in Question 1.5. Th is is further

reinforced by the fact that almost half of the respondents indi-

cated that they do not feel engineers are fairly remunerated, and

67% of respondents indicated that they believe that remuneration

for engineers is below average when compared with other profes-

sional services (see Figures 2).

Remuneration is always going to be a controversial subject,

and it is not clear in the responses why there is this perception,

Table 1: The new Golden Thread Issues as identifi ed in the survey, shown in order of occurrence of mention in Question 1.5 (Please indicate up to 5 key issues that you feel affect young engineering professionals)

Golden Thread Issue Occurrence

Mentorship and Training 50%

Salary/Remuneration 37%

Career Development 32%

Tendering/Procurement 22%

Professional Registration 13%

(Note: Table 1 shows the percentage occurrence of men-tion of the main issues identifi ed, i.e. the number of times an individual YP independently mentioned one of these issues, divided by the total number of YPs who responded.)

Figure 1: Respondents’ feelings about mentorship and training

No33%

Yes66%

1%


nor what YPs feel is “fair”. It is, however, important that the truth

be separated from perception – an individual who believes he/she

is not being fairly remunerated will be as dissatisfi ed and unmo-

tivated as an individual who actually is not being fairly remune-

rated (an opportunity for further transparency, and education of

YPs, perhaps?).

Career Development

Th e following factors aff ecting career development were also

seen as pertinent issues facing YPs:

■ Exposure to quality engineering work, the workings of the

industry and training required

■ Recognition for work done

■ Responsibility – either lack thereof or responsibility above

levels of ability.

Th ese factors all tie in with other Golden Th read Issues, with

the underlying notion being that YPs feel that these issues are

aff ecting their career prospects and development as engineers.

Tendering/Procurement

Although the issues highlighted above are similar to those of

2006, the link between these issues and the procurement process

is more strongly recognised by junior staff . Th ere is a general

sense that discounted work, as a result of price-based tendering,

undermines the quality of engineering work, and results in work

which is fast-tracked. Th is requires YPs to take on more respon-

sibility (with added pressure), while limiting the amount of time

senior staff can spend mentoring/training YPs. Th ere is also a

belief that the discounts are aff ecting company turnover and, as a

result, the remuneration of YPs (see Table 2).

With that being said, YPs have also recognised value in this

whereby they are given more responsibility which has had a posi-

tive eff ect on their career development.

Professional Registration

Th ere is a general sense amongst YPs that the registration pro-

cess for engineering professionals is unclear and not enough sup-

port is provided to YPs in demystifying this process. When asked

if the registration process is clearly defi ned, 44% of respondents

answered “No”. More concerning, however, is that 32% of re-

spondents stated that they do not believe their companies imple-

ment their respective Commitment and Undertaking to provide

support and training for YPs.

Positives

Despite the issues facing the industry, the replies indicate a

general satisfaction with consulting engineering work, with 93%

desiring challenging and/or stimulating work and 68% claiming

they are receiving this. When asked if they were proud of what

they did for a living 93% responded “Yes”.

STAGE 2: DISCUSSION FORUMSAfter the online survey had been completed and the results

analysed, the second stage of the survey was undertaken. Th e

purpose of the second stage was to sit with the YPs and discuss

the issues highlighted in the online survey, so as to understand

the magnitude of the problems, and more importantly, what the

YPs thought could be done to alleviate or eradicate these issues.

Th e Mandated Young Professionals (MYPs) from each of the

member fi rms were contacted and informed about the survey.

