To Build - Issue 22 - November 2017 to February 2018

To Build Handbook

Plan, Design, Build, Interior & Exterior Décor

Cover Story – Fourways Airconditioning Zeitz MOCAA Opens Steel Awards Surfing the Next Wave Water Loss Reduction

issue 22 | November 2017 – February 2018

Issue 22 • Nov 2017 – Feb 2018

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foreword

Dorah Modise Chief Executive Officer: Green Building Council South Africa

Writing the foreword for this issue, which reports back on the green building scene in South Africa, is fortuitous as the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) turns ten this year. We celebrated this milestone with our valued members and other friends at our tenth annual Green Building Convention held in Cape Town in early October.

I feel extraordinarily privileged to be at the helm of this remarkable organisation at such a significant moment in its history, and am humbled and proud to be intimately involved in inspiring a built environment in which people and planet thrive. I think what makes me the proudest is that, in ten short years, the GBCSA has been instrumental in bringing South Africa to the point where, according to the Dodge Data Analytics World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report, South Africa has the highest green share currently of any country in the study and could become a leader in the green building sector in the next three years.

To be more specific, green building in South Africa currently accounts for almost half (41%) of building project activity, compared to the global average of 24%. More importantly, 61% of building projects in SA are expected to be green by 2018, almost double the projected global average of 37% for that year. Most interestingly, ‘the right thing to do’ is the top trigger driving future green activity in South Africa.

Something else that makes me incredibly proud is the exponential growth we’ve experienced in green certifications: by the time you read this, we will have certified the 300th building in Africa with our Green Star Africa rating tool.

From just one certification in 2009, it took us six years to certify 100 buildings, 17 months to certify the next 100 green buildings, and a year to certify 100 more.

To put the savings that these 300 green buildings achieve into perspective, this means that there are over 4.3 million square metres of green certified space in Africa – or the equivalent of 600 rugby fields. These projects achieve the combined annual savings of 430 million kilowatt hours of electricity – the equivalent of powering 30,000 households for a year. They also save a total of 500 million kilograms of carbon emissions – the same as taking 130,000 cars off the roads each year. Importantly in water-scarce South Africa, they also save 400 million litres of drinking water, which equates to the daily water requirements of nearly 550,000 people for an entire year.

Our plans for the next 10 years are just as exciting. Having established a clear footprint in all regions of the country, as well as collaborator relationships across Africa, the GBCSA’s offerings will be tailor-made to suit different subsectors within the property sector. While the GBCSA mainly exists for and because of its members, the key drive is to enhance sustainability in the built environment so that our education and certification portfolios grow significantly.

In the next decade, the organisation will be viewed as the main centre of excellence for green building training and certification. We look forward to sharing this transformation and new era with you.

Dorah Modise Chief Executive Officer: Green Building Council South Africa www.tobuild.co.za

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Publisher

Media XPOSE excellence in exposure Plan, Design, Build, Interior & Exterior Décor

/tobuildpublication

Tel: +27 21 424 3625 | Fax: +27 86 516 7277 PO Box 15165, Vlaeberg, 8018

www.tobuild.co.za

SAIA

Affiliate Member

Publishing Director Elroy van Heerden elroy@tobuild.co.za Editor Gareth Griffiths editor@tobuild.co.za SUB EDITOR Tessa O’Hara tessa.ohara@gmail.com Marketing & Communications Manager: Sarina Afonso sarina@mediaxpose.co.za

To Build Handbook

Plan, Design, Build, Interior & Exterior Décor

Cover Story – Fourways Airconditioning Zeitz MOCAA Opens Steel Awards Surfing the Next Wave Water Loss Reduction

Editorial Contributors Adv Bryan Hack Charl Mijnhardt Dorah Modise Gareth Griffiths Imaging Kyle Turner Marc van Sittert Obert Chakarisa Peter Stutz Stephanie Forbes DESIGN & LAYOUT CDC Design carla@cdcdesign.co.za

issue 22 | November 2017 – February 2018

ADVERTISING SALES Rene van Heerden rene@tobuild.co.za Gift Bouwer gift.bouwer@tobuild.co.za Online Advertising Consultant Maurisha Niewenhuys marketing@mediaxpose.co.za Issue 22 • Nov 2017 – Feb 2018

Cover Art: Fourways Airconditioning Photo: President Place Contractor: Curries Air

Content manager Melanie Taylor artwork@mediaxpose.co.za Financial director Shaun Mays shaun@mediaxpose.co.za Distribution and subscriptions Janine Mays distribution@mediaxpose.co.za

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or its agents. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published, the publisher does not accept responsibility for any error or omission contained herein. Consequently, no person connected with the publication of this journal will be liable for any loss or damage sustained by any reader as a result of action following statements or opinions expressed herein.

The publisher will give consideration to all material submitted, but does not take responsibility for damage or its safe return.

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contents issue22 November 2017-April 2018

Foreword 2 Editor’s Letter 10 Message from SAIA 12 Cover Story: Fourways Airconditioning 14-16 18-22 Lead Story 24-27 News & Views Editor’s Choice 30-32 Out & About 172 Student Designs 174 177 Notes Page Advertisers’ Index 179

Divisions PROFESSIONS

Architecture 36 Construction & Contractors 44 Interior Design 47 Developers 50 Engineering 53 Landscape Architects 56 & Landscapers Legal 61 Quantity Surveyors 63

BUILDING SYSTEMS Automation 71 Bathrooms 73

Ceilings & Partitions 80 Doors & Windows 82 Electrical 85 Floors 86 Kitchens 90 Lighting 94 Roofing 98 106 Safety & Security Structure 109

MATERIALS Adhesives 113 Bricks & Paving 116 Cement & Concrete 120 Coatings 130 Timber & Decking 134

SERVICES Air Conditioning 144 Ground Engineering 146 Plumbing & Reticulation 149 Furniture 154

GREEN BUILDING Hvac 156 Gbcsa 160 Energy 164 Water 168 Green Star 171

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contents issue22 November 2017-April 2018

Curries’ DVM S......................................... 14-16

Opinion: Surfing the next wave ....... 106-107

Waterfront flies to new heights........... 18 - 22

Steel Awards 2017............................... 109-110

Dexter Moren Associates....................... 36-37

Adhesion and workability for mill ................................................. 113-114

Leading architects announced........... 39-41 Thomas Heatherwick....................................43 MBSA Congress 2017.............................. 44-45 New office for online travel agency.... 47-48 R350-million Mediclinic to rise......................50 Thavhani Mall.................................................52 Winning the trench battles..........................53 Bridges at Hopetown...................................54

LCA on clay bricks.............................. 118-119 Houses for the people ....................... 120-121 Training to uplift an industry.......................122 Colourful concrete glows after dark.......124 Mark of approval gains ground...............126

Hydro-demolition used ................................55

Concrete industry honours .......................128

Building a forest in suburbia................... 56-57

Colours for 2018................................... 130-131

Litigation costs and how to curb ......... 61-62

Conserve energy – reduce electricity use.............................................132

Personalities in construction mangement............................................ 63-64 Innovations - Access Automation Expo......................................................... 71-72 Everything – at a glance.............................73 The do’s and don’ts of bathroom renovations.............................................. 76-77 Case Study – MMI KZN........................... 80-81 Wow! What a view!................................ 82-83 PV plant - key strategic point......................85 Durable and sustainable....................... 86-87 The right time for a kitchen re-vamp.................................................. 90-91

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Appiness is a designer-paved area ............................................................116

A word about timber.......................... 134-135 Hidden timber asset............................ 138-139 Smoke and natural ventilation ................144 High Court Building lifted................... 146-147 Pipe manufacturers gather.......................149 Pioneers in water loss reduction...............152 Revamp shows off ergonomic furniture.......................................................154 Flexibility and adaptability ............... 156-157 Leading the way................................. 160-161 Heat pumps or solar water heaters?.......164

Lights around the globe......................... 94-95

New name in the market..........................165

Steel hat channel profiles -efficiency......101

Being a water-scarce region............ 168-169

Eco-excellence in roofing..........................104

First Namibian 5-Star as built......................171

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ed’s letter In line with this edition’s theme, Projects that make you proud, we pay tribute to our readers, advertisers and contributors – you all make us very proud at To Build. Collectively we have reached where we are with this, our 22nd edition. Your responses to our calls for contributions, stories and opinions from the marketplace have been great. We believe in our role, as a solid and reliable mouthpiece for all those who serve the built environment infrastructure value chain.

How can you make us even prouder? To Build subscribes to a policy of clean editorial – not crass advertising efforts – but articles that are informative and newsworthy to the readers. Hence, we have editorial guidelines in place.

It will help greatly if all companies and their PR agencies who submit editorial content for publishing could acquaint themselves with these guidelines and adopt them. As editor for the past 4 years, I have also noticed a concerning drop in the standards of photography submitted with editorial. While it may look great on the small screen and for emailing, please bear in mind that smartphone photography does not always look good in print.

So, looking over this passing year, To Build is proud to have been a voice for industry on a few matters. Whilst we remain hopeful that good sense will prevail in the matter of phase 4 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, which ball rests in the court of Eskom, we are very proud that the City of Cape Town listened to public opinion and media opinion regarding its proposed implementation of a home user electricity tariff and the implementation of a daily service charge as a separate item on the municipal rates account. This would have been financially punitive to low-consumption power users, including pensioners, and ratepayers who have installed renewable energy – at great expense.

Whilst the City has afforded its stakeholders a stay in execution of this tariff for the rest of the financial year, we hope that they will also give it a rethink and come up with another way to maintain their end of the grid.

I wish To Build readers all the very best as the year closes.

Regards Gareth Griffiths editor@tobuild.co.za www.tobuild.co.za

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Voice of SAIA Message from the South African Institute of Architects The South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) is a body of professional architects, whose main objective is to ensure that its members maintain a very high standard of professionalism, integrity and competence in architecture.

Obert Chakarisa, SAIA Chief Executive Officer

Any member of the Institute, as defined in the Constitution, is required to: • Continually enhance their professional skills.

• Ensure that their work promotes sustainable development goals to the benefit of the South African community and the natural environment.

• Improve the standards of health and safety for the protection and welfare of all members of society.

Code of Ethics Members of the Institute, registered as professional architects, subscribe to a Code of Ethics with established principals which remain core to members as they conduct their business. To continually elevate the architectural profession and support members as they strive to attain the highest standards of workmanship, SAIA ensures its members are educated and trained appropriately. Thus, SAIA members are equipped to provide leadership and critical judgement, while also exercising their specialist knowledge, skills and aptitude for the betterment of design and development in the built environment.

South African Institute of Architects T +27 (0)11 782 1315 F +27 (0)11 782 8771 E marketing@saia.org.za W www.saia.org.za

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Architect: Hartmann & Schüpbach Architekten

LOOKING FOR THE ULTIMATE PANORAMIC VIEW?

www.reynaers.co.za | +27 11 570 1836 | info@reynaers.co.za Aluminium systems for Windows & Doors, Sliding Systems, Curtain Walls, Sun-screening and Solar integration.

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COVER STORY Fourways AirConditioning

Curries’ DVM S – drastically cutting energy costs This edition’s cover photograph and story is by Fourways Airconditioning and deals with a Curries’ DVM S installation that drastically cuts energy costs in an old building by replacing an old chilled water system.

Renovating an out-of-date HVAC system in a building over 25 years old presents quite a challenge – and one which is multiplied several times over when the building is fully occupied. Not only was renovation of the HVAC system required, but the original chilled water system is being completely replaced with a modern Samsung DVM system with heat recovery for maximum electricity cost-savings, supplied by Fourways Airconditioning.

The building in question is President Place in Rosebank and the tender was awarded to Curries Air. A 220-ton crane was required to hoist the 26 Samsung DVM condensers onto the roof in the space of one day, necessitating a closure of the adjoining street.

The old chilled water system had electric resistance heating, so large energy savings are anticipated once the new heat recovery DVM system is finally commissioned by the end of this year.

Ian Wingrove of Wingrove Consulting Engineers was involved from the start, and through a tender process, Curries Air was awarded the installation. The President Place building consists of two wings, each seven stories, with a central double-volume atrium. Working with Wingrove as well as Sello Ramatswi and Mfundo Ciko of Fourways, it was decided to break the system down into 13 components with an average of 25 ducted indoor units serving the various floors of the two wings.

‘We did this,’ says Currie, ‘to assist in the installation process and to ensure that in the event of one area encountering a problem, the entire system wouldn’t have to be shut down.’

Along with Wingrove Consulting Engineers, the on-site operation was jointly managed by Andrew Currie and Quintin van Wyk of Curries Air. Old chillers, together with the existing chilled water piping, were removed and the central ‘backbone’ of the new DVM system installed.

Fourways Airconditioning – serving the whole of South Africa and beyond

DVM units – President Palace

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This was just one of the many projects that Fourways Airconditioning are proud to have been involved in. From selling home airconditioning units and spare parts from a small outlet in Kya-Sands, to being involved in big projects in the VRF market from inception to completion upon commissioning, has ultimately become the backbone of Fourways Airconditioning’s business offering.

The growth of Fourways has been meteoric.

Since 1999, Fourways Airconditioning has grown to

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Photos by Fourways Airconditioning

Fourways AirConditioning COVER STORY

The entrance to the completed Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. (courtesy NMCH website)

Samsung DVM S condensers being installed on the rooftop of Nelson Mandela children’s hospital

Richard Perry, MD of Fourways Airconditioning

become a national – and international – operation, offering a wide range of airconditioning systems and equipment, as well as domestic and commercial heat pumps. Their new baby, an appliances division to supply home appliances as well as TV and audio equipment for bigger tenders and projects, has also been introduced as part of Fourways’ projects/ tenders division offering.

‘We found some of our clients requesting a complete turnkey solution’, says Richard Perry, Managing Director of Fourways Aircon. ‘We started this division to provide a single source of various product ranges when it comes to projects like new-age apartments, hotels and B&B’s requiring not only HVAC systems, but also appliances.’

Today, Fourways has nine branches nationwide, each with its own warehousing and support facilities, as well as a branch in Mauritius. A dedicated export division supplies products into the SADC region and is also involved with projects as far away as the Seychelles, Nigeria and Gabon.

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COVER STORY Fourways AirConditioning Nationwide Fourways technical support Not only does Fourways Airconditioning provide nationwide supply, it also offers complete after-sales back-up. Technical support – on-site as well as a dedicated engineering team providing assistance with the design of complex DVM systems using AutoCAD – is all part of Fourways’ service. Working with installers, consulting engineers, developers and architects, Fourways has helped to provide cost- and energyefficient solutions for literally thousands of projects.

‘It’s important not to forget about the basics, I believe that it is because of the after-sales back-up and support we provide our customers with that we have been privileged with our exponential growth. It all comes down to one word: service. We are constantly looking for new ways of improving our service to our customers,’ comments Perry.

DVM S units installed out of sight on the rooftop of the Department of Education in Braamfontein.

Fourways holds stock and spares in roughly 10 000m² of warehousing, supplying thousands of installers. This has enabled Fourways Airconditioning to rapidly supply products for a wide variety of projects across the length and breadth of South Africa. Some of these include The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital; the Department of Education in Braamfontein and Google Head Office with a supply of Alliance water heaters.

The latest and one of the biggest projects Fourways has been involved with is Capitec bank where Jai Air, one of Fourways’ biggest installers, are installing Samsung R410A airconditioners, not only in new Capitec branches around the country, but also upgrading existing branches due to the phasing out of ozone depleting substances such as R22 gas.

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FOURWAYS T Gauteng +27 (0)11 704 6320 George +27 (0)82 380 0708 Pretoria +27 (0)12 643 0445 Cape Town +27 (0)21 556 8292 Bloemfontein +27 (0)83 381 0074 KZN +27 (0)31 579 1895 Port Elizabeth +27 (0)41 484 6413 Helderberg +27 (0)21 854 5233 East London +27 (0)43 722 0671 E sales@fourwaysaircon.co.za W www.fourwaysaircon.co.za

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LEAD STORY

ZEITZ MOCAA

Waterfront flies to new heights Photos by Gareth Griffiths

With the opening of the Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa) in the second half of September, South Africa entered the super league of countries that host contemporary art collections from across a continent and its diaspora globally, protected by Category A climate control inside its 90 galleries. The technology has been endorsed by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and is used in internationally renowned galleries such as Pompidou Metz, Pulitzer and Paul Klee.

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ZEITZ MOCAA LEAD STORY

Nicholas Hlobo’s, Iimpundulu Zonke Ziyandilandela, inaugurates the atrium space

To Build’s editor, Gareth Griffiths, was one of an elite group of magazine editors and international journalists to be invited to cover the developers’ gala evening, the official press launch and the grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting a week later.

After four years of repurposing and construction,

the V&A Waterfront’s R500-million project to transform the historic grain silo into the world’s largest museum dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora has reached completion, culminating in the official public opening of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) on 22 September.

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LEAD STORY

ZEITZ MOCAA

The grain silo’s architectural redevelopment from disused industrial building into a cutting-edge contemporary art museum was undertaken by London-based Heatherwick Studio in conjunction with local South African architects.

The transformed grain silo also houses a boutique 5-star hotel, appropriately called the SILO, on the top six floors of the former grain elevator section.

Thomas Heatherwick, founder of Heatherwick Studio, said at the grand opening: ‘The idea of turning a giant disused concrete grain silo populated by pigeons and rats and made from 116 vertical tubes and boxes into a new kind of public space was weird and compelling from the beginning. We were excited by the opportunity’.

Suspended glass The new building joins together the former elevator section with the silo ‘tube’ section and visitors move seamlessly through the combined spaces. The roof above the atrium is composed of special suspended glass. Using a similar material to that used at the Eiffel Tower and the ‘Gherkin’ building in London, the high-performance glass was supplied by St Gobain France to their Lite-Floor Xtra Grip specification. The glass includes a special ceramic fritting to prevent solar heat gain and was designed by distinguished artist, El Loko. Another noteworthy feature is the use of giant pillowed cellular glass windows, made in Cape Town to architect’s specification.

Many of the cut walls inside have been polished by a team lead by a master polisher who took over six months to complete their magic on the building.

Pillowed glass windows frame the views

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Suspended glass

Extraordinary cellular structure preserved The combining of 42 individual cylindrical silos and interstitial spaces into an atrium, 90 individual galleries and a garden rooftop with sculpture garden was no mean feat for the architects and engineers.

‘Inside we were in danger of losing the extraordinary cellular structure, so we created a space that would help you (the visitor) understand the building. So, you would walk in and navigate around.

We took the idea of taking just one of those billions of grains of corn so that we could scale it up and use it as a model for the cutting tools to cut through,’ said Heatherwick.

From preserving the historic architectural and industrial legacy of what was once the tallest building in South Africa, to developing a sustainable

Thomas Heatherwick explains his breath-taking concept to international and local media.

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ZEITZ MOCAA LEAD STORY not-for-profit public cultural institution that collects, preserves, researches and exhibits cutting edge contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, Zeitz MOCAA is intended to be an important cultural landmark that contributes to a stronger, wider appreciation of the continent’s cultural heritage.

Right: Artwork suspended under under spiral staircase silo ‘tube’ Below: Each gallery has sufficient space for art to be ‘heard’

Museum is a symbol of the confidence of being African

Director Mark Coetzee.

The principal sponsor of the museum is millionaire philanthropist, Jochem Zeitz, whose wife gave birth to a son a few weeks prematurely in Cape Town during the week of the launch, thus ensuring his footprints are forever etched into the rock of Africa.

‘Our vision was to create an accessible, contemporary art museum and it has finally come to fruition,’ said David Green, CEO of the V&A Waterfront.

Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Museum, Mark Coetzee said: ‘This museum is a symbol, an icon, of the confidence we feel about being African, the confidence that we feel about our place in the world. And that’s what makes this so extraordinary’.

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LEAD STORY

ZEITZ MOCAA

Helen Zille, Desmond Tutu, Patricia de Lille, David Green and Thomas Heatherwick flanked by various luminaries.

And exciting the opportunity was, where at the public opening of the facility, guest of honour, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu made a special appearance to bless the facility. He was supported by compatriots Judge Albie Sachs, Mayor Patricia de Lille and Premier Helen Zille, as well as a kaleidoscope of South African luminaries who jointly cut the ribbon curtain with 400 supporting ribbons cut by school children.

The awesome technology behind the SILO building renovation has been covered in the 2017 edition of

our sister publication, SA Building Review and will be updated to include more technical details in the 2018 edition.

A Zeitz MOCAA and SILO visit is a worthy addition to anybody’s bucket list – even if you must travel from overseas!

Zeitz MOCAA W www.zeitzmocaa.museum www.zeitzfoundation.org www.waterfront.co.za

Project team Design architect: Heatherwick Studio Executive architects: Van der Merwe Miszewski (VDMMA), Rick Brown Associates (RBA) and Jacobs Parker Principal Agent and Project Manager: MACE Main Contractor: WBHO Structural Engineers: Arup and Sutherland Engineering Mechanical Engineers: Arup Electrical Engineers: Solution Station Façade Engineers: Arup Independent Commissioning Agent: Matrix

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NEWS & VIEWS

FROM THE MARKETPLACE

Lower Long gets higher A leading property developer of 30 years standing recently announced a joint venture to develop Cape Town’s newest office tower, 35 Lower Long, situated on Lower Long Street in the City Bowl.

The project aims to be a four-star green building and is set to transform the site previously known as the Ernst & Young offices, into a 24-storey office building.

Abland, together with JV partners, The Ellerine Brothers, announced that works had commenced with the internal stripping of the building and external demolition in September 2017, with completion set for the first quarter of 2020.

The building area will comprise 13 446m² of premium-grade office space, along with 323m² of retail space on the ground floor, nine above-ground parking levels and a penthouse on the top floor.

Priority has been given to activating the entire street edges of Lower Long and Jetty Street with multiple entry points and a prominent double volume entrance space. The sculpted form of the building mass, and the defragmentation and articulation of the corners will provide dynamic views of the building across the city, both from street level and nearby buildings.

Abland W www.abland.co.za

API Awards Property giant Atterbury has won the first-ever Africa Property Investment (API) Award for retail real estate. The awards, announced at the recent API Summit and Expo 2017 held in Sandton Central, recognise innovation and outstanding achievement.

Kumasi City Mall, developed by leading South African property development and investment company Atterbury, was selected as the best retail project from a strong field of world-class calibre entries.

The new awards, with a unique focus on subSaharan African real estate, are judged on a wide range of criteria including integration into the environment, originality of concept, technical and architectural quality, sensitivity to the local community, innovation, sustainability, response to market demands, financial performance, and the impact of the project on economic convergence.

Kumasi City Mall was developed by Atterbury for its owners, Delico Kumasi Limited. AttAfrica has been appointed as the asset manager responsible

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for day-to-day running and operations. The awardwinning mall was designed by Boogertman + partners.

The world-class 18,500m2 modern Kumasi City Mall is built on a total land area of over 15 acres with potential to expand up to 28,000m2. It is in the city of Kumasi, the Ashanti region’s capital, which is Ghana’s second largest metropolitan centre after Accra. Kumasi City Mall is the first and only mall in the entire northern sector of the country. It took 24 months develop and opened on 20 April 2017.

Atterbury Property W www.atterbury.co.za

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FROM THE MARKETPLACE NEWS & VIEWS

CBE appointment

Priscilla Mdlalose, newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Council for the Built Environment.

Mdlalose holds a Master’s Degree in Town and Regional Planning, a B.Ed degree, a Certificate in Project Management and a Certificate in Housing Policy Development.

She comes with a wealth of experience rooted in education, the NGO sector and local government at municipality level. Mdlalose originally joined the CBE as Chief Operations Officer, and took over the reins as Acting Chief Executive Officer in November 2015.

Her task is to ensure that the CBE implements the CBE Act 43 of 2000, as well as addresses challenges and transformation in the built environment sector.

The Council for the Built Environment (CBE) in Pretoria, is a statutory body established in terms of the Council for the Built Environment Act (No. 43 of 2000). It is an overarching body that coordinates

Photo by the CBE

The Council for the Built Environment (CBE) has announced the appointment of Priscilla Mdlalose as their Chief Executive Officer.

six professional councils (architecture, engineering, landscape architects, project and construction management, property valuation and quantity surveying). The Council for the Built Environment is bound by its mandate to ensure sustainable built environment professions which serve public and national interests.

The Council for the Built Environment W www.cbe.org.za

EC manufacturer produces 5 000th 12V SHS In 2014 a pilot project was launched in Nelson Mandela Bay which was later adopted by the Dept of Energy to use local innovation to bring power to those who don’t have within the informal settlements of South Africa.

Eastern Cape manufacturer, Microcare has announced that it has manufactured its 5 000th 12V Solar Home System (SHS) in time for the company’s 27th birthday.

