24 - BENCHMARK VOL 15

A| Benchmark Volume 15 | May 2016 |
Continuous pursuit of higher levels of performance VOLUME 15 | MAY 2016
Mining Infrastructure
reaches new heights in the
Lesotho Highlands
.........................................................
Geotechnical division completes
yet another project for Sasol’s
Oxygen Train Plant
.........................................................
Transport Infrastructure
projects spanning trains, planes
and automobiles
.........................................................
Stefanutti Stocks Swaziland
builds the landmark International
Conference Centre
.........................................................
Müller Verpress piling at Maydon
Wharf a ﬁrst for South Africa
A Stefanutti Stocks Publication
Benchm

B | Benchmark Volume 15 | May 2016 |
Contents
From the CEO 1
Projects
Mining & Mining Infrastructure 2
Transport Infrastructure 6
Industrial Plants, Oil & Gas 20
Water, Sanitation & Pipelines 21
Energy Generation 26
Bulk Earthworks & Geotechnical 28
Building 30
Stefanutti Stocks City 22
Safety News 36/39
Company News
Parting Shots - Frik Venter 4
Meet Russell Crawford, new MD of the RPM business unit 5
Parting Shots - Johan Brink 34
Events 37
Parting Shots - Aubrey Michel 38
Meet Marius Botes, new MD of the Mechanical division 39
A trip down Memory Lane 40
Gauteng office celebrates 20th anniversary 41
Meet Werner Jerling, new MD of the Structures business unit 43
Group overview and contacts 44
________________________________________________________
p.42
Senior Appointments
& Promotions
Building
• Theunis Eloff has been appointed as director in the Building
business unit, effective 1 April 2016.
• Natalina Singh has been appointed as alternate director in the
Building KZN division, effective 1 April 2016.
• Mark Stewart has been appointed as alternate director in the
Building KZN division, effective 1 April 2016.
Mechanical & Electrical (M&E)
• Marius Botes has been been newly appointed as the managing
director of the Mechanical division, effective 1 March 2016.
Roads, Pipelines & Mining Services (RPM)
• Russell Crawford has been promoted to the position of managing
director for the RPM business unit, effective 1 March 2016.
• Derek Du Plessis has assumed the role of regional managing
director responsible for Botswana, Swaziland and Zambia, and
other opportunities in the SADC region, effective 1 March 2016.
• Mike Welsch has assumed the role of regional managing director
responsible for operations in West Africa, effective 1 March 2016.
• Shaun White has been promoted to the position of managing
director of Stefanutti Stocks Swaziland, effective 1 March 2016.
SS Construções (Moç) Lda
• Nathan Singh has been promoted to finance director, effective
1 March 2016.
Structures
• Werner Jerling has been promoted to the position of managing
director of the Structures business unit effective 18 November 2015.
• Mark Stannard has been promoted to the position of managing
director of Stefanutti Stocks Civils effective 1 January 2016.
p.25 p.26 p.29
p.30
Stefanutti Stocks Holdings Limited
Tel: +27 11 571 4300 | www.stefanuttistocks.com | benchmark@stefstocks.com
We would like to thank all contributors to the publication and welcome any suggestions
or articles. This publication is also available online on our website.
Volume 15 of the Benchmark was compiled on behalf of Stefanutti Stocks by
Gerbera Brand Management. Cell: +27 82 371 1005 / www.gerberabm.co.za

1| Benchmark Volume 15 | May 2016 |
From the CEO
I am sure every single one of us is fully aware
of the extremely challenging market conditions
that we as a company and an industry currently
face. Notwithstanding this, I am pleased to
report that our group has once again produced
another good performance. Although contract
revenue decreased by R900 million to
R9,7 billion compared to the previous year (Feb
2015restated:R10,6billion),thegroup’soperating
profit increased by 10%, from R335 million to
R370 million in the current year. Importantly, the
corresponding year-on-year margin improved
from 3,2% to 3,8%, for this financial year
In spite of current market conditions, we have still managed to
maintain the order book in most of the divisions on the back of small-
to medium-sized projects (R20 million to R250 million). As at April
2016 the group’s order book was R12,7 billion with 38% of the total
comprising work from outside of South Africa.
The South African construction market continues to be particularly
challenging and competition for available work is escalating. Given
the pressure on local and national government to address ageing and
absent economic and social infrastructure in South Africa, we remain
optimistic that government will have to address these shortcomings
with the award of public sector projects. We believe these will start
coming to market in the medium term.
There remains potential growth in certain sectors of the economy,
which provides opportunities for our Roads & Earthworks, Building,
Oil & Gas and Electrical & Instrumentation operations. Our re-sized
Structures business unit has, for example, a significant portion of water
treatment plant projects in its order book, which supports our strategy
of focusing on public and general infrastructure work.
Our primary focus in obtaining work in sub-Saharan Africa is to
increase our footprint in countries where we have already established
a presence.
In the short term, it is encouraging to note that most of our divisions
are currently expecting contract awards. In terms of recent awards,
some of the more prominent ones include: the award of the Wellington
Water Treatment project (Structures); the award of the Dainfern to
Diepsloot pipeline project (Roads, Pipelines & Mining Services); the
award of the R289-million BMW project (Building); and the award of the
R495-million 17th
Oxygen Train to the Mechanical & Electrical business
unit’s Oil & Gas division.
The Botswana operation, which was previously overseen by the
Building business unit, has been repositioned as a general contractor,
and now falls within the Roads, Pipelines & Mining Services business unit.
Across the group we are committed to enhancing health and safety
policies and procedures, and constantly strive to improve the group’s
safety performance. Our group’s Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate
(LTIFR) improved to 0,1 (as at end February 2016) from a rate of 0,2
during the comparative year.
Many of our sites are boasting a zero LTIFR, with other notable
achievements including the achievement of 2,6-million accident-free man
hours at the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital (page 30) and 1,5-million accident-
free man hours at the Maydon Wharf joint venture project at the end of
March (page 15). The Mechanical division has maintained its LTIFR of zero,
and the Building business unit has implemented successful campaigns
that have improved its LTIFR from 0.31 to 0.03 since 2014 (page 36). In
addition, Mr Price’s distribution warehouse was placed first in the Master
Builders Association Regional Safety Awards (page 35).
A number of senior executive staff have recently retired or resigned,
and on behalf of the board, senior management and the entire group, I
would like to thank Frik Venter, Aubrey Michel, Johan Brink and Schalk
Ackerman for their invaluable contributions made to Stefanutti Stocks
during their tenure with the group.
In addition to introducing the individuals who have taken over from
them, we have also given the three seasoned contractors retiring from
our industry the opportunity to pass on a final ‘Parting Shot’ of wisdom
later on in this Benchmark.
Russell Crawford, who has been with the group for 26 years, has been
promoted to the position of managing director of the Roads, Pipelines &
Mining Services business unit, following Frik Venter’s retirement as of end
May 2016 (pp 4-5); Marius Botes was appointed to the position of the
Mechanical division’s managing director, taking over from Aubrey Michel
(pp 38-39); and Werner Jerling, who first joined us in 2007, has been
promoted to the position of managing director of the Structures business,
following Schalk Ackerman’s resignation towards the end of last year.
Johan Brink leaves us with his final thoughts on page 35 of this issue.
Stefanutti Stocks has acquired two empowered construction
businesses active in the South African petrochemical market. They are
respectively KLB Mkhize Electrical Projects Proprietary Limited (KLB), an
electricalandinstrumentationcompany,andCelikEngineeringProprietary
Limited (Celik), a mechanical and structural piping engineering company.
The deteriorating market conditions in the Middle East,
specifically within the electromechanical sector, has resulted in
Stefanutti Stocks withdrawing from its investment in Zener Steward
Electromechanical LLC.
It is hard to believe but it has been 20 years since we first established
operations in Gauteng in 1996, and we accordingly celebrate a few of
the milestones achieved over the past two decades on pages 40 to 43.
Our journey of growth, from a medium-sized, mainly KwaZulu-Natal
based contractor, into a multidisciplinary, geographically diverse, listed
entity has been nothing short of phenomenal.
We remain grateful to our customers, suppliers, service providers and
shareholders for their ongoing support. Our business performance and strong
values are driven by our people - from board level, through to management,
as well as all of our office- and site-based colleagues. Your loyalty and hard
work is highly appreciated and invaluable to Stefanutti Stocks, to our brand
and our future success. In spite of the challenging times we face together, I
am confident that the resilient, entrepreneurial and pioneering spirit, that has
brought us this far, will stand us in good stead for the decades to come.

