IMESA The official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY A true revival TOSAS Rural roads Maintenance now ISSN 0257 1978 Volume 39 No.7 • July 2014 • R50.00 (incl VAT) Trenchless technology Getting the most out of innovations Western Aqueduct Durban’s largest pipeline SARMA supplement “We are reaching our ultimate milestone as the countdown to completion of our flagship plant, Aganang, builds” Pieter Fourie, chief executive, Sephaku Cement MEDIA The new
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IMESAThe official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY
A true revival TOSAS
Ruralroads
Maintenance now
I S S N 0 2 5 7 1 9 7 8 V o l u m e 3 9 N o . 7 • J u l y 2 0 1 4 • R 5 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l VAT )
Trenchless technology
Getting the most out of innovations
Western Aqueduct
Durban’s largest pipeline
SARMA supplement
“We are reaching our ultimate milestone as the countdown to completion of our flagship plant, Aganang, builds” Pieter Fourie, chief executive, Sephaku CementMEDIA
The new
HEAD OFFICE Unit 19 Alexander Park, 24 Alexander Road, Westmead, Pinetown, KZN, SA 3610 • Postnet Suite 23, Private Bag X4, Kloof 3640
t +27 (0)31 700 1177 • f +27 (0)31 700 9853 • Contact Daryl Spencer [email protected] c 083 555 9996
NATIONAL OFFICES • Pietermaritzburg • Port Elizabeth • Johannesburg • Cape Town • Shelly Beach
In response to this approach, JOAT has invested in wide-ranging
technology and partnerships that can be harnessed for the
benefit of municipalities. Flow metering solutions (permanent
or temporary, monitoring or revenue-generating), data manage-
ment solutions (data loggers, GSM data loggers), control valve
and service) and energy efficiency solutions (variable speed
drives and system optimising) are all available to be presented
into cost-effective, custom-made packages.
JOAT has also expanded into the optimisation of energy
consumption in the water cycle and has a number of in-house
experts that can undertake energy audits and design energy
efficiency solutions for pump stations and treatment works. This
forms part of its overall approach to making the distribution of
water as efficient as possible.
THE JOAT GROUP OF COMPANIES has moulded itself into an
efficient and market-leading solutions-orientated team that pri-
marily addresses the optimisation of water supply to consumers
through the minimisation of water losses, application of appro-
priate technology, revenue improvement and energy efficiency.
The group’s key focus areas of operation are consulting and
operations engineering (essentially the reduction of nonreve-
nue water and stabilising of water supply), product sales and
support, energy efficiency and mentorship. JOAT’s passion and
vision is to ensure that municipalities become as efficient as
possible in delivering water to consumers and has adapted its
approach towards an outcomes-based partnership that has
shared responsibility and accountability. The ultimate objective
of any successful partnership with JOAT is to provide water ser-
vice authorities with an efficient distribution system that they
are fully equipped and trained to continue to operate.
IMIESA July 2014 1
VOLUME 39 NO 7 JULY 2014CONTENTS
16 Determining the best BRT for eThekwini
61 Rural road asset management
IMESAThe official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY
A true revival TOSAS
Ruralroads
Maintenance now
I S S N 0 2 5 7 1 9 7 8 V o l u m e 3 9 N o . 7 • J u l y 2 0 1 4 • R 5 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l VAT )
Trenchless technology
Getting the most out of innovations
Western Aqueduct
Durban’s largest pipeline
SARMA supplement
“We are reaching our ultimate milestone as the countdown to completion of our flagship plant, Aganang, builds” Pieter Fourie, chief executive, Sephaku CementMEDIA
The new
Having been the acknowledged leader in the supply of bituminous products, Tosas is now well on its way to again becoming the number one value-added binder supplier in Southern Africa. P6
68 Upgrading dam infrastructure in Angola
29 Vlakfontein canal rehabilitation project
Project: WaterVlakfontein canal rehabilitation project phase ii 29
Water and wastewaterOptimising water infrastructure assets 41
Technology in engineeringPrepaid water meters turn around revenue collection 46
Trenchless technologyThermally fused PVC pipe in trenchless installations 50
RoadsPreserving our future 61
Africa projectUpgrading dam infrastructure in Angola 68
EnergyRestoration of impoundment at Hartbeespoort Dam 70
28 Caesar’s Dam Water Treatment Works upgrade in final stage
SEPHAKU CEMENTAbsolute customer commitment
SARMA
SOUTHERN AFRICA READYMIX
ASSOCIATION
SARMA The Readymix Conference 2014
GROWTHInvesting in construction materials
Southern Africa Readymix Association
Special feature Tilt-up construction is a modern-day building technique that takes current challenges and requirements into account and incorporates these improvements into a simple yet effective solution.
Section cover Sephaku Cement 33
Divisional cover story
Sephaku Cement’s kiln
ready to fire up 34
SARMA
Sustainable readymix under
the spotlight 36
The time to invest is now 38
RegularsEditor’s comment 3
President’s comment 5
Africa Roundup 10
Index to advertisers 76
Cover storyTosas – partner, provider, innovator 6
Municipal featureAdding to Durban’s largest water pipeline 13
TransportDetermining the best BRT for eThekwini – Part 2 16
Water and wastewaterCaesar’s Dam WTW upgrade in final stage 27
EDITOR’S COMMENT
IMIESA July 2014 3
To our avid readers, check out what we are talking about on our website, Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and have your say.
@infrastructure4 Infrastructure News
PUBLISHER Elizabeth ShortenEDITOR Nicholas McDiarmidEDITORIAL ASSISTANT Danielle PettersonHEAD OF DESIGN Frédérick DantonSENIOR DESIGNER Hayley MendelowDESIGNER Kirsty GallowayCHIEF SUB-EDITOR Tristan SnijdersSUB-EDITOR Beatrix KnopjesCONTRIBUTORS Emmanuel Adewumi, Dhiren Allopi, Bo Barta, Patrick Dorkin, ML Griffioen, Leonard Malapane, S Natha, Roger Purchase, Andrew Seidel, Robert WalkerCLIENT SERVICES & PRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh BotmaPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jacqueline ModiseFINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew LobbanMARKETING MANAGER Hestelle RobinsonDIGITAL MANAGER Esther LouwADMINISTRATION Tonya HebentonDISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa MasinaDISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha PursothamSUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected] United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571___________________________________________________
ADVERTISING SALESJenny Miller Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223___________________________________________________
WESTERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Erica van JaarsveldTel: +27 (0)21 938 8455Fax: +27 (0)21 938 8457E-mail: [email protected]
FREE STATE AND NORTHERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Wilma Van Der WaltTel: +27(0)83 457 4362Fax: 086 628 0468E-mail: [email protected]
All material herein IMIESA is copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers.
Cover opportunity In each issue, IMIESA offers advertisers the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the journal. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the cover story and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings contact Jenny Miller on tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223.
IT ALSO FORMALISES the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC) and will
‘improve the management of infrastructure during all life-cycle phases’.
That last point is extremely important. As has been highlighted repeatedly, the current pro-
curement system is highly flawed, placing price above all else, followed by broad-based black
economic empowerment. One person who has been very vocal about this is CESA president Lefadi
Makibinyane, who has been playing a key role in the Presidential/Business Bilateral for Inclusive
Growth, and notes that further meetings with the President are scheduled for mid-July. “The imple-
mentation of the Act is very timely and gives serious emphasis to the National Development Plan. It
finally shows government acknowledging infrastructure as its primary tool for economic and social
development. It should definitely raise hopes and confidence in the sector,” he told IMIESA.
Municipal infrastructure is a key sector for the implementation of the Strategic Integrated Projects
and much of the Act’s import is to establish transparency and accountability in the structures set to
operationalise the Act, with the PICC monitoring development. What this means is a more direct line
between the presidency and all infrastructure-implementing agencies, which include many members
of IMESA. The issues that are most likely going to be emerging in the coming months will include
skills and capacity, specifications and localisation. The specifying of local content in projects is also
intended to give local manufacturers, who are very much part of the infrastructure community, a
more competitive edge, which can surely only be of benefit to South Africa.
Over the months, IMIESA has been examining these issues, and it can only be hoped that estab-
lishment of the Infrastructure Development Act will be the final key to unlocking the changes and
developments in the sector that everyone has been looking for.
Moving from the lofty heights of policy to the business of actual engineering… this edition of
IMIESA covers a broad selection of projects, from public transport, to dam building, to hydropower
and trenchless technology, and it has been a pleasure to produce. Trenchless technology keeps
evolving and the No-Dig South Africa 2014 conference will be taking place from 29 July. It is a
packed programme (including an appearance from IMESA president Frank Stevens) and has been
split between new construction on day one and rehabilitation on day two. More information can be
found on www.nodigsouthafrica.com.
Amazingly, we will soon be entering the last quarter of the year, and we are already planning
our editorial content strategy for 2015. Please feel free to contact me if there are specific top-
ics you think we should be covering or any improvement you wish to see. I can be reached on
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY
Paving the
Pedicle Road
BARLOWORLD
EQUIPMENT
Defining BRT
Integrating
transport in
South Africa
I S S N 0 2 5 7 1 9 7 8 Vo l u m e 3 9 N o . 6 • J u n e 2 0 1 4 • R 5 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l VAT )
Disaster
management
Securing SA’s local
government
Road building
Evolving ecological
solutions towards
greener roads
in the HOT SEAT
“It is important for Africa to have the presence of large global operations ensuring the
right equipment is available for the market” Rocco Lehman, managing director, Ammann SA
MEDIA
IMESAThe official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY
A true revival TOSAS
Ruralroads
Maintenance now
I S S N 0 2 5 7 1 9 7 8 V o l u m e 3 9 N o . 7 • J u l y 2 0 1 4 • R 5 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l VAT )
Trenchless technology
Getting the most out of innovations
Western Aqueduct
Durban’s largest pipeline
SARMA supplement
“We are reaching our ultimate milestone as the countdown to completion of our flagship plant, Aganang, builds” Pieter Fourie, chief executive, Sephaku CementMEDIA
The new
The Infrastructure Development Act has come into effect as of 1 July 2014, and is intended to facilitate and coordinate infrastructure development as one of government’s key development levers.
Beyond the Act
Nicholas McDiarmid
29‐31 OCTOBER 2014
Register & pay BEFORE 31 JULY 2014• Early Bird for IMESA members@ R4500• Early Bird for Non-IMESA members@ R5000
Register & pay BEFORE 30 AUGUST 2014• Late Registration IMESA members@ R4725• Late Registration Non-IMESA members@ R5250
Register & pay AFTER 30 AUGUST 2014• Last Minute Reg IMESA Members@ R5200• Last Minute Reg Non-IMESA Members @ R5775
For informationt 031 266 3263 www.imesa.org.za
Theme - Balancing Service DeliveryEarn 2.5 CPD points by attending
ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!www.imesa.org.za
The 2014 IMESA Conference will be hosted at the International Convention Centre, Durban
Imesa conference registration.indd 1 2014/07/03 11:26:16 AM
THIS AWARD was
established in 2000 to
stimulate and celebrate
outstanding and trans-
formative water achievements
by companies in improving pro-
duction, managing risks, finding
solutions and contributing to
wise water management.
The Royal Swedish Academy
of Engineering Sciences and
the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development were
partners in establishing the
award, which is also supported
by the International Water
Association and World Wide
Fund for Nature. Nominations
are made by international
organisations and not the
nominees themselves.
eThekwini Water and
Sanitation was named the
2014 winner of the Stockholm
Industry Water Award for its
transformative and inclusive
approach to providing water
and sanitation services. The
international press-release
headline read: “Most progres-
sive water utility in Africa wins
2014 Stockholm Industry
Water Award.”
In its citation, the Stockholm
Industry Water Award
Jury states:
South Africa’s constitution
from 1996, praised as a model
for inclusion of social rights,
enshrined the human right to
water. Local government was
tasked with putting it into prac-
tice. Soon after, Durban, one of
Frank Stevens, president of IMESA
the country’s main urban cen-
tres, expanded its administra-
tive boundaries to include 3.5
million people, some of them
living in poorly serviced rural
areas with huge water and sani-
tation challenges. The eThekwi-
ni municipality decided to face
these challenges head-on.
In the past 14 years, 1.3 mil-
lion additional people in greater
Durban have been connected
to piped water and 700 000
people have been provided with
access to toilets. In respecting
the constitutional right to water
while maintaining financial
sustainability, access to basic
water supply and sanitation
is provided at no cost to poor
families, while higher levels of
service and consumption are
charged at full cost.
In addition to successfully pro-
viding basic services to a large
and diverse population, eThek-
wini Water and Sanitation is at
the forefront of exploring techni-
cal and social solutions. One
example is a mini hydro-power
project: instead of using pres-
sure-reducing valves in pipes
running down steep hillsides,
the company is installing mini
turbines using the excess pres-
sure to generate electricity for
the city’s low-tension grid. The
eThekwini Municipality is also
pioneering solutions to convert
urban wastewater challenges
to agricultural opportunities as
well as harvesting rainwater.
The combined result is one of
the most progres-
sive utilities in
the world. The
open approach
to experimenting
and piloting new
solutions across
both techni-
cal and social
aspects of service delivery has
made eThekwini a forerunner in
the world of utility-run services.
One partner comments that,
“Leaders at eThekwini have
already been betting on new
and risky approaches to test
innovation that will ultimately
have a long-term benefit for the
population. Most municipalities
refrain from exploring ideas out
of the box, focusing on busi-
ness as usual.
“eThekwini has championed
the approach to provide suf-
ficient water to sustain human
life, as expressed in the South
African Constitution, now
embedded in national policy.
The methods used and results
achieved by eThekwini Water
and Sanitation serve as a
sterling example for the many
communities worldwide facing
similar challenges.”
The Water and Sanitation unit
of eThekwini Municipality was
established in 1992 and man-
ages the water and sanitation
services for the 3.5 million
people living in the Durban area
and has worked with some of
the world’s major actors and
knowledge hubs in water and
sanitation as well as develop-
ment, such as the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation, the
World Bank, the University of
KwaZulu-Natal, Borda, Eawag,
and DHI. Its methods have been
replicated across the country
and region, and eThekwini rep-
resentatives are successfully
sharing and disseminating their
findings and working methods.
ConclusionNeil Macleod, the head of
eThekwini Water and Sanitation
– a fellow member of IMESA –
comments that “This recognition
reflects the work of our whole
team over the past 22 years
and is a tremendous honour for
all of us here in Durban.”
I certainly consider it an
honour to be part of eThek-
wini Water and Sanitation and
remain convinced that South
African municipal engineers can
be proud of their service-deliv-
ery record and achievements.
For more information on SIWI go
to: www.siwi.org/siwa2014.
IMIESA July 2014 5
South African municipal engineers recognised internationally
One of the proudest moments of my career occurred recently with the announcement of eThekwini Water and Sanitation as the 2014 recipient of the Stockholm Industry Water Award (SIWA).
The EWS building
29‐31 OCTOBER 2014
Register & pay BEFORE 31 JULY 2014• Early Bird for IMESA members@ R4500• Early Bird for Non-IMESA members@ R5000
Register & pay BEFORE 30 AUGUST 2014• Late Registration IMESA members@ R4725• Late Registration Non-IMESA members@ R5250
Register & pay AFTER 30 AUGUST 2014• Last Minute Reg IMESA Members@ R5200• Last Minute Reg Non-IMESA Members @ R5775
For informationt 031 266 3263 www.imesa.org.za
Theme - Balancing Service DeliveryEarn 2.5 CPD points by attending
ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!www.imesa.org.za
The 2014 IMESA Conference will be hosted at the International Convention Centre, Durban
Imesa conference registration.indd 1 2014/07/03 11:26:16 AM
6 IMIESA July 2014
COVER STORY
AFTER BEING ACQUIRED by the
Raubex Group in the latter part
of Q2 of 2013, Deon Pagel was
appointed managing director and
is, with the support of the company’s
shareholders, painstakingly guiding the
company back to its former and future
premier position.
Pagel explains: “We still have a long way
to go but each and every day we are build-
ing our customers’ confidence in us. Many
people think that Tosas is simply here as a
supplier to its shareholder, but that is very
far from the actual facts; the investment in
Tosas and the capacity of the company far
exceeds its own needs. The strategic intent
with Tosas is to purposefully ensure its inde-
pendence and ability to supply the roads
industry as a whole, and in that manner to
contribute to Raubex's overall profitability
and to give the shareholders a return on
the investment.”
The new TosasTosas’s redevelopment of its service offer-
ing has been deliberately gradual, building
consistent service excellence and ensuring
quality products across its range, while
introducing innovative solutions to its cus-
tomers across South Africa and its neigh-
bours. “The intent is to service the entire
market as an autonomous supplier. The fun-
damentals are now well established and we
have regained the trust of many of our cus-
tomers in a relatively short time frame but
there is still work to be done” Pagel says.
There has been a major overhaul of the
efficiencies in all aspects of the business
– from its workshops in terms of repairs
and maintenance, down to the last activities
on all sites and areas of work – and these
are successfully addressing the frustrations
some clients encountered during the com-
pany’s difficult years. This was achieved, in
large part, by a highly professional team. “I
can really boast that I have a team made up
of some of the most respected people in the
industry, from technical through to produc-
tion, maintenance and financial,” continues
Pagel, adding that the company got a further
boost by drawing on the operational support
from certain divisions within the group.
Delivering innovation – new crumbed rubber technology (NCRT)Besides its strategy to regain its former posi-
tion in the roads industry, Tosas was and is
a highly innovative player. After many years
of research and development in Germany
and South Africa, followed by the produc-
tion of laboratory blends, full-scale asphalt
Partner, provider, innovatorHaving been the acknowledged leader in the supply of bituminous products, Tosas is now well on its way to again becoming the number one value-added binder supplier in Southern Africa.
IMIESA July 2014 7
COVER STORY
designs and plant trials, together with spray
applications in a number of places across
South Africa during the past three-and-a-
half years, the NCRT for seals and asphalt
product is now ready for roll-out on a com-
mercial scale and Tosas recently supplied
NCRT binder for the resealing of a number of
streets in Mangaung (Bloemfontein).
Bitumen rubber remains the ultimate modi-
fied binder from a number of perspectives.
However, due to its visco-elastic proper-
ties, the product has some drawbacks,
including a very short shelf life and high
handling temperatures. These factors can
lead specifiers to overlook, or avoid the
product. By addressing these challenges,
NCRT successfully eliminates the typical
risks synonymous with conventional bitumen
rubber. As a result, it is probably the most
exciting development for the industry and
the state of road building and maintenance
as a whole in a long time.
