Imiesa Feb 2013

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

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY

METSO LOKOTRACK increases output

WINNER Non-professional writer of the yearHIGHLY COMMENDED Publishing Excellence

n proffesse ionnal wri2012

INSIGHTUTRCP - a case study

O&MCost-effective

maintenance

SAGILeading Lidar evolution

I S S N 0 2 5 7 1 9 7 8 Vo l u m e 3 8 N o . 2 • F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 • R 5 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l VAT )

MEDIA

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“We offer our clients a saving in time and overhead costs, and we are competitive on direct cost with conventional methods.” Willie de Jager, MD, Corestruc

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IMIESA February 2013 1

VOLUME 38 NO 2 FEBRUARY 2013CONTENTS

09 UTRCP challenges

RegularsEditor’s comment 3President’s comment 5

Cover articleVSI achieves base course

optimisation 6

InsightUTRCP challenges and solution 9

Hot seatSpecialist precast solutions 14

Municipal operationsChallenges faced by smaller municipalities 17

SAGIInfrastructure mapping for

municipalities 28Leading the evolution of Lidar 31The sole distributor for region 32

SANRALCarbon emission management 36Cementing the need for

concrete roads 39Geocontainers provide containment platform 41

Water and wastewaterWater treatment for remote areas 45Meeting power demand through sustainability 46Grouting contract nears completion 47

SafetySpecialist contractor cleans power station 49Zero tolerance boosts safety 51

FinanceFixing municipal finances 52

Products and servicesEffective solution for pavement drainage 76Controls for network sewage station 77Pavers used for Umhlanga

17 Municipal operations

45 Water treatment

46 Dam construction

promenade 78

14

Cover Story A Metso Lokotrack train is meeting high tonnage aggregate demands on a Mpumalanga road rehabilitation project, with the contractor, WK Crushing, achieving consistent downstream product quality.

in ttthhhe HOOOOTT SSEEEEATT

Panel discussionRoad operation and maintenance 55

SABITA

Saied Solomons57

National Asphalt

Deon Pagel59

Osborn

Peet Venter61

ASPASA 62SARMA

Nico Pienaar63

SARF

64Logashri Sewnarain

Basil Jonsson

PPC

Alta Walker67

Arup

Dinesh Chaithoo69

Salberg Concrete Products

Dr Rudy Absil71

Lafarge industries

Dr Reinhold Amtsbücher73

AfriSam

Mike McDonald75

“We offer our clients a saving in time and overhead costs, and we are competitive on direct

cost with conventional methods.” Willie de Jager, MD, Corestruc

CALL FOR PAPERSAuthors are requested to think innovatively, base new ideas on case studies (local and elsewhere), be practical in approach and indicate how their proposed paper will support the conference theme.

23 - 25 October 2013

Submissions of extracts in the prescribed format by Friday, 26 April 2013 to Dup van Renen

email: [email protected]

• Political and Legislation • Ecological / Environmental• Financial• Transport and Traffic • Water and Sanitation• Roads and Storm Water

Increased number of strikes against poor

services delivery in 2012, numerous

reported failures of water supplies,

sewerage conveyance & treatment systems, and poor road maintenance conditions,

are pointers of warning, that serious turn-around

strategies are required in South African municipal

service delivery.

This will be required from institutional structures and

financial management right up to the operation and maintenance of quality

service delivery to the people.

Hence the theme for 2013:

Municipal Engineering: Meeting Peoples’ Needs

THE EASTERN CAPE BRANCH HEREBY ISSUES THE 2013 IMESA CONFERENCE

CALL FOR PAPERS

Download abstract forms from www.imesa.org.za Tel: 031 266 3263


The challenges faced by small municipalities

PUBLISHER Elizabeth ShortenEDITOR Richard Jansen van VuurenHEAD OF DESIGN Frédérick DantonSENIOR DESIGNER Hayley MendelowCHIEF SUB-EDITOR Claire NozaïcSUB-EDITOR Patience GumboCONTRIBUTORS Johan RasmusOtte, Pieter Myburgh, Johan van der Mescht, Marius van Jaarsveld, Bryan PerrieCorne Oberholzer, Candice LandiePRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh BotmaPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jacqueline ModiseFINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew Lobban (ACIS, FCIBM)MARKETING AND ONLINE MANAGER Martin HillerADMINISTRATION Tonya HebentonDISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa MasinaDISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha PursothamSUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected] United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571___________________________________________________

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

PUBLISHER: MEDIA No. 4, 5th Avenue, Rivonia 2056PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 E-mail: [email protected] www.3smedia.co.za

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EDITOR'S COMMENT

I’M DELIGHTED TO advise readers that

this issue forms the basis of a paper

authored by Johan van der Mescht and

Marius van Jaarsveld that is published in

this edition of IMIESA.

The authors point out that service delivery

challenges in small rural municipalities are

often exacerbated by human resource issues,

ranging from the difficulty to recruit suitably

qualified and experienced professionals to

unstructured or weak disciplinary procedures.

Within the case study discussed in their paper,

the situation is no different and it makes for

fascinating reading (page 17).

In this edition, we also discuss a carbon

emission management system for South

African conditions. It comprises a guideline

document and software system for the meas-

urement of carbon emissions by all opera-

tions associated with the manufacturing and

application of bituminous products in South

Africa’s road industry. The guidelines are now

available for implementation (page 36).

It is with pride that I can report that 3S

Media will be organising and hosting the

second national Public-Private Infrastructure

Forum, which is scheduled to take place

from 19 to 20 June 2013. Building on the

success of last year’s event, the event will

focus on how the public and private sectors

can work together to ensure the successful

implementation of the infrastructure plan that

has been adopted by government and spear-

headed by the Presidential Infrastructure

Coordinating Commission.

Throughout the country, several smaller municipalities struggle on a daily basis to effectively operate and maintain their services infrastructure in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.

Expert speakers from government, state-

owned entities and the private sector are

being invited to give presentations on what

the challenges are, what progress has been

made to date and what future solutions are

being proposed to drive the plans to address

service delivery issues and infrastructure

construction backlog.

Delegates from the public and private sector

will be able to pose questions to the speakers.

Speakers and delegates will then participate

in workshop sessions to identify sustainable

solutions to these problems. The event will not

just be another run-of-the-mill conference, but

an opportunity for local, regional and national

role players, together with the private sector,

to workshop solutions to issues affecting

infrastructure development.

Richard Jansen van Vuuren

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

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

nelson mandela bay

CONFERENCEIMESAIMESAIMESA

2013

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

Included in conference fee:• Opening Cocktail Function with Presidential Address• 3 Day Conference with local and international experts• Techncial Tours• Access to 80 industry suppliers at their exhibition stands• Gala Function: the best networking opportunity

Additional fees for:• Golf Day at Humewood before Conference opens• Companion to join at social functions or to participate

in 3 Day Companion Tours

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

The 2013 IMESA Conference will be hosted at the brand new Boardwalk Hotel & Conference Centre on the beautiful Port Elizabeth beach front. A variety of exciting technical tours are being arranged to

SA Breweries, Koega Harbour, VW Factory and Van Staden’s Wind Farm.

Register and pay early to qualify for excellent Early Bird Discounts!


PRESIDENT’S COMMENT

AS WE WORKED

through the agenda

and after much inter-

action with fellow

board members representing

countries such as New Zealand,

Australia, Scotland, Netherlands,

Denmark, Sweden and Canada, I

realised that the challenges that

we face and agonise over con-

tinuously at IMESA and within

South Africa’s local authorities

are not isolated to this coun-

try but are being experienced

globally. The value of being a

member of IFME was unmistak-

able as we compared problems,

experience and solutions. I feel

that sharing some of my obser-

vations would be of benefit.

IFME is finding it difficult to

attract new members – espe-

cially from poor countries and

young people. A solution may be

to offer a reduced fee structure

based on affordability and have

a scheme whereby new mem-

bers younger than 35 will pay

half-price if they are “accompa-

nied” by a full paying member.

The Institute of Public Works

Engineering Australia (IPWEA)

– Australia’s equivalent to

IMESA – made the interest-

ing observation that today’s

potential new members are

Generation X and Generation Y

youngsters who demand a very

clear indication of the benefits

they’ll enjoy (such as financial

or time saving) by joining insti-

tutes as opposed to the older

“baby boomers” who in their

day joined more for the “old

school tie” sense of belong-

ing. IPWEA has successfully

embraced this change by, for

example, improving their website

by adding features such as “ask

your mate”, which has been

vastly popular and effective,

especially among asset manag-

ers. Basically, if you have an

engineering problem, you enter

your question and it is highly

likely that you would attract

a number of responses. As a

result of a skills shortage in

New Zealand, the use of shared

services where a particular team

would carry out the operation of

wastewater treatment plants or

the maintenance of GIS systems

for a group of towns, for exam-

ple, is becoming more and more

popular. Members confirmed that

shared services are also gaining

momentum in the Nordic coun-

tries and throughout the UK.

Other comments included:

• councillors think they are engi-

neers – they inter fere –

and councils change every

two years

• poor community buy-in

• poor political buy-in

MUNICIPAL ENGINEERS

Local challenges not uniqueTowards the end of 2012, I had the pleasure of representing IMESA as a board member of IFME (the International Federation of Municipal Engineering) in Pauanui, New Zealand.

• unrealistic expectations by

those being served

• the pool of municipal technical

skills is continuously shrinking.

Regarding the skills shortage

being experienced internation-

ally, I close with an extract from

an article that Chris Champion,

the CEO of IPWEA, wrote in the

institute’s official journal Public

Works recently (with Champion’s

kind permission):

“The pipeline of new engineers

and other technical staff simply

isn’t strong enough to see the

shortage eased, unless govern-

ment and industry come together

with new solutions.

Addressing the shortage will

improve Australia’s chances of

building a modern economy

that can thrive beyond the

current boom.

“We also know that pressure

from the skills shortage is

affecting our members – and the

wider profession – through longer

hours, stress and being unable

to properly cope with our profes-

sional responsibilities.

“If we want to address climate

change, sustainability issues

and build the infrastructure our

communities need for the future,

then Australia needs significantly

more professional engineers and

other technical staff.

“The profession still does

not receive the recognition it

deserves for the key role it plays

in Australian society.” IFME board meeting held in

Pauanui, New Zealand

The value of being a member of IFME was unmistakable as we compared problems, experience and solutions

6 IMIESA February 2013

A Metso Lokotrack train is meeting high tonnage aggregate demands on a Mpumalanga road rehabilitation project, with the contractor, WK Crushing, achieving consistent downstream product quality.

WORK IS NOW at an advanced

stage on a major road upgrade

on the R50 between Leandra

and Standerton, which is being

rebuilt on a solid foundation by Bloemfontein

based contractor Nucon Roads & Civils.

WK Construction Group entity, WK Crushing,

was appointed as the crushing and screen-

ing contractor and has been responsible for

supplying all road aggregate materials on

this fast-tracked rehabilitation project, which

commenced in January 2012 and is due for

completion by the end of March 2013.

Meeting the material specifications over

this 26 km section, WK Crushing’s contract

scope entails the dedicated supply of approxi-

mately 230 000 t of -38 mm G2 base course

as well as +9.5 mm and 19 mm road stone

amounting to a fur ther 3 000 and 8 000 t,

respectively. By November 2012, the bulk of

the G2 quantities had been supplied to site,

with all road stone materials sourced from a

TOP A side view of the Metso Lokotrack LT1100

LEFT WK Crushing’s site manager, Dirk van Schalkwyk (left), and Barloworld Equipment Metso Mobile’s sales consultant, Lantie van der Merwe. In the background is WK Crushing’s Metso Lokotrack LT1100 cone crusher and screen on one chassis (forming the closed circuit) feeding into the LT7150 VSI

VSI achieves base ROCK-ON-ROCK CRUSHING

COVER STORY


tonne. The IC system also prevents overload-

ing caused by process fluctuations, as well

as from damage caused by misuse. Advanced

fault diagnostics immediately pinpoint

any potential problem, so there is minimal

standing time.

In the closed circuit, +38 mm material

is fed to the LT1100 cone for reduction to

-38 mm and then passes through the VSI.

Screened material below -38 mm also passes

through the VSI to generate fines material,

an essential ingredient for optimum road

base compaction.

“Although placed at the end of the process

train, the VSI has the most important job to

do in per forming final product shaping. Plus

being at the tail end, the LT7150 must keep

place with the ongoing material throughput

flowing from the primary stage,” explains Dirk

van Schalkwyk, WK Crushing’s site manager.

During G2 production, WK Crushing’s train

has typically averaged around 170 to 180 tph

and up to 210 tph at peak, depending on vari-

ables in blasted material

sizes and densities. “And

we’ve achieved these fig-

ures with consistently high

availability from our Metso

units,” he continues.

Barmac VSIPowered by a Cat Acer t C13

engine, Metso’s LT7150 is

the first Lokotrack model

to be fitted with a Metso Barmac VSI crusher

on-board, in this instance a B7150M unit.

Configured as a VSI unit, the LT7150 is

an ideal third or four th stage crusher, which

combines high velocity impact crushing with

attrition crushing to produce cubical aggre-

gates, road base and prime manufactured

sand. In fact, field tests have proven that

less cement can be used in road bases

and stronger concrete created by using

Barmac VSI products. Waste products such

as steel slag, which is commonly used as

an aggregate in South African road construc-

tion, can also be optimally processed via

VSI technology.

“Barmac VSIs are unique among all ver tical

shaft impactors due to their pure rock-on-rock

crushing principle, an autogenous crushing

process that produces the best cubically

shaped aggregates on the market today,”

explains Barloworld Equipment Metso Mobile

sales consultant, Lantie van der Merwe.

“Compared to other OEM designs, this

means that impeller shoes or impact anvils

are not needed to achieve reduction, which in

turn helps to lower overall operating costs.”

Metso’s VSI design centres on its Barmac

DTR deep rotor. The development of deep

rotor technology, combined with long-life

wear par ts and segmented tip assemblies

dramatically reduces down-

time associated with wear

par t replacement.

The LT7150’s Barmac VSI

840 DTR rotor accepts feed

size up to 66 mm, acceler-

ates material and continu-

ously discharges it into the

crushing chamber, with par-

ticle exit velocities ranging

between 45 and 70 m/s.

This high-velocity impact crushing, together

with high-pressure attrition grinding, results

in superior concrete and asphalt aggregates,

with the ability to fine-tune this process by

simply changing rotor speed.

“Experience has shown that the key to prof-

its in the aggregate production industry lies

in the ability to produce consistent products

of high quality, which in turn leads to the con-

struction of durable roads that last,” adds

Van Schalkwyk.

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

course optimisation

“Although placed at the end of the process train, the VSI has the most important job to do in performing fi nal product shaping”

WK registered dolerite borrow pit situated

outside the town of Leandra.

This pit is currently being mined to around

10.5 m from sur face and has substan-

tial dolerite reserves below this depth to

meet other downstream WK material supply

contracts in the region for concrete, road

aggregate or pipeline bases.

WK Crushing is a leading contractor in the

crushing and screening sector, and over the

years has successfully completed a number

of quarrying and crushing operations in

mining, concrete readymix, road building

and civil engineering within South Africa as

well as cross-border, backed by a modern

equipment fleet.

WK’s mobile process train set-up at the

Leandra borrow pit star ts with a Metso

Lokotrack LT105 primary jaw crusher feed-

ing into a secondary cone crusher and from

there to a ter tiary Metso LT1100 cone

crusher and screen on one chassis (forming

the closed circuit), with a Metso LT7150 VSI

(ver tical shaft impactor) per forming final

stage crushing.

These Metso units communicate via

onboard IC (Intelligent Control) automation

and work as one seamlessly integrated sys-

tem. Automation makes it possible to run

machines at constant, specific per formance

rates to achieve the best cost per aggregate

An illustrated cross-section of the Metso Lokotrack LT7150 showing material passing through the machine’s on-board Barmac VSI

COVER STORY

IME

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IMESA

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

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

INSIGHT


FROM THE ONSET it was clear that the

design and documentation needed to

be adapted in order to maximise the

interest of the community as well as

ensure a quality product. Well-balanced use

of equipment and local labour was vital to the

success of the project as extensive training

was done before the specific tasks were pro-

grammed to commence.

On-site design changes were possible due

to the flexibility of the “Spin Screed” being

used, with resultant innovative techniques that

result both in time saving as well as improved

constructability and quality.

Quality control of both virgin and modified

materials before, during and after construction

needs a higher level of supervision, which must

not be underestimated.

A direct cost comparison was possible to

conventional methods as this was part of the

project scope. Crucial to the success and sus-

tainability of this method, however, is long-term

commitment from authorities, with guaranteed

financial and technical support.

Short project description The project scope was the upgrading of some

gravel roads in Brandwag to surfaced stand-

ards using Ultra-Thin Reinforced Concrete

Pavement (UTRCP), constructed by means of

labour-intensive construction (LIC) methods, to

maximise the use of local labour.

Project locationThe Brandwag community, Part of Ward 7, is

situated approximately 11 km north of the N2

and Trunk Route 33, section 2 (TR33/2) and

the intersection en route to Oudtshoorn as

shown in Figure 1.

Road numbers The roads are numbered in Table 1 for ease

of reference with the following approximate

lengths constructed:

Project specificationsThe road was upgraded to a surfaced standard

to the widths, alignment and structural capacity

as specified for low volume roads taking local

conditions into account:

• existing material was reused and reworked

to form part of the support layers to the

cemented base

• the base was constructed using mainly exist-

ing material and consisted of a 100 mm

thick cement stabilised layer to C3/C4

standards by means of labour-intensive

construction methods

• this was followed by an application of a

bituminous emulsion application to improve

durability and limit the water susceptibility of

the stabilised layer

• the surface layer consisted of a 50 mm thick

UTRCP (mesh 200 x 200 x 5.6 mm nominal

reinforcing) with batch mixing of the con-

crete on-site with concrete mixers

• as part of the works, kerbs and channels

were removed and reused, where those could

be successfully salvaged.

DocumentationWorks specifications: Variations and additions

to the standardised specifications were includ-

ed to distinguish between machine- and labour-

intensive methods.

The items shown in Table 2 were included for

quantifying the type and amount of works car-

ried out by means of LIC.

Can we build it? Yes we can!ULTRA-THIN REINFORCED CONCRETE PAVEMENT (UTRCP)

The employer’s objectives of this case study was to upgrade gravel roads in

the Brandwag Community to surfaced standard, with preference to UTRCP,

constructed by means of labour intensive construction methods and where

possible materials. By Johan Rasmus and Pieter Myburgh*

TABLE 1 Road numbers and lengths

FIGURE 1 Location of Brandwag Community

ROAD NO. LENGTH (M)

Road 1 230

Road 3 180

Road 4 60

*Johan Rasmus Otte, associate: pavement engineering, Royal HaskoningDHV

Pieter Myburgh, operational manager, streets and stormwater at Mossel Bay

INSIGHT

Construction of stabilised baseThis section covers the construction of a layer

of concrete, 50 mm thick continuously

reinforced with 200 x 200 x 5.6 mm welded

mesh (Ref 193) on an emulsion cured

stabilised layer. See Table 2.