2 | Benchmark Volume 15 | May 2016 |
The surface below the Liqhobong Mine in Lesotho contains four
differently coloured diamond gems all stemming from separate pipes that
over the course of millions of years have amalgamated into a single pipe.
Although the mine has been operational for several years, recent feasibility
studies revealed lucrative resources, motivating owners the Liqhobong
Mining Development Company (Pty.) Ltd. to upgrade the entire facility.
A joint venture (JV), comprising of Stefanutti Stocks Roads and
Earthworks and Stefanutti Stocks Civils, was tasked with the construction
of all early earthworks and civil works required for the Liqhobong Mine
Expansion Project. The work commenced on 9 June 2014.
In addition to the project scope growing as a result of the design
being adapted to suit previously unforeseen conditions, further work
was awarded to the joint venture, resulting in a final contract value
higher than the original contract value award.
Climatic and topographical conditions
The project is situated at an altitude of approximately 2 650 metres
above sea level, with night time temperatures that can drop as low as
-20 degrees Celsius.
The final 20 kilometres to site are up a pass, just wide enough for two
bakkies and with a drop of approximately 600 metres into the valley below.
A total of 84 items of plant including excavators, dozers, ADTS, concrete
mixer trucks, rollers, graders, a crushing unit and a batch plant, had to
‘walk’ this final stretch, as low beds could not access this stretch of road.
The geology of the mountains, with an average working slope at 1:2
(V:H), also provided a challenge to construction, and in particular the
operation of heavy equipment on such inclines had to be undertaken,
taking special cognisance of safety.
Initial studies undertaken prior to the commencement of the project
indicated that suitable rock for the construction of the main plant terrace
would be encountered at a shallow depth. However, not long into the
earthworks, it became apparent to the teams excavating and stripping
topsoil that the rock was situated much deeper than anticipated.
“In many areas, after stripping topsoil up to a metre thick, a large
layer of overburden, containing a large boulder matrix, was revealed,”
says Stefanutti Stocks Roads & Earthworks’ site agent Michael Majoor.
This material proved to be unsuitable construction material, and in
order to reach suitable rock, it also had to removed. “This impacted
both on the design and quantity of material required to complete the
work and thus extended the contract completion date from November
2015, to the end of July 2016,” explains Majoor.
Scope of work
The scope of work on the project undertaken by the JV included
the construction of:
• A two-level main plant terrace (excavation of approximately 200 000m3
of overburden and hill wash material; 275 000m3
of blasted cut to fill
in hard rock; and the construction of a 468m2
reinforced earth wall to
achieve the height difference of six metres between the two levels).
• An accommodation terrace (120 000 m3
cut to fill; 3-kilometres of
sewer line; 3-kilometres of water line).
• A new 5.8km access road (the road is cut into the side of the
mountain to allow the movement of larger equipment up to site.
Lesotho’s average annual rainfall of 934mm necessitated the
installation of 1.2-kilometres of Armco pipes, coupled with 1 500m3
of gabion baskets to ensure sufficient protection from erosion.
• A network of internal roads (requiring 440 000m3
of fill).
• An inventory stockpile and primary crusher (construction of
a level terrace; cut to fill operation of approximately 90 000m3
;
construction of an 18-metre high reinforced earth wall).
• Crushing (4 000m3
of 19mm concrete aggregate; 3 000m3
of
crusher sand; and 72 000m3
of layer work material).
• The concrete scope of work included approximately 6 661m3
concrete spread across the following structures:
- primary crusher,
- ROM transfer tower,
- scrubber,
- secondary crushing,
- tertiary crushing,
- work shop,
- coarse surge bin,
- fine DMS surge bin,
- coarse DMS,
- fines DMS,
- tertiary screening,
- de-grid,
- de-slimming,
- thickener,
- sort house, and
- conveyors, MCCs and transformer bays.
“During the construction of the two-level main plant terrace a team
of peckers worked around the clock, breaking the boulders down,”
says Majoor. “This team was supported by a blasting outfit, that would
break down the boulders that were simply too big for the peckers.”
The civil work overlapped with the earthworks activities, with early
access being a priority. “The joint venture was performing both operations,
so facilitating early access was a goal within our control,” says Majoor.
In spite of the complex nature of the civil scope of work the team
performed incredibly well under difficult circumstances in particular with
Stefanutti Stocks JV poised to deliver challenging
Liqhobong diamond mine
expansion in Lesotho
Source: Michael Majoor
1

