Structure & Design ISSUE 20

ISSUE 20 | 2019 ZIMBABWE’S LEADING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT MAGAZINE

MAIN PROFILE on Page 6: ICC Builds A New Home In Pomona

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Structure & Design Team publisher@structureanddesign.co.zw

S&D PARTNERS

S&D PARTNERS

PUBLISHER’S MEMO

Ⓞ

n this auspicious 20th Edition of our magazine we begin with a slight redesign of our identity, the first of many but it left us feeling fresh and re-energized as we endeavoured to put together this issue.

Indeed with ICC at the helm, a theme infused with paint emerges, very apt for new beginnings. See how they have created a space for paint lovers of all kinds, with a strong and bold architectural structure and a large catalogue of products to complement. Well worth a visit in Pomona. Page 6.

We take a look at some global trends in the world of architecture, specifically looking at the things

that will influence the next few months in the field. Trends on page 21.

Having won the ZBCA award for best in Print Media, we congratulate TiB Insurance Brokers as it was hailed and given the accolade ZBCA’s “BEST SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR 2018’’.

Read more on them on page 26.

Plascon’s Colour Forecast 2019 was revealed at the end of the last year. We dive a bit deeper into it, exposing which pallets will be your favourites during this story-filled year. Page 28. Still on colour and paint, Union Hardware shares their tips on painting your interiors on page 33.

Our space of the month is Zeitz Mocaa in Cape Town, the first large contemporary museum this side of the world. With a lot of Zimbabwean artists showing at any point, this space is a marvel, with over 100 galleries and a hotel and cafe to boot.

Check out this Silo powerhouse on page 37.

On page 47 we explore the old age debate between buying a house or building one. Consequently we dive into an idea for a truly unique build for a home in far away Japan. Page 49 All Structure & Design content, and much more is available online at...issuu.com/ structuredesign or SDMagzim Happy Reading!

Structure & Design Team publisher@structureanddesign.co.zw

S&D PARTNERS

290 Samora Machel Ave, Eastlea, Harare Tel: +263 242 776495 086771777706, 08644209200 Cell: +263 772260600, +263 773227895 Email: power@pristinezim.co.zw Web: www.pristinezim.co.zw

AEC 1KVA to 1MVA three Phase UPS Systems from Taiwan

INVERTER • BATTERY • SOLAR PRODUCTS

A Grade Solar panels and Inverters from India

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TWENTIETH ISSUE

CONTENT MAIN PROFILE 06 | ICC in Pomona

PUBLISHER

TRENDS

Structure And Design Media

21 | The Influences of Architecture in 2019 MARKETING

ARCHITECTS’ NOTES

Clive Mapfumo Newton Musara Simbarashe Zvidza +263 779 141 137 +263 772 233 086 +263 8644 224 569/70

24 | Choosing the Right Architect

MATERIAL FOCUS 28 | PLASCON’s Colour Forecast 2019 33 | 10 Interior Home Painting Tips 35 | Benefits of Double Glazing

DESIGN & LAYOUT Tami Zizhou

SPACE OF THE MONTH 37 | Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art

CONTRIBUTORS Michael Nott

PROPERTY FOCUS 47 | Should You Build or Buy Your Home

PHOTOGRAPHY

RESIDENTIAL PROFILE (INTERNATIONAL)

Structure & Design Michele Fortmann

49 | The Optical Glass House

SUBSCRIPTIONS

ZIM CONSTRUCTION COUNCILS 58 | ZIE Looks Back on the Ngezi to Selous

Platinum Highway

+263 8644 224 570 EMAIL adverts.structureanddesign@gmail.com adverts@structureanddesign.co.zw WEBSITE www.structureanddesign.co.zw FIND US AT 31 Alexander Rd, Highlands, Harare

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of its content, neither editor nor publisher can be held responsible for any omissions or errors: or for an y misfortune, injury , or damages which may arise there-from.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2019 Structure and Design M agazine: No Part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electric or mechanical, including photocopying or recording.

VISIT: issuu.com/structuredesign for the digital editions of every issue

ISSUE 18 | 2018 ISSUE 19 | 2019

ARCHITECTS’

YEARBOOK 2018

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Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe

@StanbicBankZW

Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe

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text by Michael Nott photos by Michele Fortmann and S&D renderings by Architexture Spatial Design

ICC

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has a new home in Pomona

MAIN PROFILE

I

nternational Coatings Company (ICC) opened their new warehouse and sales floor in July this year in Pomona. The Pomona area, around the intersection of Harare Drive and Alpes Road, is currently probably the most rapidly developing commercial and light industrial suburb in Harare (see Structure and Design, Storagemart Issue 3; Halsteds’ new branch Issue 14). The area is less congested than, for example, Msasa or Graniteside, and it offers easy access for residents and businesses from both the northern and western suburbs.

ICC had been situated in a small warehouse in Roberts Drive in Msasa. They soon found that they had outgrown their premises and they took over the next door property as well. When they found the combined space was still not enough for their needs, they began looking around for somewhere bigger and better and they found the Pomona warehouse which was ideal for their needs.

The main section of the building measures 21m x 72m making it just over 1,500sq/m of warehouse space. The warehouse was designed by Rob Butler from Grid Transmission, who has designed and built a large number of similarly combined warehouse and retail space structures, most notably Halsteds in Msasa, the sprawling Mbudzi market in Waterfalls and the Steel Brands factory in Ardbennie (see Structure and Design Steel Brands Issue 14). In addition, Grid Transmission has built a number of retail spaces, factories, churches and service stations making them the leading structural steel fabrication and erection concern in Zimbabwe. The warehouse space for ICC has heavier than usual steel roof beams which could accommodate overhead cranes if needed. In addition, the roof eaves extend out about 6m on either side creating additional covered outdoor workspace.

The warehouse is basically a brick structure up to height of around 1.8m with vertical Chromadek cladding above extending up to roof height. The high roof has a series of skylights punched through to allow for natural lighting, although there are also high bay LED industrial lights. The excellent lighting is ideal for correctly colour matching paint samples. There are three large roller shutter doors to make loading easy and, together with the high ceiling, they help provide natural ventilation.

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Grid Transmission worked in conjunction with Lues Construction who were involved in the ‘wet’ works side, notably the huge concrete floor slab. The slab is 150mm thick 30 MPa concrete reinforced with weldmesh. It took a total of 12 working days to cast the required 12 slabs each of 24m x 6m. Thereafter it was cured by ‘ponding’ for 7 days and it took 28 days to reach full strength.

In addition, Grid Transmission approached Bruce Rowlands from Architexture Spatial Design to create an add-on front office section with two offices and toilets downstairs and two offices and a small kitchen upstairs. The brief to Rowlands was to design something that would show off the endless versatility of structural steel. Rowlands came up with a twisting, fan-shaped facade for the office section that is both whimsical and eyecatching. Fortuitously, the fan shape is very similar to the fans of paint colour samples that ICC uses! Inside Rowlands designed a wall next to the staircase clad in distressed steel sheeting that will slowly oxidise and rust over

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time, showing that raw steel can also be a decorative element.

There’s also a small balcony

off the main office which overlooks the sales floor and warehouse.

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

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a.b.e.ÂŽ Construction Chemicals is a major supplier of specialised construction chemicals and products to the building, civil engineering and building maintenance industries. The a.b.e.ÂŽ range of products includes waterproofing, flooring, specialised adhesives, silicone and sealants, concrete curing coatings and concrete additives to achieve special wear characteristics and concrete repair products.

Graco offers systems, products and technologies that set the quality standard in a wide range of fluid handling solutions. A segment of

their range is equipment for the commercial spraying of all kinds of paints, stains, lacquers, acrylics, enamels, lacquers, primers, road-marking paint, solvent-based paint and water-based paint. The machines are predominantly used by contractors and commercial furniture and steelwork manufacturers – for example by Grid Transmissions to spray apply the coating on the structure in this article. Another example of Graco machinery in action in Zimbabwe is the self-propelled road marking machine used to paint the road lines on the new section of Harare Drive.

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ICC has divided up the interior space into retail sales, bulk storage and a consignment storage section.

ICC started out in the decorative paint business as the official distributors for ChemSpec Paint, successfully marketing the DeCo brand of products for 3 years. In early 2015 ChemSpec closed its operations and ICC made the strategic move to team up with Prominent Paints, PaintChem Paints, Graco, a.b.eŽ Construction Materials, and CIN Coatings. Each of these is a specialist coatings supplier in their respective fields. ICC have cherry-picked the world’s leading brands to provide customers with the best quality products at the most competitive prices.

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A relatively new addition to their product range is Ennis Flint - the manufacturers of the water-based road marking paints, reflective beads, “cats eyes� etc. You can see these products on the previously mentioned new section of Harare Drive extending from Borrowdale Road to Drew Road.

ICC also stocks a wide range of brushes, rollers, sandpaper and all the necessary accessories for any painting project whether for the home enthusiast or for commercial contractors. They even stock a range of industrial HVLP spray guns.

With over 30 years of combined experience in the coatings industry ICC is more than capable of taking care any technical requirement, be it new construction, refurbishing of an existing building, specialised coatings for manufactured goods or high tech protective coatings in the mining industry - the ICC Team prides itself on its customer care and will be there every step of the way from paint specification, colour selection, to surface preparation and technical application advice.