Bitumen rubber – the easy wayNCRT effectively lowers the temperature of
handling and applying bitumen rubber by
means of specialised treatment of the rub-
ber crumbs. This results in lowered manu-
facturing temperatures but very significantly
also in extended shelf life of the blended
rubber bitumen. The lower temperatures not
only add to the ease and safety of working
with the product, but also have a direct and
measurable impact on lowering the carbon
footprint. With a working temperature of just
175˚C – as contrasted to 195 to 210˚C –
this innovation effectively solves many chal-
lenges of working with the rubber-modified
bitumen binder.
“Traditional bitumen rubber has a window
period of four to six hours in which to use
it, after which a phenomenon known as
over-digestion can occur and the product
can no longer be used in its current form.
It then has to be reconstituted through the
introduction of additional rubber crumbs.
The new technology overcomes this, extend-
ing the window period to as much as
seven days and even beyond. You can work
with the product at 170˚C and store it at
140˚C. This makes a profound difference
to the energy consumed in working with the
material, as well to the practical handling of
it,” notes Pagel. This is highly significant,
as many authorities regarded the demand-
ing logistics, risk of failure and variation in
properties of bitumen rubber as too high to
specify it.
The history of NCRTNCRT was developed in Germany when
Sasol Wax representatives collaborated
with asphalt technology company Storimpex
to engineer a concept that would improve
environmental sustainability. This was driv-
en, in part, by the desire to make a bitumen
rubber product that was acceptable to the
European market, which has traditionally
been resistant to bitumen rubber due to
the high operating temperatures and other
negative perceptions. Recycling scrap rub-
ber tyres for use in road building was obvi-
ously attractive from an environmental point
of view. The rubber crumbs from the scrap
tyres are partially dissolved and dispersed
with extender oils; they swell up in the bitu-
men at high temperature. The combination
of mechanical and chemical processes
Partner, provider, innovator
THE BENEFITS OF NEW CRUMB RUBBER TECHNOLOGY (NCRT), the Rolls Royce of bitumen rubber and the road-seal binder of the future:• reduced manufacturing, paving
and spraying temperatures• also resulting in reduced
binder ageing• safer working conditions due to
reduced temperature • increased energy efficiency and
reduced emissions during production, paving and spraying
• lower viscosity at lower temperatures• increased shelflife of seven days • longer-lasting road surface• reduced road maintenance intervals• better rut resistance• higher tolerance for high
Localising the productAs the leading specialist in bitumen rubber
technologies in South Africa, Tosas was
the logical partner of choice for Sasol Wax
to introduce NCRT to the South African
market. Not all bitumen rubbers are the
same and what is called bitumen rubber
in South Africa is actually a very different
product to that used in Germany. This has
resulted in a need to localise and optimise
the product, with the aim of combining the
best of bitumen rubber binder technology
with Sasol’s high molecular weight Fischer-
Tropsch warm-mix technology.
“NCRT is changing the way we oper-
ate. We can now manufacture and supply
directly from the branch, which is far more
cost-effective for our clients. We have
worked very closely at branch level to
ensure they are ready from a supply chain
perspective,” explains Pagel. Sasol holds
the patent to NCRT, with Tosas the licen-
see. “We have had great results using the
product in Bloemfontein and the industry is
now ready to accept NCRT as the modified
additive of the future. Our bigger customers
look very favourably at the product due to
its characteristics.”
Adding value to South African market conditionsBeyond being a supplier to the South
African roads industry, Tosas embraces
the idea of engaging with the industry, and
realises this engagement in several ways.
The company holds popular workshops for
contractors, engineers and other clients to
help their stakeholders stay up to date on
latest developments. “We make informa-
tion available to our clients and then go on
to make recommendations about a range of
possible solutions, including what type of
products could be used on a particular job.
One of our key areas where we can offer
a lot of guidance is that of job creation in
the area of road maintenance,” explains
Pagel. “We support labour-intensive pro-
jects (LIPs) and not only advise on them
but also produce products that support
LIPs, such as the special emulsions for use
in hand-operated chip spreaders. Sealing
roads with labour-intensive equipment and
“NCRT is changing the way we operate. We can now manufacture and supply directly from the branch, which is far more cost-effective for our clients”
COVER STORY
IMIESA offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Companies are afforded the opportunity of publishing a two-page cover story and a cover picture to promote their products to an appropriate audience. Please call Jenny Miller on +27 (0)11 467 6223 to secure your booking.
10 IMIESA July 2014
INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT
UGANDA$109 million for road sector support projectUganda has received a $109
million loan to finance the Road
Sector Support Project V to
support the realisation of the
National Development Plan and
Uganda Vision 2040.
The project’s objective is to
improve road access to socio-
economic facilities as well as
improve the quality of transport
service levels in south-western
and eastern parts of Uganda
by upgrading the Rukungiri-
Kihihi-Ishasha/Kanungu and
Bumbobi-Lwakhakha roads from
gravel to bitumen standard.
The expected project out-
comes are a reduction in trans-
port costs, increased mobility,
improved access to economic
and social facilities, provision
of clean water to households
and an increase in income
of women vendors in the
roadside markets.
The upgraded roads will also
support cross-border trade and
regional integration by link-
ing western Uganda with the
Democratic Republic of the
Congo and eastern Uganda with
Kenya at the border of Ishasha
and Lwakhakha respectively.
The roads will also support
the tourism activities at Queen
Elizabeth National Park and
Mount Elgon National Parks.
The project conforms to the
key development policies of
the African Development Bank
(AfDB) who supplied the fund-
ing. Presenting the project to
the bank’s board of directors,
the director of the Department
for Transport, Information and
Communication Technologies
at the AfDB, Amadou Oumarou,
said, “With this project, the
AfDB is addressing a press-
ing demand for the provision
of good-quality and reliable
transport infrastructure, which
Uganda needs for its socio-
economic development and
poverty-reduction agenda.”
GHANAJapan helps Ghana deliver waterJapan has assisted the
Ghanaian government in con-
necting nine communities –
which form part of the coastal
wetland in the South Tongu
District of the Volta Region –
with potable water.
The project was undertaken
by the Centre for Integrated
Education and Development
(CIED) in collaboration with the
District Assembly. It was fund-
ed by the Japanese government
at a cost of GHS 325 680 with
funding of GHS 172 000 from
the District Assembly.
The district chief executive for
South Tongu, Samuel Mawuko
Eworyi, expressed his gratitude
to CIED and the Japanese gov-
ernment for their support. He
assured the people of govern-
ment’s commitment to execute
the “Better Ghana Agenda”,
which he said would improve
upon their living conditions.
Eworyi commended CIED and
the Japanese government for
complementing government
AFRICA ROUND-UP
efforts by providing the people
with their basic needs.
He advised the beneficiar-
ies to cultivate a culture of
maintenance and to contribute
towards regular rehabilitation
of the system so as to prolong
the lifespan.
According to the executive
director of CIED, Anthony
Adanua, the water project is
the third successful project
the CIED has undertaken with
sponsorship from the Japanese
government. He hopes the
partnership and relationship
with the Japanese government
will continue as it will greatly
enhance good health and
development.
Adanua thanked the Japanese
government and the people
of Japan for their help and
appealed to them to provide
more grants to address the
plight of poor and deprived
communities in water and sani-
tation intervention services.
Member of Parliament Kobby
Woyome appealed to the
Japanese government and the
CIED to consider supporting
the rehabilitation of the road
network in the area, which
becomes inaccessible during
the rainy season.
TUNISIA$26.2 million to improve water supplyTunisia plans to upgrade water
supplies and services in the
Greater Tunis area and other
cities in Tunisia, as well as
improve the financial situation
of the national water utility,
Société Nationale d’Exploitation
et de Distribution des
Eaux (SONEDE).
In recent years, SONEDE has
faced a higher than anticipated
water demand in the Greater
Tunis area, requiring urgent
production capacity upgrades
to avoid water shortages in
the medium term. The World
Bank has provided $26.2 mil-
lion in additional financing for
the upgrade.
“Water is an engine for devel-
opment,” says Eileen Murray,
World Bank country manager
for Tunisia. “It has an impact
on industrial growth, on com-
mercial activity and tourism,
as well as on the daily lives of
citizens in all neighbourhoods,
whichever socio-economic
group they come from.”
The additional financing will
complement water conservation
initiatives to fund the rehabilita-
tion and capacity expansion
of the Greater Tunis potable
water treatment plant, located
at Ghdir-el-Gollah, as well the
Belli potable water plant serv-
ing the centre of the eastern
part of the country, to avoid
water shortages in the short
to medium term. These water
treatment facilities are among
the five largest managed by
SONEDE, and are key to meet-
ing the needs of the popula-
tion, as well as industries.
The financing is part of
the National Water Security
Investment Programme devel-
oped by SONEDE and the
Tunisian government to ensure
the country’s urban populations
continue to receive undisrupted
water services over the next
decade, despite fast-growing
demand and the negative
impact of climate change.
The World Bank has devel-
oped a strategic partnership
with SONEDE, which includes
technical assistance to
ensure its financial sustain-
ability, as well as twinning
it with other well-performing
utilities in the region to
strengthen water resources
Donald Kaberuka, president, African Development Bank
IMIESA July 2014 11
AFRICA ROUND-UP
management, performance and
service delivery.
SENEGAL
40 km highway upgradeSenegal will spend approxi-
mately $35.8 million on the
rehabilitation of the Dinguiraye-
Nioro-KeurAyib road in the
Kaolack region.
The 40 km highway on the
Trans-Gambia Corridor is a
strategic link between the
north and south of the Gambia
and Senegal on the Dakar-
Lagos Trans-African Highway.
The project aims to facilitate
the movement of goods and
people along the road, so as
to increase trade with the rest
of the country and improve
the population's access to
basic services.
The African Development
Bank’s first vice president
and chief operating officer,
Emmanuel Mbi, says the pro-
ject will create jobs for youths
and women in rural and semi-
urban areas and help curb rural
exodus from the area, which
has a very high net migration.
ETHIOPIA Unlocking geothermal energyEthiopia is developing its geo-
thermal energy resources to
boost electricity supply to all
Ethiopians and continuing to
become a regional power hub.
The domestic demand
for electricity in Ethiopia is
expected to grow by more than
25% per year. Over the next
five years, the government of
Ethiopia intends to significantly
expand electricity coverage,
reaching 75% of towns and vil-
lages and connecting four mil-
lion consumers to the grid.
The Geothermal Sector
Development project will help
the government to fulfil this
increasing demand for electric-
ity by diversifying its power
generation sources and tapping
into its substantial geothermal
energy potentials. In addition
to providing energy security, the
project will support Ethiopia’s
efforts to build a climate-resil-
ient green economy by develop-
ing renewable energy sources
with low carbon emissions.
The project, which will be
implemented in two phases,
will develop two potential geo-
thermal sites and help estab-
lish an institutional framework
for geothermal development
during its first phase. During its
second phase, electricity will
be generated using the steam
resources developed and identi-
fied in the first phase.
The power generated from
geothermal plants will provide
electricity directly to the grid
and allow more households
and businesses to connect at
affordable rates. It will also
provide reliable energy to exist-
ing commercial consumers
currently affected by the energy
rationing resulting from insuf-
ficient generation capacity.
“The geothermal project
marks a new push to increase
access and improve reliability
of electricity supply to new
and existing customers,” says
Raihan Elahi, the World Bank
task-team leader for the pro-
ject. “Reliable electricity supply
to industries and businesses
will support job-led growth.”
The World Bank’s board has
approved a $178.5 million
credit from the International
Development Association and
a $24.5 million grant from the
Scaling-up Renewable Energy
Programme Trust Fund to help
the Ethiopian government
develop its geothermal energy
resources.
Work underway on the Trans-African Highway
Geothermal energy is set to boost Ethiopian power supply
IMIESA July 2014 13
MUNICIPAL FEATURE
THE JEROME ROAD inlet is part of
the ongoing eThekwini Water and
Sanitation (EWS) Western Aqueduct
project. Because it is runs past
St Mary’s School, it was commissioned
as a stand-alone job over the December
holidays to cause as little disruption to
traffic as possible.
“We envisaged at the start that working
along St Mary’s Road was going to be the
most difficult part but, with careful forward
planning, constant correspondence with the
school and communication with residents,
the work was carried out smoothly with few
problems,” says Andrew Copley, senior area
engineer, EWS.
“We would like to thank St Mary’s School,
parents of children at the school, residents
and motorists who have been affected
by the construction for their patience and
understanding,” Copley says. “We know
that this route is used by up to 1 000
cars every day and we did everything in
our power to keep disruption to the traffic
flow to a minimum.
“Other challenges were laying the pipe in
the 1.2 m-diameter jacked sleeve across the
M13 and in the narrow servitude at Jerome
Place,” he said.
The decision to lay a completely new pipe
was made to minimise leaks and conserve
the city’s precious water resources and
Adding to Durban’s largest water pipelineConstruction of the new inlet water pipe from the eThekwini Water and Sanitation main line to the Jerome Drive reservoir in Kloof was completed ahead of schedule in earlier this year.
eThekwini Water and Sanitation staff check the final stages of the
construction of the new water pipe to the Jerome Drive reservoir
in Kloof. Left to right: graduate intern, Precious Radebe; clerk
of works, Logan Govender and graduate intern, Eric Cele
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14 IMIESA July 2014
MUNICIPAL FEATURE
because the alternative – ongoing
repairs – would be both costly and
inconvenient to residents.
Addressing supply“The supply to Jerome Drive reser-
voir initially came from three supply
feeds, which could be unreliable
at times and as well as expensive
because two of them were via a
pumping system,” explained Leisel
Bowes, project manager for EWS.
“The new Western Aquaduct would
have solved this problem by provid-
ing a dedicated cost-effective supply
to the reservoir but, because it is only due
to be commissioned in 2016/2017, we had
to consider an alternate supply.”
It was decided to eliminate one of the pos-
sible supplies to the Jerome Road reservoir.
The supply was then designed to come sole-
ly from Abelia Road reservoir, with Mount
Moriah reservoir as a temporary backup if
the Abelia Road system was unable to cope
or was being cleaned.
“We tested this theory during construction
by only using the Mount Moriah reservoir
and were pleased to find that the system
coped well for seven months without any
disruptions,” Bowes said.
The new pipe is 300 mm in diameter and
1.5 km long. It crosses the M13 from Old
Main Road and exits in front of Standard
Bank in Village Road. It then continues
down St. Mary’s Road past St Mary’s
School, turns left into Edgeclif f
Road, passes through a servitude
into Jerome Place and ends in the
Jerome Drive reservoir complex.
The first phase of the Western
Aqueduct – Durban’s largest ever
water pipeline – was commissioned
in June 2011 and covered 19 km from
Umlaas Road to Inchanga Station. The
second phase of this megaproject is pro-
gressing well after being unbundled into
individual contracts that are being rolled
out over a seven-year period. When com-
plete, the Western Aqueduct is expected
to significantly strengthen the capacity of
bulk water supply to the western regions
of eThekwini.
Eric Cele and Precious Radebe, both graduate interns at eThekwini Water and Sanitation, itemise the final work that is required for the completion of the new water pipe to the Jerome Drive reservoir in Kloof
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16 IMIESA July 2014
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Interpretations based on the checklist of the three operational BRT systems in South Africa
Running waysBRT vehicles use a fast and easily recognisa-
ble dedicated bus lane or traffic lane or have
exclusive rights of way. BRT running ways for
Rea Vaya operate highway medians with dis-
tinctive pavement markings and studs that
serve as a separator to other traffic to avoid
vehicle manoeuvring and, in some areas of
the feeder routes (outer suburbs) that join
the trunk route at the main station, operate
in mixed traffic. The Port Elizabeth BRT sys-
tem, called Libhongolethu, makes use of a
dedicated median lane along Lilian Diedricks
station to Triangle (Nelson Mandela Bay
Stadium) and Greenacres, and the other
corridors from Lilian Diedrick station to the
airport and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan
University are operated in a mixed traffic set-
ting. The My Citi BRT system in Cape Town
makes use of mixed traffic, segregated, at-
grade median and median busways. In mixed
traffic, it operates on the kerbside of the
road and a segregated busway is situated
along the Civic Centre to Table View.
BrandingThe ability to adopt branding in transport
service is an important effort to encourage
and maintain a reliable ridership. A percep-
tion survey was referenced in a 2004 report
by the Federal Transport Authority (FTA) to
measure public perception of BRT systems.
The outcome of the survey indicated that
most booming BRT systems were able to pull
off a marked identity and position in their
region amidst other transit services.
South African BRT systems are branded
differently to establish uniqueness among
other forms of public transport and as a
form of public awareness and aesthetic
view for the commuters. This particular
system has a distinctive identity and image,
which distinguishes it from other types of
public transport.
StationsThese serve as a temporary shelter for pas-
sengers waiting to board to their various
destinations, which is conveniently located
and integrated along the route in which
they serve. BRT stations possess specific
paint schemes, logos, CCTV, security, real-
time arrival information and streamlined
passenger shelter design. The Libhongolethu
BRT system has no covered station/shelter
for either commuters or staff. It makes use
of the existing CCTV on the road while the
Rea Vaya and My Citi BRT systems have
beautified stations and the latter has full
weather protection. All the system stations
are situated at the median of the highway.
Intelligent transportation system (ITS)The Rea Vaya BRT system makes use of
advanced digital technologies that improve
passengers’ convenience, speed, safety
and reliability, both at the station and in
the bus, by informing them of the name of
each station in transit and also the time
of arrival of the next bus at the station.
Cape Town's My Citi makes use of a public
announcement of the next station and a
route map on the bus, which the commuters
can study. Libhongolethu is a newly rolled-
out BRT system still in the marketing stage;
there are no information displays in the bus
or station but an informative flyer is given
to commuters who ask the staff questions.
ITS can be referred to as the bus/intersec-
tion signal priority and CCTV monitoring of
Determining the best BRT for eThekwiniBRT systems are fast becoming part of the South African urban landscape. In the first part of this two-part article, the authors set about defining BRT systems, looking at their history and examining configurations, factors and options. This is the second and final part of the article – part one was published in the June 2014 edition of IMIESA. By Emmanuel Adewumi and Dhiren Allopi, Durban University of Technology
PART 2
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
IMIESA July 2014 17
operations that makes use of automatic
vehicle location (AVL) with the aid of GPS.
There is real-time display information and
updated schedules both in the bus and sta-
tion, which really help passengers who do
not know at which station to alight or when
the next bus may be arriving.
Fare collectionWith Rea Vaya, the fare is collected in a
fast and easy way before passengers board
the bus, which is called off-vehicle fare
payment, making use of multiple entrances
for boarding and alighting, in order to
reduce time. Some passengers make use
of a smart card to pay for the fare, which
is at a flat rate. My Citi fares are paid by
smart card: the passenger swipes it at the
entrance of the bus with money that has
been loaded on it, and the fare is a flat
rate like the Libhongolethu BRT system,
which uses on-board payment.