Mining & Mining Infrastructure
regard to the temperature and the interfaces. The cold temperatures
encountered in Lesotho meant that cold weather concreting techniques,
including making use of thermal blankets and heating equipment, had
to be adopted. “The limited space, as well as follow-on contractors
streaming onto site, resulted in many interface challenges,” explains
Majoor. “These were handled impeccably by Stefanutti Stocks Civils’
site agent Themba Nkoana and his team, who even managed to provide
early access to some areas to the steel and electrical contractors.”
A large part of the civils scope dealt with the casting of hundreds
of bases and plinths and required precise attention to detail to ensure
that the concrete structures met the positional tolerances, so that the
erection of the steel structures could follow on seamlessly.
Programme
The project programme was an intensely-debated topic throughout
the project. With the unforeseen increase in the earthworks quantities
the client, consulting engineers and the Stefanutti Stocks JV entered
into negotiations on how time could be pulled back to allow the mine to
achieve its targeted date of first diamonds to the market.
“These negotiations resulted in the team commencing a daunting
four months of night shift, executed throughout the heart of winter
in 2015,” elaborates Majoor. “With the Lesotho Mountains already
providing dangerous working conditions under the light of day, we
put extensive safety measures into place to ensure the night shift was
executed without incident.”
In order to further accelerate progress and to allow a greater
number of areas to be handed over to follow-on contractors, the
originally planned six work faces on the civil scope of work was
extended to ten work faces.
Additional teams were also mobilised to focus on pre-fixing steel,
as well as pre-casting smaller bases and plinths. Once work areas
became available these could be loaded and placed into position,
allowing for a significant pull back on the programme.
In conclusion
“This has been a successful contract for Stefanutti Stocks and
credit must go to all individuals involved in the joint venture,” says
Majoor. “The Earthworks and Civils divisions worked as one team,
side-by-side, under difficult circumstances to meet tight deadlines.”
Captions:
1. The majority of the civil and structural work, undertaken by Stefanutti Stocks
Civils (and required for the erection of the mine's process plant and associated
infrastructure), took place on the main plant terrace that was constructed by
Stefanutti Stocks Roads & Earthworks.
2. Nhlanhla Mbhele, in front of the sort house construction site.
3. Bulk cut from the primary crusher to the main plant terrace.
4. The inventory stockpile.
5. The primary crusher wall situated behind the dam.
6. The gabion walls being constructed for lateral earth support on the main
plant terrace.
7. A Stefanutti Stocks batch plant was erected at the mine to ensure a steady
supply of concrete to ensure efficiency of site operations.
2 3
4 5
6 7

have ended up with a business
that has entrepreneurial flair
yet still operates within certain
parameters and structures, and
has the systems to support our
endeavours into Africa. The management is now well-equipped to take
this business unit forward. Their experience and training, now gives
them the necessary confidence, which in turn gives them the strength
and courage to take calculated risks as we enter new markets. I am
fully confident that the incumbent team will take the RPM business unit
to new heights, and that they will continue to contribute more than their
fair share to the success of the Stefanutti Stocks Group.
What is the wisest thing anyone has ever said to you?
Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people
won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.
Is it a ‘mantra’ that you’ve used throughout your career?
Not so much initially. The early stages of my career were really
focused on procurement and the successful execution of contracts,
within a well-structured and systemised environment - my focus
was managing the risks associated with these. However, as one
progresses in one’s career, identifying special opportunities becomes
more important to sustain the growth of an organisation. This is when
entrepreneurship starts to matter.
Was there any moment when your learning curve was on a sharp upward trend?
I was fortunate enough to have been schooled in a smaller
company where all the senior management got involved with the
risk-taking processes. We were guided well, by people with lots of
experience. There was never a sink or swim mentality.
Leaving Group Five after 26 years of service greatly influenced
my personal growth. Although I spent my formative years within the
sector with them, staying for so long with only one company (especially
since I was first employed as a student), can slow down one’s personal
growth. Learning never stops, and with every career change and with
each new company the opportunity to hatch fresh ideas presented
itself to me.
What do you miss, if anything, about your early career?
In construction we have two primary risks to consider, firstly relating
to your tender and procurement process and secondly the effective
execution of the works in line with your tender assumption. We hardly
ever discussed payment risk or the ability of a client to pay for work
when it was due, as this was a given.
Nowadays poor or non-payment is one of our major risks, especially
as we move further north into Africa. I therefore miss the simplicity of
the past procurement process of tendering for a contract; if you are the
lowest, to be awarded the job; followed by the effective execution; and
timeous payment thereof!
Frik Venter
Frik, how did you begin a career in construction?
I’ve been in the construction game for forty years. I started off
working for Savage & Lovemore (in Port Elizabeth), which later became
part of Group 5. I transferred to Gauteng during 1996 to start Group
Five Roads Africa, and from there joined Concor, where I stayed for
about eight years. When I joined Stefanutti Stocks almost six years
ago on 1 October 2010 , the timing seemed right for a new challenge
- although Willie and Gino did have to court me on and off for a good
few months before I made the move.
What has been your experience at Stefanutti Stocks?
It amazed me how easily I was accepted in the business unit - I had
actually been employed to oversee R&E but ended up with a whole
handful of divisions. The ease with which senior management accepted
me surprised me. I thought my arrival may put a few noses out of joint,
but it wasn’t the case at all. I was accepted and appreciated for my
experience and for the knowledge I could put to use for the benefit of
the business unit.
If I look at my time at Stefanutti Stocks I would say my highlights
have been not so much from a contracting point of view, as from a
developmental perspective. When I walked through these doors
I realised that not enough money or effort had been spent on the
development of people, systems and procedures. I made it a priority to
install proper systems and introduce procedures, as well as to ensure
that knowledge transfer was taking place. My aim was to enhance
the managerial and operational skills through extensive professionally-
assisted development from director level right down to our operators.
This development was done on a professional platform and many
employees now have industry-recognised qualifications.
The ease with which the high cost of these personal development
plans was accepted by the executives of the Group surprised me. It is also
pleasing to witness how effective the training programmes have been and
is also evident in the financial results produced by the RPM business unit.
Knowledge transfer and development usually takes about three
years, and nearly six years on, I’m confident that we are stronger than
ever before. As a business unit we are more structured and focused.
We operate professional offices here in South Africa, and in other
Southern African countries, where we have also spent time and money
on developing our people, and of course the markets.
What do you see as Stefanutti Stocks’ key strengths?
The key strengths here are the quality of people. And their
entrepreneurial flair, which is something I didn’t experience as keenly
in my other jobs.
When I joined Stefanutti Stocks I made a conscious decision
not to tamper with the entrepreneurship of the individual leaders.
It is quite a risky managerial style, but it has worked so far and we
Parting shots
Frik Venter, outgoing managing director of the Roads,
Pipelines and Mining Services (RPM) business unit
hands the RPM reins over to Russell Crawford