‘Each of the 12V units were manufactured by local technicians and installed in communities around South Africa where homes did not have access to any electricity. From the onset of the project the goal was to use local products to create jobs, develop skills and stimulate the economy. With such local content we have been able to achieve these good news goals

with so much more to come on the horizon,’ said a company spokesperson.

‘While the challenge to give power to every South African, the company has dedicated itself to being part of growing our economy by innovating local solutions and products.

Microcare T +27 (0)41 453 5761 W www.microcare.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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NEWS & VIEWS

FROM THE MARKETPLACE

Recycling When Collect-a-Can began there was no unified policy on addressing the growth of waste. The public was sceptical and automatically opposed to new waste site proposals. Since then, much has changed as thought and support are given to regulations for waste and environmental control. This has helped to improve southern Africa’s used beverage can recovery rate from 18% to around 72%.

Founded by ArcelorMittal South Africa and Nampak to proactively address the beverage can industry’s responsibility to the environment, Collect-a-Can played a major role in the recovery of scrap tinplate generated in the tinplate and can-making processes, including cut-offs, misprints, sub-standard fills, and most importantly, used metal cans.

Now, MetPac-SA, a newly-formed producer responsibility organisation representing the steel, tinplate and aluminium packaging industries, has identified the increase of the recycling of metal packaging as one of its main objectives.

‘Aluminium and steel packaging are the world’s most recycled packaging and are literally worth their weight in gold. Originally, beverage cans were made from steel and have successfully been collected in

South Africa for the past 25 years. In many regards, it can be said that we have lead the way for responsible recovery and recycling of packaging in our country,’ says Delanie Bezuidenhout, CEO of MetPac-SA. ‘Recycling certainly makes a lot of business sense to us and for this reason we have adopted the principle of extended producer responsibility in our business,’ says Riccardo Benedetti, Commercial Manager: Metals and Recycling at Hulamin.

Hulamin invested R300m two years ago in a recycling plant that process and cleans used beverage cans.

MetPac-SA W www.metpacsa.org.za

Winners announced The 2017 Retail, Design and Development Awards (RDDA) winners were announced on the opening day of the South African Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC) Annual Congress, held in September at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Among the category winners, Menlyn Park Shopping Centre was named the winner of the coveted Spectrum Award. The Spectrum Award celebrates retail excellence across all disciplines and sectors. It is a platform for recognising innovation, outstanding economic and creative achievements. This award is selected from all the Retail Design and Development Award winners.

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‘In keeping with our corporate philosophy, we believe that cutting-edge shopping centre design and economic success are deserving of recognition.

Congratulations to all the winners,’ said Robin Lockhart Ross, Managing Executive, Nedbank CIB Property Finance, the sponsors of the awards.

Andrew Ogg, the Director for Leslie Jones Architects and Chairman of the SACSC RDDA jury,

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Photo by SACSC

FROM THE MARKETPLACE NEWS & VIEWS

said that the jury members were impressed with the entries. ‘The jury were greatly impressed with the quality of schemes which have come forward for this year’s awards, leading to intense debate on the standards achieved and the schemes deserving of recognition. Again, we feel that the leading schemes and award winners are setting new bench marks for retail design in South Africa. We now look forward to

presenting the winners on an international stage for the upcoming ICSC VIVA Awards,’ he added.

For information on the RDDA category winners, refer to the full media release as posted on the To Build website.

South African Council of Shopping Centres W www.sacsc.co.za

Imaginarium entries closing soon

The 2017 awards received an unprecedented 869 entries, from which 55 finalists were selected. On the back of this success, the PPC Imaginarium is encouraging emerging creatives to enter the country’s richest art and design competition, which offers R500 000 in prizes.

The winner of each of the six categories will receive a cash prize of R50 000, with runners-up walking away with R15 000 each. The overall winner will receive the grand prize of R100 000 – that’s in addition to having won their respective category prize.

Film entries close on Tuesday, 31 October 2017. Entries for the Sculpture, Industrial Design, Fashion, Jewellery and Architecture categories close on Friday, 1 December 2017.

National judging and the 2018 winner’s announcement will take place in April 2018. The winner and runner-up in the Architecture category will be announced in May 2018.

PPC Imaginarium W www.ppcimaginarium.co.za

Photo by PPC

The Call for Entry for the fourth edition of the PPC Imaginarium Awards has officially opened and the competition is inviting entries for its 2018 round.

PPC Imaginarium fashion winner 2017

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

PROMISING PRODUCTS

SS Metal Drill Bits The Austrian Alpen company, worldwide leaders in the drill bit industry, have launched their new state-of-the-art and the most technically advanced HSS metal drill bits ever – the Sprint Master and Pro series – in line with Alpen’s ‘Drill Better’ tag line.

Photo by Alpen

‘Alpen’s quality control is such, that of the 35 million drill bits made annually, only 18 units per 1,000,000 (0.0000018%) are non-compliant - key to Alpen’s high manufacturing standards. Alpen also has the best price performance ratio compared to any other drill bit in the world,’ says a company spokesperson. Pictured is the Master Set.

Alpen T +27 (0)11 314 7711 W www.vermontsales.co.za

Chemical anchoring solution Den Braven Fix-O-Chem is a two-component resin chemical anchoring system for rapid secure fixing of, amongst others, bolts, threaded rods, steel bars, prop base and screws into masonry, concrete, rock and stone.

Den Braven T +27 (0)11 792 3830; +27 (0)31 579 2375; +27 (0)21 552 9674 W www.denbraven.co.za

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Photo by Den Braven

Fix-O-Chem is immediately ready for use and has a high bond strength, allowing it to be used for industrial fixing. Due to its ease of use, it is ideal for DIY enthusiasts. Fix-O-Chem has good thermal and mechanical properties with very low shrinkage (due to hardening) and is suitable for use indoors and outdoors. Its thixotropic state allows it to be used for vertical and horizontal fixing applications.

It is perfect for fixing balustrades, safety barriers, window frames, roller blinds, banisters and hinges around the home or office and for fixing down dynamic machinery in factories, base plates, securing distribution boards and a multitude of other applications.

Use Fix- O-Chem instead of plugs or expansion anchors to offer longer lasting secure fixings. Fix-O-Chem can be used on the edge of substrates as, unlike expansion anchors, it does not have any pressure build up.

Fix-O-Chem is supplied in a cartridge, complete with a self-mix nozzle for convenience, and can be applied with a standard cartridge applicator.

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PROMISING PRODUCTS EDITOR’S CHOICE

Crystal clear sealant Crystalflex Super Transparent is a crystal clear sealant designed for invisible jointing and adhesion when clear bonding aesthetics are of the utmost importance. It is a hybrid based sealant , which is low odour, free of solvents and silicones, and meets the Green Building Council of South Africa standards.

Crystalflex Super Transparent is mould resistant and non-staining, with good resistance to ageing and weathering. Crystalflex Super Transparent is ideal

for bonding glass, clear plastics, Perspex, and many other materials onto a multitude of substrates.

Crystalflex Super Transparent can be applied by hand or an applicator, and has very good adhesion to most substrates. It is fast curing.

Den Braven W www.denbraven.co.za

Mobile Project Centre

It provides a portable workspace that can be used for a wide variety of projects. In one mode, it’s a sturdy sawhorse that’s great for supporting long boards as you cut. Flip the large tables into position and this product offers the features you’d expect to find in a high-end stationary workbench. Additional tables can be added for more length and breadth for longer work pieces or jobs.

Photo by Kreg

Kreg’s latest innovative Mobile Project Centre is packed with all the features one needs, plus a few you may not have thought of.

Vermont Sales T +27 (0)11 314 7711 W www.vermontsales.co.za

Dealer finder launched Globally operating polymer processor REHAU, has updated and modernised their online Dealer Finder page for uPVC windows on their website.

The Dealer Finder at www.rehau.co.za is a listing of all REHAU Authorised Partners in South Africa that manufacture and install windows and doors using REHAU uPVC profiles.

The Dealer Finder is set up so that the fabricators can be found by postal code and product range offered.

This new functionality includes a page with more information on each Authorised Partner, links to their case studies on the REHAU website, links to their own website and all necessary contact details.

REHAU T +27 (0)11 201 1300 W www.rehau.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

PROMISING PRODUCTS

Combined W+W The washbasin and WC are two essential elements in every single bathroom.

Highlighting its commitment to design and innovation, Roca has combined these two elements to create W+W - an all-in-one washbasin and WC made from vitreous china, designed to maximise space and conserve water.

This ground-breaking idea, incorporating Roca’s new ‘water-reuse’ technology, uses waste water from the basin to fill the WC cistern, reducing water usage by up to 25% compared to a standard 6/3 litre dual-flush WC. The basin in W+W has two wastes – the basin waste and one further down the waste pipe. Once the basin has been used and filled with water, the user has the option of either diverting the water to the outfall (e.g. if the basin is being used for shaving, or brushing teeth), or recycling it by storing it in the cistern ready for the next flush.

Roca Innovation Lab W www.roca.com

Photos by Roca

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Plan, Design, Build, Interior & Exterior Décor

PROFESSIONS Architecture.........................................36 CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTORS......................................44 INTERIOR DESIGN..................................... 47 DEVELOPERS.............................................50 ENGINEERING........................................... 53 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS & LANDSCAPERS.................................... 56 LEGAL.........................................................61 QUANTITY SURVEYORS............................ 63

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Professions ARCHITECTURE

Photos by DMA

Tsogo Sun Hotel complex in Cape Town

Dexter Moren Associates hotel design on exhibition in London Designed by London-based architectural firm, Dexter Moren Associates (DMA), the new Tsogo Sun in Cape Town was selected for display at this year’s New London Architecture (NLA) exhibition in London, United Kingdom, for their Africa showcase.

The ‘London: Design Capital’ exhibition forms a key part of NLA’s expanding International Dialogues programme, a year-round programme of international conferences, visits and debates to share best practice and foster cross-city dialogue. The exhibition features 220 projects in 65 countries around the world to showcase the global reach of London’s built environment profession. The Tsogo Sun development

by DMA is one of 21 projects from Africa showcased.

DMA’S DNA Celebrating 25 years in business, the firm is a London- based award-winning practice of 60 architecture and interior design specialists, working right across the hospitality spectrum. Having established a global reputation, they practice a design-led ethos of ‘creating places people want to stay’ at the heart of everything they do – underlying

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Dexter Moren

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ARCHITECTURE Professions a close involvement in the hospitality industry. ‘We provide an individual approach to each project; are passionate, commercially astute and committed to producing beautiful buildings and interiors that respond to location and context,’ says a company statement. Indeed, Moren’s first hotel was the Marine Parade Holiday Inn on Durban’s North Beach for which he was commissioned at the age of 28.

South African born and London-based Dexter Moren, founding director of DMA and architect for the Tsogo Sun project says: ‘The design of the hotel is a merger of the best in global architectural trends with a quintessential African feel. It was important to us that the design respected Cape Town’s rich heritage.”

‘The site is a prime location in the city bowl and posed some interesting heritage design challenges’, he continues. ‘The top of the hotel has a distinctive profile which works with the taller scale of surrounding buildings on Strand Street. The middle reflects the rhythm and proportions of the typical Bree and Buitengracht Street buildings, while the base has been designed for the pedestrian, with canopies, active frontages and street block diversity.’

The hotel complex covers a full block in the city and accommodates two Tsogo Sun brands - the 200-bedroom SunSquare and 300-bedroom StayEasy hotels.

DMA were selected as the architects for the hotel

by Green Willow Properties, owners of the hotel site, after participating in a design competition in 2014, drawing on their experience in hotel design to optimise the efficient and sustainable internal spatial planning of the hotel. The hotel uses the principles of passive design wherever possible to make the most of the specific conditions of the Cape Town site.

In contrast, at roof level, the swimming pool and associated roof-deck have been located to optimise solar exposure where it is most appreciated.

Spaces that don’t require artificial cooling, such as the carpark, have been designed to benefit from natural cross-ventilation, achieved using a perforated brick façade. Whilst permitting natural air circulation, the brickwork creates an elegant visual screen to the street which provides an interesting animated facade when backlit at night.

In contrast to the fully glazed facade approach, windows are located within a generally solid façade to optimise focussed views while maintaining a passive building envelope. These windows also feature double glazing with SolarVue solar control glazing, limiting heat loads on the building, heat losses in the colder periods of the year and providing a valuable acoustic barrier to traffic and wind noise.

The brick work used on the facade and internally also has the dual benefit of having a high thermal mass which works to both absorb and release heat energy keeping the building cool, whilst the tiling, which is part of a ‘rain screen’ cladding system, acts as a solar shade.

By preserving, renovating and reusing the historic Tothills Building, DMA have also brought life back to this unique building, ensuring it remains a part of the cultural heritage of Cape Town.

‘We were proudly featured in the NLA London Design Capital exhibition to celebrate the capital’s creative minds and breadth of expertise. It showcases a variety of interesting and amazing global projects that are hopefully an inspiration to many in the built environment,’ says Dexter Moren.

Designed to sustain the natural light The building massing, notably lower scale base and centre block vertical tower, is designed to sustain the natural light reaching all streets in this unique city block development. This approach enhances the existing trees surrounding the site, sustaining the greenery and ecology in the city and providing natural shading in the summer. The design also enabled an additional row of trees on Strand Street.

Projecting canopies at street level further ensure all year weather protection for pedestrians and create solar shading to the extensively glazed shopfronts at street level, protecting them from excess solar gain and reducing the demands on artificial cooling.

Dexter Moren Associates T +4420 7267 4440 E jm@dextermoren.com W www.dextermoren.com issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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ARCHITECTURE Professions

AAA - Leading architects announced

Photo by Prakash Bhikha

To Build magazine is proud to have been involved in covering the prestigious Africa Architecture Awards (AAA) since their inception early this year. The first set of awards were made during a glittering ceremony held at the rooftop restaurant of the Zeitz MOCAA in the newly opened V&A Waterfront SILO.

Award Winner Umkhumbane Museum

Photo by Gareth Griffiths

As if the venue itself was not enough, over 130 VIP guests and media attended this event, including the Consul-General of France in Cape Town, Laurent Amar, the Chairman of the French South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philip Geromont, and Claude van Wyk of the Kingdom of The Netherlands Consulate General in Cape Town.

The shortlisted finalists were flown to South Africa from across the continent and the world, and hosted by awards founder and sponsor, Saint-Gobain.

The much-anticipated gala was the culmination of an ambitious two-year awards programme that was initiated and supported by construction industry innovator Saint-Gobain with the ultimate aim of stimulating conversations about African architecture as it cements its place in a global continuum. The Africa Architecture Awards is the first-ever PanAfrican awards programme of its kind. A steering panel headed by Professor Lesley Lokko guided the awards with strategic input from Ambassador Phill Mashabane, advisor Zahira Asmal, and patron Sir David Adjaye, one of the globe’s most influential voices in architecture.

‘The Africa Architecture Awards are critical. Now is the time to promote excellence and best practice on the continent. The Africa Architecture Awards are particularly important because this is the moment that a lot is happening on the continent in terms of development, in terms of the architecture that’s being produced,’ comments Adjaye.

This observation is borne out by the high level of interest the competition has received from architects working on projects located in Africa.

Fun at the awards – Cesar Cardoso, Dr Mark Olweny, Tanzeem Razak, Patti Anahory, Anna Abengowe and David Anderson.

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Professions ARCHITECTURE Over 300 projects from 32 African countries entered the awards.

For the inaugural edition of the Africa Architecture Awards, the organisers set themselves an initial target of 150 entries from 20 African countries. Consider then, what a huge task faced the Master Jury when the awards exceeded all expectations and grew to 307 entries from 32 countries in Africa – more than double the size of what was initially envisaged.

The initial shortlist of 21 projects was chosen by the Master Jury and announced earlier in 2017. Chaired

by Dr Mark Olweny, the jury comprised leading African architects and academics including: Anna Abengowe (Nigeria), Guillaume Koffi (Côte d’Ivoire), Professor Edgar Pieterse (South Africa), Patti Anahory (Cape Verde), Tanzeem Razak (South Africa) and Phill Mashabane (South Africa).

• Category: Emerging Voices. Winner: The Exchange Consulate: Trading Passports for Hyper-Performative Economic Enclaves, South Africa, by Nigerian student Ogundare Olawale Israel of the Graduate School of Architecture, University of Johannesburg • Category: Built. Winner: Umkhumbane Museum, South Africa, by Choromanski Architects, South Africa

The Master Jury then reconvened for two days prior to the awards ceremony to evaluate the 21 shortlisted projects and decide on the most deserving entries across four categories. Through the Master Jury’s dedication and considered response to an unprecedented challenge, the final category winners – each of whom received a specially designed bronze trophy – were decided as follows: • Category: Critical Dialogue. Winner: Forum de Arquitectura, by CEICA, Angola • Category: Speculative. Winner: The Territory Inbetween, Cape Verde, by Guinea’s Aissata Balde, Graduate School of Architecture, University of Johannesburg

Photo by AAA

The 2017 Awards

Choromanki Architects - Umkhumbane Museum Project

Grand Prix Award The Grand Prix was awarded to Umkhumbane Museum, South Africa – by Choromanski Architects, the project that best described the ultimate objective of the Africa Architecture Awards, which is to inspire the future of African architecture. The Grand Prix winner received both a bespoke trophy and the cash prize of US$10 000.

Photo by Gareth Griffiths

The Exchange Consulate

by Nigerian student Ogundare Olawale Israel

Grand Prix Award winner, Rod Choromanski of Choromanski Architects, celebrates wildly at the podium

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ARCHITECTURE Professions

St Gobain people. Brett Caudwell, Sharon Thompson and Evan Lockhart-Barker (right)

Africa’ was held on 29 September at the University of Cape Town. With a speaker line-up of 21 specialists from across the world, the free event, which was also supported by Saint-Gobain, provided a platform to discuss the awards in more detail and explore architecture within the African context.

Providing access to information about architecture in Africa and ensuring that this knowledge is shared widely and freely to the continent is a primary and ongoing aim of the awards. This includes the AAA digital portal which can be found at www. africaarchitectureawards.com and documenting all 307 projects entered into the awards via video, images and text. Truly a digital asset.

A big shout out to St Gobain for sponsoring this much needed programme – Ed.

Public’s favourite award In addition to the projects highlighted by the Master Jury, the awards programme ran a public participation component earlier in 2017, where members of the public could vote for their favourite project. The winning project received a Certificate of Excellence at the ceremony and this went to James Cubitt Architects from Lagos, Nigeria, for the speculative project titled ‘Bank Head Office in Lagos, Nigeria’.

Commenting on the outcome of the first iteration of the awards, the MD of Saint-Gobain Retail Division, Evan Lockhart-Barker said: ‘Although this is only the first edition of the Africa Architecture Awards, we believe we have captured an incredible moment in time for Pan-African architecture.

‘Having launched the first-ever awards of its kind, we’ve seen the incredible response from architects working across the continent. The values and aspirations displayed in the awards have led to incredible insights about the continent and its shapeshifting ways.

‘Yet we still have a way to go to write our own story about architecture and its role here. Africa is indeed rising... but due to the continent’s resourcefulness and complex regional identities, we’ve already learnt that our awards programme requires even more diversity to capture Africa and all its spectrums. We look to future editions of the awards to achieve this.’

Taking architecture to the streets Following the awards ceremony, a thought-provoking public colloquium titled ‘Celebrating Architecture in

uMkhumbane Atrium

Africa Architecture Awards E admin@africaarchitectureawards.com W www.africaarchitectureawards.com issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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ARCHITECTURE Professions

Thomas Heatherwick

By Gareth Griffiths

Thomas Heatherwick, CBE, is the dynamic founder and principal designer at the Heatherwick Design Studio founded in 1994. Since then, he has emerged as an award-winning architect whose signature projects speak for themselves.

He says that he comes from a background immersed in materials and making. His curiosity and passion for problem-solving matured into the studio’s current design process where every architect, designer, landscape architect and maker is encouraged to challenge and contribute ideas.

Hence his excitement about the V&A Silo project.

‘When the old paint was removed (from the Silo walls) we found that the concrete had warmth – almost adobe like - with blue stones inside,’ he comments, referring to the Table Mountain stone used in the original concrete aggregate.

Photo by Gareth Griffiths

Other leading projects

Thomas Heatherwick in the lower level of the Zeitz MOCAA

He recently rose to prominence in the South African context by way of the internationally lauded Grain Silo project at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, the project better known as Zeitz MOCAA. (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa), co-founded by Jochen Zeitz and the V&A Waterfront.

Heatherwick is charismatic and engaging with an audience, often leaving them spellbound with his graphic tales of how his different design elements work.

Scheduled for completion in the Autumn of 2018, Vessel is a new public landmark for the Hudson Yards development in Manhattan. According to a Heatherwick Studio press release, Vessel, commissioned by Related Companies, will be the centrepiece of the largest development in New York City since the Rockefeller Centre. The design creates a landmark that can be climbed and explored and the structure will have 2,400 steps and 80 landings to create a mile of pathway in a vertical public space.

Other projects underway include the Coal Drops Yard, a new public space and retail destination in King’s Cross, London, and the Bund Finance Centre, a prominent new mixed-use destination in Shanghai - designed jointly by Heatherwick Studio and Foster + Partners. This busy and creative international practice also boasts Google as a client, for whom campus projects are underway in the USA and UK.

Thomas Heatherwick Studio E studio@heatherwick.com W www.heatherwick.com issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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Professions CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTORS

MBSA Congress 2017 Held this year in Cape Town, the Master Builders’ Congress reached for new heights. Involving government, industry leaders, economists and other relevant stakeholders, the 2017 theme was Building South Africa Together.

The proceedings were also open to members of the building community in the Western Cape.

The Congress opening keynote address was by Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel, who presented an accurate overview of the SA economy and the status of the National Infrastructure Plan with its implications and opportunities for MBSA members and local contractors.

Downward spin – identified and hopefully addressed

Photos by Gareth Griffiths

Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel

With reference to the economy, delegates were introduced to reality by Patel when he warned: ‘A week ago, the economy emerged from the recession, powered mainly by the exceptionally strong performance of the agriculture sector. Nevertheless, there were some negative signals - two sectors that, in the past eight years had driven economic growth and employment in an otherwise sluggish environment, experienced negative outputs in this past quarter.

One of those was the construction industry, a major employer providing work for 1.4 million South Africans and a significant contributor to the country’s GDP’. In an industry as job intensive as construction, this is a challenge indeed.

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Minister Patel, however, revealed the depth of his department’s analysis of the situation by identifying the drivers of the negative growth as being: reduced infrastructure spending by many state-owned enterprises, collusion, corruption, project delays, cost overruns and a lack of transformation.

All these factors could be at the heart of the issue but his department is addressing matters with the National Treasury about the possibility of a multiyear budget system to mirror the build cycle of mega infrastructure projects to provide a level of certainty in the market. He also said that, despite the softening of spending, government is still outlaying approximately R280 billion per year on infrastructure and that this will be boosted further with the Minister of Finance adding increasing emphasis on infrastructure spending over the next two budgets. In addition, Patel reminded attendees of the opportunities presented for infrastructure development by urbanisation and growth within other parts of the continent.

MBSA Perspective MBSA President, Bonke Simelane, expanded on the theme for the Congress during his opening address.

‘At this year’s Congress we seek to co-create the future, come up with solutions and put forward resolutions that enable us to contribute meaningfully and make a positive impact as a sector in the face of the country’s triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality’ he said.

Almost certainly, the aspect of black economic empowerment in the industry and the delay in implementing the Construction Sector Codes were hot conference topics, involving some heated exchanges between differing parties and speakers.

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CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTORS Professions

The possibility of a multi-year budget system to mirror the build cycle of mega infrastructure projects to provide a level of certainty in the market.

Appeal to construction industry to conserve water Welcoming delegates on behalf of the host city, Cape Town Executive Deputy Mayor, Ian Neilson, spoke about the severe drought currently affecting the Western Cape.

‘Water is a vitally important resource, not only to our health and ecosystems, but to economic production processes and infrastructure development.

Reducing consumption is vital and, for this reason, the City has offered the construction industry the option of using treated effluent water to reduce their use of municipal drinking water.

‘I would like to urge the construction sector to take action to ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry and the economy on which it relies.

Like it or not, we live in interesting times. However, times of disruption and uncertainty also offer unique opportunities. To seize these opportunities, we need to change how we do things,’ Neilson said.

Competition and the Act The Deputy Commissioner of the Competition Commission of SA, Hardin Ratshisusu, was on hand to provide some vital insight into the state of competition within the industry during a hard hitting speech. He also provided some friendly advice to firms submitting bids for tenders:

hat you should do – by Competition W Commission of SA • Participate in tender and other business activities independently from your competitors.

• Conduct your market-facing activities independently from your competitors.

• Provide regular competition law compliance training for all relevant personnel • Ensure industry association meetings have agendas circulated beforehand. If any problematic items are included, note your objections in writing.