BRT stations come in a wide variety of designs
18 IMIESA July 2014
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
PedestrianAmong the key components of BRT design
and planning is pedestrian safety, and safe,
easy access to the boarding facility. If these
are not put into proper consideration, com-
muters will be discouraged about the system.
The pedestrian access of Rea Vaya and My
Citi are controlled by traffic lights; the pas-
sengers are at low risk when going to the
station to board. With Libhongolethu, some
places are not controlled by a traffic light.
Transport vehicle optionThe Rea Vaya system makes use of a stand-
ard bus with double side doors for alighting
and boarding, in order to minimise delay
as do the the My Citi and Libhongolethu
systems. My Citi is a combination of both
articulated and standard buses, but the
Libhongolethu system makes use of articu-
lated buses throughout.
Interpretations based on the assessment of the EMA BRT systemIt could be deduced that there is pressure
on public transport based on the popula-
tion, according to Current Public Transport
Records, and the demand analyses, dis-
cussed in Table 2 (Part 1, IMIESA June
2014), in the eThekwini Municipal Area.
The population count shows that the routes
will experience passenger demand in the
order as listed below (in descending order).
Note that C2 and C8 are not included below
because they are rail tracks:
• C1 Bridge City to Warwick/CBD
• C5 Mpumalanga & Pinetown to Warwick
• C7 Hillcrest & Umhlanga to Durban
• C3 Bridge City to Pinetown
• C6 Mpumalanga & Pinetown to Warwick
• C9 Bridge City to Umhlanga
• C4 Bridge City to Merebank and Rossburgh.
Access to facilities like offices, residences,
schools and malls are another factor that
is assessed along the routes, so as not
to create obstructions to other road users,
because the primary aim of this BRT system
is to reduce the travel times experienced by
the commuters. Route C1 comprises offices,
malls, residences and schools. Along the
route C5, it is mainly businesses, schools,
malls and residential buildings. Routes C7,
C3, C6 and C4 are roads commuters ply
every day to reach businesses, schools,
shopping and recreational activities, and
residential areas. Merebank and Rossburgh
are suburbs of Durban; commuters living
along these places would have ease of travel
to their various destinations. The terrain
along the routes C1, C3, C4, C5, C6 and C7
consists largely of mining terrain, which is
usually flat but curvy.
Conclusions and recommendations on the in-depth literature review of BRT systemsKerbside and median lane configurations
are less expensive than a segregated BRT
system because of its aerial or underground
busway. Kerbside BRT systems do not need
a pedestrian bridge, while a median needs
a pedestrian bridge, which is safer than an
at-grade pedestrian crossway.
It is better to have a pedestrian bridge,
which seems to be safer than a crosswalk,
and a crosswalk controlled by traffic lights
is preferable to one that is not. It is good
for kerbside and median BRT configurations
to have a pedestrian bridge for access,
compared to a crosswalk. Also, for physi-
cally challenged commuters, kerbside and
segregated BRT systems would be preferable
because of the access to the station being
much more convenient.
Commuters using a kerbside station/BRT
system tend to be safer when compared to
median stations because they do not need
to cross the traffic to access the service, but
A BRT system combines flexible service and new technologies to improve cus-tomer convenience and reduce delays. While specific BRT applications vary, the components may include:A: Running Ways – exclusive guideways or dedicated lanes that allow BRT vehicles to be free of conflicting automobile traf-fic, parked or stopped vehicles, and other obstructions – maximising BRT operating speeds. In some situations, BRT vehicles also may operate in general traffic, trading speed and reliability for flexibility. "Queue jumper" is a term that refers to short exclusive lanes at signalised intersections that are used to allow BRT vehicles to jump to the head of the line and bypass stopped automobiles and traffic.B: Vehicles – modern, low-floor, high-capacity rubber-tired vehicles that accom-modate high volumes of riders and fast boarding and exiting. BRT vehicles often use clean fuels or alternative power.C: Stations – ranging from protected shelters to large transit centers, BRT sta-
tions are located within the communities they serve and provide easy access to the system.D: Route Structure and Schedule – estab-lished to maximise direct, no-transfer rides to multiple destinations and to cre-ate more flexible and continuous service (reducing the need for a schedule) for local and express bus service.E: Fare Collection – designed to make it fast and easy to pay, often before boarding the vehicle, BRT fare collection systems include the use of self-service proof-of-payment systems or pre-paid stored-value fare cards, such as a smart card system.F: Advanced Technology – the use of advanced technologies (or intelligent transportation systems) to improve cus-tomer convenience, speed, reliability, and safety. Examples include systems that pro-vide traffic signal preference for buses at intersections and cross streets, as well as global positioning systems to provide pas-senger information such as real-time bus arrival information.
COMPONENTS OF A BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM
IMIESA July 2014 19
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a segregated BRT lane configuration is safer than both the median
and kerbside lane configurations.
Vehicle manoeuvring would pose a delay for a kerbside BRT
system but the other lane configurations would be suitable. If a
kerbside system were adopted, implementing a shoulder lane,
where automobiles can park and make U-turns to their destination,
would improve the system.
This research study recommends the following:
To be able to select the appropriate vehicle option for a BRT
system for a particular area/corridor, the transport demand,
coverage/distance to be covered and length of public trans-
port delay, due to general traffic conditions, must be put into
proper consideration.
If the transport demand and coverage are low, a standard bus
could be selected over other options and, in order to enhance
rebranding and marketing strategies, a stylised bus could be
picked over others, provided the condition is the same as above.
Any form of BRT system should be considered or implemented
because it offers increased levels of mobility, fewer stops and
greater accessibility than traditional public transportation. It could
also serve as an attractive means to get drivers or car owners to
use the system.
A BRT system should not be operated in mixed traffic because
it poses delays. The introduction of a dedicated bus lane would
increase reliability and transit speed and have a positive effect on
the commuters. The level of service of a segregated BRT system
is much higher than that of kerbside and median BRT systems.
The level of service of a kerbside system could be improved by
the provision of a shoulder lane, where vehicles can hover or park
to execute their task.
It is only when there is no space for expansion that a BRT
system should be operated in a mixed traffic setting, since
the implementation of any mode of BRT system depends on
the availability of space. For able and physically challenged
pedestrians, a segregated BRT system would be preferable.
However, cost will be the major deciding factor. Segregated and
median BRT systems should be considered over kerbside, owing
to vehicle manoeuvring.
Conclusions and recommendations on South African BRT systemsThis section gives the conclusions and recommendation on
the evaluation of the three main functional BRT systems in
South Africa.
Rea Vaya BRT system, JohannesburgUsing this mode of BRT system poses improvement in travel time,
reliability, safety and speed when compared to other public trans-
port and automobiles travelling in mixed flow traffic lanes because
they operate on a dedicated bus lane. A separate lane enables the
system to have lower headways and accommodate higher peak
period loads. When further combined with signal priority, delay is
greatly minimised at intersections.
Conclusively, it is commuter/user friendly and cost-effective over
a long distance, when compared to other public transport, because
it operates at a flat rate. In the system, pedestrian safety and con-
venient and secure access to the facility for physically challenged
and able commuters are fully guaranteed, which helps commuters
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IMIESA July 2014 21
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
not to be discouraged about the system. The
installed ITS help the passengers to know
the exact time and place to alight, espe-
cially those who do not know their exact bus
stop destination.
The research study recommends that high
maintenance should be the watchword and if
there is the need for BRT system diversifica-
tion in Johannesburg, other lanes should be
implemented, using other forms of a BRT sys-
tem, adopting bicycle and car parking at the
main station, which will enable a complete
comparison in terms of service reliability
and delay. If there is population intensifica-
tion, articulated standard buses should be
adopted. The use of smart cards should be
solely adhered to, which will help the com-
muters to load more than a day fare on it
depending on their financial capacity. Another
mode of the BRT system, especially segre-
gated, should be employed in case of future
BRT intensification. Its cost-effectiveness is
justified by the high grade of efficiency, reli-
ability and speed.
My Citi BRT system, Cape TownThe use of a dedicated bus lane should be
encouraged throughout the routes, due to
its improvement in travel time, reliability,
safety and speed when compared to other
road public transport modes. A separate lane
enables the system to have lower headways
and accommodate higher peak period loads.
When further combined with signal priority,
delay is greatly minimised at intersections.
Use of automatic vehicle location helps the
passengers to know when the bus would
arrive at the station and the exact place to
alight, especially those who do not know the
TABLE 4 Decisions on Phase 1 BRT routes in EMA
Routes C1: Bridge City to CBD via KwaMashu C3: Bridge City to Pinetown C9: Bridge City to UmhlangaRoute length (km) 25.3 27.5 13Lane configuration Median
Kerbside (where C1 and C3 share a dedicated ROW from the junction (M25 W) running kerbside along the southern edge of the M25 up to Malandela Road)
Median (where C1 and C3 share a dedicated ROW from the junction (M25 W) running kerbside along the southern edge of the M25 up to Malandela Road)
Median
BRT lane width Single BRT lane width: 3.5 m
At stations: where passing lanes are provided, the lane alongside the station will be reduced to 3.0 m, with 3.5 m width maintained for the passing lane
Single BRT lane width: 3.5 m
At stations: where passing lanes are provided, the lane alongside the station will be reduced to 3.0 m with 3.5 m width maintained for the passing lane
Single BRT lane width: 3.5 m
At stations: where passing lanes are provided, the lane alongside the station will be reduced to 3.0 m with 3.5 m width maintained for the passing lane
Vehicle transport option
Standard bus (35-70 capacity, 14.5 m length, 2-3 doors for boarding and alighting on both sides)
Standard bus Standard bus
Demand analysis 2015 (millions per annum)
31.3 20.56 12.96
exact location of their destinations. AVL is
more preferable to audio announcement in
the bus. Having no phone booth and informa-
tion display systems, in either bus or station,
keeps the system below standard when
compared to an ITS BRT station. It could
be noticed that where a segregated lane is
used, it is more efficient than median, at-
grade median, or mixed traffic lanes.
Conclusively, it is commuter/user friendly
and cost-effective over a long distance, when
compared to other road public transport,
because it operates at a flat rate. In the
system, pedestrian safety and convenient
and secure access to the facility for physi-
cally challenged and able commuters are fully
guaranteed, which helps commuters not to
be discouraged about the system.
It is recommended that high maintenance
should be the watchword and if there is a
need for BRT system diversification in Cape
Town, other lanes should be implemented
using other forms of BRT systems, adopting
bicycle and car parking lots at the main sta-
tion, which will enable a complete comparison
in terms of service reliability and delay. Mixed
flow traffic lanes should be totally discour-
aged. Other BRT systems, especially segre-
gated modes, should to be employed in case
of future BRT intensification. Phone booths,
comfortable seating, bicycle space and an ITS
should be fully installed at the station.
Libhongolethu BRT system, Port ElizabethUse of a dedicated bus lane should be
encouraged throughout the routes because
there is great improvement in travel time,
reliability, safety and speed with a dedicated
BRT system when compared to other road
public transport travelling in mixed flow traffic
lanes. It makes use of articulated standard
buses to accommodate more passengers.
The system is far below standard because
it has no AVL, information kiosks, phone
booths or full weatherproof shelters.
Conclusively, it is commuter/user friendly
and cost-effective over a long distance, when
compared to other public transport, because
it operates at a flat rate and also commut-
ers can be transferred within 30 minutes of
purchasing the ticket within IPTS Zone 1. In
the system, pedestrian safety and convenient
and secure access to the facility for physi-
cally challenged and able commuters are fully
guaranteed, which helps commuters not to
be discouraged about the system.
It is highly recommended that proper main-
tenance should be the watchword and, if
there is a need for BRT system diversifica-
tion in Port Elizabeth, other lanes should be
implemented using other forms of BRT sys-
tems. A full weather protection streamlined
station should be implemented adopting
bicycle and car parking lots, phone booths,
BRT systems in South Africa would be a good yardstick in the implementation of the proposed BRT system in the eThekwini Metropolitan Area
Concrete was there…
www.theconcreteinstitute.org.za
New and independent, The Concrete Institute, created for concrete and related industries,
incorporating the original School of Concrete Technology, the Information Centre and
Technical Advisory services.
KEY NUMBER 4369 BTCI A4 final ads.indd 2 2013/06/27 12:33 PM
IMIESA July 2014 23
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
TABLE 5 Guidelines for the remaining proposed BRT routes
Routes C4: Bridge City to Mobeni and Rossburgh
C6: Hammarsdale and Pinetown to Warwick
C7: Hillcrest to Chatsworth C8: Tongaat and Airport to Umhlanga and Warwick
lane configuration with median aesthetic bus station
Fully coloured median lane configuration with median aesthetic bus station
Fully coloured median lane configuration with median aesthetic bus station
Segregated lane configuration*road width extension
OR
Fully kerbside lane configuration and aesthetic kerb station * provision of shoulder lane
BRT lane width Single BRT lane width: 3.5 m
At stations: where passing lanes are provided, the lane alongside the station will be reduced to 3.0 m with 3.5 m width maintained for the passing lane
Single BRT lane width: 3.5 m
At stations: where passing lanes are provided, the lane alongside the station will be reduced to 3.0 m with 3.5 m width maintained for the passing lane
Single BRT lane width: 3.5 m
At stations: where passing lanes are provided, the lane alongside the station will be reduced to 3.0 m with 3.5 m width maintained for the passing lane
Single BRT lane width: 3.5 m
At stations: where passing lanes are provided, the lane alongside the station shallbe reduced to 3.0 m with 3.5 m width maintained for the passing lane
Vehicle transport option
• Low emission technology vehicle
• Standard bus• Door ramp for physically
challenged commuters• Air-conditioner with
heater• Emergency exit• Separate comfortable
seats of different colour for aged commuters
• Separate comfortable seats of different colour for physically challenged commuters
• Low emission vehicle technology
• Standard bus• Door ramp for physically
challenged commuters• Air-conditioner with
heater• Emergency exit• Separate comfortable
seats of different colour for aged commuters
• Separate comfortable seats of different colour for physically challenged commuters
• Low emission vehicle technology
• Low-floor standard bus• Door ramp for physically
challenged commuters• Air-conditioner with
heater• Emergency exit• Separate comfortable
seats of different colour for aged commuters
• Separate comfortable seats of different colour for physically challenged commuters
• Low emission vehicle technology• Stylish articulated standard
bus ( ≥ 70 capacity, 18.5 m length, 2-5 doors for boarding and alighting on both sides)
• Door ramp for the physically challenged commuters
• Air-conditioner with heater• Emergency exit• Separate comfortable seats
of different colour for aged commuters
• Separate comfortable seats of different colour for physically challenged commuters
Demand analysis 2015 (millions per annum)
11.5 16.86 25.96 11.76
Concrete was there…
www.theconcreteinstitute.org.za
New and independent, The Concrete Institute, created for concrete and related industries,
incorporating the original School of Concrete Technology, the Information Centre and
Technical Advisory services.
KEY NUMBER 4369 BTCI A4 final ads.indd 2 2013/06/27 12:33 PM
CCTV, AVL, comfortable seating and informa-
tion maps at each station. Mixed flow traffic
lanes should be totally discouraged. Other
modes of BRT systems, especially segre-
gated modes, should be employed in case of
future BRT intensification. If there is popula-
tion intensification, bi-articulated standard
buses should be adopted. The use of smart
cards should be solely adhered to, which will
help the commuters to load more than a day
fare, depending on their financial capacity.
Conclusions based on the assessment of the EMA BRT systemDecisions made on the Phase 1 BRT systems of eThekwini Municipal Area by ETATable 4 shows the decisions taken on Phase
1 of the EMA BRT system. Although they have
not been carried out, they are on paper, with
the intent of being executed. A standard high-
capacity bus was chosen in all the Phase
1 routes, with which this research study
agrees. Based on the passenger population,
C1 would experience the highest demand,
then C3 and C9 in the eThekwini Municipal
Area. This study suggests articulated buses
for C1 and standard buses for C3 and C9.
The suggestion comes as a result of the
commuter demand analyses of the routes,
coupled with the literature underpinning this
research, and the vehicle transport options
being used by the three functional BRT sys-
tems across the nation.
The lane configurations were decided on
considering the access to property like offic-
es, residences, shopping malls, etc. on
those routes. This research study concurs
with the lane configurations stated in Table 4
germane to the route inspection and access
to property: factors considered in the selec-
tion of a BRT system and the evaluation
of the Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port
Elizabeth BRT systems.
Funds would be released by the govern-
ment for consequent phases only if Phase
1 has been implemented successfully.
The success of it has a positive outcome on
the implementation of others. It would be
executed one phase after the other.
Guidelines for the remaining proposed BRT routes in the eThekwini Municipal AreaTable 5 shows the remaining proposed BRT
routes in the eThekwini Municipal Area yet to
be implemented. These decisions are based
on the access to residential and other activi-
ties on the remaining routes, evaluations of
the three functional BRT systems in South
Africa, demand analyses of the routes, fac-
tors necessary to be considered when imple-
menting the system and an in-depth literature
review within the scope of the study.
This research study concludes that the
documented guidelines, conclusions and
recommendations of in-depth literature and
the assessment of the three functional
BRT systems in South Africa would be a
good yardstick in the implementation of
the proposed BRT system in the eThekwini
Municipal Area.
4
6859 - EMA 2014 VISPROM IMIESA A4 AD Paths.indd 1 2014/06/19 12:18 PM
IMIESA July 2014 25
PROFILE
BY USING THE most advanced plas-
tic injection moulding machinery
and techniques and the best in
A-grade raw materials, Envirosan
manufactures a range of smooth, non-stick
sanitation products to promote hygienic and
dignified use. Envirosan specialises in provid-
ing environmentally friendly and waterless
sanitation systems to South Africa’s rural
and peri-urban sanitation market. Providing
dignified sanitation that doesn’t require
excess use of water is Envirosan’s way of
providing a solution to the problem of water
scarcity in South Africa.
The company manufactures sanitation
systems ranging from pedestals in differ-
ent models and colours, to hand-washing
facilities and all the associated accessories.
Their range of pedestals spans the entire
sanitation ladder, from VIP to urine diversion,
pour-flush and low-flushing options. What’s
more, the range is upgradable, keeping the
cost of retro-fitting and upgrading facilities
to a minimum and ensuring mass coverage.
Not only is Envirosan able to produce supe-
rior sanitation products, the company’s team
of experienced sales and technical staff have
unparalleled service coverage across the
country. Envirosan’s team travels across the
country doing site visits and recommenda-
tions on the best solutions for municipalities
and clients alike.
Envirosan is proud to announce three
new products:
The Envirosan EaziFlush systemAfter being approached to develop a pour-
flush system that could be manufactured
on a large scale, Envirosan took existing
pour-flush technology to the drawing board.