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WEDDINGS.PORTRAITS.FASHION COMMERCIAL.EVENTS Model - Sibu from Top Model Zimabwe MUA - Kelli Barker Stylist - CHarlotte Van der Merwe Designer - Joanna Ross Wells of JB Couture (now rebranded to JRW Bridal) It was shot for Stitch Magazine and the Fashion Editor was Jill Day The location for the shoot was - Inn on the Ruparara.

+267 732245114 MICHELEFORTMANN@GMAIL.COM

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Michele Fortmann Photography

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@michelefortmannfashion @michelefortmannweddings

GLOBAL TRENDS

The Trends that Will Influence GLOBAL Architecture in 2019 [by ArchDaily]

IT

IS, ONCE AGAIN, THE TIME OF YEAR WHERE WE LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE TO DEFINE THE GOALS AND APPROACHES THAT WE WILL TAKE FOR OUR CAREERS THROUGHOUT THE UPCOMING YEAR. TO HELP THE MILLIONS OF ARCHITECTS WHO VISIT ARCHDAILY.COM EVERY DAY FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, WE COMPILED A LIST OF THE MOST POPULAR IDEAS OF 2018, WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO BE DEVELOPED AND CONSOLIDATED THROUGHOUT 2019.

Over 130 million users discovered new references, materials, and tools in 2018 alone, infusing their practice of architecture with the means to improve the quality of life for our cities and built spaces. As users demonstrated certain affinities and/ or demonstrated greater interest in particular topics, these emerged as trends.

Below, we present the trends that will influence urban and architectural discussions in 2019, with the year-over-year growth rates (YoY) that compare to the statistics of searches from 2017 to 2018.

1. WAYS OF LIVING: GREATER INTEREST IN SMALL SCALE HOMES

2. INCLUSIVE ARCHITECTURE: FIRST-RATE DESIGN FOR DIVERSE POPULATIONS

© Jordi Surroca. Image114 Public Housing Units / Sauquet Arquitectes i Associats Accessibility (+108% YoY), Universal Design (+116%) and Inclusive Architecture (+132%) were some of the most searched concepts on ArchDaily in 2018. In previous years the focus was mostly on architecture for children and reduced mobility, whereas this year we saw more searches related to Architecture for the Elderly (+78% YoY) and different capacities related to mental health (Architecture & Mental Health +101% YoY; Space Psychology +210% YoY) and visual impairments (Architecture for the Blind +250% YoY).

3. THE MIDDLE-EAST: UNDERREPRESENTED TERRITORIES IN EVIDENCE

© Martina Rubino. Image100 Classrooms for Refugee Children / Emergency Architecture & Human Rights © Federico Villa. ImageBatipin Flat / studioWOK The Tiny Houses (+75% YoY) concept emerged strongly at the beginning of 2018. Whether it is a movement in response to ideological or financial situations, architects have become more involved in the development of practical and innovative solutions for small spaces. We can also include the interest for- living in dense urban centers, leading to the challenge of designing basic housing programs for spaces under 40 m2.

(Searches related to Small Apartments increased by 121% in 2018).

Just as we saw increasing interest in emerging practices in Latin America (+103.82% YoY) in the last two years, in 2018 we also saw an increase in searches related to the Middle East (+124% YoY). The conflict in Syria (+93% YoY) placed architects’ focus on Rebuilding (+102% YoY). In addition, global events peaked the interest of architects due to the magnitude of the structures involved. Both the city of Dubai (+104% YoY), which will be the host of World Expo 2020, and Qatar (+220% YoY), which will host the next soccer 2022 World Cup, increased considerably in search queries. Hashim Sarkis (+236% YoY), the Lebanese architect who was appointed curator of the Architecture Exhibition for the next Venice Biennial (2020), was one of the most searched persons during 2018.

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GLOBAL TRENDS

4. CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: THE DIGITAL FUTURE OF INFRASTRUCTURE

© Linnéa Therese Dimitriou. ImageUmea University Develops Low-Cost, Flexible 3D Printer

Work within Construction Sites (+378% YoY) is changing rapidly due to the implementation of new technologies that improve productivity and efficiency. The influence of BIM systems (+50% YoY), modular construction (+75% YoY) and prefabrication (+99% YoY) allow for the realization of controlled processes Off-Site (+200% YoY). Meanwhile, 3D printing (+70% YoY), Automation (+118% YoY) and Artificial Intelligence (+234% YoY) make us think, without astonishment, of a future in which construction sites will be free of humans.

Courtesy of Turenscape. ImageQunli Stormwater Wetland Park / Turenscape

6. URBAN DESIGN AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: GREENER AND MORE COLLECTIVE CITIES Natural resources such as water (Water Management +84% YoY) and soil have taken center stage in urban discussions, and the concept of Landscape Urbanism (+103% YoY) is positioned firmly amongst them. Permaculture (+101% YoY) is positioned as a system of design principles that originate from the agricultural, social, political and economic fields. From this, other movements also emerge, such as Urban Farming (+60% YoY) and Urban Agriculture (+84% YoY), as well as the recovery of Public Spaces(+99% YoY) through Activations (+226% YoY) managed by the Community (+76% YoY) itself.

5. TRANSPORT: INCREASE IN SPEED AND COMFORT OF URBAN TRAJECTORIES

© Ossip Architectuurfotografie. ImageLocHal Library / Mecanoo + CIVIC architects + Braaksma & Roos architectenbureau + Inside Outside 7. RECYCLING SPACES: THE CONTINUING AND INCREASED IMPORTANCE OF REUSE

Courtesy of Subarquitectura. ImageTram stop in Alicante / Subarquitectura Interest in matters related to Public Transport (+206% YoY) and Mobility (+143% YoY) increased over those related to private means of transport. The main points of interest were mainly self-driving cars(+160% YoY) and electric cars (+177% YoY).

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Recycling (+145% YoY) and Ecological Awareness (+103% YoY) have not been absent from the debate surrounding the industry with one of the largest carbon footprints in the world: Construction. Faced with this concern, some architects have identified solutions within the Sustainable City (+165% YoY) systems that stop growing (Degrowth +208%) through renovation (+82% YoY) and rehabilitation(+68% YoY) of spaces, and through the design of Adaptive Re-Use Projects (+154% YoY).

8. MATERIALS: FOCUSING ON DETAILS AND LOCAL TECHNIQUES

Related to the environmental consciousness of the previous item, this year we will continue to see a preference for the use of local materials (+83% YoY) and techniques, as well as interest in low cost materials (+260% YoY). Regarding systems, last year we noticed an increase in construction details(+110% YoY), indicating a concern to better address all parts of a project.

© Alberto Cosi. ImageBamboo Sports Hall for Panyaden International School / Chiangmai Life Construction

© Kyungsub Shin. ImageNet Zero Energy House / Lifethings

9. THE HOUSE OF THE FUTURE: ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION FOR DOMESTIC LIFE

10. RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS: NEW ENERGY TO FACE CLIMATE CHANGE

© Jakub Certowicz. ImageThe Apartment of the Future - R&D Laboratory / NArchitekTURA Interest in smart cities has been around for quite a while, but the last year has seen the strengthening of a particular trend within the concept: Smart Houses (+160% YoY) or Smart Homes (+166% YoY).

Technologies associated with Automation (+118% YoY), Robotics (+208% YoY) and Algorithms (+190% YoY) join architecture to bring us solutions that increase comfort within our homes, through Domotics(+450% YoY).

We already know that Environmental Awareness (+322%) and Climate Change (+115%) are concerns that affect architects. As a way to face the carbon emissions caused by the life cycle of any completed building, renewable energy (+300% YoY) plays an important role in the debate, with emerging architectural models that not only work based on renewable energy sources, but that are also capable of generating new energy. The concept of the Powerhouse (+77% YoY) and “Energy Positive” buildings (+65% YoY) arise, which, during their operational phase, generate more energy than what was used during their construction; or “Zero-Energy” (+61% YoY) and “Net Zero” (+49% YoY) houses, which produce more energy than they consume, to achieve appropriate comfort levels.

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ARCHITECTS’ NOTES The Institute of Architects of Zimbabwe aims to promote and encourage the practice and study of the Architectural profession in Zimbabwe.

Established in 1929, the IAZ is celebrating its 90 years anniversary in 2019.

đ&#x;…‚

Selecting An Architect For Your Project

electing the right Architect sets the tone for the success of your project. Architectural firms range in size from one-man offices to larger offices employing quite a number of assistants and technicians. Some large offices prefer not to be involved in small projects, while small practices may not be so experienced in larger projects. Some firms have wide experience and larger manpower resources to draw upon. Others may have exceptional design ability and an enthusiastic approach to their work. No matter what the size of the firm, all are controlled by qualified registered Architects trained to be able to deal with your project.

There are three typical routes that you could use to select an Architect for your project, as follows: Interviewing and selecting is the most common method of selecting an Architect for your project, and is suitable for all manner of building projects of any size or complexity.

