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Roads

Smart, self-managing lighting the future for municipalities

By: Irma Venter 2nd November 2018 The time of humans controlling light fixtures is fading rapidly, says BEKA Schréder product development manager Daniel Kasper. “The luminaire will control itself; it will react and adjust by itself to the conditions around it. Soon there will be no need for light switches.” →

Colas South Africa

2nd November 2018 Colas South Africa is a company focused on innovative road surfacing products and technology. A subsidiary of the Bouygues Group, the international Colas Group, headquartered in France, is a world leader in the construction and maintenance of transport infrastructure, operating in 50 countries... →

Sanral 2017/18 project roll-out stalled owing to Treasury regulations

By: Irma Venter 2nd November 2018 The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has, in the past year, issued a total of 60 new contracts to the value of R4.9-billion for road construction, it states in its 2017/18 integrated report, presented to Parliament in October. However, this was significantly lower than in the... →

Bitumen supplier concerned about slowdown in road construction

By: Irma Venter 2nd November 2018 The rapidly increasing bitumen price is less of a concern to bitumen suppliers than the recent slowdown in South African road construction, says Colas South Africa commercial, communication and marketing manager Herman Groenewald. Bitumen prices have increased by more than R2 000 a ton since... →

Repairs on R510 completed

By: Irma Venter 2nd November 2018 The repairing and resealing of the R510, which runs from Rustenburg to the Limpopo border, has been completed. “The road is now much more comfortable for drivers and safer for pedestrians,” says the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral). →

Firm completes Soweto-based project

By: Simone Liedtke 15th December 2017 The design and construction supervision of roads, stormwater infrastructure and a bridge for the Elias Motsoaledi housing project, in Soweto, were completed last month, states Hatch Africa, Europe and Middle East highways and bridges practice lead, Leon Mbongwa. →

CONNECTING COMMUNITIES The bridge, for the Elias Motsoaledi housing project, comprises a five-span 65 m long and 13.5 m wide continuous composite deck

Maintenance, construction projects along N1/N4 slated for 2018

By: Simone Liedtke 15th December 2017 The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and private concessionaire the Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire will conduct several maintenance and construction projects along the South African N1/N4 toll road, in Gauteng and Limpopo, in 2018. →

Photo by Duane Daws
INCREASING CAPACITY Bakwena has installed two pivots, each valued at about R2.4-million, at both the Doornpoort and Pumulani toll plazas

N2 rehabilitation project to be completed end of this year

By: Simone Liedtke 15th December 2017 The rehabilitation of 7 km of the N2 between Borcherds Quarry Road (M22) and the R300, and the addition of a third lane in both directions, will be completed by the end this year, under the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works (WCDTPW). →

LIGHTING THE WAY The upgrade will provide better ride quality, safety and visibility

Assistance in overcoming bridge challenges

By: Simone Liedtke 15th December 2017 Industrial rope access specialist Skyriders Access Specialists installed temporary access platforms to allow for critical routine maintenance on the Crocodile river bridge, in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. →

ABSEILING FOR ACCESS Technicians had to deploy rope access to abseil from a structure to erect the access platforms

Transverse launching method to minimise impact on traffic

By: Simone Liedtke 15th December 2017 A transverse launching method, which will be used on the completed Ashton Arch bridge in the Western Cape, will reduce the impact on traffic during the construction of this strategic route, states engineering company Aecom Africa highway and bridges lead Michael Bouwmeester. →

FIRST OF ITS KIND LOCALLY The bridge is the first tied-arch bridge that will be launched into position sideways

National road network at core of local growth

By: Simone Liedtke 15th December 2017 The national road network has been steadily growing over the years and this improves connectivity between cities and regional hubs, which is essential given that it is on this network that the majority of South African citizens commute and conduct business, says South African National Roads... →

LOCAL HUB The national road network has been steadily growing over the years and has improved connectivity between cities and regional hubs

Emphasis on infrastructure development catalyst for growth and sustainability

By: Simone Liedtke 15th December 2017 A development agenda themed ‘Vision 2022’, currently being pursued by the Swaziland government, is putting emphasis on infrastructure development as a catalyst for long-term growth and sustainable development, says engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon bridges technical director... →

SIPHOFANENI BRIDGE The Siphofaneni bridge and road project is going to be the standard for future infrastructure projects in Swaziland

Construction firm forges ahead on N2 road, bridges

15th December 2017 Infrastructure construction firm Concor Infrastructure is making progress on the 34 km section of the N2 highway between Mtunzini and Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal, while ensuring minimal impact to environmentally sensitive areas along the route. →

JONATHAN PEARCE A range of environmental studies were carried out and remedial strategies were developed

