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Construction News

DST to showcase benefits of using STI in designing future human settlements

By: Simone Liedtke 8th February 2019 With a surplus of drivers for the adoption of alternative and innovative technologies in the built environment, particularly in the human settlements sector, the effective application of science, technology and innovation (STI) can be a transformative instrument in addressing South Africa’s most... →

City of Cape Town proposes R800m transport infrastructure project for Wynberg

By: African News Agency 8th February 2019 The City of Cape Town’s portfolio committee for transport on Friday morning approved a project for the further roll-out of the MyCity bus service in the greater Wynberg area, which if given council approval, will see new infrastructure investment of around R800-million. The two proposed transport... →

What needs to be done to make SA’s buildings fire safe

By: Natasha Odendaal 8th February 2019 In the wake of a deadly fire at the Bank of Lisbon building, in Johannesburg last year, along with a spate of fires at other buildings, questions have been raised about the safety and compliance of South Africa’s high-rise buildings. In September, a fire broke out on the 23rd floor of the... →

ASJV denies it terminated Mtentu project owing to alleged ‘financial inability’

By: Simone Liedtke 7th February 2019 Aveng and Strabag International on Thursday reasserted that the Aveng-Strabag Joint Venture (ASJV) had terminated the Mtentu river bridge contract as a result of force majeure, adding in a statement that the termination “had nothing to do with either of the ASJV members’ financial ability to... →

CBE announces initiatives to drive transformation

By: Marleny Arnoldi 7th February 2019 Transformation in the built environment has progressed at a slower rate than in other sectors, such as the financial sector, with only 26% of all registered built environment professionals being previously disadvantaged individuals and only 0.3% of all registered professionals being women,... →

Social, technological change on the way for built environment industry – CBE

By: Marleny Arnoldi 7th February 2019 The Council for the Built Environment (CBE) has continued its efforts to promote and achieve transformation in the built environment sector, but has added technological change to its focus. CBE chairperson Absalom Molobe on Thursday addressed delegates at CBE’s second yearly Transformation Indaba. →

Steel group to approach Nersa for power-tariff relief

By: Terence Creamer 7th February 2019 Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) says it will submit site-specific applications to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) to secure tariff relief from Eskom for its operations in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. The submissions will be made in line with... →

AMSA CEO Kobus Verster on the threat posed by power hikes and on the group's plan to approach the regulator for relief. Camera Work & Editing: Darlene Creamer. Recorded: 7.2.2019

Construction professionals test latest tools and consumables

7th February 2019 Professionals in the construction industry interrogated and tested the latest building tools and consumables at local construction equipment distributor Upat’s open day, in January. Schalk Burger has the story. →

Construction professionals test latest tools and consumables

Association expects re-rating for South African Reits

By: Marleny Arnoldi 6th February 2019 Industry association, the South African Real Estate Investment Trust say the South African real estate investment trust (SA Reit) industry is headed for a re-rating, either this year or next. “Already the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE)/Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) South African... →

Subdued construction activity, higher imports cut PPC's sales volumes

By: Marleny Arnoldi 5th February 2019 JSE-listed cement producer PPC has reported difficult trading conditions for the nine months to December 31, 2018, with cement volumes down between 2% and 3%, against a backdrop of estimated market contraction of between 4% and 5%. The company said an uncharacteristically weak December retail... →

Saice calls for infrastructure review following Hoërskool Driekhoek incident

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 5th February 2019 The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice) has expressed its support for an immediate full review of school buildings by competent structural engineers, following the collapse, on February 1, of a concrete slab at Hoërskool Driekhoek, in Vanderbijlpark. Concrete elements of a... →

Aveng Strabag JV terminates Mtentu contract, citing protests; Sanral unconvinced

By: Irma Venter 5th February 2019 The Aveng Strabag joint venture (ASJV) has decided to terminate the Mtentu bridge contract, in the Eastern Cape. The 1.1 km, R1.6-billion bridge forms part of the South African National Roads Agency Limited’s (Sanral’s) N2 Wild Coast road project. →

An artist's impression of the proposed Mtentu bridge

Group Five appoints interim CEO following Solomon Mosai’s resignation

By: Marleny Arnoldi 1st February 2019 JSE-listed Group Five has appointed nonexecutive director Dr Thabo Kgogo interim CEO effective February 1, following Solomon Themba Mosai’s resignation, which was effective January 31. Mosai was employed by Group Five for 15 years. He was appointed interim CEO in March 2018 and as CEO in May... →