Most of all I miss the amicable yet very professional relationship
between the contractor, engineer and client that allowed for quick and
professional solutions to any contractual or construction issues.
What has inﬂuenced you most, people, projects or places?
Probably projects - large dam or large road projects are my
favourites. I’m not that easily influenced by people, however having
said that, the person who influenced my career the most was the first
managing director I worked under in Port Elizabeth.
I am also impacted by people when I witness what one can achieve
with a team of people who are given the correct guidance and whose
personal development is properly engineered. These interventions and
concomitant results are some of the most satisfying experiences of
my career.
What advice would you give to engineers entering the industry?
I maintain that there will always be work for a good engineer - if you
are a bit of a go-getter, an entrepreneur, and are prepared to rough it on
a construction site, then there will always be a job in the industry for you.
Probably the best advice I could give a young engineer is to learn about
all aspects of construction during your time spent on site. Be inquisitive; learn
from the old hands; don’t be afraid to ask; and steal with your eyes. Above all,
remember as an engineer you have been trained to solve problems from “first
principles” – use these skills when you are faced with a difficult problem. Too
often I see young engineers run for cover when apparently insurmountable
problems occur, which I find most disappointing. Lastly, learn how to manage
people and get the best out of them - always remember in a managerial
position you will be required to “get results through others”.
Engineering is an incredibly fulfilling career, and a large part of the
reward is that you leave behind physical evidence of your labours - in
most other glamour industries this is not the case.
What will you miss most about going to work?
I’llmisstheexcitementoftheconstructionindustry-fromworkprocurement
and the anticipation of being awarded work right through to execution - it’s high
adrenalin stuff! And then of course the people, I will really miss the people and
the special teams. I have always said that you will recognise a real team, when
someone drops the ball and another unwittingly picks it up!
Any other thoughts and where to now?
The traffic - I can’t wait to leave that behind! I would rather spend quality
time with my family, especially my wife who has stood solidly behind me for
manytoughyearsintheindustry.Constructionisoneofthemostdemanding
sectors to be in, and running a construction company is probably one of the
most difficult businesses to manage. It takes its toll on you, and there comes
a time when the next generation must have their turn…
It is entirely possible that I could get used to chasing that little white
ball around a golf course. If that doesn’t work, fishing will be a good
alternative. Willie has requested some of my time after May so it won't
be complete cold turkey!
We will be moving down to Keurboomstrand near Plettenberg Bay,
so if anyone is passing by ….please pop in.
26 years after first joining
the company as a site
agent, Russell Crawford
has taken over at the helm
of the Roads, Pipelines
and Mining Services
business unit.
A number of things have kept me with this group for this long.
Firstly, I felt like I was part of a family - and I still feel that. Secondly
every few years there was a new challenge or opportunity to grow that
presented itself, so it was impossible to stagnate.
As a youngster I aspired to one day having my own company,
yet I have always felt that same sense of ownership at Stefanutti
Stocks. Throughout my career I have always been allowed the
freedom, just as we allow our senior managers, to look after what
we have, as though it was our own. We have never felt confined or
the need to be part of the herd. We were encouraged to express
ourselves, to be entrepreneurial and to do things differently. I
strongly believe that if given the freedom to express yourself, you
do achieve better results.
Key inﬂuences
The key influences in my career have been Deryck White, Gino
Stefanutti and more recently Frik Venter. Each of them had different
strengths, qualities and skills set that I could learn from. My exposure
to these men allowed me to grow and mature, to hone my skills and
mature into a better contractor and manager.
My career path has also been assisted by the competent people I
have been working with. I have a wonderful director core here, many of
whom have been with Stefanutti Stocks for a long time. They all have
a different skills-set and as a team this has enabled us to take on very
difficult circumstances and end up creating a success of our endeavour.
I am also inspired by the diversity and ambition of employees in
our business unit - we have really been blessed with an unbelievable
pool of people.
Going forward
Currently I am fulfilling the dual role of divisional and business unit
managing director. We didn’t feel that it would be appropriate, in the
current economic climate, to employ someone new, in particular as we
are seeing more growth from our cross-border markets where we have
appointed strong regional managing directors.
I’d like to believe that we saw this coming a few years ago already,
hence our drive into Africa. Our current order book sees around 50 per
cent of work coming from outside of South Africa, in countries where
we have established localised general contracting operations, have put
down roots and created employment opportunities.
Mantra
Your attitude determines your altitude!
Thoughts on success
A key ingredient of success is passion. And recognition - but not
just financial. I encourage my people to step up to play a part in writing
our success story; to be adventurous and have an open mind; to
think about how one can do things differently; and not shy away from
a challenge.
It is because we do all these things, that we will
never be just another contractor.

