IMIESA February 2017 by 3S Media

www.infrastructurene.ws

IMESA The official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

infrastructure development • Maintenance • service delivery

ind u s t r y INSIGHT

Tente Tente Lesotho Highlands Development Authority

Phase II advanced infrastructure on its way

Tosas thanks its valued customers

Municipal Focus New horizons for Mossel Bay

Wastewater Treatment Achieving optimum energy efficiency

Asphalt Technology Countering grey-water corrosion

IN THE HOT SEAT Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives. So, to stay abreast of trends, we all have to embrace innovation.” Sean Pretorius Managing Director, National Asphalt P10 ISSN 0257 1978

V o l u m e 4 2 N o . 0 2 • F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7 • R 5 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l . VAT )

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IMESA The offic ial mag azine of the Insti tute l of Mun icipa Engi neer ing Afric a of Sout hern

INFR AST RUC

TUR E DEV ELO

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

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infrastru se II advanced

PME NT • MAI

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• SERV ICE DEL

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Contents 12

volume 42 no. 02 FEBRUARY 2017

industry insight LHWP – Phase II

roads & bridges Countering grey-water corrosion

Tente Tente ands Leso tho Highl Autho rity Deve lopm ent

cture on its

way

S TOksSA its than valued customers

cus Municipal Fo s for New horizon Mossel Bay

Treatment Wastewater optimum Achieving cy energy efficien

hnology Asphalt Tecring Counte rosion grey-water cor

to stay T SEAT daily lives, so, IN TH E HO has become an integral part of ourvatio orius n.” Sean Pret inno Technology to embrace s, we all have abreast of trend Asphalt P10 tor, National

Managing Direc

1978 ISSN 0257

. VAT ) 0.00 (incl 017 • R5 Fenruary 2 2 No.02 • Vo l u m e 4

Regulars Editor’s Comment President’s Comment Africa Round-up Index to Advertisers

3 5 8 76

Hot Seat Tosas thanks its highly valued customers for their loyal support and looks forward to 2017 with several new products.

Flexible pavements that work

Industry Insight LHWP – Phase II advanced infrastructure on its way

Safely secured with concrete Combating water ingress Protecting the slope

Vehicles & Equipment

17 18 19 21 23

WWTW design – Achieving optimum energy efficiency 29

Municipal Focus | Mossel Bay

HOT SEAT National Asphalt managing director Sean Pretorius talks about the company’s commitment to developing optimum solutions for existing and new road construction. P10

Geotechnical Engineering Combating water ingress

Roads & Bridges

Trucking done right Leading the compact line Building your capital equipment fleet Driving growth

Vehicles & Equipment Driving growth

50 51 53

55 56 57 58

Public Transport

32 35 35

Fleet Management Joburg’s fleets deliver Jamming, monitoring and tracking perfected Helping to create a world class African city

63 65 69

SHEQ

Challenge the status quo of non-compliance Countering grey-water corrosion 36 Panel Discussion Bitumen Supplies & Services 39 Cement & Concrete AfriSam 41 Structural strengthening for Osborn 43 Mabopane Station Reliance Laboratory Equipment 45 Ways to counter plaster cracks

Swedish buses for African markets 61

Technical Paper

New horizons for Mossel Bay Delivering on residential services Building on the circular economy

Geotechnical Engineering

Water Utilities More water for Gauteng Bringing ideas to life in the Lesotho Highlands JG Afrika digs deep Designing for the future 96 years of design execution The cost of inefficiency

Much Asphalt Road demo showcases leading technology

72 73

sheq Challenge the status quo of non-compliance

EDITOR’s comment

Water from the Highlands

Publisher Elizabeth Shorten MANAGING EDITOR Alastair Currie SENIOR JOURNALIST Danielle Petterson Head OF DESIGN Beren Bauermeister Chief SUB-EDITOR Tristan Snijders SUB-EDITOR Morgan Carter ContributorS Gavin Clunnie, Keith Olsen, Daniel Petrie, Mpho Ramphao, Frances Ringwood, Kevin Samson, Brendon Theunissen, William Wu, Louis Zikman CLIENT SERVICES & Production MANAGEr Antois-Leigh Botma Production coordinator Jacqueline Modise financial manager Andrew Lobban MARKETING MANAGER Mpinane Senkhane HEAD: DIGITAL MARKETING Roxanne Segers Administration Tonya Hebenton DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa Masina Distribution coordinator Asha Pursotham SUBSCRIPTIONS subs@3smedia.co.za Printers United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571 ___________________________________________________

here were you on 24 October 1986? It will probably seem a very distant date for younger IMIESA readers but for those who are a bit older, and remember, it was the day when a historic treaty was signed between the governments of the Kingdom of Lesotho and South Africa regarding the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP). The vision for this scheme dates back to the 1950s and became a reality much later when modern-day infrastructure led to the completion of Phase I of the LHWP in 2003. This multidisciplinary project was a global initiative that resulted in the establishment of Africa’s second-largest dam, the Katse, which opened in 1996 and formed a core component for the future LHWP programme roll-out. Now, preparations are under way for the implementation of the advanced infrastructure for Phase II. During 2015 and 2016, the main focus has been on the procurement of consultants. This will continue into 2017. The main works are scheduled to start towards the end of 2019 or early 2020. This entails the construction of the new Polihali Dam and Polihali transfer tunnel. Polihali Dam will have a live storage capacity of around 1 892 million cubic metres, with a reservoir surface area at FSL of 50.4 km2. The Polihali Dam and Tunnel tenders closed in December 2016 and January 2017, respectively. This is a very exciting development for our regional economy: Gauteng is the main water user but there are many recipients along the supply route that will benefit.

Advertising Sales Jenny Miller Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223 Email: jennymiller@lantic.net ___________________________________________________

Publisher: media No. 9, 3rd Avenue, Rivonia 2056 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 www.3smedia.co.za Annual subscription: R550.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR. © Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. ___________________________________________________ IMESA CONTACTS HEAD OFFICE: Manager: King Singh P.O. Box 2190, Westville, 3630 Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263 Fax: +27 (0)31 266 5094 Email: admin@imesa.org.za Website: www.imesa.org.za BORDER Secretary: Celeste Vosloo Tel: +27 (0)43 705 2433 Fax: +27 (0)43 743 5266 Email: celestev@buffalocity.gov.za EASTERN CAPE Secretary: Susan Canestra Tel: +27 (0)41 585 4142 ext. 7 Fax: +27 (0)41 585 1066 Email: imesa.easterncape@gmail.com KWAZULU-NATAL Secretary: Ingrid Botton Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263 Fax:+27 (0)31 266 5094 Email: imesakzn@imesa.org.za NORTHERN PROVINCE Secretary: Rona Fourie Tel: +27 (0)82 742 6364 Fax: +27 (0)86 634 5644 Email: np@imesa.org.za SOUTHERN CAPE KAROO Secretary: Henrietta Olivier Tel: +27 (0)79 390 7536 Fax: +27 (0)86 629 7490 Email: imesa.southcape@gmail.com

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 the authors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers.

Water security Africa and South Africa have exhibited desertification trends for thousands of years so water scarcity has always been there. Now, however, we have an unprecedented rate of urbanisation that is increasingly competing with other key water users in the fields of agriculture, mining and general industry. Metros like the City of Johannesburg are under pressure, with an additional population influx estimated at around one million annually, either for formal or informal settlements. Other municipalities face similar challenges, although not on the same scale. So what can we do? As a starting point, we need to accept that current and future water usage requires a completely different mindset. We must keep conservation top of mind. Infrastructure expansion in terms of dams and pipelines will always be there but can these projects keep pace with supply and demand? The simple answer is ‘No’ unless we save now, and that goes beyond the South African government’s ‘War on Leaks’ campaign for individual user responsibility. Let’s embrace rainwater har vesting, and clamp down on illegal connections, as we address water wastage because of ageing infrastructure. Each metro and local municipality can make a difference and help stretch infrastructure budgets so that we have the water on demand needed to meet our national development goals.

Alastair Currie To our avid readers, check out what we are talking about on our website, Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and have your say.

WESTERN CAPE Secretary: Michelle Ackerman Tel: +27 (0)21 444 7114 Email: Michelle.Ackerman@capetown.gov.za FREE STATE & NORTHERN CAPE Secretary: Wilma Van Der Walt Tel: +27 (0)83 457 4362 Fax: +27 (0)86 628 0468 Email: imesa.fsnc@gmail.com

This issue of IMIESA contains a detailed progress report, including an interview with Tente Tente, divisional manager, Phase II, Lesotho Highlands Development Authority.

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INFRAS TRUCT

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

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The official magazin e of the Institute of Municip al Enginee ring Souther n Africa

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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 +27 (0)11 467 6223.

tha valued customers

s Municipal Focu for New horizons Mossel Bay

Infrastructure News

IMESA

Treatment Wastewater optimum

nology Asphalt Tech

Achieving ncy energy efficie

Countering ion grey-water corros

stay SEAT lives, so, to IN THE HOT has become an integral part of our daily Pretorius ion.” Sean innovat Technology to embrace we all have abreast of trends, P10 , National Asphalt 2 Vo l u m e 4 Managing Director 8 0257 197 ISSN

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IMIESA February 2017

WATER RESTRICTIONS IN JOHANNESBURG

The City of Johannesburg is required by the Department of Water and Sanitation to reduce its water usage by 15% with immediate effect, as water levels at our source (Integrated Vaal River System) have dropped to alarming levels. This mandatory mitigation measure on water usage has been triggered by on-going drought and unusual warmer conditions.

Level-2 water use restrictions according to section 44 (3) of the Water Services By-law states that consumers are compelled: • Not to water their garden between 06:00 and 18:00; • Not to use irrigation systems, only a hand held hose or bucket is permitted during watering times; • Not to fill swimming pools with municipal water; and • Not to use hosepipes to wash their cars or to clean paved areas and driveways with water.

Water demand restriction tariffs on domestic users effective on water usage from September 2016. Full tariff schedule: www.johannesburgwater.co.za

Implementation of water supply restrictions through reduction of outflows from our reservoirs will take place during off peak times (20:00 – 04:00) in selected areas daily.

For more information and water saving tips visit www.johannesburgwater.co.za. Please subscribe on our website, to our SMS notification service for planned or unplanned service interruptions.

President’s comment

IMESA

Evolving the infrastructure landscape

The Northern Branch meeting, held on 20 January, was the first event on the IMESA 2017 calendar and provided a perfect opportunity to lay the groundwork for the coming year. During 2017, I look forward to visiting all the national IMESA branches.

s the incoming president, I’d like to thank the IMESA executive committee and our national branch management for their hard work and commitment as we build on the Institute’s goals. Thanks also go to our staff at the IMESA head office in Durban. IMESA’s mission is to promote excellence in the engineering profession for the benefit of municipalities and their communities. It’s a straightforward goal but not one that’s easy to achieve overnight. Engineering is a lifelong profession and requires a constant combination of theor y and in-field practice, together with mentorship – and in all these areas, we are fully committed to providing support as an organisation. We know that our smaller municipalities face skills shortages, and that many do not have engineers currently employed. That is something we need to address both within IMESA and as an industry. As the incoming president, my goal is to refine and reposition IMESA to respond to the challenges, which includes building our membership base. This will enable us to increase our network and assist in the development and retention of new engineering entrants in the municipal space. We need to pay closer attending to implementing programmes that

take young graduates through to their ultimate goal of professional registration.

Strategic planning Together with the IMESA executive, I will be formulating a strategic plan for the Institute and our registered entity, IMESA (Pty) Ltd. The structures developed will improve operational efficiencies so that we can achieve the most effective outcomes. The initial strategy session, which included all executive and council members, was held on 26 and 27 January 2017. It was facilitated by Dr Tjaard van der Walt, a past president and Honorary Fellow of IMESA who has played a key role in the creation of our IMESA infrastructure management system. We plan to release the results and plan of action in the second half of 2017. Some of the recommendations may result in changes to IMESA portfolios to ensure we effectively cover all infrastructure areas. The strategic outcomes will also drive our marketing plan. This will include the number of seminars held nationally, plus the size and scope of our annual conference – widely regarded as one of the most important built environment events. Knowledge sharing is a core IMESA objective and one of mine as president going into 2017.

IMESA president Gavin Clunnie

Engineering is a lifelong profession, and requires a constant combination of theory and in-field practice, together with mentorship – and in all these areas, we are fully committed to providing support as an organisation

IMIESA February 2017

Head Office: 12 Commercial Road, Wadeville, Germiston, 1422 Tel: 011 323 2000 / Fax: 011 902 1112 Web: www.tosas.co.za / Email: quotes@tosas.co.za

Look out for our NEW products

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INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS

FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT

IVORY COAST €769.78 million for urban transport in Abidjan The Ivor y Coast has plans in place to improve urban transport in the city of Abidjan significantly. The project will be implemented from March 2017 to December 2021 and is expected to improve traffic flow, reduce road accidents, strengthen urban management, improve air quality, increase household revenues, recycle waste, reduce greenhouse gases and improve the quality of life of the city’s residents. As the country’s economic hub, and due to the combined effects of population growth, the rapid rise of vehicular traffic and the decline of public transport systems, the road network and traffic control systems serve as a major constraint to Abidjan’s economic potential. The project involves the development of 87.9 km of fast urban roads, a 1 400 m bridge, six interchanges, the rehabilitation of traffic lights at 89 intersections, urban waste management, and the strengthening of existing capacity for traffic control, urban planning,

local revenue enhancement, road safety and the protection of natural ecosystems. The new bridge will span a stretch of the Ebrié lagoon to connect the communes of Plateau and Adjamé with Yopougon, which are major economic and residential areas of the city. The new structure will facilitate the daily commute of an estimated 7 000 vehicles and hundreds of thousands of residents, helping to decongest existing roads. From a regional perspective, the bridge will likely become a privileged transit route between the port of Abidjan and the international road corridors, especially to Burkina Faso in the north and to Liberia in the west. Construction is expected to start in 2017 and end in 2020.

Kenya Support for communityowned hydropower project The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) approved an almost $1 million grant to support the preparation of a unique 7.8 MW hydropower project in Kenya. The project is based on standard

run-of-the-river technology but features an innovative community ownership structure, where financial returns will also accrue to members of the Mutunguru community in Central Kenya, mainly due to a shareholding structure where communities actually receive a fixed small share of the project’s profits. “This additional financial benefit is expected to translate into significant economic and developmental impacts in the project area, particularly in terms of socioeconomic empowerment and job creation. This significant community ownership and support makes it deser ving of the SEFA intervention as a model to be considered in future bank operations,” stated Gabriel Negatu, director-general: East Africa Regional Development and Business Deliver y Office, AfDB. This project will contribute to the government’s objectives of expanding on-grid generation capacity, particularly through harnessing indigenous An urban transport project in Abidjan will be implemented from March 2017 to December 2021

IMIESA February 2017

Nigeria will soon be home to an 80 MW (AC) solar photovoltaic independent power project

renewable capacity. Patrick Kimathi, of the Mutunguru Hydroelectric Company Limited, affirmed: “The Kenyan government considers small hydro a top priority given the wide resource availability, baseload properties and ease of integration into the grid. Through building capacity of local communities to own and manage commercially viable grid-connected small hydropower projects, we support implementation of the Feed in Tariff Policy in Kenya to increase access to clean, affordable and sustainable energy.” Mutunguru HPP will generate new income for women and will enhance the job skills of rural women as they take on additional micro-economic activities.

Nigeria 80 MW solar project on the cards Nigeria will soon be home to an 80 MW (AC) solar photovoltaic independent power project. The project, near Dutse in the Jigawa state, includes the construction of a dedicated

Africa round-up

Fast facts

1 400 m

7.8 MW

30 million

80 MW

The length of the bridge that will span a stretch of the Ebrié lagoon in Abidjan, Ivory Coast

The capacity of Kenya’s unique community-owned hydropower project

The number of people without a connection to the electricity grid in Tanzania

The capacity of Nigeria’s upcoming solar power project

132 kV overhead transmission line that will connect the plant to the Dutse substation. The electricity will be sold to NBET, Nigeria’s bulk purchaser of electricity, under a 20-year power purchase agreement. Benefiting from excellent irradiation, the plant will help to alleviate Nigeria’s significant power deficit and diversify the countr y’s energy mix. This will improve energy security and provide more reliable electricity to businesses and households, contributing to Nigeria’s sustainable economic growth and greenhouse gas emission reduction objectives. The project is the product of a joint development agreement between Africa50 (the infrastructure fund for Africa), Scatec Solar (a Nor wegian integrated independent solar power producer), and Nor fund (the Nor wegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries). Under the agreement, the trio commit their resources and funding to complete the development phase of the project and prepare it for financial close. Alain Ebobisse, CEO, Africa50, says: “Access to reliable energy is one of the most critical needs in Africa, including in Nigeria, where it is a government priority. I look for ward to deepening the relationship with the authorities of Nigeria, one of our key shareholder countries, and to supporting more projects in this and other infrastructure sectors.”

Tanzania New facility for clean energy finance Tanzania’s Rural Energy Agency (REA) has received a grant to structure the Renewable Energy Investment Facility (REIF), which will provide affordable finance to private sector clean energy projects providing energy access to rural communities in Tanzania. Tanzania’s national electricity coverage is estimated at just over 20%, with transmission grid covering a minor part of the country and leaving out most of the territory. Access is even lower for the rural population at 7%, meaning nearly 30 million people do not have a connection to the electricity grid. The vastness of the country, coupled with low population densities, makes grid extension too expensive, which creates a significant market potential for off-grid electrification schemes. In response

to this, the government of Tanzania has set an objective of increasing access to electricity by promoting renewableenergy-powered off-grid/minigrid electrification schemes. The country estimates that about half of its rural population could be served by off-grid options in a cost-effective manner, and that mini-grids could benefit 9.1 million people in the country. Tanzania plans to achieve about 1.3 million connections in rural areas and increase the average access rate to electricity to 35% by 2022. The REIF will, therefore, contribute to expanding rural electrification and increase access to energy services by channelling appropriately tenured and priced finance to private sector companies developing and operating energy access projects in rural areas based on renewable energy technologies.