Materials• aggregate to comply with relevant SANS

• 32.5 CEM I cement complying with

SANS requirements

• concrete to be used after submission and

approval of trial mix* to 30 MPa after 28 days

• welded wire mesh fabric conforming to

SANS 1024 – 1991 (6 x 2.4 m sheets)

• water to comply with relevant SANS

• curing compound or plastic sheeting for

curing

• emulsion for treatment of joints

• cold applied polymer modified emulsion with

8% rubber on bitumen for treatment of joints

or similar approved

• granular rubber crumbs to Sabita Manual

4 for slurry for sealing of joints or similar

approved.

* On-site batch mixing on-site was used and

if the desired consistency was not achieved,

ready-mix would be used.

Equipment• wheelbarrows, shovels, steel squeegees

• mixer for batch mixing/ready-mix concrete

• Spin Screed to replace vibrating screed beam

for compaction of the concrete

• movable bridge to prevent walking on mesh

for placing and screeding concrete

• broom with extended handle to provide

texture

• concrete saw with a blade of suitable width

for cutting longitudinal and construction joints

• equipment for sealing joints

• bull float.

Construction procedure• set up side forms/shutters to specified line

and levels on the prepared support layer

• placement of welded mesh on cover blocks

as specified

• concrete placement ensured adequate area

for truck to turn without damaging the con-

structed layers

• spread concrete evenly between shutters

using steel squeegees/rake

• compact concrete with Spin Screed

• once the concrete was compacted, a bull float

was used to achieve required surface finish

TABLE 3 Construction tolerances

PAYMENT ITEMS

ACTIVITY

P306 Placing of shutters

P307 Placing and fixing of welded mesh

P308 50 mm ultra-thin reinforced concrete

P309 Extra over for construction of bell mouths and intersection

P310 Anchor beams

P311 Sawing of joints

P312 Sealing of joints

• once concrete had set sufficiently, the sur-

face was broomed transversely to provide the

required texture finish

• covered with plastic sheeting to cure concrete

• saw-cut joints as instructed

• seal joints as instructed, with

approved sealant.

Quality controlA slump test had been conducted on each

batch and cubes prepared as requested by the

engineer. For tender purposes, the slump test

for hand vibration was to be between 70 and

120 mm and for vibration beam was between

30 and 70 mm. After the trial section, the

tolerances on slump test had been specified at

100 mm for the Spin Screed. Design require-

ments were:

• 28 days cube strength: 30 MPa

• cement to water ratio not more than 1:9

• minimum cement content 310 kg/m3

• flexible strength 3.8 MPa (mix)

TABLE 2 Construction of stabilised base

PAYMENT ITEMS ACTIVITY

P106Mixing of gravel, cement and water

P107 Wheelbarrow haulage

P108 Spreading and levelling

P109 Construction of sub-base

P110 Screening of sub-base


CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

PHOTO 5 Spin Screed PHOTO 7 Spin Screed attachment PHOTO 8 Operating the Spin Screed PHOTO 6 Vibrating beam

1 2

43

5

7

6

8


PHOTO 1 9.5 mm aggregate for concrete

PHOTO 2 Polypropylene fibres

PHOTO 4 Ref 200 steel mesh (100 x 100 mm)

PHOTO 3 P900 plasticizer

INSIGHT


Construction tolerances• Thickness of concrete: 5 mm (min 45 m)

• Level and grade: 5 mm over 10 m

• Top cover to mesh: 2 mm (Min cover 15 mm)

See Table 3.

Late amendments After consultation with the CSIR, the latest

techniques and methods were implemented as

far as possible. This included the adjustment

of the concrete design. The photos (1 to 4)

show the aggregate, fibres, plasticizer and

mesh used.

Another change was the use of a Spin Screed

(Photo 5) instead of the vibrating beam (Photo

6) to compact and finish off the concrete layer.

The Spin Screed consists of an aluminium

pipe, up to 6.4 m in length, with an electric

power head that spins the pipe in the opposite

direction to the direction it is being advanced

so that concrete rolls up in front of the screed,

cutting off high spots and filling in low spots.

The aluminium pipe screed can be purchased

or cut into any length up to 6.4 m, making

screeds tailor-made for various jobs.

The advantages of using the Spin Screed

• handles easily and quick to assemble

• lightweight, only two persons to handle

• no vibration means shutters stay in place,

ensuring accurate layer thickness

• position of steel reinforcing is not negatively

impacted as with the vibrating beam

• no excessive fines brought to the surface,

no segregation

• length of the Spin Screed eliminates

half-width construction.

Contractors can switch from one length of

pipe to another in just a matter of seconds

by means of quick disconnects. See photos

7 and 8.

The TRH4 catalogue design was used as

reference design for comparison with the CSIR

approach for the UTRCP. The design pavement

structure is shown in Figure 2 as well as the

amendment made during construction.

ConstructionDue to the quality of the material on Road No

3 and guidance from CSIR, the existing

layer was tested with the in-situ densities

exceeding the required values needed as

the supporting layer.

With the use of the Spin Screed that exceeds

the width of the road, it was decided to con-

struct the road in full width with no longitudinal

joint on the centre line.

A further change came in with the decision

taken to construct both the base and UTRCP to

a width that the kerbing would be constructed

on top of the finished UTRCP. This was due

to the time consuming efforts in fixing the

shutters to the correct horizontal alignment.

An added advantage was the elimination of a

longitudinal joint along the road and kerbing.

The kerbing was then changed from a CK5

(combination) to a Figure 8 (mountable kerb).

Stabilised C3/C4 layerUtilising the existing layer works resulted in

a higher finished road level than designed by

100 mm.The imported G4 material stabilised

with cement was mixed off-site, transported,

spread by hand and compacted by walk-

behind rollers.

Shuttering was placed to construct the layer

to very tight vertical tolerances.

PHOTO 9 The emulsion being applied


PHOTO 10 Batch mixing in progress PHOTO 11 Off loading concrete mixture PHOTO 13 Spin Screed at work PHOTO 15 Hosepipe used to water the layer PHOTO 14 Plastic covering being placed PHOTO 12 Spreading with squeegees

FIGURE 2: Design and amended cross section for UTRCP

10 11

13

1514

12

9


The layer was finished off with the applica-

tion of a diluted emulsion as shown in Photo 9.

50 mm UTRCPTo maximise local labour, mixing of the UTRCP

was done by on-site batch mixing as shown in

Photo 10. For this operation, eight workers

were employed.

Due to the properties of the mixture, place-

ment needed to be as soon as possible and

therefore was tipped into a TLB. The mix was

then carefully distributed onto the prepared

surface with the reinforcing in place and well

supported by spacers. Note the bridge to

prevent stepping onto the reinforcement in

Photo 11. Spreading with squeegees (Photo

12) prevents segregation and compacting with

the Spin Screed (Photo 13), provided the qual-

ity finish needed. For this process 11 trainees

were employed.

Once the broom finish had been completed,

the layer was covered with a canopy of plastic

(Photo 14), for the curing process. This is

one of the most critical aspects and the layer

should be kept moist for at least seven days.

This was done by watering the layer with a

hosepipe (Photo 15), but unfortunately no

record of this was kept.

Kerbing and sidewalksWith the construction method used, kerbs

were constructed on the finished UTRCP by

using a water-cement paste and screed. This

gives the following advantages:

• eliminating of longitudinal joints next to the

kerbing, no sealing to be done

• cost-saving by using Figure 8 instead of CK5

• aesthetically pleasing

• reduces routine road maintenance

The previously used method, as shown in Photo

16, needs to be sealed properly, whereas the

implemented construction strategy as shown

in Photo 17 does not need to be. Once the

kerbing had been implemented, the sidewalk

layerworks were constructed as shown in Photo

18. Photo 19 shows the completed sidewalk

and finished road. One month after construc-

tion, some sections showed cracking similar to

that of a stabilised base and it was suggested

that cores be drilled to establish the extent as

well as the reinforcement position (Photo 20).

Training and job creationA well-structured training programme was initi-

ated and supported by the provincial govern-

ment of the Western Cape, Chief Directorate

EPWP: CIIE. A special acknowledgement to

Yolanda Ngcongca and Mzwandile Dlammanzi

for their contribution to ensure that training of

the highest standard was achieved.

SAVE (South African Value Education) was

awarded the training project for 20 learners

with the contractor Urhwebo e-Transand, which

added valuable experience to the project.

A development objective of Mossel Bay

Municipality regarding unemployment, poverty

rate and skills shortage is to reduce it by 2%

per annum and this will lead to the achieve-

ment of the 2014 millennium goal of reducing

these three issues by 50%.

Structure of the technical support• The training consisted of a theoretical as well

as a practical component.

• The venue for theoretical component was

provided by the community.

• The practical component was provided at the

Brandwag site.

• The practical component included an on-

site mentor for the learners provided by

the contractor.

• Mentors provided were on-site for the first

BUDGET ITEM AMOUNT (R)

% OF PROJECT COST

Total construction cost

1 635 444 76.7

Professional fees 497 556 23.3

Total project cost (approved budget)

2 133 000

TABLE 4 Percentages spent of approved budget

two weeks of practical implementation and

operations as well as quality control of the

UTRCP technique.

Training contentThe theoretical training covered the follow-

ing topics:

• calculations of quantities for consumables

and material

• equipment required, hired and non-hired

• construction cost

• preparation of mix designs

• team balancing

• preliminaries.

Practical training initially made provision for

a 20 m strip, but eventually 80 m was con-

structed due to changing of the reinforcing

and climatic conditions prevailed at the first

section. The practical training covered the fol-

lowing activities:

• concrete mixing

• shuttering work

• steel fixing

• using the Spin Screed

• finishing of the UTRCP

• protection and curing of the layer

• kerbing.

All learners were provided with a training man-

ual that covered the topics under the training.

The learners were allowed to keep the training

manual for future reference.

Quantity of learners and their skills areasThe number of learners was 20 and they

received the following group training:

• 1 x skilled person from the main contractor

• 1x concrete hand

• 1 x shutter hand

PHOTO 16 Kerbs constructed using previous method

PHOTO 17 Implemented kerbing construction

ANTI-CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

PHOTO 20 Typical crack patterns PHOTO 18 Sidewalk in progress PHOTO 19 Sidewalk completed

16 17

20

19 18

INSIGHT


INSIGHT

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PAY ITEM AMOUNT (R)

% OF CON-STRUCTION COST

Training of local labour including wages 81 600 5.0

Labour Section 100: Stabilised layer 59 606 3.6

Labour Section 300: UTRCP 50 086 3.1

Plant for labour-intensive construction 88 058 5.4

Sub-total 279 350 17.1

Total construction cost 1 635 444

TABLE 5 Percentages spent of construction cost

UPGRADING: BRANDWAG PROJECT

ACTIVITY/TIMESCONVENTIONAL

(R)UTRCP

Rate/m2 Rate/m2

In-situ compaction 6.15 0.00

Cut to spoil from: 8.95 0.00

Supply of G5 material from commercial quarry

32.86 0.00

Natural G4 - unstabilised (150 mm)

10.80 0.00

Natural G4 - stabilised (100 mm LIC)

(incl. plant and labour) - 44.59

Construct base with graded crushed stone (G4)

36.90

Application of diluted emulsion - 5.00

Prime coat: 15.00 -

CAPE SEAL (S13) 60.00 -

ULTRA-THIN REINFORCED CONCRETE PAVEMENT

(incl. plant and labour) 124.48

Extra over for CSIR design 9.00

Total R170.65 R183.07

• 1 x steel fixer

• 1 x supervisor for the construction process.

Project costsBy providing a business plan and with persistent communication by the

Mossel Bay Municipality, the project was approved a budget of R1.8 mil-

lion for professional fees and construction. Mossel Bay Municipality

contributed an additional R330 000 towards the project. See Table 4,

which gives the summary of the project cost. Table 5 indicates spending

as a percentage of the construction cost.

It must be emphasised that a portion of this project was done conven-

tionally and this has an influence on the percentages shown above. Table

6 shows a comparison between conventional (S13) surfacing and 50 mm

UTRCP done labour intensively.

TABLE 6 Conventional vs.UTRCP

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Corestruc designs, manufactures and constructsprecast concrete structures that are ideally suited to the infrastructure delivery construction industry. Richard Jansen van Vuuren speaks to Corestruc’s MD, Willie de Jager, about the company and its products.

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for each project as well 50 Mℓ Krugersburg (Polokwane)

Reservoir and 45 Mℓ Longridge

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precast columns; precast

pre-stressed I-beams that are

460 mm wide by 770 mm deep,

ranging from 8.4 to 11 m with

250 mm deep hollow core floors

spanning 11 m. All precast

elements were designed and

manufactured class 1 because of

the corrosive environment.

Various spor ts stadiums, in

particular Sekgopa and Lebaka

sports complexes, with precast

columns, raker beams and seat-

ing benches.

Precast beams and bridge barri-

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Honda showroom – The total

structure was precasted with

various precast elements ranging

between square and bull nose

columns, square T and I-beams,

rectangular crash barriers and

150 to 250 mm deep hollow

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT 50 Mℓ Krugersburg Reservoir with precast roof structure 50% complete before the first lift on the wall is completed. The photograph shows the overlap of trades caused by the use of precast

A completed showroom constructed for Honda

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MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS

THE END RESULT is predictable: rapid

deterioration of assets, followed by

catastrophic component failure, and

regular and prolonged disruptions in

service delivery.

This article identifies and examines some

of the challenges that exist in a typical small

rural municipality. A local municipality in the

Eastern Cape is used as a case study. It must

be emphasised though that there is no intention

to discredit this particular municipality or any of

its employees. Instead, the findings should be

viewed against the background that there are

numerous other local authorities across the

country that are experiencing similar or even

worse difficulties. The solutions offered are

specifically aimed at improving the working con-

ditions of municipal staff who are confronted

with numerous impediments in their current

work environment.

A number of issues, ranging from financial

constraints to institutional deficiencies and

personnel problems, are highlighted. Current

utilisation of grant funding and some munici-

palities’ dependency on funding agencies are

also debated.

The main theme of the paper is, however,

more focused on finding workable solutions to

ensure that best practice is applied in operating

and maintaining municipal services infrastruc-

ture in a sustainable manner. The second part

of the paper explores possible short- and long-

term options, including support from consulting

engineers and outsourcing of essential services

to the private sector.

Crisis in local governmentIn 2008 the (then) National Department of

Provincial and Local Government (DPLG)

received a report from the Afrikaanse

Handelsinstituut (AHI), alerting the department

on service delivery problems in a number of

municipalities throughout South Africa.

The report highlighted several problems that

these municipalities were experiencing at the

time, including:

• challenges in the general rendering of ser-

vices to the community

• procedures followed when appointing new

staff members

• irregularities and deficiencies with procure-

ment procedures

• leakages and overflowing of

sewerage systems

• a general lack of consul-

tation and of cooperation

between the municipalities and the business

community, in particular the AHI-affiliated

business chambers of the AHI.

A rural municipality in the Eastern Cape was

listed in the AHI report as one of the local

authorities where water and sanitation services

were on the verge of collapse.

Aurecon was subsequently tasked by the

DPLG to report on the state of water and sanita-

tion services in this particular municipality. The

initial investigation confirmed that municipal

service delivery was totally ineffective and

in certain areas non-existent, especially with

regard to essential services such as refuse

removal, sewerage conveyance, and treatment

and supply of potable water.

At the time, one of the major concerns

was the discharge of raw sewerage, overflow-

ing from non-functional pump stations and

wastewater treatment plants, into the river

systems and dams that supply water to other

local authorities located in the downstream

Challenges in smaller municipalities

OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

At present, several smaller municipalities are struggling to operate and maintain their services infrastructure in a cost-effective and sustainable manner. By Johan van der Mescht and Marius van Jaarsveld




catchment areas. The conclusion reached was

that the poor condition of water and sanitation

infrastructure was as a result of:

• insufficient funding allocation for the reha-

bilitation and/or replacement of components

that have reached the end of their design life

• inadequate maintenance budgets, which

could be attributed to the municipality’s lim-

ited income base.

Part of Aurecon’s brief by the DPLG was to

provide technical assistance to the munici-

pality, especially with regard to operations

and maintenance (O&M). Data on O&M was

secured mainly through field observations and

by conducting informal interviews with technical

staff. Informal discussions were also held with

members of local business chambers, to obtain

some insight on municipal service delivery from

a ratepayer/consumer perspective. Some of the

findings of this investigation are presented and

discussed in this paper.

The principal outcome of the original assign-

ment was the approval of municipal infra-

structure grant (MIG) funds to the value of

R44 million, to be allocated over three con-

secutive financial years, for the rehabilitation

of existing bulk water and sanitation infra-

structure. This project is now nearing comple-

tion, but a real concern is the fact that O&M

remains a low priority within the municipality’s

technical department.

The stark reality is that repairing dysfunction-

al infrastructure without addressing the factors

that impact negatively on O&M is simply not a

sustainable option in the medium to long term.

Without basic maintenance, most of the newly

refurbished plants could be in a derelict state

within five years.

The existing culture of deferred maintenance

in the municipality will need to be abolished in

favour of a strategy that ensures that adequate

technical and financial resources are made

available for O&M. The primary benefits of

changing the status quo will be a drastic reduc-

tion in infrastructure life cycle costs and the

ability to deliver a consistent and satisfactory

level of service to consumers.

The extent of the crisis from an O&M perspective A detailed report on O&M deficiencies within

the technical department of the municipality

falls outside the scope of this article. However,

to provide some perspective on the severity of

the problem, some of the more obvious failings

are listed below in no particular order:

• non-compliance with existing health and

safety legislation

• the current infrastructure life cycle scenario

can be described as “run to destruction”

because of a total lack of routine and

preventative maintenance; the unfortunate

outcome is premature asset failure

• failure to remove screenings at sewer pump

stations and at the inlets to wastewa-

ter treatment works results in downstream

blockages, clogging of pump impellors and

eventual mechanical breakdowns

• failure to respond to sewer blockages

within a reasonable time leads to the

discharge of raw sewage into sensitive

natural environments

• failure to respond to water pipe bursts

promptly results in considerable water loss-

es and lengthy interruptions in water supply

• because of supply chain bottlenecks, water

purification chemicals at remote water

treatment plants are often in short supply,

resulting in poor drinking water quality

• due to an acute shortage of funds for

O&M, repairs to a defective pump unit is

often postponed until the second (standby)

unit fails. (It is common practice to install

pump units in both water and sewer pump

stations in a duty/standby configuration,

to ensure continuous operation should one

unit become defective.) The inevitable out-

come is prolonged interruptions in service

delivery and consequential inconvenience

to local residents, as well as health risks

associated with sewage spills

• the municipality’s asset register is not

up to date, which makes it difficult to (1)

trace missing plant and equipment, and (2)

compile maintenance plans.

Prior to discussing possible solutions to

change the status quo, it is necessary to

list and examine some of the more critical

aspects that impede efficient O&M within this

particular municipality.

Factors that impact negatively on O&MHuman resource issues

Service delivery challenges in small rural

municipalities are often exacerbated by human

resource issues, ranging from the difficulty

to recruit suitably qualified and experienced

professionals to unstructured or weak disci-

plinary procedures. With this case study the

situation is no different. Some of the more

pertinent personnel issues which have a

direct bearing on the technical department’s

ability to meet its O&M obligations include

the following:

• There is no institutional memory within the

department due to high staff turnover at

management level – the department has

had four different directors/acting directors

in a period of three years.