Gautrain's
innovative
train platform
extension nears completion
Source: Glen Deyzel
At the end of April 2016 work on the 55-metre long platform
extension at OR Tambo International Airport’s Gautrain station was
approximately ninety per cent complete. The project, that will enable
passengers to utilise a full four-car Gautrain service to and from South
Africa’s largest airport, is currently running on programme.
Work on the northern section is almost complete and included
the installation of struts, platform slabs, balustrade walls, a steel roof
canopy and sheeting; a fire escape staircase; water, fire water and
drainage systems; cable management systems and CCTV; signage
and the reinstatement of the overhead traction equipment (OHTE).
On the southern side the steel roof canopy and fire escape staircase
have been installed and Stefanutti Stocks Civils’ subcontractors are
currently installing sheeting, gutters, and a sky light; as well as the
water, fire water and drainage systems. Tiling of the platform on the
southern side was completed at the end of April.
“The key to the success of this project includes a strong team
of people and proper up-front planning, starting well before we even
arrived on site,” says Stefanutti Stocks’ contracts manager Glen
Deyzel. “Our site motto has also been to do it right the first time, and
we set ourself realistic goals, that have been achievable.”
Key project highlights included:
• The installation of the entire platform extension took place at 20
metres above the ground;
• Train operations continued as normal while construction was
underway - this is a first for South Africa;
• A protection deck, consisting of a girder system that spanned the
18-metre wide main access road into the airport, was designed
and constructed prior to work being allowed to commence over
vehicular traffic.
• The existing parapet walls were saw-cut by means of diamond rope
and blade cutting in order to accommodate the new struts and slabs.
• The precast concrete elements that were manufactured and
installed included 5-ton struts, 20-ton slabs and balustrade walls;
• To accommodate the increased loading of the structure the struts
were transversely post-tensioned and the existing viaduct was
longitudinally tensioned;
• A new 68-ton steel roof canopy was manufactured and installed;
• The design had to take into consideration the mere 150mm distance
between the southern side and the adjacent multi-storey carpark; and
• The largest tower crane in Africa was utilised on the project.
The platform is due for final handover at the end of May 2016. The
site will then be demobilised and the long-term parking area utilised for
the site office and storage yard, will be reinstated by end June 2016.
Captions:
1. The Northern side of the newly constructed platform extension, with the largest crane
in Africa taking up a man cage with contractors who will install curved awnings.
2. Contractors installing the cable management system, column cladding and
tiling on the Southern platform.
3. The 68-ton steel roof canopy as viewed from the roof of the airport's City Lodge Hotel.
1
2
3

The City of Johannesburg’s Housing Department awarded the
construction of an access road, stormwater pipeline and a car bridge
across a river in the Elias Motsoaledi District in Soweto, to Stefanutti
Stocks Civils / A Re Shomeng Joint Venture. The project commenced
in February 2016 and is due for completion in February 2017.
The five-span, 65-metre long, 14-metre wide continuous composite
deck bridge will be supported on two reinforced concrete abutment walls
and four piers supported on spread footing. The supports will be founded on
mass concrete underlain by a rock layer. The access road is approximately
a kilometre long, with a 750-metre long stormwater pipe (consisting of
concrete pipes between 450 and 900mm in diameter) running alongside.
The main purpose of the new bridge is to link two newly developed
Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) housing communities
that are currently separated by a river. The project is being executed within
what is currently a politically charged environment. “Prior to commencement
of road construction the services and shacks in the road reserve needed to
be removed and people relocated to their RDP houses,” explains contracts
manager Glen Deyzel. “At the end of April the area had been cleared.”
The bridge is being constructed in an environmentally sensitive
area, specifically within wetlands where it will cross a ravine and a
small river. In order to be permitted to construct the bridge a Record
of Decision (ROD) and WULA (Water Use License Application) must
be approved by the Department of Water Affairs & Forestry. Once the
application has been successful, construction work must remain within
the boundaries of the ROD, in order to avoid heavy fines.
Caption:
Figure 1: The support system being used consists of 457x191x98kg/m I-beams
at 1.2-metres centre. A support tower is positioned mid span to deal with the span
and the wetlands below.
An innovative bridge-deck support solution
is required to overcome various considerations
including the ravine that is situated under the
bridge location, weak ground conditions, a
ﬂowing river and the threat of the support work
being stolen. A suitable decking system has
been designed by the Stefanutti Stocks technical
department which incorporates the suspension
ofthedeckformworkfrombeamsandsupported
by towers at the piers (see Figure 1).
To ensure involvement in the construction project, community
members will participate in the precasting and installation of the
kerbs and F-shape barriers, which will be constructed in a precast
yard located on site. Community members will also receive on-site
training in the civil trades as well as formal construction training via the
Stefanutti Stocks Solid Foundations Training Programme.
A further community initiative sees the construction of a soccer
field, which will be formally handed over to community leaders,
complete with two goal posts.
“This is an incredibly interesting project that requires team work,
an open mind, a community-based approach and technical know-how
to succeed,” says Deyzel. “Building a concrete structure that grants
access and enables a rural, undeveloped community to become part
of the developed, successful and growing Soweto community is one I
will be proud to show my own children one day.”
Joint venture constructs rural
river-bridge and access road for
City of Johannesburg
Source: Glen Deyzel
Figure 1

