WHO’S WHO IN GEOTECHNICAL
Founding the right approach Time and cost pressures have placed increasing emphasis on purposedesigned solutions for building and infrastructure roll-outs that achieve valueadded results. Shaun Nell, managing director, Terra Strata, says it all comes down to experience, exper tise and ser vice. By Alastair Currie
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ithin a highly competitive sector, Terra Strata has progressively evolved its marketing strategy from inception in 2011 to meet South African and broader African continental demand for geotechnical services. Core Terra Strata capabilities encompass: piling (CFA, oscillator, micro, and percussion); lateral support, consolidation and compact grouting, shotcrete, gunite, and sprayed concrete; marine work; as well as geotechnical investigations. These solutions are backed by a modern capital equipment fleet that includes CFA (continuous flight auger) rigs capable of establishing large-diameter holes to depths of up to 24 m. “Our starting point from inception has focused on recruiting and retaining the best talent to sustain business excellence through the peaks and troughs of the construction market,” says Nell. “Over time, we have successfully diversified into key industry segments that include industrial, marine, building, mining and civil infrastructure.” In terms of the Construction Industry Development Board grading system, Terra Strata is a Grade 8CE (Civil engineering), Grade 8SC (Building excavations, shaft sinking, lateral earth support), and Grade 7SJ (Piling and specialised foundations for buildings and structures) contractor. Within this multifaceted mix, Terra Strata also offers turnkey design and construction
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services, and geotechnical investigation services. In-house professionally registered engineers work with external firms that include ARQ Consulting Engineers to execute pricecompetitive design and build solutions. Terra Strata is also a licence holder for French multinational Menard – a global leader in ground improvement technologies.
Marine projects In the marine infrastructure field, major projects completed include a quay wall reinstatement at the Port of East London. Undertaken for Transnet, the project commenced in June 2015 and was completed in January 2018. The scope included removing an existing 101 m long capping beam and installing fifty
Terra Strata secured a piling contract for a new methane power station development on the shores of Lake Kivu in Rwanda
165 mm diameter micro piles 17 m deep to protect the platform (the existing dead-man anchors were rusted through). This was followed by installing 31 m of 900 mm diameter tubular and sheet pile combi wall, vibrated to 15 m below the existing platform, and then hammered down into the rock. Other works entailed coring a 2 m rock socket in 65 MPa rock, vibrating sheet piles to the same level, and filling between the old and new quay wall. This entailed some 527 m3 of concrete and 586 m3 of stone.
The Mohembo Bridge in Botswana. Terra Strata was awarded an approximately 18-month sheet piling project by the Itinera and Cimolia JV