Successful debut for new technology solution on bridge project

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 3rd November 2017 Marking a strong debut in the country, independent international engineering and project management consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV’s new iReport solution has been successfully used for the Vincent Tshabalala Pedestrian Bridge project in Alexandra, Johannesburg. The iReport is an innovative... →

ROADMAP Royal HaskoningDHV’s new project management solution, the iReport, used interactive data to communicate information to stakeholders for the Vincent Tshabalala Pedestrian Bridge project

Suitable solution for African road conditions

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 3rd November 2017 Geosynthetic products manufacturer and supplier Fibertex says its Fibertex AM-2 is the ideal product for road construction and road maintenance projects in Africa, owing to its being highly durable and resistant to all natural soil alkalis and acids. “The Fibertex AM-2 is a flexible... →

ROAD TO RECOVERY Fibertex AM-2 has been introduced to road authorities in several developing African countries as a cost-effective solution to road rehabilitation

South Africa steadily keeps pace with global LED shift

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 3rd November 2017 With the UK expecting that all conventional street lights will be converted to street lights fitted with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) by 2021, manufacturer of luminaires and glass-fibre-reinforced polyester poles BEKA Schréder product development manager Daniel Kasper laments South Africa’s... →

STREETS AHEAD Light-emitting diode technology for street lighting provides improved lighting levels and generates energy savings

N7 upgrade enhances safety and set to facilitate traffic flow

By: Nadine James 28th October 2016 Civil engineering consultants SMEC South Africa recently successfully completed the R400-million National Route 7 (N7) upgrade, which included the realignment and widening of the road to improve safety and enhance traffic flow. Completed in April, the reconstruction project was carried out on a... →

NEW & IMPROVED The R400-million N7 upgrade was carried out on a 27.7 km portion of road between the Western Cape towns of Citrusdal and Clanwilliam

Industry body calls for elimination of lead in road marking paint

By: Nadine James 28th October 2016 Paint manufacturers organisation South African Paint Manufacturing Association (Sapma) executive director Deryck Spence has approached the national standards authority South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) to request that it reformulates specifications for the use of lead pigments in road... →

DANGERS UNDERFOOT Friction caused by vehicles tyres erodes the lead paint, which could result in pedestrians or drivers inhaling minuscule amounts of lead particulates

Government initiatives result in more road lighting projects

By: Nadine James 28th October 2016 The South African government’s drive to implement energy efficiency practices and maximise energy savings, along with its work with municipalities and State-owned power utility Eskom in the electrification of informal settlements and rural areas, has ensured that there are more opportunities for... →

DE HOEK PLAZA BEKA Schréder’s LEDlume-midi streetlight luminaires and its OMNIstar floodlights were used for the N3 Toll Plaza projects

R100-billion infrastructure investment enhances safety and mobility

By: Nadine James 28th October 2016 As part of the City of Johannesburg’s ten-year R100-billion investment in infrastructure, the city’s road infrastructure authority the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) investigated the state and quality of the 814 bridges in Johannesburg, and set out to construct and rehabilitate bridges in the... →

NALEDI-PROTEA NORTH BRIDGE Construction on the bridge that now links the two Soweto suburbs started in 2014

Funding, procurement for road infrastructure projects problematic

By: Nadine James 28th October 2016 The methods of acquiring funding, as well as the public procurement process for road infrastructure projects need to be re-examined, as current models are problematic, says civil engineering consultancy WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Africa. WSP | Parsons transport and infrastructure divisional... →

CAUTION CURVES AHEAD Challenges pertaining to the country's economy, government funding and public procurement has made it increasingly more difficult to develop road infrastructure

M1 highway gets R210m facelift

11th December 2015 The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) will spend a total of R210-million to upgrade the M1 highway bridges and associated stormwater drainage systems, says the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA). The project, which started on November 16, forms part of the CoJ’s R365-million programme to upgrade the M1 and... →

Photo by Duane Daws
M1 HIGHWAY The M1 and M2 upgrades form part of the City of Johannesburg's 2040 Growth and Development Strategy

Award-winning KZN interchange eases congestion on N2

11th December 2015 State-owned entity the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) reports that upgrading the Umgeni road interchange, located at the N2 and M19 intersection in KwaZulu-Natal’s eThekwini municipality, has eased the flow of traffic for about 14 000 to 16 000 vehicles travelling through... →

FOUR YEARS WELL SPENT The interchange upgrade, which started in 2011, has reduced congestion and journey times, while increasing road safety

Only Tshwane municipality pursues ultrathin reinforced concrete roads

By: Dylan Stewart 30th October 2015 Since 2010, when the Tshwane municipality stated its intention to pursue the use of ultrathin reinforced concrete pavements (UTRCPs) specifically for roads in townships, it is the only municipality to have done so, says Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) project consultant... →