• Technical directors are appointed on five-

year contracts, a policy that overlooks the

importance of long-term infrastructure plan-

ning. In this particular municipality both

consultants and government agencies are

relied upon to assist senior staff with

strategic planning. The inevitable result

is the implementation of ad hoc solutions


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that, due to uncoordinated planning, add

unnecessary burdens on operating staff and

maintenance teams.

• The department lacks the capacity to mentor

young inexperienced technicians. Without the

opportunity to gain worthwhile work experi-

ence, the technicians’ usefulness to the

institution remains low and their contribution

to improving service delivery negligible. Past

experience has shown that newly appointed

civil engineering technicians soon resign to

pursue better career opportunities elsewhere.

• Judging by the poor condition of components

at several plants and pump stations, there

seems to be a critical deficiency in mechanical

and electrical competency in the department.

This makes the municipality totally depend-

ent on outside service providers to repair

mechanical and electrical equipment.

• Absenteeism, where personnel at certain

treatment plants fail to report for duty, is a

common occurrence. Yet there seems to be

reluctance in the municipality to take disci-

plinary action against transgressors. This

in turn impacts nega-

tively on discipline and

on productivity.

• The department’s current

post structure makes no

provision for the appoint-

ment of experienced staff

at middle-management

level (superintendent

or similar).

This is a critical shortcom-

ing as some of a superin-

tendent’s primary respon-

sibilities are to:

• ensure that O&M func-

tions are performed in

an efficient manner

• identify potential infra-

structure failures in time and take the neces-

sary remedial actions to prevent interruptions

in service delivery

• provide technical support and guidance to

artisans and plant operators on a daily basis

• report to line managers on all operational

issues with regard

to the provision of

municipal engineering

services.

Financial chal-lenges

The municipality’s income – expenditure state-

ment for the 2010/11 financial year, as pro-

vided in its annual report for 2010/2011, is

depicted in Table 1.

A cursory examination of the municipality’s rev-

enue versus expenditure for the period 1 July

There seems to be a critical defi ciency in mechanical and electrical competency


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within the technical department that impact on

O&M. Some of the identified shortcomings are

discussed below in no particular order.

Because of budget constraints, maintenance

of service vehicles and construction plants is

neglected. Vehicle and plant breakdowns are

therefore a common occurrence and, together

with the non-availability of replacements, ham-

per the municipality’s ability to perform elemen-

tary O&M tasks and to respond to infrastructure

failures in time.

At most water and wastewater treatment

plants, basic equipment such as spanners,

screw drivers, brooms, shovels, rakes and

wheelbarrows – necessary to perform routine

tasks – are missing. Personnel at these plants

are often expected to do hazardous work with-

out being issued with the required protective

clothing. The most extreme example observed

was at a wastewater treatment plant where

operators were cleaning inlet screens without

wearing rubber gloves.

A number of wastewater treatment plants

do not have a potable water supply, making it

impossible for operators to wash screens, scum

2010 to 30 June 2011 reveals the following:

• Government grants and subsidies formed

71% of total income, an obvious indication

that the municipality is dependent on grant

funding to remain solvent.

• Revenue from property rates and service

charges, which should be the municipality’s

primary source of income, represented only

23% of total income.

• Proceeds from the remaining revenue items

(fines, rental income, etc.) made up the bal-

ance of 6%.

• Personnel costs (excluding remuneration of

councillors) comprised 24% of total expendi-

ture, which is not excessive. However, what is

of concern is that the income from property

rates and service charges is just sufficient

to cover personnel costs, leaving no surplus

for O&M.

• Repairs and maintenance expenditure was

only 1% of total costs, which confirms that

O&M is of low priority in this municipality. (The

accepted benchmark is that an O&M budget

should be in the order of 1 to 4% of the total

asset value.)

Table 1 shows a surplus of almost R11 million,

which in theory should be more than adequate

to cover annual maintenance costs, including

breakdowns. Unfortunately, observations made

during routine site visits to water and waste-

water plants during the period 1 July 2011 to

30 June 2012 revealed that very little, if any,

of the surplus funds were used for maintaining

vital water and sanitation infrastructure assets.

Operational deficienciesField observations revealed several deficiencies



baffles and overflow weirs, or hose down equip-

ment to prevent sludge accumulation. Needless

to say, non-compliance with Department of

Water Affairs’ (DWA) standards for treated efflu-

ent is the norm.

Poor housekeeping is common at most of the

water and wastewater treatment plants, with

sites littered with junk, overgrown with weeds

and equipment covered in dust. This could be

an indication that supervision is lacking and

that operators are left to their own devices.

Tedious supply chain management proce-

dures within the municipality add to the frus-

trations of technical personnel stationed at

remote sites. Feedback from supervisory staff

revealed that obtaining an order number for fuel

or spares is no simple task due to poor inter-

departmental communication and cooperation.

This limits the ability of maintenance teams to

respond to infrastructure failures without delay.

Senior managers are reluctant to delegate

authority to supervisory staff, which is prob-

ably an internal arrangement to limit unauthor-

ised expenditure. All requests for fuel, spares,

water purification chemicals, etc., need to

be approved by a senior

manager, regardless of

the extent of the emer-

gency. The unfortunate

consequence is lengthy

delays in attending to

breakdowns when man-

agers are on leave or out

of town.

Support from other government agen-cies – a blessing or a curse?Secondment of personnel

There have been several

attempts to address the

lack of experience and

skills in the municipality’s

technical depar tment.

This has mainly been in

the form of assistance

through the deployment

of technical personnel

from the Development

Bank of Southern Africa,

the district municipality

and the provincial depart-

ment responsible for

local government.

It was observed that some of the engineers

and technicians who were seconded to this

municipality for short periods during the past

three years had limited knowledge of munici-

pal engineering and were thus not capable of

assisting operating staff with technical matters.

It was further noted that they had no clear

mandate and were not given measurable perfor-

mance targets. Their contribution in supporting

municipal staff was therefore limited and was

probably not worth the expense.

An additional concern with the secondment

of personnel from other government agencies

is that it could encourage a dependency culture

among municipal staff, which will further inhibit

the local authority’s capability to become self-

sufficient and sustainable.

The willingness of government agencies to

assist struggling municipalities is commend-

able. Also, the concept of secondment of expe-

rienced and competent personnel is sensible

and should be supported. However, the ad hoc

manner in which it is currently carried out needs

to be reviewed.

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STRATEGICPARTNERS

REVENUE

ITEM AMOUNT (R) % OF TOTAL REVENUE

Property rates 7 943 164 8.23

Service charges 14 554 633 15.08

Rental of facilities & equipment

157 991 0.16

Income from agency services 1 465 002 1.52

Fines 287 493 0.30

Government grants & subsidies

68 754 069 71.25

Other income 1 337 956 1.39

Interest on investment income 1 990 845 2.06

Total revenue 96 491 153 100.00

EXPENDITURE

Personnel 20 888 317 24.42

Remuneration of councillors 2 041 502 2.39

Depreciation & amortisation 8 863 221 10.36

Impairment loss 13 904 894 16.26

Finance costs 153 700 0.18

Collection costs - 0.00

Repairs and maintenance 931 978 1.09

Bulk purchases 1 743 535 2.04

Contracted services 1 538 154 1.80

Grants and subsidies paid 26 721 068 31.24

General expenses 8 753 328 10.23

Total expenditure 85 539 697 100.00

SURPLUS 10 951 456

TABLE 1 Income – expenditure statement for the 2010/11 financial year



Grants and subsidies As indicated in Table 1, grant funding

constituted 71% of the municipality’s

income in the 2010/11 financial year. The 2010/11 annual report pro-

vides a breakdown of the respective grants received and this information

is reflected in Table 2.

A detailed analysis of the data provided in the table above falls outside

the scope of this paper. However, the question that needs to be asked is

how much of this money was available for O&M.

About 6% of the grants/subsidies were allocated for administrative or

financial support and thus unavailable for O&M. Equitable share, MIGs

and the housing grant made up the remaining 94%.

The equitable share grant is paid by the provincial government to subsi-

dise free basic services to poor households and is a recognised source of

revenue for local authorities that need to cover their costs in the provision

of such services. By default, a portion of this income is committed to

O&M through the payment of salaries, the purchase of water purification

chemicals, etc.

The MIG was allocated for the provision of new and for the upgrade

and/or rehabilitation of existing services infrastructure. Current policy

dictates that MIG funds may not be used for O&M.

The housing grant was for the funding of a new housing development

and none of it was used for O&M.

Because of its limited income base, this municipality, like many others

in rural areas, is unable to fund capital projects from its own revenue.

It is therefore totally dependent on MIG funding for the construction of

new facilities (community halls, sport fields, etc.) and new services infra-

structure (roads, water, sewerage, stormwater, etc.). This is the norm

in most rural municipalities and the concept of the MIG programme is

not disputed.

However, the question that needs to be asked is whether municipalities

are prepared to adjust their operating budgets upwards to allow for the

maintenance of new (additional) MIG-funded infrastructure assets. With

insufficient funding available for O&M and an increasing asset base,

maintenance backlogs will eventually reach a level where assets will need

to be replaced long before they have reached the end of their design life.

Considering the importance of O&M, it is recommended that the current

policy of allocating grant funding for capital projects only, be reviewed as

a matter of urgency.

Suggested short-term interventions to address O&M challengesAssistance from the private sector

Municipalities need to acknowledge that the private sector has the neces-

sary expertise and resources available to support them in performing

their O&M obligations.

A large number of former municipal engineers are currently in the

employment of private consulting firms and their wealth of knowledge

could be invaluable to struggling municipalities. The possible deployment

of such experienced professionals from the private sector to advise and

assist municipalities with O&M needs to be considered.

The primary aim during a deployment period would be to ensure that

skills transfer, especially with regard to O&M functions, takes place.

Additional support could include, but should not be limited to:

TABLE 2 Grants and subsidies received for the 2010/11 financial year


GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND SUBSIDIES - 2010/11

GRANT / SUBSIDY SOURCE / DONOR AMOUNT (R) PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL

Equitable share Provincial Government 22 754 154 33.1

Financial Management Grant (FMG) National Government 2 542 451 3.7

Department Local Government Grant (DPLG) Provincial Government 4 87 987 0.7

Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) National Government 33 040 858 48.1

District Municipality Grant District Municipality 2 40 200 0.3

Integrated Development Plan (IDP) Provincial Government 2 19 972 0.3

Municipal Systems Improvement Grant (MSIG) National Government 3 12 808 0.5

Department of Housing Grant Provincial Government 9 155 639 13.3

Total 68 754 069 100

• the establishment of an institution-

al memory through the collection

of accurate as-built data

• providing guidance with regard to

the updating of asset registers

• assisting with the recruitment and

appointment of technical staff

• assisting with the mentoring of

newly appointed personnel

• compiling of maintenance plans

and schedules

• assisting with budgeting for O&M

• advising on the purchasing of suit-

able plant and equipment

• assisting technical managers with strategic

infrastructure planning

• providing management support.

The issue with such a proposal is obviously the

availability of funds to pay for services rendered.

Should a municipality be unable to foot the bill,

the possibility of securing external funds, including grant funding, should

be considered.

Securing sufficient funds for O&M

Lack of financial resources is probably the primary reason why

maintenance is often neglected

or deferred in municipalities.

The first step in the establish-

ment of a maintenance culture

is therefore to ensure that suf-

ficient funds are made available

to support O&M. In small munic-

ipalities with a limited income

base this could present quite a

challenge. However, there is an

alternative that could easily be

implemented if the commitment

to improve O&M exists.

Municipalities are entitled to reclaim the VAT

on MIG-funded projects. At this stage there

is no legislation in place that stipulates how

the reclaimed VAT money should be spent. It

is suspected that more often than not these

funds are used to pay the salary bill and other

general expenses, instead of using it for infra-

structure improvement. The possibility of rather ring-fencing this money for

O&M is worth considering.

The case study is used to illustrate the potential impact of this

option. Total MIG funding in the 2010/11 financial year amounted to

R33 million (refer to Table 2). The VAT reclaimable on this amount is

Lack of fi nancial resources is probably the reason why maintenance is often neglected




approximately R4 million. It is obvious that

should such an amount be ring-fenced and used

specifically for repairs and maintenance – an

item where actual expenditure was less than

R1 million in 2010/11 – the municipality’s ability

to provide a satisfactory service to consumers

will improve significantly.

Proposed long-term solutions to ensure sustainable O&M practicesRepair and maintenance programmes in the

Department of Public Works – a success story

Aurecon has been extensively involved with

the development and implementation of repair

and maintenance programmes (RAMP) within

the Department of Public Works (DPW). These

projects have been implemented over a period of

about 10 years, with a total value of more than

R1 billion. Typical projects included:

• water and sewerage treatment plants

• water and sewerage reticulation networks

• mechanical and electrical equipment (pumps,

boilers, air-conditioning units, etc.)

• buildings and other structural elements

• forensic laboratories for the South African

Police Service (SAPS).

A typical RAMP project consists of an initial

repair phase – during which the installations are

repaired to a functional state – followed by a

three-year operations and maintenance period.

A contractor is thus appointed after an open

tendering process to repair and/or refurbish

existing infrastructure at one or more sites, and

thereafter to operate and maintain it for a fixed

(three-year) period.

During the maintenance period the contractor

is paid monthly for operating and maintaining the

repaired infrastructure. The payment amount is

based on the contractor’s performance during

the preceding month and is determined after an

inspection by an Aurecon engineer.

The engineer, in consultation with the con-

tractor, draws up a 10-point scorecard of each

installation. Scoring is done in the presence of

the contractor and the client (DPW), and the

contractor is then paid accordingly.

With regards to maintenance, the contractor is

expected to do the following:

• routine preventative maintenance (cleaning

and servicing of equipment)

• corrective maintenance (rectify faults)

• breakdown maintenance (repair after a failure

has occurred).

A brief explanation of the contractor’s main-

tenance liabilities in a typical RAMP project is

provided below.

Routine preventative maintenance is aimed at

the minimisation of breakdowns and entails the

rendering of services and servicing of equipment

according to a predetermined maintenance con-

trol plan. The contractor’s responsibilities are to:

• replace and service components of equip-

ment, units or parts thereof for each instal-

lation at prescheduled moments regardless

of condition

• readjust, reset, clean and corrosion protect

all components of equipment, units or parts

thereof for each installation

• perform all implied actions to maintain instal-

lations in a functional condition.

Corrective maintenance requires regular obser-

vation of the equipment; identifying pending

breakdowns, mal-adjustment or anomalies of

equipment, units or parts of installations; and

subsequent action to restore installations to the

original functional condition as specified.

Breakdown maintenance entails repair and/

or replacement of defective equipment, units

or parts of installations following a breakdown

that leaves the installation inoperable or unsafe,

and subsequent action to restore installations

to a functional condition as specified, within the

maximum downtime allowed.

The contractor is expected to perform break-

down maintenance within a specified mini-

mum period as determined by the engineer.

Breakdowns are classified as fatal, emergency

or ordinary, and the maximum allowed downtime

for each are as follows:

• fatal – requires an immediate response (e.g.

standby water pump breakdown)

• emergency – to be attended to within 48 hours

(e.g. a sewer blockage)

• ordinary – to be attended to within seven days

(e.g. a leaking tap).

Breakdowns are reported to a call centre where

the entire repair process is monitored. Repairs

completed are verified by the engineer before

closing a particular case. Penalties are applied

if the permissible downtime is exceeded. The

call centre is operated 24 hours a day, seven

days a week. In addition to his maintenance

liabilities, the appointed contractor takes full

responsibility for the day-to-day operating of ser-

vices infrastructure as prescribed in his contract.

Typical examples are water treatment plants,

wastewater treatment works and pump stations.

At a water treatment plant for instance, the

contractor will purchase the required treatment

chemicals and apply them in correct dosages to

ensure full compliance with the national stand-

ard for drinking water quality. Penalty clauses

in the contract will come into effect whenever

there is deterioration in water quality that results

in non-compliance with the required standard.

Performance monitoring is thus a crucial compo-

nent of the contract.

Outsourcing of critical opera-tions and maintenance functions in municipalitiesIt is suggested that the RAMP concept be adopt-

ed and implemented to overcome current service

delivery challenges in small municipalities.

Municipalities need to take cognisance of

the following:

• The required technical and management capa-

bilities to operate and maintain municipal

infrastructure in a sustainable and affordable

manner is available in the private sector.

• The RAMP model is particularly suitable for

water and wastewater treatment plants where

a contractor’s performance can be measured

directly against the Blue Drop and Green Drop

scores achieved.

• RAMP projects can be implemented in a local

authority within a short time frame, given that

outsourcing of services is not a novel concept

in municipal procurement systems.

• With the roll-out of RAMP projects, there

should be no need to retrench municipal staff.

Employees, such as water and wastewater

plant operators, could be trained by the con-

tractor to assist with daily operations, including

The appointed contractor takes responsibility for the day-to-day operating of services infrastructure




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erosion protection precast products

routine maintenance. This will

ensure that proper skills trans-

fer takes place on site, which

will benefit the municipality in

the long term. Also, utilising

available municipal staff in a

productive manner could result

in a significant cost saving to the municipality.

The establishment of a call centre in the munici-

pal environment is a relatively simple task, as

resources could be shared with existing munici-

pal emergency services.

Benefits of outsourcingThe roll-out of RAMP projects in the DPW

resulted in a significant improvement in ser-

vice delivery at government facilities such as

prisons and police stations.

With the outsourcing of services in line with

the RAMP concept, a client municipality and its

ratepayers will benefit as follows:

• Scheduled preventative maintenance will

increase the lifespan of costly municipal

assets such as water pumps, sewage

pumps, electrical switchgear and dosing

systems at water treatment plants.

• Preventative maintenance will reduce the risk

of fatal breakdowns and the resultant inter-

ruptions in essential services such as water

supply and sanitation.

• Best practice is applied in the operating of

services infrastructure to ensure full compli-

ance with current occupational health and

safety and environmental legislation.

• With outsourcing, the contractor’s month-

ly per formance is strictly monitored and

measured against a predetermined

specification. This is to ensure that

a high standard of service deliv-

ery is maintained throughout the

maintenance period.

• Improved service delivery will

increase customer satisfaction,

boost investor confidence and be a strong

countermeasure against potential civil pro-

tests and/or campaigns that endorse the non-

payment of municipal rates and taxes.

• Outsourcing will reduce the workload of

municipal employees. This could have a

significant positive impact on smaller munici-

palities in rural areas that struggle to recruit

and retain competent and experienced

personnel.

• Outsourcing provides an ideal opportunity to

transfer much-needed skills from the private

to the public sector. An inherent advantage

of the scheme is that municipal personnel

can be trained by the contractor’s operating

staff on site, until the necessary compe-

tency levels are achieved.

• A maintenance culture will be established.

Improved service delivery will increase customer satisfaction and boost investor confi dence


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WHEN MARKETS worldwide were

under extreme financial pres-

sure in late 2011, Ammann

took the bold step to enter the

South African and sub-Saharan African markets

by opening a dedicated local office – Ammann

Construction Machinery South Africa.

Ammann Construction Machinery South

Africa, under the leadership of Rocco Lehman,

has been tasked with marketing a full range

of products through-

out the sub-Saharan

region. The company

is renowned as a sup-

plier of high quality

and technologically superior asphalt plants,

with an extensive and complete range of com-

paction equipment and asphalt pavers.

