September 2011
Construction World this month focuses on geotechnical engineering. The cover features a project recently undertaken by specialist geotechnical contracting company, Esorfranki Geotechnical for the Kinaxixi complex construction activities in Luanda. The company has just been awarded its first contract in Ghana, a development MD Roy McLintock says further extends the company's footprint beyond South Africa's borders.
Stefanutti Stocks Geotechnical recently successfully completed a unique and challenging slope stabilisation job. The 60 km N4 (R36) Schoemanskloof Road winds along the mountainous landscape in Mpumalanga en route to Swaziland, Mozambique and the Kruger National Park. Recently one of the slopes along the busy road failed, causing a huge safety hazard due to the possibility of boulders falling into the road. Stefanutti Stocks Geotechnical had the task of stabilising this slope.
From left to right: Esorfranki Geotechnical - work underway during the building of a large quay for the local fishing authority in the Seychelles; the slope in Mpumalanga that needed stabilisation and the team from Stefanutti Stocks that worked in this project.
The AfriSam-SAICE Electronic Photo Competition 2011 took place at the historic Liliesleaf farm in Rivonia in June. With the different approach this year of entering photographs electronically via e-mail, SAICE received 126 high resolution photographs for adjudication. It was the first time the competition was run in this format.
From left to right: First: Dawning of a new day, Photographer: K, Marais, Entrant: Harald Ronne from Vela VKE, Second: Hospital Bend at night, Entrant and photographer: Bruce Sutherland; Third: Cape Town Stadium during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Entrant and photographer: Bruce Sutherland.
Aurecon's office building in Century City, Cape Town, which is nearing completion, is the first building in South Africa to be awarded a 5 Star Green Star SA - Office Design v1 rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).
Developed by the Rabie Property Group at a cost of around R130-million, the 7 000 square metre office block is also the first building in Cape Town and only the fifth country-wide to achieve Green Star accreditation from the GBCSA. The four other buildings all achieved a 4 Star rating.
The new building will serve as the new regional offices for global engineering, management and specialist technical services group Aurecon who were responsible for the design of all the engineering services on the project and also the Green Star Rating application, with assistance from PJ Carew.
| This issue of Construction World is available for interactive "page-flip" viewing. You'll need the latest Flash Plugin, and an ADSL or 3G internet connection to view the magazine smoothly. | You need to register with Crown Publications to read the online version of this magazine. |
| LoginRegister |
Rustenburg public transport transformation is underway
The Rustenburg Rapid Transport (RRT) project was officially launched recently by the Executive Mayor of Rustenburg, Councillor Mpho Khunou, at the Rustenburg Civic Centre to stakeholders, Government officials, local Rustenburg businesses and the media. Currently in the initial planning and design phase, the RRT project will invest R3-billion over the next four years to deliver a transformed public transport service to the people of Rustenburg by 2015.
Congress to crack the construction crisis
While the country's economy attempts to recover from the current recession, the construction industry continues to battle its effects, a situation which has been aggravated by the shutdown in work in the private sector, the lack of big infrastructure projects and the reduced number of government contracts available.
Soon the norm
The new buzzword in the commercial property market is ‘green buildings', which is new buildings or redeveloped older buildings which have little or no negative impact on the environment.