• Ensure that industry association meetings are minuted. Object and ensure that objections are recorded and leave the meeting if problematic topics are discussed. Ensure that your departure is recorded in the meeting minutes.

• Ensure that joint bids are approved of in writing by the client and that ‘Chinese walls’ are in place to prevent non-bid specific exchanges of competitively-sensitive information.

• If in doubt, seek advice. The Competition Commission offers an advisory opinion service.

hat you should not do – by Competition W Commission of SA • Discuss or coordinate on any aspect of a tender with your competitors.

• Discuss or exchange any competitively-sensitive information with competitors.

• Use industry associations as a platform for cartel conduct.

• Use joint bids as an opportunity to discuss or engage in (sharing) non-bid specific information.

Hardin Ratshisusu, Deputy Commissioner of Competition Commission of SA and MBSA President, Bonke Simelane

Master Builders South Africa W www.congress.masterbuilders.org issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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INTERIOR DESIGN Professions

New office for online travel agency Travelstart, one of Africa’s leading online travel agencies and booking websites, has relocated its Cape Town headquarters to a two-and-a-half-storey set of offices in Longkloof Studios, just off the bustling hub of Kloof Street.

In line with the emerging fourth economy, it is natural that the company should wish to set itself up in a working space reflecting its efficiency and modernity.

The initial interior design concept was inspired by the office featured in Nancy Meyers’ 2015 comedy film, The Intern, on which Travelstart’s CEO wanted to model the new space. From there, Inhouse Director, Phillip Wyatt and Senior Designer, Chrismari Loubser, were delighted to help make the vision happen.

Reception has a definite ‘wow’ factor Like any booming business, Travelstart has long since learnt that initial impressions can’t be undervalued.

As a result, they requested a reception area with, as it might be called, a ‘WOW effect’. To answer the brief, Inhouse designed a reception area dominated

by a huge, circular blue light box situated behind the reception desk. Modelled after Travelstart’s logo, the light box makes an immediate impression of the brand’s identity the moment one enters the office. To the right is a coffee bar and behind the light box is a lengthy 24-seater communal table, crafted out of a tree log and set on a steel frame with large castors.

A two-metre long model aeroplane suspends from the ceiling in the triple volume space over reception. This whimsical element was relocated from Travelstart’s previous offices and serves as a playful nod to the company’s service offering.

Capaciousness and accessibility Up the stairs, the first floor opens onto a central kitchen and stadium seating area that can be used for

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Professions INTERIOR DESIGN

Photos by Inhouse Brand Architects

company presentations, from which point the office expands in both directions. Several glass-walled meeting rooms divide the room down the middle, while shared worktables line the walls. The communal workspace is easily accessible and roomy.

The second floor contains slightly more enclosed (though still glass-walled) spaces. These comprise recreation rooms, including a games area and meditation room, as well as offices and the main boardroom. The latter bears an oval frame, rather than the rectangular shape of most of the other enclosed rooms. Nonetheless, the floor maintains the air of capaciousness and accessibility that defines the rest of the office.

Consistently recurring themes Throughout, several consistently recurring themes serve to lend the offices a very particular aesthetic.

The brand’s distinctive colour scheme of blue, white and grey dominates every floor. The circular logo, prominent on the ground floor, persists on the first and second in the form of circular ceiling pendants that lower the lighting. The open layout, transparent walls and four-metre-high ceilings foster ease of access, create a spacious atmosphere and help to ensure that full use is made of the natural light from the building’s sizable windows. Discreet acoustic ceiling panels

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ensure that this openness does not result in a noisy atmosphere.

‘For Travelstart’s offices, we considered everything about the business, from its logo, to its vision, to the way it conducts itself,’ says Wyatt.

‘Throughout reception and the work areas, one can feel the company’s brand identity throughout the interiors. Using Travelstart’s corporate colours consistently reinforces the brand, while the integration of various breakaway areas and communal spaces within an open-plan layout, enhances the progressive nature of the business’.

With its freshly renovated Longkloof offices, Travelstart has done a great deal more than simply change its address. It has established itself in an environment specifically crafted to promote and preserve its identity and the growth of its vision. It is a process that most entrepreneurs will agree is key to nurturing a business.

Inhouse Brand Architects W www.inhouse.ws Travelstart W www.travelstart.co.za

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Professions DEVELOPERS

Photos by Atterbury

The new MediClinic site along the R44 Strand Road, at the corner of Elsie du Toit Drive.

Right: Gerrit van den Berg, the Western Cape Development Manager for Atterbury

R350-million Mediclinic to rise A new 15,000m2 private hospital in Stellenbosch is being developed at a cost of R350-million and aims to boost the world-class medical facilities available to the Winelands community.

The construction of Mediclinic Stellenbosch began in May this year and the new hospital is scheduled for completion in March 2019.

‘This is our first project for Mediclinic and it is an exciting development for Atterbury. We look forward to delivering a modern, sustainable healthcare facility that supports Mediclinic in bringing even more of the best available care to this community for years to come’, says Gerrit van den Berg, the Western Cape Development Manager for Atterbury.

The development of a bigger private hospital responds to growing demand in this community and will mean that residents of Stellenbosch and the surrounding Winelands areas will no longer need to travel long distances to access specialist medical services.

Hence, the location of the new hospital along the R44 Strand Road, at the corner of Elsie du Toit Drive, was planned by the developers to better serve the community.

Careful planning The modern new building is designed to meet Mediclinic’s specifications, but also includes special design features that reflect its unique location in Stellenbosch.

‘As Stellenbosch is a historic and protected town, we took special care to get the relevant approvals such as environmental, rezoning, and building plans,’ notes van den Berg.

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The eco-friendly building inspires wellness. It is designed for abundant natural light and is water efficient thanks to a grey water system, water harvesting and drought resistant gardens which require minimal irrigation.

Mass concrete work on the structure should be completed by the end of 2017. The new hospital will house over 100 beds and include a 24-hour emergency centre, four theatres, reception, gardens, coffee shop and a pharmacy. Its departments will cover general surgery, medical patients, ophthalmology, urology, ICU, general theatres, radiology, day clinic facility and, in its second phase, gynaecology, maternity and paediatrics.

While the existing Mediclinic in Stellenbosch, located in Die Boord, will continue to operate and offer orthopaedic, rheumatology and day clinic services, the two Mediclinic facilities will be operated as one.

Atterbury’s portfolio in Western Cape grows The developer’s portfolio in the Western Cape has grown significantly in recent years and includes the new six-storey Citadel group office in Claremont, completed in July last year, Waterway House in the V&A Waterfront as well as other prominent buildings in Stellenbosch. Development of the massive 80ha Richmond Park in Milnerton is also underway.

Atterbury Property T +27 (0)12 471 1600 W www.atterbury.co.za

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Professions DEVELOPERS

Thavhani Mall

Local Thohoyandou businessman Khosi Ramovha, of Thavhani Property Investments, partnered with leading South African shopping centre developers and investors, Flanagan & Gerard Property Development and Investment, and co-owners, JSE-listed retail REIT Vukile Property Fund.

The mall’s opening also brings with it substantial and meaningful benefits for its local economy.

‘The development of Thavhani Mall has been a long journey and not without its challenges- but it has been a wonderful experience,’ Ramovha notes.

At the opening, Khosikhulu Toni Mphephu Ramabulana of the royal VhaVenda people said: ‘If we all choose to work together, a modern society that is characterised by human prosperity is within reach.

This is more proof that backwardness and poverty can be defeated. They can always be solved if you prioritise what is important for people and defuse unnecessary tension among those who are privileged to lead.

‘I must congratulate the pioneers of this massive development, the owners of the development and the leadership of the Thulamela Municipality on a job well done in conducive environment.’

Vhembe Executive Mayor, Councillor Radzilani Florence, highlighted the economic benefits that the mall represents for its community and referred to the high levels of poverty in Limpopo specifically.

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Photos by Daniel Coetzee

Thavhani Mall in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, recently opened its doors to the public. At 50,000m2, this regional mall has considerably broadened the region’s shopping and leisure retail experience with almost 140 stores.

‘We have no doubt that one woman employed here will save a family of eight and through that we will have dealt with poverty in our area,’ says Florence.

Thohoyandou, as the capital of Vhembe, will soon be designated as a city, with the massive new development of Thavhani Mall contributing to this.

‘We are also excited, as the district municipality, that very soon our revenue collection is going to improve tremendously,’ Florence adds.

Thulamela Mayor, Councillor Avhashoni Tshifhango told the gathering: ‘Thavhani Mall is the hero of the precinct. Thavhani City also includes the Thavhani Office Park, auto city, medical centre and value centre, which together will entrench the scheme. In focusing our efforts on the economy, we have emphasised the role of the private sector in rebuilding our culture.”

Dr Sedise Moseneke, Executive Director of Vukile said at the opening celebration that its investment in Thavhani Mall reflects the confidence it has in its partners, the region, its economy, its people and its future.

‘Vukile is deeply invested in Limpopo. Besides Thavhani Mall, we own another six shopping centres in the province with a market value of around R600 million.’

Thavhani Mall W www.thavhanimall.co.za

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ENGINEERING Professions

Key to the success of specialist trenching company, Quick Trench, was its decision three decades ago to standardise its trenching fleet, says an equipment supplier.

Photo by ELB

Winning the trench battles

Based in Midrand, the company now operates a full-time fleet of Ditch Witch trenchers across the country, wherever quick and precise trenching is required. According to a company statement, it suffers no shortage of work, having become one of the bestknown trenching companies in South Africa today.

Its services are in high demand for golf course landscaping work, power mats for power stations, raft foundations, road drainage, as well as trenching for utilities such as fibre optics and other services. In most instances, the company’s clients require fast, precise work, which calls for the kind of durability and reliability that the Ditch Witch trenchers provide.

Ongoing evolution According to Jerry Martyne, owner of Quick Trench, the company was founded in 1986 and bought by him in 1999. While landscaping and utility installations provide stable income, other new requirements arise at regular occasions and provide a welcome change, as well as extra revenue for the business.

‘In recent years, we were contracted to provide complex trenching for the installation of electrical power mats for the new power stations and have recently begun trenching for exciting new drainage systems on some of the country’s national roads.

These new challenges always provide us with the chance to increase our expertise and where necessary update our equipment to handle the new requirements,’ says Martyne.

‘Whether it be deeper or wider trenchers, the ability to rip through asphalt surfaces or trench in rocky terrain, our partnership with ELB Equipment, the distributors of Ditch Witch in Southern Africa, means

Keith Smith & Jerry Martyne on site

we have direct access to the required world leading technology whenever and wherever required.

‘Another benefit of standardising the fleet has proven to be the interchangeability of parts and spares which is a useful feature when working in outlying areas or where speed is of the utmost importance,’ adds Martyne.

ELB Equipment area sales manager, Keith Smith, confirms that Quick Trench is one of the longest standing Ditch Witch customers in South Africa.

‘Jerry of Quick Trench is also one of the most knowledgeable people in the country when it comes to trenching in all ground conditions,’ says Smith.

‘Having the best trenching equipment means little if you don’t have the expertise nor understand the abilities of each machine with its various attachments.

Few in the industry have the kind of knowledge that Jerry has and this is a major contributor to the success of his business. This same knowledge and experience is also the reason why he insists on Ditch Witch technology.’

‘At present, the Quick Trench fleet has a perfect cross section of machines, including the smaller workhorse Ditch Witch RT40 machines that have been a mainstay of the company for many years.

The larger Ditch Witch RT55, RT75, RT95 and robust RT115 models ensure that the company has the right machine for whatever type of trenching is required,’ adds Smith.

ELB Equipment T +27 (0)11 306 0700 E keiths@elbquip.co.za W www.elbequipment.com issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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Professions ENGINEERING

Bridges at Hopetown

The R88-million South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) project began in mid-2016 and is on track for completion by the end of February next year. It also includes a smaller bridge being widened a short distance to the north.

The main bridge is a twelve span, simply supported structure constructed with precast pre-stressed I-beams. It comprises 11 concrete piers, each measuring 12 metres in height, between a north and a south abutment. The road widening project requires new piers to be built alongside the existing ones and to similar dimensions.

The 12 spans for the new part of the bridge are created by 60 concrete I-beams, each measuring 26 metres long, with straight horizontal alignment and flat vertical alignment. The beams rest on elastomeric bearings on top of the piers. To complete the contract, the contractor will build a new road, laying down new sub base layers and a Cape Seal.

The concrete mixes for the project included designs for 15 MPa, 30 MPa, 40 MPa and 50 MPa, according to Brendan Croney, technical consultant at AfriSam’s Centre of Product Excellence (CPE). The company’s CPE is based in Roodepoort which has SANAS accredited laboratories.

Mammoth amount of materials

The substantial project will consume 4,000m3 of concrete and 500 tonnes of reinforcing steel, with about 28,000 bags of AfriSam High Strength Cement (CEM II A-M (L) 52.5N) delivered from the Ulco factory near Barkley West. A range of concrete mixes for the project was designed by the contractor to ensure optimal durability and certain workability requirements. These meet the client’s specification for performance-based concrete and include standard concretes and the ‘W’ concretes that meet durability indices for oxygen permeability, sorptivity and chloride conductivity.

Almost 9,700m2 of formwork was used in the construction of the 11 new piers, nine of which had been completed by August 2017.

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Photos by AfriSam

Upington-based contractors Botes & Kennedy Manyano were appointed to undertake the widening of the 312 metre bridge on the N12 carriageway over the Orange River at Hopetown in the Northern Cape.

The Botes & Kennedy Manyano project to widen the Hopetown bridge (B2482) crossing the Orange River.

The new abutments on the north and south banks of the river needed considerable earthworks to be done, according to Botes & Kennedy Manyano site agent, Jeann van Tonder. At each abutment, 13 piles were drilled to an average depth of about 10 metres and socketed into bedrock.

‘Before work could begin on the new piers, a causeway had to be constructed out into the river so that mass concrete bases could be poured, onto which a 1,7 metre deep concrete base could be constructed for each new pier,’ says van Tonder.

The piers were then cast in three lifts of 3,6 metres each and a final 1,5 metre lift. Concrete was poured from the causeway utilising a crane and concrete buckets.

AfriSam W www.afrisam.com Botes & Kennedy Manyano W www.botes-kennedy.co.za

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Photo by Total Blasting

ENGINEERING Professions

Hydrodemolition technology removes deteriorated concrete without damaging existing steel reinforcement

Hydro-demolition used in structural repairs to bridges Major structural repairs to the M1 North highway bridges over Oxford and Federation Roads in Johannesburg were recently completed. The extended project included the complete rehabilitation of the bridges in Rosebank, involving major structural repairs. Hydro-demolition technology was used to remove deteriorated concrete from the structures without any damage to existing steel reinforcement.

The project was commissioned by WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd, in partnership with the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited.

The removal of superfluous concrete in preparation was made possible through hydro-demolition, which was successfully undertaken by Total Blasting, South Africa’s leading water jetting solutions company.

‘Hydro-demolition comprises the use of high pressure pumps, water and robotics to break down and remove cement-based materials on site. It is a special demolition technique that employs high volume. It can target the specific demolition area with relative precision, which supports a cleaner demolition site. Unlike conventional demolition methods like jackhammering, hydro-demolition does not damage the rebar or surrounding structure,’ explains Total Blasting Director, Bradley Storer.

Challenges to the hydro-demolition aspect of the project included site access, which was limited due to the nature of the roadworks and construction as well as channelling sufficient water to site to feed the pumps, which was managed by using multiple road tankers to transport the water.

Technology supplied by Total Blasting for this project was specifically developed for concrete demolition and was imported from Europe and the USA. The bridge rehabilitation project was completed within deadline and a total of three Total Blasting employees, with specialised skills in water jetting and hydro-demolition, were deployed to this project for its duration.

‘Hydro-demolition is in its infancy in Africa; the success of this project does not only represent a wellrespected client that is highly satisfied with the work we have done, but opens up opportunities for hydrodemolition and water jetting in the Southern African concrete repair sector,’ Storer concludes, adding that his company has a fully-fledged workshop geared to manufacture all types of water jetting pumps and to do repairs and maintenance on pumps and other water jetting associated equipment.

Total Blasting T +27 (0)11 452 3292 M +27 (0)79 495 3712 E bradley@totalblasting.co.za W www.totalblasting.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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Professions LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS & LANDSCAPERS

Building a forest in suburbia

By Marc van Sittert

Is the pinnacle of construction that moment when you drive through the premises, looking at all the walls and doors and rooves and roadways, remembering all the trenches, the snapped cables, the soggy holes and the civil works that went before?

No matter what you build, if you’re anything like the average gardener who loves watering the stuff planted after a hard day’s gardening, then perhaps it’s precisely that moment when you view the premises as officially complete.

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Photo by Genesis Environmental

Trees being delivered to site

And nothing completes any construction quite like the green stuff. The woody, leafy foil to the magnificence of the build. There’s something about concrete, brick and tar that glows when adorned with the green of nature.

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LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS & LANDSCAPERS Professions

The finished job

Fine-tuning the art of planting an established tree Servicing contractors’ green requirements for over 20 years in greater Johannesburg, Genesis Environmental claims to have fine-tuned the art of planting an established tree on a property and making it look like it’s been there forever. Genesis claims to bring their extensive knowledge and designer’s eye to installing a magnificent tree (or several) on your premises.

‘Having recently taken logistics in-house to escape the vagaries of third party transport, our network of suppliers is immense and our crane truck ready to roll,’ says company spokesperson, Bradley Skorpen.

‘Servicing your project’s big tree requirements is our focus. Although we are capable in all matters horticultural and boast an extensive portfolio of detailed landscaping, supplying big trees to discerning clients has been our main occupation for some years now. In fact, working in close association with several construction firms, fellow contractors and private clients, we can lay at least some small claim to the fact that Johannesburg is the world’s largest manmade forest,’ he adds.

The company has gone out of its way to secure the few indigenous gems that appear from time to time – Huilboerboon (Schotia brachypetala) and Vanwykshout (Bolusanthus speciosus) for example, often trees that are rescued from destruction in and around Johannesburg.

The company also supplies hand-picked Wild Olive, False Wild Olive, Stinkwood and Red Ivory, Jacket Plum and Sand Olive trees on time and to spec. As a point of departure, a contract tree supplier should be able to handle all the necessary digging, transporting and planting for their clients.

‘Once we have gone, no casual observer would imagine that the chunky, well-formed seven or eight metre tree standing along your roadway or in the back yard wasn’t there from the very beginning,’ Skorpen says.

Genesis Environmental M +27 (0)83 633 1524 E skorpen@netactive.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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LEGAL Professions

Litigation costs and how to curb them To Build’s legal expert, Advocate Bryan Hack, gives practical advice to the building trade that could save immensely on litigation costs. According to Hack and in line with this edition’s theme of projects to be proud of, he suggests ‘a prepared brief can make you proud’.

I want to address a problem that I am currently dealing with. Not only because this is a message I try to repeat whenever I can to save me time, but also to save the costs to clients in litigation.

I received a brief today from an attorney concerning a building dispute. The attorney’s client is an electrical subcontractor who claims to have been underpaid.

The dispute revolves around the question of variations, mainly changes and extras. My brief consists of all the documents that the client delivered to the attorney.

Of the approximately 200 pages of my brief, the majority are e-mails, the source information to determine the changes in the scope of work.

These emails are stapled in various bundles. I started reading the first bundle, only to realise that it was a series of e-mails going back over eight months, but in no order. The first bundles were emails that began in April 2015 and ended in January 2015.

The next bundle started in June 2015, but ended in February 2015. Each of the two bundles contained repeated emails which I had to re-read each time.

A consultation of many hours could have been significantly shortened if the client had his documents ready and in sequence, preferably even paginated and indexed.

The time costs involved My time for perusal of this brief would probably be three hours. At my normal rate, that is a significant expense to the client. If the client had sorted out the emails to follow sequentially – so that I could read them from the first date to the last, my reading time would probably have been less than one hour.

The simple way to do this is to cut and paste the one trailing email into a word document and then simply insert a page break between each different e-mail, in order of their dates – voila!

I have similar issues when clients come to see me.

They are hardly ever prepared. Often, when I ask them for a document, they have to rummage through two or three briefcases of documents to search for the one document I need. Again, more waste of

Photo supplied by Adv BC Hack

Simple document editing tricks make it easy

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Professions LEGAL time. A consultation of many hours could have been significantly shortened if the client had his documents ready and in sequence, preferably even paginated and indexed.

It could save the client significant legal costs if he got his personal assistant to do this preparation work.

Site visits instead of paper Another experience I regularly have is when trial preparations commence and I am required to consult with an expert who is going to be called by the client to give evidence. Once again, I find that I need to spend extensive periods of time explaining to the expert what the problems were on site, what the dispute is all about and what evidence he or she will be required to give.

It would be so much more efficient and cheaper if the client had this meeting with the expert before the expert visits the offices of an attorney or advocate where the costs incurred by the client will include those of two or more lawyers at a significant hourly rate.

The process of litigation is imperfect but everyone can contribute to improving it – including the client by BEING PREPARED.

It could save the client significant legal costs if he got his personal assistant to do this preparation work.

About the writer Bryan Hack is a practising advocate and member of the Cape Bar. He graduated from UCT and UNISA with a BALLB and worked for a prominent building company for a number of years before joining the Cape Bar in 1994.

Advocate Bryan Hack was appointed to serve a term as an Acting Judge in the High Court, Cape Town bench in August 2016.

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Adv. Bryan Hack Member of the Cape Bar T +27 (0)21 423 5441 E hack@capebar.co.za

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QUANTITY SURVEYORS Professions

Dale Nortje and Morné Moller on the site of a recently completed project, the Premier.

Personalities Dale Nortje and Morné Moller are post-graduate professionals employed at senior levels in construction management and project development. To Build asked them a few questions about the job and their busy lifestyles.

Morné Moller

Morné Moller

When he’s not deep-sea fishing or boxing, Morné is the quantity surveyor and a vital part of the team at Rawson Developers, based in Newlands, close to the University of Cape Town.

Morné graduated from Cape Peninsula University of Technology with a B.Tech degree and went on to complete his post-graduate education by selecting the quantity surveying option.

During his studies in quantity surveying he was employed at Davis Langdon in Stellenbosch. Upon graduating he worked in construction for a short spell and thereafter joined Cape Town company, Rawson Developers, where he is the in-house quantity surveyor.

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Professions QUANTITY SURVEYORS ‘The best part of my job is being part of all aspects of the business. From the buying of the site, assisting with the designs and getting involved with the sales, all the way through to getting the occupational certificates in place and eventually handing over to the clients,’ he says.

So, what does the job entail?

Working in real life can be very different to what you are taught at university. According to Morné, he was surprised by the rough nature of the job – getting his hands dirty. However, he says that the best part of his job is seeing daily progress when he visits the site and sees things change – literally seeing progress.

Given the fact that his company operates a flat management structure where all professionals are encouraged to get involved in the full construction process, he admits: ‘I like the idea that I can move between the site and the office daily. In doing this, I also get to deal with a whole lot of different people daily. This I really enjoy - dealing with the full range from the top bosses of big companies to labourers on site. I like to make friends with everyone’, he adds.

Dale Nortje

Dale Nortje Dale Nortje is the head project manager at Rawson Developers.

‘I studied at UCT and received a Bachelor of Science, Hons, in Property Studies Two years later I studied at UCT again to get my Post-Graduate Diploma in Project Management,’ says Dale. He entered the job market after graduating in 2007.

Impressions of the professional working world of construction ‘I have worked for 10 years at the same company, but even so I have found construction to be different to my expectations. We affect so many areas and lives and have to deal with the people factor – including city authorities and officials, neighbours, civic associations,

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Construction is a different industry to be in as we affect so many areas and have to deal with so many people. Council, neighbours, professionals, environmental, etc … built environment professional, environmental practitioners and activists, plus many more – including the workers, a very important part,’ says Dale.

He thoroughly enjoys being both in the office and on site. ‘I get out of office for some of the day and solve problems or analyse programmes daily,’ he adds.

Advice for young people considering a career in property ‘It’s in the head. You get to get out of the office for some of the day and solve problems or analyse programme daily. But also, the most challenging aspects of my job are the stress levels and dealing with different types of people”.

‘Anyone having been involved in project management would attest to this statement – it’s all about deadlines and delays!’ comments Dale.

Working for Rawson Developers, however, means that some aspects of managing the projects are easier to handle because many services are in-house, including building and construction.

When he’s not dreaming about bricks and mortar, Dale spends his time with his family, does Crossfit and mountain biking. He is especially proud to have completed Ironman in Port Elizabeth in 2015.

Finance first Common to both Morné and his colleague Dale, however, is their close involvement in following and analysing real estate trends in rentals and sales and returns on capital. As such, they are also involved in the financing and accounting which confirms the accuracy of their feasibility on each development. In Dale’s case this means working with the commercial banks.