Four years later and endless hours of R&D
saw the establishment of the EaziFlush toilet
– the first two-in-one pour-flush and low-flush
toilet. The system is therefore applicable to
rural and peri-urban areas where water is
supplied to the household as well as to areas
where water is not supplied, but carried in on
a daily basis for cooking, cleaning and wash-
ing, and now flushing.
Offering the dignity of a flushing toilet, the
EaziFlush also conserves our precious water
resources, needing only two litres of water
per flush – a drastic improvement on the
standard nine- or even six-litre systems on
the market to date. The EaziFlush is available
as an upgradable insert, so it can be retro-
fitted into existing EnvirosanVIP200 models.
The EnviroDoorEnvirosan’s new high-density polymer
EnviroDoor is a robust, lightweight, non-
corrosive and recyclable door designed spe-
cifically for sanitation units. Made out of the
most durable and resistant virgin raw materi-
als, the product does not degrade, bend, rust
or rot, making it the ideal replacement for
wooden and metal doors currently littering
our scrapyards and shanty towns.
The highly durable EnviroDoor is UV stabi-
lised and fire proof and boasts smooth edges
and a dual-operation doorlatch, making it safe
and easy to use for all, including children.
The Envirosan Incorporated Child-Seat LidFitting onto all existing Envirosan pedestals,
Revolutionising dignity in sanitation for allEnvirosan Sanitation Solutions is a service-oriented company with over 50 years’ combined experience in sanitation improvement.
INTRODUCTIONSWANSA (PTY) LTD trading as SWAN’S WATER TREATMENT is a privately owned South African company specializing in the design and manufacture of the full spectrum of water puri cation equipment.
Cost effective innovations are incorporated in our process and equipment designs with the plant being customised for each installation.
Our extensive in-house expertise, ensures that out advanced technology is applied to the clients best advantage.
PRODUCT RANGE• Water lters• Moore Airlift Rapid Gravity lters• Steel pressure lters• Steel rapid gravity lters
Liquid/Solid Separation• Sludge Blanket Vertical Up ow Clari ers• Diminishing Intensity Floc Conditioners• Incline Sheet Clari ers• Upgrading of Horizontal Flow Clari ers Chemical Dosing • Helical screw feeders• Rotary disc dry feeders• Water operated dry feeders• Gravity solution feeders• Metering pumps• Gas Chlorinators
Ef uent Treatment• Bio lter rotary distributors• Aerators• Clari ers
Caesar’s Dam water treatment works upgrade in final stageThe upgrade of the Caesar’s Dam water treatment works in the Addo region will alleviate the water-shortage problem the Eastern Cape town of Paterson is currently facing, due to the increased water demand, writes Nicholas McDiarmid.
The old treatment works
WATER AND WASTEWATER
28 IMIESA July 2014
REG NO. 2008/211629/23MEMBERS D.S. van BLERK (MANAGING) • G. WANA • E. HOMVELD
Tel: 044 874 6341Fax: 044 873 0603
No 7 Rand Street, George Industria PO Box 3257, George Industria 6536
Bringing capacity onlineOwing to the capacity challenges of Sundays
River Valley municipality, Amatola Water was
appointed as the managing agent of the
project. Amatola Water was created jointly
by national, provincial and local commu-
nity stakeholders to serve as a multi-service,
bulk water services provider. Its core aim is
to assist local government in the effective
development and sustainable operation and
maintenance of safe, reliable water supply
and wastewater services. Recognising the
challenges facing national, provincial and
local government in the water sector, the
eradication of water and sanitation backlogs
is central to the supportive role that Amatola
Water plays.
Based in East London, the company oper-
ates eleven plants and seven sub-regional,
bulk distribution networks. In response to
market demands and opportunities, Amatola
Water has developed its supplementary ser-
vicing capability. Service agreements are
devised for the operation and maintenance
of customer-owned water treatment, plant
and reticulation installations. Amatola Water
supports these services with complemen-
tary managerial, technical, laboratory and
related specialist advisory services tailored
to the needs of major industry and other
institutional customers.
Project scopeThe scope of work included the upgrade of
two raw water pumps with a combined capac-
ity of 266 m³ per hour and a standby pump;
the upgrading of 50 m of rising main from
150 mm to 250 mm diameter; a new con-
crete clarifier and a set of rapid gravity sand
filters, as well as the upgrade of a chemical
storage and dosing system.
“The upgrade of the water supply is expect-
ed to contribute positively to agricultural activ-
ities in the area, which have been severely
affected by the water shortage over the past
year. This has had a concomitant negative
effect on employment sustainability and job
creation in the area,” explains Gumede.
Work took place around the existing plant
and a substantial amount of the equip-
ment and construction were entirely inde-
pendent of the existing scheme. All the
water treatment equipment was supplied
by Swan's Water Treatment, which spe-
cialises in the design and manufacture of
a full spectrum of water purifaction equip-
ment. Specialising in bespoke design and
innovations, Swan's custom-designed the
process and the equipment according to the
installation specifications.
Working with the operatorGumede points out that one of the cru-
cial elements of working with a municipal-
ity with capacity challenges is that they
are involved in every step of the project,
and are engaged throughout. “The operator
must be included from the point of design
onwards. They need to understand the tech-
nologies from the start. As the plant is
contracted, the operator should be part of
the team, as some of the structures and
technologies are complex – and often hidden
from view. The operator needs maximum
inside knowledge of the plant to operate and
maintain it effectively.”
The upgrade of the Caesar's Dam water
treatment works is critical as the municipality
has considerable eco-tourism and agricultural
potential. The Addo Elephant National Park
is an important economic driver in the area,
while the Sundays River Valley, which the
Paterson town forms part of, is regarded as
one of the key production areas for citrus and
deciduous fruit-farming in South Africa.
ABOVE LEFT The project included all service roads
ABOVE RIGHT Complete infrastructure was required
IMIESA July 2014 29
PROJECT: WATER
Vlakfontein canal rehabilitation project Phase Two
WITH PHASE ONE being com-
pleted, Phase Two is under
the direction of engineering
consultants SMEC, which
was awarded the detail design and site
supervision contract for Phase Two of the
Vlakfontein canal rehabilitation project,
which is an important water supply link to
coal-fired power stations and petrochemical
plants located in Mpumalanga.
The three-year contract was awarded to
SMEC South Africa by the DWA following
the completion of Phase One of the pro-
ject in September 2013. SMEC’s scope of
involvement includes project management,
construction site supervision and reporting,
design of canal sections, preparation of
working drawings, geotechnical investiga-
tions and assessment of structures.
The canal systemThe Vlakfontein canal system was con-
structed in the 1970s and was, according
to Dolf Smook, SMEC South Africa function
manager for water and environment, done
so very rapidly and without several key
security features, such as under drainage
and joint seals. This created some serious
maintenance challenges and put the canal
at risk. “Considering the haste in which the
canal was constructed and the absence of
safety features, it has actually fared very
well,” says Smook. Although no major fail-
ures have yet occurred, some smaller leaks
have been appearing and pose a serious risk
to the users.
The system pumps water from Grootdraai
Dam in Standerton to the Vlakfontein canal
at a rate of 5.7 m3/s. Once the water
reaches the canal, it gravitates to the
Grootfontein pump station, which pumps
it to the Knoppiesfontein diversion tank,
and is distributed through two sets of pipe-
lines to Bossiespruit Dam for Sasol and
Trichardtsfontein Dam for Eskom.
Eskom and Sasol require a 99.5% assur-
ance level of water supply, making this
project crucial to the country’s energy sup-
ply. “Sasol only has a couple of days of
storage and, during the rehabilitation period,
it has to rely on water pumped back from
the Vaal Dam through the VRESAP pipeline.
Eskom also has storage available in the
Trichardtsfontein Dam, but it is not allowed
to be drawn down to below 50% capacity.”
According to Smook, water supplied from
the Vaal Dam is distributed to Sasol first.
“There is currently not enough capacity
to supply both Eskom and Sasol. Periodic
augmentation via the Vlakfontein canal is
therefore required, and construction must be
designed around this. Should the Vaal Dam
system fail, the canal has to be returned to
operation within two to three days.”
The challengesAccording to Smook, the canal cannot be
out of commission for prolonged periods of
time, and therefore Phase One of the reha-
bilitation of the Vlakfontein canal over the
first three years entailed the rehabilitation
of the fill sections, which had a higher risk
Completed section before bridge rehabilitation Phase One
The Vlakfontein canal system, constructed in the 1970s and situated between Standerton and Secunda, is a vitally important strategic link as it supplies water to two of the country’s largest energy suppliers: Eskom and Sasol, both of which are classified as strategic users. Nicholas McDiarmid spoke to the consulting engineers about the challenges of this project.
PROJECT: WATER
30 IMIESA July 2014
of failure. “The main aim of Phase Two of
the project is to rehabilitate the remaining
fill sections of the canal as well as all the
cut sections.”
Smook points out that a major aspect of
Phase Two is the design and construction of
all the cut sections. The bypass system is
a challenge in the cut sections because the
servitude is narrower – leaving little space
to lay the pipe. It also requires quite a lot
of blasting activity right next to the canal. “A
number of execution options were investi-
gated in detail. However, the one that proved
to be most efficient and cost-effective was
alternating wet and dry periods in the canal
by undertaking construction in the dry peri-
ods, and refilling the storage dams by pump-
ing during wet periods.”
The work itself consists of cutting the
floor of the canal, trenching and filling, then
sealing with HDPV lining. The total length of
the canal refurbishment is eight kilometres,
excluding the cut sections.
At any given time, SMEC boasts a team
of between four and eight engineering
professionals on the Vlakfontein rehabilita-
tion project. Smook admits that the project
has faced a number of challenges to date.
“Heavy rainfall a few months back has dis-
rupted construction work. What’s more, a
project of this scale is also bound to encoun-
ter logistical and procurement challenges.”
These challenges have been overcome
thanks to the project team’s in-depth exper-
tise and experience, combined with the
strong working relationship between all par-
ties involved in the project. “As a result, I am
optimistic that the project will be completed
within the provisional deadline of September
2016,” Smook concludes.
Phase One operations LEFT Completed relined fill section MIDDLE Placing of lining for canal RIGHT Inlet to pipe bypass
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NO SUBSTITUTE
SEPHAKU CEMENTAbsolute customer commitment
SARMA
SOUTHERN AFRICA READYMIX
ASSOCIATION
SARMA The Readymix Conference 2014
GROWTHInvesting in construction materials
34 IMIESA July 2014
COVER STORY
FOLLOWING THE successful com-
missioning of our plant in Delmas,
we have delivered quality cement to
the South African market since early
this year. We are reaching our ultimate mile-
stone as the countdown to completion of our
flagship plant, Aganang, builds,” says Fourie.
The fully integrated cement and clinker
plant is scheduled for completion in the
coming months.
Cement manufacturing operations to be
conducted at the plant will include limestone
mining, chemical processing of raw materi-
als to produce clinker, as well as milling of
approximately 50% of the clinker and blend-
ing, as appropriate, with other components,
to produce the company’s range of finished
cement products. The balance of its cement
will be produced at the Delmas milling plant.
Quality control“Building greenfield cement operations gave
us the opportunity to ensure that we use
the most high-tech cement manufacturing
equipment available. From our offerings of
Sephaku 32, Sephaku 42 and Sephaku 52
Sephaku Cement’s kiln ready to fire up IMIESA asked Sephaku Cement chief executive Pieter Fourie what the South African market can expect from the country’s first new cement entrant in 80 years. The resounding answer was, “We deliver.”
cement products to technical support and
customer service, we will deliver quality from
start to finish,” he explains. Technology in
use at its plants includes latest-generation
Loesche vertical roller mills.
The Delmas plant mill, for example, has
performed faultlessly since its first 48-hour
run of zero stoppage time. Delivering reliabil-
ity of over 98%, the Loesche mill continues
to exceed expected throughputs. “We had a
hugely impressive start-up at this plant and
look forward to continued high performance
from our high-tech operations,” adds Fourie.
Production capacityBuilt using in excess of 120 000 m3 of con-
crete and 14 600 tonnes of structural steel,
the Aganang plant is a concrete superstruc-
ture. With clinker storage capacity of 50 000
tonnes, its clinker silo is one of the largest
single clinker storage bunkers in South Africa
and its 6 000 tonne kiln, the biggest single
cement kiln in the country.
Its raw meal silo storage capacity will
accommodate 20 000 tonnes, along with raw
material pre-blending and storage stockpiles
that will extend the length and breadth of
four rugby fields. The facilities also have
the capacity to store approximately 22 000
tonnes of finished bulk cement products.
In the region of 1.2 million tonnes of
cement will be produced annually at Aganang,
and combined, Sephaku Cement’s plants are
projected to achieve cement production vol-
umes of 2.5 mtpa by 2015.
Delivery focus“Our goal is to be people who deliver,” says
Fourie. “Our industry is personal. With this
comes the need to be approachable and
to find solutions. Whether it be our sales
or technical team, our finance or marketing
team, we need to demonstrate absolute com-
mitment to delivery.
“Face-to-face customer service without red
tape remains the most effective way of
listening to customers and responding in a
way that meets their needs,” says Fourie.
To this end, Sephaku’s customers will have
direct access to Fourie and his executive
team, allowing for tailor-made solutions with
rapid execution.
DID YOU KNOW? • Aganang’s site footprint (site-levelling cut and fill) was pre-
pared over an eight-week period with some 128 000 m3 of cut and 155 000 m3 of fill processed.
• Slip forming was maintained at 4 m lifts every 24 hours, a rate much higher than that of the industry average.
• The 15 m (height) by 8 m (diameter) concrete cone in the raw meal silo was completed in just 10 days.
• The Aganang brick-laying teams laid between 1 000 and 1 200 bricks per brick layer, per day.
• Construction of the batch plant was completed in 90 days, the pre-heater foundations and steel super structure were completed in 488 days and the raw meal silo was done in approximately 547 days.
IMIESA July 2014 35
COVER STORY
Looking back over the founding team’s
seven-year journey, some intense challenges
have been overcome. “We never lost belief
in why we were entering the market and we
remain committed to making South Africa’s
cement industry about the needs of the
people who make the end product a reality,”
he emphasises.
Community at heartSince the inception of the Sephaku Cement
project in 2011, the company policy has been
to support communities in which it operates.
Communities that have benefited from this
policy include Itsoseng, Springbokpan and
Verdwaal, all of which are adjacent to its
operations in the North West province.
“To date, we have invested in community
infrastructure and supported local income
generating projects. This has included pro-
jects from building and equipping a clinic
to which more than 3 000 people have
access, to running a driver training pro-
gramme to make local community members
more employable,” notes Fourie.
During the construction of Aganang,
Sephaku Cement created over 300 limited-
duration employment opportunities, of which
more than 50% were from local communities.
During the current operational phase of the
plant, 76 permanent employment opportuni-
ties have been created, of which over 60%
are from adjacent communities.
Recession-proofSephaku Cement’s entry into the market is
based on belief in the long-term sustainable
PRODUCT INFORMATIONAvailable in 50 kg bags and bulk, Sep-haku Cement provides high-quality cement for all applications. Its product range covers all classes of cement, from high-strength product needed by the technical sector to general-purpose cement often used in less technically demanding projects.
Sephaku 32General-purpose Sephaku 32 (32.5R) cement is ideal for use in general concrete, mortar, plaster, screed and all domestic concrete applications. Due to the additional factory-blended high-grade fly ash, this product delivers professional quality and uses less water to produce a cohesive mix and long-term durability. Sephaku 32 is compat-ible with a wide range of admixtures and additives.
Sephaku 42The early strength of Sephaku 42 (42.5R) cement provides a high-quality, cost-effective product for applications where higher strength and improved technical features are needed. Sep-haku 42, which is available in bulk and bags, delivers excellent all round per-formance. Its innovative formulation allows readymix end users to extend further with additions.
Sephaku 52High-strength Sephaku 52 (52.5N) cement is predominantly supplied in bulk although there is availability in bags as well. It is specifically suited to applications that need increased one-day strength and is highly benefi-cial for precast work, as well as cold-weather working. Sephaku 52 is ideal for use in major infrastructure projects where high-quality, excellent strength and long-term durability concretes are imperative.
Building greenfield cement operations gave us the opportunity to ensure that we use the most high-tech cement manufacturing equipment available
growth of cement. South Africa may have
relatively good infrastructure but there is
still a lot to be developed. “Significant com-
petitiveness and cost-efficiency lie in the
state-of-the-art technology backing Sephaku
Cement’s plants.”
The company is a 64%-owned subsidiary
of Dangote Cement Plc and an associate
company of JSE-listed Sephaku Holdings.
“We navigated our way through the global
recession through determination and belief
in our ability to change the face of the South
African cement industry,” he says.
The team is passionate about the potential
inherent in cement. Recalling what it has
taken to build cement operations from the
ground up, Fourie says, “While we have all
been in the industry for many years, this
project has been a once-in-a-lifetime experi-
ence. Not only has it made us better cement
experts, but better people.”
He concludes: “High-quality product, which
in our industry calls for consistency, strength
and durability, is imperative, but of equal
importance is the need to prioritise peo-
ple. Solutions focused on every customer’s
needs should be a constant measure of
great performance for every employee and,
for us, it is.”
www.sephaku.co.za
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Christa Liebenberg Municipal Manager
Stellenbosch Municipality South Africa
Liezl Groenewald Manager
Ethics Institute of South Africa South Africa
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Syntell South Africa
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Stan WallaceMunicipal Manager
Theewatersfloof MunicipalitySouth Africa
Sustainable readymix under the spotlight
SARMA
THIS YEAR, the annual conference of the Southern Africa
Readymix Association (SARMA) will focus largely on secur-
ing the sustainability of the industry in future by means
of improved practices, advanced methods and machin-
ery, as well as some “out-of-the-box” thinking from speakers that
will focus on new and different ways of producing readymix.
The Readymix Conference by SARMA is an annual institution
among members of the readymix, cement and construction
industries and aims at aligning the abilities of manufacturers and
suppliers in the industry with current and future needs of the
construction, engineering and architectural industries. Raw mate-
rial suppliers to the industry (cement, aggregate, extenders and
admixtures) also play an active role in the conference and provide
insight into new products available in the industry.
Paving the way forward“This year, we want to focus much of our attention on future sus-
tainability, have invited speakers like Jason Drew – who built an
empire by farming with flies and mosquitoes, for example – and
will be able to provide delegates with insight and ideas on doing
things differently in order to succeed in a competitive environment.
While readymix concrete remains the single most important construction material used in Southern Africa, the sustainability of supply of all materials used in its manufacture needs to be secured to ensure that suppliers are able to keep pace with construction projects in years to come.