Th ey were sent a “discussion forum” pack, and asked to assist in

Figure 2: Respondents’ feelings about remuneration

No47% Yes

50%

3%

No49% Yes

47%

4%

Below average 67%

Yes47%

Above average 8%Average 25%

Table 2: Respondents’ feelings about tendering/procurement

5.2 Price-based tendering (often requiring rates to be cut to less than thoserecommended by ECSA)

%

Results in reduced quality of designs and/or drawings

65%

Results in fast-tracked de-signs that are too conserva-tive

40%

Undermines the complexity and responsibilty that engi-neering designs require

67%

Inspires effi ciency 20%

Has no effect 6%


the process by sitting down with their YP peers in their respec-

tive offi ces and conducting discussion forums. Th e discussion

forums commenced at the beginning of July 2013 and were

concluded two months later, with a total of 13 participating com-

panies and approximately 150 YP attendees.

Th e results of the discussion forums were subsequently col-

lected and evaluated, and standardised responses were listed

for each section from common answers. Th ese results were

converted into a narrative, which the CESA YPF WC committee

believes represents the views of the vast majority of CESA YPs in

the Western Cape.

Mentorship and Training

First of all, it must be noted that this does not refer to the men-

torship that is required as part of the ECSA registration process

by the CU (Commitment and Undertaking), but rather mentor-

ship and training which should be provided by senior staff .

When reviewing the results of the discussion forums, it be-

came evident that there are few formal mentorship programmes

in companies, yet the YPs value these as an important part of

their growth, and perceive these to be critical to their respec-

tive company’s performance. YPs have indicated that supportive

mentors and/or supervisors are imperative to a YP’s career devel-

opment, but these are few and far between.

Many noted that the lack of mentorship is a result of the preva-

lent age-gap problem, whilst others mentioned that mentorship

should be driven by the YPs themselves. Collectively, however, it

was noted that the cost of mentorship was the principal issue. Th e

YPs believe that their companies run the risk of investing time

and money in training and mentoring their YPs, only to have them

move on to “greener pastures” at a later point in their careers.

Th e following were recommended as possible solutions to

this issue:

■ Formal mentorship programmes and other developmental ac-

tivities should be issued as mandatory practices (and audited)

by parent bodies, such as ECSA and/or CESA.

■ Mentors should be assigned to YPs when they join a company,

and a formal mentor list should be published and regularly

maintained.

A candidate engineer should only be allowed to apply to be pro-

fessionally registered if he or she has gone through an accredited

mentoring and/or training programme within his/her company.

Remuneration

There is a general perception that other mainstream profes-

sionals are being better remunerated for their services than

engineers. It is well established, for example, that the financial

sector is valuing and remunerating engineers better than the

built environment. This is also believed to be true for engi-

neering firms overseas. Many also mentioned that their peers

in government jobs were better remunerated and “looked

after” in other ways as well. In addition, the YPs believe their

work to be significantly undervalued in society, particularly

considering the long-term, legislated project liability that en-

gineers are subject to.

When discussing the root cause of the problem, some noted

the lack of marketing to be an issue, whilst others believed the

lack of face-to-face business interaction with clients to be the

problem. However, it was collectively and strongly noted by the

YPs that the issue of poor remuneration is largely related to the

current public tendering and procurement systems, which

are widely thought to be ineff ective, unfair and crippling to

the industry.

When asked about the ECSA Fee Scales in general, YPs indi-

cated that this system does not benefi t engineers, and has yet to

prove its worth regulating what engineers get paid, particularly

when the clients are public, governmental departments. YPs

mentioned that the fee scales are not a true refl ection of the

value of the technical services rendered, and that industry has

conformed to giving signifi cant and unsustainable discounts in

order to remain competitive. Th e argument that the fee scales

are simply a “guide” is unmerited as they do not off er the support

of accountability in the face of the current public tendering and

procurement practices.

When asked whether increased salaries would result in a

better product for the client, the general sentiment amongst YPs

was that it would, both at design and supervision level. It was

noted, however, that tight project deadlines are more detrimental

to the quality of design work. Th e key, therefore, is to allow ad-

equate time and budget to complete work to the highest possible

standard, giving engineering fi rms the opportunity to provide

the most technically correct and effi cient product possible.