Being a leader in the asphalt industry brings

about a more serious global issue: the environ-

ment. “We pride ourselves in being at the fore-

front in development with greener technologies

such as warm mix asphalt and various options

for the extensive use of recycled asphalt,”

explains Lehman.

Asphalt plants are now marketed and

sold directly to clients, and par ts and ser-

vices are also operated

by the Ammann South

Africa’s technical team,

which is suppor ted by

more than 100 years of

extensive experience in the

asphalt industry.

“To keep in touch with

our clients we constantly

improve and upgrade our

technology via our research and development

team,” adds Lehman.

Zac Zacchino is well known in the South

African paving and compaction industry. He

recently joined Ammann South Africa, bring-

ing with him his vast knowledge of the

local markets.

“He will cer tainly be an asset and

instrumental in the planned growth of the

company over the next couple of years,”

states Lehman.

The compaction

and paver products

will be distributed

and serviced by a

network of dealers. This decision has been

made with the customer in mind. “Carefully

selected regional dealers understand the cus-

tomer base in the areas they service and

will offer the Ammann customer a complete

service package with Ammann Construction

Machinery in support,” explains Lehman.

To ensure that Ammann Construction

Machinery South Africa can take care of the

customers’ needs, it has the following opera-

tional dealers in place:

• Force 8 in Cape Town

• JIT Plant in the Free state

• Eric’s Rollers in Gauteng

• HDM in Ghana, which supports West Africa

with sales parts and services.

Construction equipment fi rm drives African expansion

AMMANN GROUP

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SAGI

Infrastructure mapping for GEOMATIC GENIUS

Surveyors have been around since the earliest recorded times and have undertaken small- to large-scale projects, some with the most extreme engineering of its day. SAGI epitomises this most noble profession and its constantly evolving dynamics in the industry.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN Geomatics

Institute (SAGI) is a voluntary public

benefit organisation of statutory reg-

istered persons working in the domain

of land surveying, engineering surveying, pho-

togrammetry and geographical information sys-

tems (GIS), and land management, including

the associated aspects of planning and remote

sensing. SAGI was formed in 2004; however its

foundations are built on much older institutions

such as the various provincial land survey insti-

tutions and ITESSA (Institute of Topographical

and Engineering Surveyors of South Africa),

which represented the technical surveyors. Over

the decades, various changes have developed

at an organisational level so that today there

is (through the amalgamation of the above

institutes) one body that represents the inter-

ests of all geomaticians – the modern term

for surveyors.

SAGI is represented in South Africa through

a system of five branches that cover the nine

provinces. This is necessary so that members,

clients and the public can have the best pos-

sible service and access to SAGI members at a

relatively local level. Surveying is a specialised

field and there are not many surveyors in South

Africa – our branches thus reflect equilibrium

between surveyors in all provinces.

Our structure is such that these regional

h

e

,

-

a

d

h

m

e

e

r-

m

h

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BELOW TGIS IP-S2 Stable

municipalities

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Pictometry

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SAGI


branches are administered by committees,

which are elected by local members. The

national council is drawn from representatives

from these branch committees.

Ever ybody needs

a surveyor at some

point, so it’s hard to

distinguish the main

entities as SAGI ser-

vices a wide sector of

the economy. From a public spend perspec-

tive, the main industries for surveyors are

municipalities, provincial and national gov-

ernment departments, engineers, architects

and construction companies. From a private

sector perspective, it would be developers,

homeowners, mines and private business.

South African surveyors (geomaticians) are

recognised the world over as being among the

best, a trait SAGI continues through its activi-

ties and membership requirements. SAGI only

admits persons registered in terms of the PLATO

Act (Professional

and Technical

Surveyors Act 40 of

1984), which cov-

ers students, newly

qualified candidates

and fully registered technical and professional

surveyors. The latter two categories being the

only categories of surveyor entitled to work for

their own account. As in most professions, the

geomatics industry is facing challenges with

this aspect as well as from persons operating

outside of the provisions of the PLATO Act.

In addition, SAGI has very strict conduct rules

and only attract members that are passionate

about geomatics, through this it ensures that

the public is protected and it further enhances

the reputation of a SAGI surveyor.

Advanced GPS systems, sophisticated robotic

laser total stations and terrestrial lidar scan-

ners are becoming mainstream equipment for

surveyors. Likewise, sophisticated software

developments have made image recognition

and point cloud processing available to the

average surveyor. Surveyors are constantly on

the lookout for better solutions and the cur-

rent technological environment offers a range

of future technologies that are almost at the

market place. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

are on our doorstep and will allow members

to supply additional services such as environ-

mental monitoring services, rapid response

photography in disaster management, docu-

mentation of informal settlement growth (on a

daily basis if need be), aerial accident scene

photography, mapping, land use monitoring and

planning enforcement, among others – all at a

remarkably cheap cost in comparison to tradi-

tional methods.

SAGI is represented in South Africa through fi ve branches

SAGI


Southern Mapping Geospatial, South Africa’s only Level 1 BEE aerial survey company, is proud to announce the recent purchase of its third Lidar system.

THE DECISION TO purchase another

system was taken due to the growth of

the company’s business over the past

12 months and will enable it to keep a

system permanently stationed in South Africa,

while the other two units will cover projects

outside of South Africa.

This will enable Southern Mapping Geospatial

to respond even more rapidly to requests for

mapping, as well as providing an unparalleled

redundancy of systems.

In addition to operating three systems on the

continent, the company’s long-standing rela-

tionship with Canadian Lidar technology leader

Optech allows it access to a loan unit should

one of Southern Mappings systems require

repairs or servicing.

Southern Mapping

Geospatial prides itself in

delivering complete solu-

tions to clients To achieve

this, it has not only air-

borne Lidar sensors,

but also offers vehicle

mounted mobile Lidar as

well as several tripod-mounted terrestrial Lidar

scanners – in conjunction with its partners, EPA

Survey and Trail Surveys.

Hyperspectral mapping is a technology that is

being recognised as a major provider of hard-

to-obtain geospatial information, and Southern

Mapping is at the forefront of providing this

service to Africa. In the past year, Southern

Mapping Geospatial has analysed mining drill

AERIAL SURVEY

core for target minerals, provided maps of

mineral potential, oil spills, alien vegetation,

hazardous minerals and water quality, as well

as concentrations of uranium and gold in tail-

ings dumps.

Access to a wide variety of satellite imagery

at a range of resolutions complements the

company’s high-accuracy airborne products and

allows it to provide cost-effective geological

and topographic mapping. Products include

visible spectrum colour, and black and white

imagery, as well as colour and infrared multi-

spectral imagery and elevation information. Not

only does Southern Mapping Geospatial order

this imagery on demand, but it is also able to

provide imagery from providers’ archives, rang-

ing from very recent imagery

that provide for a rapidly

delivered product, to older

images going back several

decades, providing a histori-

cal perspective and change

mapping possibilities.

Southern Mapping

Geospatial’s elevation mod-

elling products include accuracies ranging from

15 to 1 m, while it also offers radar-based sur-

face displacement monitoring services, accu-

rate in the millimetre range.

Over the past 16 years, the staff of Southern

Mapping has provided geospatial services to

a wide variety of market sectors, including

municipal clients such as Johannesburg and

Mogale City.

The high-resolution imagery (5 to 50 cm

resolution) and accompanying height measure-

ments delivered by a Lidar system allow for

efficient engineering design for township estab-

lishment, road, rail, power, sanitation and water

bulk service infrastructure projects.

The same airborne Lidar data used for engi-

neering design is also being utilised by other

municipal departments, for example, disaster

risk management. By utilising high-resolution

Digital Elevation Models in flood modelling soft-

ware, flood risk maps are easily generated, as

shown in Figure 1.

Southern Mapping collects information from

a wide variety of sources, fusing disparate data-

sets to tailor a solution specific to every client

and presenting this data in almost any format. Its

processors and training department make sure

that clients are trained in the use of information

as well as free open source GIS software, to

ensure that full value is obtained from

their investment.

FIGURE 1 Hyperspectral cameras have the ability to map water quality by accurately mapping levels of chlorophyll a and b in water bodies and rivers, thus pinpointing organic pollution sources. By also accurately measuring water turbidity, which is generally a function of erosion and mining activities, it is possible to discern not only organic pollution sources but also those from mining and construction sectors

FIGURE 2 Results from a water quality analysis of municipal water treatment plants

FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2

SSSoutthherrn MMMappppingg GGGeossppattial pridddess iiitsellf in deelliveerringg cccomplette soolutttionnss ttto cllieents

AFGEN WAS ESTABLISHED in

1946 and has proved over the

years that it is a consistent and

reliable company.

The company offers its clients the best

quality products available in the market,

together with technical know-how and back-

up to ensure seamless integration from

purchase throughout each product’s life,

through being able to offer excellent product

knowledge backed up by a fully operational

service cen tre staffed by trained techni-

cians. Afgen has been the sole distribu-

tor for Pentax surveying equipment in

Southern Africa since 1970.

Of the existing compa-

nies that supply surveying

products in Southern Africa,

Afgen regards itself as one

of the most well-equipped

and proficient suppliers in

Sole distributor for Southern AfricaAfgen is a specialist company that focuses on the supply, service, maintenance, installation, support and marketing of surveying related products.

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the Gauteng area. Afgen has the basic infra-

structure and technical expertise to become

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Africa and its business premises are ideally

located in Gauteng.

It strives for service excellence

and ultimate client satisfaction.

Afgen is committed to con-

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Afgen is committed to service excel-

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workshop is SABS accredited with

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The company’s mission is to serve

the construction, mining, surveying and

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right tool for the right application at the

right time – guaranteed.

TOP Bramor_A

LEFT Tripod - wheel - GPS

RIGHT Digicat 550i


AFGEN

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Water storage solutions for Africa

IMESAIMESAThe official magazine of the Instituteof Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTINFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT MAINTENANCEMAINTENANCE SERVICE DELIVERYSERVICE DELIVERY

er of the 2011 PICAWinneprofessional writer of the yearNon-p

WaterLooming crisis

EkurhuleniUrban infrastructure

LitterLurking danger

I S S N 0 2 5 7 1 9 7 8 V o l u m e 3 7 N o . 5 R 4 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l V A T )

Dirk Meyer, managing director of Corobrik:

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Complete water resource and wastewater management

Think water, think WISA!The official magazine of the Water Institute of Southern Africa

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Dean Mulqueeny, managing director NCP Chlorchem, discusses the companywater treatment solutions

THEHOTSEAT P

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SEMBCORPSEMBCORPVital partners,Vital partners,

essential water solutionsessential water solutions

MUNICIPALITIES MUNICIPALITIESWater metering Water meteringreference guiderefeference guide

WATER REPORTWATATER REPORTCradle of HumankindCradle of Humankind

Scan here to go to website

New branch to launch innovative product

SPRAYPAVE

THE NEW BRANCH will also assist the

company to supply the road construc-

tion market with 50/70 penetration

grade bitumen – ultimately assisting

SprayPave’s national product offering – togeth-

er with the new-to-South Africa product that it

will be launching. More information regarding

this development will be released in coming

months.

SprayPave is one of South Africa’s leading

manufacturers, suppliers and applicators of

bituminous road binders and emulsions. In

its quest to be the primary choice in fulfilling

all bituminous requirements for the Southern

African road construction and waterproofing

industries, the company consistently supplies

premium-quality products, professionally and

reliably.

SprayPave is an innovative and fully

integrated industry leader. Since its estab-

lishment over 30 years ago, it has become

renowned for its dynamism and successful

completion of a variety of exciting and chal-

lenging contracts.

As a subsidiary of the Basil Read Holdings

Group of Companies, SprayPave forms an

integral part of one of South Africa’s lead-

ing construction companies. In 2006,

Basil Read concluded a deal that would

significantly enhance the future capabilities of

its roads division, namely its acquisition of a

controlling stake in SprayPave – a strategic

move that has proven to have optimal results

for both companies.

World-class manufacturingTo meet the high standards the company has

set for itself, all products are manufactured at

SprayPave’s world-class manufacturing facil-

ity based in Gauteng. In addition to its fully

SprayPave has announced that it will be opening a branch in the Western Cape, through which it will launch an

innovative new product to the market.

ADVERTORIAL

calibrated weighbridge and a state-of-the-art

emulsion plant that facilitates the in-house pro-

duction of all anionic and cationic emulsions,

the company is fully equipped to manufacture

polymer modified binders, as well as environ-

mentally friendly primes and precoats.

SprayPave’s drumming facility has been

designed to accurately fill the maximum quan-

tity of drums in the shortest possible time.

Every pipe that makes up the product transport

system is colour coded for easy identification.

The company also utilises an oil heating sys-

tem to ensure products are maintained at the

ideal temperature.

The storage facility has capacity of over 500

000 ℓ, ensuring that sufficient quantities of

product are consistently and readily available

in order to facilitate the shortest turna-

round times possible.

Versatility and reachIt is a well-known fact that SprayPave

is continuously taking steps to secure

its dominance within the market, such as with

the recent acquisition of its Coastal Branch in

Botha’s Hill, KwaZulu-Natal.

“Our ability to extend our reach through the

acquisition of our Coastal Branch has most

certainly given us a competitive edge in our

The company currently has nine distributors, fi ve of which are powered by modern and sought-after Scanias


ADVERTORIAL

ability to supply a market that before was

largely inaccessible due to both price and time

restrictions,” says the MD, Steven Single.

Extending the company’s reach even further

is the state-of-the-art mobile emulsion plant

that allows SprayPave to manufacture ade-

quate quantities of emulsion on distant sites

for lengthy periods of time, such as in Gobabis,

Namibia, where it has been situated for the

past 15 months.

The company has also recently acquired

two new sprayers, adding to its ever expand-

ing fleet.In addition, the company’s close

association with all refineries in Southern

Africa enables it to provide ‘fit for purpose’

products to any destination in Southern

Africa. Using world-class plant and equip-

ment, SprayPave has the ability to success-

fully take on any project regardless of form or

magnitude. From the smallest of rural roads

to the largest of national routes, no job is too

big or too small.

The company currently has nine distribu-

tors, five of which are powered by modern and

sought-after Scanias, and all of which fitted

with the technically advanced Etnyre Spray-Bar

system – the impressive site of a red and white

sprayer working on a road construction site is

becoming ever more common.

Then there are the haulers, an indication of

SprayPave’s commitment to servicing their val-

ued clients as effectively as possible.

An enviable range of quality productsSprayPave has a wide range of bituminous

products at various grades, but some of its

leading products include:

• CAT60, 65 and 70: cationic emulsions with

60, 65 and 70% binder content, as well as

diluted variants

• SS60: anionic emulsion with 60% bind-

er content, as well as its diluted

variant, SS30

• Opti-Prime: SprayPave’s very popular and

environmentally friendly cold prime

• SP1i: SprayPave’s invert cold prime

• Opti-Cote: SpraPave’s answer to quality and

effective pre-coating

• SE-1 and SE-2: effective and reliable polymer

modified binders (SBS)

• SC-E1 and SC-E2: effecitve and reliable modi-

fied emulsions.

Over and above these manufacturing prod-

ucts, SprayPave also supplies all-penetration

grade and cutback bitumen. “All these prod-

ucts are manufactured according to indus-

try specifications but what sets us apart

from our competitors are our extremely

high standards and exceptional housekeep-

ing,” says Philippe Chirnside, company

commercial manager.

t +27 (0)11 868 5451/2 ¶• www.spraypave.co.za

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE An interior view of SprayPave’s SS60 plant

A SprayPave sprayer on the waybridge at the company’s Alrode facility

Tow of SprayPave’s advanced haulers on route to a project


A guideline document and software system for the measurement of carbon emissions by all operations associated with the manufacture and application of bituminous products in South Africa’s roads industry is now available for implementation.

Carbon emmission managementSABITA

formulas, emissions factors and default data to

calculate the GHG emissions of asphalt prod-

ucts in accordance with the protocol clauses

and the information provided here. The guid-

ance document, the protocol and the software

constitute asPECT.

“Fundamentally, the principal of carbon foot-

printing remains the same whether measured

in the UK or in South Africa,” says Saied

Solomons, Sabita’s CEO.

“The regulatory context for GHG reporting is

becoming ever more rigorous, and in Europe

large energy consumers, local authorities and

local authority partnerships now have to report

carbon emissions to comply with various statu-

tory requirements.”

He adds that while South Africa’s Air Quality

Act governing GHG emissions is in place, the

pending carbon tax legislation is a strong incen-

tive for the bituminous products industry to be

more aware of emissions and better able to

measure and thereby control its production of

carbon dioxide by variation in the type of energy

used or the type of asphalt mix produced.

“It must be remembered that the South

African bituminous products industry has

already made important self-driven contri-

butions towards minimising GHG emissions

through the development of warm mix asphalt,

which significantly reduces the temperature

at which the asphalt mix is manufactured and

applied, with measurable savings in fuel usage

and GHG emissions. Another recent initiative is

the implementation of high modulus asphalt, a

highly durable long-life pavement system that

offers a reduced carbon footprint by signifi-

cantly extending the period after which mainte-

nance and reconstruction would be required,”

says Solomons.

The asPECT software is a stand-alone execut-

able built on the Microsoft .NET platform, and

users can download a free copy, subject to a

licensing and conditions of use agreement,

from the Sabita website for use on their com-

puters. The software is able to analyse carbon

dioxide equivalents emissions associated with

the fuel used in any specific operation in the

asphalt production and application chain from

the production and delivery of raw aggregate

or bitumen to the manufacture of asphalt, the

preparation of roadwork layers to the paving of

the final wearing course..

TABLE 1 10 steps to the asphalt life cycle

LIFE CYCLE STAGE DESCRIPTION

1 Raw Material AcquisitionAcquiring raw materials from the natural environment with the input of energy

2 Raw Material Transport Transporting acquired raw materials to processing

3 Raw Material ProcessingCrude oil refining, rock crushing and grading, recycled and secondary material reprocessing

4 Processed Material TransportTransporting processed raw materials to site of manufacture of bitumen bound highway components

5 Road Component Production Production of bitumen bound mixtures

6 Material Transport to Site Delivery of materials to site

7 InstallationPlacing materials at the construction site, mobilisation of plant and labour

8 Scheme Specific WorksInstallation of other specified materials direct to site (e.g. aggregates and geosystems)

9 MaintenanceInterventions to maintain the road: overlay, surface dressing works, patching, haunching etc.

10 End of LifeExcavation and material management, mobilisation of plant and labour use

ADAPTED FOR South African con-

ditions by the UK’s Transport

Research Laboratory (TRL), the

Asphalt Pavement Embodied Carbon

Tool (asPECT) facilitates the carbon footprint-

ing of asphalt products and operations, and

of product-to-product comparisons and project

carbon assessments. The system is made up

of protocol and guidance documentation and

software applications that were originally devel-

oped in the UK in a collaborative undertaking

between national and local highway construc-

tion clients, trade associations for mineral

products and bitumen, and the TRL.

The formal context for greenhouse gas (GHG)

reporting is rapidly being established. At the

world climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009,

South Africa as a nation agreed to cut carbon

emissions by 34% by 2020 (based on 2009

levels), subject to certain conditions. These

commitments will inevitably filter down to indi-

vidual product supply chains and the prospect

of a carbon tax provides further incentive to

measure and ultimately cut carbon generation.