Dale Nortje and Morné Moller T +27 (0)21 658 7100

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COMPANY PROFILE DE LEEUW GROUP

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DE LEEUW GROUP COMPANY PROFILE

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Plan, Design, Build, Interior & Exterior Décor

BUILDING SYSTEMS AUTOMATION...........................................71 BATHROOMS.............................................73 CEILINGS & PARTITIONS.......................... 80 DOORS & WINDOWS.............................. 82 ELECTRICAL...............................................85 FLOORS......................................................86 KITCHENS...................................................90 LIGHTING...................................................94 ROOFING..................................................98 SAFETY & SECURITY................................106 STRUCTURE..............................................109

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ADVERTORIAL

BUILDING SYSTEMS

Innovations at Inaugural Access Automation Expo

By Charl Mijnhardt

The well-known manufacturer of access automation solutions, who also hosted the event, introduced visitors to two new additions to its stable of GSM products, as well as a new garage door operator.

While the landmark event undoubtedly acted as a springboard for Centurion’s latest product offerings, the company’s communications coordinator, Charl Mijnhardt, points out that it also presented an excellent networking opportunity for professionals involved with access automation and its related fields.

‘There’s never really been anything like this in South Africa, an event that focuses solely on access automation,’ explains Mijnhardt. ‘And judging by the incredible turnout, it’s clear that it’s something that the security industry has been waiting for.’

Mijnhardt says the new products on display tie in perfectly with Centurion’s brand promise of ‘compelling innovation’.

‘The three new products are all geared towards providing maximum convenience and maximum functionality, both for the installer and for the enduser’.

The new products are:

G-ULTRA can remotely control up to six appliances Built on the bedrock of convenience established by the original G-SWITCH-22 GSM module, the G-ULTRA is a complete evolution of that device imbued with intelligence and packaged for use in a modern environment. The combination of a smart graphic user interface and a plethora of advanced features means that the G-ULTRA goes well beyond the scope of mere access automation and takes remote monitoring and control to an entirely new level.

Photo by Centurion Systems

Centurion Systems launched three new products at the first ever South African Access Automation Expo which took place on 21 September at The Galleria in Kramerville, north of Johannesburg.

The G-ULTRA makes it possible for access holders to remotely control up to six appliances, for example, a gate motor or irrigation system, via a missed call or SMS from their mobile phone.

The unit’s four channels can also be individually configured as outputs, which enable learned-in users to receive notifications via missed call, SMS or email.

‘A typical example would be using one of the unit’s inputs to monitor the status of a Centurion gate motor and setting it up to send you a notification when the gate is open, or opening, or both,’ says Mijnhardt. ‘The possibilities are virtually endless.’

Other features of the G-ULTRA include: • Easy access to diagnostics thanks to an intelligent LCD interface • Effortless configuration and management of devices via Centurion’s G-WEB PLUS online portal • Advanced time-based access control and scheduling, perfect for Bed and Breakfasts • Password-protected security • Reliable event logging

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BUILDING SYSTEMS ADVERTORIAL

G-SPEAK ULTRA allows wireless communication between user and intercom gate station The G-SPEAK ULTRA promotes the ultimate in convenience and peace of mind by combining wireless GSM technology with Centurion’s futuristic and stylish ULTRA interface. Infused with the DNA of innovation, the G-SPEAK ULTRA allows wireless communication between the user and the intercom gate station, effectively turning the user’s phone into the intercom handset.

SDO4 automates domestic garage doors safely, quietly and reliably The SDO4 has been designed to automate domestic garage doors safely, quietly and reliably.

The product’s chain-driven system allows for whisper-quiet operation, while a reliable battery backup ensures that the SDO4 will continue working even during lengthy power outages.

The SDO4’s built-in collision sensing circuitry also makes it a very safe automation solution. Kits are available for both sectional and tip-up garage doors.

Centurion Systems E charl.mijnhardt@centurionsystems.co.za W www.centsys.co.za

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BATHROOMS BUILDING SYSTEMS

The Geberit training and showroom

Everything – at a glance Always ahead and thinking of the future.

This is clearly the philosophy of a wellknown Swiss bathroom fittings company Geberit.

To Build was invited recently to attend the launch of the new Geberit office, showroom and distribution centre for the Cape. With the precision and panache expected from a pedigree Swiss entity, the event was flawless, entertaining and informative.

The company supplies the full range of bathroom equipment making it seamless and easy for the homeowner to plan and select the right materials and equipment, even ceramics.

The new showroom is bound to find popular use among specifiers and contractors with training modules offered on a regular basis.

Geberit Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd T +27 (0)11 444 5070 E sales.za@geberit.com W www.geberit.co.za www.geberitcollection.com issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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BUILDING SYSTEMS BATHROOMS

The do’s and don’ts of bathroom renovations A good bathroom can transform a dated room into something spectacular. However, for a successful transformation you need to involve many different trades for a cohesive result and this can make it one of the most complicated renovations of all.

Do hire a bathroom specialist ‘Plumbers are only qualified to run the pipework and install the fixtures, but a bathroom professional is able to understand the project from a holistic perspective and organise the correct sequence of trades,’ explains Turner. He says that although many people are tempted to project-manage the job themselves, if they haven’t had any experience, the renovation can be very stressful and costly if mistakes are made. A specialist will know the best and most cost-effective ways to overcome any issues that surface during the project, or how to avoid them altogether.

Don’t consider going the DIY route Turner advises that it is imperative to select qualified individuals with the correct certifications to complete the various jobs: ‘So many people will see waterproofing materials at their local hardware store and be tempted to do it themselves. However, they don’t think about the fact that fixing a leak further down the line could be an astronomical setback financially.

Choosing the right people for the job will ensure that all the necessary building regulations are met.’

Do splurge on a few high-end features Bathrooms are usually smaller than other rooms in the home, so splurging on a few high-end products

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Photos by ROCA

Kyle Turner from Luximo Design, local distributor of leading Spanish range Roca sanitaryware and tiles, offers some tips that will help you achieve a successful and beautiful bathroom renovation of your own. or finishes can be a good investment, says Turner: ‘A newly renovated bathroom should offer years of use, so invest in the best one that you can afford. A few carefully selected items can stand as features in the space. For example, well-chosen premium tiles can really transform a space visually, as can a luxurious bath, vanity or tap.’

Don’t ignore old pipework One of the biggest challenges when it comes to renovations in general is that you often stumble across old problems you never knew existed that need to be fixed, but weren’t included in the budget. One such problem with bathroom renovations is antiquated pipework. Says Turner: ‘If your plumber points out to you that the existing piping is very old, it is worth your while to replace all of it. Leaving the old piping in could lead to disastrous consequences down the line such as burst pipes, leaks, and very low water pressure due to sediment forming in the pipes.’

Do avoid overcapitalising Turner says that you should always be able to answer ‘Yes!’ to the question of whether you will be able to make your money back if you sell your house.

‘When it comes to bathroom renovations it is easy to overspend, but you really need to set a realistic budget

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BATHROOMS BUILDING SYSTEMS

and stick to it. When you are making your choices it is always better to err on the side of selecting more mainstream styles and colours. If you are to recoup the money you are investing, you need to understand that you are not just creating a bathroom for yourself, but you are also creating it for your home’s potential buyer as well. Lastly, remember to budget for the “what-ifs” – try and have an extra 15% to 20% of your total budget on the side to cover unforeseen costs.’

Don’t move the pipework You can save a lot of money by sticking to the same general layout in your bathroom as your plumber won’t have to lay new pipes and reformat the room’s plumbing.

Turner explains: ‘You don’t have to put things exactly where they were, but by keeping them in a similar location you can save thousands in plumbing fees.’

o consider installing a wall-mounted D toilet Wall mounted toilets with recessed cisterns offer sleek, contemporary good looks and they boast other advantages too, says Turner: ‘One of their biggest advantages is that they take up minimal space, offer a cleaner look design-wise because water outlets and connections are concealed in the wall and they are easier to clean as they are raised off the floor.’

Don’t neglect to nominate heights If you are taller or shorter than most then it is advisable to tell the plumber of the installation heights you would prefer for the various items being installed. Turner says that changing the height of appliances after they have been installed can be a costly affair: ‘Plumbers and builders will install all your sanitaryware, fittings, accessories and fixtures at standard heights unless you advise them otherwise,’ advises Turner.

Do consider the environment Often the water and electricity consumption in the bathroom far outweighs its modest size relative to the rest of the house. However, Turner notes that this is a great room in which to ‘go green’: ‘Wherever possible choose energy- and water-efficient fittings. They might cost a little more at the onset, but the money they will save you on your utility bills over time will more than make up for this added expense.’

Luximo Design W www.luximodesign.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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ADVERTORIAL

DOUGLAS JONES

New boutique showroom Douglas Jones mosaic and tile décor collection has become well-known in the design industry as the leading importer of top end mosaic and tile décor products into Southern Africa.

The company’s head office is in Diep River, Cape Town, and the company has a strong presence in over 200 retail showrooms across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia. In 2012 the company opened a boutique showroom in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

However, in 2016, managing director, Anthony Douglas-Jones, decided it was time to expand the showroom and showcase the niche products which Douglas Jones imports for their discerning clients.

‘Our previous showroom was perfect for our needs, but as our basket of products has expanded, so have we needed to expand into a larger space to display the various products we are now sourcing from quality suppliers in Europe. We need to keep evolving and offering our end user a more interactive experience’, Douglas-Jones explains.

‘We invite all retailers, interior designers, architects and their clients to visit the showroom where they can spend time perusing the products on display, choose exactly what they would like for their builds, be it commercial or residential, and leave knowing they have had the best quality products available to choose from’.

The boutique showroom is situated at 1SIXTY Jan Smuts Avenue, Rosebank.

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The perfect mosaic installation Always keeping abreast of trends and everchanging needs in the building industry, Douglas Jones has also developed the Douglas Jones MOSAIC FIX that provides a perfect mosaic installation.

Mosaics are very different to normal tiles because they generate more movement and therefore need a quick-setting, high-tensile-strength adhesive which can absorb the additional movement of the sheets.

The DJ Mosaic Fix is a premium product designed to provide a perfect installation and ultimate “peace of mind”. With its low dust formulation, the mosaic fix is easy to mix, easy to apply and sets within six hours, providing installation in a shorter period of time and saving on both time and money. It is available in white, light grey and dove grey.

Douglas Jones T +27 (0)21 706 7251 E info@douglajones.co.za W www.douglasjones.co.za

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BUILDING SYSTEMS CEILINGS & PARTITIONS

Photos by Pelican Systems

Double volume open floor plan

Case Study – MMI KZN The MMI Cornubia Contact Centre and regional head office, developed by Eris Property Group, is one of the first new offices in the Cornubia development near Umhlanga in KZN. The new development node offers commercial, retail and residential areas supported by a new BRT system.

MMI Holdings Limited (MMI) is a South African-based financial services group listed on the South African stock exchange, the JSE. KZN-based supplier, Pelican Systems, were intimately involved in the fitting of ceilings, partitions and other interior features.

Green Star The Contact Centre and regional head office was awarded a 4-Star Green Star SA Office v1 Design rating in February this year for its achievements in sustainable building features.

The office was designed to be efficient and flexible to allow for future expansion and changing usage and environment. It consists of two office levels and one

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Thermofon acoustic ceilings and plaster ceiling junction showing the transition between suspended and flush plastered ceilings.

The JUMBO 89mm drywall is visible in the background

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CEILINGS & PARTITIONS BUILDING SYSTEMS Project anatomy

The call centre – note the acoustic ceiling tiles

Project Name / Client / Developer: MMI Cornubia Contact Centre Date started, completed and duration of project: March 2016 – March 2017 – 13 months Project Location: Cornubia Business Hub, Umhlanga, KwaZulu Natal New Development or Refurbishment: New Development Professional Team and Contractors Architect: Elphick Proome Architects Incorporated QS: B W R (Bathuleng Wallace Raubenheimer) Quantity Surveyors CC Main Contractor: Aveng C&P Contractor: Tekweni Centurion Ceilings and Partitions (Pty) Ltd Any other Professionals or design specialists: Interior – Boogertman and Partners (JHB)

Project size and scope Total surface area installed/serviced 10,000m2 Design/architectural brief or any specific requirements: Two – Five levels (4 – 16m) Office and commercial development requiring a high performance acoustic environment to suit the call centre environment.

Stylish looking black and white partitions were also used

basement parking level. The office areas have a deep open floorplan with large penetrations between the floors to allow for light.

Innovative product usage According to Pelican Systems spokesperson, Denise Gould, the following specialised systems were supplied to the project: • AMF Thermofon was specified to suit the high performance acoustic requirements for the call centre application. THERMATEX® Thermofon is a mineral tile with excellent sound absorption values 0.80 (H) and an NRC of 0.85, Sound Attenuation of 28db and a RH rating up to 95%. The white acoustic fleece creates a smooth surface and an elegant design.

• JUMBO Plasterboard and PS2 Shadowline trims were used for the flush plastered ceilings.

• Plaster Ceiling Junction, a ceiling profile that facilitates the transition between an exposed tee ceiling to a flush plastered ceiling at the same level, creates a reveal between the two ceilings.

• Standard 89mm JUMBO Drywalls were also specified and installed.

Pelican Systems (Pty) Ltd T +27 0(31) 563 7307 E info@pelican.co.za W www.pelican.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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BUILDING SYSTEMS DOORS & WINDOWS

Wow! What a view!

Imagine an entire wall fitted with floor-to-ceiling glass that slides easily and gently aside, weather permitting – allowing all the light and beauty from the outdoors inside all year round. Successfully using sliding doors to maximise your outdoor views can make a cost-effective and dramatic impact on your indoor spaces. To Build spoke to Cobus Lourens from leading window and door manufacture, Swartland, about what to consider when investing in sliding doors.

Otherwise known as gliding or bypass doors, sliding doors are an extremely popular option for patio doors.

They flood interior spaces with natural light, provide easy-to-open and convenient access, and virtually uninterrupted views of the outdoors beyond.

‘Sliding doors are a great option for patio doors – a good quality sliding door should not only look good, but it needs to be easy to operate, secure, energy efficient, and easy to maintain,’ says Lourens.

Single or multiple panes The choice of style is largely related to the architectural style of the house in question, but Lourens notes that as a rule of thumb there are most often two types of sliding doors to choose from: ‘You can choose sliding doors that boast multiple glass panels or lites, which are visually similar to French doors, and ones with single large panes of uninterrupted clear glass. You can also choose to add side lites to either side of the sliding door, or even top

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lites – these can expand on the outdoor views and the inlet of natural light.’

Size and space Sliding doors usually comprise one stationary panel and a corresponding panel that slides on top and bottom tracks sideways over the stationary one.

However, Lourens explains that sliding doors can comprise two, three or even four panels, of which some will slide and others will be fixed: ‘Compared to fold-a-side doors, sliding doors typically only open 50% of the aperture, however, the doors themselves consume less space.

‘Also, the wider the door leafs, the larger the glass panes, which command great unimpeded views when compared to fold-a-side doors with several narrower door leafs, each with a frame around them. Another benefit is that compared to swing doors, sliding doors require much less space to operate which makes them a great space-saving solution.’

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DOORS & WINDOWS BUILDING SYSTEMS

Choose a material Any sliding door leading outside will need to withstand exposure to the elements. To make this happen, you need to seriously consider what material it is made from. Says Lourens: ‘Ideally, you want to choose a material that is aesthetically pleasing, durable, easy to maintain and energy efficient with regards to insulation. Although sliding doors are made of many different materials, the only two that offer all of the aforementioned qualities are timber and aluminium.’

• Aluminium sliding doors, such as Swartland’s KENZO range for example, are becoming increasingly sought after. Aluminium is an affordable, light and durable material that is corrosion-resistant and performs well in most climates. It is powder-coated, so it doesn’t need to be painted, and it boasts narrow profiles for a sleek and subtle visual appeal.

• Timber, if it is sourced from sustainably managed forests, boasts unsurpassed ‘green’ credentials as a building material – it offers excellent insulation, is durable and long-lasting, and like aluminium, it is very easy to recycle. Wood also offers rich and warm good looks, and if sealed with a water-based sealant, no longer requires a lot of maintenance to keep it looking its best.

Energy efficiency Electricity is becoming increasingly expensive, so when building or renovating, it is always wise to do everything in your power to minimise the costs of heating and cooling your home. Selecting the right sliding doors is a critical step. ‘Choosing energy efficient glazing for these doors will not only save you a lot of money over their lifespan, but it is also the

responsible thing to do regarding the environment,’ says Lourens.

The technical term for the glass installed into windows or sliding doors is ‘glazing’. You can select various glazing coatings that play an important role in the insulating qualities of your windows and doors, says Lourens.

‘Low-E glazing, or low emissivity glass, for example, is coated with a thin metallic substance that increases the window’s ability to reflect, rather than absorb heat. Although Low-E glazing costs more than normal glazing, it can save you money in the long run as it ensures excellent insulation.’

Lourens notes that apart from insulation, glazing can also come with coatings that offer other desirable qualities, such as protection, safety, security, solar and sound control, UV-protection and decoration. ‘It is the law to fit all sliding doors with 5mm safety glass,’ he adds.

Operation and security There is nothing worse than trying to open a sliding door and it sticks and jolts open, notes Lourens: ‘Any high-end sliding door should offer easy and smooth operation that doesn’t require a lot of effort. This all depends on how well the door is constructed and weighted, as well as the quality of the hardware that is used for the tracks. Swartland, for example, uses imported German-manufactured hardware to facilitate effortless opening and closing, as well as optimum security and durability.’ Lourens explains.

Swartland W www.swartland.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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ELECTRICAL BUILDING SYSTEMS

PV plant - key strategic point A site where a 202-hectare solar plant in Limpopo Province was recently declared a National Key Point in line with South Africa’s National Key Point Act (1980). This underlines the growing importance of renewable energy in a resource-hungry country such as South Africa. servicing the needs of at least nine villages in the Lephalale region, and by implication, the importance of renewables in our national energy strategy.

A statement by the company also highlights the contribution of this plant to the reduction of CO2 emissions at over 110 000 tonnes of CO2 per annum.

Photos by The Energy Blog

New solar projects join the others

The Tom Burke solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant was developed and is operated by Enel Green Power South Africa (EGP RSA). According to a company statement, the project marks the IPPs’ first large-scale solar project using the first thin film PV panels in the country.

It has an installed capacity of 66MW and reached early generation and commercial operation date (COD) in August 2016. It was constructed during the third phase of Eskom’s REIPPPP (The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme). This programme was developed to encourage private investment and to facilitate the development of the renewable energy sector within South Africa and has recently been the subject of a short-sighted backdown by Eskom. Now in its operations and maintenance phase, the plant produces an average energy output of 350 to 360MWh per day, enough to meet the daily power needs of approximately 200,000 rural households.

Despite the recent backdown of Eskom from its commitments under the 4th phase of the REIPPPP, this declaration as a national key point overtly acknowledges the solar plants’ strategic importance in feeding 122GWh per year into the national grid and

EGP RSA also recently brought the 82.5 MW Adams and Pulida solar PV plants into commercial operation, respectively located in South Africa’s Northern Cape and Free State provinces.

‘Enel Green Power RSA’s two new solar projects were completed ahead of schedule, according to the highest levels of quality and safety and in full alignment with our commitment to the country’s social and economic development,’ says William Price, Enel’s Country Manager in South Africa. ‘Together with our local project partners, Enel Green Power RSA’s renewable energy projects are already making a significant contribution to the country’s economy, and these two new solar facilities are expected to add further value to those efforts.’

Together, Adams and Pulida will be able to generate 318 GWh per year, equivalent to the annual consumption needs of around 100,000 South African households, while avoiding the emission of more than 290,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.

Sources www.enelgreenpower.com/en/country-south-africa.html www.energy.org.za/map-south-african-generation-projects

Enel Green Power South Africa T +27 (0)10 334 0200 E communications.egprsa@enel.com issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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BUILDING SYSTEMS FLOORS

Durable and sustainable Construction of a soon-to-be-completed hospital in East London, the Cecilia Makiwane, commenced in 2011 and final handover is planned for December 2017. The new hospital replaces its predecessor, which was located across the road and scheduled for demolition.

Facilities consist of a nursing college, accommodation for nurses and doctors, emergency medical services, general surgery, a TB unit, maternity wards, accident and trauma unit, intensive care unit, orthopaedic surgery, 630 beds (530 specialist beds and 100 mental health), a TB unit with 700 beds and other standard medical divisions to serve a population of 267,000.

The tertiary teaching hospital is in Mdantsane on the outskirts of East London in the Eastern Cape – the second largest township in South Africa after Soweto – and was named after the first African woman to become a professional nurse in South Africa.

Durable and sustainable underfoot The design of flooring for such a healthcare facility calls for combining the assurance of sustainable slip

‘A lot of effort goes into health planning and that it is critical to have a well experienced and educated team who has knowledge of both building and healthcare to arrive at such a well thought out functional and aesthetically pleasing building.

– Carike Gouws

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Photos by Polyflor

Magnificent durable flooring from the supplier.

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FLOORS BUILDING SYSTEMS

resistance with high durability for years to come.

Hence, well-known South African flooring solutions provider, Polyflor, supplied 29 574m² of Pearlazzo PUR vinyl sheeting, 2 950m2 of Astral PUR heavy-duty flexible vinyl sheet safety flooring, 1 200m² of highly decorative Hydro Evolve safety vinyl flooring and 490m² of ESD flooring throughout the new facility.

Showcased to architects The Border Kei Institute of Architects (BKIA), in partnership with Polyflor SA, recently gave 32 architects in the area a glimpse into what is required to plan and construct a state-of-the-art healthcare facility, by hosting an information day on-site.

Carike Gouws, BKIA Infrastructure Portfolio Manager for the Sarah Barman District, says that the aim of the information day was to showcase an example of one of the country’s state-of-the-art health facilities and inspire architects to get involved in health planning.

‘We host a number of CPD events for local architects throughout the year. However, it is not often that we can visit a building of this complexity and in a specialised field of architecture on our doorstep, and it was therefore undoubtedly one of the highlights on the BKIA calendar,’ Gouws explains.

Highlights of the day included a lecture and guided tour of the facilities by Hylton Schwenk of Sakhiwo Health Solutions, the health planner on the project, and an informative session on the importance of screed preparation and building protection by CEO Tandy Coleman of Polyflor, sponsors of the event.

‘The day offered a valuable opportunity for architects and specialists in the field to talk about the complexity of healthcare design and health planning, and to ask and answer questions they had about how specific challenges were overcome,’ Tandy says.

‘The architects who attended were amazed by the technology and complexity around health planning, and were also very vocal about how beautiful the floors still look two years after they were installed, and with minimal maintenance. We value the opportunity we were given to engage with them on a personal level and to be able to offer them advice on similar projects in which they might be involved,’ she adds.

It was clear that the day was a huge success and that everyone also enjoyed the opportunity to see the inner-workings of a high-tech hospital such as the theatres, circulation areas and wards.

Polyflor South Africa T +27 (0)11 609-3500 E wendy@polyflor.co.za W www.polyflor.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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BUILDING SYSTEMS KITCHENS

When is the right time for a kitchen re-vamp?

By Stephanie Forbes, National Manager of the KSA

Is there ever a right time to tackle a kitchen refurbishment? Even in the best of times being without a kitchen for four weeks and having tradesmen in your home is an inconvenience. However, there are times of the year that are more conducive to a stress-free renovation than others.

Best time for a kitchen refurbishment is January to August Most of us take some time planning a renovation and because year-end is the time for bonuses and holidays, there is a trend to try and squeeze the renovation into the last quarter of the year. This unfortunately, adds to the possibility of a stressful renovation. September through to December is the busiest time of year for the kitchen industry. As a rule, the related building industry closes around 15 December. This means that should your site experience delays on the building side, the chances of a completed kitchen before industry shut down is slim.

Suppliers to the kitchen industry project their stock holding for the last-quarter on sales trends of earlier months and the previous history of the final quarter.

This is to ensure that they are not left holding excessive amounts of stock over the holiday period and is a normal and sensible business practice.

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Photos by Shutterstock and the KSA

Imported stock is limited during the last quarter

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KITCHENS BUILDING SYSTEMS Because many of the goods used in a kitchen are imported, it is possible that the supply of materials, hardware and accessories are limited come yearend if there has been a higher than anticipated volume of kitchen orders. When it comes to imported goods, the international supply chain can be erratic, particularly nearing the holiday season, and control of overseas deliveries from suppliers is out of a kitchen manufacturer’s control. This could result in your kitchen company only being able to complete the job in the new year when stock is once again readily available.

Stone fabricators also have a huge influx of work during the last quarter of the year and their order books fill up quickly too. You could face the situation where your kitchen is complete but the tops cannot be fabricated or installed.

