ROADS & BRIDGES
2020 SABITA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF BITUMINOUS PRODUCTS
SABITA AWARDS
recognise excellence At the 2021 Southern African Bitumen Association (Sabita) Awards, four wor thy recipients were recognised for their passion and contribution to industr y excellence. Last year’s event was postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions. For this reason, a 2019 winner was included alongside three 2020 award recipients at this year’s vir tual ceremony, held in April 2021.
2019 SABITA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF BITUMINOUS PRODUCTS Winner: Dave Collings, representing Loudon International Project: Development of cold recycling technology with bitumen stabilised materials (BSM) Dave Collings has contributed to numerous cold recycling projects in South Africa and abroad over the past three decades. His contribution includes the development of specialised pavement evaluation methods for rehabilitation, appropriate laboratory mix design methods, structural pavement design models, application guidelines and implementation (construction), as well as training of the human capital to expand and support the technology. Through the application
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of the technology, many successful and sustainable projects have been completed, to the benefit of the broader roads industry. In his acceptance speech, he humbly pointed out that his achievements are the result of joint efforts since the late 1980s with numerous role players in industry. He said co-workers from various companies all played a significant role in the development of BSM technology, making it a highly viable option for constructing cost-effective/highly durable base layers. Underscoring this point, he said Sabita’s Technical Guideline 2 is recognised globally as the go-to guide for bitumen stabilisation.
Winner: Mahendren Manicum, managing director at Naidu Consulting Project: Rehabilitation of road P20-1 from km 10 to km 30 in the Maphumulo area The scope of works, on which Mahendren Manicum was extensively involved, included the production of BSM1 using aggregate from milled sections, and thereafter paving with a A-E2 modified binder wearing course. Ancillary works included guard rails, V drains, kerb, channels and gabions by Contract Participation Goal (CPG) contractors. The use of BSM1 resulted in a saving of 80% on the project. The nomination highlights Manicum’s hands-on passion for road pavements, which is evidenced through his extensive involvement at project and sector level, alongside his responsibilities as managing director. He understands the significance of sustainability and its importance in the South African context, and remains committed to serving as a catalyst for change in South Africa. He is currently working with one of his teams to unpack CPG goals through pavement rehabilitation works, showing how the initiative may be effectively utilised to capacitate emerging contractors without compromising the output of projects. Manicum is passionate about transformation and has driven the subcontracting of meaningful work to emerging contractors in the road pavement sector. In his acceptance speech, he stated: “I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my colleagues who were also nominated for this award. I know that each one of us deserved to win. “I want to thank Sabita for keeping the asphalt industry moving forward during these unprecedented times, always striving for technical excellence and making a valuable contribution to international best practice. We are all proud to be associated with such a strong brand,” he added.