Uganda New 100 km road on the cards The Ugandan government has begun a feasibility study for the construction of the Kampala Outer Ring Road, which will span a distance of 100 km. This project forms part of government's overall strategy for decongesting the country’s capital city, Kampala, through the construction of an inner beltway comprising the Kampala Northern and Southern bypasses. With Kampala expected to become home to more than 10 million people by 2030, the main objective of the Kampala Outer Ring Road is to decongest Uganda’s largest city by reducing traffic jams. The Ugandan government has so far spent over $2 million for the feasibility study, with construction of the road set to begin as soon as the feasibility study is completed.

The Ugandan government plans to decongest the country’s capital city, Kampala, through construction of an inner beltway that will span a distance of 100 km

IMIESA February 2017

hot seat

Flexible pavements that work IMIESA speaks to Sean Pretorius, managing director, National Asphalt, about the company’s commitment to developing optimum solutions for existing and new road construction.

What is the company’s strategy for 2017? SP We take a leadership approach, which means we focus on continuous improvement though our research and development programmes. The 2015 period was a challenging one for South African construction – highlighted by local bitumen supply shortages – but, despite this, project awards in the roads sector showed a steady trend, improving slightly in 2016. We are bullish going into 2017 and believe that the macroeconomic prospects will improve, supported by more buoyant international trading conditions. Tendering at the lowest price has been a historical trend in South Africa. In my opinion, current government procurement legislation can be quite restrictive. It will be difficult to change this in the short term. However, we believe it needs to be addressed, as it often impacts on quality and ends up costing more to redo failed sections. That’s why tender

pricing awards have to be more realistic and sustainable, especially if we want to promote SMME development.

Are there supply challenges to consider this year? Surprisingly, the availability of quality aggregate supply remains a challenge and even more so now with the introduction of the Performance Grading (PG) specifications. Bitumen supply will be under pressure again this year, with a number of the refineries shutting down for their planned maintenance programmes during 2017. Shortfalls in supply will need to be offset by supplementing with imports where needed. However, the lack of price parity between local and imported bitumen is always challenging: very often, it’s difficult to get compensated for the cost of the imported bitumen, which is higher than the local product. Add the volatility in the exchange rate and the dynamics become very challenging to manage.

What is the current status of the equipment fleet? We have a full complement of fixed and

Sean Pretorius, managing director, National Asphalt

IMIESA February 2017

mobile asphalt plants, together with an allied paving fleet. One of our key advantages is that we are very mobile. Combined, the company has an output capacity exceeding 1 500 000 tonnes of asphalt per annum.

How important is the crossborder market? It is very important. We’ve established a company in Botswana, trading as Belabela Asphalt, which has a 51% local ownership, and we believe there’s huge potential for growth in this country. Other regions where

BELOW LEFT Four-point bending beam testing on an asphalt sample. These tests measure the stiffness modulus and assess the fatigue resistance BELOW A National Asphalt operation in Margate, KwaZulu-Natal

hot seat

we have a presence include Mozambique. A recent example is a hydro-cutting project completed by our subsidiary, Shisalanga Construction, at Maputo International Airport during January 2017.

Is hydro-cutting gaining ground locally? This is a rapidly growing business unit. The technique, referred to as hydro-texturising, is a cost-effective solution for repairing flushed bituminous pavements. It also cleans the voids of an open-graded mix, increasing service life and water drainage, and decreasing noise. This results in a safer runway or road surface, and extends the life of the asset. Once the excess bitumen is removed, the stone-chip matrix remains intact.

Are there plans to introduce new products this year? Since inception, National Asphalt has pioneered the introduction of a range of new products that have since become the standard in South Africa. One of the most significant of these is reclaimed asphalt (RA), which was first trialed and proven in eThekwini and thereafter gained traction on projects for Sanral and other key projects in South Africa. Every year, we usually bring in three to four proven technologies on a trial basis. We don’t always turn these into commercial products, but the R&D experience is invaluable. During 2017, we will be working on several products that could see commercial application shortly. Some municipalities, like eThekwini, have been very receptive to new technologies. Examples include the development of warmmix asphalt, the RA (as mentioned) and, more recently, the adoption of high-modulus asphalt (EME), which has been very successfully applied on various N3 sections in KwaZulu-Natal. These include steep gradients catering for slow-moving, heavy truck traffic. The 10/20 bitumen used is low penetration grade, resulting in the EME producing a number of high-performance characteristics, e.g. high resistance to rutting and deformation. On another note, we fully support the decision to introduce PG specifications, as this will raise the overall industry standard. Of

Hydro-cutting in progress at King Shaka Airport in Durban

course that will mean a higher requirement for technical expertise, which we’ve catered for in terms of our ongoing recruitment, training and development initiatives.

Asphalt product mixes

HMA – Hot-mix asphalt WMA – Warm-mix asphalt HiMA – High-modulus asphalt (EME) Cold mixes

Yes, EME has proved to be ideal for the GO! Durban initiative. This bus rapid transit network being established in the city will see National Asphalt supply key phases.

40% RA as a component on its road rehabilitation projects. However, we believe there are opportunities to raise this percentage for certain mixes. In line with this, National Asphalt has completed its own trials where we’ve been able to attain a 100% RA mix with the use of our specialty admixtures.

Is there a market for warmmix asphalt?

Are additives like EcoNat passing on cost savings for clients?

There definitely is, but the take-up tends to be low at present. Warm-mix asphalt has key advantages: it is produced at a lower temperature compared to hot-mix products (typically between 10°C to 30°C lower) and so is more environmentally friendly to manufacture (since there are fewer emissions). Warm mixes can also be transported over longer distances and paved at lower temperatures.

EcoNat, a National Asphalt proprietary technology, has been instrumental in our RA research programme as a bitumen rejuvenator. We have also trialled the use of EcoNat as a road spray and are investigating coldmix applications, where we have a best-inclass solution.

Was EME specified for the GO! Durban BRT programme?

Is porous asphalt a viable option? Definitely: it has some distinct advantages and can be utilised for managing issues such as stormwater run-off. To date, our involvement with porous asphalt has been more for the support structure used with products such as Salphalt and in the construction of artificial turf.

“We’ve been able to attain a 100% RA mix with the use of our specialty admixtures.”

Are skills gaps a concern? Asphalt construction is a highly specialised area. Presenting a further challenge is the widely acknowledged lack of general civil engineering skills in the industry. To build awareness, we run regular workshops with municipalities around the country and interface with the universities and tertiary education departments on a regular basis.

Any final thoughts? Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, so, to stay abreast of trends, we all have to embrace innovation. At National Asphalt, that is our overriding philosophy.

What measures are being adopted to promote sustainability? Recycling has now become the norm for most industries globally, and South Africa is rapidly catching up. Some of the trends are still very experimental, such as the possibility of using glass as a composite in asphalt. Sanral now regularly specifies up to

www.nationalasphalt.co.za

IMIESA February 2017

industry insight

Phase II advanced infrastructure on its way IMIESA talks to Tente Tente, divisional manager: Phase II, Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, about the roll-out of one of the region’s most significant water projects, vital for South Africa’s Gauteng province. Please comment on the preparation works for Phase II. TT As is the case with major infrastructure projects of this nature and magnitude, a significant amount of planning and preparation has to be completed before there is evidence of the physical project activities on the ground. This planning and design phase has now been completed. The next stage is groundfield infrastructure: for example, the roads, power lines, and construction village. That all comes beforehand, and we call it advanced infrastructure. The main works, which entail the construction of the dam and the transfer tunnel, are the next stages. We are looking at starting construction of the main works towards the end of 2019 or early 2020.

What are the main milestones so far? From the end of 2014 and through 2016, we have mainly been concentrating on the appointment and mobilisation of the

consultants responsible for the design of all the advanced infrastructure elements. These consultants will in turn prepare the tender documents for the various construction programmes. By mid-2017, we expect to start advertising the first tenders for the construction of the advanced infrastructure works. The critical elements are clearly the dam and the tunnel. The dam tender closed in December 2016, and we’re currently busy with the evaluation process. The same methodology applies to the tunnel tender, which closed in January 2017. Once these are concluded, we can finalise the consultant appointments.

How will Phase II connect with Phase I? Do they join up at some point? Phase I, completed in 2003 and inaugurated in 2004, was split into phases 1A and 1B. The main physical features of Phase 1A are the 185 m high Katse Dam, the 45 km transfer tunnel from Katse to the 72 MW Muela hydropower station, the Muela

water supply and hydropower project

Tente Tente, divisional manager: Phase II, Lesotho Highlands Development Authority

Polihali’s design will be similar to Mohale Dam (above), but higher by around 20 m

hydropower station and appurtenances, and the 37 km delivery tunnel across the border into South Africa, where the outfall is the Ash River near Clarens, Free State. The key components of Phase 1B included the construction of the 145 m high Mohale Dam, and the 32 km transfer tunnel to the Katse Dam. Both phases also involved the construction of infrastructure such as tarred roads, bridges, camps, health facilities, as well as environmental and social programmes. On completion of Phase II, the new Polihali Dam will connect to Katse via a new 38 km tunnel. From there onwards, the water will pass through the existing Phase I system, generating hydroelectric power in the process.

What form will the Polihali Dam take? Polihali will be a concrete-faced rockfill dam. The design will be similar to Mohale Dam,

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is a multiphased initiative to provide water to the Gauteng region of South Africa and to generate hydro-electricity for Lesotho. It was established by the 1986 Treaty, signed by the governments of the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa. The project entails harnessing the waters of the Senqu/Orange River in the Lesotho Highlands through the construction of a series of dams for the mutual benefit of the two countries. (Source: Lesotho Highlands Development Authority)

industry insight which has a 145 m high wall. However, the new dam will be higher by approximately 20 m. Polihali will have a crest length of 915 m with a width of 10 m. The live storage capacity will be around 2 322 million cubic metres, with a reservoir surface area at FSL of 50.4 km2.

additional 15 m3/s, so we are talking around 40 m3/s in terms of annual yield. Phase I currently delivers around 780 million cubic metres per annum to South Africa. Phase II will increase the yield to 1 270 million cubic metres annually.

When will full commissioning of the Polihali Dam take place?

What plans are in place for the proposed Kobong 1 200 MW pump storage scheme in Phase II?

We are looking at a five- to six-year programme. So, by 2025, we should be able to fully commission the water transfer component. According to the 2009 Phase II feasibility report, the full yield is expected to be utilised by approximately 2030.

What will be the combined capacity once Phase II is completed? The current capacity for Phase I is around 25 m3/s. Phase II at full capacity will add an

This is a solution that was identified during the feasibility study. However, the findings were not conclusive. Technically, the potential is definitely there, but Lesotho needs to carry out further studies to confirm its viability. BELOW The Orange River in Lesotho BOTTOM An artist’s impression of the Polihali Dam and transfer tunnel. Polihali will be a concrete-faced rockfill dam

Further hydropower feasibility studies are in progress. These include geotechnical investigation at the site, a market study to confirm who the buyer of surplus power would be, an integration/transmission study for the powerline that will evacuate and deliver the power to its intended destination, and the conclusion of a power purchase agreement and power sales agreement to ensure that the project is bankable. After commissioning of Phase I, Lesotho was self-sufficient. However, due to positive macroeconomic growth, current demand has outstripped supply regarding the existing hydroelectric plant. That’s why it’s important that Phase II augments what Lesotho already has, so that electricity imports from South Africa can be reduced. So, aside from the proposed pump storage, we are investigating where the existing Lesotho Highlands infrastructure can be used to generate more power for Lesotho.

How will Phase II impact positively on Lesotho’s GDP? Phase I had a very positive impact on Lesotho’s economy, and we are excited about the further potential both during construction and after the completion of Phase II. Further improvements in infrastructure will enhance ease of travel in the mountains, promoting commerce and especially tourism, which is one of our major GDP contributors.

Will there be a Phase III? That will be informed by the Planning Department within South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation and an agreement between the parties (Lesotho and South Africa). Once Phase II is fully operational, the future water demands and requirements will become clearer. This will be strongly influenced by the water demand projections in South Africa, and more specially, the growth projections anticipated by the Gauteng province, the primary water user of the scheme and currently Africa’s largest economy in terms of GDP. In the meantime, we believe that during the course of 2017, we will see earthmoving machines breaking ground on one of the first construction projects in Phase II. Everyone has been waiting for this and we are confident that Phase II will be a huge success for both Lesotho and South Africa.

www.lhwp.org.ls IMIESA February 2017

Water Utilities | Lesotho Highlands Water Project

More water for Gauteng

For South Africa, water security is an overriding priority, which makes the mobilisation of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project one of the most significant priorities going forward. By Alastair Currie

ince the commissioning of Phase I of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) in 2004, more than 13 422 million cubic metres of water has been transferred (as at December 2016), supplying South Africa’s Gauteng province with a key portion of its potable and commercial needs. The advent of Phase II will further increase this capacity, rising to 1 260 million cubic metres per annum, with project planning and execution now at an advanced stage. As with Phase I of the LHWP, South Africa will be responsible for funding all the components regarding the transfer of water, including dams and tunnels, as well as their operation and maintenance. This is in accordance with Article 10 of the treaty set out between the Kingdom of Lesotho and South Africa. Lesotho, in turn, will be responsible for the hydroelectric component. At present, the total cost of constructing Phase II is estimated at around R23 billion. “During 2015 and 2016, the main focus has been the procurement of consultants.

IMIESA February 2017

This will continue into 2017,” explains Tente The location for the Polihali Dam, which will have a reservoir surface area at an Tente, divisional manager: Phase II, Lesotho FSL of 50.4 km2 Highlands Development Authority (LHDA). In Phase II, the main works under the water transfer component comprise the Polihali both in terms of the physical and ecoDam and the Polihali transfer tunnel. The nomic displacement of households. The conadvance infrastructure works pertinent to the water transfer component includes struction of the Polihali Dam and reservoir, which is located in the the demarcation of Mokhotlong District, the reser voir, geoAs at December 2016, will replenish some technical studies, approximately R7 billion 5 000 ha of land in the design and construction of roads, has been earned in royalty the valleys and tributary catchments of the bridges, housing, the revenues, providing a Senqu and Khubelu power and telecompositive stimulus for rivers at a full supply munications infraLesotho’s economy level of 2 075 m above structure. In addisea level. Permanent tion to these works, land acquisition will also be necessary for there are ongoing environmental, social associated infrastructure developments such and public health programme aspects as access roads, power lines and permanent of the project. office and residential facilities. Temporary Resettlement occupation of land will occur during the conPhase II will inevitably necessitate permanent struction period for facilities such as labour land acquisition and involuntary resettlement, camps and works areas.

Water Utilities | Lesotho Highlands Water Project

2015 and 2016 progress To date, 12 contracts have been awarded mainly for professional design and consulting elements of the advance infrastructure works and in some cases for the supervision of works. These include: • The demarcation of the Polihali reservoir. The reservoir demarcation entailed surveying the approximately 230 km perimeter of the Polihali reservoir at 2 080 m above sea level – 5 m above the projected full supply level, which is considered a safe margin. The demarcation of the reservoir area is critical for the acquisition of land, as well as the resettlement and compensation of people in the catchment area whose homes and livelihoods will be affected by the dam’s construction. It is also essential for the planning of the Phase II activities. The Maleka, Ntshihele, Putso Joint Venture, a local Lesotho, was appointed to install the beacons. The construction of the more than 1 300 beacons to mark the perimeter of the Polihali reservoir was completed ahead of time in December 2015.

• Polihali North East Access Road. This contract entails the upgrade and widening of the existing road to facilitate the safe movement of construction vehicles during the mobilisation of the dam and tunnel contractors. It was awarded to the SMEC-FMA joint venture. • The new asphalt-surfaced Polihali Western Access Road. This project was awarded to AECOM SA, working with Lesotho-based subconsultants AECOM Lesotho, and RWB Consulting Engineers. The project commenced in October 2016 and is expected to be completed in four years. • Supervision of geotechnical investigations. This contract was awarded to JG Afrika, in association with GWC Consulting Engineers, who are currently overseeing the work performed by drilling contractor Diabor. These investigations are necessary to confirm the geological conditions and identify any anomalies in the dam foundations, as well as along the tunnel alignment. The investigations will also identify the suitability, quality and quantity of concrete aggregate found at all investigated quarries. The investigations take place in two stages, with

Fast facts

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a bi-national project between the governments of the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Commission is accountable and responsible for the implementation of the project, while the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority is the implementing authority. In South Africa, the TransCaledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) is mandated to perform this role. The TCTA is a specialised liability management body. Its mission is to finance and implement bulk raw water infrastructure.

Water Utilities | Lesotho Highlands Water Project stage 1 expected to be completed early in 2017. Stage 2 will follow the appointment of the Polihali Dam engineering consultant. • Housing and associated infrastructure. Polihali Infrastructure Consultants, comprising Mott MacDonald PDNA and Khatleli Tomane Moteane in joint venture, is responsible for the master planning, design and construction supervision of the Phase II housing and associated infrastructure. The services should be completed in the latter part of 2021. • Power and telecommunications infrastructure. This four-year contract went to a joint venture between South African-based Plantech and SM Consulting, a Lesothobased engineering consultancy. It is envisaged that fibre-optic telecoms cables will piggyback on the 40 km to 50 km power lines that will be erected along the corridor created by the Polihali Western Access Road to provide the power and telecommunications critical to the dam and tunnel construction lines. • Polihali diversion tunnels. The successful bidder is the Metsi a Senqu-Khubelu Consultants joint venture, which comprises a number of prominent South African

IMIESA February 2017

Constructed in Phase 1A, Katse Dam has a height of 185 m and a length of 710 m, with a total reservoir capacity of 1 950 km3

engineering consultancies including Aurecon, Knight Piésold, Hatch Goba and SMEC, and the Lesotho firm FM Associates. The contract commenced in September 2016 and will be completed in approximately 3.5 years. • Environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA). The first and biggest of the four ESIA contracts in Phase II was awarded to Environmental Resources Management Southern Africa in August 2016.