The asPECT protocol defines the methodolo-

gies that are to be applied to the calculation of

carbon dioxide and other GHG emissions from

asphalt mixtures per tonne. The calculations

are specific to individual mix formulations from

individual production units incorporating all con-

stituent materials. GHG contributions as carbon

dioxide equivalents are accounted for whether

they are directly generated by the operator or

indirectly by subcontractors or suppliers.

The accompanying asphaltCALC software pro-

vides a framework that contains the necessary


SANRAL

MUNICIPAL WASTE

A SHORTAGE OF about 20% of the

country’s bitumen requirements is

reportedly expected, with suppliers

having to rely on costly imports to try

to meet demand. Road construction companies

are also said to be spending millions of rand

in storage facilities to prepare for

further future bitumen shortages.

“It is time that South Africa

faced reality: bitumen production

for asphalt roads is not likely to

be a top priority for oil refineries.

This means that regular shortages

will occur. The C&CI believes that

both concrete and bitumen have roles to play in

road building in this country. South Africa should

develop a road building industry in which both

types of building material are considered for

roads, with concrete considered already at the

This is the view of BRYAN PERRIE, MD, Cement & Concrete Institute (C&CI).

Cementing the need for concrete roads

BITUMEN SHORTAGE

design stage to avoid major disruptions as is

now happening,” says Perrie.

“Concrete and asphalt could also be com-

bined – either vertically, horizontally or longitudi-

nally – to ensure that the best attributes of each

material are used to full advantage. This concept

has already been suc-

cessfully used on a num-

ber of projects in South

Africa,” he continues.

Perrie adds that con-

crete is the ideal choice

for environmentally sensi-

tive and economically sus-

tainable highways. The use of virgin materials

and natural resources could be reduced by the

incorporation of recycled materials and second-

ary products, such as fly ash and slagment, into

the concrete mix for road construction.

CCConccrrette iiss theee iideaal chhoicce fooor eeenviroonmeenntallly sssenssittivve hhhighhwwayys

“Concrete high-

ways also offer

exceptional lon-

gevity, eliminating

the need for fre-

quent pavement

resur facing and

r ehab i l i t a t i o n ,

and the consump-

tion of valuable

resources. The

lighter colour of

concrete roads

also reduces the

electrical power needed to adequately illuminate

roads while the durability and wear-resistance

of concrete roads ensure that the roads stay

quiet, fuel-efficient and safe for decades,” main-

tains Perrie.

Reports that another bitumen shortage is looming in 2013 indicate that South Africa should consider the full potential of concrete as a road-building material.

TOP The C&CI believes that both

concrete and bitumen have roles to play in

road building

ABOVE C&CI MD Bryan Perrie

believes it is time for South African

road construction participants to face

reality: bitumen production for asphalt

roads is never likely to be a top priority for

oil refineries


SANRAL

SANRAL

Geocontainers provide containment platform

IN ORDER TO ease the traffic flow

along Sanral’s N2 Section 11, Coega to

Colchester, which includes the Sundays

River Bridge, construction of a two-lane

twin bridge alongside the existing bridge

to carry westbound traffic was planned.

Kaytech’s geocontainers came to the fore

when a temporary construction platform was

to be constructed within the river and suitable

erosion protection of the earth embankment

was necessitated.

The main reason the application was made

for the bidim geocontainers was that they

could be formed into a bag shape. The bidim

A6 was glazed prior to manufacture of the

bags, ensuring an intact surface was facing

the water flow, which could get up to 2.5 m/s

and also making them more durable in

Upgrading South Africa’s national road network is often beset with challenges, a regular one being the difficulties of working on bridges where there is usually little or no adjacent working space to access the bridge.

submerged conditions. Another advantage is

that bidim can be customised to a particular

project as in this case and were quick and

easy to move around.

The two-lane twin bridge alongside the existing bridge under construction


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Viable treatment for remote areasThe semi-arid and barren climate across Southern Africa has created a unique demand for a new and innovative approach to water supply.

WATER TREATMENT

shareholder. WINGOC has been operating this

plant successfully since 2002.

“It is still the only direct reuse plant in the

world and serves as a prime example for solv-

ing sub-Saharan Africa’s complex potable water

problems in arid regions,” says Stöck.

Contracted by the Namibian Department

of Agriculture, Water & Forestry to produce

potable water from river water, the Katima

Mulilo Filtration Plant Upgrade, set to be com-

missioned in 2013, will eventually replace the

old Namwater filtration plant and will supply

530 m3/h of potable water into the Caprivi

pipe system.

In 2011, a pumping station was commis-

sioned in Mupini, 20 km west of Rundu, which

now pumps 4 800 m3/h of river water from

the Kavango River to the Sikondo irrigation

bulk water supply project. “The construction

involved building a foundation below the river’s

water level. This was achieved by constructing

a coffer dam inside the Kavango River, to cast

the foundation on the solid bedrock of the river

bank,” maintains Stöck.

AQUA SERVICES and Engineering

(ASE) has answered this need with

a series of water and wastewater

treatment systems that turn waste-

water into a resource – freeing up unused

water to be distributed to where it is most

needed. The company’s flagship trickling filter

technology is well under way to becoming the

leading solution to wastewater treatment in

the region.

Regarded as one of ASE’s most innovative

projects on the continent, a trickling filter plant

was installed to treat wastewater from a mine

camp at African Barrick Gold’s North Mara

Gold Mine in Tarime, northern Tanzania. “New-

generation, fixed-film trickling filter technology

allows for far more robust operation in the

harsh sub-Saharan environment and produces

a final effluent that complies with stringent

environmental specifications,” says Christian

Stöck, MD at ASE.

“New advancements mean that water qual-

ity and production rates are kept consist-

ent, fewer skilled operators are required and

operation is automated to a point of being

almost foolproof.”

These plants are available in containerised

units of varying sizes, almost on a ‘plug-and-

play’ basis, making them ideal for remote loca-

tions such as mine or military camps. They are

easy to install and maintain, and can be used

in parallel to cope with increases in demand.

They are also highly mobile and can be moved

to new sites if needed.

“Once commissioned, trickling filter plants

require only the service of submersible pumps

as the system features few moving parts. Our

systems come standard with duty and standby

pumps,” says Stöck.

“The plants we have already commissioned

upgrade domestic wastewater for reuse in dust

suppression, process water for mining, or for

irrigating gardens and lawns,” he says.

Other projects where ASE has proven its

capabilities include the flagship sewage-to-

potable water plant, the Goreangab Water

Reclamation Plant in Windhoek, operated by

WINGOC, of which Veolia Water is also a major

LEFT Modular plants are built to match the unique capacity requirements of each installation

TOP ASE treatment plants are designed and built for the harsh conditions typical of sub-Saharan Africa

ABOVE Biodigestion, clarification, filtration and other treatment technologies typically make up modular plants from ASE


WATER AND WASTEWATER

WITH A DESIGN set to contribute

to South Africa’s power demand

in a way that will enhance maxi-

mum power generation efficien-

cy, the Eskom project is in line with meeting

government’s sustainability commitments.

Situated in the Drakensberg range of moun-

tains between Harrismith and Ladysmith, work

on the project commenced in 2004 and will

be completed in 2015. According to Andrew

Wilson, technical executive for dams, hydro-

power and underground works at GIBB, the

team, which is a joint venture between GIBB,

The Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme Project in Little Drakensburg reached some significant milestones in 2012.

Meeting power demand through sustainability

Royal HaskoningDHV and Knight Piésold, has

made significant strides on the project.

“The site was chosen after being identified

in previous studies as the optimal location for

a large pumped storage scheme, based on

technical, environmental and social criteria,”

says Wilson.

“It takes advantage of the significant differ-

ence in elevation between the inland, Highveld

region and the bottom of the escarpment.”

The project, which includes the 40 m high

Braamhoek Dam and 50 m high Bedford Dam,

both completed in 2011, two caverns, four

surge tanks, four drainage and ventilation

shafts and over 14 km of tunnels, is the larg-

est hydropower and tunneling project under

construction in Southern Africa.

The excavation work, which comprised

approximately 2.20 million cubic metres of sur-

face and underground excavation, commenced

in September 2008 and is substantially com-

plete, with only two surge tanks remaining.

In January 2012, the excavation of the

machine hall was completed followed by the

concrete encasement of the first draft tube in

August 2012. The prepara-

tion for the installation of

the first spiral case instal-

lation is ongoing and the

spiral case was transport-

ed to the erection bay on

15 August.

One of the greatest dif-

ficulties that was faced by the project team was

overcoming the steep gradient of the two 6.1 m

excavated diameter headrace tunnels that are

both 1 940 m long and each with a 970 m

long section at an inclination of 1:2.2. Tracked

machinery was required for all excavation phas-

es but the long average time for the mucking

contributed to a final advance of only 1.1 m/d.

Installation of the 5.1 m diameter steel lining

of these tunnels has now started. The contrac-

tor plans to place the concrete encasement

of the lining by pump from the bottom of the

tunnels and it remains to be seen if this will

be successful.

“We are very proud and happy to be part of

the largest hydropower and tunneling project in

the region. This further highlights the trust that

the industry has in GIBB and the caliber of work

we continue to produce on every project that we

embark on,” concludes Wilson.

The Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme is the largest hydropower and tunneling project

under construction in Southern Africa


WATER & WASTEWATER

INGULA PUMPED STORAGE SCHEME


MEYERTON

Fax: 016 362 3608

[email protected]

0861STRUCT (787828)

www.structa.co.za

Specialists

in the

manufacturing

of domestic

and industrial

water storage

WaterStorage

Esorfranki Geotechnical is about to complete a curtain grouting subcontract at the Cengane Dam.

Grouting contract nears completion

DAM CONSTRUCTION

THE CONSTRUCTION OF a new dam wall is planned as part of

the OR Tambo District Municipality’s Upper Culunca regional

water supply scheme. This leading geotechnical services com-

pany has provided about 600 m2 of dry curtain grouting under

pressure to fill any cavities before Norland Construction begins work on

the dam wall. Grout curtains are used under dams where the foundation

would otherwise pass too much seepage, or create dam instability. A

grout curtain usually consists of a row of vertically drilled holes filled

with pressurised grout.

The holes are drilled at intervals and in such a way that they cross

each other, creating a curtain. Grout is injected into these holes with

grouting jets, which use a high-

pressure fluid stream to erode

a cavity.

“This is the first job of its

kind that we’ve undertaken for

some time and we regard it as a

step in the right direction as part

of our strategic plan to re-enter

the grouting market,” says Anton

Naude, director at Esorfranki. “Past contracts include curtain grouting of

an earth wall at Sun City and at Lydenburg Dam.”

Before the Esorfranki team could begin work at the Cengane Dam site,

they had to blast a number of large boulders using a “Boulder Buster”

to create a workable surface. The primary holes were introduced at 3

m intervals, with secondary holes at 1.5 m intervals and tertiary holes

at 7.5 m intervals. Naude says no major leaks were identified and only

minor grouting was required.


WATER AND WASTEWATER

TOP LEFT Drilling of primary and secondary holes to a depth of approximately 17 m

TOP RIGHT Charging up and blasting of rock using the Boulder Buster

BELOW Typical grouting setup and operation for curtain grouting

SAFETY

SKYRIDERS’ MARKETING manager,

Mike Zinn, notes that a total of

six power station units required

repairs to their downpipe’s joints.

“The joints and the sealant had been

installed more than 20 years ago and were

therefore old, brittle and failing. During heavy

rains, water in cer tain areas leaked onto

electrical plant components causing mainte-

nance challenges.”

Zinn highlights the fact that the downpipes

ran from the roof of the power station units

down through the power station building in a

zigzag formation into the ground.

“This was a highly challenging job, as it

was almost like a maze. The Skyriders team

of rope access technicians were responsible

for accessing and inspecting all areas, before

taking photos, removing

the old sealants, clean-

ing it up, installing new

sealants and taking more

photos,” he continues.

In total, repairs on 255

joints were completed

more than two weeks ahead of the client’s

stated deadline.

“Although the scope of work was relatively

simple, the access constraints with regards

to height, confined spaces and a fully opera-

tional plant made for a challenging work envi-

ronment. The team did an excellent job from

a planning and execution point of view. We

explained to the client that rope access was

a far quicker and more cost-effective method

than scaffolding, and this method ensured

that the Skyriders team was able to seal the

400 mm pipes from the 30 m level to the

60 m level in 26 days,” adds Zinn.

What’s more, Zinn points out that all six

Specialist rope access solutions provider Skyriders has assisted a large power generation plant in Limpopo in repairing downpipe infrastructure, located inside six units more than 60 m above ground.

Specialist contractor cleans power station

SPECIALIST SERVICES

power station units remained fully operational

throughout the project.

“Skyriders’ scope of the project was to

undertake structural inspection and repairs

of the downpipes without creating any costly

disruptions whatsoever. As a result, the team

had to make sure that ropes were never any-

where close to the conveyors and any other

moving par ts.

Due to an abundance of structural steel

on-site, the team was able to access all

six power station units from above, thereby

reducing the risk of any safety issues and

potential disruption.”

Although the project has proven to be an

overwhelming success, Zinn admits that the

downpipes will have to be checked regularly

to ensure that the sealant remains effective.

“Heavy rains create a

lot of dir t in piping sys-

tems, and Skyriders is

committed to continually

undertaking regular site

visits to ensure that the

sealant remains effec-

tive under any type of weather conditions.”

With a zero-fatality record spanning more

than 22 years, Skyriders has developed a

reputation of being the leading provider of

rope access-aided inspection, non-destruc-

tive testing and maintenance-related services

to the South African power generation indus-

try. Looking to the future, Zinn is optimistic

that the company can expand its industry-

leading expertise to power stations across

the African continent.

“Scaffolding has proven to be the tried-

and-trusted method for above-ground appli-

cations in the African industr y over the

decades. However, in industries such as

FROM TOP Down pipes launder 16 m

An indication of the flexibility of the down pipes

Down pipes have to be checked regularly to ensure that the sealant remains effective

Skyriders has a zero-fatality rate spanning more than 22 years

power generation, rope is a far more efficient

means of gaining access to a par ticular high

elevation section of a site as installation

is considerably faster and cheaper, while

technicians are provided with more flexibility

and safety.”



SHEQ MANAGER FOR Esor franki

Geotechnical in KwaZulu-Natal, John

Chetty, believes that the excellent

safety record on the Woodmead pipe-

lines project is due entirely to the adoption of

this mindset.

“The contract in the iLembe District, north of

Durban, began in March last year. The pipeline

runs through a private farm, which added an

important environmental dimension as we had

to be aware of the presence of the sugar cane

under cultivation,” Chetty says.

Adding to these difficulties was heavy rain-

fall, the presence of continuous groundwater

and working close to the river. Despite all this

the project, which has an average of 51 people

on-site, has progressed well without a single

lost time injury.

Zero tolerance boosts safety

“We are maintaining a high level of safety

awareness on the project, holding regular

awareness sessions in the form of toolbox

talks and stressing the importance of risk

assessments before a task commences.”

Chetty credits the high safety standards

shown so far on the project to the dedication

of Esorfranki Pipelines’ management as well

as the strength of the on-site team who have

Esorfranki Pipelines’ team at the Woodmead contract. Front row from left: Faith Mdadane and Yolan Govender. Middle row from left: Ntokozo Mthethwa and Daniel Yimba. Back row from left: Martin Hughes, Oliver Woodward, Howard Alfreds and V Nexle

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ensured that even the most unskilled workers

understand that the objective is to go home

safely at the end of the shift.

SAFETY


Fixing municipal fi nancesFINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

In the 2010/11 financial year, for example, the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) found that only 13 of 283 municipalities achieved a clean audit. By Corne Oberholzer

THERE ARE MANY factors that con-

tribute to achieving a clean audit,

starting with political will from a

leadership core that can be held

accountable, but also a sense of ownership by

all departmental staff, especially senior staff

and managers.

The most important ingredient, however, is

sound financial management. This requires

the deployment of suitably skilled people at

the right places and a continuous building

of internal capacity rather than a reliance on

external parties such as consultants.

A lack of proper financial management

leads to most of the problems identified by

the AGSA as the nature and causes of quali-

fied audits. Chief among these is the need to

make adjustments to annual financial state-

ments during the audit process. This means

municipalities rely on auditing firms to identify

errors and omissions.

Other problems include a failure to com-

ply to acceptable accounting standards, an

incomplete fixed asset register and a fail-

ure to reconcile the ledger with underlying

supporting schedules.

But the biggest direct threat to the viability

of a municipality is a failure to collect and

adequately measure revenue. Another is hav-

ing accounting officers fail to take reasonable

steps to prevent irregular, wasteful or fruitless

expenditure.

The AGSA

i d e n t i f i e s

more than a

dozen basic

internal con-

trols that are

required to suppor t

sound financial man-

agement and corporate

governance. These

range from proper

record keeping and rec-

onciliation controls to

regular and accurate

repor ting, compliance

with the legislative

framework, ef fective

leadership culture and

oversight responsibility,

as well sound HR and

IT management.

Effective financial management is critical

to any organisation. In the context of local

government, a lack of sound financial man-

agement will have a direct adverse impact on

service delivery as there is a strong correla-

tion between sound financial management

and effective service delivery.

To support service delivery and provide

the necessary accountability, municipalities

should create and maintain authentic, reli-

able and usable records. These are essential

to help ensure a clean audit. Ideally, an

integrated electronic document management

system should be used.

The next crucial area of focus should

be timeous and regular reporting. Financial

activities need to be reported daily, weekly,

monthly and quarterly – depending on their

scale and frequency. This allows for better

preparation for audit.

The principles of reporting (transparency,

accountability and stewardship) should under-

lie the preparation and presentation of finan-

cial statements that are required to give

a true and fair view of the financial posi-

tion and per formance of a municipality.

The Municipal Finance Management Act

and reporting guidelines add to the onus

of quality and relevance of financial reporting.

They emphasise the importance of preparing

regular, accurate and complete financial and

per formance reports that are supported and

evidenced by reliable information.

Finally, provincial government needs to put

in place governance and oversight functions

over municipalities to monitor and report on

progress made by municipalities to resolve

challenges. Where such systems exist, they

need to be used effectively. Equally important

is the need to align service delivery, per for-

mance management and reporting.

The framework for municipalities to improve

financial management, governance and ulti-

mately service delivery is in place. What

municipalities require is guidance through

partnerships to help them implement the

framework and to use that opportunity to

build their own capacity.

The technical and complex nature of finan-

cial management may require a municipality

to partner with a consultant. But when they

do, municipalities – or government in general

– must build skills transfer as an element of

the service level agreement to ensure that

the municipality is left with requisite capacity

at the end of the contract period.

Corne Oberholzer is part of the Deloitte local government team

A lack of proper fi nancial management leads to most of the problems


FINANCE

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AS ROADS AND BRIDGES continue

to age and deteriorate, all levels of

government are struggling to pay

for maintenance and upkeep, not to

mention investments in much-needed upgrades

and new projects. A significant amount of

research and development is required to turn

visions into reality, with the need for better sus-

tainable products, services and technology to

ensure minimal maintenance and rehabilitation

over the long term. We showcase the latest

industry products, trends and technology taking

precedence in the roads construction industry.

What services and products are available to

aid the sustainable development of roads infra-

structure and maintenance? What ‘smart solu-

tion’ products are currently being developed?

