How to build an imperishable concrete reservoir
A concrete reservoir can last 100 years – provided the concrete is durable and there is best practice in terms of construction; quality control; structural design; and detailing. “When we design and build new reservoirs, it should be done so well...
Infrastructure is at the centre of GNU’s Plans
Infrastructure is the key to driving economic growth, this is the message that Cyril Ramaphosa gave to parliament. This line also follows the new Minister of Infrastructure Dean Macpherson’s action plan. The new parliament certainly...
‘Dam’ rain not stopping Cape Town’s water-secure future investment
Recently Cape Town has been hard hit by unprecedented heavy rain. This led to Cape Town’s dam levels increasing by 20% in a week and currently stands at 95,2%. Last year this time, dam levels were at 99%. Regardless of the status of our dams, the...
CESA Calls for urgent infrastructure reforms to combat climate change impacts
In an era marked by the escalating impacts of climate change, the importance of developing resilient infrastructure has never been more critical. Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) is at the forefront of advocating for robust infrastructural...
Negligent construction employers ‘virtually getting away with murder’
Anyone deemed to be an employer in the construction industry – including owners, developers, clients, designers such as architects, principal contractors, contractors and even supervisors – can be charged with culpable homicide or even murder in...
SA’s response to climate change outlined in new law
President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law the Climate Change Bill, which sets out a national climate change response, including mitigation and adaptation actions, which also constitutes South Africa’s fair contribution to the global climate...
Sustainability
Partnerships are key to achieving a world without waste
South Africa has a huge waste problem. According to the Department of Environmental Affairs’ State of Waste Report (SoWR), South Africa produced in excess of 54 million tonnes of waste in 2017. Of this total, the report estimated that a maximum of...
Zutari paves the way for sustainable transport infrastructure
Transportation infrastructure has a major impact on economic growth, says Vishaal Lutchman, MD, Transport at leading consulting engineering and infrastructure advisory firm Zutari. “It is Tier One infrastructure that connects origins to...
Windaba Conference to explore innovative funding models to encourage uptake of renewables
The post-covid economic recovery will be hard fought and should be used to spur lasting shifts in our energy mix. Now is the time to commit and deliver a green recovery that helps build a more equitable, inclusive and resilient economy that...
The solution to construction’s energy woes is blowing in the wind
Accounting for around 39% of carbon emissions across the globe and one of the world’s biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, the construction industry is under increasing pressure to alleviate the strain placed on the environment during...
Celebrating recycling – one of the levers of the green economy
Recycling is rapidly emerging as one of the key drivers of business transformation globally. For South Africa, it has huge potential to help the country find ways to build a more inclusive economy and create millions of jobs. As we celebrated...
[Thought Leader] Embracing ESG is good business
Over the past decade, ‘sustainability’ has become a global buzzword; however, the imperative behind the word is more than just a box-ticking exercise. Authored by Mark Boshoff, head: Transformation and Sustainability, Nedbank During 2015, the UN...
Industry News
Redefining Road Safety Engineering in South Africa
We all know someone who has either lost their life or suffered a life-changing injury due to a road traffic accident. And yet when we step back and think about it, we realise that every accident is indeed preventable, writes Verushka Balaram, Head:...
Civil engineering industry calls for collaboration to tackle ‘construction mafia’
South Africa’s civil engineers have joined the battle against the “construction mafia” and have called for partnerships to help roll back crime in South Africa’s construction industry. Industry organisation, the Bargaining Council for the...
Women in construction are breaking the mould
Cathy Strydom, human resources manager at GVK-Siya Zama in the Eastern Cape, urges young women to consider the construction industry as a viable career path. The composition of the domestic construction industry has undergone notable changes over...
Metro News
R30m allocated to address water challenges following KZN floods
KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala says R30-million has been allocated to restore the water supply following deadly floods in the province. Zikalala gave an update on relief measures and progress in the province. Relief measures The floods in the...
eThekwini Municipality to borrow R500m to fix damaged infrastructure
Ethekwini Municipality has put forward a motion to borrow R500 million in long-term finance for capital projects. The proposed 15-year fixed-interest rate loan will result in R485 million in interest being paid over the period. The executive...
Free State water interventions welcomed
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the interventions in Matjhabeng, Maluti-a-Phofung, and Kopanong municipalities announced by the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu. In terms of the Water Services Act, these...
Waste
Engineering
JG Afrika celebrates 100 years of excellence
JG Afrika, a proudly South African consulting engineering firm, is celebrating 100 years of engineering and environmental excellence. This significant milestone bears testament to the skills, experience, dedication, and passion of a strong team of...
PPPs to help with expansion and maintenance of primary road network
It is often said that “roads are arteries through which the economy pulses”. They are part of the pivotal infrastructure that will determine the pace and direction of South Africa’s economic recovery and reconstruction. It is, therefore, of primary...
[OPINION PIECE] Potential for slow but steady recovery of construction sector
South Africa’s construction sector is a key contributor to GDP and jobs, employing around 8% of the South African workforce. With South African unemployment at a record high and broader economic growth constrained, the fortunes of the construction...