Phase II is a reality “A great deal of work has brought us to this point,” says Tente. “The feasibility study

commenced in 2005 and was completed in 2008, and now Phase II is a reality. Phase II will go a long way towards securing South Africa’s and the region’swater security, plus the electricity needs of Lesotho, and will have direct and indirect benefits for the economies of both countries.” More than 16 000 jobs were created during the construction of Phase I, completed at a cost of some R17.5 billion, and Phase II will further add to capacity building and skills development. Construction of the main works should commence by 2020 and will take around five to six years to complete.

Water Utilities | Lesotho Highlands Water Project

Bringing ideas to life in the Lesotho Highlands

lobal engineering and infrastructure advisor y company Aurecon has a proud six-decade history of association with the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), one of the largest ongoing infrastructure development projects in the world and a true African success story. Conceived in the early 1950s, the project was commissioned by the Lesotho government who appointed Cape Town-based engineer Ninham Shand to investigate a means of exporting the country’s abundant water resource to South Africa. The challenges of overcoming the largescale, technically complex nature of the water transfer project in a harsh, high-altitude mountain environment were progressively

addressed, eventually leading to the 1986 treaty between the two countries to supply water to South Africa while generating power for Lesotho. Ninham Shand and Africon, both founding members of Aurecon, were involved in feasibility studies and the design and construction supervision of key elements of Phase 1A of the project, including the awe-inspiring 185 m high Katse Dam, the transfer tunnel, both north and south delivery tunnels, the northern access road, Malibamatso River bridge and other advance infrastructure. Participation in Phase 1B included the Matsoku diversion and the Mohale tunnel. This commitment has continued with Aurecon’s involvement in the Phase II feasibility study.

With the company’s past experiences and understanding of the local environment, together with a deep commitment to Lesotho and the vision and objectives of the LHWP, Aurecon hopes to participate in the implementation of the Phase II infrastructure and continue its contribution to the positive outcomes of the project for both Lesotho and South Africa. Aurecon congratulates the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority on its fine performance over the last 30 years and is proud to have played various key roles in achieving what the South African Institution of Civil Engineers described as “the most outstanding engineering achievement of the century”. IMIESA February 2017

Engineering success for sustainable water management

Aurecon is proud to have been providing world-class technical expertise and services to the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority for over thirty years. For more information, please contact: Mike Killick Client Director, Water E mike.killick@aurecongroup.com T +27 21 526 5755

www.aurecongroup.com

Water Utilities | Lesotho Highlands Water Project

JG Afrika digs deep

he Geotechnical Division at JG Afrika, in association with Lesothobased consulting firm GWC Consulting Engineers, was appointed to undertake the supervision of the geotechnical investigations for both the Polihali Dam and the Polihali-Katse tunnel. Diabor Geotechnical & Exploration Drilling was awarded the geotechnical drilling contract. The geotechnical investigations involve the extraction of rock and soil for testing purposes to provide comprehensive data for the dam and tunnel design consultants. The investigations also identified the suitability, quality and quantity of construction material found at all investigated quarries. The works included core drilling at 19 locations at the Polihali Dam, spillway, inlet tower and diversion tunnel; two

boreholes at the inlet tower/diversion tunnel to serve the main quarry site; two boreholes at the saddle dam; five boreholes at the main dam quarry; two boreholes at the coffer dam; and six boreholes at the proposed Tsilantso Quarry, which is to be the main source for the supply of concrete aggregate for the project. The JG Afrika team has identified a total of four additional quarry sites, which are to provide construction material for the dam and concrete aggregate for the associated works. Along the proposed transfer tunnel, boreholes have been drilled at the Polihali intake and Katse outlet, along the tunnel alignment, to evaluate the effect of a dolerite dyke that intersects the tunnel route, and at the Matsoku dewatering shaft. The deepest tunnel borehole is 220 m below ground level.

ABOVE LEFT The geotechnical team: Denford Buwu, Jan Norris and Cas Isherwood ABOVE Drilling along the right flank of the dam

JG Afrika’s engineer for the project is Jan Norris, with full-time supervision provided by Cas Isherwood and Denford Buwu. The rest of the team includes Vuyani Monyake (environmental specialist) and Ramoubane Mokhubu (community relations officer), both from GWC Consulting Engineers. As part of the LHDA initiative to develop and train young graduates on the project, two geology graduates were appointed on six-month contracts to work with, and be trained by, the JG Afrika professional team. Both were employed when their contracts terminated, one with JG Africa and the other with Diabor Geotechnical & Exploration Drilling.

IMIESA February 2017

Proudly South African, JG Afrika (previously Jeffares & Green) provides civil and structural engineering and environmental consulting services throughout Africa.

www.jgafrika.com

Designing for the future

MEC South Africa has been delivering successful infrastructure solutions to clients and communities since 1947 and this year marks the company’s 70th anniversary. “We are committed to developing our people and growing our business in order to benefit future generations in South Africa,” declares CEO Kostas Rontiris. “In this waterscarce environment, the ability to deliver water solutions across every aspect of the water cycle is vital.” SMEC South Africa’s involvement in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) goes back to 1988, with the tender design and implementation of Phase 1A. As part of a consortium known as the Highlands Delivery Tunnel Consultants (HDTC), SMEC South Africa was involved in the initial planning and later the design, tender documentation and construction supervision of this major project. The 22 km long Delivery Tunnel North (DTN) connects with the tunnel from Katse Dam, through the Lesotho Highlands at the Lesotho border, and traverses the valleys and foothills of the eastern Free State to end at the outfall on the Ash River, some 8 km north of the town of Clarens. Between 1988 and 1991, SMEC South Africa, as part of HDTC, was also responsible for the planning and tender design of the 15 km long Delivery Tunnel South (DTS),

Swaziland

The Delivery Tunnel North outfall on the Ash River was constructed during Phase I of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project

upstream of DTN inside Lesotho. On completion of DTS and DTN, both tunnels were pressure and flow tested, and finally commissioned in January 1998. In 1996, the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority commissioned Mohale Consultants Group, with SMEC as the lead consultant, to plan, design and construct the 145 m high Mohale Dam. SMEC provided the project manager, who both led the design team and was the chief resident engineer for the construction supervision phase. SMEC South Africa, as a partner in the C4-SEED JV, was appointed to undertake the LHWP ‘Further Phases Study’ in 2006. The principal outcome of this study was the present LHWP Phase II configuration, which is presently being implemented by the client, the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority. SMEC South Africa has been involved in various phases of the LHWP, including the design and construction supervision of the Botterkloof attenuation dam that formed part of stages 1 and 2 of the Ash River Upgrading Project (1999 to 2003) and a feasibility study of the direct tunnel route from Polihali Dam to Muela Power Station (2008 to 2009) as a follow-up the ‘Further Phases Study’.

SMEC South Africa was also a JV partner in the Maguga Dam joint venture from 1996 to 2001. The dam forms part of Phase 1 of the development of the Komati River Basin, under the Komati Basin Water Authority, a binational agency created by South Africa and Swaziland. The dam is located about 12 km south of Piggs Peak on the Komati River and helps to supply water for irrigation and domestic use in the two countries.

C E L E B R AT I N G

Years

1947-2017

Water Utilities | Lesotho Highlands Water Project

96 years of

design execution

Leon Furstenburg, director, Knight Piésold

In the engineering field, Knight Piésold leads as a proudly South African company, headquartered locally, and operating internationally. By Alastair Currie

night Piésold is a multidisciplinary consulting firm that has a long history in water delivery projects across all the integrated engineering fields, and was one of Africa’s foremost pioneers in hydroelectric power, which remains a core focus area to this day. Born in 1921, Knight Piésold is the oldest consulting engineering firm in South Africa, and probably Africa, and built its reputation in the mining sector, where the firm remains a design innovation leader, alongside its other multifaceted specialisations within the world of infrastructure. Progressive expansion took place in Africa from the early 1920s and globally from the 1950s. “We remain one of the few totally independent, wholly owned South African engineering consulting firms operating worldwide. That’s a significant achievement,” says Leon Furstenburg, director, Knight Piésold, who has been an integral part of the firm’s design and construction management team on some of the Southern African region’s most strategic water projects. These include the Katse Dam, Matsuko weir and tunnels, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) delivery tunnels and the Mohale Katse tunnel – all part of Phase I of the LHWP (Lesotho Highlands Water Project) and commissioned around 2004. Knight Piésold now forms part

of the Metsi a Senqu-Khubelu Consultants joint venture appointed for the design and construction supervision of the Polihali diversion tunnels for Phase II of the LHWP. This JV contract commenced in September 2016 and will be completed in approximately 3.5 years. These diversion tunnels will facilitate construction of the new Polihali Dam, which is central to Phase II and scheduled for construction around 2020.

Hydropower Water engineering is multifaceted. Chiefly, it’s about water storage, treatment and supply. Since Knight Piésold’s inception, however, another field of interest has been hydroelectric power, with the firm having completed more than 200 projects globally. The first was in Zambia in 1926. “As part of a JV consulting team, we are now in the final commissioning stage on Eskom’s Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme, which is the largest hydroelectric development of its kind to be rolled out so far in Africa,” Furstenburg continues. Constructed at a project value of around R25 billion, the installation straddles the KwaZulu-Natal and Free State provincial boundaries near Ladysmith. Alongside strategically aligned JV partnerships, Knight Piésold continues with its own independent projects in all areas. In the

Katse Dam, which forms part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project

hydroelectric field, these include the completion of an 11 MW run-of-river installation in Azambi, DRC, for a mining client, which will replace an existing diesel generator station used for prime power requirements. Meanwhile, work is progressing on the Kulungwishi 247 MW hydroelectric project in Zambia. This is a public-private partnership venture. Knight Piésold conducted the pre-feasibility and bankable feasibility studies, and will be the owners’ engineer once financial closure is achieved. Elsewhere in Southern Africa, Knight Piésold is supporting a developer to achieve financial closure on an exciting new 12 MW hydroelectric scheme in Swaziland on the Lower Magaduza River, in joint venture with Gibb. Construction is expected to commence during 2017. In Namibia, Knight Piésold is the lead designer for the Neckartal Dam, which will be the largest in the country and includes a hydroelectric component, harnessing the power of the Fish River. This roller-compacted concrete dam will have a wall height of some 80 m, and an approximately 857 million cubic metre reservoir. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2017.

IMIESA February 2017

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Water Utilities

The cost of

inefficiency

South Africa has whittled down its sixteen water boards to nine (and soon to be eight). Since big organisations increase bureaucracy, the trend towards consolidation may at first seem inefficient. However, when economies of scale come into play, the benefits are undeniable. By Frances Ringwood

ccording to the Companies Act (No. 61 of 1973):“The income and property of (an) association whencesoever derived shall be applied solely towards the promotion of its main object, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly, by way of dividend, bonus, or otherwise howsoever, to the members of the association or to its holding company or subsidiary.” This is part of the conditions that allow an organisation to be described as a company. In plain English, it means that a company can only be considered a company if its property and profits are redirected towards further profits. By extension, a company that constantly requires bailout funding and subsidies is not a successful company. Water boards are not legally defined as companies. Neither are they defined as stateowned companies or municipal entities. In fact, they occupy a unique position in the taxonomy of financially accountable organisations in South Africa. The salient features of what makes a water board what it is is that it is established under the Water Services Act (No. 108 of 1997); it is a government entity that reports directly

Reverse osmosis system for drinking water plant

to the Department of Water and Sanitation, and it conforms to King II governance legislation. There are other significant laws that govern water boards, including the Public Finance Management Act (No. 1 of 1999) and the Promotion of Access to Information Act (No. 2 of 2000). While water boards are by no means companies, there is a considerable amount to be gained when these institutions emulate some of the practices of successful businesses. Of course, water boards are not businesses, and it would be undesirable for them to be run as such. The obvious reason for this is that they provide a vital service – which is also a human right – to their communities. Nonetheless, a powerful case can be made for water boards to focus on achieving measurable efficiencies, as happens in business. Such an approach would reduce the need for subsidies and improve service delivery.

Water board logic 101 According to Nezar Eldidy, head: Business Development at Sobek Engineering and

“If the income of the utility is less than its labour rent and asset rent, it will start to become over-reliant on subsidies.” Nezar Eldidy, head: Business Development, Sobek Engineering

chairman: Management and Institutional Division of the Water Institute of Southern Africa, “It can be difficult to say how efficient a water board is because efficiency itself is a vague term. Since it is vague, we find many of the country’s water boards measuring themselves against benchmarks borrowing from military terminology, such as ‘mission’, ‘aim’ and ‘goal’. Nevertheless, it is possible to measure efficiency accurately using logic,” he says. Many of the terms that Eldidy uses in his logic-based argument are derived from the language of business. In these terms, a water board produces goods to market at a specific quantity and at IMIESA February 2017

a certain price, using the least resources. Therefore, the successful provision of water requires raw material – in this case, water sources. This raw material has to conform to certain conditions in terms of quality, quantity and location. From there, water boards develop assets and use labour to provide their communities with water.

Endogenous and exogenous features According to Eldidy, quantity, quality and location are determinants of utilities’ efficiency that can be termed “endogenous”. “Let’s talk about a utility that sources water using desalination, where the utility is inland and the desalination plant is far away. One cannot straightforwardly compare the efficiency of one such utility with another that doesn’t face the same issues,” he says. “‘Exogenous’ features of the utility include the community. Communities in developed countries are different from communities in developing countries, and rich and poor communities also differ,” Eldidy adds. He points out that efficiency determinants of a utility are as follows: a water source and its health, bulk storage (surface or underground), treatments plant, labour force and dexterity. These are endogenous to the utility and affect its size and, therefore, its asset rental, which then further impacts labour rents. Exogenous features include where the utility operates, the socio-economic characteristics of the market, its culture, and also governance. “Supporting infrastructure is also a big challenge – in Nigeria, for instance, there are certain times when there is no electricity – the national grid has collapsed – thus every water utility has tried to acquire additional assets to mitigate risk. This further results in asset rent increases, the devaluing of assets, and changing laws and governance. Resulting cost implications at household level also affect the market in terms of what can be reasonably charged for water – if a utility charges too much for its services, it cannot sell its product and, so, cannot be efficient,” Eldidy adds.

Micro- and macroefficiency Microefficiencies focus on benchmarks such as missions, aims and strategies. Eldidy is more interested in how water boards can achieve macroefficiencies. He explains what is meant by this, “A macroefficiency is where you focus on your aggregate efficiency. For example, if I get a new job and spend three hours in traffic each day, that is not efficient. When applying this to a utility, you look at the configuration of that utility. For example, there is a lot of talk these days about merging utilities – and if merging utilities does not happen in the right way, we configure failure. This is because the aggregate efficiency has to be there from inception, otherwise the end product will be defective.” Eldidy’s answer to this is to make efficiency a strategic goal for water boards from the outset. Water board efficiency can be difficult to determine, as it’s difficult to compare utilities with those not facing the same constraints

When labour rent rises, it affects utilities’ ability to pay asset rents, forcing greater reliance on subsidies

“Here, we return to our endogenous and exogenous variables. To put it simply, if your raw water costs are higher than what you are paying in asset and labour rent, then you have a challenge. Likewise, if your communities’ water bills are higher than what they can afford, you have a further challenge. “This is how the whole efficiency equation comes together – water boards have assets and labour. These affect each other and both impact on the client. Further factors that affect the client are income and demand. Therefore, if the income of the utility is less than its labour and asset rent, it will start to become over-reliant on subsidies. This was a major issue with some of the now defunct water boards,” he explains. Here is where the logic applied to the business world can be applied usefully to utilities. A utility that constantly relies on subsidies cannot measure its efficiencies. It cannot stand on its own as a company.

Wrapping up It’s no real secret that the majority of water boards’ budgets go to paying salaries (what Eldidy calls “labour rent”). The trend towards consolidation significantly reduces this cost because of the effects of economies of scale. Eldidy explains, “A supermarket like Pick n Pay has to be big so that it can compete in terms of price with other market players. How this is achieved is that Pick n Pay has a huge number of stores and relatively few employees. For argument’s sake, imagine if every Pick n Pay had an employee monitoring every shelf. Economies of scale would not exist.” Labour efficiency is its own science, taking into account how many labourers are required per connection, their skill level and their cost. Once these figures are inputted into a mathematical equation, other figures, such as the cost of water, which is affordable for a given service community, can be added. From there, water boards’ efficiencies can then be measured in terms of percentages. This is why it’s important to have a working knowledge of the endogenous and exogenous factors that impact a utility’s efficiency. “What we conclude is that a utility’s average size, its endogenous efficiency, reflects its ability or inability to meet its financial needs. What my calculations have shown (when looking at utilities outside of South Africa) is that many of these institutions struggle to pay asset rent. Understand that many South African utilities want to increase their salaries. That means that when they want to increase their assets, the money won’t be available. Since these two factors impact one another, building more assets means that money won’t be available for salary increases. Economies of scale help overcome these problems – not subsidies,” he concludes.