Supply chain more consistent during first three months of the year

Some suppliers close their books in November Door manufacturers and other suppliers close their order books sometimes as early as November, depending on demand. It is not always possible for a kitchen company to order your goods as soon as they get your deposit. Not all companies are equipped to store the raw materials or pre-manufactured goods for long periods of time, or for multiple jobs. Unfortunately, this can mean that when they come to order goods for your job their supplier’s books may already be closed for the year.

No one likes to turn down work and although a kitchen company may have capacity to assist you close to year-end, there is no guarantee that their suppliers will be able to do the same. So, if you are going to opt to have your renovation done towards the end of the year, do so with your eye open to the potential pitfalls.

It may well be advisable to postpone your renovation to the first third of the year where the supply chain is more consistent and where the kitchen companies themselves are under less pressure.

Kitchen Specialists Association M +27 (0)82 787 8806 E capetown@ksa.co.za or stephanie@ksa.co.za W www.ksa.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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BUILDING SYSTEMS LIGHTING

Lights around the globe A local chandelier light company is celebrating its success on a global scale for its unique willow-shaped ‘ball-chain’ curtain concept.

Arwen Sellick shows an angular design by Hoets, called The Link.

From giant chandeliers modelled on orange peels, to clover leaf designs, the stylish Youngblood Gallery was the venue for the exciting exhibition by Cape Town company, Willowlamp. The company displayed its Collection 2018 – its latest range of lamps and old faithful designs. The range includes various upgrades and reworked concepts, including animation in certain of the ranges, petite metal vase shaped lamps and the increased usage of clever LED lighting.

Willowlamp was founded by its Creative Director, Adam Hoets, an architecture graduate of the University of Cape Town.

The company’s success internationally is noteworthy, especially its commission to create and fit four massive lamps at the Crowne Towers Hotel in Perth. Fitted in the reception of the hotel at a height of 7 metres, each unit weighs 4 tonnes. Other international project commissions include sites in Egypt, Abu Dhabi, London, Switzerland and others.

Increasingly, designers and architects have been requesting custom-made, bespoke versions of the company’s standard ranges. Très chic. The photos speak for themselves.

Founder and creative director, Adam Hoets, with his animated Crystal Mandala.

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Willowlamp T +27 (0)21 447 8529 E clientservice@willowlamp.com W www.willowlamp.com

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LIGHTING BUILDING SYSTEMS

Photos by Gareth Griffiths Imaging

A Double Spiral Tree lamp

The Windchime Lamp modelled on a traditional bamboo windchime

Willowlamps ‘Secret Love Clover’

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ADVERTORIAL SAFINTRA

Safintra ‘Loks’ Down Roof – for peak performance Respected roofing system supplier, Safintra, informs readers of To Build about its exclusive Saflok 700 concealed fix roofing system.

Photos by Safintra

Specifications Concealed fix roofs are used for large or low slope roofs and provide 3 critical benefits over pierced fix (or screwed down) sheeting systems, these being: 1. The sheet has no holes in it (because they are held down by a clip under the sheet).

2. There are no end laps: because sheets are rolled on the building site, long continuous lengths can be installed with no end laps. This is vital for watertightness, particularly on a low-slope roof.

3. The sheet can expand over the clip: unlike sheeting fastened with a screw (where the screw is fixed, and cannot move, and will shear off).

For confident wind resistance and brutal strength, the new Saflok 700 clip ticks all the boxes: • The clip is made of 0.8mm thick material for the base plate and anchors – flex, but no deflection or deformation in the gooseneck • S purs which engage under the shoulder of the sheet The clip has been tested by independent engineers in accordance with the requirements of SANS 10237, and has a stunning 2 Kpa factored resistance to uplift meaning it performs to SA design wind speeds with complete confidence.

Product fact sheets and further information available from the supplier – details below.

The secret is in the clip From a performance point of view, however, the secret of robust roof life and water-tightness is not that the sheet is secured by an unseen clip, but in the engineering of the clip itself.

As the clip is the primary component holding the sheets down, the clip must engage fully with the profile at its shoulders, and over side laps, to remain locked down and watertight in high winds and rain.

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Safintra Engineering Department T +27 (0)11 323 6300 E info.safintrasa@safalgroup.com W www.safintra.co.za

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ROOFING BUILDING SYSTEMS

Steel hat channel profiles for efficiency During the Mid 1990’s, the Crickmay report stated that South Africa was likely to run out of timber if the current demand continued. It was with this thought in mind that established supplier, MiTek, embarked on providing timber replacement products that could be used in roof truss structures.

Today there are steel solutions for battens, purlins, web runners, bracing and ceiling brandering. In almost every case, steel presented the erector with lighter, straighter and more cost effective solutions.

Channel profiles

Photos by MiTek

MiTek Top-Hat profiles are steel hat channel profiles, manufactured from galvanized steel for superior corrosion resistance. These cost effective steel battens and purlins are compatible with timber and steel trusses for either tile or metal sheeting applications. They can be used as a batten, purlin,

Advantages • Available in standard lengths or can be cut to length (dependent on quantity) • Less wastage as it cannot be used for fire wood (non-combustible) • Can be used with both timber and steel roof trusses • Labour saving in loading and offloading time • Galvanized for superior corrosion resistance • No treatment required (resistant to fungus and borer attacks) • Does not warp, so members are always straight and true • Transport and storage space saving, e.g. bundle of 10 x 25mm MiTek Top-Hat profiles is the same size as one 38x38mm timber batten • Simplified and faster fixing to roof trusses as no purlin clips are used and requires no slitting of under sheeting membrane tilting fillet, ceiling brandering, runner, and web cross brace or diagonal brace in both timber and steel roof structures.

According to the company’s Marketing Manager, Hennie Viljoen: ‘In addition to being easy to transport owing to its lightweight properties, our Top-Hat profiles are packaged in bundles of 10, enabling space saving storage and ease of handling. And they are always straight, ensuring a true and level roof’.

MiTek Industries South Africa (Pty) Ltd T +27 (0)11 237 8700 E marketing@mitek.co.za W www.mitek.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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BUILDING SYSTEMS ROOFING Photo by Gareth Griffiths Imaging

Sitari – a bold eco-statement with Clean COLORBOND® Ultra Matt

Eco-excellence in roofing Increasingly the developers of modern, sustainable housing estates have been looking at the longevity and performance of construction materials used.

Sitari Country Estate is presented as ‘the art of country living’. According to the developers, UVEST, ‘olive groves, orchards, water features and landscaped gardens are subtly intertwined with a security system unparalleled in SA’. It offers 3 150 units consisting of residential luxury and premium apartments, village homes and country homes. It also includes a private school and shopping centre – a large built environment by any standard. However, the clever inclusion of green spaces, cycling paths and walkways inside the habitat makes a bold eco-statement.

Upmost in the mind of the designers was the impact of the development on nature and inhabitants. From above, the steel roofs that cover most of the buildings are built to last. Well-known premium steel roofing material, Clean COLORBOND® Ultra Matt in coating mass AZ200 was specified by the project team and formed into the popular and ‘much-loved’ concealed-fix Diamondek profile by Youngman Roofing.

‘With excellent clipping performance, market-leading drainage capability and unique aesthetic appearance, this product gives outstanding performance, especially when manufactured in Blue Scope Steel’s Clean COLORBOND® Ultra Matt range,’ says Stef du Toit, the Marketing Manager for Youngman Roofing.

At Sitari, three colours have been specified for home buyers to choose from. These include Clean COLORBOND® Ultra Matt in Alley Matt, Iron Matt and Granite Matt, of which the latter has been the most popular.

Another unique attribute of this product also makes it uber-important for housing developments of this pedigree. Arno Hanekom, BlueScope’s Regional Manager for Africa, the manufacturers of the product says: ‘We conducted extensive testing and benchmarking before recommending Clean COLORBOND®Ultra Matt to the developer, UVEST.

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‘Modern pre-painted steel roofing can have a high degree of gloss caused by the specular reflection of the sun’s rays off its surface. In an eco-sensitive environment this often causes a problematic glare which is also disturbing to residents. Our Clean COLORBOND® Ultra Matt offers a high-tech and elegant solution to this problem, ensuring that the same amount of inbound infrared is reflected off the roof as with our standard range, hence keeping the building as cool inside. Tests done on-site prove this. Longevity is another important consideration. As an AZ200 material, we confidently recommend our product to within 100m of the breaking surf on the beach,’ adds Hanekom.

In addition to Sitari, the company has also been involved at other housing estates where similar material has been specified. These include Val de Vie in Paarl, Clara Anna Fontein near Durbanville and Chapman’s Bay Estate in Noordhoek.

Project Team: Sitari Country Estate Developer: UVEST Property Group Associate Developers: Trinity Projects, Power Developments, Manor Homes, Siyahamba Sonke Architects: BPAS Architecture Roofing: Youngman Roofing Roofing steel supplier: BlueScope Steel Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd Roofing profile: Diamondek Roofing material: Clean COLORBOND® Ultra Matt – AZ200 Colours: Alley Matt, Iron Matt and Granite Matt

BlueScope Steel Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd T +27 (0)21 442 5420 E arno.hanekom@bluescope.com W www.bluescope.co.za

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BUILDING SYSTEMS SAFETY & SECURITY

Opinion: Surfing the next wave

By Peter Stutz, Portfolio Manager: Security at Jasco Enterprise

Many commercial facilities in South African have many different security solutions in place. As technologies continue to advance and prices drop, the enormous benefits they bring are making it a risky proposition not to upgrade to digital, analytics and open systems, and integrate these disparate systems for better control.

At present, many organisations still make use of stand-alone analogue solutions, sweating their investments by doing piecemeal integrations (e.g., integrating surveillance and access control solutions) and upgrades to address changing risk profiles. Often, security still falls outside of Information Technology with budgets and management usually being separate.

These tactics start to look less attractive, however, as technology advances begin to fundamentally change the way security solutions can be applied, reaching into new segments of the business to add value.

Future tech wave

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Photos by Jasco

In five years’ time, security solutions as we know them will have converged with IT infrastructure, enterprise applications and external systems (e.g., IoT) to deliver way more than perimeter surveillance, authentication and protection of assets and people. Intelligent algorithms and analytics in CCTV and surveillance systems can, for example, be used within retail and service segments. They can assist companies to better understand how to optimise traffic, store layout and merchandising, and even prompt staff placement, shifting staff dynamically to improve management of service segments. This is only the beginning.

Consider the potential of tying together a personal cloud with a building system that reaches into enterprise systems. This could create a reality in which an individual, on authentication at the entrance of a building, becomes the catalyst for a whole series of automated events that link together the individual, people within the facility and the functional spaces within the building to drive efficiencies and productivity to a new level. For example, as a visitor enters a building to attend a meeting, all attendees are alerted, boardroom sensors are activated and

Peter Stutz

heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) are adjusted, catering requirements are communicated, and personal diaries are updated with attendee information.

Consider the potential of tying together a personal cloud with a building system that reaches into enterprise systems.

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SAFETY & SECURITY BUILDING SYSTEMS Other advancements, once the networks are in place, will include rapid automated deployment of security and devices on networks. Instead of manual system integration, system advances will allow for auto provisioning using specific policies for deployment of devices such as cameras, and their integration into larger systems.

Moving forward The first step toward modern systems is migrating to IP-based infrastructure and wireless technologies. This provides the organisation with greater flexibility. With the addition of advanced features, traditional challenges can be alleviated. Introducing intelligence and analytics provides better ways to analyse inputs at national operations centres, and offers new ways to present alerting and notification, improving compliance.

As security solutions and features begin to add value to the business on more fronts than just protecting assets and people, the business case for implementation and for converging business, IT and security budgets will begin to make sense. However, with multiple systems to integrate, it’s critical that organisations select a system integrator with a keen understanding of the security challenges integration presents.

If organisations are to integrate HVAC, enterprise and security systems and devices, as well as the new hosted applications with their ‘built-in’ APIs that are emerging, an integration layer is required.

Many organisations are currently grappling with this challenge. It needs to be done correctly, with consideration for future impacts.

About the Jasco Group Jasco’s operating divisions, namely Intelligent Technologies, Enterprise, Carriers and Electrical Manufacturers deliver a range of solutions and services. Intelligent Technologies delivers broadcast, power, data centres and Property Technology Management (PTM) solutions as well as Energy Optimisation and Co-location services, a carrier-neutral co-location telecommunications hub where the network infrastructure serves multiple service providers. The Carrier business provides solutions and components for access and transmission networks as well as hi-sites.

The Enterprise business is a specialist in multiple disciplines across numerous solutions, including business communications, contact centres, IT Infrastructure, surveillance and access control, as well as, fire detection and prevention solutions to name but a few.

Electrical Manufacturers delivers contract manufacturing of white goods.

The Jasco Group has a national footprint with offices in Gauteng, Western Cape, Free State, Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Other than South Africa, the organisation features an office in Kenya to service the East Africa region and an office in Dubai to service the Middle East Northern Africa (MENA) region.

It also trades in many sub-Saharan African countries, with a special focus on the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Think ahead As organisations begin to migrate to IP and advanced solutions, their first, most urgent task will be to think ahead. To activate the benefits of technology advances, they need to be asking questions like: • What do we want to be monitoring?

• How do we want to control information?

• Can we outsource physical management?

• What can we feed into our building management system?

This is an important part of the journey to digitisation which drives competitiveness and security within a digital environment. The investment is essential but, with some innovation and ingenuity, the returns can be exponential.

The first step toward modern systems is migrating to IP-based infrastructure and wireless technologies.

The Jasco Group T +27 (0)11-2661547 E makwe.ngwato@jasco.co.za W www.jasco.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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STRUCTURE BUILDING SYSTEMS

The BMW H-EMS Roof Lift, overall winner in the Annual Steel Awards this year and winner of the Safal Steel Innovation Category.

Steel Awards 2017 September each year is a big month for the SA steel industry. During this month, three simultaneous banquets are held during which the winners are declared in seven different categories of steel construction, including photography.

They showed innovation in every process with the integration of design, detailing, fabrication and erection using modern computer numerical control equipment and software which our industry has invested in so heavily.

The innovation category took this a step further,’ said Paolo Trinchero, CEO of the SAISC. The winning project in the steel innovation category was also declared the overall winner for 2017 - the BMW H-EMS Roof Lift, submitted by Teichmann Structures – the main contractors for the project. This project also won the Safal Steel Innovation Category.

Photos by Gareth Griffiths

The 36th Annual Steel Awards hosted by the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC) in partnership with Aveng Trident Steel had a special theme – survivors – in honour of those companies who could keep their heads above water in very difficult economic times. Encouragingly, as many as 56 entries were received during 2017, reflecting the use of steel as a chosen material by the designers.

‘This is the first year we have introduced an innovation category and the winner did not disappoint us. Several projects displayed characteristics of a winning industry.

Above: Norah and Michael Papanicolaou – Union Steel at the Cape Town Awards event. The project received a commendation in the innovation category for its Granger Bay Demountable Parking Lot Project.

Above right: Commercial category co-winner. SAISA Director Kobus de Beer presents the award to Sutherland Engineering and the CTICC for the CTICC East project.

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Photo by SAISC

Category winners

The Time Square Globe Bar and Casino Arch.

The overall winner Building 50, known as the assembly building at the BMW Rosslyn assembly plant, is about 60 years old and the roof consisted of a low saw-toothed profile roof supported by numerous columns at close spacings. To install the latest assembly line technology, it was necessary to modify a 4 100m² portion of the current B50 structure. The proposed system, H-EMS (Heavy Electric Monorail System), comprises overhead conveyors fixed to the roof, with height-adjustable hangers that carry the vehicles being assembled. The roof and column structure of the existing assembly building was inadequate for this purpose. The H-EMS system required a higher and stronger roof structure with fewer columns.

A technically challenging design and process Erecting a new building and demolishing the old one was not an option. The only option was to erect a new roof structure over the existing Building 50 whilst the assembly plant remained operational on a 24/7 basis and maintained quality standards. The client’s programme allowed 15 months for roof completion, during which time the plant had to remain operational except for two shutdown periods during the festive season breaks at the end of 2015 and 2016.

An unconventional solution had to be adopted in the positioning of the tower cranes since the erection of the steel units could not be done using conventional methods. Nyeleti Consulting, the appointed structural engineers, had extensive experience with incremental bridge launching and they brought this expertise to bear with the concept of launching the roof horizontally into position. This was implemented by the contractors.

The new structure was constructed from an overhead working platform adjacent to the tower crane on the eastern end. The roof structure was constructed on the platform, one roof bay at time.

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MiTek Light Steel Frame Building Category Winners • Summit Place – nominated by Clotan Steel and Weber Saint Gobain (Joint winner – LSFB Structure) • GLA School Hall – nominated by MiTek Industries SA on behalf of Jeffries Bay Build IT (Joint winner – LSFB Roof Structure) Global Roofing Solutions Metal Cladding Category Winner • Kasane Airport – nominated by Global Roofing Solutions ASTPM Tubular Category Winner and Architectural Category Winner • The Time Square Globe Bar and Casino Arch, nominated by Cadcon (Pty) Ltd Commercial Category Winner • CTICC East – nominated by Sutherland Safintra Factory and Warehouse Category Winner • 265 Sydney Road – nominated by Cousins Steel International Safal Steel Innovation Category Winner and Overall Winner • BMW H-EMS Roof Lift – nominated

by Teichmann Structures Details of the professional teams for each project may be found on the To Build website where the organiser’s media release is posted at www.tobuild.co.za/press In parallel, columns had to be installed on the foundations, penetrating through the existing roof. This work was performed over weekends, using a self-lifting hydraulic frame to lift and place sections of each column in “Lego-block” fashion. With a roof bay completed and the columns in place, the roof section could be launched hydraulically – like an incremental bridge launch - and so the process was repeated until completed.

Amanuel Gebremeskel, Technical Director of the SAISC remarked: ‘I think it is rare that you get a challenge of this type, in engineering terms as well as fabrication and erection terms. It’s a very risky project, pulled off spectacularly.’

Southern African Institute of Steel Construction – Awards T +27 (0)11 726 6111 E denise@saisc.co.za W www.saisc.co.za

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Plan, Design, Build, Interior & Exterior Décor

MATERIALS ADHESIVES...............................................113 BRICKS & PAVING..................................116 CEMENT & CONCRETE..........................120 COATINGS..............................................130 TIMBER & DECKING...............................134

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ADHESIVES MATERIALS

Adhesion and workability for busy mill

Photos by Sika

One of the oldest paper mills in South Africa, Ngodwana, is also one of the largest. The owners, Sappi, required a highly durable solution that would withstand an adverse operational environment at the mill during a major concrete rehabilitation project. The mill is situated 50km from Mbombela in Mpumalanga.

Damage caused to structure by adverse environment

DPA Specialist Consulting Engineers on the project had no hesitation in specifying four Sika products to cover all aspects of the necessary concrete repairs. Swiss specialist company, Sika, is a leader in processing materials used in sealing, bonding, damping, reinforcing and protecting load-bearing structures.

According to Sika spokesperson, Paul Adams, the four products supplied played a variety of different but important roles. These included:

Protection of all steel reinforced concrete Specified: Sika MonoTop-610, a cementitious, polymer-modified, one component bonding slurry and primer with active corrosion inhibitors, was used for in this protection job.

‘With excellent adhesion to steel and concrete, Sika MonoTop-610 meets ZTV-SIB requirements for corrosion protection. Due to its excellent workability characteristics and thixotropic behaviour, the product was used for thick layer repairs to concrete slab soffits at the mill,’ Adams explains.

SAPPI - To be repaired using Sika Monotop 610

Thick layer repairs Sika MonoTop-615 HB is a high build, cementitious, polymer-modified, one component repair and reprofiling mortar containing silica fume and Ferrogard corrosion inhibitor.

‘Both Sika MonoTop products are easy to mix, with adjustable consistencies and are sprayable using the wet spray method,’ says Adams. ‘In addition, since no shutdown time was allocated to the contractor (Structural Maintenance Services), applications of Sika products were carried out while the mill was fully operational’.

Floor area repairs All floor areas were repaired using Sikacrete-214, a free-flowing, high strength micro concrete with a maximum aggregate size of 9mm. The product is typically used for casting sections or members where the volumes required are too large for conventional grouts or too small and inaccessible for normal concreting procedures. Economical, easy to mix, apply and finish, it provides excellent adhesion and rapid

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strength development with high resistance to freeze/ thaw cycling. In addition, it is shrinkage compensated and vapour permeable.

Structural repair to kraft-process areas Although in operation since 1966, it was not until 2013 that Ngodwana Paper Mill entered the Dissolving Wood Pulp (DWP) market using a process known as the kraft or sulphate process. For this reason, consultants specified sulphate-resistant Sika MonoTop-412 S, a one-component, fibre-reinforced, low shrinkage, structural repair mortar that meets the requirement of Class-R4 of EN 1504-3. This specialised product was applied to all areas subjected to high sulphate attack. Providing superior workability characteristics, Sika MonoTop-412 S can be applied manually up to 50mm thick and requires no bonding primer. It is suitable for preserving or restoring passivity and is tested for application under live dynamic loading.

Ngodwana Mill not only complies with responsible and sustainable forestation practices and is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) accredited, but is also

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uniquely designed to minimise fresh water usage, a significant factor considering the current drought conditions in South Africa. In this regard, as an integrated pulp and paper mill, Ngodwana performs in the top fifth percentile worldwide. ‘Besides the adverse working environment for the project, severe time and budget constraints were also imposed, making this a challenging project that was significantly expedited by the superior quality of Sika products, which have no doubt extended the operational future of Ngodwana Mill,’ adds Adams.

Sika South Africa (Pty) Ltd T +27 (0)31 792 6500 W www.sika.co.za

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MATERIALS BRICKS & PAVING

Appiness is a designer-paved area Increasingly, material and system suppliers are designing and launching smart phone applications that save both the professional and the consumer time and effort in specifying materials.

Image by Revelstone

Now, Revelstone, a leading Cape-based manufacturer of cast stone products since 1993, has announced the redesign and update of its product and specification generator app. This innovative company specialises in cast stone products which are used as the alternative to real stone.

Recent projects by the company include the Silo 5 building at the V&A Waterfront and Bridge Park at Century City, Cape Town.

‘The new Revelstone app allows you the freedom to browse the entire product range and specify our products, whether you are at home, meeting with customers or in the work environment. This

app improves your navigation experience while accessing information on the go,’ says Revelstone spokesperson, Jeanine Pomario.

‘This is ideal for interior decorators, landscapers, home owners and architects; everyone will find our free app easy to use.’

New features include: • Easy navigation • Step-by-step specifications • Instant information at your fingertips • Updated images and project gallery Revelstone’s product and specification generator app is now available on both the IOS and Android operating systems. Specifiers are invited to download the free app today.

Revelstone E jeanine@revelstone.co.za W www.revelstone.co.za

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MATERIALS BRICKS & PAVING

Lifecycle assessments on clay bricks The formal concept of ‘life-cycle assessment’ was pioneered by various leading academic institutions, regulated by testing agencies and standards authorities, reaching formal status in the first decade of the 2000’s The goal of LCA is to compare the full range of environmental effects assignable to products and services by quantifying all inputs and outputs of material flows and assessing how these material flows affect the environment. (Ref – Sustainable Facilities Tool, US Gov) As such, the technique assesses environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product’s life from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling. In the built environment, specifiers use this tool in estimating the long-term environmental impact of the products and processes they are using with special reference to carbon studies.

Interpretation of a LCA is important. Much confusion can occur at this stage with conflicting claims by proponents of different types of materials.

To Build’s editorial team awaited the release of the industry associations report on LCA on clay bricks. Now available, it contains what appears to be a South African-relevant feature – that of a social life-cycle assessment that extends to job creation. In comparing with LCAs of other materials such as steel or composites, the professional specifier needs to be guided accordingly to ensure fair comparison.

The SA clay brick industry LCA project took four years to completion. It evaluated the following: • The resources consumed and emissions produced over the entire life cycle of clay brick • The impact of different methods of clay brick production against specific environmental factors such as human health, climate change and damage to ecosystems. The study used production data from 86 out of the 102 clay brick production sites in South Africa, ensuring the results are a relevant and valid assessment of the industry.

• The energy efficiency of six common walling materials across South Africa’s six climate zones and three types of building types (low cost residential, residential and commercial). It compares heating and cooling costs during the 50 year use or occupation phase.

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• A range of socio-economic factors such as health and job creation (social LCA) The analysis was conducted in accordance with the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards with an external review to aim for the highest quality standards. The study evaluates all major environmental impacts as defined by the highly-regarded Impact 2002+ methodology with respect to the production of 1kg of fired brick.

The research team from the University of Pretoria was highly-qualified and led by Professor K Bakker (Dean of the Faculty of Architecture), Project Coordinator Professor P Vosloo and Research Assistant G Rice. The project was co-ordinated by the CBA Technical Team led by Nico Mienie and data was provided by brick makers across South Africa.