Stefanutti Stocks Civils
adds PRASA
platform
and track
rectification
to its portfolio
Source: Chris Tshivhidzo
Stefanutti Stocks Civils recently undertook three rail rectification
projects, the first of which was a turnkey project for the rectification of
platforms at two KwaZulu-Natal stations (Durban and Pietermaritzburg)
and was undertaken for PRASA in a joint venture (JV) with 4Phase
Railtechnik. The second project, also undertaken by the JV, was a design
and construct platform rectification project at Gauteng’s Cleveland station.
The third rail project, known as the Stray Current Mitigation Project,
is situated in Sunnyside, Pretoria and is being undertaken for the
Oteo/4Phase JV, the project’s main contractors. This contract sees the
construction of a 2.4km-long PY track slab, starting just outside of the
Pretoria station and finishing just after the Walker Street station.
RCE Consultants were employed by Stefanutti Stocks (and later
by the Oteo/4Phase JV) to undertake the design of the track slabs,
as its considerable rail expertise and PY Track Slab system offered an
efficient track slab solution.
The rectification of platforms in KwaZulu-Natal (Durban,
Pietermaritzburg) and Gauteng (Cleveland) called for the design and
construction of track-slabs in conjunction with the rectification of the
vertical and horizontal alignment, within a specified standard, between
the rails and the platforms. In Pietermaritzburg the platform was raised,
as, due to the subway, it was not possible to drop the track levels. The
scope of work also entailed the improvement of the drainage system
of all three stations.
An unusual aspect of these rectification projects saw the design of
the line layer works taking place as construction progressed. “The soil
classification and soil profiling should ideally have been done while in
the design phase,” explains senior contracts manager Chris Tshivhidzo,
“however, as we were only granted access to the sites once all our
safety, quality and technical submissions were approved, this only took
place a week into the project”
Soil sampling and DCP tests of the layer works in Pietermaritzburg
indicated that the entire layer works needed to be replaced as it was
not in accordance to the S410 Transnet specification. “Another issue
we faced at all three stations was the poorly maintained stormwater
drainage system,” says Tshivhidzo. “We commissioned RCE to design
and introduce a new drainage system at Pietermaritzburg, and we
improved the stormwater drainage systems at Durban and Cleveland.”
Pietermaritzburg’s new drainage system meant that contingency funds
needed to be requested. Available funds were only ten per cent of the
value of the project, making it vital that the new design did not exceed
the available funds.
The majority of the work was undertaken within the permanent
way, making the safety aspect of these projects, due to the proximity
to operational trains, an incredibly important focus. “Our teams had to
remain alert at all times, be incredibly safety conscious and adhere to
the prescribed rules - or worst-case scenario there could have been
loss of life,” says Tshivhidzo.
The successful delivery of these projects’ was driven by skilled
supervision and an understanding of precision work; surveying ability
up to a tolerance of 1mm; and proper planning in terms of sequencing
of activities to avoid any access problems. The utilisation of a PY track
slab jig system resulted in a reduced construction period and a high
quality end-product.
The Gauteng (Cleveland) station rectification project was well-
received by commuters and the community at large. The workforce
was constantly complimented and the project was lauded as a
successful project in the State of the Gauteng Province address, even
before its completion.
The two KwaZulu-Natal sites were audited by the Department of
Labour that awarded them 100 per cent for operating in accordance
with required safety and legal requirements. “The civil team completed
the sites without a lost time injury (LTI) an achievement made possible
by dedicated staff and a labour force that took its safety seriously.”
1

9| Benchmark Volume 15 | May 2016 | 9| Benchmark Volume 15 | May 2016 |
“These rail projects have provided a good
development ground, in particular for the site agents,
whose people-management and planning skills grew
when faced with challenges,” says Tshivhidzo. “At the
heart of our successes here are the site teams, and
we commend them for executing a project with which
PRASA has expressed great satisfaction.
Captions:
1. The Cleveland site team, with trainee Kgololesego Lethoko on the far left; Moses
Tlou in the centre; and junior foreman Always Rambebu on the far right.
2. Andries Phetla operates the scabbier in preparation for the installation of Tac-Tiles.
3. Moses Tlou, Stefanutti Stocks site agent and Kgololesego Lethoko, trainee
safety officer from 4Phase Railtechnik inspect the work at Johannesburg’s
Cleveland station.
4. Jigs for the track slab are placed at the Pietermaritzburg Station.
5. Preparation for the Tac-Tiles (on the platforms) and earthworks in preparation
for the slabs at the Cleveland station.
6. The track slab is poured at Cleveland.
7. Operations at Cleveland station taking place in an operating station.
2 3
4
5 6
7

Concrete barriers completed for
stretch of
eThekweni
Municipality’s
IRPTN
Source: Siyabonga Hlophe
eThekwini Municipality is in the process of restructuring Durban’s
public transport infrastructure network with the objective of delivering a
safe, sustainable and efficient service through the establishment of an
Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network (IRPTN).
This includes an integrated package of rail and rapid bus trunk
routes with dedicated “right-of-way” feeders and a complimentary
service for public transport. The concrete scope for Work Package 3
is being undertaken by Stefanutti Stocks Civils KZN, for a Stefanutti
Stocks Roads & Earthworks/ Five and Only Developments joint venture.
The Civils KZN division is constructing two four-kilometre long
concrete barriers that will separate the road and create a central,
dedicated bus transport route.
Ancillaries to this dedicated bus lane include the widening
of a road-over-rail bridge, as well as the construction of concrete
F-parapets, bus station foundations and median barriers around the
pedestrian piers.
Certain aspects of the project have taken place in close proximity
to operational train traffic requiring interfacing with the Passenger
Rail Association of South Africa (PRASA). Applications for a window
to work on the railway line without rail traffic interference needed to
be submitted to PRASA a month in advance. Once a window was
granted, the project required precise planning in order to proceed as
seamlessly and efficiently as possible. Particular cognisance also had
to be taken of potential difficulties that may be experienced when a site
is located in the heart of a community, where public safety and security
is a key consideration.
The project, which is due for completion in July 2016, will have
utilised a total of 12 500m³ of concrete, 33 000m² of formwork and
650 tons of rebar.
Captions:
1. Work underway on the widening of road-over-rail bridge. The embankment is
protected and stabilised by means of a grouting/lateral support; an abutment
wall is constructed; precast beams are installed and the deck is cast. An eight-
metre fence has been erected as per PRASA specification in order to maintain
a safe working distance of three metres from the centre of the railway track.
2. An aerial view of the construction of the barriers (comprising of two-by-five
metre panels) along the route.
1
2