IMIESA February 2017

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TECHNICAL PAPER

WWTW design

Achieving optimum energy efficiency

outh Africa has experienced a shortage in base load electricity supply in recent years, prompting Eskom to demand significant increases to the bulk price of electricity in order to finance new capital expansion projects. Wastewater treatment is typically one of the most energy-intensive activities mandated to local municipalities. As the electricity price in South Africa increases, some local authorities have begun to explore ways to reduce energy costs through enhancements to treatment infrastructure. The recent trend at wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) in industrialised nations has been to reduce energy costs by implementing technologically complex energy-efficiency

Constraints around security and the affordability of energy are increasingly driving planning decisions in municipal water and sanitation service provision. By Daniel J Petrie et al.*

or energy recover y solutions that achieve significant reduction in net energy use, but which are associated with high upfront capital investments and onerous operating and maintenance requirements. To date, there has been much debate in the municipal engineering sector regarding the realistic potential of implementing energy-efficiency objectives in wastewater treatment. To shed some light on the matter, a study was conducted to test the technical and economic potential of different energy-efficient solutions across a range of scales of Western Cape WWTWs and determine what process enhancements

Zandvliet Pump Station

Table 1 Description of WWTWs investigated

WWTW

Authority

Technology

Rated capacity (2015/16)

Status

Zandvliet

City of Cape Town

MBR and BNR/SST

72 Mℓ/day

Upgrade under way (capacity limited)

Malmesbury

Swartland LM

MBR

10 Mℓ/day

Upgraded 2013

Riebeek Valley

Swartland LM

BNR/SST

2 Mℓ/day

Upgraded 2016

Darling

Swartland LM

BNR/SST

1.5 Mℓ/day

Due for upgrade (capacity limited)

Moorreesburg

Swartland LM

Extended aeration / SST

1.5 Mℓ/day

Due for upgrade (ageing infrastructure)

IMIESA February 2017

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TECHNICAL PAPER

(if any) could feasibly be implemented at each scale. This study incorporated work undertaken for the City of Cape Town and the Swartland Local Municipality during two different planning studies for upgrades to five WWTWs, as listed in Table 1. A broad spectrum of wastewater treatment technologies was assessed, from a simple base-case scenario to a more sophisticated scenario for each of the treatment works considered within the study. For each case study, projections were made of future flows as well as organic and nutrient loads. The associated key treatment plant design parameters were then determined using steady-state biological treatment process models. The outputs from the technical models were then used to develop a comparative economic model, to assess the life-cycle costs of the different options at each WWTW. The determination of energy savings achieved by improvements to the treatment processes at each WWTW involved the following sequential modelling and calculation steps: • Conceptual design of incremental improvements to treatment process configurations • Analysis of historical influent data and projections of the future flows and organic and nutrient loads expected at each WWTW • Activated sludge modelling of each WWTW considering capacity upgrades and different treatment configurations • Sludge handling and beneficiation modelling at each WWTW considering: biogas generation potential and energy recovery,

net electrical energy use, and fuel energy for sludge transportation The treatment process configuration has a significant impact on the overall energyefficiency of the WWTW, most significantly due to the aeration requirements of biological treatment processes for the removal of organics and nutrients, as well as the pumping of wastewater flows, and sludge handling and beneficiation. Eight case study treatment process configurations were considered at each treatment works, as summarised in Table 2. Not all options were considered for each treatment works. For instance, the larger works are already equipped with fine-bubble diffused aeration systems. For these plants, Option 1 is therefore adopted as the ‘baseline’. The options to compost sludge were also not considered in the case of Zandvliet WWTW, where close proximity to residential neighbourhoods and heavy winter rainfall would make such a technology impractical.

Results: Zandvliet WWTW The results from Zandvliet WWTW indicate that significant energy savings can be enjoyed by adopting more sophisticated treatment options. Given the size of the Zandvliet works, any marginal savings equate to significant energy savings in absolute terms. While composting options were not considered here, Option 4 (see Table 2) demonstrates a significant reduction in overall plant energy consumption, primarily because installing PSTs will liberate capacity in the

existing conventional BNR stream, which is less energy intensive than the existing and proposed MBR streams, reducing the energy required for membrane pumps as well as for aeration. By recovering energy from the digester biogas (option 5), the plant can achieve a net saving of over 70% against the baseline scenario, and by including pre-treatment and advanced digestion (option 6) this can be augmented further to over 80%. Option 7, on the other hand, incurs a significant energy penalty associated with the transportation of dewatered sludge. While the ‘business-as-usual’ scenario (option 1) and installing PSTs and mesophilic digestion are the most affordable in terms of capital expenses, they are expensive in terms of OPEX, mostly due to high energy and sludge disposal costs. In contrast, the options that involve recovery of energy are expensive in terms of CAPEX, but are significantly cheaper to operate. For the case of large WWTWs, such as Zandvliet, the more sophisticated solutions (Options 5 and 6) are economically optimal when assessed over a 25-year planning period. In addition, the overall economic per formance of the works is influenced more by the cumulative effects of operating expenses over time than by the initial capital outlay.

Results: Malmesbury WWTW The results from Malmesbur y WWTW confirm that, at larger works that use MBR

Table 2 Matrix of options considered at each WWTW

Option

Consideration

Zandvliet

Malmesbury Moorreesburg, Darling & Riebeek Valley

Option 0

Surface aeration and WAS landfill

n/a

Option 1

FBDA

Baseline

Option 2

WAS composting

n/a

Option 3

Primary settling and WAS and PS composting n/a

Option 4

WAS and PS mesophilic anaerobic digestion and gas flaring

Option 5

Biogas cleaning and energy recovery (CHP)

Option 6 Option 7

Malmesbury WWTW

Baseline



Advanced digestion (pre-treatment & additional dewatering)



Centralised advanced anaerobic digestion (pre-treatment and additional dewatering)



Moorreesburg WWTW

IMIESA February 2017

IMESA

BURSARY SCHEME Institute of municipal engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA) (IMESA) offers a bursary scheme for full-time studies in the field of Civil Engineering. Other engineering disciplines may be considered only at the discretion of the Executive Council of IMESA.

The aims of the scheme are:

IMESA For more information contact us on:

031 266 3263 031 266 5094 E: bursaries@imesa.org.za W: www.imesa.org.za

To provide financial assistance to students who would otherwise not have been able to afford to study To recognise the achievements of students and prospective students who are dependants of IMESA members

Applications for 2018 will open in June 2017. Closing date for applications is 15 September 2017.

TECHNICAL PAPER

technology, significant energy savings can be enjoyed by adopting more sophisticated treatment options. The net ef fective energy use of each of the treatment process options at Malmesbur y WWTW came to a final estimated capacity of 21 Mℓ/d (in the year 2045). By installing PSTs (option 3), the plant’s energy demand can effectively be halved, while recovering energy from the digester biogas (options 5/6/7) can achieve a net saving of over 70% against the baseline scenario. The additional CAPEX required for more complex options results in process efficiency and reduced OPEX, primarily due to the reduced costs of sludge disposal and reduced energy costs. In terms of long-term feasibility, the economically preferred solutions are options 3, 5 and 7. This confirms the major influence of energy costs on overall economic feasibility for larger plants. The economic feasibility of centralising the sludge treatment plant at the nearby Highlands landfill site (option 7) is further confirmed for Malmesbur y WWTW. However, for this option to be viable, it needs to be proven for all of the Swartland WWTWs.

Conclusions The results of the study indicate that an optimum energy-efficient process configuration is achieved for the smaller regional treatment works (less than 5 Mℓ/d to 10 Mℓ/d) when they are designed to allow for fine-bubble diffused aeration, primar y settling, and composting of sludge to achieve a stable biosolid suitable for application to fallow land. For the larger works, the optimum is achieved by the incorporation of further advanced process technologies, including sludge pre-treatment and energy recover y from anaerobic digester gas. Given the high costs associated with transporting dewatered sludge over long distances, the economic feasibility of centralising energy recover y within a single regional facility is limited, but is still shown to be preferable to the baseline scenarios, where sludge is transported for disposal at landfill. References available on request.

*Daniel J Petrie, William Wu, Mpho Ramphao, Brendon Theunissen: Aurecon Cape Town Kevin Samson, Keith Olsen: Department of Water and Sanitation, City of Cape Town Louis Zikman: Civil Ser vices Department, Swartland Local Municipality

Results: smaller Swartland WWTWs The smaller WWTWs in Swartland (Moorreesburg, Darling and Riebeek Valley) exhibit similar technical results to one another, all achieving relatively large reductions in energy demand. However, given the scale of these plants, this does not translate to significant reduction in absolute terms. The results suggest that adopting more complex treatment technologies has the potential to reduce energy demand significantly when compared with the baseline scenarios. However, there are practical limitations to implementing some of these technology options at this scale. It is, therefore, only worthwhile to consider options 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 as being technically feasible. In comparison to the larger works assessed, these treatment works spend a greater proportion on maintenance, labour and sludge disposal than on energy. The relative benefit of implementing energy-efficient treatment technologies is, therefore, less pronounced. The figures also indicate that, at the smaller WWTWs, savings in energy costs are almost per fectly offset by increased maintenance costs. While economically equivalent, this shift represents an opportunity for social and environmental benefit, as money is directed to the ser vice sector of the economy, rather than to the extractive/energy sectors. For the smaller treatment works, the relative influence of CAPEX on overall life-cycle costs is greater than for the larger WWTWs. It is also apparent that, while installing fine-bubble diffused aeration, composting sludge, and installing PSTs are technically and economically beneficial in the long term, more advanced options are less promising economically.

IMIESA February 2017

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MUNICIPAL FOCUS | MOSSEL BAY

New horizons for Mossel Bay IMIESA talks to Mossel Bay’s new municipal manager, Adv Thys Giliomee, about his vision for the municipality, as well as some of the recent highlights in terms of infrastructure and economic development. How would you describe your leadership style and vision? TG As public servants, our task is to supply municipal services to all to make their lives better, safer and healthier. We need to ensure access to essential services that are affordable to all, be responsive to the needs of the community, and be developmentally oriented to create an environment to uplift and dignify lives. To start with, I will take a 15-year view. We need to know what (quality and quantity) will be required, where (area-specific), and by whom (density-specific). We will plan and implement accordingly, being focused on results and quality. I place a high value on reporting, the best use of resources, performance and return on expenditure. Staff need to be motivated, take pride and ownership, be accountable, and be performance-driven. My vision for Mossel Bay Municipality is, “We strive to be a trend-setting, dynamic municipality, delivering quality services

ABOVE Mossel Bay RIGHT Advocate Thys Giliomee, municipal manager, Mossel Bay Municipality

responsive to the demands and challenges of the community and our constitutional mandate, in which all stakeholders can participate in harmony and dignity.”

What are the priority areas in terms of infrastructure delivery? I am a supporter of the outcry for a backto-basics approach in respect of municipal service delivery. Basic services are: • water supply • sewerage services • refuse removal services • roads and stormwater • electricity supply. The municipality will ensure that basic services are continuously provided and maintained

in a safe, effective and efficient manner within the limits of legislative requirements and financial ability. The municipality has completed masterplans, as well as asset management plans to guide the systematic provision of new infrastructure to cater for growth and the replacement of old or obsolete infrastructure. Between 60% and 80% of the municipal capital budget will be prioritised for replacement or renewal-type projects related to water, electricity, sanitation and road infrastructure.

Mossel Bay was judged the greenest local Western Cape municipality in 2015. How was this accolade achieved and what plans are in place during 2017 to retain this position? The municipality has implemented sustainable programmes and actions to promote

IMIESA February 2017

Structural and Civil Engineers

Cobus Louw Pr. Eng Professional Engineer

Cobus Louw Pr. Eng cc is a certified Level 2 BBBEE contributor Diaz Office Park, Office 12, Beach Blvd West, Diaz Beach, Mossel Bay, 6500 P.O Box 1247, Hartenbos, 6520 Tel: 044-692 0551 Fax: 086 619 2839 Email: cobuslouw@absamail.co.za

Diaz Office Park, Office 12, Beach Blvd West, Diaz Beach, MOSSEL BAY, 6500 P.O Box 1247, HARTENBOS, 6520 Tel: 044-692 0441 Fax: 086 619 2839 E-mail: cobuslouw@absamail.co.za

Stuctural and Civil Engineers

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MUNICIPAL FOCUS | MOSSEL BAY

Januar y 2011 and, with a total design capacity of the water purification plants of 72.3 Mℓ/day, there is presently around 42 Mℓ/day spare capacity for future growth.

Please expand on the main infrastructure programmes taking place during 2017. • New water and electricity meters to minimise losses • upgrading of major substations and wastewater treatment facilities • electrification, water and sewer projects for informal settlements and low-cost housing projects • replacement of old water,sewer and electricity infrastructure • renewable energy projects at municipal buildings/plants. energy efficiency, demand-side management and various other interventions within the municipality to reduce energy consumption and to promote renewable and cleaner energy options. In 2017, the municipality will continue to embark on programmes that will ensure a sustained reduction in carbon footprints.

What is the significance of the proposed Mossel Bay Zoning Scheme By-law? Will this help to promote residential, commercial and industrial development? The Mossel Bay Zoning Scheme By-law will facilitate land use and determine the possible uses for every property within the municipal area. Since our existing four townplanning schemes are outdated, the new scheme by-law will be a great improvement. Having one scheme with one set of parameters for the Mossel Bay municipal area will improve land-use management. The Spatial

Development Framework is the primary guiding document to promote development and the scheme by-law can be used via extended primary rights and overlay zones to guide development in a specific direction.

How has the drought affected the municipal region and what measures are in place to promote responsible water use and conservation? During the 2010 drought, the municipality’s main dam level dropped to below 15% and through the implementation of various water conservation measures, the municipality’s water consumption dropped by almost 50%. However, the municipality’s water security has improved considerably with the construction of the 15 Mℓ/day seawater desalination plant,a 5 Mℓ/day wastewater reuse plant and new boreholes with a yield of 1.4 Mℓ/day. The water restrictions in the Mossel Bay area were lifted around

Is renewable energy a focus area for Mossel Bay in terms of small-scale embedded electricity generation systems like photovoltaic solar systems, biomass reactors and wind turbines? Yes, it definitely is. The municipality has already adopted a renewable energy policy to promote small-scale embedded generation and a photovoltaic system has already been installed at the municipal technical services offices to reduce the municipality’s energy consumption.

What are the key drivers for future economic growth and is there potential for publicprivate partnerships? The town has sufficient electricity and water capacity to cater for load growth. Our service standards are of a high quality, while the charges/tariffs are very competitive.

IMIESA February 2017

WATER TECHNOLOGIES

IMIESA January 2017

MUNICIPAL FOCUS | MOSSEL BAY

Delivering on residential services

irst, I’d like to say that Mossel Bay is a highly professional municipality, with excellent in-house expertise represented across all the engineering disciplines,” says company head Cobus Louw. “The municipality also has a strong maintenance team in place. As a consultant, this makes our relationship a highly efficient one, with infrastructure projects executed on time and within budget.” Cobus Louw forms part of a consulting engineering panel appointed by the Mossel Bay Municipality, with the present appointment running for three years up until June 2017. “Less than 5% of Mossel Bay’s roads within the municipal area are not paved and the goal is to achieve 100% coverage. An annual roads programme for the ongoing rehabilitation and resealing of asphalt surfaces runs in parallel,” says Louw. Within the pavement and stormwater segment, Cobus Louw Consulting focuses on

Upgrading of Cuff Street in Mossel Bay

the residential market, either directly for the municipality or for private sector developers. Current projects in which the firm is involved include a five-year road upgrade in Herbertsdale, some 56 km north-west of Mossel Bay and falling within the municipal boundary. The firm is presently working on the third of five New paved sidewalks phases, which entails gravelin Herbertsdale to-paved road upgrades, plus related stormwater. In the Mossel Bay suburb of Kwanonqaba, of Mossel Bay, which will be implemented in Cobus Louw is busy upgrading the old AC four phases. The first phase was completed water network, replacing asbestos pipes in 2016 and the second will be finalised by with uPVC lines. The project runs over three June 2017. The remaining phases will be stages. Phase I entails the installation of completed in the following financial years. approximately 3 km of uPVC, with diameters ranging between 110 mm and 200 mm, due Cobus Louw Pr. Eng to be completed in June 2017. Professional Engineer Cobus Louw Consulting is also involved Diaz Office Park, Office 12, Beach Blvd West, Diaz Beach, MOSSEL BAY, 6500 with stormwater upgrades within the centre +27 (0)44 692 0551 P.O Box 1247, HARTENBOS, 6520 Tel: 044-692 0441 Fax: 086 619 2839 E-mail: cobuslouw@absamail.co.za

Building on the circular economy

Stuctural and Civil Engineers Cobus Louw Pr. Eng cc is a certified Level 2 BBBEE contributor

Upgrading of Cuff Street Mossel Bay

Turning Circle Dana Bay

LEFT Interwaste segregation staff enjoying a tea break on the facility lawns ABOVE Recycled and baled K4 cardboard from Blue Bag collections

nterwaste’s involvement with the Mossel Bay Municipality began in February 2015, when Interwaste was awarded the ‘Blue Bags System’ tender. The Blue Bags System is a recycling initiative that entails the collection of recyclable waste from residents to encourage recycling within the municipality, and promote environmental sustainability. These bags are collected on the same day as the general waste on a weekly basis.

Once collected, the blue bags are sent off to Interwaste’s depot where they are opened and separated into their various categories and grades. Once the separation process is completed, the products are bailed and traded into the industry and are later transformed into new materials through thirdparty recyclers. Interwaste’s involvement with the Mossel Bay Municipality has been one of a prevalent nature, and has seen an increase in

employment, with the initiative having created jobs for an estimated 30 people involved in the sorting process and an additional 10 people responsible for the initial collection. Interwaste is very proud to work hand in hand with the Mossel Bay Municipality, to deliver exceptional and trustworthy waste management solutions, which not only benefit the environment, but also contribute positively to the circular economy.

www.interwaste.co.za

IMIESA February 2017

Countering grey-water corrosion In-depth field and laboratory studies uncover solutions that could help resist grey-water damage on asphalt surfaces and roads, says Sabita.

he ‘Grey Water Study’ began in 2014 when it was noted that asphalt sur facing in informal settlements deteriorated faster than expected. The client body comprised the City of Cape Town and Sabita, and the study group MyCube Asset Management, Stellenbosch University, BVi Consulting Engineers and Zebra Sur facing.

