CONNECT 2021 at a glance

2021 AT A GLANCE

Select snippets providing insights into the goings-on in the City of Cape Town.

There are 47 City Improvement Districts (CIDs)

The City has identified numerous areas that offer investment incentives.

These include: • Atlantis • Triangle Farm • Parow Industria • Sacks Circle • Lansdowne Industrial • Elsies River The Atlantis SEZ is projected to attract approximately R3.7 billion

across Cape Town – these are initiated by a community to work with the City to deal with crime and grime issues, as well as environmental initiatives and social problems in investments over the next 20 years

To accommodate projected growth, as well as to manage the existing housing demand, it is estimated that roughly 500 000 housing opportunities need to be created

between now and 2028

R1.4 billion has been

budgeted by the City of Cape Town for the new financial year starting on 1 July 2021 for infrastructure-related projects

In 2020, the City’s Strategic Business Partners collectively created 7 631 new jobs

and trained 2 932 people

Between March 2020 and June 2021, the City approved 3 405 building plans in the Khayelitsha planning district. The estimated value of the building work in this area alone is R1.8 billion

The City’s precinct development approach

to improving the delivery of affordable housing projects in inner-city areas is centred around: • creating more economically integrated neighbourhoods • leveraging government investment • helping to stabilise areas • encouraging greater private investment in regeneration

There are 14 REIPPP (Renewable Energy Independent

Power Producer Programme) projects currently in the Western Cape, comprising 14% of all wind energy procured and 6% of all solar energy procured

Over the last 10 years, the City’s energy efficiency in municipal operations programme has saved over 231 GWh of electricity.

This is enough electricity to power 35 clinics over 10 years and translates into 229 035 tonnes of avoided carbon emissions

Independent power producers

in South Africa may now generate up to 100 MW

of power without having to acquire a licence from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa

The City of Cape Town and the Greater Cape Town Water partnership aims to clear alien invasive plants from 9 000 hectares per year. This project will avoid annual water losses of 55 billion litres

The City’s New Water Programme aims to produce about 300 million litres of water per day by 2030

through groundwater abstraction, desalination, water reuse and optimising surface supply

Almost 40 000 learners

from over 1 000 schools participate in formal environmental education programmes annually

Annually, Cape Town’s film industry generates around R5 billion

and creates over 6 000 direct jobs

Cape Town has the lowest annual operating costs

in the film and TV industry benchmarked against leading cities the world over

Annually, 400 000 people

visit the City’s nature reserves through paid gates – and even more through unpaid gates

Consistent excellence in project delivery

Since its founding in 2008, Afriline Civils has been at the forefront of service delivery in the field of contracting and project management, having built a strong client base in the public sector and mining industry. We highlight four projects that epitomise the company’s commitment to delivering engineering contracts of the highest quality, on time and safely.

Project: Construction of New Black-Mac Outfall Sewer Client: City of Cape Town – Water & Sanitation Department Date: November 2016 to August 2018

Afriline was appointed as the main contractor on the project, which is one of the key phases of the Cape Town Bulk Sewer system upgrade for the Zantvliet and Macassar sewer processing plants. The project consisted of the construction of bulk sewer pipeline DN1 200 and DN900 AKS lined concrete IS pipes, which were laid between depths of 3 m to 9 m in water-logged trenches in a built-up urban area. Other works entailed the construction of 49 water-tight concrete manhole structures, DN1 470 pipejacking, multiple tie-ins from the old to the new system, the commissioning of the new and decommissioning of the old pipeline, and specialised grout filling of the existing pipeline and manhole structures.

Challenges overcome Among the main challenges were the depth of the excavations (3 m to 9 m) and their proximity to the Macassar urban area. Due to the soil conditions encountered, conventional dewatering methods were not possible and the size of the excavations and resultant earth-moving were of significant scale. This scale necessitated the use of a 55 t all-terrain mobile crane to install the piping. Afriline also designed and deployed a drag-box and shoring system to ensure the integrity of the trench walls, keeping workers safe. The gradient of the pipeline was at 1.9 mm per 2.5 m length of pipe, over a 4 km pipeline between two fixed tie-in points.

Outcomes The contract was completed within the client’s budget, on time, safely and at a quality level that met the client’s and engineers’ highest expectations. Over the course of the project, Afriline ensured training in the laying of concrete pipes at such depths to all the staff – from the contracts manager to the unskilled labour.

Project: Harare Erven 2132 & 2148 – Informal Settlement Construction of Civil & Electrical Infrastructure Development for 425 Erven Client: City of Cape Town – Human Settlements Department Date: May 2019 to October 2020

This project was one of two that had been earmarked in the urban section of Harare in Khayelitsha for a housing development, with Afriline appointed as the main contractor responsible for civil and electrical infrastructure development.