Why the LCA matters South Africa is the largest CO2 emitter in Africa and the 12th largest in the world and the construction and operation of buildings (especially heating and cooling) makes up as much as 40% of all emissions.

The LCA is central to goals of The Energy Efficient Clay Brick Project (EECB) – a CBA initiative to foster sustainable technologies to increase energy efficiency in brick-making.

The clay brick sector is committed to playing their part in meeting Government’s targets to reduce carbon emissions. Over the last four years, the EECB project’s energy-efficiency initiatives resulted in a 10-15% reduction in the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The EECB project was originally funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented in South Africa by Swisscontact. The project was handed over to the CBA for ongoing implementation in 2017.

Why the LCA matters to the construction industry ‘Energy used during production is just a fraction of the total life cycle considerations of a building material,’ explains Nico Mienie.

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BRICKS & PAVING MATERIALS

‘The clay brick industry Life Cycle Assessment will allow architects to accurately calculate the lifetime environmental impact of using clay brick in a building, compared against other construction materials. Access to accurate data will make it easier to design “green” buildings that are naturally energy efficient,’ he adds.

Cradle to gate During brick manufacturing, the environmental impacts mostly relate to the mining, production and burning of coal, which is the raw material used for combustion during firing. Because South Africa relies on coal burning technology for the generation of electricity, switching to electric kiln technologies would not reduce environmental impact.

Annual sector totals: • 33.5 billion MJs of non-renewable energy consumed • 2.6 million tons CO2 equivalent emissions

Gate to grave By far the greatest share of climate and health impacts occur in the “use” phase of brick – 50 years of building use and occupation. Electricity used for heating, cooling and ventilating houses in South Africa has a very high impact as electricity is predominantly generated by coalfired power stations. The study measurements were based on the residents living in reasonable “thermal comfort” which is between 19 and 25˚C. Annual Operational Energy is the sum of all heating, cooling and ventilation electricity costs accumulated over all four seasons in one year.

The low density walling systems (timber and steel frame) show a trend towards higher annual energy use, while the three high density walling systems (clay brick) consistently result in lower annual energy use.

There is a 30% to 70% energy saving if clay brick is used, relative to other typical building materials.

The thermal mass and natural insulating properties of clay bricks reduce carbon footprint and environmental impact, while offering long term savings in energy use. This makes clay brick an attractive option for both environmentally-conscious architects and cost-conscious property owners.

Socio-economic LCA A social LCA uses a similar framework but assesses how a product affects workers, the community and the consumer in terms of socio-economic factors, such as human rights, working conditions and health & safety.

It takes 26 man-hours to produce one thousand bricks, which results in four jobs created per million bricks produced. The brick industry provides employment particularly in rural communities where it is most needed in South Africa and is actively engaged in community development programmes.

In addition, brick-makers are significant supporters of Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises and 74% of supplies are purchased from them.

Download the findings To facilitate the dissemination of the findings of the reports amongst construction decision makers the most relevant results from the main report have been consolidated into a series of downloadable publications available free online from www.claybrick.org

The Clay Brick Association of South Africa T +27 (0)11 805 4206 W www.claybrick.org issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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MATERIALS CEMENT & CONCRETE

Photos by Raubex/AfriSam

Above: Raubex Building recently completed the first phase of a government-funded project for RDP flats in Clayville Ext 45.

Right: Raubex Building’s Renier Rossouw with some of the local labourers.

Houses for the people Residential units are going up apace in the Clayville Ext 45 area near Tembisa – between Pretoria and Ekurhuleni – as Raubex Building constructs houses for private sale as well as RDP flats.

The developments, by well-known developer Valumax, include bonded standalone houses for private sale and government-funded blocks of RDP flats.

Each dwelling has a solid raft foundation using AfriSam readymix concrete. Work has just been completed on 822 private residential houses in a project that began in early 2015, where the supplier’s readymix concrete was required for the ‘waffle raft’ foundations under each unit. Between 8 and 9m3 of concrete was poured per house, depending on the floor space, which are 45, 52 or 56m2 in dimension, according to the builder’s quantity surveyor, Renier Rossouw.

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For this project, AfriSam delivered about 36m3 of concrete a day, amounting over the full project duration to about 7,000m3, says AfriSam Sales Manager, Adele Wentzel. This was sourced from the company’s Olifantsfontein plant, just 11km from site, allowing cost and logistical benefits.

RDP flats Raubex Building also recently completed the first phase of a government-funded project for RDP flats, in close proximity to the private housing development.

‘In February, we handed over 11 three-storey blocks, comprising a total of 237 flats with a 40m2

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CEMENT & CONCRETE MATERIALS

Above: The second phase of RDP flats underway, also with readymix supplied by AfriSam. Above right: AfriSam readymix concrete is playing an important role on Raubex Building’s project at Clayville Ext 45 near Tembisa.

footprint each, to the client,’ says Rossouw. ‘Here, the same supplier provided readymix both for the raft foundations – which used 1,100m3 of 20MPa strength concrete – and for the rib and block slabs between the flats, which consumed about 500m3 of the stronger, 25MPa concrete.’

A second phase of RDP flats is now underway, also with readymix supplied by AfriSam, and is scheduled for completion by Raubex Building in March 2018.

This larger contract is for 484 living units in 18 fourstorey blocks, with each block comprising 20, 28, 32 or 36 units.

‘By the end of this phase, they will have delivered 1,800m3 of readymix concrete for the raft foundations of these blocks, as well as another 1,200m3 for the rib and block slabs,’ Wentzel says.

Readymix Due to the highly structured planning of the work cycle on these contracts, a reliable supply of readymix is vital, emphasises Rossouw. For this reason, he says, AfriSam’s capacity as a large supplier is important so that supply can be re-routed from its other operations if anything affects production at one plant.

‘As a contractor, you are always constrained by budget and time, so we need partners that deliver as promised,’ he says. ‘We have built a good working relationship with AfriSam over the past four years or so, and have always been impressed by their reliability, as well as the quality of their product. They are also able to ensure the necessary quality requirements, as each pour must be tested independently in terms of company policy and contract requirements.’

The depth of expertise in cement and concrete technology also allows the cement supplier to offer support to customers in regard to testing and quality issues, according to Wentzel. Furthermore, the company trains customers’ employees on the various procedures to be followed for testing on-site.

She also highlights the importance of good systems and constant communication on both sides of this partnership, ensuring that each party knows what to expect. Rossouw says Raubex Building appreciates the quick response from AfriSam’s control centre, which monitors readymix trucks and responds to customer queries.

On the site itself, there are about 260 workers during this phase, mostly local people who are engaged and trained by Raubex Building. The construction methods are deliberately labourintensive, to allow a high level of job creation and skills development. For example, the AfriSam readymix for the raft foundations is moved on site mainly with the use of wheelbarrows, while manually operated power floats are used to achieve the necessary smooth surface.

Local sub-contractors are engaged to provide electrical installations in each residential unit, as well as to install plumbing, glazing and ceilings.

Raubex Building T +27 (0)10 140 0302 E BarendB@raubex.com W www.raubex.com issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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MATERIALS CEMENT & CONCRETE

Training to uplift an industry

According to the Aspasa Office Manager, Mary-Ann Sutton, only six months into the programme the education regimen is receiving positive feedback from those companies who have sent staff members on the relevant workshops. Requests are being received for follow-up courses so that staff who have already attended might be further upskilled.

‘The courses are specifically aimed at areas of the industry where skills development is needed. They were developed following two surveys that were conducted by the association to determine the most immediate needs of the industry. A Skills Development Committee (training) has also been established with many new ideas already on the table since the first meeting was held in June this year’ she says.

Relevant material ‘Trainers are sourced from within the industry where relevant. All have exceptionally strong training backgrounds and in many instances the courses offered are fully accredited so that CPD points can be claimed.

Thus far there has been a strong uptake for all the courses held which shows that the courses are relevant.

‘Where possible the courses are offered in all regions across the country if there is sufficient demand.

Alternatively, courses are offered in the major centres and can be arranged for individual companies if a need exists.

The courses can also be repeated if need be. Also, if changes in legislation or working practices occur we may choose to update the course and offer it as a refresher.

Aspasa will again undertake surveys again in the latter

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Photo by ASPASA

Deepening skills shortages in the surface mining industry have led to the launch of several new pointed training workshops by the industry’s representative association, The Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of Southern Africa (Aspasa), aimed at addressing the problem at its source.

Mary-Ann Sutton of Aspasa

half of 2017 and encourages companies to put forward their requirements. If there is sufficient requirement for a new course then relevant and concise workshops will be compiled in order to provide the relevant information to trainers in a short and succinct manner in order to minimise time out of the office’ says Mary-Ann.

Aspapa and its training offer Aspasa is a voluntary membership, private sector producers association. The association is a member of the Chamber of Mines, but independent. It represents those companies that are in the business of producing aggregate and sand - operating quarries, sand pits and crushing operations. Aspasa stands independent, even though a member of the Chamber (source Aspasa website).

Courses offered include Health & Safety & Fatigue Management, Crushing and Screening, G1 Base Training, Lockout Workshop, Total Quality Management for Skills Development, Section 54 Workshop, SHE REP, Blasting, PDS. Aspasa is also willing to assist with a short course – three hours for a company to familiarize senior staff to the MHSA and related information.

For information on the workshops visit the Aspasa website below and click on the training link which course details and online booking facilities.

The Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of Southern Africa T +27 (0)11 791 3327 E nico@aspasa.co.za W www.Aspasa.co.za

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MATERIALS CEMENT & CONCRETE

The LuminTech® border around the same swimming pool at night.

Photo by LuminTech®

The LuminTech® border around a swimming pool during the day.

Colourful concrete that glows after dark A concrete that glows in the dark? It sounds like Christmas. To Build discovered more about this attractive new product.

LuminTech®, the impressive new addition to Chryso’s wide range of decorative concretes, comprises a variety of different luminescent particles that are applied to the surface and incorporated into the concrete skin. The particles – which during the day imitate natural aggregates – absorb UV radiation, both natural and artificial, and then after dark release the energy to illuminate selected areas of a building or home.

Michelle Fick, Executive Relationship and Project Manager for the Chryso Southern Africa Group, says LuminTec® offers exciting new design possibilities for architects, landscapers and home-owners.

‘The innovative technology can be used to illuminate and enhance the architectural lines of an urban building at night, or highlight a domestic terrace or garden pathway, or the edges of a swimming pool. The intensity of the illumination depends on the volume of particles scattered on the concrete skin. Available in four colours, the particles are ideal for outdoor use as they are not epoxy-based,’ Fick explains.

She says the product’s glowing appearance can generally be seen for more than 10 hours after dark, and can be used as luminous nocturnal marking in lowlight areas, or even replace electric lighting on cycle paths, for example. The luminous concrete marking enhances quality of life as it clearly defines spaces making it easier for users to find their way in the dark.

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‘Application merely calls for the particles to be placed on the concrete surface. It also requires no manual input to “switch on” and just needs conventional decorative concrete maintenance: washing the surface occasionally with soapy water.

Even in daylight, the particles offer designers creative potential: the choice of daytime colours differs from the colours glowing in the dark,’ adds Fick.

Advice for applicators Fick says LuminTech® should ideally be used on exposed aggregate concrete in conjunction with Chryso’s Deco Lav water-based surface retarder. The luminous particles are also suitable for polished concrete surfaces although this application is not widely used.

‘For a building industry increasingly concentrating on sustainability, our product is an environmentally-friendly light source as its particles are sourced from composite recycled material and natural mineral pigments,’ Fick explains. ‘Its technology meets several French and European standards and strongly resists impact and friction. It is also not affected by freeze-thaw cycles. In addition, its durability is another strong positive factor as its luminosity does not deteriorate over time.’

Chryso Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd T +27 (0)11 395 9700 E elrene@chrysosa-abe.co.za W www.za.chryso.com

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MATERIALS CEMENT & CONCRETE

Mark of Approval gains ground The Concrete Manufacturers Association Certification Services (CMA CS) has obtained South African National Accreditation Services (SANAS) accreditation for the certification of a wide range of precast concrete products.

The certification puts it in the forefront of precast certification and ensures that specifiers and engineers can specify products bearing the CMA CS Mark of Approval with the utmost confidence. Products bearing the CMA CS Mark of Approval are certified to comply with requirements as prescribed by the relevant South African National Standards (SANS) code.

According to CMA CS CEO, Frans Minnaar, CMA CS was established by the precast industry association as an alternative supplier to the traditional SABS certification process, following ongoing complaints from its members and their customers complaining of unwarranted delays in obtaining and renewing product certifications. The CMA CS was subsequently registered and obtained accreditation as an official certification authority.

‘Since then we have undertaken a number of audits and provided several companies with product category certifications. Now, with the addition of SANAS accreditation pertaining to specific product groups, we can confidently certify most precast product types that are required to meet SANS specifications,’ he says.

‘In future, all CMA CS Mark of Approval certificates will bear the SANAS number (C75) and logo on it and we will re-issue new certificates to the current mark holders in due course. The best thing about our mark is that it is internationally accepted meaning we can also provide services outside the borders of South Africa.

‘For those producers that were concerned and who are still struggling to obtain new permits or renewals from the SABS, we are happy to inform them that the CMA CS is now available to issue certificates with the SANAS Accreditation number and logo on it in the same manner as any other accredited certification body. But, with the added assurance that we will maintain the highest standards for our certification services always,’ he adds.

SANAS certification has been obtained for the following product categories: • SANS 508 – Retaining Blocks • SANS 542 – Roof Tiles • SANS 677 – Non-Pressure Pipes

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CMA CS CEO, Frans Minnaar

• • • • •

SANS 927 – Kerbs and Edgings SANS 986 – Reinforced Culverts SANS 1058 – Paving Blocks SANS 1215 – Masonry Units SANS 1294 – Manhole Components

Assurance For the end-users of pre-cast products, the CMA CS mark of approval ensures that the company producing products under this mark of approval is being assessed on a regular basis for compliance with their quality management systems, as well as the applicable product specifications for which they have the CMA CS mark.

‘Our CMA CS system auditors are all carefully selected and approved before they are allowed to perform product audits. Likewise, our permits are only issued to producers that meet all the necessary requirements for compliance. However, end-users should spend the time to ensure the validity of any mark certificate by confirming the permit number on the “Mark Holder’s List” which is published on the CMA website (www.cma.org.za) before acceptance.

The CMA CS Mark of Approval is the Mark you can trust for real compliance with SANS specifications,’ Minnaar concludes.

Concrete Manufacturers Association T +27 (0)11 805 6742 E director@cma.org.za W www.cma.org.za

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ADVERTORIAL PCC

Quality: Still PPC’s focus 125 years on

By Rob Rein, Executive for Sales and Marketing at PPC

PPC’s celebration of 125 years of operation this year has given each of us much to reflect on. Reaching this incredible milestone is the result of an incredible collective effort that spans generations of committed team members and courageous leaders. It speaks to our ongoing pursuit of quality, and imbuing that into all we do and create: from products and solutions to active partnerships across sectors, stakeholders and communities. Above all, it’s given us the ideal platform from which to move into the next decade and century as we continue to show the market that, when it comes to cement, there’s much more to it…

The past decade has been an interesting time for most companies and brands operating here and across the continent. As our world becomes increasingly connected and complex, it has also become far less predictable and more dynamic – requiring a new response to both “cause” and “effect”.

This continues to challenge all of us and, in the case of PPC, brings us back to our “why” of quality: the heart of our brand since the beginning. And, while this relates to our manufacturing and stringent testing systems and processes, on a much broader scale quality is a challenge; a call to act in all we do.

Quality, mutually beneficial partnerships with our customers and other stakeholders have been the starting point for this approach. By giving customers access to world-class technical expertise from the outset – access to our laboratory, testing facilities, researchers and engineers across the business – we’ve created partnerships that speak directly to their strategic objectives and add lasting value. Moreover, we’ve been able to do this across our African footprint, using this as an opportunity to share skills, introduce relevant processes and build capacity.

In a similar way, using our naming rights of PPC Newlands as a catalyst for partnerships with the JP21 Project (JP Duminy’s NPO) and, more recently, the Temba Bavuma Foundation (Temba Bavuma’s cricket development initiative) has meant that we’ve additionally repaired and built cricket practice pitches and nets that children in Soweto and Mitchells Plain are already using.

The September launch of our first PPC container in Ulundi (KwaZulu-Natal) at King Senzangakhona High School (in conjunction with a mobile science lab) also

Rob Rein, Executive for Sales and Marketing at PPC

means that community members will now be able to buy quality building materials directly from the school – with all profits going back to the school.

As PPC, we see these opportunities as just the beginning however; a taste of what’s possible and still to come. We’re looking forward to the next 125 years of partnership with our stakeholders across South Africa and the rest of the continent – and continuing to challenge and deliver on our definition of quality so that it remains relevant, meaningful and impactful.

PPC Group Services T +27 (0)11 386 9000 E contactus@ppc.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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MATERIALS CEMENT & CONCRETE

Concrete industry honours In August, the Southern African ReadyMix Association’s (SARMA) premier annual event, the SARMA Awards, was held in Gauteng during the Concrete Conference.

Established supplier AfriSam walked away with both the Best Plant award for its Wynberg readymix facility and the Best Fleet award for its Gauteng readymix fleet, two of the four accolades bestowed on the industry’s top performers for 2017.

‘The team is justifiably excited about winning this prestigious honour,’ says Kevin Naidoo, AfriSam’s Operations Manager for the company’s central cluster which includes the two large plants that share the site at Wynberg.

Naidoo says it was a significant achievement given the size and output of the Wynberg plants, which are among the busiest in the country. These plants serve the fast-growing region that encompasses Sandton and Rosebank.

‘There is an added pressure on a plant when its production demands are high, and we feel proud that we can maintain such high levels of safety, quality and other standards while still meeting the output that our customers need,’ he adds.

About the awards The SARMA awards are based on detailed compliance audits that measure safety, health, transport, environment and quality at members’ readymix plants. The wide range of criteria includes hazard identification, risk assessment, legal requirements, communication, participation and documentation.

According to AfriSam, the strategic location of their plants in the business heartland of the country also means that the Wynberg plants are producing concrete for many of Gauteng’s new high-rise developments. This, in turn, puts them at the cutting edge of sophisticated concrete products and mixes; specially designed for the high-performance requirements of these buildings.

On the transport side of the business, AfriSam’s outbound Logistics Manager, Rob Sansom, says it was a great reward to be recognised as the best fleet.

‘It is worth remembering how important our fleet is to the image and reputation of the company as a whole,’ says Sansom. ‘While members of the public seldom drive past one of our plants, they will often see one of our branded readymix trucks out on the road.

Each vehicle is like a billboard for the company, so it must always deliver a positive impact.’

‘Our contracts with suppliers bind them to our high standards of safety and compliance. We also motivate our supply partners with Truck of the Month awards in each region, which provides our own internal recognition of the excellence we expect,’ he adds.

AfriSam T +27 (0)11 670 5500 E maxine.nel@za.afrisam.com W www.afrisam.com

The winning team – AfriSam won two of the four accolades bestowed on the industry’s top performers

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MATERIALS COATINGS

Colours for 2018 Every year, Kansai Plascon publishes their viewpoint on the latest colour trends in their Colour Forecast. It starts with the experts in the brand’s colour team surveying the way colour is being used across the creative industries, and then filtering this insight into a set of trend stories that truly reflect the global mood.

These curate a palette of colours from the Kansai Plascon colour system, brought to life through inspiring room sets and inspiration imagery.

The team behind the supplier’s popular colour forecasts consists of Claire Bond who is based at the Plascon Space Showroom in Fourways, Johannesburg and Kerstin Eser, who is based in Cape Town and is Kansai Plascon’s Media Stylist and Colour Specialist.

Claire is a decorative artist, décor stylist and an experimentalist, while Kerstin has been in the design and décor industry for more than two decades.

As the Kansai Plascon Colour Team they are responsible for making sure that the brand’s viewpoint on colour is both on-trend and accessible for their customer.

This year, the forecast was conceptualised in partnership with WGSN, a global leader in trend insight who provided a third and internationally respected voice on the team.

Overview of the new scheme

Colours The Neutral of the Year for 2018 is Amadeus: an earthy, yellow-tinted hue. The current colour trends are often about bringing together eclectic influences to create something new. The colour team picked this neutral because it balances this tendency out and brings the grounding energy that holds a more diverse palette together.

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Photos by Kansai Plascon

The world is in flux now, but with uncertainty comes possibility. As a result, the global design scene is characterised by creatives playing with eclectic combinations to create something new from the familiar. Taking its cue from this tendency, the colour forecast stories for this year were all inspired by this mixing of diverse elements.

Exotic Euphoria

Colour Story One: Exotic Euphoria The distinction between natural and artificial blurs in response to scientists and artists hybridising the two in their work. The palette’s supercharged and jungleinspired brights are almost phosphorescent, especially against the backdrop of lush natural hues. The overall feeling is a little wild and overgrown, and it’s perfect to create living spaces that feel connected and natural but energetic at the same time.

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COATINGS MATERIALS today – combining North and South, East and West – finding that the ties that bind are invariably colour. A rich global mix is expressed in a palette of pigmented hues, fruity accents and watery blues. The overall feeling created in Craft Spirit is one of connection – ideal for creating rich and textured living spaces.

Soft Composition

Colour Story Two: Soft Composition Soft Composition is about editing spaces and styles to create room for contemplation. The mood is calming yet grounded and the whole look is inspired by classic form and colours. The palette gets its on-trend update through the inclusion of bold retro accents alongside the muted colours. In this way classic and contemporary are combined. The whole idea is to create spaces that feel familiar but at the same time look new.

Colour Story Three: Craft Spirit Every culture has a craft heritage and this theme is inspired by the way this common past connects us all

Hi-Glo

Colour Story Four: Hi-Glo One for the adventurous, Hi-Glo is the mash-up of digital and physical. It’s inspired by how the digital space allows people to express new identities and at the same time how colour still has such a physical presence in our lives. It’s a rule-breaking palette of citrusy sorbet tones, soft pink, mid-toned primaries and grounding earthy colours to hold it all together.

The Neutral of the Year for 2018 is Amadeus

Craft Spirit - the palette

Kansai Plascon T +27 (0)860 20 40 60 W www.plascon.com issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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MATERIALS INSULATION

Conserve energy and reduce electricity usage Building methodologies have changed radically in the last 50 years, and with the growing demand for energy, and buildings typically accounting for 40% of all energy consumed in countries, insulation has become a very important consideration when planning a construction project.

About glass wool Glass wool is inherently non-combustible, and meets the requirements for optimal thermal and acoustic insulation performance. It holds a fire rating of A/A1/1, which means it will also not contribute to flame spread, and can be used in any class of building occupancy.

Apart from being an exceptional thermal insulator, other benefits of glasswool insulation include: • Acoustic insulation properties • Environmentally friendly, made from up to 80% recycled glass • ISOVER glass wool is proudly made in SouthAfrica • High R-Value per standard thickness

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Photos by St Gobain ISOVER

To Build asked Karlien Delport Botha, the Brand and Communications Manager for global leader SaintGobain ISOVER to provide some insights into the evolving thermal insulation scene ‘It has become such an important factor, that the South African building regulator (SANS10400-XA) prescribes that all new homes must have a certain level of insulation in their roofs to meet specific performance requirements based on certain climatic zones. Rising costs have also forced a need to conserve energy and reduce electricity usage.

‘As from 2018, the legislation will be upgraded and it is particularly important that professionals in the industry keep abreast of the new guidelines that will be published soon.

‘Stringent guidelines, however, do not mean that your home or office should be uncomfortable. With the thermal and acoustic insulation solutions available, you can support the design of energy efficient construction which provides comfort for users, while protecting the environment. Our insulation materials are manufactured from glass wool, mineral wool and expanded polystyrene,’ she says.

Glass wool insulation products are manufactured to be applied in multiple areas of buildings. Glass wool is most commonly known for insulation in ceilings of residential buildings, but ISOVER also manufactures products for the following applications: • Cavity wall and dry wall insulation • HVAC and Air-conditioning system insulations • Pipe insulation • Over purlin roof insulation in commercial buildings • Suspended ceilings • Industrial roof insulation • Higher temperature insulations • Top up roof insulation • High performance sound proofing

Saint-Gobain ISOVER SSA T + 27 (0)12 657 7061 E karlien.delport@saint-gobain.com W www.isover.co.za

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MATERIALS TIMBER & DECKING

A word about timber Photos by the ITC-SA

By the Institute for Timber Construction South Africa

The Institute for Timber Construction South Africa (ITC-SA), South Africa’s professional body for the engineered timber construction industry, has been serving the industry and its consumers for over four decades. The institute shares with readers its view on a safe and legal timber structure from design to certification.

As a professional body, the ITC-SA’s vision is to create and maintain the highest standards in the engineered timber construction industry by monitoring its membership, continuously improving standards, promoting and marketing engineered timber structures, and overseeing the training and development of its members.

