Abrownfield project for Africa’s largest correspondence institution, the University of South Africa (Unisa), was handed over in July by international consulting engineering firm Royal HaskoningDHV. The project, with an estimated construction value of R427-million, involved the expansion of Unisa’s Florida campus, in Johannesburg, Gauteng.

Unisa approached Royal HaskoningDHV in July 2010 to construct an engineering faculty, laboratory and research facility, as well as a horticulture facility, explains Royal HaskoningDHV buildings sector principal associate Hubert van Zandvoort.

Previously, students had to use the facili- ties of other universities for these components of their courses, but Unisa students will now have access to these facilities at the Florida campus.

The development and design of the project began in 2006, with construction starting at the end of 2010.

“The building incorporates all the elements of construction, namely steel, composite flooring, concrete and brickwork. Royal HaskoningDHV performed all the consulting engineering services except for the architectural work, which was undertaken by an external architect who was also the principal agent on the project,” Van Zandvoort says.

The consulting services provided by the company include mechanical, structural, civil, electrical, electronic and environmental aspects, while construction company Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon and another construction company were contracted for the construction.

The brownfield project had to be carried out within the confines of the existing structure and during the operating hours of the campus as Unisa had to continue operations, Van Zandvoort explains. Subsequently, there were clear delivery dates for certain sections of the project and Unisa required that construction be completed in January to ensure that the facilities were satisfactory for lecturers and that the installed systems were working properly.

The new building was constructed on the open fields of the Florida Unisa campus and had to be linked to the existing campus building, while the parking area, opposite the campus on Pioneer avenue, was also expanded.

Structurally, there was a heavy design load, says Van Zandvoort. The structure was built on a combination of piles and pad footings. The architect for the project introduced a step within the base of the building and, therefore, the retaining structure ran across the engineering and laboratory buildings and the main building.

Unisa also wanted to save electricity on some of the supplies within the main building, which posed a challenge, owing to the complexity of the existing building.

Van Zandvoort explains that the 16 different gas lines, which are supplied by and run through the main building on campus, had to be taken into consideration when fitting the extraction fans, air conditioning, electrical wiring and lights.

“It was also necessary to have a tunnel duct running underneath the main building of the new facility, between the piles and pad footing, and over the new retaining structure to supply the central services within the building. This allows for the necessary services to be fed into certain areas of the building and also links the top plant rooms of the new building to the bulk services at the point of intake,” he explains.

The existing campus structure was built on a slope, which caused natural ground swells at the bottom of the construction site of the new horticulture building. To overcome this challenge, Van Zandvoort says the greenhouse had to be built on top of rock fill to allow the water to seep through because there was too much ground water at the bottom of the site to safely construct the horticulture building and green house.

“The campus is also divided into zones, with certain areas being restricted to certain personnel. An access control system was installed to allow visitors onto the campus, but not into every area, which only students, staff or lecturers will be able to access,” he says.

A building management system, which was designed by Royal HaskoningDHV, detects gas leaks and fires. Certain zones automatically shut down when a problem is detected, while instructions directing people to move out of the building for safety reasons, are broadcast from a speaker system, adds Van Zandvoort.

Coordinating Services
He explains that the coordination of the different consulting engineering services, at the level which the project required, was a huge task. “Many projects are not handed over on time, not because of a lack of ability, but because of their complexity.

“Royal HaskoningDHV invests heavily in finding new ways of undertaking complex projects such as the Unisa Florida campus project. A US-developed virtual designing and construction (VDC) methodology was used for the Florida campus project and the company has been using Revit software for other projects for the past two years,” he says.

The Revit software produces a three- dimensional design of the building, which allows for the identification of problems such as clashes or the rerouting of pipes. VDC methodology reduces design time and allows for problems to be solved before the project moves to site, Van Zandvoort explains.

VDC methodology also helps improve communication among all the parties involved in the project with regard to any difficulties or problems encountered in a real-time environment. Van Zandvoort believes that the methodology has a bright future in the industry.

Corporate Social Responsibility
Royal HaskoningDHV believes that there are substantial investment opportunities in Africa and South Africa and that the consulting engineering industry is operating in an interesting time, which demands that companies respond creatively to issues of sustainability and the skills shortage in South Africa, says Van Zandvoort.

He notes that projects often require reworking because certain elements are overlooked in the initial project stages, diminishing the service to the client.

Van Zandvoort explains that Royal HaskoningDHV understands that the future of the consulting engineering industry in Africa lies with the younger generation. “The problem is education. Of the 360 000 engineers required in South Africa, only 20 000 to 30 000 are registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa,” he points out.

To deal with the skills shortage problem, the company is involved in several skills development initiatives, including a bursary programme which funds promising tertiary students. Once these students have graduated, Royal HaskoningDHV employs them and provides them with further practical, hands-on experience.

“The idea is to show the graduates how diverse the consulting engineering industry is, as all aspects of engineering are involved. Also, Royal HaskoningDHV offers international working experience at its many branches worldwide,” Van Zandvoort says.

Further, each Royal HaskoningDHV office in South Africa provides a Saturday school service at one of the local high schools. Through the Saturday School Initiative, junior engineers from the company help high school students with subjects like chemistry, science and mathematics, as well as engineering and design, he explains, adding that it was launched in 2007 and has helped about 1 000 students to date.

“The programme aims to help promising students improve their marks so that they are eligible to attend university, but it also encourages learners to pursue a technical career,” concludes Van Zandvoort.