Career Development

Exposure, Recognition and Responsibility

Th e strongest concern amongst YPs regarding their career

development is that they are exposed to a poor quality of work

and associated work ethic, and that their eff orts are often under-

valued. It was also noted that few companies have a formal career

development structure, causing the level of exposure to quality

work to be relatively volatile.

On the other hand, a number of YPs noted that their expo-

sure to big projects, with increased responsibility, brought about

the greatest boost to their careers, despite the fact that this level

of responsibility exceeds what their experience allows or their

remuneration refl ects.

It has been collectively noted that increased pressure, and

not responsibility, is a problem. YPs noted that they do not mind

taking on more responsibility, provided that suffi cient support

and guidance are available. It is lack of guidance, in addition to

increased responsibility, that ultimately results in pressure and

consequently stunted career development. Th ese issues were,

once again, largely attributed to the current tendering and pro-

curement processes.

Value of Engineering Services in SA

Th e YPs indicated that engineering services are signifi cantly un-

dervalued in South Africa, and have, once again, highlighted the

tendering and procurement system as the biggest driver of this

problem in the fi nancial sense.

It has also been noted that engineering services are under-

valued in terms of public perception and appreciation for the

work done by engineering professionals, which appears to have

been disconnected from society. Many lay-people are unaware of

the eff ort involved in the design of infrastructure and civil ser-

vices, yet other professional services hold a much higher status in

society in the eyes of the public.

Tendering and Procurement

Tendering and procurement was highlighted as the single big-

gest problem in the industry, and the YPs noted that all the


other issues were exacerbated due to this principal issue. YPs

are taking on greater responsibility, and liability, in their work,

yet feel that their remuneration does not refl ect this. As a result

many YPs feel highly undervalued, and are motivated to look for

other opportunities elsewhere in other industries.

Th e YPs made a number of suggestions as to how projects

could be procured going forward:

■ Employ technically competent people in local, provincial

and national governing bodies to draft tenders correctly.

■ Following the assumption that tenders are indeed drafted

correctly, the lowest and highest prices should, for example,

be discarded, and several mean prices should be considered.

■ A competent person within the relevant tender is-

suing body should estimate the tender price and

compare it with the prices that are received.

■ Stricter evaluation of company competencies

should be enforced, performed by an experienced

engineering body within the issuing authority.

■ Th e ECSA fee scales should be promulgated as

law, or they should be discarded completely, as

they are not used as a guideline, particularly not

with the discounts that are being issued.

Another significant problem is that tender documentation

is far too extensive, and requires too much time, especially

of the more senior and costly employees. Tenders should be

streamlined, perhaps in the form of a database approach, or

something more innovative. It should not take more than

one day to complete a tender, otherwise design houses are

required to work at risk and spend too much time and money

for this purpose.

It was also suggested that consulting companies be re-

warded/compensated for thorough and eff ective design, in order

to promote effi cient design and greater overall project savings

in construction (where the bulk of the money lies). Th e current

procurement system often leads to ineffi cient and conservative

design, as not enough time or money is allocated for more com-

plete and eff ective design.

Professional Registration

Th e discussion forum asked the following six questions of YPs:

1. Do you understand the requirements of the new registration

system?

2. Do you feel that the requirements of the new system are clearly

and concisely defi ned?

3. Do you know when the new system comes online?

4. Do you know whether you will be able to register on the new

or the old system?

5. Do you feel enough is being done to advertise and explain the

new system to YPs?

6. Do you feel that the changeover to the new registration system

will hinder your ability to register in any way?

Of the respondents 70% answered “No” to questions 1, 2, 3 and 5,

while 50% answered “No” to questions 4 and 6.

Th ese results point to the fact that the majority of YPs sur-

veyed indicated that they did not understand the requirements

of the new registration process, and are concerned that the

changeover will hinder their ability to register.

Th is is obviously a two-way street, and YPs are expected to

put in the time and the eff ort to decipher the new process, but

they are fi nding it challenging and are looking for more support

from ECSA to do this.