Mew Way Road in Khayelitsha, a mixed informal settlement in Cape Town, was chosen for the study location. Initial investigations, reported in December 2014, revealed significant deterioration of the asphalt sur facing close to stand pipes and areas where grey water was present. Grey water is defined as wastewater from bath tubs, showers, washbasins and washing machines. In addition, it may also include polluted water from kitchen sinks, but does not include black water or industrial effluent. An assumption was made that grey water was the reason for the deterioration of the asphalt layers. By its nature, grey water contains sur factants that originate from detergents responsible for reducing the sur face tension between a solid and a liquid, or two liquids.

Phase II This study included two phases of laborator y testing. The results of Phase II, which was divided into two stages, are reported on here and build on the initial conclusions found in Phase I. In Phase II, Stage 1 included Moisture Inducing Simulating Testing (MiST) at 60oC and indirect tensile strength testing (ITS) at 25oC (similar to o Phase 1). However, the test matrix for this stage included additional asphalt gradings and binder combinations. Based on the results of Stage 1, asphalt gradings and binder combinations, with potential grey-water resistance, were selected for MMLS3 trafficking under dr y and wet (grey water) conditions as part of Stage 2. MMLS trafficking consisted of subjecting asphalt mixtures to 100 000 load cycles under dr y and wet (grey water) conditions at 40oC. Stage 1 results confirmed the outcome of Phase 1, where it was found that grey water significantly increases the rate of

“MMLS trafficking consisted of subjecting asphalt mixtures to 100 000 load cycles under dry and wet (grey-water) conditions at 40 C.”

Roads & Bridges | Sabita

ABOVE Road deterioration adjacent to stand-pipe areas along Mew Way Road in Khayelitsha, outside Cape Town LEFT Wet MMLS3 trafficking

deterioration of an asphalt mixture. EVA and SBS modified binders again indicated improved grey-water resistance compared to 50/70 penetration grade bitumen.

During Stage 2, ITS, tensile strength ratio (TSR), permanent deformation, texture and material loss results were extracted. Due to the large number of laborator y results, it was decided to establish per formance criteria in order to combine the findings of laborator y stages 1 and 2. The aim of the per formance criteria was to identify gradings and binder combinations with improved IMIESA February 2017

Roads & Bridges | Sabita

MMLS3 trafficking tests

Study findings: Phase 2 Based on the test results, the following two medium grade asphalt mixtures were suggested as being best suited for use on higher volume roads in greywater areas: • EVA modified binder, 2% lime, 1% Sasobit and 0.1% ZycoTherm • EVA modified binder, 2% lime and 1% Sasobit. In turn, two fine-grade asphalt mixtures were suggested for use on low-volume roads, namely: • COLTO Fine – EVA modified binder, 1% Sasobit and 0.1% ZycoTherm • COLTO Fine – EVA modified binder and 1% Sasobit.

grey-water resistance for lower- and highervolume roads. In addition, it also compared the mixture strength, compactability, shear resistance and potential for the ravelling of various asphalt gradings and binder combinations tested during stages 1 and 2.

Trial sections: Riding quality measurements Trial sections constructed on Mew Way Road consist of asphalt mixes with 50/70 penetration grade bitumen, SBS and EVA modified binder combinations. Recent monitoring of the trial sections included a visual inspection, as well as rut and riding quality measurements. Riding

quality measurements indicated coarser texture near stand-pipes. However, it may be too early to directly correlate the texture to the impact of grey water. From the results to date, the conclusion is that the EVA modified asphalt (AP-1) trial section is performing well in areas exposed to grey water. This result is comparable with results obtained during laboratory testing. The study group has recommended that visual assessments be carried out at least every six months and mechanical measurements every year for a two-year period in order to monitor the condition of trial sections in areas exposed to grey water. This will enable the study group to evaluate the

long-term performance of the respective mixes under grey-water and traffic exposure.

In summary The completion of the three-year ‘Grey Water Study’ has enabled the study group to obtain an understanding of the expected behaviour of different asphalt mixtures under greywater conditions. The laboratory study, in conjunction with the trial sections, further enabled the group to obtain valuable field validation of the infield performance of different asphalt mixtures. This will assist client bodies to specify mixes that are able to resist the effects of grey-water degradation in future.

IMIESA February 2017

PNR12 - Penetrometer, penetration testing of Bitumen

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Roads & BRIDGES | Panel Discussion Bitumen Supplies & Services Rory Botha | Commercial Director What is the scope of your company?

roads infrastructure in Africa?

RB Bitumen Supplies & Services has been in existence for 18 years in its current structure. Our activities focus entirely on supplying the road construction industry with all grades of bituminous binders, which include bitumen, bitumen emulsions, cutback bitumen, polymer-modified bitumen, polymermodified bitumen emulsions and, if required, bitumen rubber. We operate from two fixed facilities but our supply area is dynamic and we position products, services and product storage facilities where our clients require them, making us active in about 17 countries at any given time.

Our area of operations spans much of the African continent and the Indian Ocean islands, which requires substantial planning of our human and equipment resources. Our supply lines are generally under pressure due to the nature of our widespread operation and we frequently have to supply product through as many as four different borders from the point of supply to site. Unprofessional traders have attempted to supply substandard materials into Africa, resulting in failures and remedial costs, which negatively affect our industry. It is, however, encouraging to note that many African governments are working effectively to eliminate the supply of substandard

What are the key challenges in building

materials into their countries. Erratic funding creates challenges, as many contracts are suspended due to governments not paying contractors, resulting in the suspension of contracts for long periods. This stop-start cycle of payment can disrupt our supply, production planning and equipment utilisation.

How do you overcome these challenges and accommodate your clients’ needs? Being part of the African continent has equipped us with the ability to cope with these challenges, while, through continuous learning, we

have managed to accommodate and manage the environment we operate in, with the help of innovative partnerships built over the years. As mentioned, our product range includes all products required for any type of road surfacing specification. Our flexibility to supply straight-run bitumen as well as to produce high-end materials such as modified emulsions and bitumen on-site has instilled our clients’ confidence in us.

BITUMEN SUPPLIES & SERVICES THE BITUMEN PROFESSIONALS BSS have been supplying Bitumen in Drums, Bags, Bitutainers as well as Bulk into Africa for the last 18 Years. BSS own Bitumen tankers, bitumen sprayers,bitutainers, bitumen decanters, on site storage, Mobile bitumen Emulsion plants and mobile Bitumen Modifying Plants.

BSS is South Africas leading exporter of bitumen into over 25 African countries.

BSS offer to the mining industry specialised DUST SUPPRESSANT EMULSIONS to cure dust pollution on haul roads. The services provided go beyond product and delivery. BSS provides technical assistance for application and construction techniques as a result of over 60 years’ experience in road construction.

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Roads & BRIDGES | Panel Discussion

AfriSam Amit Dawneerangen | National Sales Manager What specialised technologies and services does AfriSam bring to the market? AD AfriSam manufactures and supplies superior quality construction materials. We offer a range of cement products, aggregate materials and readymix concrete to cater for the different applications and needs in the industry. We offer pumping services for our readymix concrete and have a pump fleet with some of the longest boom reaches in the country, capable of pumping concrete into those hard-toreach places. For road stabilisation, we offer cement spreading ser vices. Our trucks are fitted with spreader bars and our drivers are trained to work with site managers to ensure an even spray of cement during road construction. All our products are supported by a technical services offering. Through years of experience, we have acquired technical skills that we believe are beneficial to the industry. From our Centre for Product Excellence (CPE), we offer our customers technical support and training, and work closely with them to develop user-specific solutions and to resolve technical queries.

As a supplier, what is your viewpoint on product quality? AfriSam prides itself on its incomparable product quality. We strive to not merely comply with South African national standards but to produce the highest performing construction materials. All products are rigorously tested at our SANAS-accredited laboratories

to ensure that quality and consistency are always of the highest standard. AfriSam’s CPE has a strong focus on product quality and an even stronger focus on the correct and optimal use of our products. CPE has a customer support function with technical consultants who proactively visit our customers in order to demonstrate the correct use of our products, as well as identify any cost-saving opportunities. We run an ISO-accredited laboratory that we use for various tests to our customer’s benefit and offer technical training services to our customers.

How is AfriSam positioned to meet the growing demand for quality concrete? AfriSam has an extensive national footprint comprising 43 readymix concrete plants with a combined production capacity of over 2 million cubic metres of concrete per annum, 17 quarries that can produce in excess of 10 million tonnes per year, as well as six cement production facilities. This means that AfriSam can supply quality construction material in almost any region of the country. We also have the ability to increase our concrete production capacity in highgrowth regions.

Tell us about your research and development in the field of cement design and concrete durability characteristics. AfriSam has formulated a product called Roadstab Cement, designed to assist in the stabilisation of layer works. Roadstab acts by ameliorating

ABOVE AfriSam’s Roadstab Cement is formulated to assist in the stabilisation of road layer works TOP AfriSam High Strength Cement has been engineered to render a concrete with a dense matrix

local soils containing undesirable clays, enabling the use of these soils in the roadbuilding layer works. In the construction of bridges, durability of structures is of the utmost importance to prevent premature, costly repair work. AfriSam’s High Strength Cement has been engineered to render a concrete with a dense matrix, which is desirable in attaining the designed service life of such structures. AfriSam has

conducted much research into the durability characteristics of concrete. We are the leaders in durability index testing and have a detailed understanding of how constituent materials and site practices impact on the durability and performance of concrete. AfriSam’s CPE laboratories are set up to perform durability index testing – a service available to the construction industry on a commercial basis.

IMIESA February 2017

Roads & BRIDGES | Panel Discussion

Osborn Shane Beattie | Product Support Manager

What are the benefits of using recycled or reclaimed asphalt?

up, and conveyors capable of handling “slabby” material.

SB There are a number of benefits to using reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and fractionated reclaimed asphalt pavement (FRAP), including asphalt oil savings, aggregate stone savings, environmental friendliness, and easier road management. RAP holds many resources of high value, such as oil and sometimes scarce aggregate sizes, and it must be properly managed.

What product solutions does Osborn offer for crushing and screening?

What is the role of crushing and screening equipment in managing RAP? Crushing and screening equipment takes the product back to its original size without over-crushing or generating excess dust. It is important to have efficient equipment that is sized to match the job requirements and that is also capable of operating in the harsh environments associated with processing RAP, such as remote mounted radiators, pre-filtering gensets, minimising shelves for material to build

We offer many combinations of crushing and screening tools evolved from nearly 50 years in the asphalt industry with Astec. From these tools, we can offer systems to make from 10% to 100% RAP mixes. We provide all styles of crushers, from impactors to compression-style crushers. We also provide any style of screening equipment, from high-frequency to conventional screens – whether in a portable, stationar y or mobile application. To ensure efficiency when operating in a RAP application, we recommend the use of a horizontal shaft impact crusher paired with a highfrequency screen due to their ability to var y many operating parameters.

How should crushing and screening equipment be set up to allow optimum processing of RAP?

All RAP should be screened first prior to crushing. This takes advantage of the milling machine and the fines that have already been generated and removes them, before creating additional fines at the crusher.

Tell us about the concept of cold in-place recycling. Cold in-place recycling (CIR) is the future of road rehabilitation. The basic concept of CIR is to remove damaged layers, to process the removed material, and then to place and compact it to make the new structure. A new surface course can then be applied. CIR equipment makes it possible to repair damage to a roadway in one single pass, while reusing up to 100% of the existing material. Savings potentials are tremendous,

not only through the reuse of material, but also by reducing equipment requirements, and through time savings. CIR technology allows mix creation at the job site and provides considerable cost savings over traditional mill-and-fill. Osborn’s Roadtec recycling train – with cold planer, RT-500, paver, screen, crusher, pugmill and computerised metering of additives – can help achieve this.

Why should municipalities and roads authorities make use of RAP in their roads projects? As mentioned previously, RAP offers a number of benefits. Ultimately, it saves money and the environment, and when the old streets are milled down and recycled, the street levels stay the same, meaning manholes and curbs don’t need as much reworking.

IMIESA February 2017

Reliance Laboratory Equipment was established to offer our clients a full range of products for on-site and laboratory tests on bitumen, asphalt, aggregates, rock, soil, cement, concrete, mortar and steel for the construction and civil engineering industry.

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Asphalt Analysator PC SmarTracker

Xplorer 3500

The cellulose fibre products

for stabilisation of Stone Mastic Asphalt and Porous Asphalt.

Roads & BRIDGES | Panel Discussion

Reliance Laboratory Equipment Tim Saks | Managing Director How do your products aid in the construction of roads? TS Reliance offers a full range of products for on-site and laboratory tests on bitumen, asphalt, cement, concrete, aggregates, rock, soil, mortar, and steel for the construction and civil engineering industries. Using the latest technology, we offer testing that can be done quickly, with reliable results. Some of the products we supply include: • AutoRice: The AutoRice controller, by InstroTek, is a digital vacuum manometer that automatically controls, monitors and tunes the entire Rice Test operation. AutoRice will automatically start the vacuum pump, vibrating table and timer, set the vacuum pressure, as well as monitor pressure throughout the test. Adheres to ASTM D2041 and AASHTO T209. • CoreLok: This is an extremely versatile system for the measurement of bulk specific gravity and maximum specific gravity of asphalt. CoreLok also measures the apparent specific gravity, absorption,

and bulk specific gravity of fine and coarse aggregates. GravitySuite PC software can be used to calculate and manage the results. CoreLok does not require an empirical calibration and the results do not depend on material type or composition. Adheres to D6752-02, AASHTO T-331 and D6857-03. • CoreDry: CoreDry is designed to dry your field cores and laboratory-prepared specimens to constant mass in minutes. It never harms or changes sample characteristics. It not only reduces the drying time to minutes but, more importantly, reduces measurement discrepancies between agencies and contractors. CoreDry keeps core samples in perfect condition if retesting is required. Consistent and accurate dry weight is key in achieving precise densities in the lab and field. Adheres to ASTM D7227 & AASHTO R79. •A sphaltanalysator: The Asphaltanalysator is used for the extraction and determination of binder content in rubber-modified

bituminous mixtures in use with non-flammable solvents, such as trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene and dichloromethane. Extraction and distillation are controlled using Linux software. Ever y extraction step can be followed on the large, intuitive touch panel. Users are able to program and store their own test sequences to enable optimal extraction for ever y kind of asphalt mix. • SmarTracker: This is the most user-friendly wheeltracking system available today. SmarTracker measures resistance to rutting and moisture damage in asphalt mixtures. Results from this test help construction engineers and technicians to verify the integrity of asphalt mix designs, evaluate materials, and predict field performance. Adheres to AASHTO-T324.

The SmarTracker measures resistance to rutting and moisture damage in asphalt mixtures

Concerning R&D, what innovations do you bring to the roads construction industry? Our equipment is fundamental to the final approval of the materials being used in road construction processes. Professor Kim Jenkins and Mr RA Briedenhann from Stellenbosch University are testing the MiST (Moisture Induced Stress Tester), which is designed as a method for testing the moisture damage susceptibility of asphalt mixtures. The MiST is the latest innovation from InstroTek and, unlike current test methods, is designed to simulate the stripping mechanisms that occur in HMA pavement layers.

What specialties does your company bring to the discipline of road construction? To conquer the road, you need to master the asphalt! Reliance has a long-standing tradition of bringing customers the highest quality and most innovative products for the materials testing industry. This tradition is enhanced by our partnership with other international leaders in the testing industry: InstroTek (USA), Infratest (Germany) and Cooper Research Technology (UK), as the exclusive representative in South Africa. Reliance is proud to offer a complete product line and the highest level of customer care possible – before, during and after the sale.

IMIESA February 2017

Roads & BRIDGES | Panel Discussion

Much Asphalt Herman Marais | Director: Plant and Technical

As South Africa’s largest asphalt manufacturer, how is Much Asphalt remaining a step ahead in terms of product design and manufacture? HM We are entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that not only Much Asphalt but the industry as a whole stays abreast of the latest global asphalt and plant technology, and that world-best practice is implemented in South Africa.

How big a role does Much Asphalt play in the development of the Southern African asphalt sector? Involvement in industry bodies aimed at improving our asphalt quality and performance forms a key part of our business. This is also true for environmental compliance, as well as the updating and implementation of quality standards. We also evaluate new technologies on a continuous basis in our SANAS-

accredited central laboratory in Cape Town and our Gauteng regional laboratory. Viable products are then further evaluated in fullscale plant and paving trials. Good examples are the implementation of various warm-mix asphalt technologies and the French GB5 and EME base course technologies. More recently, we were also involved with the ‘Grey Water Study’ in Cape Town by BVi Consulting Engineers for the City of Cape Town and the Southern African Bitumen Association (Sabita).

There are changes afoot in the specifications for asphalt manufacture. Please explain the reasoning behind the new asphalt design manual. In South Africa, we have always used empirical test methods to design asphalt and, although we have a good understanding of the anticipated performance of the asphalt mixes, there was

a need to get a better handle on the performance properties of asphalt. This will assist design engineers to better understand the performance of asphalt layers in flexible pavements and provide appropriate designs.

What is the significance of the asphalt design manual to Much Asphalt? This manual lends itself to the worldwide move towards asphalt mixes that are evaluated for performance properties and certified as fit for purpose for certain traffic and climatic conditions. One of our biggest challenges is the approval of asphalt mix designs on new construction contracts. This could alleviate the problem we often face where requests are made to adjust the mix design to suit a particular engineer’s requirements, even though the submitted design has been proven on various other projects. The new manual calls for three different levels of asphalt

design relating to traffic class and speed. The lowest traffic level will require current test parameters to be met and will typically be business as usual. The two higher traffic classes call for more advanced performance-based testing such as dynamic modulus, wheeltracking and fatigue testing. The highest level involves more in-depth dynamic modulus and fatigue testing at different temperatures, developing master curves for both properties to assist engineers in their pavement designs for high-risk projects.