Most importantly, what do associations such

as The Southern African Bitumen Association

(Sabita) and the South African Road Federation

have to say about the state of South Africa’s

roads infrastructure? And let’s not forget

Sanral’s involvement with the private sector

and the latest on Gauteng’s e-tolling system.

This issue of IMIESA features an exclusive

panel discussion that addresses all these

issues while highlighting smart solutions for

the construction and maintenance of roads,

bridges and stormwater.

PANEL DISCUSSION • Intro

SMART INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS

by Candice Landie

Roads infrastructure continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the economic and social pillars of our country.

Road operation and maintenance

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


Winner of the 2011 PICA Non-professional writer of the year

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


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DRIVING YOU TOWARDS A GREENER FUTURE.

SABITA SUPPORTS A SUSTAINABLE ROAD INDUSTRY THROUGH THE USE OF BITUMINOUS PRODUCTS

SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL ROAD DESIGN

DESIGNED TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE

REDUCING ENERGY AT PRODUCTION REDUCES CO2

IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO

Southern African Bitumen Association

Tel: + 27 (0)21 531 2718 Fax:+ 27 (0)21 531 2606 e-mail: info@sabita .co.za www.sabita.co.za


SMAART INFFRASTRRUCTURRE SOOLUUTIONSSaied Solomons | CEO | SOUTHERN AFRICAN BITUMEN ASSOCIATION (SABITA)

PANEL DISCUSSION

Sabita is always striv-ing for innovative road surfacing products. Can you tell us more about the new system for measur-ing carbon emissions? SS Yes, a guideline document and

software system for the measure-

ment of carbon emissions – the

Asphalt Pavements Embodied

Carbon Tool (asPECT) – is now

available for implementation. It

is applicable to all operations

associated with the manufacture

and application of bituminous

products in South Af-

rica’s roads industry.

Adapted for South

African conditions by

the UK’s Transport

Research Laboratory,

asPECT facilitates the

carbon footprinting

of asphalt products

and operations, and

of product-to-product

comparisons and project carbon

assessments. The software is

able to analyse carbon dioxide

equivalents emissions associated

with the fuel used in any specific

operation in the asphalt produc-

tion and application chain, from

the production and delivery of raw

aggregate or bitumen to the manu-

facture of asphalt, the preparation

of roadworks layers to the paving

of the final wearing course.

Carbon emissions are a huge cause for concern in the ‘green’ arena. How does asPECT efficiently calculate carbon diox-ide and greenhouse gas emissions? It is a problem

and reducing carbon emissions

must be addressed now. The

formal context for greenhouse

gas (GHG) reporting is rapidly

being established. At the world

climate talks in Copenhagen in

2009, South Africa agreed to

cut carbon emissions by 34% by

2020 (based on 2009 levels),

subject to certain conditions.

These commitments will inevitably

filter down to individual product

supply chains, and the pros-

pect of a carbon tax provides

further incentive to measure and

ultimately cut carbon generation.

The asPECT protocol defines

the methodologies that are to

be applied to the calculation of

carbon dioxide and other GHG

emissions from asphalt mixtures

per tonne. The calculations are

specific to individual mix formula-

tions from individual production

units incorporating all constituent

materials. GHG contributions as

carbon dioxide equivalents are

accounted for whether they are

directly generated by the operator

or indirectly by subcontractors

or suppliers. The accompanying

asphaltCALC software provides

a framework that contains the

necessary formulae, emissions

factors and default data to

calculate the GHG emissions of

asphalt products in accordance

with the protocol clauses and the

information provided. The

guidance document, the protocol

and the software constitute

asphalt asPECT.

How do the local emis-sion standards differ from those in developed countries? Fundamentally,

the principal of carbon footprint-

ing remains the same whether

measured in the UK or in South

Africa. The regulatory context for

GHG reporting is becoming ever

more rigorous and in Europe, large

energy consumers, local authori-

ties and local authority partner-

ships now have to report carbon

emissions to comply with various

statutory requirements. In other

parts of the world, it is becoming

common for client organisations

to impose carbon awareness

requirements on their suppliers for

consideration at the procurement

stage, which has made carbon

awareness another potential

marketing tool for industry.

What implication(s) does carbon tax have on the bitumen industry? While

South Africa’s Air Quality Act

governing GHG emissions is in

place, the pending carbon tax leg-

islation is a strong incentive for

the bituminous products industry

to be more aware of emissions

and better able to measure and

thereby control its production of

carbon dioxide by variation in the

type of energy used or the type of

asphalt mix produced.

What is the industry doing to reduce GHG emissions? It must be re-

Sabita is a non-profit organisation that represents producers and applicators of bituminous products, consulting engineers and edu-cational institutions. It emphasises maintenance and improvement of roads infrastructure and the creation of sustainable jobs. Through its Local Councillor Programme, Sabita has given local government decision-makers a solid technical understanding of how maintaining road networks can improve overall service delivery. Similarly, Sabita introduced a Health, Safety and Environment Charter, which under-takes to implement the best techniques to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of all employees and conserve the environment during the handling and application of bituminous materials.

membered that the South African

bituminous products industry

has already made important self-

driven contributions towards mini-

mising GHG emissions through

the development of warm mix

asphalt, which significantly re-

duces the temperature at which

the asphalt mix is manufactured

and applied – with measur-

able savings in fuel usage and

GHG emissions. Another recent

initiative is the implementation

of high modulus asphalt – a

highly durable long-life pavement

system that offers reduced

carbon footprint by significantly

extending the period after which

maintenance and reconstruction

would be required.

Is the asPECT software widely available locally? The software is a stand-alone

executable built on the

Microsoft .NET platform and

available at a minimal fee,

subject to a licensing and condi-

tions of use agreement, from

the Sabita website for use on

customers’ computers.

The pending carboon tax is an incentivve for the bituminouus products industrry

to be awarreof emissionns


PANEL DISCUSSION

Deon Pagel | Business Development Manager | NATIONAL ASPHALT

National Asphalt has developed many ‘firsts’ in the road construc-tion industry. Can you take us through a few of these highlights? DP Yes,

as the second largest supplier of

asphalt in the country, we have

been instrumental in developing

a few industry firsts. The two that

stand out have to be our con-

tributions to warm mix asphalt

(WMA) and high modulus asphalt

(HiMA). The first WMA trials were

carried out in eThekwini, where

we also took bitumen foaming

to new heights. Foaming of bitu-

men happens when hot bitumen

comes into contact with water

at ambient temperature, which

literally results in the bitumen

becoming foam, and this then

achieves better coating of the

stone aggregate particles due

to the larger sur face contact

in the energy savings and the

environmental benefits arising

from the lower temperatures.

HiMa is implemented with the

sole purpose of achieving longer

life for asphalt pavements, i.e.

to prevent premature failure of

conventional asphalt through rut-

ting and shoving. Thanks to the

receptiveness of the industry,

we are able to reap the benefits

of modern developments in

asphalt technology.

How does WMA contrib-ute to the overall ‘green’ factor? The temperature

difference of about 30°C is

main source for ‘green’ benefits

as the environment is harmed

less through reduction in energy

consumption and emissions;

it is also more user friendly

and safer working conditions.

We are a proud member of the

Warm Mix Asphalt Interest Group

which exists under the auspices

of Sabita, and aims to ensure

that WMA has proper industry

standards and guidelines.

As an expert in the road and pavement industry, what other best practice methods do you recom-mend to municipalities? Definitely recycling (or reclaiming)

of old asphalt! And it is pleasing

to note that many municipalities

are now using reclaimed asphalt

(RA) as opposed to dumping it.

The reclaimed material can be

incorporated into new asphalt

mixes, thus eliminating the need

for 100% virgin materials and

contributing towards sustain-

ability. I believe this is the future;

reclaimed asphalt will soon be

incorporated into asphalt mixes

as standard practice – it cuts

down on costs and these savings

benefit the consumer.

Is National Asphalt equipped to handle the technological advances that come with WMA and HiMA? Yes, we most

cer tainly are! Our own Econat

and Foamtech, together with

other commercially available

WMA technologies, allow us to

really give our clients a wide

selection of asphalt mixes. On

the RA side, the use of EcoNat

as a rejuvenator has had a major

impact on the local market in

terms of highlighting the need

for rejuvenation of “old” bitumen

binder in mixes that contain high

percentages of RA. We have also

recently invested in excess of

R1.5 million towards obtaining

modern DSRs (dynamic shear

rheometers) and other bitu-

men testing equipment so that

we can conform to the Per for-

mance Grading system that

will be implemented in South

Africa shortly. Most recently, two

asphalt plants with the capacity

of achieving 50% RA have been

ordered, giving us a total manu-

facturing capacity of nearly two

million tonnes of asphalt

per annum.

National Asphalt commenced operations in 1988 and has been a member of the JSE-listed Raubex Group since 2007. Specialising in the manufacture and supply of all types of asphalt, the company has grown exponentially and operates throughout Southern Africa using state-of-the-art mobile units to service contacts and clients in more remote regions. The company employs more than 450 people and prides itself on the fact that staff turnover has been less than 5% for the past 10 years.

TOP Asphalt recently supplied onto Bakwena N4 resurfacing project near Pretoria

BELOW One of National Asphalt’s plant capable of doing 50% RA

area. At our plant, foaming was

initially achieved by means of

a bitumen and water chamber

(foam pot) that was designed and

built in-house. HiMA, on the other

hand, revolves largely around

the very specific characteristics

and design of asphalt with a view

to prevent rutting, especially in

hot conditions with high volumes

of heavy vehicles. For the initial

trial, materials were shipped to

Colas and Shell laboratories in

France, where a South African

design was done and finalised

in collaboration with the CSIR.

Guidelines for HiMA are also

being developed under the

auspices of the Southern African

Bitumen Association (Sabita) and

the CSIR.

What are the advantages of WMA and HiMA? The

first trial resulted in a reduction

of 20°C in temperature com-

pared to the mixing temperature

required when using normal hot

mix asphalt (HMA). In later trials,

temperatures were reduced by

up to 30°C. The main advan-

tage of WMA, however, lies

SMAART INFFRASTRRUCTURRE SOOLUUTIONS

60 IMIESA February 201360 IMIESA February 2013

SMAART INFFRASTRRUCTURRE SOOLUUTIONSPeet Venter | Product Sales Manager | OSBORN (ASTEC EQUIPMENT)


PANEL DISCUSSION C

In terms of new equip-ment and/or technology, what has Osborn done thus far? Anything new in the pipeline? We sup-

ply imported products that are

designed and manufactured in

the US. All the factories have

dedicated engineers who are

constantly looking at improv-

ing the quality of their products

and using new technologies.

We don’t just sell products, but

rather we sell solutions to suit

customers’ needs.

Going ‘green’ is big in the road and pavement industry at the moment. What are Osborn’s green initiatives, either from a manufacturing or practi-cal perspective? Astec has

what we call the Green System,

which is patented and is the only

system of its kind that utilises

high-pressure water to create a

warm asphalt mix.

South Africa is probably steps behind develop-ing countries, but what

positive trends have you noticed in the local road and pavement construc-tion industry? The quality

of the roads has improved

in cases where the contractors

have used our Roadtec

Shuttle Buggy.

When using these roads, you

will clearly notice that they are

much smoother, which creates

a better driving experience for

the driver and, over the long run,

saves the user costs on fuel,

maintenance and tyres. Inevita-

bly, it also cuts down costs on

road maintenance.

Can you tell us more about Osborn’s biggest and most recent munici-pal project or deal? We

are busy negotiating with munici-

palities about our Astec Asphalt

Plant and our Green System to

improve roads and road lifespan,

which will save money in the

long run.

Every Watson-Marlow Bredel hose is precision-machined to ensure repeatable performance

Osborn is a member of the Astec Industries group of companies, a leading Ameri-can manufacturer of plant and equipment for aggregate processing, asphalt road building, pipeline and util-ity trenching. From design concept and manufacture to installation and commission-ing, Osborn provides the glob-al mining and quarry markets with a full range of crushers, feeders, screens and con-veyors. With its reputation as one of South Africa’s foremost materials handling contrac-tors, Osborn also specialises in skid-mounted crushing and screening plants. One of the company’s most popular road construction equipment is the Roadtec Shuttle Buggy – a material transfer vehicle that can store and transfer hot-mixed asphalt material from a truck to a paver for continu-ous paving.

The quality of the roads has improved in cases where the contractors have used our Roadtec Shuttle Buggy

BELOW Asphalt rubber blending systems

BOTTOM Shuttle buggy

THE AGGREGATE & SAND PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA ASPASA

Please explain how natu-ral aggregate is found.

NP Natural aggregate is one of

the nation’s most poorly under-

stood resources. It is easy to

regard a quarry as a hole in the

ground. The average person, typi-

cally, does not put much thought

into the subject of aggregates.

Many people think of mining

as a single event – somebody

acquires a piece of property,

mines it for its important mineral

resources and leaves a hole in

the ground or a scar on a moun-

tainside once complete. But that

is seldom the case.

The mining industry (par ticu-

larly the aggregate industry) is

very active in reclaiming its

property. This is done not just

to make the property look good

again, but to offer a beneficial

use to society for the long term.

So what exactly are aggregates? Aggregates

are different types of rock

fragments, such as rock, sand

and gravel. These materials are

obtained from the ear th through

a process called sur face min-

ing, commonly referred to as

open cast mining. After these

materials are mined, they are

usually washed and sor ted by

size before being sold. In cases

where natural sand and gravel

is unavailable, commercial ag-

gregates are created by crushing

large stones or by drilling

and blasting massive rock

formations and processing them

into various sizes of rock and

manufactured sand.

This process is called quarry-

ing. When drilling and blasting

of massive rock formation is

required to produce aggregates,

all the materials produced by

this process are called crushed

stone. Unlike smooth, natural ag-

gregate, crushed stone tends to

be angular with sharper edges.

What is the role of ag-gregates and sand in the road construction industry? With road trans-

por t dominating, highways form

the backbone of most countries

and South Africa needs to

maintain a remarkable network

of such highways. We’ve helped

the country immensely in its

endeavours to maintain a fine

connectivity by taking on and

completing construction works.

With decades of experience, ex-

per tise and required workforce,

Aggregate and Sand Producers

Association of Southern Africa

(Aspasa) members have con-

sistently supported the cause

of national highway construc-

tion locally.

Road construction is all about

creating an unbroken passage of

appropriate materials that don’t

have any geographic obstacles

for effective vehicle or foot travel.

Any road construction contract

starts with the removal of earth

and rock by digging or blasting.

The task also involves building of

embankments, bridges, tunnels

and, in the course, elimination

of vegetation. Proper designing,

approval and planning follows to

meet various government stan-

dards. Construction aggregate

or simply ‘aggregate’ is a broad

category of coarse particulate

material used in construction,

including sand, gravel, crushed

stone, slag, recycled concrete

and geosynthetic aggregates.

Aggregates are the most mined

material globally. As a component

of composite materials such as

concrete and asphalt concrete,

aggregate acts as a reinforce-

ment adding strength to the

overall composite material.

In what applications are aggregates most com-monly used? Due to the

relatively high hydraulic conduc-

tivity value as compared to most

soils, aggregates are widely

used in draining applications

such as foundation and French

drains. The product is also used

as a base material under founda-

tions, roads and railroads. In

other words, aggregates are

used as a stable foundation or

road/rail base with predictable,

uniform properties (e.g. to help

prevent differential settling

under the road or building), or as

a low-cost extender that binds

with more expensive cement or

asphalt to form concrete.

Aspasa is a voluntary membership, private sector producers’ associ-ation. Aspasa represents its members with regard to policy positions, through various organisations of national and provincial government. To effectively achieve the industry’s needs, regulation and control is required, with particular emphasis on:• the control of borrow-pits• the granting of commercial licenses • offering a strategic and advisory business role • a wide range of services through working committees, which render

services and advice to members. Aspasa also covers aspects around health and safety advice, and the ISHE (Initiating Safety, Health, Education) programme: Environmental advice, guidance and the About Face RAS audit programme; educa-tion and training advice through the involvement in CLAS (Cement, Lime, Aggregate and Sand); the Human Resources Committee; tech-nical advice and guidance through the very effective technical com-mittee; and legislation advice, sharing of changes and representation of new bills, regulations and code of practice.

PANEL DISCUSSION



Nico Pienaar, director, ASPASA and SARMA

Aggregate acts as a reinforcement adding strength to the overall composite material

SOUTH AFRICAN READY MIX ASSOCIATION ( SARMA)

How does your product aid in the construction or maintenance of roads, bridges or stormwater? NP Buildings and pavements that

stand the test of time through

their extreme durability and low

maintenance requirements have a

significant sustainable advan-

tage over other structures. The

water and cement in concrete

chemically combine to form a

paste that binds the sand and

stone together producing the

necessary strength and durabil-

ity to provide serviceability in

a wide range of environmental

conditions. The manufacture of

high-quality concrete at the proper

consistency is a process that

requires the right mix proportions

of quality materials. To achieve

this, the batching plants have

to be of a specific standard and

regularly maintained. All Southern

African Readymix Association

(Sarma) members are subject to

plant audits in order to ensure

compliance with the Sarma Health

and Safety, Quality and Environ-

mental Standards. These audits

are based on SANS 878, ISO

9001-2000 quality management

system, OHSAS 18001-safety

management and the ISO 14000

environment management system.

By contracting a Sarma member,

you can be assured that you are

dealing with a credible readymix

concrete (RMC) supplier.

Does readymix concrete have any sustainable characteristics? Yes, RMC

is ‘green’ and the following

explains how so:

• concrete is produced

locally from abundant

natural resources

• recycled

materials

in concrete

reduce

embodied

carbon dioxide and landfill use

• pervious concrete percolates

stormwater into soil, recharging

aquifers and preventing pol-

luted runoff from overwhelming

streams and lakes

• use of insulating concrete

forms for above-grade wall

system provides for increased

cost efficiency, reduction in

heating and cooling, and low-

ered infrastructure costs

• concrete’s thermal mass

reduces temperature swings in

buildings, therefore conserv-

ing energy

• concrete’s light colour

reduces the heat island

effect, thereby lowering

urban energy use

• concrete can be made

with reclaimed industrial

materials that would oth-

erwise burden landfills

• at the end of a concrete

building or pavement’s usable

life, concrete can be recycled

• impervious concrete roofs

support green landscaping,

reduce water run-off and heat

island effect.

Why do you recommend readymix concrete over bitumen in road con-struction? RMC in road con-

struction utilises concrete that

is manufactured in a batching

plant and then dispatched to a

worksite. RMC is usually selected

over on-site concrete mixing

for the reduction in worksite

confusion. The product reaches

a site in a freshly mixed plastic

or unhardened state. Concrete

is a mixture of Portland cement,

water, sand, gravel or crushed

stone – and all these materi-

als are collected separately to

make concrete when RMC is not

utilised. RMC holds many advan-

tages over site mix concrete and

is thus favoured. Clients are free

from the burden of arranging stor-

age space on site for the basic

materials. At the same time, the

need to hire plant, machinery

and additional labour is reduced.

Sites also remain free from

wastage, noise and dust pollu-

tion – all the factors associated

with mixing concrete on site,

saving both time and money. In

my opinion, the use of readymix

in road construction is also far

more superior to the usual bitu-

minous type roads. RMC roads

maintain a long life cycle and

zero maintenance costs. These

types of concrete roads maintain

the life span of 40 to 50 years as

opposed to the 10 to 15 years in

bituminous roads. More so, RMC

roads are eco-friendly and show

great resistance to harsh weather

conditions, oil spills, etc. Its light

colour offers a highly reflective

road surface, for increased driver

visibility. More so, RMC roads

maintain greater skid resistance.