In this method the client is encouraged to shortlist those Architects that you are interested in interviewing and considering the following: • Meet Architects whose previous work you like and ask to see a portfolio of work or finished buildings. • Listen to recommendations from their

previous clients, and from your friends, relatives and acquaintances.

•

Follow up their references to find out about how well they communicated, how responsive they were to changes, and how effective they were at understanding the client’s expectations and at managing the whole process to a successful completion.

•

Visit their offices and see if you feel they have the professionalism, staff and the adequate resources to undertake your type of project - you need confidence that they can deliver what your project needs to be a success.

• What special expertise the firm can offer - ask about their specific experience that is relevant to your particular type of project. • How busy is the firm and their capacity to satisfy your timelines and programme? •

Who will be specifically responsible for your project, and an assessment of how well you might be able to work and communicate together?

•

Ask if they have been involved in any disputes over their work - or if they have an unsuccessful projects, and if so why that happened and what did they do to resolve the issues.

• Do not consider Architects on the basis of who will charge the lowest fees but rather

on who is the most appropriate for successful delivery of your project.

Architects are bound by the Architects Act to a minimum fees scale which they are not permitted to charge below - the client should consider if they really want to appoint an Architect who is willing to break the law?

• Ask Architects to show you some recently completed buildings that they consider suitable for your particular project.

Above all, talk to your intended Architect - it is important to ensure that you are compatible and that you feel that your Architect listens and understands what you say and that you respect each other’s views.

Your Architect must convince you both of their creativity and their ability to get things done. With all the information gathered, and having carefully considered all aspects, it must then ultimately be your own judgement as to which Architect you select.

Note that a current list of Registered Architects and firms is always available from the Institute of Architects of Zimbabwe or available from the IAZ website www.architects.org.zw.

Under the terms of The Architects Act - ONLY those named on this list may use the title Architect - furthermore the Architects Act (1975) prohibits individuals or companies not registered with the Architects Council of Zimbabwe (ACZ) from carrying out the work of Architects.

For further information please contact Institute of Architects of Zimbabwe (IAZ) or visit the IAZ website www.architects.org.zw 3 Dorking House, 115 J. Chinamano Ave, PO Box 3592 Harare, Zimbabwe structure & design |

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THE STEEL BUILDING COMPANY 74 Woolwich Road/Cnr Gleneagles, Willowvale, Harare, Zimbabwe Landline: +263-242-621584/621540 | Voip: 08677000698/9 | Mobile: 0712221207 Email: sales@thesteelbuildingco.co.zw

Superstructures 25

ZBCA hails TiB Insurance Brokers and accolades it

“THE BEST SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR 2018’’

T

Xolani Ndiweni (F.I.I.S.A), Divisional Director: Xolani has over twenty years working experience, ten of which have been at management level. He is a fellow of the Insurance Institute of South Africa and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Risk Management. Currently he is studying towards a Masters Degree in Risk Management.

iB Insurance Brokers was awarded the top accolade of being the “BEST SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR 2018’’ at the ZBCA Annual General Conference which was successfully held in Victoria Falls at the Majestic Elephant Hills Resort Hotels from the 10th to the 12th of October 2018.

Commenting upon receiving the Award, the Managing Director of the TiB Insurance Brokers, Mr Charles Mulele said, “We thank God for having been given the opportunity to serve the Construction Industry and indeed having lived to our Vision of being, The Preferred Insurance Broking Firm providing Insurance Broking and Risk management solutions to Businesses. We are truly grateful that the Stakeholders of ZBCA have recognised and awarded our efforts to unlock value to Contractors by providing them access to the Bank guarantees, particularly Bank Bid Bonds without the need for cash cover that has been locking their operational cash flows with Banks for periods of up to 3 months and in some instances 4 months.’’

BACKGROUND TO BANK GUARANTEES PRODUCT In the last quarter of 2017, TiB Insurance Brokers realised that most Employers under Construction contracts had started insisting on provision by Contractors, Bonds & Guarantees that are issued by Banking Institutions as opposed to Insurance Institutions.

In response to this demand by Employers, TiB Insurance Brokers arranged several facilities within Banks and are now issuing required Bank Bonds and Guarantees to Contractors, with the Contractor only paying the premium and THUS ELIMINATING THE CASH COVER COLLATERAL REQUIREMENT. For instance, in a tender requiring a Bank Guarantee of $2 000, a Contractor through TIB will only pay a premium of $300 to get a Bank Bond and not the $2 000 plus establishment fees as is the case with a cash cover facility through a Bank.

“We are excited that in 2019, as we are 26

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Seth Chimeri (B Com Risk Management and Insurance) (NUST), Operations Manager: Seth has nine years’ experience in the local Insurance. He is a holder of a Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree in Risk Management and Insurance and is currently studying for professional stage C.I.I. He is also the past Treasurer of the Insurance Institute of Bulawayo OUR OFFICES Harare Office is situated at the following address: -

celebrating Our 20 years of service to Business, more Banks are coming on board and this will increase our facility lines to service more members of the Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association at the stroke of an enquiry’’ said Mr Mulele.

Ericom Communication Complex 1 Boshoff drive, Graniteside, HARARE Telephone: +263 4 748294-6 Fax: +263 4 773116 Charles Mulele – Managing Director Mobile: +263 777 057 386 Email: charlesm@tib.co.zw

The following Bank or Insurance issued Bonds & Guarantees are on offer: - Bid Bonds - Performance Bonds - Advance Payment Bonds - Retention or Maintenance Bonds - Contractors All Risks Insurance - Plant All Risks Insurance - Credit Risk Insurance

Seth Chimeri – Operations Manager Mobile: +263 772 494 967 Email: sethc@tib.co.zw

BANK BONDS & GUARANTEES TEAM

Telephone: +263 9 75789/ 72606 Fax: +263 9 72658

Charles Mulele (A.C.I.I) (A.I.I.S.A), Managing Director: Charles has been in the Insurance Industry for twenty-five years. He is an Associate of both the Insurance Institute of South Africa and London by examination and is a Chartered Insurance Practitioner.

He is the past President of the Insurance Institute of Bulawayo.

Bulawayo Office is situated at the following address: Third Floor- Charter House Cnr Fort Street/ Leopold Takawira Avenue P.O Box 546, BULAWAYO

Xolani Ndiweni – Divisional Director Mobile: +263 712 607 050 Email: xolanin@tib.co.zw Belinda Shayamano – Broker Mobile: +263 779 104 059 Email: belindas@tib.co.zw

First option

đ&#x;…ƒYOUR CONTRACT BANK OTAL SOLUTIONS TO

BONDS & GUARANTEES.

Most of the Employers under Construction Contracts are insisting on the provision by Contractors of Bonds and Guarantees that are issued

by Banking Institutions as opposed to Insurance Institutions.

In response to this demand

by Employers, TiB Insurance Brokers has arranged several facilities within Banks and are now issuing the required Bank Bonds & Guarantees to Contractors.

The Delivery time at present, if all the requisite documents are submitted is 48Hours.

So for all your Bank Bonds & Guarantees and other Contract Insurance needs, you can now approach TiB Insurance Brokers and specify your requirements.

The following Bank and insurance issued bonds & guarantees facilities are on offer: • Bid Bonds • Performance Bonds • Advance Payment Bonds • Retention or Maintenance Bonds • Contractors All Risks • Plant All Risks • Credit Risk Insurance

TiB Provides Insurance Broking and Advisory Services to Clients across a broad range of sectors including inter-alia Manufacturing & Construction, Trading, Farming & Agriculture, Financial Services, Academia, Government and Quasi Government Institutions.

CONTACT DETAILS

TiB Insurance Brokers

TiB Insurance Brokers

Structure & Design Tea

Ericom Communication Complex 3rd Floor, Charter House 1 Boshoff Drive Cnr L Takawira/Fort Street Graniteside,publisher@structureanddesign.co.zw Harare Bulawayo Tel: 04 748294/6 or 0777 057 386 Email: charlesm@tib.co.zw sethc@tib.co.zw

S&D PARTNERS

Tel: (09) 75789 or 0773 402 361 Email: xolanin@tib.co.zw belindas@tib.co.zw

Award Winner of the SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR 2018

MATERIAL FOCUS

PLASCON COLOUR FORECAST 2019 OUR COLOUR FORECAST JOURNEY Each year it is our great pleasure to put together and share our comprehensive Colour Forecast. It empowers you to decode the world of colour and make it relevant to your spaces, life stages, personal taste and sense of style. Colour is so much more than the paint we roll onto our walls. The way we use colour tells the world our most personal stories and acts as a mirror of the things that mean the most to us.

ON TREND AND VERSATILE, SAY HELLO TO RAVINE (62) A subtle blend of beige and grey that brings a sense of calm to every space. Greys are here to stay and this timeless neutral is the perfect canvas for your home.

OUR COLOUR STORIES

Industrial Bovine (47) and vital Yellow Jubilee (Y2-A1-1), part of the Urban colour story, make a confidently artful statement in this lounge and eliminates the need for accessories and art pieces.

A decidedly summery story with its restrained core neutrals and modern pastels, our Glamour palette appeals to confident and creative souls.