It is worth noting that many YPs find the annual

Professional Registration Workshop, hosted by the YPF WC

committee and presented by delegates from ECSA, very useful

in addressing the requirements of professional registration,

particularly considering that it is free to attend (many YPs

have indicated that their companies are unwilling to pay

for the various professional registration courses available).

Unfortunately the scope of what can be covered each year is

limited, and YPs cannot wait for the workshop each year for

their questions to be answered – ideally they would like to

be able to contact ECSA directly with queries, or would like

similar events to be held by ECSA more frequently in order to

address their queries.

CONCLUSIONSTh e results of the survey were conclusive and unambiguous –

YPs in the Western Cape have cited a number of issues that are

facing YPs in the industry at the moment, dubbed the Golden

Th read Issues, many of which remain the same as identifi ed

in 2006. Th e current tendering procurement process has been

identifi ed as the most burning issue, and is the root cause of

much of the dissatisfaction of YPs in the Western Cape. Th is

is an unsurprising result, and mirrors the point of view of the

industry as a whole.

A Way Forward

Th e key for the YPF WC committee is to now address these

issues. Th e voices of YPs in the Western Cape have been

heard, and now the committee needs to adapt to try to eff ect

the changes we want to see in the industry. As a result the

committee will be forming a series of working groups, each

focusing on addressing one of the Golden Th read Issues. Th e

working groups will be open to all YPs and will be proactively

developing solutions to the problems, which will be reported

through presentations to CESA, magazine articles and letters to

the relevant controlling bodies. We aim to eff ect change by not

only making a noise about the issues, but by off ering solutions

to the problems, as well as our time and expertise to put these

solutions into eff ect.

But no committee is an island. Th ere is a limit to what can be

achieved by the YPF WC committee alone, and we will need the

support from the other role-players in the industry to make a dif-

ference. Th e YPs themselves are in the best position to do this by

being more proactive about addressing these issues – Complain

less, do more.

If you would like to discuss any topics that you feel are relevant to SAICE members, scan the QR code alongside to go to SAICE’s blog.


First Computer ProgramThe fi rst ‘computer program’ was designed by a famous poet’s daughter in 1843. Ada Byron Lovelace, daughter of famous poet Lord Byron, published a paper in 1843 that predicted the development of computer software, artifi cial intelligence, and computer music. In 1834, Ada heard of Charles Babbage’s ideas for a new calculating engine – the Analytical Engine. After translating an Italian’s summary of the engine, Babbage suggested to Ada that she adds her own notes. Her notes turned out to be three times as long as the original article! Ada suggested to Babbage a plan for calculating Bernoulli numbers with the Analytical Engine. This plan is now regarded as the fi rst ‘computer program’. Although the computers that we use now were not invented until the late 1900s, Babbage was in the midst of working on his computer design weighing about 15 tons. Lovelace and Babbage worked together to create the fi rst computer and computer program. Now, the programming lan-guage “Ada”, which is the offi cial programming language of the United States military, was named after Ms Lovelace, and the military standard for the language, MIL-STD-1815, was given the number of the year of Ada Lovelace’s birth. http://www.engineergirl.org/what_engineers_do/FunFacts/FirstProgram.aspx

Emily Roebling and the Brooklyn BridgeEmily Roebling supervised construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. When her husband became ill in 1872 Emily took over day-to-day supervision of bridge construction. Emily had studied many engineering topics related to bridge construction, including mathematics, strength of materials and cable construction. Her name is included on the plaque dedicating the bridge – rec-

ognising her role in creating one of her era’s great engineering achievements. http://www.engineergirl.org/what_engineers_do/FunFacts/EmilyRoebling.aspx