What is a professional body?

In 2013, the ITC-SA became a South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) accredited professional body, holding professional membership.

In this capacity, the Institute must comply with the requirements set out by the National Qualifications Framework Act (NQF Act 67 of 2008) as amended.

A SAQA-accredited professional body must be a legally constituted entity with the necessary human and financial resources to undertake its functions, governed either by a statute, charter or a constitution and be compliant with and adhere to good corporate governance practices.

The importance of the ITC-SA for the industry It is essential that an accredited professional body like the ITC-SA regulate and monitor its members’ individual profiles and performance with regards to

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training undertaken and completed for professional recognition. This training is in line with the criteria set by the ITC-SA and is approved by SAQA, and is key for the promotion and monitoring of continuous professional development (CPD) for members to meet the relevant professional designation requirements.

All professional members recognised by the ITC-SA must abide by the Institute’s published Code of Conduct as well as its mechanism for reporting and investigating members who are alleged to have contravened this Code.

The ITC-SA works to ensure that the industry’s viewpoints are accommodated and protected in the compilation of all documents on grading specifications, design codes and matters affecting National Building Regulations. The Institute’s Timber Engineering Advisory Committee (TEAC) maintains its status as the official drafting committee for the code of practice for the Design of Timber Structures.

The ITC-SA ensures the continued existence of the Standards, Inspections and Audits Committee, to regulate and control safe and consistent standards within the industry. The Institute will pursue and assist in the enforcement of the ‘A19’ process of the National Building Regulations through all local authorities by offering the ITC-SA Accredited Engineers and

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TIMBER & DECKING MATERIALS appointed Inspectors to fulfil the role of Approved Members of the structural system to comply with statutory requirements.

The ITC-SA carries out random inspections of truss manufacturing plants to uplift and maintain desired quality standards in the industry. The Institute works to ensure close liaison with the education sector and training authorities in the development of unit standards for the manufacture of nail-plated timber roof trusses, for the erection of timber roof trusses and to facilitate training in these disciplines, in compliance with the Skills Development Act. The ITC-SA also works closely with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and particularly with the Disaster Prevention Department.

The ITC-SA works to establish a Certificate of Competence for truss estimators/designers, to promote a code of ethics for roof truss fabricators, to monitor the contractual obligations of systems and licensees and ensure adherence to agreed procedures, and to continuously update bracing and erection manuals to disseminate correct procedures to members and to the industry at large.

How does the ITC-SA protect the consumer?

A professional body like the ITC-SA has the intent to protect the public interest in relation to the services provided by its members and the associated risks.

Recognised and accredited professional bodies like the ITC-SA are mandated to develop, award, monitor and revoke its professional designations in terms of its own rules, legislation and/or international conventions.

The role of the ITC-SA is to ensure consumer protection in the use of timber engineered products in contracts entered into with the ITC-SA membership and to regulate the professional conduct of its members. Where prima facie evidence confirms professional misconduct, to protect the consumer and the reputation of the industry, the ITC-SA shall apply proper sanctions.

Protection against poor workmanship The saying of what you pay for is what you get could never be truer than when it comes to timber construction. Many people try to save on the construction of their roof, timber home or deck, and often end up spending more remedying the problems that arise from using sub-standard materials and workmanship.

For a professional and long-lasting end result, it is essential to engage the services of a professional, knowledgeable and experienced individual. This will, no doubt cost more initially than engaging the services of an unqualified individual, but will save a great deal of money and stress down the line.

The institute advises clients to educate themselves as far as possible on the dos and don’ts of timber construction and encourages both homeowners and property developer looking to have any type of timber structure built to do the right thing and enlist the services of an ITC-SA accredited member.

‘Doing otherwise puts you at risk of having to accept poor quality materials and shoddy workmanship, and with little or no recourse to recover losses,’ warns an ITC-SA spokesperson.

Some advice in short • Cheaper is never better.

• Saving costs on a timber construction project will most likely cost you more down the line.

• Read and learn as much as you can about timber construction before you get started • Hiring an unqualified builder puts you at risk of having no method of recourse should things go wrong.

• For complete peace of mind, hire an ITC-SA accredited professional to help you with your construction project.

With the ITC-SA, both the trade and consumer can enjoy the peace of mind and protection that come with a safely erected and inspected timber frame home, roof or deck structure. The Institute encourages queries and engagement from both the trade and the public and will assist where possible to help inform and educate the market on timber construction best practice.

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MATERIALS TIMBER & DECKING

Photos by: Kevin Crause

Hidden timber asset Hidden Valley Wine Farm, located on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountains near Stellenbosch in Cape Town, has a gentle approach to their craft, leaving much up to the dance between soil and climate to dictate the outcome of their highly acclaimed wine and olive produce. It made sense, then, that their brief for luxury cabin accommodation on-site called for timber frame construction, not only for natural aesthetic appeal, but for environmental considerations as well.

Nestled in a valley rich in indigenous flora and fauna, Hidden Valley Wine Farm’s architecture pays careful homage to its surrounds. With much the same approach to commissioning the guest accommodation on the farm, Rustic Homes, leaders in timber frame construction, were briefed to build two luxury wooden cabins, including a deck and pool area seamlessly connecting the two, above the farm’s olive groves.

The site chosen for construction of the main lodge and two-bedroom cottage was along an overgrown and unused farm road, which was the only level piece of available land on the steeply sloping estate. Much as the old road dictated the path its users took in years

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gone by, it came to set the stage for the configuration of the two cabins.

The foundations of the project innovatively deviate from timber frame construction convention due to the unique requirements of the build, which rests instead on custom-made light-steel bases supported by concrete columns.

Timber solutions Timber frame construction was an ideal solution to the challenges posed by the sloping, hard-to-reach site. Thanks to its lightweight properties and ease of prefabrication off site, the structural components could

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TIMBER & DECKING MATERIALS be transported to site and erected with minimal impact on the surroundings and a relatively brief turnaround time as compared with traditional building methods.

The exterior of the cabins is cladded in hardwearing and weather-resistant Eucalyptus Marginata, or Jarrah, as it is more commonly known, as are the sliding screens shielding west-facing windows and doors from the afternoon sun. Jarrah also finds a home on the interior floors as well as in accents around the cabins.

Untreated Balau (Shorea Laevis) timber was used for the decking component of the project and has been left untreated so it weathers to an attractive natural silvery grey. Stainless steel cable railings complete the deck area without creating any impression of it being closed off from its surrounds.

Exposed timber roof trusses lend airy volume to the interior and rafters extending from the inside out contribute a sense of simple continuity to the project that blurs the line between interior and exterior, a feature underpinning the structures’ main purposes of leisure and entertainment.

The main lodge includes living and dining rooms, kitchen and bedroom, and is elegantly separated from the cottage with a beautiful deck area that overlooks exquisite westerly views, which on occasion boast gratifying glimpses of Table Bay. Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves resting on ancient soils and breathing deeply of the nearby sea air, the lodge and cottage at Hidden Valley

Wine Farm represent a gentle and well-considered nod to their surrounds, not only by means of a light environmental footprint, but an exterior in harmony with its environs.

Rustic Homes T +27 (0)82 565 6561 E werner@rustichomes.co.za W www.rustichomes.co.za

Project snapshot Architect: Francois du Toit Builder: Rustic Homes Location: Hidden Valley Wine Farm

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Plan, Design, Build, Interior & Exterior Décor

SERVICES AIR CONDITIONING...............................144 GROUND ENGINEERING.......................146 PLUMBING & RETICULATION................149 FURNITURE................................................154

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ADVERTORIAL AMS

Silent design series Air Movement Supplies, a dynamic and competitive role player in the air movement industry, is part of Elta Group with its worldwide operations and distributors. AMS strive to provide globally competitive products with local service, realising the importance of a satisfied customer in a forceful market.

Features

Silent Design Series Extractor Fans are available from Air Movement Supplies (AMS). The company is represented nationally with offices in Cape Town (Montagu Gardens), Johannesburg (Sandton), Durban and Port Elizabeth.

The Silent Design fan is suitable for wall and ceiling installations, ideal for modern homes and small commercial applications, in sizes to suit 100 and 200mm duct diameter. It includes as standard an integrated backdraft shutter preventing air entry and heat leakage when fan is not running. The fan is manufactured from injection moulded plastic.

A Silent and innovative design The SILENT 100/200 DESIGN Series extractor fans boast a modern and elegant slimline finish with low noise levels for world class silence in your bathroom.

Run-on timer Option The Silent 200 Design series has a 1-30 minute adjustable run-on timer as an option and makes it suitable for bathrooms and en-suites where steam is generated and running the fan will help clear the mirror and even remove unpleasant odours.

Rating The single phase 230V-50Hz,Class B motor, IP45 rated, is mounted on silent-elastic blocks which absorbs the vibrations and allow for very low noise levels.

Color The fan is available in a white finish and includes an operating light bar in blue that runs along the right side of the fan and indicates when the fan is running.

Photos by AMS

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Air Movement Supplies T +27 (0)21 552 1077 W www.fans.co.za

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SERVICES AIR CONDITIONING

Case study - Smoke and natural ventilation A combined smoke and natural ventilation system at a leading Western Cape wine grower’s new production facility at Simondium, uses chain actuators, monitoring and control solutions to help provide a comfortable and safe working environment.

Photo by SE Controls

Established in 1997, Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons’ new 6,000m2 winery was constructed to meet growing demand for their wines. The process engineer and principal agent was consultC Engineering and the architectural vision was produced by Malherbe & Rust Architects.

SE Controls Africa worked closely with smoke control specialist, Curvent International, on the systems.

The new facility is separated into zones, each dedicated to a specific wine production process.

Maturation accounts for almost 2,400m2 of the total area and the remaining capacity split between fermentation and the storage & blending areas.

To meet the ventilation requirements for carbon dioxide (CO2) smoke and natural ventilation, Charl de Kock of consultC Engineering designed individual window automation and control solutions dedicated to each zone. Key switches are also installed to enable localised operation by authorised users.

By using window automation rather than automatic opening roof vents, the maximum roof space could be made available for solar PV panels, which help reduce energy consumption and plant running costs.

During normal operation, the system uses natural ventilation to allow the day-to-day management of temperatures, while also enabling CO2 produced during the fermentation process to be vented to

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the atmosphere. In the event of a fire, the natural ventilation mode is over-ridden. When the system receives a signal from fire and smoke sensors, the smoke ventilation mode triggers all windows to automatically open fully, which enables smoke to be vented and escape routes to be kept clear.

The system uses a total of 44 SECO Ni 24 40 twin chain actuators and nine OS2 SHEVTEC controllers, as well as four SELA N linear actuators dedicated to the maturation area. With SE Controls latest SHEVTEC controller, the client now has the resources available to enable remote monitoring of the system’s live performance. This software tool allows parameters to be set and adjusted to meet the requirements of individual installations. With improved data logging functionality, the client has full control over the system and can record and print event logs. This includes faults, low battery and activation of fire signal.

Dyllan Seller, General Manager with SE Controls Africa, explains: ‘We have an immense amount of experience in combined natural and smoke ventilation solutions, which we used fully when working on this project. As a result, the system provides a safe and comfortable environment for workers at Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons’ impressive new facility.’

Project team Smoke ventilation equipment manufacturer: SE Controls Africa Smoke ventilation manufacturer & contractor: Curvent International Architect: Malherbe and Rust Consulting Engineers: consultC Engineering Contractor: CSV Construction

SE Controls T +27 (0)31 466 1857 W www.secontrols.co.za

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SERVICES GROUND ENGINEERING

Photos by Tony Pappalardo

High Court Building lifted Gandhi Square, named for the Indian leader and human rights activist, is in Johannesburg’s Central Business District and functions as the main central bus terminus for the city’s Metrobus network. Looking over the square, the remaining portion of the former High Court building dating back to 1903 has recently undergone internal structural changes since its purchase by Olitzki Property Holdings.

These changes included a suspended first floor slab to be introduced in a section of the building, supported by a new dividing wall built on original foundation and on steel columns also resting on existing footings.

Solving the problem To provide additional support to the existing footings specialist ground engineering systems company, Uretek, was asked to provide a solution to increase the

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bearing capacity of the founding material. This was achieved by injecting their expanding geo-polymer consisting of super consolidating polymer to the required depth. This can exert thrust of 10,000kPa. It uses the expansion properties of a mix of unique proprietary resins to stabilize, raise and re-level pavements, floors and buildings and to improve the bearing capacity of inadequate foundation strata.

‘A number of resins, each with its own special

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GROUND ENGINEERING SERVICES

Photo by Wiki Commons

characteristics and applications, have been developed to produce low density, thermoset polymer materials that are strong, resilient, insoluble and highly resistant to chemical attack and long-term degradation,’ says Tony Pappalardo of Uretek.

When complementary liquid resins are combined, a chemical reaction quickly occurs, releasing potentially enormous but controllable forces that can vary up to 500kPa (50 ton/m2) for slab-lifting and up to 10,000kPa (1000 ton/m2) for deep-injection. For stabilisation and lifting, the resins are normally injected just under the concrete slab or structure, using specialized equipment and techniques. For ground improvement, they may be injected to a specific depth or at multiple depths into the ground. The pressure of injection is not very high but is sufficient to spread the resin mix sufficiently across the volume of ground concerned, before expansion occurs.

The force imparted to the structure or ground is a direct function of the resistance encountered due to the mass of the structure and/or overburden. No excessive force can be applied.

After injection the mixed resins react and their volume progressively increases many times. The speed of expansion avoids the resins being dispersed in the ground or spreading beyond the zone it is intended to treat. Naturally expansion is greater in the direction in which the resin encounters the least resistance and so, initially, the resin moves, expands and compacts where the foundation is weakest and has the greatest need of improvement.

Finally, the expansion is so confined that the least resistance is from above and the concrete slab, building or other structure begins to lift.

Uretek Geo-Systems (SA) (Pty) Ltd T +27 (0)11 238 7154 M +27 (0)83 601 1456 E tony@uretek.co.za

The original High Court building ca. 1904

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PLUMBING & RETICULATION SERVICES

Pipe manufacturers gather SAPPMA’s (Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association) PIPES XI Conference took place in Gauteng during September 2017. More than 300 delegates attended presentations delivered by 18 international and 17 local experts on issues relating to plastic piping, water infrastructure and engineering, courtesy of the Plastic Pipe Conference Association (PPCA) who sponsored the best speakers of the PIPES XVIII conference in Berlin last year, to present in South Africa in a spin-off conference.

According to the PPCA’s Zoran Davidovski, they have had six spin-off conferences around the world since the first one was hosted in Beijing in 2009.

‘Just as connections are vital in the pipe industry, so too are the connections made between people and professionals in this field, and for this reason we are pleased to see the South African industry so well represented as this year’s conference,’ he said, stressing the importance of attending and hosting international conferences.

‘Survival needs invention, and the best way to be inspired and to learn is by allowing yourself to be educated and your mind stretched by learning from your local and international peers,’ he added.

Highlights of the conference included a keynote address by guest speaker and well-known economist, Dr Roelof Botha. He offered a closer look at the sociopolitical landscape of the country and how this would impact the local economy and the plastic pipe industry specifically.

‘The next 18 months will be turbulent, but there will be opportunities for growth. What we are currently experiencing in our country is a deepening of a democracy. It is important for us to invest in skills transfer,

Much of the presentations delivered at this conference centred around sustainability and invention. It is important to remember that these are never cast in concrete.

- Zoran Davidovski.

public-private partnerships and to restore the functionality of our leadership. With effective leadership, smart policies and team work, there can still be a bright future for South Africa,’ Botha said encouragingly.

Other speakers, to name but a few who presented, include Tony Radoszewski (PPI in the USA) who presented on ‘Manufacturing and Infrastructure in the Age of Trump’, Bruce Hollands (PVC Pipe Association in the USA) on ‘Life cycle assessment of PVC water and sewer pipe and a comparative sustainability analysis of pipe materials’, and Dr Andreas Frank (Polymer Competence Centre in Austria) on ‘Lifetime prediction of PE100 pipes based on slow crack growth resistance’.

‘It was amazing to have these world leaders who are the guru’s in the field on South African turf and presenting to us. Attending their presentations at international conferences is almost an economic impossibility for South Africans, but having this calibre of speakers here and at such an affordable rate was an opportunity that nobody should have missed,’ said George Dilliyannis, Technical Support Engineer at Safripol.

SAPPMA CEO, Jan Venter, said the PIPES XI conference once again highlighted the importance of pipes and pipelines in civilization and infrastructure.

‘Water distribution, waste disposal, irrigation and telecommunications all rely on pipelines to function.

An extensive network of reliable water and sewage pipelines are essential for establishment and growth of civilization,’ Venter said.

PIPES XI W www.pipesxiconference.co.za SAPPMA W www.sappma.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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SERVICES PLUMBING & RETICULATION

Photos by SAPPMA

Willem Liebenberg (SAPPMA) and André Kowalewski (Drakenstein Municipality)

Water loss reduction Ever-increasing water losses in the Drakenstein Municipality (Western Cape) were surpassing demand growth. By 1999, the water losses stood at 34% and were increasing, forcing an investigation into the reasons for the high water losses and to find ways to mitigate these on a broader front.

Under the leadership of André Kowalewski, Senior Engineer: Water Services, the Drakenstein Local Municipality in Paarl, began a 20-year master plan to replace old or aging asbestos pipes with high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes, allowing them to achieve significant successes in reducing water loss throughout the municipal area.

The municipality began prioritising projects that included pipe replacements, the replacement of bulk and domestic water meters, pressure management, leak detection and repair, public awareness and upgrading information and management tools.

Reaction time to attend to burst pipes was also reduced to less than one hour. These initiatives have brought water losses down to an average of 16% – and 11% at its lowest.

The municipality has placed significant emphasis on replacing 14.2km of old asbestos pipes with new HDPE pipes, at a value of R120 million.

‘Prior to embarking on the project, we carefully compared steel pipes with HDPE pipes. We were fully convinced that the latter offered us significantly more advantages and impressive cost saving benefits. Taking the life cycle of the HDPE pipe as a material into account, it surpasses most other pipe materials. The pipes can also handle the fluctuation

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in water pressure and flow characteristics within the pipe design limits better than any other flexible pipe systems. If correctly designed and with proper installation, an HDPE system – together with the fittings – will provide the lowest maintenance compared to any other pipe material system,” Kowalewski explains.

‘The philosophy behind the use of a high-grade material is to have a total system where the pipe material and fittings, when used together, will guarantee a useful operating life that surpasses 50 years. It means that the chemical resistance and durability of the fittings must be the same as those of the pipes,’ states Kowalewski.

The decrease in water losses enabled the municipality to delay the construction of reservoirs and large pipelines for several years. There was also a decrease in the occurrence of burst pipes. However, the reduction in residual pressures in various pressure zones had the biggest water saving effect.

SAPPMA W www.sappma.co.za Drakenstein Local Municipality W www.drakenstsein.gov.za

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SERVICES FURNITURE

Revamp shows off ergonomic furniture

Ergotherapy Solutions are the designers and sole manufacturers of the patented GetOne® and NetOne® ergonomic office chairs and exclusive South African distributors of the VARIDESK range of sit-stand work solutions.

Every Ergotherapy product is designed to ensure greater comfort and heath in the workplace through supporting the body’s natural state and providing customisable support where it is needed the most.

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Photo by Ergotherapy

Can one ever say a flood can be a blessing in disguise? A flood at the Sandton offices of ergonomic furniture supplier, Ergotherapy Solutions, resulted in the need for a complete revamp. A company spokesperson explains that with the new facelift, they have been able to transform their offices into an amazing space that showcases ergonomic products.

The company is endorsed by the South African Society of Physiotherapy, The Chiropractic Association of South Africa and the Osteopathic Association of South Africa.

Ergotherapy T +27 (0)11 326 5126 E info@ergotherapy.co.za W www.ergotherapy.co.za

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Plan, Design, Build, Interior & Exterior Décor

GREEN BUILDING HVAC.......................................................156 GBCSA.....................................................160 ENERGY...................................................164 WATER......................................................168 GREEN STAR............................................171

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Green buiLding HVAC

Flexibility and adaptability is the absolute key One of the trickiest problems that architects, consulting engineers and HVAC suppliers can face is converting an existing building into one intended for a completely different purpose. Here’s how the challenge is being handled at Jonkersview Medical Centre, Stellenbosch.

Photos by Fourways Airconditioning

A growing trend in the medical world is the development of sub-acute and rehabilitation facilities – also known as ‘Step Down Clinics’. These are centres where patients can receive post-operative care after surgery at a lower cost than at major hospitals.

Such a project is the Jonkersview Medical Centre for the Spescare Group, designed to provide not only a comprehensive post-operative convalescent service, but also consultation facilities, oncology treatment and frail care. Rooms will be rented out to doctors and specialists so the medical centre will offer full on-site care.

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The site selected for the Jonkersview Medical Centre is an existing building in Stellenbosch that was originally an apartment block. While this holds advantages in terms of location and size, the conversion of the original building has posed some complex problems for the consulting engineers and HVAC installers.

Adaptability the key The HVAC tender was awarded to Airwise, a leading Cape Town airconditioning company, along with

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HVAC Green buiLding consulting engineers ProMech Engineering Services, who recommended the Samsung DVM S system with heat recovery. Prime requirements of the tender included the need for adaptability of the HVAC system coupled with low operational costs. Leon Crause of Fourways Airconditioning Cape was also closely involved in providing input.

‘What secured the tender for us, along with price, was basically the adaptability of the DVM System,’ comments Robert Barendilla, joint Managing Director of Airwise. ‘It allows us to readily make changes as the project unfolds. We’ve also found that referrals from previous satisfied customers have played a major part in securing new business for us.’

Airwise is a success story of note that began in July 1999 when Barendilla and Hubert Meyer – both with experience in other airconditioning companies – came together to run their own business from a home garage. Today, the company has no fewer than 15 teams doing business, not only throughout South Africa, but also up into Africa with projects in Gabon and Nigeria, amongst others. Airwise also has its own duct manufacturing factory.

Designed for flexibility Barendilla designed the HVAC system for Jonkersview in conjunction with Nico Laubscher, MD of ProMech Engineering Services.

‘The key is the flexibility of the DVM System,’ comments Laubscher. ‘Once the backbone of the system with its MCU boxes was designed, then installed by Airwise, we have been able to make various changes as required without too much difficulty. In fact, I think we’re on revision 5.8 so far.’

This has been due to alterations to the structure requested by the client as different requirements have been included since the project began in April 2017.

‘But with the central backbone of the DVM system in place, we have been able to alter the reticulation to indoor units without too much difficulty,’ Laubscher adds.

Overcoming existing limitations ‘By law the ceiling must be a minimum of 2.4 metres from the floor,’ explains Laubscher. ‘However, with an existing floor slab of the storey above already in place, this has often left us with restricted working space above the new ceiling. It has definitely required some creative ducting to be made up by Airwise!’

Leon Crause of Fourways Cape has remained in constant contact with the project, making weekly visits

to ensure that supplies are on track. Five separate DVM systems are being used, with outdoor units being placed in the basement and on the roof: a total of 510 kW heat recovery condensers and, at present, 124 indoor units. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.

After-sales backup a vital factor One final factor in the selection of Samsung’s DVM system for the project was the requirement for comprehensive after-sales backup, including readilyavailable spares and technical support where needed.

‘This has been something we have found to be the case with Fourways Airconditioning in the past,’ comments Barendilla, ‘and it was definitely one of the factors that helped clinch the Jonkersview project for us.’

Fourways Air Conditioning T +27 (0)11 704 6320 E sales@fourwaysaircon.co.za W www.fourwaysaircon.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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Green buiLding GBCSA

Photo by Gareth Griffiths

Dorah Modise at the Silo 5 building in the V&A Waterfront

Leading the way Dorah Modise is the dynamic, approachable CEO of the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA), a position she has held since the beginning of February 2017. To Build interviewed her recently about how she sees the future for green building in our region.

Modise has walked the talk in terms of environmental sustainability. She was formerly the Strategic Executive Director: City Sustainability at the City of Tshwane. ‘I was responsible for leading the sustainability programmes and ensuring that the city becomes the greenest most sustainable city in the African region,’ she says. Prior to that, she was a Chief Policy Advisor for Sustainable Development at the South African Government Department of Environmental Affairs.

As GBCSA CEO, she is gratified by the impact that the organisation is making and by the leadership role she is playing; a high adrenalin one which keeps her attention focused.

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Over the next ten years, she sees green building becoming the norm and not the exception. Although her organisation is busy reinventing itself, she sees the GBCSA continuing to act as an independent verification agency to give credibility to the green building movement, and garnering more ambitious actions in the property sector.

‘Someone has to continue to raise the bar higher as the goal is for the built environment to have a net positive contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as overall sustainability’, she adds.