How is Much Asphalt preparing for these changes? One of the biggest challenges of implementing the new manual is the time it takes to complete the designs, particularly level three. We have, therefore, upgraded the capabilities of our central laboratory in Cape Town to perform all the new required tests.

GB5 trial on Solomon Mahlangu Drive in Durban

IMIESA February 2017

Roads & BRIDGES | Panel Discussion

The South African asphalt industry is quite dynamic and new innovations are rigorously tested and tried before full-scale implementation How does the new penetration grade testing of bitumen fit into the upgraded design specs? The new specification, which is running concurrently with the existing penetration grade specification, fits per fectly with the new asphalt design manual as the process starts with the binder selection, which is based on the traffic and climatic conditions.

What is Much Asphalt doing in this regard? We have been doing the penetration grade binder testing at our central laboratory for quite some time now and are also involved in “fingerprint” testing of our local binders for the BitSpec task group of the Road Pavement Forum, which will be used to evaluate our current specification at the end of the two-year parallel testing period. We have now also bought a second dynamic shear rheometer for our Gauteng laboratory, where we plan to do all such binder and asphalt testing in the near future.

There are several other initiatives in progress, including CSIR developments in binder modification, work on asphalt products that withstand grey-water damage, and initiatives to improve interest in asphalt technology at educational institutions.

How important are all these to the asphalt industry of the future?

What is the significance of the ‘Grey Water Study’ in Cape Town?

The South African asphalt industr y is quite dynamic and new innovations are rigorously tested and tried before full-scale implementation. It is important that we keep on developing our products to the benefit of our clients and our road infrastructure. Often, excellent new products are passed over, as there is no allowance in current specifications for such products. But the new asphalt design manual and the requirement for certified mixes potentially open the door to new products.

In the City of Cape Town, greywater damage to paved streets in the townships is a big problem and it is not always possible to keep grey water off the paved surface. BVi Engineers did research that was jointly funded by the City of Cape Town and Sabita using different mix types and modifiers to develop a more greywater-resistant asphalt mix. We were approached to compact samples for the research project and also developed a mix for the study. The asphalt mix that performed the best was a continuously graded fine mix with bitumen modified with EVA, Sasobit and ZycoTherm.

Starting with the CSIR inventions, what are these and what role is Much Asphalt playing in their testing and ultimate release to market? The CSIR has developed two ver y promising bitumen modification technologies and invited the industr y to present proposals to evaluate them. We are ver y excited that our proposals were successful for both technologies and we are finalising the evaluation process that will be followed. The technologies are a modified binder to meet the new penetration grade specifications and a product that can be used to bring overreacted bitumen rubber back into the specification.

Stellenbosch University launched a briquettemaking competition last year. What is the aim of this competition? The asphalt industry is not as appealing to engineering students as large civil engineering and construction projects, and very little marketing of the industry has been done at our tertiary educational institutions. This gap was identified by Andre Greyling of BVi Engineers, who approached Much Asphalt and Sabita to develop an asphalt briquette-making competition to trigger student interest in asphalt technology. Following two very successful competitions at Stellenbosch University, this

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Dynamic shear rheometer testing in Much Asphalt’s Central Laboratory in Cape Town Recycled asphalt is processed for reuse in new mixes at Much Asphalt Benoni Much Asphalt’s Benoni plant

will now be rolled out to other universities around the country. Much Asphalt co-funded the competition with BVi Engineers and will be actively involved in the further roll-out.

Much Asphalt has been involved in South African trials for the new GB5 product since 2014. Can you recap the benefits of this product and update progress? GB5 is a patented French highmodulus asphalt technology that is equivalent to EME in its performance characteristics. It utilises a specially designed aggregate grading with stoneon-stone contact, which gives exceptional stiffness and deformation resistance, and an SBS-modified binder that provides excellent fatigue properties. Since the first comprehensive trial on the very highly trafficked Solomon Mahlangu Drive in Durban, we have done two more on the N2 and N3 freeways near Durban. All the trials are performing well and we are in the process of getting Agrément certification in advance of full-scale implementation of the technology.

www.muchasphalt.com

IMIESA February 2017

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Roads & Bridges

Road demo showcases leading technology Class-leading machines, sold and maintained by Bell Equipment, played a prominent role in a demonstration of new roadbuilding techniques at an event held in Gauteng towards the end of 2016.

The Kwa Mhlanga Group has found the Bell L1806E wheeled loader, fitted with a 3.3 m3 bucket, to be the ideal tool to load roadbuilding aggregates into the Rapidmix 400’s feed hopper

t the event, the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport and the Council for Scientific Industrial Research jointly held a workshop on the deployment of nanotechnologies in roadbuilding materials, where several prominent speakers and academics presented papers. During the demonstration, an innovative approach to roadbuilding was shown to the delegates by the Johannesburg-based Kwa Mhlanga Group. “We are the proud owners of a Rapidmix 400 aggregate batching plant, the first one of its kind in South Africa,” says Francois Bakkes, operations director, Kwa Mhlanga. “We load roadbuilding aggregates into the machine using a Bell L1806E wheeled loader, which – with its 3.3 m3 bucket – is the ideal loading tool for the Rapidmix 400’s feed hopper.” “The aggregate we produce is trucked to a Bomag BF800P paver, which spreads it on to the desired width of roadway being constructed and this base material is then compacted using a Bomag BW219D smooth drum roller.”

Aggregate is trucked to Kwa Mhlanga Group's Bomag BF800P paver, which spreads it onto the desired width of roadway being constructed. A Bomag BW219D smooth drum roller then compacts the base material

2 000 tonnes per shift With the aggregate batching plant and the Bomag BF800P paver working in tandem, the Kwa Mhlanga Group can now lay 2 000 tonnes of base material in one shift, which is revolutionary compared to what is currently the norm in South Africa. “We’ve found that our fleet of Bell road construction machines definitely adds value. The advantage that this new and innovative equipment gives us in this highly competitive market leads us to believe that, soon, most new roads will be constructed in this manner,” Bakkes says. Interest in the demonstration was keen, with over 100 delegates in attendance drawn from the consulting, design and roads construction industries.

With the aggregate batching plant and the Bomag BF800P paver working in tandem, the Kwa Mhlanga Group can now lay 2 000 tonnes of base material in one shift

IMIESA February 2017

Geotechnical Engineering

Safely secured with concrete Variable geology and sloping land presented an exceptional set of challenges in the construction of two large concrete retaining block (CRB) walls at Tunney Ext 12 in Germiston.

he CRB walls formed essential components in securing a bulk-fill terrace and a large post-tensioned concrete surface bed. The surface bed supports a warehouse and distribution centre built for earth-moving-equipment giant Komatsu. Aveng Infraset’s RidgeBloks were used for the construction of the CRB walls, which were specified by the project developer, Investec Property, and designed by Verdi Consulting Engineers (Verdicon) in collaboration with international consulting giant Hatch. Local earthworks contractor Power Construction was engaged for the civil work and Valcal International constructed the retaining walls. The lower wall, 450 m long and topping 13 m, was built to face off and secure the bulk-fill terrace above, maximising the space available for development. The upper wall, 436 m long and 15 m high, stabilises the embankment that rises above the building platform. It was a cut-and-fill operation that involved the blasting and excavation of large quantities of rock. “In addition to creating additional usable space, the advantage of CRB walls is their modularity, which makes them sufficiently flexible to accommodate ground movement while retaining structural integrity,” says Trevor Green, MD, Verdicon. “By contrast, it takes only minimal movement for reinforced concrete or brick walls to crack, while an equivalent wall inreinforced concrete is typically several timesmore costly. We specified Aveng Infraset’s RidgeBloks for the Tunney project primarily because they are solid, unlike most other blocks on the

TOP LEFT A portion of the completed wall in-fill LEFT The partially completed 15 m wall-in-cut

IMIESA February 2017

market, which are hollow, and their interlocking design prevents them from sliding, a distinct advantage,” he adds. “Since both walls exceed a height of 10 m, they were constructed in a closed-face configuration for the first 3 m to 5 m and in openface thereafter,” Green explains.The lower retaining wall was built after the earthen terrace had been constructed. Power Construction battered the bulk earthworks platform at 45 degrees, while the lower wall was built at an angle of 70 degrees. During its construction, Valcal International benched the embankment to avoid the creation of a preferential failure plane. In addition, Verdicon specified geosynthetic reinforcing at a ratio of 70% to wall height, which was installed at every third layer of RidgeBloks. The cut wall section consists mainly of rock from several different geologies and is topped by approximately 2 m of soil. Although global instability was not an issue, numerous wedges (jointing) in the rock face meant that over time pieces of rock would dislodge and fall. Rock bolts and mesh could have been used to secure the upper wall but Verdicon opted for the CRB option. Besides costing slightly less, it avoids the ongoing maintenance issues the former option would have entailed. This wall was built at an angle of 75 degrees using a minimum of 1 m geofabric and stabilised fill compacted at 150 mm layers. Above the rock, a more traditional geogrid installation of 50% to 60% wall height was applied. According to Brennan Small, sales manager: Landscape Products, Aveng Infraset, the scope and scale of this project made it one of the more remarkable examples of the versatility, structural integrity and costeffectiveness of the RidgeBloks.

Geotechnical Engineering

Combating water ingress

Subsoil drains being installed on the Van Dyksdrift Road between Witbank and Middelburg

For all structures, implementing effective drainage systems is critical to ensuring their longer-term integrity, which is where geotextiles play an essential role.

y progressively degrading its bearing strength over time, increasing water ingress eventually resulted in the failure of the Van Dyksdrift Road between Witbank and Middelburg in Mpumalanga. Extensive reconstruction was subsequently required, with bidim selected as the geotechnical intervention. This decision followed the excavation of trial pits at regular intervals along the route, especially in cuttings and low-lying areas. Although subsoil drains are usually installed at depths of between 400 mm and 500 mm, to eliminate the risk of any moisture entering the new layerworks, deeper drains were specified by Endecon Ubuntu Engineering Consultants to solve the drainage problem and provide a lasting solution. The geotextile requirements for a subsoil drain include construction survivability, good filtration behaviour, drainage capacity, flexibility, strength and durability. The contractor, Edwin Construction, excavated the new trenches to depths of between 800 mm and 1000 mm. Measuring approximately 400 mm in width, they were then lined with bidim A4 overlaid by 100 mm slotted pipes, with 19 mm stone used as the drainage medium topped by a further bidim A4 layer to complete the drainage structure. In total, 15 900 m2 of bidim was installed, supplied and manufactured by Kaytech.

Bidim is a nonwoven, continuous-filament, needle-punched geotextile, manufactured from 100% recycled polyester, which has distinct advantages over other man-made fibres. These include better modulus of deformation, better plastic yield stability and higher breaking strength. When incorporated into a subsoil drain, bidim performs the functions of filtration, drainage and separation: fine soil particles are prevented from entering the drain, while water passes through, thus reducing the phreatic surface in the surrounding soil.

Underground basement challenge Naturally, as excavations get deeper, the risk of groundwater intrusion increases significantly, which proved to be the case during

Loftus Versveld stadium underground parking garage: bidim lines the subsoil drains

The proposed solution on the Loftus Versveld project was to install a blanket drain consisting of two different grades of bidim geotextile in conjunction with multiple, deep subsoil drains using Flo-Pipe

IMIESA February 2017

Geotechnical Engineering

the recent construction of a new underground parking facility for Pretoria’s Loftus Versveld stadium. Designed to accommodate around 1 600 vehicles, the basement parking is constructed on three levels and covers a total area of 30 000 m2. Upon inspection of the site, the consultants, Aurecon, discovered an excessively high groundwater table that required effective drainage. The proposed solution was to install a blanket drain consisting of two different grades of bidim geotextile in conjunction with multiple, deep subsoil drains using Flo-Pipe, all supplied by Kaytech. A-grade bidim is manufactured at Kaytech’s ISO 9001-registered production facility in Atlantis, Cape Town, where high-grade polyester from discarded plastic soft drink bottles is converted into eco-friendly polyester geotextiles that meet the most stringent civil engineering and industrial specifications. “For this project alone, where over 40 000 m2 of bidim was installed, approximately 112 000 PET soft drink bottles were

processed,” explains Danie Herbst, Kaytech’s technical consultant for the project. Installed by Pentagon Civils, the drainage system design comprised a sub-base layer of G7 natural gravel compacted to 93% Modified AASHTO density, into which trapezoidal trenches were excavated at a set spacing. This prepared area was subsequently lined with 35 000 m2 of bidim A3 to act as a filter separator to the overlying 150 mm drainage layer of 19 mm washed stone aggregate. FloPipe was bedded into the stone in the excavated trenches to collect and conduit any groundwater. The drainage layer was then covered with a DPM slipsheet onto which a 125 mm sur face bed was laid. Kaytech’s Flo-Pipe, manufactured from the highest-quality HDPE, is optimally slotted to provide maximum infiltration with minimal blockage. The smooth inner wall

ensures high flow velocity, while the corrugated outer wall is capable of withstanding massive confining pressures. “The twin wall sandwich design of Flo-Pipe provides strength and flexibility, which, combined with its convenient length and lightweight construction, greatly facilitates transpor tation and installation,” Herbst adds. Each subsoil drain was subsequently covered with a slipsheet and a 125 mm surface bed separated by a layer of bidim A2 (5 400 m2 in total). Experiments have shown that up to 50% less fill material is required when using bidim as a separation layer. Compared to using the conventional method of installing huge layers of rock for drainage, the quick and easy installation of bidim has passed on substantial cost savings and a floodfree basement.

Experiments have shown that up to 50% less fill material is required when using bidim as a separation layer

Geotechnical Engineering

Protecting the slope

howcasing excellence in geotechnical engineering, an impressive retaining wall structure constructed on the R75 on-ramp in Uitenhage now ensures effective slope protection while maintaining the integrity of key powerline installations. These pylons supply large areas of the town, including its extensive automotive manufacturing industry. “Sloughing or erosion problems began in the mid-1980s, mainly due to a lack of maintenance. This, in turn, allowed moisture to seep into the slope,” explains Michelle Ah Shene of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), which commissioned the rehabilitation project. The R75 was declared a national route in 2011. During October 2012, the problem was exacerbated by extensive slope

landmass movements triggered by heavy rains. The rains created a 50 m wide, 300 m long slip along the R75 on-ramp. This resulted in the movement of soil to the lower parts of the slope along the failure zone, increasing the risk of a potential power outage. The scope of works entailed 112 000 m³ of earthworks excavation and the installation of 5 700 m³ of gabions in three continuous walls. The project also included the construction of an earthen bank at the summit to prevent overland flow down the cut face. Sanral met and overcame two challenges. The first: managing excavation works beneath the southern pylon. When fully excavated, this pylon has an approximate height of 10 m, so safety measures needed to be put in place.

“When it had been par tly excavated some 6 m to 7 m, it was prudent to install a system of temporar y grouted soil nails, plus geotextile and steel mesh, to prevent the slope from collapsing,” Ah Shene expands. Second, when opening up the face of the cut slope, a geological fault was exposed, with considerable amounts of groundwater seepage evident. Sanral authorised additional stabilisation works in the form of gabions, soil nails, slope rehabilitation measures (topsoiling and grassing), plus trapezoidal drains. The project created 216 employment opportunities for 13 SMMEs over a 15-month contract period. SMME training in tendering and pricing; safety, health and environment aspects; concrete skills, and first aid were also provided.

The recently completed retaining wall was constructed at a cost of around R80 million. In addition to stabilising the route, the wall maintains the integrity of power line pylons supplying electricity to Uitenhage

IMIESA February 2017

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Vehicles & Equipment

Trucking done right With clients acutely aware of every cost, especially in the current period of drought, it is important to maintain an effective logistics model.

akobus de Wet of Westfer t Logistics is intensely aware of this fact. The company, situated in the heartland of the Free State maizegrowing belt, produces and distributes fertiliser to clients within a 350 km deliver y radius. Utilising a fleet of FAW 28.380FT trucks, Westfert Logistics runs a remarkably lowcost and reliable operation, and has developed a loyal customer base.

Tailored to spec At present, the company runs five FAW 28.380FT trucks with tri-axle trailers, which can perform fully loaded drops in as little as 50 minutes. These specialised trailers are built to spec to meet Westfert’s unique requirements. Managed by sophisticated computer programes, orders are deposited into special bins placed on the trailers. The trailer, dubbed the fertiliser tender trailer, is designed to release all the bins simultaneously within minutes, or separately, if loads are for different clients at other destinations. In eliminating the need for forklifts, the full 40 tonne payload can be optimised and turnaround time minimised. This custom trailer can also be equipped with chutes for direct loading into a farmer’s in-field equipment. “Our best fuel consumption – across the fleet of five trucks,

based on my calculations of seven full 34 tonne loads delivered in a one-day cycle, compared to our previous fleet doing the same job cycle – sees a saving of 31% on fuel alone,” says De Wet.

Top trucking performance Hannes, one of Westfert’s drivers, relates his experience with the FAW 28.380FT: “It’s easy to steer and controls well. With the simple manual gearbox, I keep around 90 km/h on the stretches, usually in gear seven and eight, which give me the best road holding and smooth driving combination.” De Wet adds: “These FAW 28.380FTs are so good – affordable, good per formance, exceptionally low cost of operation and truly rugged enough to deal with the potholed roads in the region. No difficult or over-complicated electronics, simple and easy.” Running a “drive and stop” operation means a truck will last Westfert 14 to 15 years before replacement is needed, but De Wet has big plans in mind. “Perhaps we can look to a fleet of 50 trucks running these challenging roads and fields in the next few years,” he smiles.