World’s Largest MallThere are a few that claim the title of the world’s largest mall. The New South China Mall has the largest Gross Leasable Area (GLA) of any mall in the world at 600 000 m2, while Dubai Mall’s 350 000 m2 GLA ranks it just sixth largest in the world. However, when it comes to total area, Dubai Mall’s 1 124 000 m2 easily eclipses all others to claim rights to the title of the world’s largest mall. Built within the Burj Khalifa complex, and with over 1 000 shops and several separate malls-within-a-mall, Dubai Mall also has an aquarium with 33 000 animals and a 270-degree acrylic walkthrough tunnel, aquatic zoo, Olympic-sized ice-skating rink, 22-screen multiplex cinema, SEGA theme park, children’s play zone and numerous other attractions to keep shoppers entertained. Dubai Mall also holds two other world records – one for the Dubai Aquarium’s largest acrylic panel ever made (32.88 m wide × 8.3 m high × 750 mm thick and weighing 245 tons); the other for the world’s largest dancing fountain, which, at 275 m long, is longer than the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas.Fast Facts about the mall: 2 600 Pieces of external pre-cast concrete erected179 300 Amount of stone, in m2, laid within the mall13 800 Amount of structural steel, in tonnes,

used in the mallhttp://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-9044-top-10-construction-world-record-holders/4/#.UtwrZBD8LIU

DID YOU KNOW?

A man in a hot-air balloon realised

he was lost. He reduced altitude

and spotted a woman below. He

descended a bit more and shouted,

“Excuse me, can you help me? I prom-

ised a friend I would meet him an hour

ago, but I don’t know where I am.”

The woman below replied, “You’re

in a hot air balloon hovering approxi-

mately 10 m above the ground. You’re

between 40 and 41 degrees north lati-

tude and between 59 and 60 degrees

west longitude.”

“You must be an engineer,” said the

balloonist.

“I am,” replied the woman, “How

did you know?”

“Well,” answered the balloonist,

“everything you told me is technically

correct, but I’ve no idea what to make

of your information, and the fact is I’m

still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much

help at all. If anything, you’ve delayed

my trip.”

The woman responded from below,

“You must be in management.”

“I am,” replied the balloonist, “but

how did you know?”

“Well,” said the woman, “you

don’t know where you are or where

you’re going. You have risen to where

you are due to a large quantity of

hot air. You made a promise which

you’ve no idea how to keep, and you

expect people beneath you to solve

your problems. The fact is, you are in

exactly the same position you were

in before we met, but now, somehow,

it’s my fault.”

Think more.Be more.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT

YOUNG MEMBERS’ PAGES


Alice Chang

SAICE Young Members Panel

[email protected]

Course Name Course Dates LocationCPD Accreditation

NumberCourse

PresenterContact

GCC 2010

3–4 March 2014 Midrand

SAICEcon13/01359/16 Neville Gurry [email protected]

7–8 April 2014 Durban

12–13 May 2013 Cape Town

28–29 August 2014 Midrand

4–5 September 2014 Bloemfontein

13–14 October 2014 Midrand

27–28 October 2014 Port Elizabeth

Bridge Maintenance

2 June 2014 Midrand

SAICErail12/01156/15 Ed Elton [email protected] September 2014 Pietermaritzburg

10 November 2014 Midrand

Basics of Track Engineering

3–4 June 2014 Midrand

SAICErail12/01155/15 Ed Elton [email protected]–17 September 2014 Pietermaritzburg

11–12 November 2014 Midrand

Railway Transport

5–6 June 2014 Midrand

SAICErail11/00887/14 Ed Elton [email protected]–19 September 2014 Pietermaritzburg


Technical Report Writing

5–6 March 2014 Midrand

SAICEbus12/01067/15 Les Wiggill [email protected]

26–27 May 2014 Durban


1–2 September 2014 Cape Town

30–31 October 2014 Midrand

3–4 November 2014 Port Elizabeth

Practical Geometric Design

3–7 March 2014 Cape TownSAICEtr13/01418/16 Tom McKune [email protected]

8–12 December 2014 Midrand

Reinforced Concrete Design to SANS 10100-1:2000

7 May 2014 Durban

SAICEstr12/01066/15 Greg Parrott [email protected]