Does readymix meet to-day’s needs without com-promising the future?In response to growing environ-

mental and economic forces,

architects, engineers, developers

and owners are seeking efficient,

innovative building solutions

that conserve non-renewable

resources. Increasingly, concrete

is being recognised for its strong

environmental benefits in sup-

port of creative and effective

sustainable development. When

considering the lifetime envi-

ronmental impact of a building

material – extraction, production,

construction, operation, demoli-

tion and recycling – concrete

is an excellent choice to meet

these goals.

What would you say are some of the advantages of using RMC in infra-structure development?

The advantages would definitely

have to be:

• Quality – With readymix,

you don’t have to worry

about this as it all comes

quality assured, meaning

it lives up to the high stan-

dards you’d expect. Sarma

audits its members’ readymix

plants annually.

The audit process looks at

aspects of employee health and

safety, quality of the transporta-

tion trucks, environmental impact

and product quality.

• Time saving – many companies

still use concrete that has to

be mixed on site and unfortu-

nately this is a time consum-

ing exercise. With RMC, this

is eliminated.

• Availability – with RMC from

a Sarma member, you can

receive as much or as little

material as required at

any given time, to get the

job completed.

SARMA represents all the reputable readymix companies and is also responsible for promoting the readymix industry and establishing readymix as the preferred construction material. In brief, Sarma’s pur-pose is to set standards and guidelines with regard to environmental, safety and quality issues. To be a member of Sarma, these stringent policies must be met and adhered to. In additional, members are regularly audited against standards that have been put in place.


PANEL DISCUSSION

By contracting a Sarma member, you can be assured that you are

dealing with a credible readymix concrete

supplier

SSMAART INNNFRASTTRUUCTURE SOLUTIONSS


SOUTH AFRICAN ROAD FEDERATION (SARF)

In terms of developments and technology within the road industry, what are some of the new trends/approaches to projects? Some of the initiatives that the

road industry is currently imple-

menting include:

• sustainable road

construction and exploring green

road initiatives

• the use of alternative road

construction material such as

building masonry.

With regard to road rehabilita-

tion projects, some national and

municipal road authorities are

using up to 40% reclaimed asphalt

to minimise the use of natural

materials. Another popular trend in

the industry is warm mix asphalt

(WMA), which is new asphalt that

is manufactured and laid on the

roads at a reduced temperature,

thereby ensuring reduced energy

consumption, less risk of burns,

longer window period for transport-

ing and laying the final product and

reduced carbon footprint.

There is also negotiation around

the development of the South

African Pavement Engineering

Manual to ensure uniformity and

best engineering practices.

Going ‘green’ is big in the road and pavement industry at the moment. Is SARF involved in any green initiatives? Yes SARF

is represented on the Greenroads

South Africa Interim Board that

has been formed to establish

a Greenroads Council for South

Africa. The purpose of the Council

is to promote sustainable roads,

and particularly the facilitation of

energy efficient, resource efficient

and environmentally responsible

road construction, maintenance

and rehabilitation practices, includ-

ing education and training thereto,

the development and operation

of sustainable rating systems

for roads, research, events and

conferences, and general activities

to raise awareness of environmen-

tally sustainable roads. We cur-

rently have two road environmental

management courses on offer.

SARF is one of the part-ners of the FleetWatch Brake and Tyre Watch initiative and an active member of the Interna-tional Road Federation. Tell us more about your involvement with these initiatives. SARF is very

concerned with the dreadful road

safety statistics in South Africa.

Trucks constitute 30% of the

vehicles on major routes and are

to blame for a large percentage of

the serious crashes along these

roads. The Brake and Tyrewatch

initiative has been developed to

empower traffic officials with spe-

cialised knowledge, enabling them

to better perform in their profes-

sion and intervene more frequently

in getting unroadworthy vehicles

off the roads. Traffic officers have

gone away from the training with a

new appreciation and awareness

of trucks on the road and the

need for roadworthiness to reign

supreme. To date, training courses

have been run at 18 locations

where 1 145 traffic officers have

been trained; 396 trucks were

inspected, of these 273 were dis-

continued by the team – revealing

a shocking 69% failure rate.

SARF awards bursaries to suitable applicants. Please explain this pro-gramme in more detail. We advertise our bursaries on our

website, at road conferences, to

our members and at universities

and universities of technology.

Applications close at the beginning

of October each year. All the appli-

cations are scrutinised according

to their exam results, after which

bursaries are awarded to suitable

applicants for full-time or part-time

postgraduate and undergraduate

studies. Twenty bursaries were

awarded in 2011 and 18 in 2012.

Who is eligible for mem-bership with SARF? What are the organisation’s values and ethics? All road

authorities, firms, closed corpora-

tions, companies, partnerships,

organisations, individuals or other

specialist groups with an interest

in the objectives of our federation

may apply for membership. The

SARF council has the authority to

approve or decline the admission

of applicants. SARF members

commit themselves to a code of

ethics, which encompasses the

values of integrity, professionalism

and social responsibility. Through

adherence to these principles, our

members are committed to pro-

moting economic wellbeing of the

country, enhancing the quality of

life and complying with government

legislation at all times.

What is SARF’s relation-ship with government and what would you like to see change going for-ward? Positions in SARF Exco,

Council and Regional Committees

have representation from local,

provincial and national government

road agencies. From our highest

position, namely SARF president,

through to committee members,

representatives hail from all levels

of government.

However, it is our goal to

increase membership and pres-

ence, both locally and provincially.

We have signed memorandums

of understanding with various au-

thorities to increase skills levels,

promote safer roads and ensure

timely maintenance is on our

country’s road assets.

What training courses are offered by SARF to the roads industry? SARF

organises and presents a number

of courses (registered for CPD

points with the Engineering Council

of South Africa) pertinent to the

design, construction, maintenance

and administration of roads. These

courses, which vary in duration

from one to four days, are gener-

ally of a theoretical and practical

PANEL DISCUSSION


Logashri Sewnarain President, SARF

Basil Jonsson, operations director, SARF


Decade of Action 2nd Southern African Road Safety Conference


The South African Road Federation aims to promote the interests of its members through: • the influence of government policies and legislation to promote

safe and economic transport of people and freight by road• the dissemination of information and development of standards• the provision of education and training• the promotion of sustainability in road provision, operations and

the roads sector in general.

nature. They are presented at

various venues in the main centres

throughout Southern Africa on a

regular, rotational basis. Courses

can be presented to individual

organisations at their conve-

nience. Currently, 35 courses are

presented by SARF, addressing the

following main categories:

• traffic engineering

• road pavement design, construc-

tion and maintenance

• environmental management of

roads and asphalt plants

• geographic information

systems (GIS)

• geometric design of urban

and rural roads

• non-motorised planning

and design

• urban road stormwater drainage

• procurement for

engineering projects.

Is SARF involved in ad-dressing South Africa’s

dismal road safety re-cord? We are an active member

of the International Road Federa-

tion (IRF) and responded to the

call for support for the Decade of

Action by arranging a very success-

ful road safety conference on 7

and 8 June 2011 in Tshwane. The

conference – entitled ‘Road Safety

Initiatives towards a Decade of

Action’ – was hosted in conjunction

with the South African Road Traffic

Management Corporation, with

endorsements from the IRF, the

Global Road Safety Partnership,

the Road Accident Fund, the South

African National Roads Agency and

the Department of Transport. A

conference declaration and action

plan was developed, which was

endorsed by various government

departments, NGOs, institutions,

organisations and suppliers. The

Decade of Action Second Southern

African Road Safety Conference

was held from 23 to 24 October

Please supply caption

Road Pavement Design, Construction & Maintenance

Practical Road Pavement Engineering

Soil Stabilisation

Geometric Design

Compaction of Road Building Materials

Routine Road Maintenance

Road Pavement Rehabilitation

Introduction to Road Building Materials Engineering

Gravel Road Design, Construction & Maintenance

Design and Construction of Surfaced Low Volume Roads

Flexible Pavement Design Techniques

Concrete Road Design & Construction

Pavement Rehabilitation by Recycling/Bitumen Stabilisation

Riding Quality and its effect on Road Transport

Managing Routine Road Maintenance Projects (6 Months

Program)

Traffic Engineering

Traffic Signal Design

Road Traffic Signs – Design& Implementation

Traffic Calming Measures

Roadwork's Traffic Management

Non-Motorised Planning and Design

Optimizing Intersections

Environmental Management

Environmental Management in the Construction of Roads

Environmental Management in the Asphalt Technology

Design and Application of Hot Mix Asphalt

Design of HMA (Hot Mix Asphalt)

Latest Developments in Asphalt Technology

Overview of Hot Mix Asphalt

Stand alone Courses

Stormwater Drainage

Geographic Information Systems

The Preparation of Contract Documentation and Administration

of Civil Engineering Contracts

Bridge & Culvert Inspector’s Visual Assessments

Analysis and Assessment of Test Data

Mechanics of Heavy Duty Truck Systems

Procurement for Construction and Engineering projects –

informed by the CIDB Construction Procurement Regime

Road Pavement Design, Construction & MaintenanceR Roadwork's Traffic ManagementR

CPD accredited Training Courses

2012 in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, to

reflect on actions that were imple-

mented during the year, while also

focusing on 2012 resolutions and

the way forward.

Does SARF organise any international confer-ences? SARF has submitted

a bid to the International Road

Federation (Geneva) to host the

2017 World Roads Meeting in

Cape Town. The World Roads

Meeting is held every four years

and draws between 2 500 to 4

000 delegates from around the

globe. The World Roads Meeting

has never been held in Africa and

this will be a huge boost for Cape

Town and our country.


Warrick Avenue Viaduct, eThekwini Municipality

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Alta Walker | R&D Specialist | PPC

In terms of new develop-ments and/or technol-ogy, what has PPC done thus far? Anything new in the pipeline? AW After

the launch of our improved range

of products in 2011 and 2012,

offering 15% more concrete, we

launched our specialist applica-

tion SureRoad product in 2012.

The South African specifications

for the modification and improve-

ment of the quality of the soil

used for road building substrate

layers are based on the per for-

mance of historical products.

This resulted in the guidelines

for Cementitious Stabilisers in

Road Construction (TRH13 Hand-

book), which prescribes a 32.5

cement product for road stabi-

lisation purposes. Although our

42.5 Surebuild products per form

very well in the construction of

cement-stabilised roads, we had

to reconsider our product range

to meet the technical standards.

As a result, SureRoad cement

was launched for the specific

purposes of road construction.

The CEM II Por tland-composite

cements are ideal for the con-

struction of cement-stabilised

substrate layers for roads.

SureRoad is a CEM II product,

manufactured with the addi-

tion of an extender or blend of

extenders (fly-ash, blast-furnace

slag and/or limestone). The ad-

dition of 2 to 3% of the cement

to the substrate will increase its

strength and improve durabil-

ity. Per formance testing shows

excellent results with a range

of soil types and different

road classes.

Going ‘green’ is big in the road and pavement industry at the moment. What are PPC’s green initiatives, from both a manufacturing and ap-plication perspective?

When we consider ‘green’,

the best approach is to use a

lifecycle approach in assessing

the full ecological impact of any

construction project. This means

we have to consider a number

of aspects in addition to the

carbon footprint of the construc-

tion project and not just the

carbon footprint of materials.

This includes the impact of local

material sourcing, transport,

durability and socio-economic

impact on the communities.

Concrete

offers a

sustainable

solution

for road

building,

especially

if you can

combine

this with

skills

develop-

ment, local

economic

empower-

ment and

improved

durabil-

ity of road

sur faces. In ad-

dition, concrete

road pavements

improve fuel

consumption

of vehicles,

an important

factor in energy

efficiency.

South Africa is probably several steps behind developed countries, but what positive trends have you noticed in the road and pavement con-struction industry? While

South Africa still has some way

to go in managing sustainable

construction in a holistic way,

awareness is growing and indus-

country’s skills development and

job creation targets.

Can you tell us more about the company’s biggest, and most recent project? PPC delivers its

product to a number of major

projects, supporting local

infrastructure.

Some examples of road

construction are the N7 project

nor th of Cape Town and the R27

rehabilitation project between

Calvinia and Brandvlei in the

Northern Cape.

Moving forward, what changes would you like to see in the industry with regard to local government, and why? Accelerated delivery of infra-

structure facilitated by all levels

of government will not only grow

the local economy but supply

infrastructure to large por tions

of the population who need it.

Local government is key to this

delivery and we would like to

see, in addition to delivery, a

professional focus on quality

and standards.

This focus will reduce the

motivation to buy sub-standard

construction materials, which

give the construction industry

and materials a bad reputation.

Mutually beneficial par tnerships

with the private sector will also

improve delivery.

PPC Cement is the market leader in cement manufacturing in Southern Africa, with a product range that encompasses all applica-tions and a technical services team that is on hand to provide indus-try solutions. The company’s cement brands include the market-leading SureBuild brand in South Africa, BotCem in Botswana, UniCem in Zimbabwe and Obras in Mozambique. PPC is currently expanding its operations into Ethiopia and Rwanda.

SureRoad cement was launched for the specifi c purposes of road construction

tries are addressing responsible

manufacturing and construction.

One positive trend we have seen

is growth in the segmental block

paving market, for both heavy-

duty and aesthetic applications

– not that these need to be

mutually exclusive.

This is positive both from a

concrete perspective and from

a job creation point of view. Ex-

posed aggregate concrete paving

and permeable concrete paving

are other positive trends we

have seen. On

the contract

manage-

ment side,

clients and

consultants

seem to be

more willing

to look at

alternative

materials

and designs,

par ticularly

if there is

a potential

cost saving.

A new body,

the Green

Roads Council

of South Africa

was recently

formed with

the purpose of

developing a

system rating

the sustain-

ability of road

design and construction in the

country. The rating system will

include an added chapter in its

rating tool, namely socio-

economic impact, owing to the

PANEL DISCUSSION


SMAART INFFRASTRRUCTURRE SOOLUUTIONSDinesh Chaithoo | Associate: Highways and Bridges | ARUP

How do your services aid in the construction or maintenance of roads, bridges and stormwater? Underpinned by 40 years of

technical highways and bridges

experience, our services include

planning and procurement,

refurbishment and management

of existing assets, development of

policy and strategy for Intelligent

Transport Systems (ITS) infrastruc-

ture and tolling, and management

of operation and maintenance

periods. Arup is in a unique

position to help pave the way for

project financing and public-private

partnership initiatives by drawing

on genuine highway sector experi-

ences. Our advice can improve

focus on key issues, help mitigate

risk and enable key investment

decisions to be made, thus creat-

ing an integrated highways and

bridges solution for a sustainable

future with a focus on best-value

and technical integrity.

What construction related services do the company offer? Arup provides a profes-

sional construction supervision/

monitoring service, specifically tai-

lored to safeguard the successful

completion of projects by highly

experienced personnel. Project

management in the construction

environment is offered and is

applied to planning, design and

construction management, from

inception through to completion

of projects – all for the purpose of

controlling, scheduling and man-

aging the scope of works within

budget, time and quality. We offer

our broad-based knowledge and

skills by providing innovative solu-

tions to challenging projects.

What specialised technol-ogy do you have on offer? Research and advanced analysis

are central to our work – we bring

to bear the sharpest insight to

address intractable problems.

Arup’s research, knowledge and

skills management specialists in

the highway discipline draw on

close relationships with leading

international establishments

to stimulate outcome-focused

projects. We use technology

with care so that it benefits both

road users and the environment.

Whether innovating with technology

or updating existing highways to

extend their useful life, our holistic

mindset generates new and robust

solutions. As the transport sector

evolves, new challenges arise that

require non-traditional approaches

and innovative solutions. We are

committed to developing strategic,

innovative, transparent and client-

orientated solutions to complex

challenges, thus adding value over

the entire life cycle of a project.

Our advanced technology, research

and software development teams

challenge the conventional –

producing new ideas, technologies

and software solutions for better

and more efficient performance.

Highways are just one of our

areas of specialisation. We are

the creative force behind many of

the world’s most innovative and

sustainable designs, from the built

environment through to infrastruc-

ture development.

Tell us more about some of Arup’s large project successes. 1 N14/R512 Interchange: Arup

was appointed as a specialist

sub-consultant for the design

and construction supervision of

the new bridge and geometric

improvements to the interchange2 Coega Industrial Develop-

ment Zone (CIDZ) and port: Arup

provided technical, procurement,

programme and project manage-

ment services for the CIDZ and

deep-water port. Arup prepared

the conceptual master plan for

the roads, utilities, rail, material-

handling facilities and stormwater,

as well as the undertaking of

design reviews.3 Western Bypass Road,

Botswana: The dual-carriageway

network involved a new Western

Bypass Road and Nyerere Drive

extension together with the

upgrade of Nelson Mandela Drive,

Molepolole Road and Old Lobatse

Road. Arup was involved in the

design and supervision of the

21 km of urban dual carriageway

within the city.

4 Gautrain Rapid Rail Link: The

Gautrain Rapid Rail Link is an ap-

proximately R35 billion state-of-

the-art rapid rail network, offering

a world-class solution for public

transport. Arup was appointed

as the Independent Certifier, due

to the firm’s extensive global

rail and local building experi-

ence, as well as planning and

management experience of large

infrastructure projects.

Does the company provide an after-sales service? Yes. My opinion is

that the satisfaction of a client

is so basic that it cannot be con-

sidered as a separate function.

The essence of client service

is central to the entire busi-

ness. Arup ensures that in the

current dynamic and challenging

environment, we exceed client’s

expectations through effective

service offerings. My thoughts

are that the after-sales service

support is a business opportunity

and is key to client satisfaction,

loyalty and linked to a profitable

business. Arup assures its clients

that it stands behind its service

offerings and ultimately projects a

reliable and high quality image.

Arup is a global firm of designers, engineers, planners and business consultants providing a diverse range of professional services to clients around the world. Through an innovative and fully integrated approach, combined with a full complement of skills and knowledge to bring to bear on any given design problem, the company exerts a significant influence on the built environment. Arup brings together a new approach to cre-ating sustainable communities and economies, supported by robust infrastructure and design settings where people want to be, spaces where people can afford to live, places in which people chose to stay – in short, communities that work. Arup integrates social, economic, environmental and timeframe considerations into projects, whether new or retro-fit, to give communities a sense of social and environmental well-being.

PANEL DISCUSSION


42

31

Salberg Since 1972

Where we lead, others follow

Innovation in

Precast Concrete

Sewer reticulation

Concrete pipes

Roads & stormwater

Water reticulation

Electrical

Fibre optics

Mining

Turn-key projects

Bespoke products

Mobile plants

Salberg Park Irene, Gauteng South Africa | t +27 11 357 7600 • f +27 11 357 7635 • www.salberg.co.za

SALBERG CONCRETE PRODUCTS (PTY) LTD

SalbergA4.indd 1 2013/02/19 09:53:08 AM

Salberg Concrete Products strives to be the precast concrete product supplier of choice. For 40 years the company has offered value in terms of service excellence, innovation and product quality and has been committed to delivering personalised service geared to meet clients’ specific requirements and needs. The company offers a full range of sewer and stormwater management products, with all key product lines carrying the SABS mark of approval.