IMIESA February 2017

Vehicles & Equipment

Leading the compact line

By Alastair Currie

hich earthmoving brand can claim a 175-year lineage that continues to expand globally and locally in 2017? The answer is Case Construction, an American original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that entered the field back in 1842 with the establishment of the Racine Threshing Machine Works in Racine, Wisconsin. The evolution has been ongoing and today Case Construction, which forms part of the multinational CNH Industrial group, is a recognised leader in the global infrastructure environment. Locally, Case is represented by CSE Equipment Company. The South African dealer is headed up by Ross Collard, who was recently appointed as the divisional managing director. “Case has been in the South African market for more than 50 years and has historically been well represented in the construction, industrial and agricultural segments,”

IMIESA February 2017

says Collard. “Our current goal is to expand in all these niches, especially in the light and heavy construction classes where we have a comprehensive equipment line-up that has proven itself worldwide.” CSE’s Case line-up comprises 12 t, 17 t and 24 t wheel loaders (namely the 621F, 821F and 1021F models), 20 t, 24.5 t and 30 t hydraulic excavators (the CX210B, CX240B and CX290B), backhoe loaders (all with side-shift configuration), skid steers, and motor graders. “Our Case 885 motor grader is a 17 t unit equipped with a 14 foot blade, making it ideal for both new road construction and maintenance,” says Collard. At the head of the backhoe range is the 695 ST, which features equal-size tyres and a four-in-one extendible boom. Other units include the 580T premium model, and the entry-level 570T. Gross engine outputs for the three models are 64 kW, 72 kW and 82 kW, respectively. Case

ABOVE LEFT The Case 885B VHP motor grader has unmatched groundbreaking power ABOVE RIGHT Ross Collard, divisional managing director, CSE Equipment

skid-steer loaders, available here in five derivatives and equipped with optional high-flow hydraulic systems, have always been popular. Rated operating capacities (at 50% load) start at 590 kg for the SR130 unit and 1 135 kg at the other end of the scale for the SR250 unit. “Skid steers are among the most popular utility machines in both the public and private sector market. Within the municipal space, we’ve noted a rising demand and are now actively tendering in this segment, alongside our other product offerings, especially the 885 grader, which is ideal for South Africa’s roads departments.”

Vehicles & Equipment

Building your capital equipment fleet With capital equipment fleets forming the largest part of some companies’ budgets, careful consideration of a number of key criteria must be taken into account when it comes to establishing or replenishing a fleet.

he key to building a strong fleet lies in making decisions based on performance and reliability rather than on a single-brand mentality, or purely a price consideration,” says Desmond van Heerden of ELB Equipment. Rather than putting all their eggs in one basket, fleet owners should practise bestof-breed procurement where the offerings of specialist manufacturers are purposefully weighed into the decision. Some of the world’s highest-rated plant equipment is manufactured by specialist manufacturers who concentrate their efforts on producing worldbeating machines of a certain type, such as excavators, wheel loaders, roadbuilding equipment and crushers. “With their entire reputation and livelihood invested in a single product type, original equipment manufacturers of well-known brands have proven to be masters of their trade by continuously working on perfecting their offerings,” says Van Heerden. According to Van Heerden, fleet owners who want to simplify their purchasing through a single supplier can do so by procuring from an established best-of-breed distributor, such as ELB Equipment.

Choose right Van Heerden says the top 10 key criteria that fleet owners should measure relate to: 1 Finding a machine that is fit for purpose 2 Best available performance in terms of throughput, etc.

3 4

uperior quality of design and manufacture S Professional and trustworthy service from the dealer 5 Proven record of support for parts availability and services from the supplier 6 Machine must be cost-effective and easy to maintain 7 It should offer the lowest possible cost per tonne of material handled (overall cost) 8 The machine must have a proven track record 9 It should have a high book value on the used equipment market 10 The high price of fuel warrants that it should be fuel efficient. Provided the supplier can satisfy all or most of these requirements, the buyer is on the right track to finding a suitable machine. “It simply does not pay to compromise in any of these departments purely to remain loyal to

TOP Sumitomo excavators have won numerous international awards for quality, good design and lowest fuel consumption ABOVE Kawasaki wheel loaders are among the toughest in the world

a brand. Also, never let cost price be your guiding light as one usually gets what one pays for. “Rather identify your top choices and research what the overall cost of ownership will be in terms of uptime and availability, parts prices, fuel consumption and aftermarket services. Then take the time to get to know the people you are dealing with to see if they are easy to deal with and whether they share your goals and business ethics. If so, you have found the perfect match for your fleet and can let them strategically align themselves with your business to reach new heights,” concludes Van Heerden.

IMIESA February 2017

Vehicles & Equipment

Driving growth This year is expected to be another difficult one for the South African commercial vehicle market, which ended 2016 at a fiveyear low. But there is some good news. By Danielle Petterson

lthough the market is expected to remain relatively flat in 2017, a minimal growth of roughly 3% is expected. This is according to a market analysis presented by Ror y Schulz, marketing director, UD Trucks Southern Africa. According to the latest results published by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), the total 2016 truck sales market declined by 11% on 2015, marking a second successive year of negative growth. Busses were the only segment that ended 2016 in the green, with a yearon-year growth of 14%. Sales in all other segments saw a decrease, with the light

commercial vehicle market being the hardest hit. With only 28 144 units sold overall in 2016, this is the lowest local sales total for commercial vehicles in five years. Schulz largely attributes this poor per formance to a slow economy, a lack of business confidence and struggling commodity prices. However, a GDP growth of 1.5% is expected in 2017 and fixed investment is expected to grow to around 2.2%. Commodity prices are expected to improve and the recent strength of the rand is expected to help ease inflationar y pressures. Rory Schulz, marketing director, UD Trucks Southern Africa

On the negative side, political tensions and persistent risk of credit rating downgrade are likely to weigh down on business confidence. Alongside this, an expected increase in taxes is expected to erode real purchasing power.

Growth in East Africa Although little growth is expected in the South African economy, East Africa possesses the potential for huge growth. According to Schulz, growth of 75.3% in the trucking sector is expected in Kenya, while growth in excess of 10% is expected in Uganda. For this reason, UD Trucks will be targeting East Africa in the coming year, par ticularly Kenya. “Kenya has been identified as our next priority market so our plans to improve operations are well advanced with our new par tner,” said Gert Swanepoel, acting vice-president, UD Trucks Southern Africa. UD Trucks plans to build a KD-assembly (Knock-Down units) facility in Kenya to address the growing need for trucks in the region which boasts some of the strongest growing economies in the world.

Kick-starting the SA economy “While most countries in the region are rapidly building infrastructure to meet the demands of a growing population, South

IMIESA February 2017

Vehicles & Equipment

Africa is lagging behind,” said Schulz. “As a countr y, we have vast expertise but, for instance, only 7% of construction in the region is done by South African companies, while 32% of contracts are awarded to Chinese entities. There are clearly more opportunities to be seized by South Africa to grow our local economy,” he said. Schulz believes an ambitious regional strategy is required and must be driven by government and business leaders. A consolidated road freight industr y is also needed to drive reform and advancement in the sector, as well as in the larger economy. “Trucks touch ever y facet of society and are a key driver of economic development, from construction to long-haul transpor t of commodities, cold chain logistics and utilities. Businesses, therefore, have to

Domestic sales down

11.3%

11%

decrease on 2015

Table 1 South African truck market performance in 2016

Table 2 2017 forecast for the South African truck market

Segment

2016

Segment

2017 forecast

Growth

LDT

8 645

LDT

8 700

0.6%

MDT

5 589

MDT

5 868

5.0%

HDT

12 583

HDT

13 023

3.5%

Bus

1 327

Bus

1 407

6.0%

Total

28 144

Total

28 998

3.0%

be enabled by government to succeed through a balance of regulations and costs of operations,” explained Schulz. There is no off-the-shelf solution to road transpor t ser vices reform. The objectives for reform should be clear and enforcement is fundamental to success, concluded Schulz.

Exports down

1.9%

Bus segment grew

2016 in a nutshell • 28 144 units sold • 11% decrease on 2015 • Domestic sales down 11.3% • Exports down 1.9% • Bus segment grew 8.2% • LDT segment declined 18% • MDT segment declined 4.2% • HDT segment declined 10.1%

8.2%

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Volvo Buses

www.volvobuses.co.za

Going for Great

Public Transport

Volvo buses for

Southern African markets Spearheading the sub-Saharan drive, Volvo Bus South Africa is expanding its niche in the bus rapid transport, town, city and rural commuter market; the private sector for personnel transport; and the coach and city-to-city coach segment. By Alastair Currie

lobally, Volvo Bus has three solutions for the public transport market, namely conventional diesel, hybrid or pure electric solutions. As Marius Botha, head of Volvo Bus South Africa, explains, market acceptance and applications differ, depending on the developed or developing world context, with the South African market predominately led by diesel power, but exploring other options. Sweden, where this original manufacturer is based, serves as a working example of the success of Volvo Bus’s electrification proposition, with vehicles operating in key cities. This is an advanced solution, which entails complex bus station infrastructure: at each stopping point, an overhead capacitor connects, assesses and, where required, tops up the driveline battery current.

Throughout major European cities, electric buses are being widely adopted by municipal public transport bodies. For the rest of the globe, their application has yet to be taken up. Hybrid options are viable: they are already well established in Australia and key Latin American countries that include Brazil, Columbia and Chile, within a region widely acknowledged as the pioneer of the bus rapid transit (BRT) system. So there are very successful developed and developing national examples. Volvo’s hybrid bus power delivery is made up of two core elements: the battery and the mechanical (diesel) component. These batteries are expensive, so operation and maintenance is a key factor in terms of their lifetime performance, and so too is practical, daily

A Volvo electric-drive bus in operation in Sweden, travelling directly into a public library: overhead capacitors at bus stops assess battery life and charge when required along the designated route

utilisation. As the driver brakes or applies the retarder while travelling on a designated commuter route, this generates electricity back to the battery cells. The more frequently the battery is charged, the better it performs. “Your charge rate has to be higher than your recharge rate,” Botha explains. Compared to pure diesel power, bus operators can gain a 20% fuel saving. “Apply that over a fleet of say 50 units over a year and that translates into a substantial return on investment.” For Africa, at present, conventional diesel power plants remain the overriding choice

IMIESA February 2017

Public Transport

World’s largest bus chassis

In November 2016, Volvo unveiled the world’s largest bus chassis at the FetransRio exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The new bi-articulated chassis, the Gran Artic 300, measures 30 m in length and can carry up to 300 passengers. The solution is purpose-designed for BRT systems worldwide. Also unveiled in Rio was a new 22 m articulated chassis, the Super Artic 210, which is designed to carry 210 passengers and is equipped with five doors. Remarkably, the vehicle is built on only three axles. These high-capacity buses reduce the number of vehicles operating within BRT corridors, leading to an increased average speed as well as reduced emissions. Volvo is a pioneer in the development of vehicles for BRT systems and is recognised as the market leader. To date, the company has delivered more than 4 000 buses to the BRT systems of Curitiba, Bogotá, Guatemala City, Mexico City, Santiago de Chile and San Salvador. South Africa is an evolving frontier. for both public and private bus operators, although some South African cities are starting to experiment with CNG hybrids. Within the sub-Saharan region, Volvo Bus concentrates on the right-hand drive market, with the main sales volumes currently achieved in South Africa, where, in recent years, the total market potential has averaged around 1 200 units.

Rear-engine leader: coach, commuter & BRT Volvo

Bus fields rear-engine

models across its product range for the African market, in line with key global trends, with the South African line-up comprising the entry-level B7R, which is powered by a Volvo 7 litre engine, either in Euro 3 or Euro 5 specification.The same Euro 3 or Euro 5 option is available for higher capacity engines. The B7R can be used very widely – as a city commuter bus, intercity, BRT, coach or staff transporter. The chassis set-up is dependent on the ultimate configuration. In all these areas, Volvo has achieved progressive orders to date and, within the BRT market, has units operating in Nelson Mandela Bay, the City of Cape Town, and the City of Tshwane, with active tendering ongoing for other BRT systems that currently include the City of Rustenburg. Depending on the city’s BRT infrastructure design, Volvo buses can be built with either raised or lowfloor platforms. “A wide range of municipal bus companies in South Africa use this model extensively, and it’s also very popular in the mining, construction and allied industrial sectors as a staff transporter,” says Botha. Typically, units are designed to accommodate 65 seated passengers, plus 10 to 15 standing.

B9R and 9400 After the B7R, the next Volvo segment is the B9R 6 x 2 (powered by a 9 litre engine). This unit has a bigger chassis and is designed to carry a larger number of passengers. The bus is available in two variants – an 81-seat commuter or a coach spec – and is imported from Volvo India as a complete unit, unlike A BRT route in Brazil

IMIESA February 2017

A Volvo B7R commuter bus specified for the Angolan market

the B7R, where the locally supplied chassis is custom-built to local requirements by specialist bodybuilders. The next class up is Volvo’s 9400 semiluxury coach, also driven by a 9 litre diesel power plant. The 9400 is available with 65 seats with a rear toilet, or 51 seats, with mid-toilet and two doors. Then there’s the B11R (with its 11 litre power delivery), which caters for the luxury coach segment, either in single- or double-deck configuration (the latter being shipped in as a complete unit from Volvo Brazil). “Going into 2017, Volvo Bus will continue to build on its niche markets and investigate new ones,” adds Botha. “We lead in the South African luxury and city-to-city coach segment and we’re gaining ground across our other product classes, influenced strongly by Volvo’s ongoing research and development programmes and day-to-day utilisation studies in conjunction with customers worldwide. “Volvo is a brand that has an undisputed reputation for safety, and that’s non-negotiable, especially when it comes to passenger transport. For operators, life-cycle costing is equally important and here Volvo continues to break its own performance records. The best, so far, is an engine life of 3 500 000 km on the same driveline for a long-haul unit. Remarkable, but then so too is the fact that, every year in South Africa, Volvo inter-city buses routinely clock 500 000 km. That’s where Volvo’s reputation for durability makes all the difference when it comes to ensuring profitable life-cycle cost.”

Volvo Buses www.volvobuses.co.za

FLEET MANAGEMENT

Joburg’s fleets deliver Fleet management is the driving force for the safe and efficient running of municipal ser vices and infrastructure. The City of Johannesburg is showing the way using an innovative mix of conventional and hybrid solutions. By Alastair Currie

imply put, transport is an economic enabler, whether in the public or private sector environment, and within the road segment fleet acquisition and management are the tools needed to get the job done. For the City of Johannesburg, which manages a commercial fleet exceeding 4 500 units, this is a daily reality as the metro meets its 24/7 mandate, ranging from public transport via Metrobus to engineering delivery and the protection services provided by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department. “Without a comprehensive fleet, the city would come to a standstill since its role supports service delivery and infrastructure development,” points out Thando Maebela, fleet director for the city. “Consider this: the

fleet budget in many organisations is either the largest or second largest expenditure item after human resources. That’s why it’s so important to manage fleets optimally. However, in many organisations it remains a neglected area.” The city’s Corporate and Shared Services Department has the overall responsibility to enable, regulate and oversee fleet procurement and management. “The emphasis is on ensuring that the vehicles acquired meet the functional requirements, as well as the city’s sustainability objectives, considering that operating costs, especially fuel costs, are escalating factors that need to be contained wherever possible.” The complexity comes in when one considers the specialist nature of certain vehicles, examples including the fleet requirements

for city entities like the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), Johannesburg Water, City Power, and Pikitup (the latter being responsible for refuse collection and landfill management). In addition to the standard passenger and commercial fleet requirements, a number of these entities require earthmoving and industry-specific construction equipment, ranging from asphalt plants to landfill compactors. “Corporate and Shared Services works with these entities, in terms of planning and budget, to ensure that mechanisation meets downstream engineering requirements.” In terms of its risk management strategy, the city either buys or leases, depending on the downstream benefit and utility. Passenger vehicles, for example, are ideal candidates from a leasing perspective,

IMIESA February 2017

FLEET MANAGEMENT

ABOVE One of the City of Johannesburg’s Gone Green vehicles

since they don’t require any post-purchase modification. “However, we purchase all our specialised vehicles, examples include our Pikitup refuse trucks. We are also focusing on the outright acquisition of earthmoving plant.” Currently, the specialised component makes up around 35% of the city’s fleet in terms of numbers. Pikitup, for example, has an approximately 300-unit earthmoving fleet requirement. “Here, we need to evaluate the merits of plant hire versus acquisition. Some elements can be outsourced on the waste management side of the business.”

Benchmark comparisons In 2014, the City of Johannesburg studied key municipal aspects of the City of New York to do a benchmark comparison, which included landfill management. “In the USA, there’s a major emphasis on reducing waste streams via initiatives that include minimisation and recycling, which significantly lower the volumes

going to landfill. That also means they tend to need fewer and smaller vehicles. As a city, we are pursuing the ‘zero waste to landfill’ model, but South African households and industr y as a whole still need to embrace this more proactively.” Sustainability remains the overriding goal and the city is leading the way with its Gone Green initiative. This dates back to 2013 when Johannesburg decided to embrace the opportunities presented by the availability of compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel alternatives. The target is to have 35% of the city’s passenger and commercial vehicles running on CNG, plus 15% on hybrid-electric platforms by 2018. Gas-powered buses, biofuels, and biogas alternatives from landfill waste are being considered for roll-out at a later stage.

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The approaches that the city introduces take into account the needs of the economy and society, a prime example being the Corridors of Freedom initiative, which forms part of the Joburg 2040 Growth Development Strategy, which, in turn, has a key emphasis on transport-orientated development. According to the City of Johannesburg, “The Corridors of Freedom aims to transform historically entrenched settlement patterns, whereby the majority of residents (necessar y economic participants) were shunted to outskirts of the city, away from economic opportunities and access to jobs and growth.” Transport mechanisms like the bus rapid transit system will interlink with new mix-use developments that enable all citizens of the city, from all groups and income levels, to live and work together. Integration is essential, but so too are alternative modes of mobility that reduce the reliance on public transport. For example, the city plans to construct more bicycle lanes and walkways, promoting a healthy lifestyle. ‘Mobility translates through to the engineering requirements and the city has a multiyear fleet strategy in place to meet government’s broader National Development Plan goals. As fleet managers, we have a responsibility to enable efficient ser vice deliver y and to ensure that municipal expenditure on fleet is optimised towards the achievement of developmental goals of the city, the region and countr y.”