SARMA general manager Johan van Wyk
36 IMIESA July 2014
SARMA
IMIESA July 2014 37
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“We will be looking at energy-saving ini-
tiatives that can be implemented both by
our manufacturers on-site, as well as by
customers making use of SARMA members’
products. Carbon taxes are another topic to
be discussed and we will also look at ways
of reducing our environmental footprints and
manufacturing green products.
“Simultaneously, we will share ideas on
new formulae and new techniques that
are able to support sustainable building
techniques and will look at new building
methods that make use of readymix con-
crete to speed up construction of houses
and buildings. Some innovative machinery
will be displayed and discussed. Money-
saving methods through the elimination of
wastage, faster, more efficient construction
methods and other methods will also be
discussed,” says SARMA general manager
Johan van Wyk.
Participation welcomed It is a jam-packed schedule that will enor-
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ON THE HEELS of the country’s fifth successfully run
elections and a flood of positive data from leading
economists, it makes sense to invest in an industry
that ultimately supports all future building and con-
struction projects and supplies more than 80% of the raw materi-
als required for structures and roads.
Nico Pienaar, director of the Aggregate and Sand Producers
Association of Southern Africa (Aspasa), says it is imperative
that especially sand and aggregate mining operations are able to
respond to increased future demands for construction materials.
Economic revival“Government and the private sector have backlogs in terms of
investment in physical infrastructure. With elections out of the
way, governmental heads have received a fresh mandate and will
want to be seen to be delivering on their campaign promises.
Likewise, businesses are seeing the first real “green shoots” of
a revival in world economies, and that translates into increased
demand for South African exports and commodities.
“Statistically, history shows that these macro indicators are
followed by an up-tick in the residential building industry and are
followed shortly afterwards by the construction industry. This
improvement is already in evidence and we are already seeing
vastly better sentiments in the residential sector. With a new
mandate, government can be expected to unleash some new
infrastructure projects that should further stimulate the building
and construction industry.
“For this rea-
son, we believe it
is time for sand
and aggregate pro-
ducers to look to
the future and put
plans in place to
deal with a higher-
growth scenario.
Also, to look at the
type and quality
of minerals being
South African companies in the quarrying industry should consider investing in the growth of their businesses right now, as local and international economies drag themselves out of a prolonged slump and edge towards improved growth.
Nico Pienaar, director of Aspasa
IMIESA July 2014 39
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Water industry trends In recent years, we have seen significant
changes in how owners manage their infra-
structure portfolios, particularly in how they
think about risk and value.
In addition, as a result of the budg-
et and related pressures owners
face in trying to deliver, support
and maintain their infrastructure
capabilities, many government
departments and agencies, as
well as private sector owners,
are now being asked to make do
with less.
Strategic reforms and market
dynamics therefore continue to chal-
lenge owners to think smarter about
how they deliver, support and sustain
their critical infrastructure capabilities.
Optimising decision-making around the
sustaining capital spend is critical – get-
ting the best outcome for each taxpayer
or shareholder.
Owners are also increasingly using effi-
ciency and effectiveness as key drivers for
the strategic management of their infra-
structure spend, along with building strong,
successful relationships with industry.
The challenge As water infrastructure continues to age,
despite investments made over the past
decade, there is growing evidence in some
areas of the decline and reduction in the
estimated remaining life of critical infra-
structure assets due to underfunding in the
upkeep of infrastructure. This increases the
risk of future unfunded liabilities.
Whole-of-life infrastructure solutions, pro-
gramme and portfolio management are
three interrelated options for addressing
these challenges.
However, all too often, insufficient con-
sideration is given at the outset of a pro-
gramme or portfolio to the owner’s strate-
gic objectives, the governance around the
programme or portfolio and the strategy for
delivering them.
Programmes in particular are complex
undertakings and the stakeholder and sup-
ply chain management impacts are nor-
mally critical factors in determining the
successful outcome.
Programmes and portfolios, where the
overarching priorities for delivery are clear,
commence with a set of strategic objectives
in mind, but then require a major effort in
terms of planning to ensure these factors
are adequately addressed before delivery
commences in earnest.
A vision for affordable, safer and sustainable infrastructure models Public and private sector owners will con-
tinue to compete for their share of available
funding against other government priorities
and programmes.
The solution is not merely to seek
more money or to reduce the quality
of the owner’s infrastructure hold-
ings. The more desirable solution
is to design and implement a more
affordable, safer and sustainable
infrastructure model, which utilises
integrated, best-practice programme,
portfolio and project management to
make the right investments in infrastruc-
ture and maintenance and achieve the best
value possible from available funding.
Whole-of-life infrastructure asset management Asset owners and operators are increasingly
focused on life-cycle solutions that optimise
infrastructure outcomes and service deliv-
ery – a ‘cradle-to-grave’ approach.
A whole-of-life infrastructure asset man-
agement framework enables asset owners
Optimising water infrastructure assetsWith the cost of delivering water increasing dramatically in recent years, water utilities need to get the most out of their existing assets, whether it is improving water quality, increasing capacity, extending the life of the asset or lowering energy consumption.
71821 Veolia Water DWR WSA ad.indd 1 2014/05/08 11:11 AM
IMIESA July 2014 43
WATER AND WASTEWATER
and operators to achieve
their business objectives
at the optimum cost and
risk across the full asset
life cycle.
This type of framework has
tremendous potential to help
owners address their infrastructure chal-
lenges and still have the opportunity to
identify and unlock strategic reform and
efficiency benefits.
The framework takes a whole-of-life strate-
gic view at assets from the beginning through
the application of proven process methodol-
ogies contained within the framework.
This approach has seen owners realise
significant reductions in physical asset life-
cycle costs and simultaneous productivity
increases from improved reliability of their
physical assets.
By way of example, many water treat-
ment plants com-
prise a vast number
of buried metallic
assets that require
an effective corrosion mitigation strategy to
minimise the risk of unscheduled mainte-
nance, and avoid costly failures with the risk
of plant shutdowns, environmental pollution
and even the endangering of life.
A major Australian water utility has jointly
developed a corrosion management regime
with Aurecon. The implementation of this
regime has also enabled the utility to adopt
a unified and structured approach to moni-
toring and managing corrosion issues.
In South Africa, all municipalities manage
large portfolios of infrastructure assets.
One such municipality wanted to optimise
service levels, risk and
expenditure for all assets
over the entire asset life
cycle and appointed Aurecon
to develop a full asset man-
agement programme.
A risk-based asset-renewal
model was implemented to aid with the
long-term planning of infrastructure invest-
ments and has proven valuable in opti-
mising budget. It considers the social,
environmental and economic risks associ-
ated with infrastructure services to prioritise
capital-renewal interventions.
The model was subsequently extended to
cover all of the other infrastructure catego-
ries typically managed by the municipality,
such as stormwater, water supply, sanita-
tion, solid waste and electricity.
The benefits to asset-intensive business-
es in adopting a cutting-edge framework
are in an improved
return on the con-
siderable invest-
ment in physical
A risk-based asset-renewal model was implemented to aid with long-term planning of infrastructure investments and has proven
valuable in optimising budget
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assets and improvements in
the safe and sustainable use
of these assets.
The other clear benefit is
in providing better information
and analysis around invest-
ment priorities and their neces-
sity: a key challenge. This con-
tributes to a better understanding of risk
and allows more informed decision-making
about investment priorities.
Integrated solutions framework A key to achieving these outcomes is imple-
menting them as part of a totally integrated
and managed approach to programme, port-
folio and project delivery.
At its most basic level, it provides a frame-
work that integrates and reconciles compet-
ing demands for resources and provides
a context and control framework for the
investment priorities and projects within the
programme or portfolio.
It also often involves changes to the cul-
ture, style and character of organisations by
providing a controlled environment in which
there is a common approach to programme
or portfolio direction, management, delivery
and reporting.
Four critical goals are required to establish
a new management framework for improving
sustainable infrastructure outcomes:
1. Establishing and sustaining the right
cultural environment within the owner’s
team and any infrastructure programmes.
2. Creating clear structures, boundaries
and interfaces.
3. Measuring progress and making deci-
sions focused on successful programme
delivery and outcomes.
4. Establishing robust data and informa-
tion management systems combined with
clear reporting to enable stra-
tegic investment decisions to
be made.
What is clear is that all pro-
grammes and portfolios are
dif ferent, so any solution
needs to be tailored to its
unique position.
Looking aheadThe sustainable management of our water
resources presents an increasing challenge
and arguably requires greater focus than
any other natural resource.
Water quality and availability impact the
health, well-being and prosperity of our com-
munities and underpin business, agriculture
and the sustainability of the natural environ-
ment these are collective responsibilities
for the water sector.
Aurecon, working with industry partners,
is committed to delivering integrated catch-
ment-based recreation, water supply, sanita-
tion, irrigation and environmental services
at the lowest cost possible.
Water quality and availability impact the health, well-being and prosperity of our communities and underpin business, agriculture and the sustainability of the
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46 IMIESA July 2014
WATER AND WASTEWATER
A LOCAL MUNICIPALITY (LM) in the
West Rand of Johannesburg, was
losing a significant amount of rev-
enue resulting from faulty and non-
operational water meters at an upmarket
housing estate located in its area of authority.
An analysis conducted at the time showed
that as many as 37% of the water meters in
the residential estate were not operating at all.
As a result, the LM appointed Utility
Management Solutions to under take
the installation of Elster Kent prepaid
water meters to all the homes in the
residential estate.
Leon Basson, sales and marketing director
at Elster Kent Metering, explains that the
project included the replacement of 1 022
existing water meters with Elster Kent pre-
paid meters. The payback time including
installation was 7.6 months. This has since
resulted in the LM now being able to collect
Prepaid water meters turn around revenue collectionReplacing existing water meters with prepaid meters has allowed a Johannesburg local municipality to collect revenue that was previously lost due to inoperable prepaid metering systems.
IMIESA July 2014 47
WATER AND WASTEWATER
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Sensitive but strong
IMIESA July 2014 49
WATER AND WASTEWATER
“Overall, the installation of the system was seamless,” says
the manager.
Another resident of the estate, Mr Anderson, says the
following: “The installation of the new water meter to my
property was carried out in an efficient and competent man-
ner. The company also fully explained how the new water
meter functioned.”
Basson says that as a result of the success of the project
in this estate, the same system has been implemented in four
other estates in the area.
Basson also recommends that WSAs do proper investigations
before purchasing prepaid water meters, as there are products
on the market that underper form. He urges them to visit WSAs
where the products are installed and talk to the relevant peo-
ple about the product’s per formance as well as the after-sale
services given by the manufacturer.
FIGURE 1 This graph shows the average water consumption, per consumer meter per month, since the project was initiated
“Our prepaid domestic water dispenser is designed for individual households” Leon Basson,
sales & marketing director, Elster Kent
50 IMIESA July 2014
TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY
THE THREE MOST recognised trench-
less installation methods for pres-
sure pipe are horizontal directional
drilling (HDD), sliplining and pipe
bursting; all are seeing rapid growth in
application. Improvements in methods and
materials have stretched the boundaries of
these technologies, allowing longer lengths
of pipe, larger sizes and an increased range
of project constraints to be managed. New
pipe-joining methodologies for thermoplastic
pipe materials, and specifically the advent
of thermally fused PVC pipe, have had the
largest impact on the growth of these instal-
lation modes in North American water and
wastewater infrastructure.
This article discusses the fused PVC
pipe technology that is enabling trench-
less growth and highlights two case studies
where fused PVC was utilised; a 1 140 m
HDD bore with 600 mm and 150 mm pipe
pulled in simultaneously under a live air-
port runway in Portland, Oregon, and a
water utility in Colorado that has installed
over 45 000 m of fused PVC via the pipe-
bursting method.
In South Africa, with its ageing underground
services, especially in dense urban area,
the application of trenchless technologies
on a larger scale will contribute to cost-
effective remedial projects, which will result
in increased services life.
Underground Construction, February 2013 – “Municipal Survey”
Introduction: 1 140 m HDD bore and pull-inPortland International Airport (PDX) encom-
passes over 10 km2, serving over 15 mil-
lion travellers annually to domestic and
international destinations. It is also home
to the 142nd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air
National Guard. A vital element to provid-
ing safe aviation service at PDX is the de-
icing and anti-icing of planes and pavement
during periods when air temperatures are
below 4˚C.
The Port of Portland is tasked with captur-
ing and managing fugitive aircraft and pave-
ment de-icing and anti-icing chemicals, as
well as collecting and treating large volumes
of de-icing-chemical-impacted stormwater on-
site. The de-icing and anti-icing fluids are
collected and managed through the existing
stormwater management system. The con-
cern with excessive non-toxic de-icing fluids
in the stormwater is its high biological oxygen
demand. To maintain stormwater discharge
compliance with State and Federal regula-
tions, the Port needed to make significant
investments in the existing infrastructure to
enhance the de-icing collection and control
system at PDX.
As shown in Figure 1, due to the significant
restrictions placed upon construction activi-
ties at an airport, the enhanced system was
located on the western edge of the airport
property. However, the existing collection
and management system is located in the
central and eastern portions of the airport,
representing significant design and construc-
tion obstacles in order to connect the two
systems together.
Design and construction of the airfield crossingThe new portions of the de-icing enhancement
Thermally fused PVC pipe in trenchless installationsIn North America, trenchless pipe installation methods continue to see rapid adoption growth in municipal markets, with 71% of utilities having used trenchless methods in the past 12 months. This adoption rate is a function of improving equipment, installation experience and improved materials. By Andrew Seidel and Robert Walker, Underground Solutions
Portland International Airport
IMIESA July 2014 51
TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY
system were designed on the far west side of
the airfield, and the existing system was on
the eastern and central areas. These two
areas are roughly 3 km apart, and the route
between them passes through an active run-
way/taxiway system. Going around the run-
way using open-cut or direct-bury methodol-
ogy was quickly eliminated as an option due
to the distance and quantity of utility piping
that would have to be managed. This option
would also add significant cost to the project.
Going under the runway/taxiways elimi-
nated the additional pipe cost, however the
costs for removing/replacing aircraft-rated
pavement greatly outweighed these reduced
pipe cost-savings. Additionally, the logistics
of working on or temporarily closing a run-
way/taxiway made this option unfeasible.
Another option was a combination of open-
cutting and “jack and bore” installation meth-
odology under the critical runway and taxiway
facilities in the near-surface soils, which
could be done while the runway/taxiways
were operational. Unfortunately, these near
surface soils proved to be predominantly
loose and unconsolidated, precluding the use
of “jack and bore” technology.
After further and exhaustive review, of
potential options, and evaluating potential
risks and costs, HDD was advanced as the
most cost-efficient, viable option. Using his-
torical geotechnical information (Figure 2),
a proposed HDD boring plan was developed
going under the cargo air operations and just
south of the active runway (Figure 3). Due
to the poor soils prevalent across the site,
the proposed bore trajectory was taken to a
depth of at least 22.5 m, where competent
soils were expected. The port was very wary
of HDD installation methodology within the
airfield, due to contractor miscalculations
on a previous project that resulted in the
emergence of a sinkhole adjacent to PDX’s
south runway. To mitigate this potential
risk, this crossing’s bore-path alignment was
carefully selected to provide numerous viable
workarounds if there were a similar issue
that occurred under the cargo area or the
very southern end of the active runway.
Further complicating this installation was
the fact that two separate pipe sections
were required for the crossing. One large
primary conveyance, which was for stormwa-
ter from the airfield collection areas, would
require the same 600 mm FPVCP or 760 mm
HDPE pipe similar to the outfall installa-
tion. The second conveyance, however, was
much smaller and required a concentrate-
stream pump back to the airfield side. Both
760 mm HDPE and 600 mm FPVCP were
considered for this crossing, in the same
manner that they were considered for the
outfall installation.
Bore depth again dictated minimum criti-
cal buckling design requirements, but the
extreme length (11 140 m) and bundled pull
also required maximising tensile-strength-to-
weight ratio. The 600 mm DR18 DIPS FPVCP
was chosen specifically due to its strength-
to-weight ratio, allowing risk minimisation on
the bore by giving the driller the highest safe
pull-force-to-weight ratio possible to meet any
actual required pull force during pullback. The
smaller line was also FPVCP, a 150 m DR14
DIPS cross-section.
Drilling conditionsThe joint venture of Northwest Underwater
Constructors and Kinnan Engineering was
selected to perform the HDD for the air-
field crossing. Underground Solutions (UGSI)
provided the FPVC pipe and fusion ser-
vices for this crossing. During drilling, Kinnan
encountered difficult and complicated drilling
conditions. The same soils that precluded
“jack and bore” methodology also had to
be considered in the initial approach of the
drill shot. Kinnan used a steel casing for the
first 36 meters of the installation to stabilise
the bore.
The required length of the bore, 1 140 m,
was a significant length of pipe to fuse
and stage – not only to string out in one
length, but to make sure that it lined up
with the crossing alignment. The fusion
and lay-down area for the fused pipe pre-
sented a major challenge because wet-
lands and environmentally sensitive areas
that could not be disturbed existed in the
work area that had to be used. JE Dunn,
FIGURE 1 Final site plan showing new treatment and conveyance facilities on the western side of PDX and the existing facilities in the central and eastern portion of the property
FIGURE 2 Proposed boring plan for the active airfield crossing CDM, Geotechnical Data Report, June 2009
52 IMIESA July 2014
CDM, the Port of Portland, Kinnan and
UGSI ultimately identified an alternate align-
ment that did not disturb the wetlands, yet
allowed for the full lengths for both 600 mm
and 150 mm sections to be laid out.
Kinnan custom-fabricated a manifold-style
pullhead to separately link the 150 mm and
2 600 mm pipes and their individual pull-
heads simultaneously. Pullback commenced
on 27 July 2010, with water ballast in the
600 mm pipe to reduce frictional force in
the bore.
The pull was completed in 13 hours, exert-
ing a maximum pull force of 520 kN. A suc-
cessful pressure test was completed several
weeks later.
Introduction: 11 100 m of pipe-bursting rehabilitationThe Consolidated Mutual Water Company
distributes approximately 15 million m3 of
water annually to about 90 000 residents
in Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, and unincorpo-
rated portions of central Jefferson County,
Colorado. Treated water is delivered through
1 638 km of pipelines and 21 100 tap
connections over a service area of approxi-
mately 70 km2. Consolidated, through a
distribution contract with Denver Water
(Denver), purchases approximately 70% of
the total treated water it distributes annu-
ally. The other 30% of water is supplied by
Consolidated’s own Maple Grove water treat-
ment facility from water rights acquired over
the past 85 years. Consolidated still follows
the original pattern of the early coopera-
tives that it was created from – ownership
by the water users it serves. It is presently
FIGURE 3 Results of the boring plan along the chosen HDD alignment
Geotechnical Data Report, June 2009
TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY
• GRUNDOMAT soil displacement hammers for pipes up to ND 150 - extremely precise due reciprocating chisel head.