19 June 2014 Midrand

16 July 2014 Cape Town

20 August 2014 East London

29 October 2014 Midrand

26 November 2014 Port Elizabeth

Structural Steel Design Code to SANS 10162:1-2005

6 May 2014 Durban

SAICEstr12/01158/15 Greg Parrott [email protected]

18 June 2014 Midrand

15 July 2014 Cape Town

19 August 2014 East London


25 November 2014 Port Elizabeth

Business Finances for Built Environment Professionals


SAICEfi n12/01021/15Wolf Weidemann

[email protected]–8 August 2014 Durban

20–21 August 2014 Polokwane


Handling Projects in a Consulting Engineer's Practice


SAICEproj12/01022/15Wolf Weidemann

[email protected]–5 August 2014 Durban


SAICE Training Calendar 2014


Leadership and Management Principles & Practice in Engineering

9–10 April 2014 Port Elizabeth

SAIMechE-0543-02/15 David Ramsay [email protected]

21–22 May 2014 Midrand

13–14 August 2014 Cape Town


10–11 September 2014 Durban

8–9 October 2014 Bloemfontein

Concrete Pavement Slabs

26 March 2014 Midrand

IPET2010/03 Bruce Raath [email protected]

21 May 2014 Cape Town

25 June 2014 Durban

9 July 2014 Port Elizabeth

20 August 2014 Bloemfontein


Water Law


SAICEwat13/01308/16Hubert Thompson

[email protected]–29 May 2014 Port Elizabeth

27–28 August 2014 Cape Town

10–11 September 2014 Durban

The Different Legal Procedures to Resolve Constructional Disputes


SAICEcon13/01368/16Hubert Thompson

[email protected]

11–12 June 2014 Cape Town

18–19 June 2014 Bloemfontein

30–31 July 2014 Port Elizabeth

6–7 August 2014 Durban

In-house courses are available. To arrange, please contact:Cheryl-Lee Williams ([email protected]) or Dawn Hermanus ([email protected]) on 011 805 5947


NOTICE TO SAICE CORPORATE MEMBERS

Amendments to the SAICE ConstitutionNotice is hereby given that proposed amendments to the SAICE Constitution were accepted by the SAICE Council at a special meeting held at the Institution’s National Offi ce in Midrand on Wednesday 22 January 2014.

In terms of Clause 5.3.1 of the SAICE Bylaws, a notice alerting Members to the proposed amendments will appear in two consecutive editions of the Institution’s magazine, Civil Engineering. In this instance the notice will appear in the January/February 2014 and March 2014 editions. Thereafter the Chief Executive Offi cer will issue a ballot setting forth the matter

upon which a vote is invited, and will give the closing date for the ballot.

Copies of the amended Constitution will be posted on the Institution’s website (www.saice.org.za), and hard copies will be posted to Members upon request. The closing date for the ballot will not be less than thirty-fi ve days, nor more than forty days after the date of issuing of the ballot. Any ballot received by the Chief Executive Offi cer after the closing date will be invalid.

For more information, please contact SAICE’s Chief Operating Offi cer, Steven Kaplan, at [email protected] (011 805 5947/8).

MPumi’s cartoon of the month

to qualify as a civil engineer

for a car accident to change your life

4 years

4 seconds

Because you never know what’s going to happen, PPS tailor-made insurance solutions mean you can still earn like a professional, even if you can’t practise as one.

At PPS, we provide our members with

to our members*, they share in our

THE KEY TO SUCCESS LIES IN SHARING IT

HA

VA

SW

W-S

C62622/E

4139 Civil Designer Advert 2014 CTP indd 1 11/27/13 12:42 PM

SSivili Enjinierengivili Enjiniereng - SAICE · in Cape Town. SAICE was invited by the Portfolio...

Documents

Transcript of SSivili Enjinierengivili Enjiniereng - SAICE · in Cape Town. SAICE was invited by the Portfolio...