FLEET MANAGEMENT

Jamming, monitoring and tracking perfected Tracking a "dot on the screen" was a starting point for modern-day fleet management, but it’s gone way beyond that, with sophisticated systems now providing near real-time and automated business intelligence, as Pulsit Electronics explains. By Alastair Currie

ime and cost have become priority when it comes to fleet deliveries, with driver behaviour and fuel consumption monitoring being key factors to consider, coupled with the need to protect vehicle assets and the loads they carry. For all industries, health, safety and environmental compliance are inclusive business imperatives. A leader in providing these and other solutions is South African-based fleet management specialist Pulsit Electronics. The emphasis is on passing on operational efficiencies so that fleet managers have constant access to vital data,

which includes mobile devices with push notification messaging for immediate intervention requirements, like unusual delays at loading and dispatch points. Vehicle misuses, like over-speeding and excessive fuel consumption, are common monitoring requirements. Hijack and GIT loss prevention is another such one. At present, approximately 60% of Pulsit’s clients are in South Africa, the balance being in the cross-border markets with offices in Zambia and Malawi and representation in Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

“We have been in business for more than 15 years and have achieved great success in the prevention of GIT losses within Southern Africa.”

Fleet management clients are represented across the industry supply chain, from FMCG to construction and mining, manufacturing, city-to-city logistics and cold chain, with a sustained penetration into the public sector market. Each fleet requirement differs depending on the application and sector. For example, Pulsit monitors a fleet of around 2 000 trucks transporting ore from the DRC down to the Port of Durban. They also monitor a fleet of around 1 500 fuel tankers for various bulk fuel carriers in South Africa.

Risk mitigating solutions Pulsit has received local and international acclaim for its proprietary jamming mitigation and software systems, all of which have been developed in-house. As Pulsit points out, one has to look at the total exposure of the transporter, which should include solutions that not only provide for sufficient fleet management

IMIESA February 2017

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FLEET MANAGEMENT

but also proactively aid in the protection of their brand and reputation. Designed to safely disable a stolen consignment, Pulsit’s risk mitigation system is unique and approved by leading original equipment manufacturers. To date, Pulsit has foiled more than 200 hijacking attempts and, in the process, prevented close to R1 billion in goods in transit (GIT) losses. Comments Mike Fourie, CEO, Pulsit Electronics, “We have been in the business for more that 15 years and have achieved a 100% recovery in the GIT segment within Southern Africa.” In the hijacking context, Pulsit’s solution counters the latest industry threat, namely the use of jammers by hijacking syndicates to disrupt all forms of communication and visibility tracking (whether via GPRS, satellite or RF-based systems). The Pulsit risk solution is a proactive one and does not rely on any human intervention to detect and mitigate losses. Once activated, Pulsit’s system simultaneously protects the vehicle and its valuable cargo against losses where tracking devices are being removed and/or tampered with. Pulsit has a 24/7 call centre that monitors predefined, high-risk events and assists by deploying specially trained ground and air recovery teams. Since the successful introduction of the system more than two years ago, Pulsit has received widespread recognition as the leader in jamming and risk-mitigation technology. This acknowledgement comes from major GIT owners, freight forwarders, the insurance sector, as well as TAPA (the Transport and Asset Protection Association).

Autopilot The overall emphasis is on proactive inter ventions. As Van Wyk points out, fleet management has traditionally been too reactive. “We keep moving with the technology. Cer tainly, automated repor ting is passing on major productivity improvements. In fact, in our virtual operating environment, "autopilot" mode is possible once you’ve established the client’s key per formance indicators so that fleet,

“Even if the fleet is running at 90% efficiency, the other 10% could be contributing to unnecessary losses.”

dispatch, warehouse, ser vice and HR managers and executive personnel all have a live dashboard for analysis and decisionmaking. Even if the fleet is running at 90% efficiency, it’s the other 10% that could be contributing to unnecessar y losses.” By applying Pulsit’s advanced systems, the company is able to pass on quantifiable savings, maintaining or potentially reducing current fleet sizes, while significantly improving productivity. For one of its readymix concrete clients, for example, this translated into more effective just-intime project management and a measureable improvement in turnover and bottomline per formance.

Tower crane monitoring “Risk mitigation is a central focus in the field of fleet management and Pulsit prides itself on customising software solutions for every client, irrespective of their size,” says Gerrie van Wyk, sales manager, Pulsit. A niche example is the service Pulsit offers to tower crane operators in the construction industry. Live hour monitoring confirms operational usage, while tracking verifies on which site the crane is deployed. Key safety features include live wind speed detection monitoring, as well as overload warnings. If the specified parameters are exceeded, a real-time alert will be sent as a push notification to the designated safety officer's mobile phone for immediate intervention.

IMIESA February 2017

BEHIND EVERY FLEET, ARE DEDICATED EXPERTS. At Avis Fleet, we work together with South African National, Local and Provincial government to achieve maximum mileage from their fleet through shaping solutions, understanding, flexibility and seamless integration. With Avis Fleet youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re partnered with people who care. Your success is our success.

Toll-Free Number: 0800 540 740 or visit www.avisfleet.co.za

FLEET MANAGEMENT

Helping to create a

world class African city

he City of Joburg have to be experts in the many aspects of municipal management, including providing water, power, roads and waste disposal, to ensure the people of Johannesburg can go about their daily lives without having to worry about receiving these services. That’s why it makes sense that they would outsource the challenges of fleet management to a partner they can trust to give this aspect of municipal management the expert attention that is necessary to maintain and enhance the standards of the City of Joburg. In the past, the City of Joburg owned their own fleet, which meant that they had to deal with the administrative burden and the many aspects of running a fleet, which entails servicing, maintenance, and support. Avis Fleet have taken on these responsibilities on their behalf, meaning the City of Joburg no longer needs to employ staff to manage the vehicles. For example, in the past, paying a single invoice through governmental institutions could be complicated. Avis Fleet simplify the entire process; providing the city with one comprehensive invoice that includes all the services that keep the vehicles on the road. Avis Fleet take the individual invoices and manages the cost for the city, making sure the costs are market-related. They also ensure the vehicles are current and the city operates new fleet vehicles that are not susceptible to breaking down, needing repairs or component replacements. “We are an all-encompassing business, providing the city with vehicles and making sure that the costs are minimal, with minimal interference from other third parties, other than insurance,” Tony Jenkins, Executive Operations at Avis Fleet. Avis Fleet are proud to partner with the City of Joburg to provide the fleet management requirements for the city. As a fleet company, Avis Fleet are well known for the standard of their products and solutions, so it’s no wonder that South Africa’s largest city relies on this company when it comes to running their fleet.

JMPD delivery

“Avis Fleet provide an all-encompassing solution to the City of Joburg to form a transparent relationship and a strong partnership,” Shawn Govender, Executive Public Sector and Transformation.

Ensuring the city’s fleet runs smoothly The City of Joburg’s fleet is used for public services, which include Johannesburg Water, City Power Johannesburg, Pikitup, Johannesburg Roads, City Parks and Johannesburg Development Agency. Avis Fleet ensure that all the vehicles required to service the Joburg community stay on the roads, running a large fleet of 3 284 vehicles with their powerful systems and innovation and experience. The city’s vehicles are maintained through a full maintenance lease and the use of many of our solutions. The contract includes maintenance, licensing and traffic fines, cleaning, greasing and sanitising, roadside assistance, training City of Joburg employees, provision of technical and fleet management advice, and reporting. Avis Fleet also provide fuel management, vehicle tracking, and helpdesk services through a dedicated call centre. The overall performance on the contractual agreement is constantly monitored through monthly steering meetings and annual audits, which ensure that

“Avis Fleet are well known for the standard of their products and solutions.”

Avis Fleet always adhere to government policies and principles including that we are in compliance of service level and the business relationship agreements. As a fleet management company, we are proud of the fact that to date they have had over 90% clean audits. In terms of compliance, Avis Fleet abide by agreements with the city and hold discussions with user entities to ensure that all stakeholders are involved in the decisions that need to be made regarding the city. As part of our partnership agreement with the city, Avis Fleet have participated in various corporate social responsibility initiatives that focus on education, poverty alleviation, and transformation. The City of Joburg has embarked on "go green" initiatives where Avis Fleet have to date been firmly in the driving seat by providing over 130 eco-friendly vehicles to the city – these include amongst other, CNG vehicles. Avis Fleet are happy to maintain the standards of the City of Joburg and, work hard together with the city, to make this "world class African city" the best city in South Africa. “The city is aiming to be the number one city in the country in terms of their service delivery and we are proud to be able to play a role in this ambition,” Nelson Govender, general manager of City of Joburg account, Avis Fleet.

Toll-free number: 0800 540 740 or visit www.avisfleet.co.za

IMIESA February 2017

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SHEQ

Challenge the status quo of non-compliance Health and safety compensation claims in the construction sector cost the countr y billions ever y year. With thousands of accidents taking place annually, questions around compliance arise.

ccording to the Federated Employer's Mutual Assurance Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (FEM) accident statistics for 2016, the construction sector reported over 7 600 accidents, 67 of which were fatal and 806 of which resulted in permanent disabilities. Although this shows a significant decrease from 2015, when the construction sector experienced 8 413 accidents, it raises questions around compliance in the industry. According to a construction health and safety report by the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb), overall construction health and safety has not improved commensurately despite efforts by numerous industry associations and professional bodies. In fact, construction continues to contribute a disproportionate number of fatalities and injuries relative to other industrial sectors.

Improving compliance The cidb noted a number of recommendations that arose from its study of the status of construction health and safety. The organisation argues that public sector clients should use their procurement potential to achieve improvements in construction

health and safety, which would ultimately also achieve reductions in the cost of public sector infrastructure. This would involve selecting contractors with recognised health and safety skills and competencies, and specifying requirements for health and safety management plans on construction projects, as well as requiring the completion of assessment reports of contractors upon project completion. The cidb also called for more awareness to be raised around health and safety, for built environment professional associations and councils to ensure that tertiary education addresses construction health and safety issues, and for training to be extended to small and emerging contractors.

Legislation changes Changes in legislation could be the driving factor behind the reduced incident rate for 2016. In July 2015, the Department of Labour (DOL) announced that construction health and safety compliance was less than 50%. This emerged prior to the implementation of new dispensation in August 2015 for the registration of construction health and safety professionals and of the construction work permit in terms of Construction

Regulation 2014. This work permit requires the registration of health and safety professionals in the construction industry in order to address the challenge of incompetence in the construction health and safety industry.

More changes coming Late last year, the DOL announced that it would soon be releasing amended occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation for public comment. According to Tibor Szana, chief inspector, DOL, the self-regulatory environment of the past 20 years has failed to yield results. He said the amendment was a step in the right direction and cautioned that the country could not allow people to continue with non-compliant practices once legislation was in place. Aggy Moiloa, deputy director-general: Inspection and Enforcement Ser vices, DOL, added that adhering to OHS improves productivity and that the costs of overlooking OHS prescripts are dire both economically and in terms of human casualties. She opined that South Africa needs to chart a new way for ward and challenge the status quo.

IMIESA February 2017

Cement & Concrete

Structural strengthening for Mabopane Station

retoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mabopane Station, the third busiest railway station in South Africa with approximately 115 000 commuters per day, recently underwent a refurbishment, which inlcuded structural strengthening. By identifying high-density activity nodes (named urban cores), the City of Tshwaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Metropolitan Spatial Development Framework aims to restructure the city to promote economic development and growth. Since 2000, when it was recognised as one such urban core, the area around Mabopane Station has undergone several massive upgrade programmes including access roads, 45 000 m2 of retail facilities, as well as a bus and taxi rank. In 2016, it was the stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turn to receive refurbishment. The project was commissioned by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) as part of its National Station Upgrade Programme, and MMA Posten Engineers SA specified a range of Sika products for the job. Specialist construction company Freyssinet was appointed to apply the Sika system. Manufactured from carbon-fibrereinforced polymer (CFPR), Sika CarboDur plates were bonded onto the station walls as external reinforcement. Although these non-corrosive, pultruded laminates are

IMIESA February 2017

extremely strong and durable, they are supplied in lightweight rolls that allow for easy transportation and installation. Sika CarboDur plates can be used in a variety of applications including increasing serviceability and durability, increasing load-bearing capacity, or even for repairs to structural elements after earthquake damage. Extensive testing and approvals of this outstanding product are available from numerous countries worldwide. Sikadur-30, a thixotropic, structural twopart adhesive based on a combination of epoxy resins and special filler, was used to bond a total of 10 420 m of Sika CarboDur S1012 plates. Easy to mix and apply, Sikadur-30 provides excellent adhesion, hardens without shrinkage and is impervious to liquids and water vapour. Constant dust from construction and earthworks in the vicinity hampered the project, while moving scaffolding around the busy station proved a further challenge for the contractor. As part of the specified structural strengthening system, SikaWrap-300 C (800 m) and SikaWrap-600 C (1 200 m) were applied to the station walls. Manufactured from unidirectional, woven, carbon fibre fabric with mid-range strengths, both products

are low density for minimal additional weight, and are used in many different strengthening applications to increase flexural and shear loading capacity on reinforced concrete, masonry, brickwork or timber. While SikaWrap-300 C is designed for installation using either a wet or dry application process, SikaWrap-600 C is designed for only a wet application process. Since the carbon fibre fabric is flexible it is particularly suitable for application on different surface planes and geometry. In comparison to traditional strengthening techniques, SikaWrap-300 C and SikaWrap-600 C are extremely cost-effective. Sikadur-330, a two-par t, thixotropic, epoxy-based impregnation resin/adhesive was used as a bonding agent for the SikaWrap products. Easy to mix and apply, it provides good adhesion to many substrates and requires no separate primer. Structurally strengthened by such stateof-the-art products, Mabopane Station is destined to stand proudly for many years to come as the hub of this important urban core while the highly progressive City of Tshwane is a step closer to realising its ambition of becoming an African capital city of excellence.

Cement & Concrete

Ways to counter plaster cracks Substandard plastering techniques are frequently the cause of unsightly cracks, but these could also indicate an underlying structural problem.

etermining up front whether the quality of structural plaster finishes is up to standard is not a simple task, especially when it comes to challenging the building contractor responsible for the remediation of defective work. “Neither SABS specifications nor the National Building Regulations have measurable requirements covering hardened plaster quality. Most contract documents are also not clear on the subject. This means that it may be difficult to force the contractor to make repairs if the plaster is clearly not acceptable,” says John Roxburgh, lecturer at The Concrete Institute’s School of Concrete Technology. Here, he deals with perhaps the most obvious defect in plastering: cracks – those that are non-structural; plus the more challenging and nasty structural type. “Non-structural cracking is a network of fine cracks, usually in a hexagonal pattern, which typically measures between 5 mm and 75 mm across each hexagon. Craze cracks are usually very fine and shallow and do not extend through the whole depth of the plaster. They are usually the result of overtrowelling a rich mix – one with a

high cement content – or using sand containing an excessive amount of dust: more than 15% by mass passing a 0.075 mm sieve. “Crazing often occurs within a few hours of the plaster being applied to the wall and cracks may hardly be visible until dust or moisture makes them noticeable. However, the good news is that craze cracks are of relatively little importance; they do not open and close with time, and can be covered using reasonable quality paint. If necessary, glass fibre tissue can be applied during the painting operation,” Roxburgh explains.

“Map cracking is similar to crazing except that it is usually deeper – sometimes going right through the plaster – and the hexagons of the pattern may measure up to 200 mm across. These cracks normally occur when a plaster mix with a high cement content is used or the plaster is allowed to dry too quickly.” Causes of such excessive early moisture loss may include: • evaporation – if the wall is not protected from sun and wind • suction into the walls, if the masonry units are absorbent and have not been dampened • use of a sand that is badly graded and lacking in fine material (less

ABOVE Plaster ‘popping’ as a result of expansive ash bricks

Cement & Concrete

than 5% by mass passing the 0.075 mm sieve) • not using building lime or a masonr y cement when the sand lacks fine material.

Plastic shrinkage Adds Roxburgh: “When the cracks are noticed while the plaster is still plastic, they are often floated closed, only to reappear some time later. These cracks can be filled with a proprietary filler and then painted over. Glass fibre tissue can also be applied during painting. Cracking that results when an excessive amount of water is lost from the plaster in the first hours after application is known as plastic shrinkage cracking. Map cracking can be due to plastic shrinkage, as can the horizontal cracks that form at corners and between windows.” Drying shrinkage cracks are the result of moisture loss after the plaster has hardened. Plaster will always shrink and crack so it is desirable that is should develop a large number of fine, unnoticeable cracks at close

spacings. Plasters with very high cement contents and those made with poor quality sand having a high water requirement will tend to develop a few, widely-spaced cracks. Plaster applied in layers that are too thick will also tend to crack in this way. These cracks are normally stable and can be filled with a proprietary filler and be painted over. “Finally, you could encounter cracks that are clearly structural. These may have resulted from cracking of the wall caused by differential movement of the foundations, moisture expansion or drying shrinkage of masonry units, or thermal movement of

the roof. This type of crack often forms in straight vertical or horizontal lines, or in stepped diagonal lines, and may be quite unsightly. The crack width will often vary with the seasons. Because these cracks originate in the wall and not in the plaster, repairing the plaster is ineffective. “A specialist should be called in to establish the cause of the cracking and to recommend remedial measures that may include structural alterations, which change cracks into movement joints. Visible joints can be hidden by cover strips fixed on one side of the joint or sealed with elastomeric sealants,” Roxburgh concludes.

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