What do you perceive as smart infrastructure solu-tions? Cost-effective solutions

that are sustainable in the long-

term and accurately satisfy a

specific need. Rapidly developing

technologies allow industries with

smart leaders who are commit-

ted to excellence to constantly

identify ways to improve their

existing solutions – making their

product lines smarter where and

how possible, as well as seek

new solutions to meet evolving

market needs.

Where does SCP posi-tion itself in terms of smart infrastructure solutions? Salberg Concrete

Products (SCP) positions itself

as a market leader in smart solu-

tions. We achieve this because

our staff equates ‘smart’ with

excellence, and excellence with

excitement. Most of the time, the

only difference between ‘ok’ and

‘excellent’ is passion and com-

mitment. We have a reputation

for thinking out of the box and

delivering high standard smart

solutions because we create an

environment conducive to

such a deliverable.

Examples of some of

our smart solutions

include:

• ATM housing

chamber, designed

to be blast

resistant (2012 CMA Award

for Innovation)

• a waterproof maintenance

access chamber, designed for

managing telecommunication

fibre optics, specifically in

dolomitic areas

• vent shaft linings

• sacrificial column protectors

• tower structures for fire and

security management.

Are there constraints to developing smart infrastructure solutions? Absolutely! We constantly work

towards identifying and managing

constraints. Pressing constraints

in our industry, for example,

include finding innovative ways

to manage transport costs, as

well as skills constraints in the

logistic line that run from non-

specialist decision-makers all the

way to unskilled contractors who

handle our sophisticated, heavy-

duty product lines.

What is the role of government in delivering

smart infrastruc-ture solutions?

Communication! At

present, really be-

ing able to under-

stand infrastruc-

ture problems as

well as solutions

is critical to South

Africa being able

to meaningfully de-

liver on necessary


n and com

reputation

e box and

ard smart

e create an

ve to

f

d

Whatof goin de

smartture s

Comm

pres

ing

sta

ture

we

is c

Afric

to me

liver o

ABOVE (left and right) Slotted drains before and

after installation

RIGHT Kerb Inlet

Dr Rudy Absil, CEO, Salberg Concrete Products

Dr Rudy Absil | CEO | SALBERG CONCRETE PRODUCTS

PANEL DISCUSSION

smart solutions. The government

has a vested interest in ensuring

we embrace the efficient and

more cost-effective solutions

being developed both locally and

internationally. The role of the De-

partment of Trade and Industry in

managing access to international

smart technology and solutions is

vital for South Africa.

What is the future of smart infrastructural solutions in South Africa? There is an emerging awareness

among key public and private

stakeholders that smart solutions

are not fads but rather essential

steps in the process of delivering

more effective infrastructure solu-

tions. There is also the growing

awareness that smart solutions

are not exclusive to urban infra-

structure and/or technologically

advanced countries.

What happens if we don’t embrace smart infrastruc-tural solutions in South Africa? We would lose out on

the smarter, more cost-effective

solutions being developed both

locally and internationally.

Salberg Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Salberg Concrete Products (Pty) Ltd

Salberg Rib Pipe (Pty) Ltd

Concrete Towers (Pty) Ltd

D.S.F. Water Treatment

Salbro Property Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Salberg Group of Companies Sewer reticulation Concrete pipes Roads & stormwater Water reticulation Electrical Fibre optics Mining Turn key projects Bespoke products Mobile plants


In terms of new develop-ments and technology, what has Lafarge done so far? Anything new on the cards? RA For many years, our

versatile general purpose cement,

Buildcrete CEM IV/ B-V 32.5R,

had been used for soil stabilisa-

tion on numerous road projects.

Identifying a gap in the market for

a cementitious roadbinder tailored

to the needs of the road refurbish-

ing and construction industry, La-

farge developed the first special-

ised road binder, RoadCem CEM

II/B-M (V-S) 32.5N, which has

proved to be highly successful.

For stormwater management, how-

ever, Lafarge Readymix recently

introduced the unique permeable

concrete Hydromedia™ to the local

market. This product has been

developed by the international

Lafarge Group. Hydromedia™ rep-

resents a significant technological

advance in addressing important

environmental issues associated

with residential developments and

can form part of a cost-effective

Sustainable Urban Drainage

System. A major ongoing project

employing Lafarge Hydromedia™

is the Steyn City mixed-use

development at Dainfern, north

of Fourways in Johannesburg,

which started in September 2012.

The product is being used as

a sub-surface drainage system

underneath paving. Hydromedia™

was the product of choice due

to its superior drainage, as well

as rapid strength gain and ease

of placement. Using the product

as a base material under paving

layers allows

the designer to

specify the posi-

tion of drainage

levels in the

layer works at

an early stage.

The base rapidly

channels storm-

water to drainage points, enabling

the contractor to pave horizon-

tal, level surfaces. If correctly

installed and finished as a base

material, it can also minimise the

risk of failure of traditional pave-

ment designs.

Going ‘green’ is big in the road and pavement industry at the moment. What are Lafarge’s green initiatives from both a manufacturing and appli-cation perspective? Since

the introduction of its innovative

Rapidcem CEM II 52.5N cement

in 2008, Lafarge SA has offered

its cement customers a full range

of lower carbon footprint cements.

Rapidcem provides the precast

and construction industry with

the benefits of a high-strength

performance cement combined

with the handling and superior

finish properties of a formulation

incorporating siliceous fly ash,

which is the by-product of coal-

fired power stations.

Another example is the gen-

eral purpose cement, Buildcrete

32.5R, which is proving its value

for soil stabilisation while also

being environmentally friendly or

‘green’. (Buildcrete creates less

greenhouse gas in its manufac-

ture: it reduces CO2 emissions

by 50% compared with traditional

ordinary Portland cement.)

What positive trends have you noticed in the road and pavement construc-tion industry? The local

building materials and construc-

tion industries are highly regarded

and keep abreast of technical

developments. The concrete

study that is showing exceptional

promise is the use of ultra-thin,

high-strength overlays in our

roads, which have an extended

life expectancy of about 40 years.

It requires resurfacing only once

or twice in its lifetime, whereas

a typical asphalt road needs a

strict maintenance programme to

keep it in good condition, starting

within two years of placement.

Can you tell us more about your biggest and most recent municipal or commercial project? The

introduction of the specialised

RoadCem for the road construction

sector has been highly successful

and the product is increasingly

in demand for soil stabilisation

on major road refurbishment and

upgrading projects such as:

• 46 km of the N8 between La-

dybrand and Tweespruit in the

Free State

• Sections 2 and 3 of the

Bakwena N4 toll road upgrade

between Brits and Rustenburg

• N12 East Driefontein

in Potchefstroom

• N1 Stormvoel in Pretoria

• R33 Marble Hall to Modimolle

(Nylstroom) 71 km

• N4 at Mooinooi, North

West province

• N17 in Trichardt, Mpumalanga.

A current soil stabilisation cement

supply contract for road construc-

tion is the R71 Magoebask-

loof project. This involves the

reconstruction and resurfacing of

±50 km of road between Tzaneen

and Polokwane.

What changes would you like to see in the industry and why? Our company has

the capability of making a sig-

nificant contribution to meet the

technical needs of South Africa’s

roads, bridges and stormwater

management. Backed by the

unparalleled technical resources

of the international Lafarge

Group, our Quality Department

Southern Africa has pioneered the

development of innovative ‘green’

cement formulations incorporating

siliceous fly ash.

Lafarge South Africa is a wholly owned subsidiary of the inter-national Lafarge Group, a world leader in building materials. The South African company’s core businesses are the manufacture and supply of cement, aggregates, readymix concrete, plasterboard (Gypsum) and interior building fittings. Lafarge South Africa has a national footprint.

Hydromedia™ in five different

colours was used for

the water play park at the Forever Resorts in Bela Bela Limpopo

Dr Reinhold Amtsbüchler (PrEng)

Manager – Quality Department Southern Africa | LAFARGE INDUSTRIES SA



PANEL DISCUSSION PANEL DISCUSSION

Roadstab Advanced Composite Cement has been specifi cally designed to improve

the engineering properties of soil. By reducing plasticity, it strengthens even sub-standard,

in-situ soils, giving you a solid and economical base.

Of course, this allows for peace of mind for your surface layers too.

If you’re looking for a versatile, economical solution for all soil types give AfriSam a call.

Build your road on solid ground.Introducing Roadstab. Your A1 Choice for road construction.

0860 141 141 www.afrisam.com

Leaders in Advanced Composite Cement

5535

Lef

tRig

ht


SMAART INFFRASTRRUCTURRE SOOLUUTIONSMike McDonald | Manager – Centre of Product Excellence | AFRISAM


In terms of new develop-ments and/or technol-ogy, what has AfriSam done thus far? Anything new in the pipeline? As

par t of its commitment to

sustainable innovation, AfriSam

recently re-engineered its

product por tfolio to deliver the

most effective, fit-for-purpose

solutions to par ticular applica-

tions. This is the first time ever

that the company has introduced

product improvements across

its full range. Our product range

has been changed as follows:

• All Purpose Cement has been

upgraded from the 32.5N to

the 32.5R strength class

• Eco Building Cement has

been upgraded from 32.5N to

42.5N strength class

• High Strength Cement has

been upgraded from 42.5N to

42.5R strength class

• Rapid Hard Cement has been

upgraded from 52.5N to the

52.5R strength class.

The overall benefit of these

changes is that we have

effectively introduced tech-

nological advances that have

boosted per formance in terms

of the strength, presentation,

durability and workability, which

is associated with advanced

composite cements, without

sacrificing sustainability.

Going ‘green’ is big in the road and pavement industry at the moment. What are AfriSam’s ‘green’ initiatives, from both a manufacturing and application perspec-tive? AfriSam adopts a proac-

tive approach towards green

construction and our initiatives

over the years have led the way

in reducing dust emissions,

using less coal, enhancing

energy utilisation and introduc-

ing groundbreaking technology,

which resulted in pioneering

products for the construction

industry. The company’s initia-

tives include the installation of

emission measuring equipment

as well as major equipment

upgrades at its operations to

reduce the consumption of elec-

trical energy.

Indirectly related to energy

efficiency is the use of mineral

components that are by-products

of the energy generation and

steel manufacturing processes,

to produce our Advanced Com-

posite Cement products. Apart

from reducing the carbon dioxide

footprint of the cement-making

process, this has successfully

created a market for a product

that may otherwise be sent to

landfill as waste.

The culmination of the com-

pany’s significant investment

in research and

development has

been the manufac-

ture of Eco Building

Cement, which more

than halves the world’s average

carbon footprint for cement with-

out compromising on the quality

demanded by SABS for cement

in this strength class.

In addition to the above men-

tioned changes in the product

line, AfriSam has introduced

Roadstab Cement, a new in-

novative specialist product that

is designed for road stabilisa-

tion applications. Roadstab is

a composite road construction

stabilising cement that has been

specially formulated to improve

the engineering properties of

soil by reducing plasticity and

enhancing the strength of road

based materials. It improves du-

rability and has been developed

and tested to achieve superior

stability across a broad range of

road material types.

Can you tell us more

about the company’s biggest, and most re-cent, municipal proj-ect? Our significant municipal

projects in 2012 were for the

Johannesburg Roads Agency,

where we supplied approxi-

mately 25 000 t of aggregate,

as well as for the Roads and

Infrastructure Department at the

City of Tshwane, where we have

a three-year contract to deliver

cement to the seven depots

within the city bounds. Last year,

we supplied over 10 000 t of

cement for this project. We also

supplied 10 000 t of road stabil-

isation cement for the Heideveld

to Duinefontein Road Project for

the City of Cape Town.

AfriSam is a widely spread cement, aggregate and readymix group in the Southern African region, with operations in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Tanzania. The company is South Africa’s largest producer of aggregate and the second largest producer of cement and readymix concrete. It is also the only fully vertically integrated supplier of cement, aggregates and readymix concrete in Gauteng, and has been mining and producing construc-tion materials since 1934.

As part of its commitment to sustainable innovation, AfriSam recently re-engineered its product portfolio

PANEL DISCUSSION

LAFARGE READYMIX recently

launched an innovative product to the

South African market. Hydromedia is

a new fast draining concrete pave-

ment solution, which provides rapid stormwa-

ter removal from streets, parking sur faces,

driveways and walkways.

The advanced drainage technology in

Hydromedia has been developed by the

international Lafarge group. While this

unique product outper forms traditional per-

meable pavements, it also minimises the

cost and long-term maintenance for local

authorities and developers of stormwater

management infrastructure.

“Hydromedia represents a significant tech-

nological advance in addressing important

environmental issues associated with resi-

dential developments,” comments Neville

Wearne, Lafarge national marketing manager

for Readymix.

“This porous pavement concrete is instru-

mental in recharging groundwater while reduc-

ing stormwater runoff and can form part of a

cost-effective Sustainable Urban Drainage

System (SUDS). It also allows more efficient

land use by eliminating the need for retention

ponds, catchment basins and other storm-

water management devices. In addition, the

product acts as a filter mitigating contamina-

tion of groundwater by sur face pollutants.”

“Water is a scarce resource in South

Africa and requires very careful manage-

ment, planning and protection; this includes

our precious groundwater, which is often

forgotten. In urban areas, permeable paving

is an important type of SUDS. The Green

Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) has

welcomed innovative design SUDS solutions

that protect and conserve our environment,”

says Manfred Braune, technical executive

at GBCSA.

The key to the unique proper ties of

Hydromedia is Lafarge’s breakthrough in

paste technology to create a no-fines con-

crete that uses sufficient paste to coat and

bind the aggregate par ticles together, form-

ing a system of highly permeable, intercon-

nected voids that drain freely and quickly.

The mix is par ticularly fluid in application but

highly robust and resilient after placing and

curing. It results in a much simpler applica-

tion, improving not only the workability of

the concrete mix but also its consistency.

The rheological properties that have been

achieved strike a balance between fluidity

and viscosity, producing short-term flexibility

and long-term strength.

“We are proud to have adapted this world-

class technology for the benefit of South

Africa’s construction industry,” Wearne adds.

“We work closely with all players in the

construction chain in order to channel our

unparalleled technical strength at innova-

tion into improving construction processes,”

he maintains.

In the case of Hydromedia, this means that

in addition to its superior permeability per for-

mance of 150 to 1 000 litres per minute per

square metre, the product has high fluidity,

making it easy to place as well as staying

workable for up to 90 minutes.

The final finish is durable, smoother and,

together with being available in a range of

integral colours, aesthetically more appealing

than other permeable pavements.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Highly effective solution for pavement drainage

HYDROMEDIA CONCRETE

With the dramatic escalation in urbanisation, efficient stormwater management is an increasing challenge to reduce the risk of flash flooding and sustain natural water cycles.

TOP The product is a breakthrough in paste technology

LEFT Hydromedia contains a no-fines concrete that uses sufficient paste to coat and bind the aggregate particles together, forming a system of highly permeable, interconnected voids that drain freely and quickly



PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Sophisticated controls for network sewage stationsThe new Dedicated Controls solution from Grundfos is a sophisticated monitoring and control solution specifically for sewage pumping stations.

THE DEDICATED Controls are

designed for controlling up to two

pumps and a mixer/flush valve

in sewage pumping stations.

This makes them obvious choices for net-

work systems, commercial buildings and

similar applications.

The Dedicated Controls system builds on

Grundfos’ experience with level controls but

greatly expands the functionalities.

“We have expanded the monitoring func-

tions to include pumped volume and

over flow durations. The communication

options have also been expanded to

offer SCADA and BMS communication

using GSM/GPRS. This allows users

to communicate with their pump-

ing station by mobile phone,” says

Jens Skødt, business developer

for Grundfos.

“A large graphic display shows

a visualisation of the pumping

station, making it easy to find

the information required, and to

adjust any settings,” he explains.

IMIESA January 2013 77

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

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

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

Gansbaai Recycling Centre

Velddrif Transfer Station

Botrivier Drop-off

Herman us Materials Recovery Facility

Vissershok Waste Management Facility

Stanford Drop-off



Pavers complete the Umhlanga promenadeCorobrik has once again played an important par t in the final phase of the Umhlanga promenade upgrade with its clay pavers being a defining characteristic of the entire 5 km long seafront.

COROBRIK SALES DIRECTOR,

Mike Ingram, says the swirl

pattern and use of Cederburg,

Champagne and Burgundy pav-

ers has been taken through all four

phases of the project. This continuity

along the entire promenade includes the

design, which emanated from the iconic

whale bone pier and echoed the unique

seafront location with its dunes and

breaking waves and the choice of colours

and texture that per fectly complemented

the landscape. Construction of the final

phases of the development indicated

a longer term approach to promoting

Umhlanga as a prime tourism destination

within the ambit of eThekwini.

The four th and final phase of the

upgrade began in January 2011 and

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

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CONFERENCE


PRODUCTS & SERVICES

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

finished in December ahead of the

busy festive season. The upgrade,

similar to the previous phases,

included the walkway (promenade)

paving, promenade linkages, alien

plants eradication, lighting, street furniture,

dune rehabilitation, traffic calming meas-

ures along Marine Drive and the increase of

parking bays at Durban View Park. The project

was funded by the eThekwini Municipality’s

Economic Development Department and was

a combined initiative with

a collaborative team from

the city’s Architecture

Department –Urban Design

& Landscape Architecture

Branch, Engineering Units

– Development Engineering

Nor thern Branch and

Electricity Units – Special

Lighting Branch. In addition

to the building of retain-

ing walls to hold the walk-

ways in the event of fur ther

storms and landscaping,

the municipality elected to

replace the existing con-

crete block paving with more

aesthetically pleasing clay

pavers. However, according

to Ingram, the choice of clay

pavers went far beyond the

overall look of the prom-

enade. “Corobrik clay pav-

ers are extremely durable

and skid resistant, making

them the per fect choice for an area that is

exposed to harsh weather and sea spray

and is specially created to handle high

volumes of pedestrian traffic.”

During the four th phase, 2 005 m2 of

Cederburg (50 mm), 1 788 m2 of Champagne,

893 m2 of Burgundy pavers were used, equat-

ing to a total paved area of 4 683 m2.

Corobrik clay pavers are extremely durable and

skid resistant

Afgen 32

AfriSam 74

Ammann Construction

Machinery 26 & 27

AOC 29

Armco Superlite 20

Arup 68

Aveng Grinaker-LTA 37

Bagshaw Footwear 48

Barloworld Equipment OFC

Beier Safety Footwear 50

Bell Equipment 21

Bigen Africa OBC

Bosun Brick 13

Cement & Concrete Institute 41

Colas 38

Corestruc 14 & 15

Dynamic Fluid Control 44

GIBB Engineering & Science 19

Jan Palm Consulting Engineers 77

Kaytech IFC

Lafarge Industries 72

Model Maker Systems 22

Murray & Roberts Building Products 25

National Asphalt 58

Osborn Engineered Products 60

PPC 66

SABITA 56

Salberg Concrete Products 70

SANRAL 54

SARMA & ASPASA 62 & 63

SMEC 40

South African Road Federation 65

Southern Mapping 30

SprayPave 34 & 35

Structa Technology 47

Verder Pumps 46

Volkswagen South Africa 42 & 43

Watertec Africa and Pumps,

Valves & Pipes Africa 2013 23

WRP Consulting Engineers IBC

WSP 16

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.

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