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BusinessDay www.businessday.co.za Friday 25 August 2023
INSIGHTS
CESA/AON ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS
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Consulting Engineers - Protecting Lives and Livelihoods
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Industry parades its skills
Reward for •excellence in
various projects, writes Lynette Dicey
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Drought and Water Response Plan in the same category. The winner of the Best International Project was ARQ Consulting Engineers for Yusufeli Dam for Limak Construction SA for DSi, the Turkish State Hydraulics Works. Two commendations were awarded in the category with AECOM receiving a commendation for the ABSA Head Office in Zambia; and MPAMOT Africa receiving a commendation for the Beitbridge Border Post Upgrade and Modernisation for Zimborders. In the category Engineering Technology and Innovation — HVAC Building Systems Design Excellence, Maninga Engineering received a commendation for the Test and Examination Centre: Part 1 — Flower Hall for the University of the Witwatersrand. In the category Engineering Technology and Innovation — Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Zutari received a commendation for the Groote Schuur Estate Refurbishment for the Coega Development Corporation. BVi Consulting Engineers won the Business Excellence Award, while Koleko Solutions walked away as winners in the Small/Medium Company of the Year category. For the Mentoring Company of the Year award, Naidu Consulting received a commendation. Winner of the Mentor of the Year Award was Herman Cronje from SMEC South Africa. A civil engineer with more than nine
years’ experience in transportation engineering, Cronje has guided 14 of SMEC’s young professionals, growing their technical competence and independent decision-making and tutoring them in business management, teamwork and interpersonal relationships. He meets with his mentees on a regular basis to monitor and document their progress and encourages them to entrench themselves into every aspect of the world of engineering. In the category Young Engineer of the Year, the winner is Mareli Botha. At just 31, Botha is the one of the youngest technical directors and shareholders in Zutari. A professionally registered process engineer as well as a registered Project Management Professional, Botha has a BEng Chemical Engineering, an MSc in Project Management, Energy and Environmental Engineering from the prestigious École Nationale Supérieure Mines Télécom Atlantique BretagnePays de la Loire in France and is pursuing a PhD in Industrial Engineering at the North-West University. She has significant international experience through her involvement with global projects across Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, America and the Middle East. Darren Pillay from Knight Piesold and Stephen Rose from Royal HaskoningDHV received commendations in the Young Engineer of the Year category. The Lifetime Industry Achievement Award went to
John Robin Williamson for his contribution to the consulting engineering industry. One of Williamson’s most notable achievements was his role as chairman of the South African National Committee on Large Dams where he made significant contributions to the advancement of dam engineering in SA. He also played a pivotal role in the global development of tailings dam engineering. Publisher of the Year — Trade Publications category went to the Civil Engineering magazine published by the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE); while the Publisher of the Year — Daily News category was awarded to Independent Online News (IOL). In the Cesa Job Shadow Initiative and Poster
Competition, BVi Consulting Engineers were announced winners. Mariswe was named the first runner-up, RDW the second runner-up and AECOM the third runner-up. Congratulating the winners and finalists, Cesa CEO Chris Campbell said that amid economic challenges and sluggish growth, it’s essential to recognise the pivotal role of consulting engineering. He urged member companies to persist in breaking barriers, pointing out that the future of the country’s younger generation is inextricably linked to the industry’s efforts. “As a nation we stand at a crossroads, with economic growth hinging on various factors, including infrastructure development. It is imperative that we channel this unity and collective will into rebuilding our nation, enabling prosperity to benefit everybody,” he said. Aon South Africa is a longstanding sponsor of the awards. CEO Dr Nolwandle Mgoqi says the business has had the privilege of witnessing the significant contributions made by the engineering industry to the economy and society. “Despite the challenges and risks, the engineering industry continues to epitomise modernity and progress.”
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Consulting Engineers South Africa
Standout projects showcased The Cesa Aon Engineering Excellence Awards honour outstanding engineering solutions, solutions that are imperative to maintain the consulting engineering industry’s status as the apex body that demands exceptional performance from its members, says Cesa CEO Chris Campbell. Among the standout projects and teams recognised this year was KBK Engineers for the N1 Musina Ring Road on behalf of Sanral. The ring road is a key component of the N1 highway that connects Gauteng and the rest of Africa at the Beitbridge border post. The project is an exemplary roads construction project showcasing ingenuity, sustainability and community impact. It also optimised the road network for future commercial development while minimising disruptions. KBK Engineers played a crucial role in ensuring implement ability and constructability, overcoming unforeseen obstacles and delivering a high-quality outcome. The project, said the judges, sets a new benchmark for roads construction, demonstrating collaboration, innovation and responsible project delivery. The Tongaat Water Treatment Works (TWTW) provides potable water to the greater Tongaat area through pumped supply to various
reservoirs. Unprecedented torrential rains in April 2022 rendered the treatment works nonfunctional, affecting about 90,000 residents in the greater Tongaat area. Naidu Consulting, in a joint venture with MSW Consulting, provided professional engineering, procurement and construction management services for the emergency remediation works for the TWTW. The construction period was 105 days with no restrictions to both special nonworking days and nonworking times and the treatment works was successfully commissioned in November 2022. KwaZulu-Natal had not experienced damage to critical water infrastructure of this magnitude previously. The approach on this unique contract, said the judges, exemplifies achieving the near impossible through innovation, collaboration and community engagement. The project deviated significantly from industry norms, in particular the implementation of the project, and required a multidisciplinary team to prepare and implement solutions constantly, culminating in the delivery of solutions unique to the project. The project scope had continuously evolved during the construction period with additional improvements to the
site, without impeding the project implementation. Another winning project was by ARQ Consulting Engineers for the Yusufeli Dam for Limak Construction SA on behalf of the Turkish State Hydraulics Works in Turkey. The dam, a 275m high concrete arch dam on the Coruh River in the Artvin Province of the Black Sea region, is the highest dam in Turkey, the fourth highest double curvature arch dam in the world and ninth highest dam in the world. Excavation commenced in 2014 and the final concrete lift in the dam body was placed in 2021. Impoundment was initiated at the beginning of 2023. With an underground power station located beneath the right abutment, the project has a hydropower generation capacity of 558MW and an anticipated annual energy production of 1.8-billion kWh. The dam is expected to contribute 1.65bn Turkish Lira to the Turkish GDP. During investigation, design and construction of this superproject, many challenging geotechnical, topographical and logistical conditions were overcome through innovations and advances in engineering technology. The project’s success was in large part due to an effective cooperative relationship between owner, contractor and designer.
he winners of the Cesa Aon Engineering Excellence Awards were announced last week at a glitzy ceremony held at Vodacom World in Midrand. The annual awards celebrate engineering excellence, innovation, quality, outstanding workmanship and professionalism among companies and individuals in the consulting engineering industry. In the category Projects with a Value Between R250m and R1bn, KBK Engineers were announced winners for the N1 Musina Ring Road for the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral). Zutari was named winner in the Projects with a Value Between R50m and R250m category for the Square Kilometre Array Meerkat Extension for the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory. Two commendations were awarded in the category with Bigen Africa receiving a commendation for the East London Industrial Development Zone Electrical Upgrade and Zutari receiving a commendation for the Groote Schuur Estate Refurbishment for the Coega Development Corporation. In the category Projects with a Value Less Than R50m, the Naidu Consulting, MSW Consulting JV was the winner for the Tongaat Water Treatment Works Emergency Remediation Works for the eThekwini Municipality. Zutari received a commendation for the Compilation of the 15-Year Western Cape Integrated
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