You are a bold and sociable trends devotee and your space is where you showcase your personal style. Your use of colour is indulgent and the treasures you display have been collected with care and attention to detail.

1. EVENING GLADE (G3-E2-2) 2. OYSTER CATCHER (Y2-B2-3) 3. PHANTOM NIGHT (P1-E1-2) 4. NUTMEG DUST (O3-C2-2) 5. GROOVY GRAPE (R1-B1-1) 6. MERMAID JEWEL (G7-B1-3) 7. GRANNY APPLE (G2-A1-1) 8. CANDY TUFT (P3-B2-1) 28

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The 2019 Colour Forecast’s Glamour story suggests combining gentle lilac Candy Tuft (P3-B2-1) with grounding colours such as Oyster Catcher (Y2-B2-3) or Evening Glade (G3-E2-2) to create a stylish sanctuary in your home. Pops of colour through freshly green Granny Apple (G2-A1-1), aqua Mermaid Jewel (G7-B1-3) or dramatic Groovy Grape (R1-B1-1) for accent or features will add a gratifyingly opulent quality.

The forecast’s dramatic Luxury story also speaks to this natural trend with colours such as Ravine (62), Plascon’s Neutral of the Year, and Berry Good (P1-A2-3) working well with Black Bean (71) and Beeswax Candle (Y1-B1-1), for a look that takes us back to a slower pace where old world values take centre stage.

LUXURY The rich autumnal hues of the Luxury palette are set against calming neutrals that complement your oldworld value system.

They reflect your appreciation of life’s most simple pleasures and quality over quantity.

Your innate sophistication and love of heritage reimagined in a modern way plays out in the colours with which you surround yourself.

1. GOLDEN LAKE (Y5-C1-3) 2. RAVINE (62) 3. WINTER STORM (B3-B1-2) 4. BERRY GOOD (P1-A2-3) 5. BURNT HORIZON ( R7-B1-1) 6. BEESWAX CANDLE (YI-B1-1) 7. DARK ANTELOPE (P7-E1-1) 8. BLACK BEAN (71)

MINIMAL The Minimal palette speaks to the caring, introverted thinker and instinctive problem solver. You gravitate towards colours that stimulate brain activity, many of which are drawn from a spring palette. Deep blue and aqua tones appeal to your goal-orientated nature, aiding focus, while calming peach and muted yellows perfectly express your compassionate nature.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

LEMON RIND (Y4-A1-3) DAIQUIRI CREAM (G4-B2-3) ORANGE DELIGHT (O5-A1-4) MEADOW YELLOW (Y4-A2-2) ATLANTIC OCEAN (B2-C1-1) STORM (B4-E1-4) NIGHT’S CLOAK (P1-C1-1) GO GO RED (R4-A1-1)

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URBAN Admirers of the Urban palette are driven by a desire to connect with the world as a result of a love for travel and the energy of cities.

Your style combines industrial severity with rich shades in lively primary colours and distinctive accent hues in petrol green and true purple. Cold concrete is lifted with hints of lilac while rich cobalt and brick-red add warmth and street cred to your favoured look.

1. DARK ONYX (42) 2. SILVER (38) 3. RED FLAME (R7-A1-1) 4. BOVINE (47) 5. GOLF GREENS (G4-A1-1) 6. PRISTINE BLUE (B4-A1-1) 7. VICTORIAN LACE (P5-C1-1) 8. YELLOW JUBILEE (Y2-A1-1)

The Colour Forecast’s Urban colour story speaks to the ultimate urban home, edited with clean lines and no clutter. Cementitious Silver (38) and gritty Bovine (47) are the neutrals which are brought to life with rich blues, reds and yellows such as Pristine Blue (B4-A1-1), Red Flame (R7-A1-1) and Yellow Jubilee (Y2-A1-1).

Digitally connected and social, everything these days is done for ‘likes’ so individualisation and the way we portray ourselves on digital platforms is increasingly important. Central to this is how our homes

look to our peers. Younger people especially are more willing to embrace expressive and eye-catching designs that pop on the digital stage and purvey their sense of individuality.

Urban’s colours work well to this end as does the Minimal colour story which features futuristic neutrals such as Daiquiri Cream (G4-B2-3) and Meadow Yellow (Y4-A2-2). Teamed up with refined shades such as Atlantic Ocean (B2-C1-1) or sensorial Night’s Cloak (P1-C1-1) we have an upbeat colour story that provides warmth in the absence of ‘stuff’.

BACKGROUND Brainstorms, brush-outs, samples, tester pots, photoshoots, mood boards, late nights and more. After months of research and trend analyses, the wait for colour connoisseurs and paint enthusiasts is over as Plascon reveals their 2019 colour trends and how they’ll make all the difference in the built environment.

Teaming up with trend authorities with research obtained from around the world, each year Plascon collaboratively decodes current social and lifestyle insights into projected colour, décor and design trends. Plascon’s Head of Decorative Marketing, Katlego 30

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Kondlo says, “Our 2019 Colour Forecast speaks to current global societal needs. This year reveals six social moods from which we have formulated four unique colour stories that reflect them.”

WHAT ARE THE TREND DRIVERS? In a rapidly evolving and increasingly chaotic world, uncertainty is propelling people to look inward and create personal spaces where they feel safe and secure. Katlego says, “This brings us to cocooning as one of our trend drivers. Our homes are becoming more social as we once again invite people into our personal space to socialise and entertain.”

MATERIAL FOCUS

10 Interior House Painting Tips & Painting Techniques for the Perfect Paint Job

Painting Techniques Tip 1: To avoid lap marks, roll the full height of the wall and keep a wet edge Lap marks are those ugly stripes caused by uneven layers of paint build-up. They occur when you roll over paint that’s already partly dry. (In warm, dry conditions, latex paint can begin to stiffen in less than a minute!) The key to avoiding lap marks when doing DIY wall painting is to maintain a “wet edge,” so each stroke of your roller overlaps the previous stroke before the paint can begin to dry.

To maintain a wet edge, start near a corner and run the roller up and down the full height of the wall, moving over slightly with each stroke. Move backward where necessary to even out thick spots or runs. Don’t let the roller become nearly dry; reload it often so that it’s always at least half loaded. Keep the open side of the roller frame facing the area that’s already painted. That puts less pressure on the open side of the roller, so you’re less likely to leave paint ridges when doing DIY wall painting.

Tip 2: Mix several cans of paint in a large bucket for a consistent color throughout the room Paint color may vary slightly from one can to the next. If you have to open a new can in the middle of a wall, the difference may be noticeable. Mixing the paints together eliminates the problem. It’s best to estimate

the amount of paint you’ll need and mix it in a 5-gallon bucket (a process called “boxing”).

When coverage is difficult to estimate, add more rather than less when doing DIY wall painting. You can always pour the leftover back into cans. For large jobs, use the bucket and a roller screen rather than a roller tray.

It’s much faster to load your roller with the screen than to use a roller pan. Simply dunk the roller into the paint bucket, then roll it along the screen until it stops dripping.

Tip 3: Let the paint dry, then cut the tape loose for a perfect edge Once paint is dry, you can’t just pull the tape off the trim. Paint forms a film between the wall and the tape, and removing the tape tears pieces of dried paint off the wall. So before pulling off the tape, cut it loose.

Wait for the paint to completely dry, at least 24 hours, then use a sharp utility knife or box cutter knife to slice through the film. Start in an inconspicuous area to make sure the paint is hard enough to slice cleanly. If you cut the paint while it’s still gummy, you’ll make a mess. As you cut the paint, pull up the tape at a 45-degree angle.

Tip 4: Paint the trim first, then the ceiling and walls Prime and texture wall Pros usually follow a certain order when painting a room. They paint the trim first,

then the ceiling, then the walls. That’s because it’s easier (and faster) to tape off the trim than to tape off the walls. And you certainly don’t want to tape them both off!

When painting the trim, you don’t have to be neat. Just concentrate on getting a smooth finish on the wood. Don’t worry if the trim paint gets onto the walls. You’ll cover it later when painting the walls. Once the trim is completely painted and dry (at least 24 hours), tape it off (using an “easy release” painter’s tape), then paint the ceiling, then the walls.

Tip 5: Prime and texture wall patches to avoid a blotchy finish Freshly painted walls often look blotchy.

The colour is uniform, but the sheen isn’t consistent. This usually occurs over the holes and cracks you patched with a filler or drywall compound. The porous fillers absorb the paint, dulling the surface (a problem called “flashing”). When light hits these dull spots, they stick out like a sore thumb. The smooth patch also stands out in contrast to the slightly bumpy texture of the rest of the wall. A quick coat of primer is all it takes to eliminate flashing and texture differences.

Primer seals the patch so paint won’t sink in and look dull. To match texture, prime with a roller, feathering out the edges. Choose a nap thickness to match the surrounding wall texture (a 3/8-in. nap roller for smooth walls; 1/2-in. for textured).

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Tip 6: Clean dirty surfaces so the paint can form a strong bond If you paint over dirty, oily surfaces, the paint will easily chip or peel off. So before painting, clean grimy areas with a deglosser or heavyduty cleaner intended for pre-paint cleaning.