The Green Star rating system was originally developed by the Green Building Council Australia (GBCA), and was licensed to GBCSA in 2008 for

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GBCSA Green buiLding use in South Africa. Green Star has been extensively adapted for the local African climatic and economic context, which makes it the rating tool of choice for property owners in the African context.

New agreement Under a new agreement with the GBCA, the GBCSA is now licensed to certify green buildings throughout the African continent with the Green Star rating system. The license agreement allows the GBCSA, in collaboration with other African green building councils, to sub-license and use Green Star with their Local Context Report to certify buildings in their respective countries.

In line with this, the Green Star SA rating tool will be rebranded as Green Star Africa within the next few weeks.

The GBCSA has supported and guided seven other green building councils in Africa in their establishment: Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia. There are Green Star buildings now in Ghana, Rwanda, Namibia and Kenya, with upcoming registered projects in Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and Mauritius to follow.

The future Plans for the next decade or so are exciting. Having established a clear footprint in all regions of the country, and collaborator relationships across the African region, GBCSA’s offerings will be tailor-made to suit different sub-sectors within the property sector.

While GBCSA mainly exists for and because of its members, the key drive is to enhance sustainability in the built environment so that its education and certification portfolios grow significantly. In the next decade, the organisation will be viewed as the main centre of excellence for green building training and certification.

The green building movement in South Africa is not exclusive to the commercial developer sector. The GBCSA has two rating tools designed for use in the residential sector – Green Star Multi-Use Residential and the International Finance Corporation’s EDGE (Acronym for Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) tool. According to Modise, the organisation also works closely alongside its publicsector peers and is able to regularly achieve insight into what makes government tick. Indeed, the GBCSA has several key board members who are involved in government, including immediate past-Chair, Seana Nkhahle of the South African Local Government

In the next decade, the organisation will be viewed as the main centre of excellence for green building training and certification - Dorah Modise

Association (SALGA). With the help of these key individuals, the organisation achieved government support for the Green Star SA tools right from the outset.

As of now, several national departments and city councils have built Green Star-rated buildings.

‘We also signed up every local municipality through our Green Building Leadership Network partnership with SALGA, which means that all 257 municipalities in South Africa are GBCSA members.

This membership capacitates local government and their officials to lead, legislate and facilitate green building principles and practices at municipal level,’ Modise adds.

Tear down and rebuild – or reuse?

To Build asked Modise what a developer should do when faced with a decision to either refurbish an existing historical building or tear down and rebuild to high green building specifications.

Her answer: ‘We always advocate reducing, reusing and recycling over causing further carbon emissions and using more water and resources to build a new building. My answer would have to be turning the old heritage building that has poor environmental performance into an old heritage building that has excellent environmental performance, through clever and innovative retrofitting and renovation, certified using the Green Star Africa rating tool for new builds and major refurbs’’.

Investors and developers take note!

Green Building Council South Africa T +27 (0)86 104 2272 E info@gbcsa.org.za W www.gbcsa.org.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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ADVERTORIAL Solar Ray

Clearing up the confusion about solar water heater systems Investing in a solar water heater is the best investment you will ever make.

However, deciding on the type of system you’ll need, which brand or what capacity can be confusing and overwhelming.

We often make costly important decisions based simply on advice from friends and neighbours, and in some cases, decide based on whatever the salesman of a brand tells us.

When you consider purchasing a solar water heating system one must bear in mind it consists of a collector system (flat plate or evacuated tubes) and a water storage tank. The hot water tank in a solar water heater is the most critical part of the system and generally consists of an inner tank and an outer wrap. The inner tank contains the heated water and is

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insulated to keep the water hot. The outer envelope protects the insulation material and provides a foundation for mechanical fitment to your roof.

Some of the key factors to consider before you purchase a solar water heater

The quality of the inner tank Stainless steel is commonly used in the manufacture of cutlery, pots and pans, water tanks and many other industrial applications due to the longevity of the product. With solar water heating systems, various grades of stainless steel are used to manufacture

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Solar Ray ADVERTORIAL the inner tanks. The best quality inner tanks are manufactured from type 444 stainless steel because of its corrosion resistance properties at elevated temperatures.

Why does the grade of stainless steel matter?

The different stainless steel grades are high-alloy steel that have excellent corrosion resistant properties when compared with other steels. One property common to all stainless steel grades is that they contain chromium and this provides corrosion resistance.

Many years ago, producers of electric hot water tanks all over the world started replacing the traditional enamelled-steel water tanks with stainless steel tanks. The corrosion-resistance of stainless steel meant that the tanks had a far greater lifespan.

Flat-plate or evacuated tube collectors?

The choice between a flat-plate and evacuated tube solar water heating system is usually a personal choice. The main difference comes down to the efficiency. With evacuated tubes, the vacuum provides almost perfect insulation. A flat-plate panel has insulation at the back and sides, with glass on top and is subject to heat loss. Generally during the summer months, there’s very little difference in performance between the two. However, in winter when we have cold days and lower light levels, the evacuated tubes will perform better.

Flat plate solar collectors can be used in most climates, but are significantly more suited to warmer, sunnier climates, where freezing and solar angles are less likely to impact on the solar water heating system. When a portion of a collector fails, the entire solar water heater system collector must be shut

down and replaced. Flat plates in frost sensitive regions normally run a glycol heat transfer fluid which requires replacement every three years.

Evacuated tubes require no maintenance.

Evacuated tubes capture sunlight better as they have a greater surface area exposed to sun at any time.

If one tube becomes damaged, only that tube needs to be replaced. Depending on the type of tube used, there is no need to shut down the entire system and no leakage occurs. The vacuum tubes are also resistant to damage from adverse weather conditions.

Ensure you invest in a system made from high-quality materials When you invest in a solar water heater, make sure you select a system that is manufactured from high quality materials. Avoid the cheap units and rather choose a locally manufactured system that provides you with local backup and support.

Units with longer warranties usually are of higher quality, but so often - as with everything else - the least expensive option you purchase is the most expensive option in the long run. Remember, the purpose of a solar geyser is to collect energy from the sun in the most efficient way to prohibit electrical backup and the resultant costs.

HYGIENIC. TOUGH. LONG LASTING. IT’S STAINLESS STEEL! 10 year warranty on the tank

Solar Ray T +27 (0)11 065 6500 F +27 (0)11 065 6558 E info@solarray.co.za issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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Green buiLding ENERGY

Heat pumps or solar water heaters?

Cala van der Westhuizen, Head of Marketing at Energy Partners South Africa, says that water heating still accounts for as much as 50% of a household’s electricity use. (Source: Property Wheel) ‘Replacing a home’s conventional geyser with a renewable energy alternative is one of the first steps to drastically reduce an average home’s monthly electricity spend. The current renewable energy powered water heating options available to homeowners are heat pumps and solar water heaters,’ comments van der Westhuizen.

While both do fundamentally the same thing, a heat pump uses energy from the surrounding air to heat water, while a solar water heater relies on the sun for power.

Pricing and lifespan According to van der Westhuizen, a solar geyser is traditionally much easier to install, with the average total cost of a 200 litre system being R26 000 and with a typical lifespan of more than 10 years.

In the short term, this is cheaper than an average heat pump with a 300 litre tank system, which costs around R35 500 which generally needs to be replaced after five to ten years.

However, despite initial high upfront costs, it seems that heat pump systems have significant advantages over solar heating: • A solar panel needs to be oriented towards the sun to operate at maximum efficiency. When there is no direct sunlight - at night or on an overcast day - the system relies on an electric geyser element.

• As a result, the efficiency of a solar heating system fluctuates between 45% and 70%. This comes down to an average drop in energy costs by approximately 54% over the course of one year.

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Photo by Gareth Griffiths Imaging

Emerging from the recent electricity shortages in the country, South Africans have opted for heat pumps and solar water heaters to fight increasing electricity tariffs.

• In contrast, a heat pump system is only slightly affected by variations in temperature and therefore runs efficiently at any time of day or night.

• Because a heat pump system requires approximately one-third of the energy of a conventional geyser to heat the same amount of water, it results in an average energy saving of up to 70%.

‘The cumulative cost saving for a heat pump system is around R62 500 for a standard four-member household using an average of 52 litres of warm water per person over a 10-year period. By comparison, a solar heating system achieves around R59 500 in savings under the same conditions,’ says van der Westhuizen.

‘Both of these options are a good energy-smart investment, but each holds different advantages and disadvantages,’ he adds.

‘We recommend installing heat pumps to most of our clients in the Western Cape and Gauteng. For those regions that receive less sunlight during their respective rainy seasons, a solar geyser will use a lot more electricity from the national grid.’

It seems that heat pump systems have significant advantages over solar heating.

Energy Partners South Africa W www.energypartners.co.za

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ENERGY Green buiLding

New name in the market A new player in the energy market argues that while the SANS 10400–XA Regulations demand that 50% of new build’s water-heating comes from alternative energy sources and limitations on grid power threaten new developments, the price of electricity continues to rise, so their presence in the market is timely.

Photo by Gareth Griffiths

Architects are therefore looking to incorporate the cost-saving benefits of heat pumps and the off-grid assets of solar and natural/LPG gas heating into their designs, says Michael Alton, co-founder of HydraTherm, the new entry to the highly competitive water-heating sector.

The company offers high quality, high-tech, energyefficient water heating products that provide high-spec solutions for the commercial, industrial and residential markets, backed up by comprehensive after-sales services. Where unique solutions are required, the company also designs heating products on demand to meet exact specifications.

‘Only the very latest technology is employed, with all parts and components carefully selected and tested to ensure ultimate efficiency, reliability and durability.

We set out to create high-quality, affordable and long-lasting hot-water solutions for private homes, the hospitality industry as well as the agricultural and healthcare sectors, and we have achieved that aim,’ says Alton.

The HydraTherm range currently includes integrated heat pumps and split hot water heat pumps, with gas water heaters and solar collectors in the final stages of development and due for launch this year.

The integrated heat pump is an energy-saving, costefficient solution for private homes, while the split heat pump offers a solution for industry at a highly competitive level of investment where payback periods are minimised and returns are maximised, according to Alton.

‘Our split heat pumps use EVI technology combined with highly efficient air-to-water heat exchangers to ensure improved efficiencies in a wide range of ambient temperature conditions and nominal coefficient performance figures of up to 4.5 to 1. For residential projects, we have shown that by choosing our heat pump instead of a conventional geyser, the user can save as much as 70% of their hot water costs. The product’s aesthetic appeal seamlessly integrates and complements architectural design,’ adds Alton.

‘We offer superior heat-pump products and are currently developing solar collectors and gas water heaters. We provide the full spectrum of services to HydraTherm buyers, from initial consultation, all the way through to personal after-sales service and revolutionary cloud support.’

HydraTherm T sales@hydratherm.co.za W www.hydratherm.co.za

Power is becoming costly

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ADVERTORIAL Ecotech Africa

Solutions and products for ALL effluent streams Ecotech Africa offer solutions for all effluent streams, unlike our competitors, while simultaneously addressing the management of water resources by providing solutions and products that facilitate purification, waste water treatment, effluent separation and oil and water separators. We believe in the principal of designing, constructing, installing and commissioning systems and products that are sustainable, cost effective and that enhance the operations of our clients.

Locally and in other African markets, we service residential, commercial and industrial markets.

We are your one-stop service provider, delivering products and services of unmatched quality to various sectors, including mining, construction, agriculture, housing development, government, power generation and consulting engineering.

We provide comprehensive environmental solutions and treatment services for: • Biological waste water treatment plant (sewage): Ecotech Africa offers various WWTP specifically designed around client requirements, budgets and site-specific conditions. These include civil systems, above ground systems and containerized plants and below ground systems for smaller applications.

Systems are low maintenance and have a low operating cost.

• Water purification: Ecotech Africa offers turnkey water purification and filtration solutions. We design, construct, supply and maintain water purification and filtration plants for both commercial and industrial markets. Our services and solutions include pre-filtration, micro filtration, reverse osmosis and disinfection systems, to name a few.

• Wash bays: Our wash bay solution includes everything from design to construction, installation and commissioning. At the same time, we can cater for a variety of vehicles, including light vehicles, heavy vehicles, transit vehicles, commercial vehicles, train wash systems and mining equipment.

• Effluent separation systems: Building on our extensive knowledge and experience in designing and implementing effluent separation processes, Ecotech Africa provides separation technologies that use

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proven technology to safely and effectively dispose of water-borne effluent.

• Asbestos removal: Ecotech Africa offers safe, fast and effective asbestos removal services to both the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Our team of highly qualified personnel work together with relevant parties to ensure safe and legally compliant removal and disposal of any asbestos containing material.

• Oil/water separators: Ecotech Africa’s oil/water separator is a gravity separation device designed using Stoke’s law which define the rise velocity of oil droplets based on their density, size and water properties. One of the factors that makes our oil/ water separators unique is that they are designed to harness the gravity difference between the oil and the wastewater because that difference is much smaller than the specific gravity difference between the suspended solids and the water itself.

• Spill kits and absorbents: Our spill kits are packed to facilitate a rapid and effective response to spills of oil, petroleum, diesel, hazardous chemicals and battery acids, not to mention our range of specifically developed portable spill kits.

Ecotech Africa recognises the need of our clients to minimise their environmental impact while achieving legal compliance. That is why our suite of solutions is positioned to address these and other concerns and ensure sustainable operations.

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Green buiLding WATER

Photos by Gareth Griffiths

Patricia de Lille speaks at the Green Building Convention

Being a water-scarce region With Cape Town declaring its worst recorded drought in 100 years, eyes have been on the public sector to set the required policies and momentum to meet the drought crisis and lay a foundation for the ‘new normal’ of the future – as a water-scarce country.

The National Department of Water and Sanitation, which is the custodian of national water resources, recently sent an instruction to all water users of the Western Cape Water Supply Scheme, such as the Metro, the agricultural sector and other municipalities in the Western Cape, to reduce water usage even further.

As such, water usage would be cut immediately to 500 million litres of collective usage per day. The City of Cape Town says it will also increasingly intervene to force consumption down. Collective usage is at 618 million litres per day. This is 118 million litres above the necessary consumption target.

According to the new National Government restriction targets, the City, as an urban user, must reduce its usage by 40%. To date, the national restriction has been 20%, which the City met successfully. A reduction of 40% would equate to about 520 million litres of collective usage per day.

And it is at this point where the consumption curve has got stuck, doggedly refusing to go below

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the 600 million litres per day threshold to approach the 500 million mark.

Meanwhile, top business leader, Fred Platt, CEO of Accentuate, warned at a media briefing in Johannesburg that he expects the city to run dry over the summer.

‘I don’t think they will get to March without running out of water,’ he said.

At the recent annual Green Building Convention, Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille told delegates from the professional sector that the city would not run dry. She said there were various plans in place, right up to and including a disaster risk plan. Recently the City had made its plans available in the event of water from the dams running out. ‘We have a plan to augment water from March 2018. We as a city have to rethink and change our relationship with water. So will the construction industry.’

De Lille says that the first two desalination plants will come on stream by February 2018, followed by a third plant in March. Two aquifers are being tapped for

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WATER Green buiLding He suggested that Cape Town could learn a lot from how other countries, such as Singapore, have tackled their water crises.

He also warned that in Gauteng, water will be ‘stressed to 2025, because they haven’t signed the second phase of the Lesotho water project.

‘The lack of water can’t be ignored. We need progressive leadership from government, or larger businesses will take responsibility – recycle and reuse,’ he added.

According to Platt, his company has a water division and has partnered with an Indian company to secure cutting-edge water treatment technology.

He said that Accentuate has identified a number of projects to tackle the water crisis “looking at total water management solutions. We are working with construction and financial partners.” Projects being considered range in scale from R5m water projects in textile plants, up to R4bn to R5bn desalination plants.

Accentuate W www.accentuateltd.co.za City of Cape Town W www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater

Photo by Gareth Griffiths

underground water in Atlantis and Silverstroom. The Zandvliet waste water plant outfall will be purified and fed back to the dams for distribution.

As regards long term planning, De Lille says: ‘The City has had to rethink its water strategy based on what we call the new normal. We went to a strategic planning session led by (scenario planner) Clem Sunter. We worked through various scenarios. Due to climate change, we no longer are confident that we will get (enough) rain each winter. In addition, water is very cheap in South Africa. We are the only country that gives water away’. (View Mayor Patricia de Lille’s speech at this following YouTube link: see https:// youtu.be/zzIrFXbvbEE ).

However, Platt said of the water crisis in the Western Cape: ‘We can see what is happening in the Western Cape. They have done too little, too late.

They have put out tenders for desalination plants: they are tapping aquifers. But we live in a water-stressed country. You can’t keep filling a leaking bucket.’

He said the key message about water is: we can’t keep just using and disposing of it.

To the City of Cape Town, he advised: ‘You are a custodian so you need to look at usage. It does not help to tell people not to use water when we are discharging millions of litres of effluent.’

Signs of a water scarcity on the cards for some years. This photo at the Eikenhof Dam, Grabouw in 2011 tells the story.

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GREEN STAR Green buiLding

First Namibian 5-Star As built

Greg Rice, Sustainability Consultant, WSP Building Services Africa, says: ‘As the first As Built rating outside of South Africa, this is a remarkable achievement. The As Built rating verifies that the building has been constructed and has been optimised to perform in the most efficient way possible, ensuring that the efforts put into design are in fact carried through to completion.”

Rice says that the project had achieved 55 points in its Design rating in 2014/2015, which is comfortably a 4-Star rating, for which the threshold is 45 points.

‘As the building had already achieved an excess of 10 points, it was deemed appropriate to investigate further opportunities to achieve a 5-Star rating – which requires 60 points to be certified. Overall, the building achieved 64 points for its final As Built rating,’ he explains.

How it was done Comprehensive energy modelling, performed by WSP in the design phases, used the building specifications and efficiencies built into the design to evaluate the expected energy consumption of the building. The detailed modelling included the mechanical efficiencies designed by the mechanical engineer – where this optimisation and the inclusion of the rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system introduced to the project during construction – realised a better performing building in terms of overall energy for the As Built rating.

Photo by WSP

At the FNB Namibia Holdings’ @Parkside building, a 4-Star Green Star design rating bestowed in 2015 has morphed into a 5-Star ‘As Built’ rating. This is the first 5-Star rated building in Namibia and the whole of Africa, outside of South Africa.

The building owner was involved in all stages of the project to identify opportunities to increase the efficiencies and sustainability of the building. These included: • Community-accessible bicycle racks for use by building visitors and community members for nearby amenities.

• Significant energy savings as each light fitting in the office area is fitted with an occupancy sensor to reduce energy consumption or wastage where there are no occupants.

• As part of the project development, community trader stalls and amenities have been installed on the active street network along Independence Avenue. This has helped to revitalise the central business district, bringing tourists close to the commercial zone of Windhoek.

• FNB has implemented a Waste and Recycling Management Plan that addresses operational waste production, suitable storage and how operational waste is diverted from landfill for the life of the building.

• Inclusion of an access flooring system that contains recycled content, which is also fully recyclable after use.

WSP T +27 (0)11 300 6095 E elaine.porter@wsp.com W www.wsp.com issue 22 www.tobuild.co.za

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OUT & ABOUT TO BUILD’S ROVING EDITOR

Den Braven We attended a hands-on demo by adhesives and sealants experts, Den Braven, which was held midyear in Cape Town. Apart from the fun and good time had by all, we walked away with a much better understanding of how the products work.

Den Braven W www.denbraven.co.za

Photos by Shaun Mays

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TO BUILD’S ROVING EDITOR OUT & ABOUT

Homemakers’ Expo As well organised and presented as always, the editor spent a few hours browsing through all the exhibits. Candy for the eyes, food for the creative flair of architects and designers.

Photos by Gareth Griffiths

Homemakers’ Expo W www.homemakersonline.co.za/expo

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STUDENT DESIGNS NEWS FROM WITS

WITS final-year achiever for Cambridge A top Wits final-year achiever for 2016, Comfort Matlakala, recently visited the University of Cambridge to take part in the Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE) programme.

Photo by Jackie Farrell/ARUP

As the Arup Education Trust’s (AET) 2016 top finalyear achiever, Matlakala attended the residential week for the IDBE Masters Programme in Cambridge. The AET was launched in South Africa in 2011 and owns 30% of Arup (Pty) Ltd. Matlakala is currently an Honours student in Construction Management at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

Residential week theme The theme of the week was climate change, sustainability and resilience, and included several lectures by academics and industry specialists as well as a studio project that groups of students undertook.

‘It was an honour to be chosen as the top performer for the AET and to travel to the UK. It afforded me the opportunity to attend the residential week for the IDBE Masters Programme in Cambridge, while at the same being exposed to different people and cultures. The lectures themed around climate change, sustainability and resilience, were insightful and contributed greatly to my chosen research topic for my Honours degree, which is based on the execution of sustainable construction projects,’ she says.

‘The highlight of my week was working on the group project. I loved the fact that groups were made up of individuals from different professional backgrounds within the built environment, making group discussions interesting and providing a constructive platform for debate and information exchange,’ comments Matlakala.

Susan Snaddon, leader of Arup’s Planning and Development team in South Africa and trustee of the AET comments: ‘Our collaboration with the IDBE programme aims to expose historically disadvantaged built environment students from the AET, to interdisciplinary international thinking and experience.

This year the IDBE and Wolfson College hosted Comfort Matlakala, AET’s top final year student for 2016. It is incredibly rewarding to witness someone like Comfort engaging with international Masters

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Comfort Matlakala, Wits final-year achiever for 2016

level students in a stimulating environment such as Cambridge’.

The IDBE is a two-year part-time Masters course for built environment professionals offered by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and supported by the Departments of Architecture and Engineering. It is structured around emerging trends, opportunities and challenges within the built environment such as building information modelling and low carbon energy and materials, political and regulatory changes.

About the AET The AET was established to enhance the quality of lives of disadvantaged youths through education and skills development, with a mission to provide an enabling environment that allows students to reach their full potential. The holistic approach of the Trust marries funding with guidance and mentorship, empowering with skills and knowledge; enabling the development of successful, empowered leaders of tomorrow.

Arup (Pty) Ltd W www.arup.com/Global_locations/South_Africa

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NOTES Plan, Design, Build, Interior & Exterior Décor

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We specialize in the following: • Rock fall Protection measures • Sprayed Concrete Solutions • Lateral Support Systems

Penny-Farthing Engineering SA (Pty)Ltd • Tel: +27 (0)41 372 1708 • e-mail: info@pfsa.co.za

• Rock Drilling at Heights • Stabilized earth walls • Installation of soil anchors • Barring down of unstable rock

Guncrete Geotechnical (Pty) Ltd • Tel: + 27 (0)11 943 2048 • e-mail: tenders@guncrete.co.za

www.pfsa.co.za www.guncrete.co.za

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advertisers’ index issue22 November 2017-February 2018 Afrisam South Africa (Pty) Ltd......................................9

Minaco (Pty) Ltd.........................................................92

Aggregate & Sand Producers Association of Southern Africa................................176

Mitek Industries.................................................102,103

Alliance Airconditioning.............................................145 Ambius........................................................................49 AMS...................................................................142,143 Aveng Ground Engineering......................................148 Bluescope Steel SA..................................................105

Nordic Paper & Packaging (Pty) Ltd.........................137 Numatic International..................................................46 Pelican Systems.........................................................17 Penny Farthing Engineering.....................................178 Powafix.....................................................................175

Boomgate Systems (Pty) Ltd......................................51

PPC Group Services.............................................5,127

Centurion Systems.....................................................70

Rentokil Pest Control....................................................7

Chryso SA.................................................................125

Reynaers Aluminium...................................................13

Copper Development Association.....................150,151

Robert Bosch Measuring Tools...................................23

Copper Tubing Africa................................................153

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.......................34

Corobrik.................................................................... 117

Safintra Roofing.....................................................98,99

De Leeuw Group.........................................65,66,67,68

Saint Gobain Isover..................................................133

Den Braven Sealants................................................ 112 Douglas Jones.......................................................78,79 Ecotech Africa...................................................166, 167 Evowood.....................................................................84 Floorworx............................................................3,88,89 Fourways Airconditioning...................................158,159 Gassner Kitchens.......................................................93 Geberit SA........................................................... 11,177 Green Block Architects...............................................38

Sika (Pty) Ltd..............................................................33 Silicone Technical Products...................................... 115 Solar Ray...........................................................162,163 Solent Trading.......................................................96,97 South African Institute of Steel Construction............108 South African Wood Preserves Association.............140 Southern Africa Readymix Association.....................129 Stihl...............................................................60,100,123

Institute for Timber Construction South Africa..........136

Style Décor............................................................58,59

Invincible Valves.......................................................170

Timber Fans.............................................................175

Kärcher.........................................................................1

Top Turf......................................................................42

Mapei.....................................................................28,29

Waterways......................................................74,75,180

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