Construction
of ten SANRAL
bridges
to improve N7 road
infrastructure
Source: Stefan van Vuuren
Stefanutti Stocks Civils, in consortium with Power Construction
(consortium leader), is working on a three-year road improvement project
for SANRAL which entails the construction of ten bridges between
Abbotsdale and the Voortrekker Road interchange in Malmesbury,
Western Cape. In addition, two causeways, three culverts and a 2,4km-
long retaining wall form part of the scope of work on the project.
Five of the ten bridges are multiple span,
four are single-span bridges and the tenth is
a rail bridge, that is being constructed over
an operating railway line on which three trains
run daily. The bridges are being cast in situ,
and are all post tensioned (bar the rail bridge),
inverted, box, rib type bridges.
While demolishing three of the existing bridges, originally constructed
in the 1950s, an abundance of glass was unearthed. “The approach fill of
these bridges was constructed with material obtained from an old dump
site and our drilling operations revealed old, and in some cases intact and
collectable bottles in the fill,” says Stefanutti Stocks Civils' project manager
Stefan van Vuuren. To deal with the safety risk of the sheer quantity of
shattered glass flying out of the drill holes during drill operations, a safety
net was placed around the drill rod at the front of the drill rig.
In an otherwise relatively straightforward bridge construction project
a further unusual occurrence was the discovery of a live fountain under
the approach fill at one of the bridges. “The fountain caused a buildup
of hydrostatic pressure behind the lateral support which was a serious
concern to us,” says Van Vuuren, “and the design of the bridge will
need to be altered to accommodate the drainage of excess water.” The
fountain has maintained a continuous flow throughout one of the driest
summers in many years, and is still going strong.
On average the construction of a bridge takes between six to
eight months, and multiple teams are working across the five kilometre
stretch of road. “The weather conditions, in particular with regard
to high winds and winter rainfall, present a larger obstacle than we
initially expected, and maintaining the programme is a challenge,” says
Van Vuuren.
The project consists of two phases, and once the first causeway
has been completed (scheduled for August 2016), traffic will be
diverted onto it, and work on the second causeway will commence,
with a targeted completion date of end of 2017. At the end of April
2016 the project was about 20 per cent complete.
Captions:
1. An aerial photograph showing the new Darling intersection.
2. The south abutment of the rail bridge that is being constructed over an
operational railway line.
3. The bridge piers for a triple-span bridge under construction.
4. A selection of the intact and collectible glass bottles unearthed during drilling
operations at an approach to one of the bridges.
1
2
3
4

Botswana's
Kasane Airport
well underway
Source: Hugh Atkinson
The remote town of Kasane, home to an international airport
that serves as a tourist gateway to Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and
Zimbabwe, lies approximately 925 kilometres from Gaborone. In
November 2014 Stefanutti Stocks Botswana began improvements
to the Kasane Airport on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAB)
of Botswana.
The scope of work on the project includes the construction of a
new 6 400m2
terminal, followed by the refurbishment of the existing
1 500m2
terminal. The original scope grew with the recent award of the
airport IT systems to Stefanutti Stocks, which increased the contract
value by around 20 per cent, as well as resulting in the completion date
being extended to early 2017.
“Work on the new terminal building is progressing well, and once
this has been handed over to CAAB we will begin upgrading the
existing, smaller terminal,” says contracts manager Hugh Atkinson.
“We have completed six new staff houses and are currently refurbishing
eight existing staff houses, which entails demolishing and rebuilding
them from the foundations up.” Stefanutti Stocks is also constructing
a new pump house and water tanks, a workshop, a large vehicle bay
to the fire station, a new store-room, an ablution block and further
ancillary buildings.
The team is rising to the challenge of creating a first-world terminal
in an area that is essentially in the heart of the beautiful African
bush. The remoteness of the location does provide its fair share of
challenges, mainly pertaining to the availability of material, skilled
labour and site staff accommodation. “An occasional encounter with
some wild life on our way to or from work also serves as reminder that
we need to be cautious and respectful of the setting we are building
in,” says Atkinson.
Captions:
1. Progress at the airport terminal.
2. Pictured are some of the new staff houses.
3. From left to right are, standing: Lindela Ntombelaa, Dichtba Romontsho,
Gustav Mofekeng, Cobus le Roux (who recently completed ten years of
service), Emmanuel Boleseng, Dan Tsele, Jacques Wilbers, Oabile Pilane,
Joe Maake, Frank Wisotzki and Doug Wilson. Front row, from left ot right
are Solomon Ditsele and Theunis Schreuder. Inset top left is Tony Bothma,
and top right are Jerry Ferghese and Mick Sheerin. Not pictured is foreman
Alphas Kopano who completed his thirty years of service for the company
this year.
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13| Benchmark Volume 15 | May 2016 | 13| Benchmark Volume 15 | May 2016 |
Stefanutti Stocks constructs
107 kilometres of road for
Road
Development
Agency
in Zambia
Source: Wantz Klopper
The Bottom Road road construction project, being undertaken by
Stefanutti Stocks Zambia for the Road Development Agency (RDA),
lies in the Southern Province of Zambia. It spans a distance of 107,5
kilometres and runs along Lake Kariba in a north-south direction from
Chaboboma via Sinazeze to Sinazongwe.
The time that passed between the tender closing date in June
2013, and the first upfront payment in September 2015 meant that the
entire project needed to be re-scoped to account for two-years’ worth
of escalation and forex fluctuation.
Originally the entire road was meant to be surfaced with an asphalt
pavement, but due to the increased costs only 17 kilometres will now
be constructed with an asphalt pavement, with the remainder of the
road to be constructed with a gravel-wearing course. Furthermore, in
order to accommodate the client’s cash flow plan the contract period
has been increased from 24 months to 48 months.
A substantial accommodation camp, including offices, ablutions
and a workshop was constructed over four-and-a-half months using
prefabricated units that were dismantled at Mulilansolo in the Northern
Province and transported the 1 550 kilometres to the Gwembe Valley.
“Our home-away-from-home for the next four years has cheekily been
nicknamed the Southern Slums Hotel by its residents, and boasts a
swimming pool, lapa and bar built around a huge Baobab tree. It would
rival most luxury game lodges!” says Wantz Klopper, senior contracts’
manager. As the average summer temperature is around 42 degrees
with uncomfortably high humidity, all the units have been fitted with
air conditioners.
The road project will entail:
• 650 000m3
of earthworks;
• 325 000 m3
of layerworks;
• construction of six bridges with precast beams of different spans; and
• 26 500 m3
in situ, reinforced concrete culverts.
At the end of March approximately ten per cent of the project, entailing
ten kilometres of earthworks and sub-base, have been completed.
Captions:
1. The accommodation camp for the project has been built using prefabricated
units, and has a swimming pool, lapa and a bar at its heart.
2. Pictured is the site team, from left to right: James Rosslee, Fabian Wino, Idi
Chisanga, Killian Bboloka, Shaddrick Chipasha, Raphael Ndlovu and Rulof Nortje.
1
2