JOB CREATOR Building concrete roads requires little machinery and can therefore create more low-skilled jobs

Consulting engineering firm suggests tolling of regional roads

By: Dylan Stewart 30th October 2015 International consulting engineering firm Arup suggests a user-pay policy for regional roads as one method of generating revenue to build, maintain and expand the national road network. →

SA’s primary highway network as good as any, says consultancy

By: Dylan Stewart 30th October 2015 South Africa’s national highway network is comparable to some of the best road networks in the world, including those of developed countries, says KPMG infrastructure advisory head De Buys Scott. →

DE BUYS SCOTT While roads are critical to any economy, they are even more important in South Africa

LED streetlights installed in Western Cape

By: Dylan Stewart 30th October 2015 By June this year, the Swartland municipality, in the Western Cape, had retrofitted 69% of its existing streetlights with locally designed and manufactured light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights from luminaire manufacturer Beka Schréder. →

NEW LIGHT To date, over 4 000 LED luminaires have been installed in streetlights in the Swartland municipality

Preliminary design assessment of N3 highway upgrade under way

By: Dylan Stewart 30th October 2015 Infrastructure consultancy SMEC South Africa is assessing the preliminary design for upgrading an 11 km stretch of the N3 highway between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, in KwaZulu-Natal, says SMEC South Africa functional GM for roads and highways Dawie Er →

KEY CORRIDOR The N3 runs from Durban to Johannesburg

Design for Pietermaritzburg N3 interchange under way

By: Dylan Stewart 30th October 2015 Planning, engineering, and programme and construction management company WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff won a tender last month to design two new interchanges of the N3 in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, WSP road geometrics design head Bruce White tells Engineering News. →

Photo by Duane Daws
BIG RESPONSIBILITY The interchange will allow for traffic to flow on the N3 as it crosses Epworth and Market roads in the south of Pietermaritzburg

Abnormal load vehicle tested on N2

By: Dylan Stewart 30th October 2015 Sub-Saharan supply chain solutions provider Unitrans will operate one of its abnormal vehicles – designed according to performance-based standards (PBS) – from South Africa to Swaziland for the first time, says Unitrans technical GM Bruce Fraser. →

SPECIALLY DESIGNED Unitrans Abnormal petroleum tanker

Civil engineers needed in public sector

By: Jonathan Rodin 31st October 2014 Currently, the civil engineering consulting industry in South Africa is extremely competitive, with many new entrants in the past few years, says engineering consulting firm GIBB technical executive Vuyiso Msipa. He explains that the competitiveness is mainly based on prices tendered for... →

PPPs needed for future of road infrastructure

By: Jonathan Rodin 31st October 2014 Public–private partnerships (PPPs) and concessions are effective means through which road infrastructure can be developed, and the private sector can play important roles in road infrastructure projects, says business law and litigation firm Fasken Martineau partner Rakhee Bhoora. “This is partly... →

Road infrastructure severely impacting on wildlife

31st October 2014 Nonprofit wildlife and ecosystem conservation organisation the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is partnering with diamonds producer and purveyor De Beers Group to tackle the impact of roads on wildlife in the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area (GMTFCA) in Limpopo. The EWT has... →

Infrastructure drives growth

31st October 2014 Engineering and project implementation firm Hatch Goba is pursuing two major development themes, aimed at both public sector and industrial sector clients. “The themes will be the driving force behind the business going forward, particularly into Africa,” says Hatch Goba infrastructure for the... →

Luminaires designed for African temperatures

By: Jonathan Rodin 31st October 2014 Luminaires and glass-fibre reinforced polyester manufacturer Beka Schréder launched its range of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting products in September, which ensures the LEDs and their supporting electronics are, at African ambient temperatures of 35 °C, not exposed to high temperatures,... →

Road infrastructure development crucial

By: Jonathan Rodin 31st October 2014 There is a clear plan laid out by government and significant investment proposed in terms of South Africa’s road network infrastructure development, which is positive for the country’s future development, as it is integral to growing the economy. “The fundamentals of any country, or city, is its... →

Road infrastructure integral to stable economic growth

By: Jonathan Rodin 31st October 2014 There have been significant changes in South Africa’s infrastructure over the past 20 years, primarily because a large portion of money from the fiscus has been allocated to development. However, the road infrastructure maintenance that needs to be undertaken is extensive, says engineering and... →

Concrete necessary for the green age

1st November 2013 Concrete is the ideal choice for environmentally sensitive and economically sustainable highways reports nonprofit concrete technology services to the construction industry provider the Concrete Institute MD Bryan Perrie. →

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