• GRUNDORAM ramming machines for steel pipes up to ND 4000 - also applicable vertically for ramming sheet piles.
• GRUNDOBURST static pipe bursting systems for the replacement of pipes up to ND 1000
• GRUNDODRILL HDD systems for steerable bores up to ND 600 - with percussive hammer for stony soils.
• FÖCKERSPERGER PIPE AND CABLE PLOWS - for trenchlessly plowing in pipes up to OD 225 and cables in open terrain.
• PRIME DRILLING - Midi & Maxi HDD rigs for pipes up to 1400 mm.
ALL THIS AND MORE ONLY FROM TT.
TT sales partner in South Africa: Reef Trenchless Technology SA (Pty) Ltd · 19 Shamrock Road, Primrose, P. O. Box 2168 · Primrose 1416 · South Africa Phone: +27 (0)11 828 2397 · 828 5782 · Fax +27 (0)11 828 7981 · E-Mail: [email protected] · www.reeftrenchless.com
• GRUNDOMAT soil displacement hammers for pipes up to ND 150 - extremely precise due reciprocating chisel head.
• GRUNDORAM ramming machines for steel pipes up to ND 4000 - also applicable vertically for ramming sheet piles.
• GRUNDOBURST static pipe bursting systems for the replacement of pipes up to ND 1000
• GRUNDODRILL HDD systems for steerable bores up to ND 600 - with percussive hammer for stony soils.
• FÖCKERSPERGER PIPE AND CABLE PLOWS - for trenchlessly plowing in pipes up to OD 225 and cables in open terrain.
• PRIME DRILLING - Midi & Maxi HDD rigs for pipes up to 1400 mm.
ALL THIS AND MORE ONLY FROM TT.
TT sales partner in South Africa: Reef Trenchless Technology SA (Pty) Ltd · 19 Shamrock Road, Primrose, P. O. Box 2168 · Primrose 1416 · South Africa Phone: +27 (0)11 828 2397 · 828 5782 · Fax +27 (0)11 828 7981 · E-Mail: [email protected] · www.reeftrenchless.com
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1
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Rehabilitation and/or replacement needsConsolidated was facing the same ageing
infrastructure problem many other utilities
face, namely large sections of their system
that needed to be replaced. These sec-
tions contained large amounts of undersized
100 mm and 150 mm cast iron pipe. The
piping had served the system well over the
years in these sections of the system, how-
ever due to large numbers of breaks, water
quality issues and restricted flows in some
areas due to tubercles and pipe size, it was
becoming an ever-increasing concern.
In early 2009, money was budgeted for a
large-scale pipe replacement programme that
would begin in 2010, the goal of which was
to replace the undersized and insufficient
piping in those areas where required by dig-
and-replace methodology. The total budget
for 2010 was approximately $2.4 million,
which was intended to replace approximately
7 200 m of existing piping. It was also during
this time period that Consolidated started
to investigate other methods of waterline
rehabilitation compared to the daunting
open-cut, dig-and-replace programme that
was outlined.
After hearing about pipe bursting as a
pipe rehabilitation and replacement method,
Consolidated began evaluating and testing
a variety of equipment, piping products,
and procedural methods using pipe-bursting
technology. Consolidated decided to proceed
with a pipe-bursting programme to replace
6 900 m of water pipelines, beginning in
April 2010, in a service area with antiquated
FIGURE 4 Start of pull into the insertion pit
FIGURE 5 Pipe bundle at borehole exit and casing
FIGURE 6 Service area map with delineation of the service area into the two systems – also shows the project area for 2010
FIGURE 7 Typical water main in areas to be replaced, both outside and inside pipe showing tubercles
56 IMIESA July 2014
TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY
and undersized lines. Consolidated selected
fusible PVC pipe (FPVCP) as the replacement
pipe based on its corrosion resistance, ease
of connection, and its ability to upsize old
cast iron distribution lines while minimising
soil displacement due to its smaller pipe
OD versus other pipe options. Additionally,
the other pipe material evaluated and deter-
mined to be feasible was high-density poly-
ethylene pipe (HDPE), however, Denver would
not allow it to be used. While Consolidated
runs their own programme, maintains and
constructs their own water system, and func-
tions as a fully autonomous utility, the use
of Denver Water carries with it a stipulation
of following all of Denver’s rules, regulations
and requirements including following their
engineering standards for all materials and
methods. This required that any alternative
pipe replacement or rehabilitation methods
that Consolidated decided to use had to get
a variance approval from Denver. Based on
Denver’s use of FPVCP pipe in the past, they
allowed Consolidated to use FPVCP as part
of a pipe-bursting programme, after reviewing
their variance request.
Pipe bursting as both a rehabilitation and replacement methodUnder the ‘trenchless’ moniker come many
varied forms of pipeline rehabilitation and
replacement methods, all with various
strengths and weaknesses depending on the
many variables associated with the system,
pipe materials and specific attributes of a
given project scenario. It
can be argued that most
trenchless pipe installation
methods fall into one of
two global categories, those
that ‘rehabilitate’ a pipeline,
and those that ‘replace’ a
pipeline. They all share the
common goal of reducing
excavation as much as
possible; however, there
are distinct differences
between the two in relation
to how a ‘new’ pipeline is
created in relation to the
existing one. Rehabilitation
methods, by broad defini-
tion, utilise the existing pipe
that has reached the end of
its useful design life. This
means that whatever meth-
od is employed, whether it
is cured-in-place-piping, liner
installations, or others, the original host pipe
is maintained and the existing utility corridor
is reused. The solution provided is not the
installation of a ‘new’ pipeline, it is the exten-
sion of the existing pipeline’s design life.
Replacement, on the other hand, includes
those methods, like horizontal directional
drilling, that provide an entirely new pipeline
installation with the opportunity to upsize
the pipe. Replacement requires that a new
pipeline installation be made, that is inde-
pendent of existing line, and does not rely on
the existing line for any of the new pipeline’s
intended design life.
Some trenchless methods sit on the line
between these two broad definitions, meth-
ods such as sliplining, tight-fit liners, and
pipe bursting. Of these methods that have
aspects that make them a rehabilitation
method and aspects that assure that they
are in fact a replacement method as well,
pipe bursting is unique. Pipe bursting pro-
vides an entirely new pipeline, sized accord-
ing to design needs and not entirely limited
by existing project conditions, but is installed
utilising the same utility corridor and original
host pipe of the pipeline it is replacing. It is
both a viable replacement method, with a
brand-new wholly replaced pipeline, and a
utility corridor rehabilitation method, using
the existing pipeline as the template for
installation and final alignment.
The use of the pipe bursting as a potable
water system rehabilitation and replacement
technique has been recognised for some
time, but has just recently seen a major rise
in application. As pipe-bursting equipment
and suitable pipe-replacement products have
evolved and flourished, so too has the use
of the technology and the required expertise
in the construction sector has responded to
this need.
Pipe-bursting equipment for potable water installationsStatic pipe bursting has long been recognised
as a viable form of pipe bursting and potable
water pipe rehabilitation. Today, static pipe
bursting has come to the forefront of trench-
less methods in North America. During the
static bursting process specially designed
bladed rollers are pulled through an existing
line by a hydraulically powered bursting unit.
As the bladed rollers are pulled through, they
split the host pipe. An expander attached to
the rollers forces the fragmented pipe into
the surrounding soil while simultaneously
pulling in the new pipe (see Figure 9).
Patented “Quicklock” bursting rods are
linked together, which speeds the installation
process as well as the breakdown procedure.
The rods can be quickly removed one at a
time at the exit pit as bursting is in opera-
tion. The advantages of static bursting over
the other prevalent form of pipe bursting,
which is pneumatic bursting, is that it allows
for the use of many product pipe materials,
and additionally does not require air hoses
that feed the pneumatic process to be
run down the new product pipe, alleviating
concerns about contamination for potable
water use. Advances in the equipment tech-
nology, including more powerful units with
smaller footprints, have sped the increase
of its use in the potable water pipeline
rehabilitation market.
Pipe products for use in potable water pipe burstingAs the equipment for pipe bursting has
evolved, so too have the pipe products that
can be employed with it. HDPE pipe was
the original product used in North America
when pipe bursting was first advocated as
a method to replace existing cast iron natu-
ral gas distribution lines, back in the early
1980s in New Jersey. This pipe material
has also seen crossover use in the water
and wastewater markets as well, mainly
due to its low-profile, non-mechanical, high-
tensile-capacity thermally butt-fused joint,
which is perfect for installation by trench-
less methodologies, including pipe bursting.
FIGURE 8 The static pipe-bursting process illustrated
IMIESA July 2014 57
TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY
HDPE, in practice however, is historically not
a common, standardised waterworks piping
material, save for a select few water utilities.
This has created a void for other materials
to fill when it comes to trenchless piping
products in the water market. Filling this void
are a number of restrained-joint products
utilising the more traditional piping materi-
als for the North American water industry,
including PVC and ductile iron pipe. One
material that has combined both of these
trends is FPVCP, which takes the very popular
and common waterworks piping material
of PVC and couples it with the low-profile,
non-mechanical, high tensile capacity of the
thermally butt-fused joint.
Consolidated’s pipe-bursting programmeEarly in 2010, Consolidated started to nar-
row its focus on pipe bursting as a viable
alternative for pipe system replacement and
rehabilitation. Research into the method and
its successes, as well as its limitations, were
showing that it could be viable for a long-term
pipe system replacement tool in many areas
of their system. Just how useful it would be
became the question, and after certainty was
attained that this method would meet the
physical and operational requirements of the
system, the only way to answer that question
was with money – namely, will this method
be cost-effective, in addition to providing the
socio-political benefits of a ‘trenchless’ con-
struction methodology for the shareholders
of the system?
By all accounts, the numbers that
Consolidated came up with showed that
it would be beneficial. Not only should the
replacement method save construction
time in neighbourhoods, limit excavation
in the street and right of way, and limit the
impacts of these activities to individual
shareholders, the numbers were show-
ing a significant cost saving – almost
50% compared to the normal dig-and-
replace construction methods normally uti-
lised. As the pieces of the programme
began to fall into place, two areas defined
themselves as critical for Consolidated to
make sure that it would be a success and
that their numbers would be justified. The
first was the pipe joining and fabrication
and the second was the actual equipment,
labour and efficiency associated with the
pipe-bursting process.
FPVCP pipe joining, which is a thermally
fused joining process, requires that techni-
cians undergo an initial three-day training
course and then annual requalification to
perform the joining process. It also requires
the use of a pipe fusion machine, rated
for the sizes of pipe to be used in the
joining process. Consolidated needed to
decide how to handle these two items, and
per the long-term goal of the process and
rehabilitation programme, decided to bring
these items in house. This meant the pur-
chase of a fusion machine and training of
Consolidated’s employees in the process.
Both of these items would add to the initial
cost of the programme.
The pipe-bursting process also required the
use of special equipment. The installation
technique relies on a hydraulically actuated
pulling device to fracture the existing pipe
into fragments, push them into the surround-
ing soil, and simultaneously pull in the new
product pipe. The process is also coupled
with the hardware of the bursting ‘train’
and pipe attachment assembly. This special
tooling connects to the pulling system of the
equipment, assures that the existing pipe
is sufficiently fractured and displaced, and
finally expands the created annulus of the
utility corridor to allow the trailing insertion
FIGURE 9 Pipe bursting a 100 mm cast iron water main and upsizing to 150 mm FPVCP
TABLE 1 Walkthrough of typical completion of one block (~390 m)
DAY NO. DAY ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION1 Wednesday Fuse Pipe 1 Pipe length of FPVCP is created, one half of the required block length
(~204 m).2 Thursday Temporary Water System Installed Temporary service pipe is set down. Services are disconnected from the
existing water main, the temporary service is initiated, and the existing water main is removed from service.
Fuse Pipe 2 Pipe length of FPVCP is created, one half of the required block length (~204 m).
3 Friday Prepare Existing Water Main Cut, plug and otherwise prepare existing water main for bursting activities.4 Monday Prepare for Pipe Bursting Activity Dig pull pits and insertion pits – set plates and bursting equipment.5 Tuesday Pipe-Burst Activity Pull 204 m of pipe into existing main through pipe-bursting activity (one
half of block). Line connections are made into rest of piping system.6 Wednesday Pipe-Burst Activity Pull 204 m of pipe into existing main through pipe-bursting activity (other
half of block). Line connections are made into rest of piping system including mid-block connections, hydrants, etc.
7 Thursday Commission and Testing of New Water Main
New water line is hydrostatically tested, health tested, and then biologically tested.
8 Friday Reconnection of New Water Line, Surface Rehab
After line clears testing, services are reconnected, temporary services and system are removed, excavations are back-filled, and surface patching is completed. Water pipe on block is completely replaced.
58 IMIESA July 2014
INSIGHT
FIGURE 10 Final restoration in areas of pipe bursting. Asphalt patches shown in relation to rest of street
of the new product pipe (see Figure 9). All of this equipment would
need to be acquired as well, and this too would add to the initial
cost of the programme.
Before this process takes place, activities include excavating pull-
ing and insertion pits, removing service taps from the existing line,
setting up temporary water services and supply, and decommis-
sioning the existing utility. After this process takes place, activities
include tie-ins to the existing system, tapping of the line for water
services and other work associated with commissioning the new
line. All of these are typical processes and well within the equipment
and working knowledge of Consolidated’s skilled labour.
The final and arguably the most important piece of the puzzle for
Consolidated was the efficiency of the work process. In order to
assure that they could meet the production and budgetary goals
created for the programme, they would need to maximise the effi-
ciency of the process. Not only would they need to make sure that
the procedure of the installation worked fluidly from the temporary
water system installation to the final commissioning of the new
line, they also had to try and make it into a template that could be
repeated over and over again, street to street, making the process
as efficient as possible.
Table 1 illustrates how a typical street block of waterline would be
rehabilitated in regards to activities and relative timing. Total time
for work on a given block is eight working days.
Pipe-bursting efficiencies attainedThe overall programme started in earnest on 26 April 2010, and
was completed on 10 September 2010. Through the course of their
pipe-bursting work, Consolidated gained tremendous efficiency with
the process. This not only resulted in a large amount of replaced
pipe, it also meant that the total cost to do so on a metre basis
dropped as well. By focusing on each step of the process as it relat-
ed to time efficiency, Consolidated streamlined their pipe-bursting
operations. They installed what amounted to a twelve month open
cut dig-and-replace programme in a little over four months.
Ultimately, the optimisation that had the most impact on the
work was in the overall process schedule itself. Consolidated
quickly dialled in the needed steps and the appropriate timing of
those steps to assure that any one aspect of the overall procedure
was not inhibiting or slowing down any other aspect. As Table 2
portrays, when Consolidated moved the process through a city block,
they were there for approximately eight days. Essentially, they were
in front of a given customer for eight days in one fashion or another.
By overlapping activities, they were also working on the next block
as the previous one was being completed – so, instead of finishing a
block every two weeks, they were actually finishing one every week.
The process starts with pipe fusion, so the fusion crew works
ahead of the balance of the installation crews in relation to the
58 IMIESA July 2014
IMIESA July 2014 59
TABLE 2 Expected dig-and-replace dollars based on past project experience (sampling of 150 mm projects)
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The rural roads asset management (RRAMS) grantThrough the RRAMS, 21 district munici-
palities were selected from the 23 poverty-
stricken presidential nodes and, in KwaZulu-
Natal, all 10 district municipalities were
included. The details of the RRAMS project
were presented in the Government Gazette
Notice No. 34280 – 10 May 2011, which
allocated funds to 21 district municipalities
in South Africa over a three-year period:
• Eastern Cape – 5 district municipalities
• KwaZulu-Natal – 10 district municipalities
• Limpopo – 4 district municipalities
• North West – 2 district municipalities.
Budgets for the RRAMS project were set for
three years and a framework was detailed
with goals, outputs, responsibilities and
conditions stated.
The strategic goal of this grant is to ensure
efficient and effective investment in rural
roads through the development of road
asset management systems (RAMS) and
collection of data.
The KZN-DOT’s mandate was to assist
district municipalities to set up systems of
road and traffic data capture. This included
detailed data for the road and its assets
and the condition of the various assets
such as road pavements, bridges, drain-
age structures, guard rails and sidewalks.
The standards were in line with the Road
Infrastructure Strategic Framework for South
Africa (RISFSA) guidelines.
For the past two years, the NDOT and
KZN-DOT have been assisting the 10 district
municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal to collect
inventory and condition data of their roads.
Although there is much more road asset
capturing ahead, the district municipalities
have progressed to a stage where some
decisions on the way forward can be made.
Extent of KwaZulu-Natal’s roadsBefore the start of the RRAMS project, the
KZN-DOT undertook an extensive survey of
all roads in the province, which culminated
Preserving our FutureRoad authorities in South Africa face many challenges in maintaining one of the country’s most vital assets – its roads. Preliminary results indicate that KwaZulu-Natal’s road network requires a long-term, sustained maintenance plan. By Leonard Malapane, Patrick Dorkin, & Roger Purchase
TABLE 3 Assignment of responsibilities, functions and tasks
ROLE PLAYER
RESPONSIBILITIES
Municipal authority
▪ Expenditure of grant according to Division of Revenue Act (DORA)▪ overall responsibility for RRAMS project during all its phases▪ initiate project business plan▪ appoint service providers▪ control budgeting, accounting and internal auditing processes▪ operate and maintain information management systems▪ conclude learnership agreements.
Provincial authority
▪ Coordinate project▪ interact with all role players and stakeholders▪ coordinate graduate training and mentorship (graduate academy)▪ interact with national authorities▪ monitor planning and implementation processes▪ explore innovative ideas.
Service provider/project manager
▪ Manage project ▪ formulate and manage communication plan▪ interact with municipal authority as well as role players and stakeholders▪ train and mentor graduates▪ coordinate all reporting to municipal authority▪ monitor progress and submit reports and cash flows.
Graduates ▪ Commit to learnership and mentorship programme▪ carry out field assessments, desktop studies and project selection reports.
Traffic surveysTraffic on municipal roads ranged from medi-
um densities in towns to very low densities
in rural areas. Traffic count locations were
selected from desktop studies to determine
the representative traffic volumes over the
district municipalities. The graduates were
all given theoretical and practical train-
ing on traffic counting. Local inhabitants
were employed on a temporary basis as
traffic enumerators.
This captured data was submitted also to
the NDOT.
Updating spatial dataThe goal of the Municipal Infrastructure
Grant is to provide all-weather access to
within 500 m of a dwelling in rural areas and
access to all in urban areas.
Provincial goals have been set at halving
the number of people who do not have an
all-season road to within 2 km of their dwell-
ing and to improve access to social facilities
(schools, health-care facilities and so on).