LafargeHolcim completes sale of $1.75bn Indonesian unit

By: Reuters 1st February 2019 LafargeHolcim has completed the sale of its Indonesia business in a deal which valued the unit at $1.75-billion, the cement maker said on Friday. Proceeds from the sale to Semen Indonesia will be used to pay down LafargeHolcim's debts, the company said. LafargeHolcim held 80.6% in the business,... →

Botswana keen for corridor to link to South Africa’s coalfields

By: Kim Cloete 1st February 2019 Botswana’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Dorcas Makgato, has revived the need for a new heavy haul railway linking Botswana’s Mmamabula area with South Africa’s Lephalale coalfields. Makgato said the project aimed to link coal deposits in both areas with South African heavy haul... →

Exxaro upbeat about its coal operations

By: Kim Cloete 1st February 2019 Empowered coal mining giant Exxaro Resources is confident about its prospects in the coal sector, despite tough conditions and rising cost pressures in South Africa. Exxaro executive head of coal Nombasa Tsengwa on Thursday said the company produced 47-million tons of coal and was geared to grow... →

AMSA expects to swing to FY18 profit

By: Simone Liedtke 1st February 2019 Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) expects to report headline earnings a share of 84c to 94c for the year ended December 31. This compares with a headline loss a share of 203c in 2017. →

Trans-Gambia bridge a boon for trade, but a blow for local traders

By: Reuters 31st January 2019 A gleaming new bridge in West Africa is transforming transport between Gambia and Senegal, but spells disaster for traders making a living off travellers making the agonising wait to catch a ferry across the Gambia River. Gambia is a sliver of land on either side of the river cutting through the... →

Edcon, SA Corporate Real Estate set to refurbish CBD property

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 31st January 2019 Edcon has announced that the property on the corner of Pritchard and Joubert streets in the Johannesburg central business district (CBD) would be renovated by landlord SA Corporate Real Estate, with the renovated building set to become a new mall that will include a renovated Edgars store and... →

Stellenbosch University starts construction on R1bn research institute

By: Irma Venter 31st January 2019 Stellenbosch University (SU) has started construction on a Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI), to be based at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS). The university believes the R1-billion facility, which will be completed in 2022, will be “one of the most innovative and advanced... →

Photo by Terry February
SU Vice-Chancellor Professor Wim de Villiers and Professor Jimmy Volmink at the sod-turning ceremony

KfW, IDC sign $80m loan facility for green economy development

By: Simone Liedtke 31st January 2019 German development bank KfW and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) on Thursday signed a “milestone agreement” for an $80-million loan facility. KfW executive board member Dr Stefan Peiß and newly appointed IDC CEO TP Nchocho were in attendance to sign the document on... →

KfW executive board member Dr Stephan Peiß and IDC CFO Nonkululeko Dlamini

Cesa president calls for increased transparency

By: Simone Liedtke 30th January 2019 Presenting his 2019 presidential address on Wednesday, Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) president Naresh Pather called for increased transparency for the betterment of the sector and its future. With the intention of establishing trust, Pather averred that 2019 would see Cesa increase its... →

Photo by Dylan Slater
Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) president Neresh Pather

Group Five says pursues counter claims in aborted Kpone power project

By: African News Agency 30th January 2019 Construction engineering company Group Five said on Wednesday its legal team was still pursuing its contractual rights and entitlements for payment, including the recovery of damages and other claims, against Cenpower Generation Company over what it called the unlawful termination of the Kpone... →

Aveng Strabag JV halts work at Mtentu bridge site, declares force majeure

By: Irma Venter 29th January 2019 The Aveng Strabag joint venture (JV), responsible for building the R1.6-billion Mtentu bridge, in the Eastern Cape, has not returned to site following a three-month break as a result of violent community protests against the project. The bridge forms part of the South African National Roads... →

An artist's impression of the Mtentu bridge

Operation Phakisa for water expected by March

By: Natasha Odendaal 25th January 2019 The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is preparing to launch its own series of mini-Phakisa's to attempt to resolve the most pressing matters facing South Africa's water infrastructure sector. Over the next eight weeks, the department will mobilise provincial level Phakisa's prior to... →

Hearings into alleged cement industry cartel continues, judgment expected by June

By: Simone Liedtke 25th January 2019 The Competition Tribunal turned its focus back to the case of alleged cartel conduct in the cement industry on Thursday, with a judgment in the case against KwaZulu-Natal-based Natal Portland Cement (NPC) Cimpor expected to be announced by June. The Competition Commission in 2008 launched an... →