They work well to clean painted, varnished or enamelled surfaces to improve the adhesion of the new paint. They’re ideal for cleaning greasy or oily areas like kitchen and bathroom walls and removing hand marks around light switches and doorknobs.

Wipe on the cleaner in a circular motion using a lint-free cloth or abrasive pad. Start at the bottom and work up. After the surface is clean, fill in any nicks and holes, then sand them smooth before painting. The cleaners are available at paint stores and home centres. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and eye protection.

Tip 7: Roll paint along the edges for consistent texture Corners and areas next to trim that are painted only with a brush have a noticeably different texture than the surrounding paint. To ensure the finished texture will be consistent in these areas, brush on the paint, then immediately roll it out before the paint dries.

Use a 3-in. roller with a nap that’s the same thickness as the roller used for the rest of the wall. Roll as close as you can without bumping the opposite wall or slopping paint onto the trim. Finish brushing on the paint and rolling it out in one area before moving on to the next section.

Tip 8: Use cotton drop cloths rather than plastic Spills and spatters happen, regardless of how careful you are. It’s a lot easier to prepare for them than to wipe them out of your carpeting or off your wood floor later. All it takes is canvas drop cloths in your work area.

The thick canvas stays in place, so you don’t need to tape it, and you can use it to cover any surface. Plastic drop cloths are slippery to walk on or set a ladder on and don’t stay in place. Even worse, paint spills on plastic stay wet, and they can end up on your shoes and get tracked through the house. Canvas is slippery on hard floors, so rosin paper is better over vinyl, tile and hard- wood. Tape the sheets together and to the floor to provide a non-slip surface.

But even with canvas or rosin-paper drop cloths, large spills still need to get wiped up right away or they’ll seep through. Clean spills 34

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with paper towels or cloth rags. Likewise, if you splatter paint on any other surface, wipe it up immediately.

in the opposite direction. This criss-crossing paint application sharply reduces (if not eliminates) lap marks.

Tip 9: Feather out paint where you can’t keep a wet edge

Tip 10: Sand trim between coats for an ultra-smooth finish

You can’t cover large areas like ceilings, extra-tall walls or stairwells in single, continuous strokes, so the best way to minimize lap marks on these areas is to feather out the paint along the edges that you can’t keep wet. The thinner, feathered coat of paint will avoid the build-up that causes the lap mark.

One coat of paint usually won’t hide the underlying colour and sheen on trim. And if you don’t sand the surface smooth between coats, the finish may have a grainy texture.

For a smooth finish, sand the trim before applying each coat of paint.

To paint a large section without leaving lap marks, roll the nearly dry roller in different directions along the dry edge, feathering out the paint as you go. After completing the entire length of the wall or ceiling, move to the next section and paint over the feathered edges. For the second coat, apply the paint

Sand the trim with a fine-grit sanding sponge.

Sponges get into crevices where sandpaper can’t go and let you apply even pressure.

Then apply the first coat of paint, let it dry at least 24 hours, lightly sand it again for a completely smooth surface, and apply the second coat. After each sanding, vacuum the trim, then wipe it down with a tack cloth to remove the dust.

INDUSTRIAL PROFILE

Benefits of Double Glazing S

Cooler in summer: Double glazing insulates your home against extremes of temperature, trapping some of the summer sun;s rays and minimising the heat which burns through your windows on hot, sunny days.

Enhances resale value: Double glazing is an excellent way to increase the resale value of your home.

With double glazing, an older home can be just as desirable to the purchaser who wants to ensure that the house they buy is efficiently insulated.

Reduces energy usage: Because there’s less need for heating systems you’ll be reducing energy consumption, which saves on your power bills and helps the environment.

With retrofit doubleglazing any home can get the benefits!

Reduces condensation: Condensation can be a serious problem, particularly in older homes, as it causes mould and mildew, and in some cases it will also rot timber window frames and damage your family’s health. Double glazing works to reduce excess moisture on your window panes.

Reduces interior fading: Reduces the damaging effects of UV light on drapes, carpet and furniture (special glass types required) Reduced interior fading by using glass combinations that reduce the transmission of UV radiation. Reduce the need for thermal drapes that can block the exterior view.

Reduces noise: Double gazing reduces noise for a calmer, quieter home. High performance double glazing can reduce outside noise by up to 60%, making it a great investment if you live by a busy road or beneath a flight path.

Increases security: Discourage intruders for safety and security.

It’s more difficult for intruders to break in through double glazed windows, particularly if you include laminated or toughened glass.

pecifically designed to reduce heat loss from homes and buildings, double glazing also performs many other benefits, including:

Warmer in winter: Double glazing is the ideal form of insulation, with up to 50-70% of home heat lost through single-glazed windows.

Double glazing also helps capture and store a higher percentage of the natural heat from the winter sun.

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Zeitz MOCAA

Architects Heatherwick Studio Location Cape Town, South Africa Category Adaptive Reuse Design Director Thomas Heatherwick Local Project Architect Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects (VDMMA), Jacobs Parkers Architects, Rick Brown + Associates Project Year 2017 Photographs Iwan Baan

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The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), had its public opening on 22 September 2017 at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront. It is the world’s largest museum dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora and is designed by internationally acclaimed designers Heatherwick Studio, based in London.

The museum is housed in 9,500 sq metres of custom designed space, spread over nine floors, carved out of the monumental structure of the historic Grain Silo Complex.

The silo, disused since 1990, stands as a monument to the industrial past of Cape Town, at one time the tallest building in South Africa, now given new life through the transformation by Heatherwick Studio.

Heatherwick Studio transformed the tightly packed tubes into open areas of contemplation, carving out various oblong shapes to make room for large social spaces and lots of light from overhead windows.

Heatherwick wished to clear out large spaces for the galleries, however he was also careful about not eliminating the tubular structure of the building completely.

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“We realised we needed to do something that your eye couldn’t instantly predict,” Heatherwick told Dezeen.com. “Our role was destructing rather than constructing, but trying to destruct with a confidence and an energy, and not treating the building as a shrine.”

The nearly 20,000 square foot museum is one of many facilities that form the V&A Waterfront, a cultural center dotted with several bars and restaurants on the city’s harbor.

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SPACE OF THE MONTH

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The galleries and the atrium space at the centre of the museum have been carved from the silos’ dense cellular structure of forty-two tubes that pack the building. The development includes 6,000 sq metres of exhibition space in 80 gallery spaces, a rooftop sculpture garden, state of the art storage and conservation areas, a bookshop, a restaurant, bar, and reading rooms. (There are 80 conventional white-cube gallery spaces but more than 100 galleries when you include spaces such as the Centre for Performative Practice, the four-story dust house and the tunnels on the Level -1 basement level.)

The museum also houses Centres for a Costume Institute, Photography, Curatorial Excellence, the Moving Image and Art Education.

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The R500 million (ÂŁ30 million) development of Zeitz MOCAA, announced in November 2013, was created in a partnership between the V&A Waterfront and Jochen Zeitz, as a not-for-profit public cultural institution in the heart of one of most visited cultural and historical hubs in Africa. Set on the edge of a natural, historic working harbour, with the iconic Table Mountain as its backdrop, and sweeping views of the ocean, city bowl and mountain peaks, V&A Waterfront attracts up to 100,000 people a day.

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The Silo Hotel and the cafe are some of the spaces housed there.

Installation view of Mary Sibande, In the midst of chaos,

The branding particularly stands out.

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Inso Aluminium Zimbabwe is in the business of manufacturing aluminium doors, windows, partitions, roofing systems, shop fronts, frames, curtain walling and fabrication services. This is then installed into a variety of different applications. This service is provided for multiple applications relating to commercial and residential properties.

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products at highly competitive prices.

Each door, window and shower is carefully crafted out of SABS approved materials for years of trouble free service.

Inso has built up relationships with key

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PROPERTY FOCUS

Should You Buy or Build a Home?

A

home is usually the single largest investment that a person makes.

Most buyers end up spending lots of time and energy either searching for or designing “the perfect home” before signing any contracts. Location, price, market trends, property taxes and the condition of the property are factored into the house hunt.

Also, each buyer typically has a wish list that includes specific needs (the things the buyer absolutely has to have) and wants (the features the buyer would like but could do without if necessary).

While the home-buying process involves a number of important choices, one of the very first decisions buyers need to make is whether to shop for an existing home or build a new one. Each path has its advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a look at both sides.

BUYING AN EXISTING HOME There are two primary advantages to buying an existing home: convenience and cost. A qualified real estate agent can streamline the process by helping you find appropriate properties, guiding you through negotiations

and assisting with the paperwork. Once your offer is accepted, you may be able to close and move in within a month or two.

Even though the process involves numerous steps – such as financing, viewing homes, making offers, home inspections and closing – the convenience of being able to move in right away is compelling enough for many people to choose an existing home over a build. This may be especially true for buyers on a tight schedule, such as those relocating for a new job or whose children will be starting at a new school.

Then there’s cost. In many (but not all) cases it’s cheaper to buy an existing home. Once you’ve found a prospective, existing home, and you are getting a loan or mortgage from your bank, use a mortgage calculator to get a better estimate of the total cost of purchasing that home based on today’s interest rates.