In assessing the visual condition of road
classes one to five, the graduates have
highlighted issues regarding the class-six
roads in KwaZulu-Natal:
• there are approximately 48 700 km of
class-six roads in KwaZulu-Natal
• a proportion of these roads were con-
structed for vehicular access in the past
but have become inaccessible due to lack
of maintenance
• roads that can be traversed by vehicle
have been cut off either by the loss of
access over a bridge or culvert, or by
local erosion
• most of these inaccessible roads are
located in rural areas.
These roads were not included in the initial
visual assessments as they were consid-
ered inaccessible according to TRH 22.
They nevertheless do play a role in pro-
viding access for the rural population and
therefore must be considered an asset.
Assessments of these roads have been
carried out in a way which yields the most
results with the minimum amount of effort.
It was not expected that the entire length of
each road be inspected, as some of them
were only accessible by foot.
Graduates located these roads, assessed
the possibility of the road being classified
as five or higher and then described the pre-
sent limitations to vehicular access.
This exercise has, and will continue, to add
class-six roads to the district municipality.
ROADS
FIGURE 1 Data management cycle
FIGURE 2 Visual condition ratings for road authorities
Graduates assessing an urban road
IMIESA July 2014 65
Results from the RRAMS project thus farThere are 5 639.07 km of surfaced and
37 479.59 km of gravelled roads within the
10 district municipalities. The estimated
CRC of this asset can be conservatively
set at R150 billion. It is planned that these
assets will be maintained by either the pro-
vincial or municipal authorities. There is no
dedicated budget to maintain these roads
at present.
To put this in perspective, SANRAL pres-
ently is responsible for just over 13 000 km
of non-tolled surfaced roads in South Africa.
Their budget for routine, periodic and spe-
cial maintenance for 2011/12 was R3.2 bil-
lion. This figure does not take into account
road rehabilitation and upgrading.
Surveys undertaken over the last two
years indicate a clear lack of maintenance
of municipal roads. Results of these sur-
veys indicate that a major proportion of the
surfaced roads are in either a poor or very
poor condition (see Figure 2).
These detailed surveys highlight the need
to carry out immediate maintenance and
rehabilitation.
To delay these actions would put the entire
road network at risk.
Roads which are in a very poor to poor
state require maintenance interventions to
continue performing their designed func-
tions. The types of maintenance activities
required are shown in Figure 3.
Unplanned or routine maintenanceRoutine maintenance is the fixing of certain
defects so that a road can still function prop-
erly. Think of this as reactive maintenance.
Examples of this would include:
• Non-pavement: clearing side drains and
culverts, vegetation control, line-marking,
road signs repair, guard rail repair.
• Pavement: defects caused by a combina-
tion of traffic and environmental effects,
e.g. crack sealing, patching, edge repair;
shoulders regravelling and grading.
Planned or periodic maintenancePeriodic maintenance focuses on treating
roads prior to the appearance of distresses.
These treatments prolong the life of a road.
Periodic maintenance delays future
deterioration and is in other words
preventive maintenance.
An example of periodic maintenance would
be adding a thin sur facing to improve
sur face integrity, waterproofing, or skid
resistance, without increasing the strength
of the road.
Road rehabilitationRehabilitation is for roads that require resto-
ration rather than maintenance. Roads that
are in very poor condition require additional
investigations before the type and extent of
the rehabilitation can be determined. It is
for this reason that the costs of such roads
are usually not costed when doing network-
level maintenance-needs surveys.
Paved road maintenance costsThe RRAMS Division of Revenue Bill inti-
mates that the data generated from the
RRAMS project will inform the National
Treasury on the future allocation of
Municipal Infrastructure Grants.
It is accepted that the level of service
for a municipal road would be less than
that which is expected on national or stra-
tegic roads. However, it is enlightening to
compare the overall condition of the paved
network of national roads, provincial roads
and municipal roads and then extrapolate
what the anticipated budgetary requirement
is just to maintain the municipal road net-
work. This comparison puts the challenge
into perspective.
It must be noted that the provincial road
network is also presently underfunded (esti-
mates are put at approximately R0.9 billion
per annum).
No allowance has been made for the
rehabilitation or special maintenance needs
of the network in Figure 4, which has been
presented for illustrative purposes.
From this scenario the annual budget-
ary shortfall for maintaining 6 250 km of
municipal roads is approximately R1.0 bil-
lion per annum.
ROADS
FIGURE 3 Expenditure categories
FIGURE 4 Extrapolated maintenance needs for municipal roads
The workshop will follow the highly successful 10-box training programme now used across the USA and with municipal clients in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and South America
Asset registers, valuation, con-dition assessment and residual lives, levels of service, business risk exposure, optimal mainte-nance programmes, rehabilitation/replacement/augmentation, asset management plans, future expend-iture and funding models and stake-holder consultation
Getting started – How did others do it: the different ways to get started
Building your first AMP and driving its improvement cost-effectively
Gap analysis techniques and TEAMQF – Roger will demonstrate the Gap-Ex 1 web-based tool so that participants can then go and try it out with their organisation.
All participants will be given a free toggle to use the tool
The business case for improving your AM performance – asset management improvement programmes
Organisational and people issues
Risk management
Data collection – smart techniques –
Delphi group approaches
Capital investment programmes (CIP) justification/validation
Strategic asset management planning
Justifying and focusing existing budgets
Understanding the full economic/whole-of-life/cost-of-service (triple
bottom line – TBL)
Asset valuation/depreciation/
economic cost
Condition assessment process and residual life estimates
AMPLE (Asset Management Program Learning Environment) is a web-enabled knowledge management system which aims to present a means by which organisations and their staff can gain an understanding of:
the principles of life-cycle asset management in a logical, cost-effective, step-by-step process.
the essential components of a state-of-the-art asset management programme.
‘how to do it’ information to drive their asset management improvement programme.
AMPLE is the result of over 20 years in the development of world-class asset management manuals and approaches
YOUR WORKSHOP FACILITATOR
Roger Byrne was the international manager of GHD’s Global Asset Management Group for over 30 years. Based in Melbourne, Australia, and now semi-retired, he still works all over the world as a principal advisor/mentor to clients. He has written many texts on asset management including many manuals, such as the IIMM and the development of the world’s first quality framework; associated AMPLE / TEAMQF web-based
tools that are assisting infrastructure owners and managers around the world. Roger has helped develop innovative approaches including business value chains, confidence-level rating processes, the step-by-step approach and methods to identify what is best practice for different organisations and their assets. Roger is in the ‘legacy years’ of his career and is concentrating on really understanding the reasons or causes for AM failures and driving AM improvements collaboratively around the world.
TYPICAL TOPICS INCLUDED IN THE WORKSHOP PROGRAMME
for successful AM improvement programmes that have delivered all aspects of best-practice AM for a full range of infrastructure services, especially local governments – metros and towns – using a ‘whole of city’ approach covering all infrastructure and physical asset types.
The objective of IMESA’s AMPLE is to provide a web-based asset management learning environment, which will assist all municipalities and their infrastructure-rich businesses to drive sustainable asset management improvement cost-effectively. It provides a web-based knowledge management system that can be implemented to suit individual
municipalities to achieve a sustainable level of life-cycle asset management that delivers the required level of service at the lowest life-cycle cost.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?This workshop will be ideal for all those who:
are thinking about implementing infrastructure asset management but don’t know where to start.
have started, but would like to see some smart ways to do it more cost-effectively, while deriving even greater benefits for your municipality.
would like to know how IMESA can support you in your efforts.
ORGANISERS
The workshop is endorsed and organised by the INSTITUTE OF MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (IMESA).
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Attendance at the workshop will ensure 1 CPD point. IMESA will issue a certificate of attendance to workshop participants after the event.
Cost per delegate IMESA members R1 600.00 + VAT R224.00 = R1 824.00
Cost per delegate Non IMESA members R1 800.00 + VAT R252.00 = R2 052.00
For any query, please contact Erin – +27 (0)31 303 9852
Space at the workshop is limited and applications will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Payment of the workshop fee includes full-day conference package.
IMESA Preconf DPS.indd All Pages 2014/06/30 01:36:04 PM
The workshop will follow the highly successful 10-box training programme now used across the USA and with municipal clients in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and South America
Asset registers, valuation, con-dition assessment and residual lives, levels of service, business risk exposure, optimal mainte-nance programmes, rehabilitation/replacement/augmentation, asset management plans, future expend-iture and funding models and stake-holder consultation
Getting started – How did others do it: the different ways to get started
Building your first AMP and driving its improvement cost-effectively
Gap analysis techniques and TEAMQF – Roger will demonstrate the Gap-Ex 1 web-based tool so that participants can then go and try it out with their organisation.
All participants will be given a free toggle to use the tool
The business case for improving your AM performance – asset management improvement programmes
Organisational and people issues
Risk management
Data collection – smart techniques –
Delphi group approaches
Capital investment programmes (CIP) justification/validation
Strategic asset management planning
Justifying and focusing existing budgets
Understanding the full economic/whole-of-life/cost-of-service (triple
bottom line – TBL)
Asset valuation/depreciation/
economic cost
Condition assessment process and residual life estimates
AMPLE (Asset Management Program Learning Environment) is a web-enabled knowledge management system which aims to present a means by which organisations and their staff can gain an understanding of:
the principles of life-cycle asset management in a logical, cost-effective, step-by-step process.
the essential components of a state-of-the-art asset management programme.
‘how to do it’ information to drive their asset management improvement programme.
AMPLE is the result of over 20 years in the development of world-class asset management manuals and approaches
YOUR WORKSHOP FACILITATOR
Roger Byrne was the international manager of GHD’s Global Asset Management Group for over 30 years. Based in Melbourne, Australia, and now semi-retired, he still works all over the world as a principal advisor/mentor to clients. He has written many texts on asset management including many manuals, such as the IIMM and the development of the world’s first quality framework; associated AMPLE / TEAMQF web-based
tools that are assisting infrastructure owners and managers around the world. Roger has helped develop innovative approaches including business value chains, confidence-level rating processes, the step-by-step approach and methods to identify what is best practice for different organisations and their assets. Roger is in the ‘legacy years’ of his career and is concentrating on really understanding the reasons or causes for AM failures and driving AM improvements collaboratively around the world.
TYPICAL TOPICS INCLUDED IN THE WORKSHOP PROGRAMME
for successful AM improvement programmes that have delivered all aspects of best-practice AM for a full range of infrastructure services, especially local governments – metros and towns – using a ‘whole of city’ approach covering all infrastructure and physical asset types.
The objective of IMESA’s AMPLE is to provide a web-based asset management learning environment, which will assist all municipalities and their infrastructure-rich businesses to drive sustainable asset management improvement cost-effectively. It provides a web-based knowledge management system that can be implemented to suit individual
municipalities to achieve a sustainable level of life-cycle asset management that delivers the required level of service at the lowest life-cycle cost.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?This workshop will be ideal for all those who:
are thinking about implementing infrastructure asset management but don’t know where to start.
have started, but would like to see some smart ways to do it more cost-effectively, while deriving even greater benefits for your municipality.
would like to know how IMESA can support you in your efforts.
ORGANISERS
The workshop is endorsed and organised by the INSTITUTE OF MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (IMESA).
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Attendance at the workshop will ensure 1 CPD point. IMESA will issue a certificate of attendance to workshop participants after the event.
Cost per delegate IMESA members R1 600.00 + VAT R224.00 = R1 824.00
Cost per delegate Non IMESA members R1 800.00 + VAT R252.00 = R2 052.00
For any query, please contact Erin – +27 (0)31 303 9852
Space at the workshop is limited and applications will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Payment of the workshop fee includes full-day conference package.
IMESA Preconf DPS.indd All Pages 2014/06/30 01:36:04 PM
AFRICA PROJECT
Upgrading dam infrastructure in Angola
A major challenge in Africa is the ability of communities and businesses to access the water required for urban and rural human settlement as well as mining, industrial and agricultural development.
AS PART OF THE Angolan gov-
ernment’s ongoing effor ts to
provide improved basic services
to residents, Aurecon is increas-
ingly becoming involved in projects focused
on the reconstruction, rehabilitation and
upgrading of Angola’s infrastructure.
Aurecon has drawn on its extensive experi-
ence to assist the Angolan government in
the rehabilitation and upgrading of dams
as part of its existing water infrastructure,
including the Calueque and Quiminha dams.
Calueque Dam, Cunene provinceCalueque Dam is located on the Cunene
River in southern Angola. Construction start-
ed before the country gained independence
from Portugal and was not completed by the
time the Angolan Civil War started in 1975,
ABOVE AND OPPOSITE Caluque Dam, Angola
LEFT Intake tower on right bank of Quiminha Dam basin
which devastated the dam. A source of water for southern Angola
and northern Namibia through the 1964 Cunene River Scheme
Agreement, the dam supplies water for a variety of uses, such as
domestic, industrial, agricultural and hydropower.
Gabinete para a Administração da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Cunene
(GHABIC) is the Angolan authority responsible for the Kunene River basin
and manages this precious resource together with Namibia. GHABIC
appointed Aurecon, in joint venture with AECOM and Viaponte, in 2012,
to provide project management services for the rehabilitation of the
Calueque Dam, including technical assistance for the design review and
construction supervision.
Aurecon’s previous work on the Calueque Dam includes its
appointment by GHABIC to provide rehabilitation design and tender
documentation services for the dam and infrastructure. Additional
services included tender evaluations and contract negotiations
with the successful contractors for this project.
Completion of the current Calueque Dam rehabilitation project is
expected by July 2015.
Quiminha Dam, Bengo provinceQuiminha Dam, approximately 80 km from Luanda, the capital
of Angola, is a 41 m-high zoned earthfill embankment dam with
a storage capacity of approximately 1 560 million m3 and was
initially constructed to regulate the Bengo River.
Laboratório de Engenharia de Angola appointed Aurecon in
September 2013 to carry out a condition assessment and compile
tender documentation for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the hydro-
mechanical and electrical equipment for the outlet works of the dam.
José Cordeiro, business development leader, Aurecon Angola,
says: “Quiminha Dam was constructed in the period between
1964 and 1975. The dam was well planned, well designed,
constructed to the highest standards and configured with long-
term foresight, i.e. provision has been made in one of the 4.5
m-diameter outlet tunnels for a future 16 MW hydropower station.
“We are very pleased with our appointments on these two dams.
Aurecon is committed to leading the developing world, which
means that investing in key areas of opportunity is vital in order
to produce lasting growth. We are committed to Angola and to
engineering a better future for its citizens,” says José Miranda,
Aurecon regional manager, West Africa.
70 IMIESA July 2014
ENERGY
AT PRESENT, two important areas
of the national economy, which
are attracting attention, are ener-
gy efficiency and the develop-
ment of renewable resources available in
South Africa. The University of Johannesburg
recognises a need for capacity building in
renewable energy technology development
and offers guidance in the development and
implementation of such projects. A project
is currently underway where the aim is to
develop a small-scale hydropower (<10 MW)
installation for restoration of the impound-
ment at the Hartbeespoort Dam.
Small-scale hydroelectricity technology
(typically below 10 MW of capacity) is recog-
nised as well-tested and efficient renewable
energy technology in the electricity genera-
tion sector. This is mainly due to the most
efficient conversion process of energy from
moving water into electricity. Hydropower
is a useful conversion form of renewable
energy derived typically from the constant
head and variable water flows. Currently, of
the 45 500 MW installed generation capac-
ity in South Africa, hydropower contributes a
mere 5%. Along with the worldwide tenden-
cies in cutting down on greenhouse gas
emissions, the South African government
created an enabling environment in intro-
ducing the Integrated Resource Plan 2010
and the National Energy Efficiency Strategy
to encourage energy-use efficiency and the
implementation of renewable energy tech-
nologies, which includes hydropower.
The Hartbeespoort Dam impoundment has
been seriously affected by eutrophication
for many years and its storage capacity is
dramatically reduced by sedimentation. The
Department of Water Affairs (DWA), as a
custodian of this water source, will have
access to the sustainable and substantial
source of energy to be made available for
mitigation of the negative environmental
impacts and gradual restoration of critical
water storage. The increase in optimal uti-
lisation of the Hartbeespoort Dam is one
of the main aims of the DWA. To extend
the scheme’s lifespan, the DWA introduced
the restoration process named the Metsi
a Me (My Water) programme, with the
main objective in upgrading the dam res-
ervoir’s water quality and capacity. The
dredging and management of a top
sediments layer from Har tbeespoor t
Dam is one of the tasks in the dam
facility restoration.
Restoration of impoundment at Hartbeespoort DamThe Hartbeespoort Dam impoundment has been seriously affected by eutrophication for many years and its storage capacity has dramatically been reduced by sedimentation. To extend the scheme’s lifespan, the DWA introduced a restoration process to upgrade the dam reservoir’s water quality and capacity. By ML Griffioen1, S Natha2 and B Barta3
IMIESA July 2014 71
ENERGY
A study carried out for the DWA in 2008
concluded that the sediments in the
impoundment should be considered as a
resource and not a waste. Beneficiary use of
dredged sediments (e.g. land conditioning,
compost production, building-block manufac-
turing, rehabilitation of mine tailings dams,
etc.) could provide substantial savings in
dredging operational costs. To achieve all
that, the energy is needed for at least the
next five years. The original estimate of
energy annually required to recover and dry
dredged sediments is about 10 to 12 GWh.
The national electricity supplier indicated to
the stakeholders in the Metsi a Me project
that for the next several years there will be
no energy available for this type of consump-
tion. Subsequently, the interest in the poten-
tial of hydroelectricity generation at the dam
came into consideration.
Infrastructure and operation of the dam facilityThe Hartbeespoort Dam facility is situated
on the Crocodile River, some 40 km west
of the Tshwane Metro urban area in the
DWA’s Limpopo Water Management Area
(No. 1). The dam was constructed after the
First World War, between 1918 and 1923,
making the dam wall and storage reservoir
some 90 years old. In 1924, the micro
hydropower unit was installed at the right
flank of the dam wall, providing hydroelectric-
ity to the close vicinity of the dam until the
mid-1960s. The wall of Hartbeespoort Dam
connects the east and west banks of the
Crocodile River by a single-vehicle all-year-
round-weather road. A short roadway tunnel
is situated on the right flank, just upstream
of the dam wall. The dam wall has on its
left flank a side-channel spillway equipped
with a system of 10 radial gates, measuring
10 m wide by 2.7 m high each. The gates
were installed in 1969, resulting in the dam
capacity increase. There are no direct river
outlets other than the side-channel spillway
gates. Two outlet systems, one at each
flank of the wall, are providing for the water
releases into the right (east) and left (west)
irrigation canal systems. The combined maxi-
mum outflow through these outlets at FSL is
approximately 12 m3/sec.
The east bank main canal system is 48 km
long and serves irrigation areas around Brits
and as far as the Roodekopjes Dam.
