The AVN 800 XC Herrenknecht microtunnelling machine (AVN 800), which will be used for a sewer project, has been delivered to the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation department at a cost of R10.6-million.
The machine, which will be used at the Cape Flats 3 (CF3) bulk sewer project by construction company CSV Construction, forms part of the R250-million sanitation master plan to enhance the sewer reticulation system, which will be completed by the end of 2017.
The machine is controlled using a laser navigation system that allows for precise positioning, has a built-in crusher that can reduce boulders to smaller pieces, and offers extra safety in less stable geological conditions such as the sandy Cape Flats soil.
“Acquiring this technology is a major step forward for the city and will allow for greater efficiency of future bulk pipe replacement projects,” says City of Cape Town Member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for utility services Ernest Sonnenberg.
The AVN 800 will be put to the test by CSV during the final phase of the CF3 bulk sewer project. The construction is a critical component of the city’s sewer network and will serve a population of nearly one-million residents in the Bonteheuwel, Heideveld, Manenberg, Gugulethu and Nyanga areas in Cape Town.
The extra capacity that the CF3 bulk sewer project construction will provide will allow the city to periodically decommission other sewer infrastructure in the area for much-needed maintenance, repairs and rehabilitation.
“We are pleased that this phase of the project can now begin, as its completion will ensure that we have sufficient capacity in our sewer network to limit the impact of blockages,” concludes Sonnenberg.