CONVENIENCE VERSUS CUSTOMIZATION Another reason an existing home may be a better option is if you would like to be in a

particular established neighbourhood – near work, school, friends and/or family. Odds are, too, that the home will have mature landscaping, so you won’t have to worry about starting a lawn, planting shrubs and waiting for trees to grow. And if you want to live close to town, your best bet will be an existing home since most, if not all of the land, will have already been built upon.

On the flip side, the biggest disadvantage of buying an existing home may be that you won’t get exactly what you want. You may not be in love with the floor plan and may wish that half bath on the first floor was a full bath or that there was another bedroom on the main floor. Older homes, in particular, may be functionally obsolete, no longer meeting the needs of most buyers. For example, an otherwise beautiful four-bedroom house may only have one bathroom, or the kitchen may be too small with no room for expansion.

Unless you find an existing home that has exactly what you want and is in perfect condition, you will have to spend additional money on remodelling, repairs, decorating and/or landscaping. These additional > 47

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> expenses should be factored into the overall price, especially when choosing among various properties or comparing the cost to building your own house.

BUILDING A HOME Building a new home doesn’t offer the same convenience as buying an existing house.

Not only do you have to find the land, which may not be in an existing neighbourhood, you also have to factor in the time to find an architect or builder, and choose every element of the new structure. Joining an existing development can streamline the process, though it may limit your degree of choice. You also need to worry about systems, such as whether the land gives you access to municipal water and sewage, or requires a well and septic system, along with any environmental and other permits.

The big advantage is you are much more likely to get exactly what you want. For many, this factor alone is enough to choose to build over buying, but there are other advantages too. “A new home is more efficient, especially with the new energy codes including better HVAC [heating, ventilation, and cooling], insulation and air filtration standards,” says Guy Burtt, a full-service, licensed general contractor and construction manager engaged in commercial, residential and renovation construction projects. Better efficiency is good for the environment and can save you money on your utility bills each month.

Another perk? A new house may literally be better for you. “A new home is less likely to have the health concerns or toxic materials of an older home – things such as asbestos, lead paint, mold, etc.,” says Burtt. And it can be built with certain materials making it better for the environment. “Green appliances/Energy Star rated appliances, and more efficient toilets, plumbing fixtures, and electrical fixtures allow you to build “green” for a more sustainable home in the long run. And you have the option to install, sleeve and/or wire for future technology upgrades, such as home automation and solar,” says Burtt.

Even though the upfront costs of building can be higher, it may be easier to recoup your investment. “You can have more significant profits with the resale of your new home. A newer home is typically more appealing than an older home to most people,” Burtt says. In addition, a new home will require fewer repairs and less maintenance, which can save both money and time. may still be covered.

Money and features aside, building a house can lead to a level of satisfaction that you can’t achieve through buying an existing home.

“There is a definite feeling of an emotional connection to living in a new home that you have created,” says Burtt. “The new-home smell, no one else has stepped foot (or pets) on your carpet. This is your creation that matches your style and personality, that you created from scratch.”

TIME AND MONEY The biggest drawbacks to building a house tend to be the higher costs and longer timeframe, both of which can increase throughout the home-building process. That said, you can limit the risk that 48

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your house will go over budget or take longer than you expected by working with a reputable builder and having a good contract in place. “Have your potential builder provide references and then check their past homeowner references,” says Burtt. To avoid unexpected price increases, “try to use a lump-sum contract, instead of a cost-plus contract.” A lump-sum contract specifies a fixed price for construction, putting the risk of cost overruns on the builder instead of the buyer.

In addition, your contractor should work with you to help you reduce costs. “Your builder should provide a list of cost-saving items, if requested,” says Burtt. Substituting different materials and fixtures can save thousands of dollars, so if costs are a concern, ask ahead of time if there’s a cheaper alternative. And keep in mind that anything out of the ordinary is going to cost more. “Custom colors and ornate shapes of materials are certain ways to go over budget,” says Burtt.

To control the timeframe, “try to have a contract that includes a construction time duration,” says Burtt. “Avoid the open-ended deadlines, and have a game plan and schedule.” If you are out of state, you’ll want to make sure your builder keeps you up to date with the progress. “Ask if the builder will provide progress photos on a regular basis, and determine who will be your main point of contact throughout the process,” says Burtt.

In addition, to save both money and time, maintain good communication with your builder and make sure you are happy with the design/specs before the build begins. It’s not good for you or your builder if you change your mind about the color of the granite countertops after they’ve already been installed.

THE BOTTOM LINE Even if you start off your home search set on finding the perfect existing property, you may end up deciding to build to get exactly what you want. Conversely, you may plan on building and later decide an existing home is a better fit. In either case, working with a qualified and experienced professional – whether that’s a real estate agent or a general contractor – can help ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible.

OPTICAL GLASS HOUSE

Architects Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP Location Hiroshima, Japan Category Houses Area 385.0 m2 Photographs Koji Fuji / Nacasa & Partners Inc Manufacturers EQUITONE Structure Design Yasushi Moribe Textile Coordination Yoko Ando Site area 244 m2 Text description provided by the architects.

This house is sited among tall buildings in downtown Hiroshima, overlooking a street with many passing cars and trams. To obtain privacy and tranquility in these surroundings, we placed a garden and optical glass faรงade on the street side of the house.

The garden is visible from all rooms, and the serene soundless scenery of the passing cars and trams imparts richness to life in the house. Sunlight from the east, refracting through the glass, creates beautiful light patterns. Rain striking the water-basin skylight manifests water patterns on the entrance floor.

Filtered light through the garden trees flickers on the living room floor, and a super lightweight curtain of sputter-coated metal dances in the wind. Although located downtown in a city, the house enables residents to enjoy the changing light and city moods, as the day passes, and live in awareness of the changing seasons.

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Optical Glass Faรงade A faรงade of some 6,000 pure-glass blocks (50mm x 235mm x 50mm) was employed. The pure-glass blocks, with their large mass-per-unit area, effectively shut out sound and enable the creation of an open, clearly articulated garden that admits the city scenery. To realize such a faรงade, glass casting was employed to produce glass of extremely high transparency from borosilicate, the raw material for optical glass.

The casting process was exceedingly difficult, for it required both slow cooling to remove residual stress from within the glass, and high dimensional accuracy. Even then, however, the glass retained microlevel surface asperities, but we actively welcomed this effect, for it would produce unexpected optical illusions in the interior space.

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Suppliers & Installers of: Hardwood Flooring | Porcelain & Ceramic Tiling | Engineered Flooring | Laminate Textiles Luxury Vinyl Tiling | Carpeting

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TECH FOCUS

THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW CES® Is the Global Stage for Innovation CES is the world’s gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years — the global stage where nextgeneration innovations are introduced to the marketplace.

Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), it attracts the world’s business leaders and pioneering thinkers.

CES showcases more than 4,400 exhibiting companies, including manufacturers, developers and suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content, technology delivery systems and more; a conference program with more than 250 conference sessions and more than 182,000 attendees from 160 countries.

And because it is owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™ — the technology trade association representing the $398 billion U.S. consumer technology industry — it attracts the world’s business leaders and pioneering thinkers to a forum where the industry’s most relevant issues are addressed.

The first CES took place in New York City in June 1967. Since then, thousands of products have been announced at the yearly show, including many that have transformed our lives.

Covering nearly 3 million square feet, the annual CES show is a gadget-lover’s paradise. Every year, tech titans and scrappy startups alike descend on Las Vegas to show off the amazing products they’ve been quietly toiling away on all year -- and offer consumers a glimpse at the future. CES ran January 8 to 11 in 2019, and with more than 4,400 exhibitors and over 1,000 startups, something new lurked around every corner.

PRODUCT CATEGORIES AND MARKETPLACES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

3D Printing Accessibility Advertising, Marketing, Content and Entertainment AR/VR and Gaming Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Audio and Video Baby Tech CES Sports Zone Country Pavilions Design & Source Showcase Digital Money Drones Enterprise Solutions Eureka Park Family and Kids Tech Fitness Health and Wellness High-Tech Retailing Home Cinema IoT Infrastructure iProducts Resilience Self-Driving Technology

• • • • • • • •

Sleep Tech Smart Cities Smart Home Sports Tech Tourism Vehicle Technology Wearables Wireless Devices and Services

This was a huge year for TVs at CES, with real innovation and big leaps forward. TV makers are pushing the envelope like never before.

For starters, there’s Samsung’s 219-inch “The Wall.” It’s a Micro LED TV, a new type of TV technology that has us amazed. It’s emissive, like OLED, but unlike OLED it uses only red, green, and blue LED pixels, so not only can it deliver true black levels, but it is incredibly bright and colorful. Of note: This is a modular system that can be assembled in any size or shape you want. Samsung showed off a 75-inch variant, but imagine a variety of new shapes and sizes. TVs: They aren’t just rectangles anymore!

Then there was also LG’s Signature OLED TV R. The R stands for roll-up or, as we like to call it, “roll-ed.” The TV emerges from a long rectangular box like a phoenix from the ashes, and when you’re done watching, it rolls right back down, out of sight. It can also be minimized into what LG calls “line view” to deliver different kinds of content.