The works included the construction of bulk earthworks, an earth retention dam, sewer main pipelines, water pipelines with house connections, valves and hydrant chambers, and stormwater pipelines between diameters of 375 mm to 450 mm, with structures and a detention pond. Testing, disinfecting and connecting to the relevant existing network for each service was done upon approval of the engineer and local authorities. Beyond water infrastructure, Afriline handled the construction of three mini substations, 47 kiosks, 37 x 7.6 m street lights, as well as cabling for street lighting, and medium- and low-voltage lines. Also constructed were roads with layer works G7 selected layer and G4 base with kerbing on either side of the road edge, as well as priming of the approved base surface and a 40 mm design premix asphalt specified by the City of Cape Town. Construction of the sidewalks and verge trimming were done for the final handover.

Challenges overcome The site was an unsafe area for construction, as Afriline found out the hard way. The site manager was robbed during the day at gunpoint, which necessitated the deployment of security to ensure the safe and timely completion of the project. The contract also spanned over the initial Covid-19 hard lockdown period, which was a new experience for all stakeholders. Outcomes Afriline completed the contract on time within the client’s budget, and with minimal disruptions from the local community. Several SMEs were employed on the contract, while all Contract Participation Goal targets were achieved with regard to local labour usage and enterprise development – ensuring the upskilling of the local community.

Project: Langebaan Aquifer Groundwater Infrastructure – Phase 1 & 2 Client: Saldanha Bay Municipality Date: December 2017 to March 2020

Afriline was appointed as the main contractor on this two-phase project that sought to establish a ‘Day Zero’ backup water supply from Langebaan’s aquifers for the Saldanha Bay area in the case that the supply dams dried up.

Phase 1 entailed the installation of 3.9 km of 400 mm diameter PN20 oPVC pipeline with associated valves and chambers, as well as connection of the new pipeline to the existing feeder main. Other aspects included the construction of three brick buildings for borehole pipework, telemetry and electrical works. Afriline also supplied and installed chlorination equipment; three 55 kW submersible borehole pumps, including variable-speed drive (VSD) controls and electrical works; pipe fittings and specials for the recharge of aquifers during non-drought periods; and an 11 kV overhead power line with 100 kVA pole-mounted transformers.

Phase 2 was an even greater endeavour than the first. It entailed the construction and installation of 3 km of 200 mm diameter PN16 oPVC pipeline, 1.5 km of 500 mm diameter PN16 GRP pipeline, and 2.1 km of 400 mm diameter PN16 GRP pipeline – all with the associated air valves, gate valves, control valves and valve chambers. Eight brick buildings and a chlorination control brick building were built, while Afriline supplied and installed chlorination equipment, three 55 kW submersible borehole pumps with VSD controls and electrical works, and an 8.5 km long 11 kV overhead power line. Directional drilling was required under the tarred access road to install the 500 mm PN16 GRP pipeline, and Afriline also had to construct approximately 7 km of gravel service road.

Challenges overcome Time was a critical factor during Phase 1 due to the approaching Day Zero conditions. Phase 2, on the other hand, was carried out in a nature reserve, which posed numerous environmental challenges to the team. This phase was added on to the contract based on the manner in which Phase 1 was completed, increasing the groundwater capacity in case of future droughts.

Outcomes In both phases, Afriline met the requirements as set out by the various authorities and client, achieving completion safely and on time. The firm employed local labour for all construction teams and made use of local building contractors to construct the brick buildings. In terms of skills development, Afriline assisted local subcontractors to meet production targets by streamlining labour and material resource planning, and provided in-house training in pipe laying, concrete works, and basic hand tools training.

Project: Gamsberg Potable Water Supply Line Client: ELB and Vedanta Zinc International Date: March 2017 to May 2018

Vedanta’s New Gamsberg Zinc Mine concentrator plant operation required water for its operations, with the miner and ELB appointing Afriline as the main contractor to handle the task of installing a potable water supply line, which was supplied by the client.

The existing underground pipeline was in a very poor condition and unable to supply water demand for both the surrounding mine operations and municipalities. Afriline was tasked with the installation of 29.5 km of 500 mm diameter ductile iron pipeline. The new pipeline had to connect to the existing Orange River intake pumphouse as well as a newly constructed booster reservoir some 14 km away.

The pipeline was laid above ground on precast concrete plinths, passing through the kloof in the Pella mountains. Several underground road pipeline crossings were required, as were above-road pipeline crossings, which utilised culverts. Pressure testing of 48 bar was carried out to meet the client specifications.

Challenges overcome Building the pipeline through the mountain pass was a challenge due to the difficult terrain and very limited space. Blasting had to be employed to facilitate the desired pipeline route. The remote nature of the construction area also meant there was little to no surrounding infrastructure. The weather conditions added to the challenges, with summer temperatures reaching 48°C and winter lows dropping below 0°C. As for the pipeline itself, the pipe alignment had to be very accurate due to the high water pressure the line operates under.

Outcomes Afriline met all the client’s and various authorities’ requirements, completing the project safely and on time. The extreme pressure in the pipes was indicative of the quality of the works carried out. The project created significant employment opportunities during the construction phase, using local labour for all the construction teams, and local subcontractors for minor repairs to machinery and plant, as well as for the supply of back-filling sand. Afriline provided in-house training to local labour in various skills, namely pipe laying, concrete works, basic hand tools training, safety training, and pipeline levelling/ surveying with basic tools.