The west bank main canal system is
56 km long and serves large irrigation areas
situated west of Brits.
The east bank outlet works comprise a free-
standing tower equipped with four 760 mm-
diameter wall-mounted sluice valves arranged
in pairs opposite one another, providing for a
flow of water into the outlet tunnel approxi-
mately 110 m long. The tunnel opens into
the free-flow canal supplying the east bank
canal irrigation system. The tunnel incline is
from RL 1 138.49 m at the upstream intake
tower floor to RL 1 155.00 m at the exit of
the tunnel. There is a bend of about 90˚
in the half length of the inclined tunnel. A
disused micro hydroelectric installation has
its penstock off-take of unknown size con-
nected into the tunnel not far from the exit.
The maximum carrying capacity of the exist-
ing tunnel is estimated by the DWA at 9.3
m3/sec. The east outlet works control the
flows for irrigation as well as releasing water
into the Crocodile River. The west bank out-
let works comprise a single 1.5 m-diameter
cast iron pipe leading from a wet-well tower
fixed against the dam wall. The water is dis-
charged via the isolating valves control room
to the sleeve control room into the irrigation
canal stilling basin and from there to the
west irrigation canal system.
To evaluate the hydroelectric potential of the
existing but disused installation, situated
on the right bank downstream of the dam
wall, information only from the site visits
and limited historical records were used.
According to the historical and limited techni-
cal information available on this installation,
the plant started operation in 1924 and was
equipped with a turbine unit of the Francis
type, manufactured in the UK in 1923.
The conversion calculation based on the
original imperial parameters indicated that
one turbine unit of 37 kW in capacity output
was originally installed, with the structural
provision for another similar unit. The pen-
stock off-take connected to the right bank
control works tunnel has a head of 22 m
and the flow to the turbine is determined at
0.22 m3/sec from available data. The pur-
pose of this micro hydroelectric installation
was to electrify the dam facility and the near-
by residential dwellings. The 37 kW plant sup-
plied electricity to the Hartbeespoort Dam
for about 40 years and was finally decom-
missioned in the mid-1960s. According to
the field assessment, the whole mechanical
installation is in a moderate state and can
be easily refurbished. The old electrical
equipment is, however, in a very poor physi-
cal state. The civil housing structure and
steel penstock are in
a good general condi-
tion. Although the ren-
ovation and upgrade of
this micro plant will be
relatively non-expen-
sive and, even with a
second turbine added,
it is certain that the new capacity, estimated
at 80 kW, will not be sufficient for the pur-
pose of the dam impoundment restoration.
Hydroelectricity potential at the Hartbeespoort DamThe configuration of water outlet works at
both banks downstream of the Hartbeespoort
Dam offers several viable small-scale hydro-
power alternatives. Each viable alternative
has its advantages and disadvantages. The
analysis of dam flow balance data shows
that, although total inflow and outflow are
increasing, the gross evaporation of the
dam is on a steady decrease, despite rain-
fall patterns showing a decreasing trend. In
all likelihood, this trend is due to sediment
build-up and eutrophication allowing less
surface water area to be subject to evapora-
tion, highlighting the importance of the sedi-
ment removal.
About 90% of the natural and artificial inflows
reaching the Hartbeespoort Dam are collect-
ed by the Crocodile River, with the Hennops,
Jukskei, Magalies and Upper Crocodile as
major tributaries. The extent of urbanisation
taking place in the upper reaches of the dam
catchment, and around the immediate banks
of the dam impoundment, are key reasons
for the increases in surface runoff. The vis-
ible negative trade-offs being experienced
over the years, from increasing urban runoff
into the dam impoundment, are manifesting
in the serious eutrophication, salination and
sedimentation problems. The water volume
of dam storage capacity of some 205 mil-
lion m3 is allocated to residential (12%) and
irrigation (82%) water uses with a small
volume proportion (6%) released for the
river compensation. The water from the dam
allocated for irrigation and river compensa-
tion has to be released through dam outlets
situated on the right and left flanks of the
The increase in optimal utilisation of the Hartbeespoort Dam is one of the main aims of the DWA
72 IMIESA July 2014
dam. Theoretically, that is water which can
be used for hydropower generation.
From the records available on the dam,
water releases through the east outlet works
via the existing tunnel almost doubled since
1971, from an average flow of 4 m3/sec,
up to almost 8 m3/sec at present. However,
the right bank outlet tunnel’s maximum flow
capacity is limited to 9.43 m3/sec. Despite
lower than average annual rainfall expected,
the flow of water through the right bank
canal is increasing. This is due to increasing
return flows from Johannesburg’s Northern
Wastewater Treatment Works. The flows
likely available for hydropower generation at
the Hartbeespoort Dam are available from
the DWA’s recorded data from the gauging
stations situated at the right and left banks.
These were extended for another 20 years
into the future (with irrigation releases and
right canal releases forecasted separately),
using the historical trend line of the inflows
into the dam. The period of 20 years is
generally the minimum lifespan of a con-
ventional hydropower station. Using the
frequency function on Microsoft Excel, the
flow duration curves were generated for
every year showing the frequency of certain
flows that could be expected throughout the
duration of the year..
During the original investigation to identify
potential for hydroelectric development at
the Hartbeespoort Dam facility, which took
place in 2008 during the DWA’s Sakhile
Asset Register project, a first-order estimate
of a moderate capacity of 600 kW has
been mooted. Since then, a focus has been
aimed to the dam outlet works situated on
the right bank of the Crocodile River. It was
obvious from the onset of initial investiga-
tions that the energy of flowing water can
be harnessed conveniently from
the irrigation canal situated on
the right bank, downstream of the
dam wall. The irrigation canal has
a favourable geometric configura-
tion, sustainable water flows as
well as existing outlet assembly,
which might be incorporated into the pro-
posed small-scale hydroelectric scheme.
The further investigation concluded that if a
small-scale conventional installation would
be considered (i.e. an offtake from a free-
flow irrigation canal) there are a few possible
locations suitable along the right bank canal,
with a hydropower housing to be located in
the Crocodile riverbed. When the opportunity
for a more serious investigation of the hydro-
electricity potential at the dam manifested
at the University of Johannesburg, three
possible alternatives were outlined for a pre-
feasibility investigation and defined in the
following descriptions.
Alternative 1 Rehabilitation and upgrade of existing hydro-
power plant equipment and adding another
new electromechanical unit to already exist-
ing unit in need of upgrade.
This alternative is attractive enough; how-
ever, it is envisaged that the capacity, which
can be installed without large investments
and efforts, is in the order of only 80 kW.
Estimated annual power production from
the refurbished and upgraded installation is
about 0.672 GWh, which is a marginal out-
put of the energy needed in the restoration
programme. Based on economies of scale,
this alternative has not been considered for
further attention.
Alternative 2Design and build a new conventional hydro-
power plant situated in the Crocodile riv-
erbed to be fed with the free-flow water
from the right irrigation canal elevated 35
m above the river bed. This alternative will
require a short steel penstock pipe divert-
ing most of the irrigation canal flows into
the newly built hydropower station hous-
ing, from which it will be released into the
Crocodile River. The schematic illustration of
Alternative 2 is shown in Figure 1.
The location of an intake for this plant
can be anywhere along some 100 m dis-
tance after the water is released from the
right bank outlet works tunnel, preferably
before the river discharge waterfall where
irrigation flows are measured (i.e. before
the stilling basin and Parshall flume) and
the compensation flows released into the
Crocodile River. The kinetic energy of moving
water available in the irrigation canal flowing
under certain fall towards a turbine/genera-
tor assembly, located in a power house, can
be converted into the electricity. The power
capacity output (kW) is proportional to the
flow (m3/sec) and height (m) of a fall. The
small-scale hydroelectricity generation is for
entirely non-consumptive use, in contrary
to any other water uses. Using essential
parameters determined for this alternative
as Qmax = 4.8 m3/sec; Hgross = 30 m and
assuming 5 per cent losses manifesting
within the penstock and valves assembly, as
well as applying the overall plant efficiency
of 90 per cent, the hydroelectric capacity is
determined at 1 200 kW. The subsequent
estimated annual power output is in order of
10 GWh, which is very close to the annual
energy requirements of the DWA’s Metsi a
Me programme.
A similar, most suitable example of the
typical small-scale conventional hydro-
electric installation in South Africa is the
Friedenheim Hydropower Plant (2.5 MW)
situated in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga. The
scheme consists of 5 km of earth irrigation
canal, diversion weir and inlet sluice gates,
FIGURE 1 Schematic illustration of Alternative 2 – New hydropower plant on right bank
ENERGY
The Hartbeespoort Dam has a potential hydroelectricity capacity of up to 1.5 MW
Alternative 3Design and build a new plant as an exten-
sion of the existing disused hydro plant
situated at the right bank of the Crocodile
River at the toe of Hartbeespoort Dam. This
alternative will require a short penstock pipe
to be connected directly to the right bank
outlet works tunnel, which will have to be
pressurised to take advantage of all avail-
able water head between the FSL and the
river bed, estimated at some 37.5 m.
The schematic arrangement of Alternative
3, as given above, illustrates the short
penstock pipe connected directly into the
pressurised tunnel. In order to utilise the full
hydroelectric potential of the right bank dam
outlet works infrastructure and available flows
from the dam, the outlet works tunnel will
have to be pressurised at the tunnel exit. The
extra hydrostatic head of about 7 m will result
in a capacity gain of about 300 kW, against
Alternative 2, over and above the conven-
tional 1 200 kW. The operational advantage
of this arrangement is that the irrigation flows
will be controlled, as per daily demand, at the
pressurised tunnel exit, providing at the same
time for the constant flows through the new
hydroelectric installation.
Using essential parameters determined
for this alternative as Qmax = 4.8 m3/sec;
Hgross = 37.3 m and assuming 5 per cent
losses manifesting within the penstock and
valves assembly, as well as applying the
overall plant efficiency of 90 per cent, the
hydroelectric capacity is determined at 1
500 kW. The subsequent estimated annual
power output is in order of 12.6 GWh, which
is more than the annual energy requirements
of the DWA’s Metsi a Me programme. This
alternative is worthwhile of consideration for
implementation.
At present, the costs of a small-scale
hydroelectric plant (<10 MW) installed in
South Africa will be range between R15
million and R25 million depending on the
location (the hydro plants added to existing
water supply infrastructure will be cheaper),
size and type of installation. The costs of
electromechanical equipment (i.e. turbine
and generator) will presently amount to at
least 30% of the total cost of installation.
The local market for new hydropower electro-
mechanical equipment practically does not
exist in South Africa and all equipment is
designed and manufactured abroad, mainly
in Europe and North America. To obtain rel-
evant designs and costs for the electrome-
chanical equipment, several manufacturers
are typically approached to provide this type
of hydroelectric installation project.
Turbine and generator selectionThe rated flow and net head determine
the set of turbine types applicable to the
site and flow characteristics. The suitable
turbines are those for which the given rated
flow and net head plot within the opera-
tional envelopes illustrated in Figure 3. As a
FIGURE 2 Schematic illustration of Alternative 3 – New hydropower plant as extension on existing plant
ENERGY
74 IMIESA July 2014
turbine can only accept discharges between
maximal and the practical minimum, it
might be advisable to install several smaller
turbines instead of one large turbine. It is
necessary to seek advice from the manu-
facturers to select the most appropriate
turbine type and size. The investment costs
and annual production will allow for the
final choice.
Turbine efficiency The small hydropower turbines at design flow
can range from 80% to 90%. See Table 1.
Generator type and efficiency There are two types of generators: synchro-
nous and asynchronous. The efficiencies
of generators can range from 93 to 97
per cent. It is important that the transmis-
sion assembly between a turbine and gen-
erator allows to match the rotational speed
of each.
Other essential components The other essential mechanical and electrical
components of a small hydropower plant may
include: water shut-off valve(s) for turbines,
river by-pass gate
and controls,
hydraulic control
system for turbines,
electrical switchgear, and transformer(s).
Environmental and social impacts evaluation and costingThe environmental viability of a proposal
is commonly related to the magnitude of
environmental impacts that can be associ-
ated with the hydroelectric development.
These impacts can vary significantly and
are dependant mainly on the location and
overall configuration of the proposed devel-
opment. The key environmental issues typi-
cally refer to the status of the environment
around a proposed site:
• a development within a pristine environ-
ment (usually a conservation area or
national park)
• a development in an altered environ-
ment (i.e. already affected environment
by extensive or limited human activities)
• a development in a completely altered/
adjusted environment (e.g. urban/metro-
politan area).
The environmental issues generally associ-
ated with the development of the small
hydropower installations are principally two-
fold: short term (i.e. typically during the
construction period) and medium to long
term (i.e. the impacts related to the opera-
tion of a scheme). The currently applicable
regulations to be consulted are as follows:
• regulations in terms of Chapter 5 of the
National Environmental Management Act,
1996 (Government Gazette No. 28753.
No. R. 385. 21 April 2006)
• list of activities and competent authori-
ties identified in terms of Sections 24
and 24D of the National Environmental
Management Act, 1996 (Government
Gazette No. 28753. No. R. 386. 21
April 2006)
• list of activities and competent authori-
ties identified in terms of Section 24
and 24D of the National Environmental
Management Act, 1996 (Government
Gazette No. 28753. No. R. 387. 21
April 2006).
Regional benefits from utilisation of hydropower at the Hartbeespoort DamThe regional benefits which can be gained
from implementation of hydropower are
as follows:
TABLE 1 Maximum efficiency values for small turbines
TURBINE TYPE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY
SPECIFIC SPEED
Single regulated kaplan 0.91 0.19 – 1.55Double regulated kaplan 0.93 Ns = (rev/min)*(kW)1/2/(m)5/4Francis 0.94 0.05 – 0.33Pelton with one nozzle 0.90 0.005 – 0.025Turgo 0.85 Ns = (rev/min)*(kW)1/2/(m)5/4Souce: European Small Hydropower Association (2004)
FIGURE 3 Turbine selection using net head (m) and rated flow Q (m3/sec)
ENERGY
IMIESA July 2014 75
ENERGY
• can be built on a wide diver-
sity of scales (e.g. pico, micro,
mini, small and macro)
• sustains the multiple use
of water in non-consumptive
manner
• technology is robust, high-
efficiency and long lifetime, up
to 30 years
• allows for peak load ener-
gy optimising the base load
generation
• enables meeting fluctuations in energy
demand
• requires low energy demand in its crea-
tion – produces 200 times more energy
than is needed
• has the highest energy payback ratio
• can provide indispensable back-up for
other energy sources (i.e. wind and solar
sources)
• reduces fossil fuel prices
• decreases greenhouse gas emissions
• optimises utilisation of available
water resource
• aids existing electricity grid stability, and
can be easily synchronised with the nation-
al grid
• creates direct and auxiliary jobs.
Exemplifying the 1 MW small-scale hydro-
electric plant, which will be attached to the
existing plant, the dam facility can utilise
legislated ecological flow released annually
for 95% of theoretical time, downstream of
the dam. Some 8 322 GWh of electricity
can be generated in an average year. If it
is assumed that the utilisation lifespan of
a plant is 20 years, before major refurbish-
ment will have to take place, the gross
energy output over a plant lifespan is about
166.4 GWh. The 1 MW plant can thus offset
about 148 132 tonnes of CO2 if the World
Bank baseline conversion rate of 890 tonnes
CO2 per GWh is applied. The same size plant
can also replace, in 20 years, about 6 000
tonnes of fossil fuel while supplying some
1 000 suburban households with electricity.
Conclusion and recommendationsSouth Africa, as one of the signatories of
the Kyoto Protocol (1997), committed itself
in reducing greenhouse emissions, by 2020,
by 34% below projected emissions levels.
The load of greenhouse gas emissions from
various sources in South Africa as a whole,
is currently estimated at about 500 million
tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)
per annum. If South Africa is to achieve its
estimated target, the process of extensive
implementation of renewable energy tech-
nologies has to be facilitated.
To provide a suitable enabling environ-
ment for emissions reduction and a reliable
energy supply for the South African econo-
my, the Department of Energy (DoE), with
the endorsement from the National Energy
Regulator of SA, introduced the Integrated
Electricity Resource Plan for South Africa
2010 – 2030. The DoE subsequently allo-
cated different capacities across various
renewable energy technologies from the
total development capacity of 3 725 MW.
The hydropower sector has been allocated
an overall capacity of 75 MW to be com-
mercially operational by June 2016. One of
the critical qualification requirements is that
only the small-scale hydropower installations
above 1 MW are to be included in the forth-
coming selection process. The new REBID
requirements exclude the renewable energy
projects including the hydropower projects
with capacity below 1 MW, meaning that the
proposed hydropower development at the
Hartbeespoort Dam will qualify for inclusion
in the REBID (renewable energy bid) process.
In view of the international pressures on
South Africa and internally rising positive
sentiments about speedy implementation
of the renewable-energy-producing projects,
the Hartbeespoort hydroelectric dam project
appears the most suitable and sustainable
option. The desktop investigation, summa-
rised in this paper, indicates that there is
a good hydroelectricity capacity potential
at the Hartbeespoort Dam. The preliminary
calculation and basic field surveys indicate
that it might be possible to develop poten-
tial hydroelectric capacity up to 1.5 MW, as
described in the Alternative 3.
It is recommended that the preliminary
investigation study of hydroelectric potential
at the Hartbeespoort Dam be based, in prin-
ciple, on the methodology illustrated in this
report, taking into consideration and being
stimulated by the requirements of REBID.
In this way, the proposal on development of
renewable energy potential from
existing infrastructure will com-
ply with regulatory framework
on renewable energy currently
observed in South Africa.
It is also recommended that
all further investigation observe
principles and methodology
as prepared and defined by
the International Hydropower
Association’s Hydropower
Sustainability Assessment Protocol (June
2011). The protocol represents significant
advancement towards achieving sustainability
in the hydropower sector and it is a comple-
mentary tool enabling the users in the practi-
cal evaluation and assessment of social,
economic and environmental issues.
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B. Barta/DME/COWI. September 2002
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November 2003
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(Pty) Ltd. February 2006
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• “A high level scooping investigation into the
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pressurized conduits”. WRC Report No. KV
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• “A design and feasibility study of a hydro-
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1&2 Department of Civil Engineering Science,
University of Johannesburg, South Africa 3 Retired Professional Engineer
The visible negative trade-offs being experienced over the years from increasing urban runoff into the dam impoundment are manifesting in the serious eutrophication, salination and sedimentation problems
76 IMIESA July 2014
With major mining projects forging ahead,
Africa’s time has arrived and there are major opportunities
to grow the transport infrastructure
within the African mining sector.
The guide is a compilation of PROMINENT SITE VISITS and CEO INTERVIEWS featured exclusively in Inside Mining over the past year.
ACTIVE MINING PROJECTS AFRICA
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