There’s an integrated speaker system but LG is supporting WiSA this year, which means wireless surround sound is now possible in a whole new way. If it’s a sharper picture you’re after, 8K sets were everywhere from 55

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Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, and others, proving that the new buzzword will remain on lips and minds in 2019.

at last, and more. Which company won? In the end, there is one clear victor: consumers.

VR AND AR

MOBILE At every major press conference and every big booth, two characters were front and center: 5G. But not much else. While conversation around 5G was unavoidable, there were few actual product announcements: a new router, a demo phone in the Samsung booth, and so on.

That’s because most of the actual products are being saved for Mobile World Congress, the mobile trade show that’s just around the corner. Still, the energy and excitement around 5G was unmistakable. In years past, discussions felt like hype. This year, it felt like promise — despite revelations that AT&T was faking 5G on millions of 4G phones, which it believes are nearly fast enough. 5G will indeed show up in 2019, but you’ll need to tune in after CES to see the good stuff.

Meanwhile, the mobile industry did have a few tricks up its sleeve, notably revelations from Samsung that it plans to release a foldable phone in first half of 2019. And fresh demonstrations from a little-known Chinese company called Royole of a home-grown folding smartphone of its own. Clearly, the very shape of phones in the future is about to take a dramatic shift.

SMART HOME Smart home devices mean everything from doorbells to dishwashers, but one product category stood out for us at this year’s CES: toilets. Yep, CES 2019 was flush with toilets, some featuring internet connected features, voice assistants, and more. Eep! Amazon Alexa rocked CES 2019 too.

Amazon sold millions of Echo and Dot smart speakers during the 2018 holiday season, extending its reach in the U.S. and around the world. During CES 2019, the Seattle company introduced new products, features, and services that support Key by Amazon, (formerly Amazon Key); announced new gear from the Amazon-owned Ring brand; and presented piles and piles of new products that are Alexa compatible and or have Alexa built in.

But Google didn’t let Alexa do all the talking. Google Assistant came to CES 2019 loaded for growth with three times more exhibit space than last year and tons of news: upgrades to Google Assistant on smartphones, the ability to check into a flight with just your voice, Assistant in Google Maps 56

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There weren’t a ton of exciting VR headsets on display, but the three that most impressed us gave reason to think that VR is about to have its moment. For starters, the Oculus Quest could very well be the future of VR: It doesn’t require a fancy gaming PC to work, and it’s quite a bit more powerful than earlier offerings, bringing it closer to PC VR experiences that have been mostly reserved for serious enthusiasts up until this point. Meanwhile, The HTC Vive Pro Eye is essentially the same headset that launched in 2018, with one crucial additional feature: Tobii eye-tracking. This tech lets users control in-game experiences using eye movements.

The future is here! And the Pico G2 4K aims to bring 4K resolution to virtual reality, merging buzzwords and perhaps showing us where the industry is going.

Meanwhile, AR and VR gadgets proved there’s still room for innovation in this space. NordicTrack unveiled a VR Bike that comes bundled with an HTC Vive headset. With it, you’ll be able to play games designed specifically for the VR Bike; the difficulty increases based on how much you exert yourself. And Cybershoes act as

a supplement for your existing VR setup — and your existing shoes. Slip them over a pair of standard shoes and walk much like you would in real life. Your movements are transferred into the games you’re playing.

LAPTOPS CES 2019 was packed with announcements about new processors and graphics cards, but only one was present in laptops actually at the show. The Nvidia RTX 20-series mobile GPUs, the most powerful consumer GPUs ever made.

Nvidia launched these new cards with an impressive 40 entries from laptop brands. That includes Omen, Alienware, Razer, MSI, ROG, Predator, and more. What’s it mean? Your next laptop will bring a new level of PC gaming.

Meanwhile, bezels are out – and so are 2-in1s. With shrunken bezels and small overall footprints, the next generation of laptops are more stylish than ever, encapsulated by the new Dell XPS 13, which looks great and solves a long-running issue with the product: the nostrilcam. We’ve entered a new age of sleekness.

OLED laptops briefly appeared at CES 2016 before disappearing, canceled too soon like your favorite TV show. Now, a fresh group of OLED laptops were announced at CES 2019, many of which are scheduled for release

later this year. A couple were even shown off at the event. These bring ultra-rich colors and super dark black levels to the content on your screen, which – let’s face it – is Netflix and Hulu as much as it is Excel and Outlook, right?

Meanwhile, Bell unveiled a full-scale prototype of a vertical-takeoffand-landing (VTOL) air taxi at CES, and Harley-Davidson showed off the production version of its first electric motorcycle ever, coming to dealerships this year.

CARS

HEALTH

Important car-related announcements were made by century-old automakers, tech giants, and game-changing startups no one has heard of before. Connectivity, autonomy, and electrification reigned supreme once again, with varying degrees of realism and feasibility.

While full driving autonomy remains years away, CES confirmed 2019 will be the year of in-car connectivity.

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, but the health and wellness sector is a bit of minefield. It’s not always easy to find the gadgets and services that are based on sound science, things that can actually alleviate suffering and improve lives because there’s a river of snake oil out there.

Audi harnessed the power of virtual reality (VR) to make a significant breakthrough in in-car entertainment, while Qualcomm wants to finally make vehicle-to-everything communication a reality. Its 9150 chipset should bring the technology to cars at last, and should hopefully save lives. But humans will continue to drive and be driven in cars for decades, and so Qualcomm and Harman were among the companies displaying what the cockpit of the near future could look like. If you ask us, it looks glorious. We welcome our robot chauffeurs!

That said, CES welcomed enough tech and science innovations to fill your medicine cabinet, and then some. We were wowed by Testcard, which mails pregnancy, UTI (urinary tract infection), and glucose level testing strips to you at just $4 a pop. Just pee on the strip, then check the app.

A redesigned Quell — a small unit you wear on your leg that relieves sensations of pain — may spell relief for chronic sufferers. The secondgeneration device is 50 percent smaller, but up to 20 percent more powerful than its predecessor. The app has also been redesigned and now includes a higher degree of personalization to help you effectively manage your pain, and new therapy options are coming later this year.

One of the coolest audio trends of CES 2019 is the re-emergence of WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio). WiSA is a wireless speaker protocol that allows for slick and intuitive transmission of highresolution surround sound to a growing variety of wireless speakers.

Harley-Davidson announced bold plans to go electric in 2018 when it revealed the battery-powered LiveWire, and it traveled to CES 2019 to reveal additional specifications about the bike.

The Kohler Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toilet has practical features like water efficiency checks that make sure you’re never using more water than necessary. With a heated seat and foot warmer, deodoriser, music and a motion-activated cover and seat, the Numi is the smartest toilet in town.

LG’s Signature OLED TV R Is the first ever rollable TV. The TV emerges from a long rectangular box and when you’re done watching, it rolls right back down, out of sight. It can also be minimized into what LG calls “line view” to deliver different kinds of content.

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THE NGEZI TO SELOUS PLATINUM HIGHWAY-20 YEARS LATER

By Eng. M.R.E. Clarke (CEng, MICE, FZweIE)

T

he fastest road contract ever undertaken in Zimbabwe was completed at the end of November 2001. The contract, was worth US$19 million, was for the construction of a new high specification, 78 km long road linking Selous to Ngezi, and was carried out by several Zimbabwean Companies working together as the Ngezi Road Joint Venture.

It was completed two weeks ahead of schedule.

STATISTICS 1km every 2.61 days Peak equipment 591 units Peak Manpower 1471 employees Time taken to complete project 200 days THE PROJECT Ngezi Platinum mine is located about 150 km south-west of Harare. The failed underground Hartley Operation was developed by Australian Companies BHP and Delta gold in the mid-1990s. The underground operation, Hartley was bought into production in 1997 at a cost of $289 million but shut down within two years because the underground tunnels were unstable and many lives were lost. The project had the potential to turn the economy of Zimbabwe around. The tragedy was that Delta had spent a lot of money on this mine. Zimplats subsequently acquired the Selous Metallurgical complex for a nominal sum of money with the intention of making it an integral part of its Ngezi opencast mining project. A local entrepreneur, Mr van der Spuy was aware that platinum could be mined on the surface, 70 km away from the Selous Complex. The ore had to be moved to the SMC complex at Selous and crushed there. In the early 2000, Zimplats announced the development of Ngezi Mine into a 2.2Mt/y open complex operation producing 208,000 oz. of ore per year from the platinum group metals plus nickel, copper and cobalt. This revived at least part of the original project. The ore body covered an area of 8 km north to south and 1 to 1.5 km west to east, and as mentioned outcrops at the surface about 70 km away from the main complex. Initially the mine 58

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operated with caution and for a number of years operating an opencast mine but then because of environmental issues, the mine was forced to put the rock back into the pit.

This operation turned out to be extremely expensive and so they decided with a lot of caution to go underground. The depth of ore was at a difficult depth but the mine managed using modified trucks and front-end loaders for its mining operations.

In June 2009, the total proven and probable reserves at Ngezi were estimated to be 217.4Mt which yielded 1.7g/t platinum, 1.32g/t palladium, 0.14g/t rhodium and 0.25 g/t gold plus nickel, copper and cobalt.