Province grants R300m for housing after long dispute, says Mashaba

By: African News Agency 25th January 2019 Johannesburg metro mayor Herman Mashaba said on Wednesday that the Gauteng provincial human settlements department had committed about R300-million for housing developments in the city for the current financial year. This comes against the backdrop of an ongoing dispute about the Human... →

Modules finalisation nearing completion

By: Halima Frost 25th January 2019 The South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (Saretec) has taken on the custodian role as the national renewable-energy-sector educator and hopes to have finalised all five occupational certificates of the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Qualification through its collaboration with Manufacturing,... →

HOME BASE Saretec is based at the Cape Peninsular University of Technology

Acquisition of German company confirmed

25th January 2019 The acquisition of Germany-based planetary drives producer O&K Antriebstechnik GmbH by Italian gear motors, drive systems and planetary gearboxes producer Bonfiglioli and Italian transmission systems producer Carraro has made Bonfiglioli the sole owner of O&K Antriebstechnik GmbH. The process,... →

BONFIGLIOLI AS GLOBAL LEADER The company's goal is to continue expanding into heavy construction, mining machinery, marine, port and airport equipment markets

Company focused on agriculture

By: Cameron Mackay 25th January 2019 The agricultural sector is set to become a significant focal point for leading bearings and power transmission product distributor Bearings International (BI) in 2019, as it expands its portfolio of agricultural application products in the first quarter of this year. “There are a few product... →

AGRI-SMART SOLUTION The joint venture will bring the most essential spare products closer to farmers, in order to satisfy their maintenance needs for bearings and agricultural products

Expanded products portfolio leads to new opportunities

By: Cameron Mackay 25th January 2019 New markets and opportunities have arisen after technical solutions provider BMG expanded its products portfolio with the addition of Fenner conveyor belting products last year. “BMG decided to sign a long-term agreement in 2018 with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) solid woven conveyor belting products... →

FENNER PRODUCT GROUP 2018 The extended scope has put BMG in a position to deal with conveyors clients

Motor Scan beneficial for various sectors

By: Cameron Mackay 25th January 2019 With leveraging digital technology said to be key to participation in the next wave of economic growth, the launch of the WEG Motor Scan has become a reality for South African companies in various sectors, says motors and controls manufacturer Zest WEG Group rotating machinery sales manager... →

WEG MOTOR SCAN The sensor measures the vibration, temperature and operational hours of electric motors to detect irregularities

Integrated engineering supply chains require small and large firms

By: Schalk Burger 25th January 2019 Large firms are key to transforming the South African engineering sector as part of a business ecosystem that includes smaller, agile and large entities driving industry to be more innovative, diverse and responsive during fluid and volatile times, says multinational engineering consultancy... →

Flowtite launches impact-resistant pipe solution as it marks fiftieth anniversary

By: Schalk Burger 25th January 2019 Multinational glass fibre-reinforced polyester (GRP) pipes manufacturer Flowtite celebrated its 50-year anniversary with the local launch of its impact-resistant Grey-brand pipes last month. The pipes facilitate rapid, easy installation for heavy-duty water uses and the use of native backfill and... →

Collaboration key to protect critical infrastructure from cyberthreats

By: Schalk Burger 25th January 2019 Electrical engineers and those involved in the power generation sector play a critical role in hardening power operations against intruders. However, the collaboration and support of corporate management and information technology (IT) departments are essential to mitigate cyberthreats, says... →

Major upgrades to start at six airports

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 25th January 2019 South African airport management company Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) announced that upgrades and improvements over the next three to eight years at six of the country’s airports will cost about R26-billion. The upgrades and improvements are primarily to improve passenger facilities... →

UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS Realignment of the runway at Cape Town International Airport is expected to start this year

Inner-city redevelopment project gets underway in Johannesburg

By: African News Agency 24th January 2019 The city of Johannesburg on Thursday launched a programme to rejuvenate the inner-city with a tour of the first three of 84 buildings targeted for development. The project is aimed at providing quality low-cost accommodation for residents to address a housing list backlog exceeding 300 000 units,... →

Topics In These Articles

Business Cable Coal Copper Engineering Eskom Export Financial Freight Industrial Power rail SECURITY Systems Transnet Building Cement Concrete Education Safety Scaffolding Waste Housing CEA Constructional Engineering Association Fabrication Innovation Seifsa Automation Defence ... more

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