In the year 2000, the economy of Zimbabwe was at its lowest but this did not deter the new owners to go to ABSA bank in South Africa to borrow the money to construct the new highway from Ngezi to Selous which was 76 km long with three major bridges.

The owners then contacted the five biggest earthmoving contractors in South Africa and asked a consortium of Zimbabwe Contractors in the year 2000, if they would be interested at their own costs to build and construct this highway. Up until this moment in time, the Zimbabweans Authorities had always built structures using separate teams to supervise and construct their roads. The Ministry agreed to combine the design and construction provided that the public could also use the road and it was built to the Ministry of Roads Specifications and obviously could carry 160 ton loads.

The crushed ore was carried to Selous in Australian-style road trains, each consisting of a Mack Truck and three side-tipping trailers. In each train, (there are nine in all, one of which was one prime mover in reserve.) They had a length of 42 m, a width of 2.5 and a height of 3.5 m. The payload 90 tonnes. The trains were designed to run every 20 minutes night and day for at least five years, although there were plans to eventually build a concentrator at Ngezi, which would reduce the amount of material being transported to less than a hundred thousand tons per year.

Ngezi Road Joint Venture won the contract for the road in the face of stiff competition from several leading South African Road Contractors, Murray and Roberts, Stocks and Stocks, Group 5, Grinaker and LTA. Zimplats’s main problem was to find the money from Absa Bank (South Africa) who promised the money if the investment ratio got to 16. In May 2001, the bank approved the money loan and the contract was awarded on 14 May 2001 and had to be completed by 13th of December 2001. The success of the project hinged on the time it took to complete the road as borrowing the money was expensive. The client actually insisted on penalties of $17,000 per day for not completing the road on time, but also fairly allowed that same amount of money for early completion. The fairy tale was that the road was completed two weeks ahead of schedule.

The client then narrowed the number of contractors to 3 South African and 1 Zimbabwe contractor. The contract was eventually awarded to the Zimbabwe Contractor known as the Ngezi Road Joint Venture (NRJV). The main South African Contractor told the Project Director of the NRJV that it was an impossible task. It had never been done in South Africa and it would be certainly the fastest road ever constructed in Africa. A very difficult decision had to be made by Costain’s UK but the situation for the Zimbabweans was that either they invested or the local companies were going to go bankrupt.

Obviously, the design of the road had not been completed when the project was awarded. A very difficult design decisions was the location of the bridge over the Mupfure River. If it followed the alignment of the old road, it would have been very difficult to negotiate the many twists in the road for the heavily burden trucks. The Project Director sitting in one of the initial meetings, looked at the new road which generally went in a North South direction, asked why it could not go in a due northsouth direction to the mine. The design team use the excuse that servitudes would be a problem.

The Project Director requested that the design team look at this aspect of the road.

A week later it was ascertained that there was no reason why the road could not go north south but the problem was that the abutments for the bridge would have to be built in water using caissons. This was a huge problem as the bridge could never be constructed on time, if the caissons had to be built. The Project Director went on a field trip walking through long grass until the bridge site was reached. It was true that the river was very wide and there was lots of water.

MUPHURE BRIDGE On the day that the project was awarded which was 14 May 2001, it was imperative to show the client that the contractor was capable of doing this project. The Project Director and a friend from K.W. Blasting, drilled holes into the weir. When it was all ready for blasting, the Project Director thought that it would be irresponsible of him not to check if there was insurance, in case the water caused devastation downstream.

He phoned the Chairman and asked that since the project had been awarded, did the NRJV have the requisite insurance in place in case of damage. The Chairman was completely puzzled because the Project Director had done all of the work without telling any other members of the consortium.

He had no option to blast because all of the blasting components were in place.

The Project Director was told in no uncertain terms that if he continued to blast the weir, he would no longer be Project Director. Some very quick decisions had to be made and it was decided that unless the NRJV showed the client that it was determined to complete the project on time; the project was not going to succeed. This action also caused the other NRJV members to realise that there was no comfort zone. This also showed the Ngezi Mine that we were very serious about our commitment to complete the project in the requisite time. It was actually why the project was completed on-time. The weir was blasted and when we walked upstream depressed, we found that the bridge site was completely clear of water and that construction could start that very day. We tried to phone the Chairman only to find that he was on his way to site. He was extremely surprised and aggravated but the onus was on him to

It did not make any sense that there should be so much water at that time of the year in the river, so a walk was undertaken downstream again through very long grass.

It was a very uncomfortable walk because there were many snakes but all of the sudden the river turned and there was a concrete dam which was used by a farmer as a mini hydroelectric scheme. The Project Director had worked for the Ministry of Water Development before he became a contractor. He made communication with the district Water Bailiff and got permission to blast a V section in the wall. The Project Director had not done any survey, so the final outcome of blasting the bridge was unknown.

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start the construction of the bridge as soon as possible as this was most definitely the critical path of the project.

it did the large Muphure Bridge. The length was 3 by 17.6 m spans.

SEROWE BRIDGE

There were six spans, 18.6 m per span which required shuttering. It had an overall length of 124m. The deck consisted of post stressed beams, 1.2 m deep and 690 mm wide. The bridge was simply supported on elastomeric bearing pads. One abutment was supported on piles but the rest of the bridge was founded on rock. The use of post stressed beams was unheard of in Zimbabwe as a road bearing surface especially considering the mass of the loads that were going to travel over the bridge each day. There was a company in Harare who was capable of making these beams. They like other construction companies in Zimbabwe had no work so they were very happy to help. The prestressed beams were carried to site using a low bed and the concrete beams were put into position using trusses. It cut the construction time of the bridge by three months. It was surprising that the Ministry of Roads used this method of construction as it had never used this this method of construction in Zimbabwe especially considering the heavy loads that were going to use the bridge.

This was a relatively small bridge which was built to the Ministry of Roads standards. It was constructed using some of the team who were building the Muzwezwe Bridge.

CULVERTS Some very large sized culverts were required for this project. In Zimbabwe, we had always used conventional concrete culverts but some of the catchments were so large that we would have been forced to construct more bridges. Instead we resorted to using custom made Armco culverts. One in particular has a very large catchment and was founded on poor materials. When we thought that we had completed the road, we had some heavy rain which highlighted that we had underestimated the catchment of certain culverts as the rainwater crossed the road.

This occurred at a number of culverts. The use of Armco Culverts although expensive, saves a great deal of time. Again, it was the first time that the Ministry of Roads had used this type of culvert.

MUZWESWE BRIDGE ROAD This bridge offered had as many problems as the Muphure Bridge, but completely different problems. The people that lived near the bridge were convinced that there were Njuzu’s (Mermaids/Spirits) that would take people from the construction site. I first visited the site with the Chairman who sat in the car for an hour while I made an inspection of the bridge site. It was a very difficult site because it was founded on Dolorite Boulders of varying sizes. It was important to pile on rocks that were able to withstand the loads of the road trains. It actually took as long to build this bridge as

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Typically, the road had three courses; Base 1 consisted of a 120 mm crushed stone, Base 2 was natural gravel cement stabilised and was 200 mm thick and Bases 3 and 4 were conventional natural gravel-based courses. Initially, it was found that the main contractors had very little roadbuilding expertise. This was foreseen and there was a special crew very experienced who had built many roads.

Each week the roadbuilding crew would go to one of the contractors and show them the finer details of constructing roads.

The crew were definitely instrumental in making sure that the road was completed on time. The surface was a double seal chip and spray road. The tack coat consists of 19 mm stone with RT55 road binder or MC 30. The seal coat was 7 mm stone with a bitumen binder. Two Cat re-claimers were used to place the cement stabilised layer and played a major role in ensuring that pavement construction remained on schedule. The re-claimers were able to mix the cement in the base material more effectively than conventional blade mixing.

A saving in cement that was realised almost paid for one of the re-claimers on the project. The road is still functional today and would be in better condition had the designers been aware that the road was also going to be used to carry cobalt by the locals. These miners did not adhere to the loading rules and many trucks were overloaded with cobalt ore. The road was vastly overdesigned and is probably in excellent condition considering it has endured 20 years of life.

In order to keep to budget, there were changes that were made to the design such as making the road 9 m wide instead of 10 m. This was accepted by the Ministry of Transport. Overall, the construction of the road the time allowed represents a notable achievement and illustrates the ability and efficiency of the Zimbabweans Road Construction industry. The road is still fully utilised today and is probably in the best condition of all the roads in Zimbabwe.

EASTGATE S.M.E CENTRE Our Contribution to the project Initial Soil Investigations for Foundation Designs Concrete Mix design Mix for the Structure Concrete quality Control concrete cube compressive strength.

Pavement Analysis

Soil ProďŹ ling

Concrete Core Testing

Foundation investigations for Designs Construction Soil analysis & Testing Bricks/Concrete Cubes Compressive strength test Concrete mix design proposals Non Destructive concrete testing & assessment Concrete Coring & testing Pavement analysis & testing

32 Clarendon Circle Belvedere Harare

0772 865 626 |0774 689 853 242 711 026 |0715 209 201 cgl.contech@gmail.com

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