As the upgrade to Maydon Wharf enters its third year, work at
Berth 1 and 2 is nearly complete. The final elements of the revised
back-of-quay-drainage design are being installed, layer works are
being finalised and once these are completed, the final surfacing will
follow. The coping structure is complete, with the exception of bollards
and fenders, which will be installed once the scour rock installation,
currently in progress, is completed.
Similarly, the drainage, layer works and surfacing are nearing
completion at Berth 13 and 14, which in addition will require the
installation of a rail track prior to completion.
“Once Berth 1 and 2 are handed over, we will be granted access to
the final two berths, number 3 and 4, and the project will hit the home
straight,” says Stefanutti Stocks Marine contracts’ director Andrew
Pirrie. “We intend to put all the lessons learned on this mega project
over the past two years to good use, in order to make a strong finish!”
The project has seen the Stefanutti Stocks Axsys joint venture
team achieve a number of milestones and highlights, most notably
in the areas of safety and training, as well as in technical and
logistical aspects.
Safety
By the end of March 2016 the project had passed the 1,25-million
lost time injury free hours mark. “This is no small achievement, given
the congested nature of the site and the extensive range of activities
interacting over land and water,” says Pirrie. “This safety milestone is a
result of the collective efforts of the site team, with dedicated support from
the safety team whose attention and initiatives keep things on track.”
Incentives, such as the safest team of the month award, have
helped to keep everyone focused on working safely. In addition, much
hard work and energy has gone into ensuring successful visible felt
leadership (VFL) and planned task observations (PTOs). Detailed trend
analysis on these lead indicators have been used to identify potential
issues, thus enabling these to be addressed and incidents avoided,
through early action.
2
1
High profile
marine project at
Maydon
Wharf sets
new standards
By Andrew Pirrie

Training
In addition to achieving an exemplary safety performance, the
project has also afforded many participants the opportunity to increase
their skills and gain promotion.
Many employees were promoted to various positions after
completing the requisite training and certification process, as well as
customised internal training tailored to marine work.
Ongoing theory and practical assessments ensure that are all
operators continue to develop and maintain the necessary specialist
skills required to carry out the work safely and effectively. In order to
ensure that our foremen and production crews are aligned with the
internal safety training given to operators, they too participate in the
same training.
The project has also afforded the opportunity to several operators
to train and up-skill as specialist operators for our growing fleet of long-
reach excavator dredging equipment, a rare and essential skill within
the marine construction environment.
“The process for training and providing
clear career direction for our piling crews is
also becoming more formalised, and is being
implemented to ensure that we maintain
the level of skills required to grow within this
specialist industry, with its unique skills-set
requirements,” says Pirrie.
TECHNICAL
With four of the six berths substantially complete, the following
technically challenging aspects of the project have been mastered:
Installation of anchor piling (please see article by Tim Milner, page 16)
The Müller Verpress or HP piling technique posed many
challenges to the team, ranging from grout mix issues due to
cement supply problems, through to breaking grout pipes - all of
which were overcome. “The team involved must be given credit for
its determination in working through each challenge as it arose and
finding innovative solutions to address these,” says Pirrie. “It is only
a pity that, just as they were getting into their stride they reached the
end of the current berths. We look forward to seeing them back in
action soon on Berths 3 and 4.”
Successful completion of the fender structure
The ‘fender panel’ portion of the coping structure has been one
of the real challenges on the project. The specification calls for this
element to be cast in the dry, by means of a de-watered shutter. This is
easier said than done when the bottom part of the pour is permanently
below the water line; the shape of the piles that the shutter needs
to seal to is almost infinitely variable; the existing and new piles to
which the shutter is applied are to a large extent prone to leaking; and
finally, above mid-tide the shutter floods with water from all directions
regardless of the effectiveness of the shutter.
These ‘wet challenges’ meant in addition to having to be painstakingly
surveyed, each and every pour required the design and construction of a
new seal. Divers are required to tighten and align the shutter at its base,
and then the pour must be perfectly timed to coincide with the low tide.
This means a fleet of ready-mix trucks on site, ready to discharge in
order to stay ahead of the tide as it rises. “Should the tide get ahead of
the pour when the ‘flood’ level is reached, then all is lost,” explains Pirrie.
“The team certainly felt the pressure to bring it all together, and managed
to beat the tide each time while learning a few new tricks along the way.”
These elements have been completed on current berths, and
the shutters are now stacked up waiting to be deployed on the
remaining berths.
Logistics
Mention of the tricky logistics of managing the project, which is spread
over four working areas, must be made. These are spread out across
the Maydon Wharf precinct, placing speed and efficiency of movement
between them at the mercy of the traffic congestion in the precinct.
With no real storage area on the berths, keeping the teams moving
- without either jamming the site due to an excess materials, or grinding
to a halt due to lack of materials, requires a fine balancing act.
“While communication and coordination can be difficult, our teams
are getting it done, and continue to persevere to ensure we hand over
a project we are proud to have on our portfolio,” concludes Pirrie.
Captions:
1. Berth 13 and 14, similar to Berths 1 and 2 are nearing completion on drainage,
layerworks and surfacing. However, berth 13 and 14 will still require the
installation of a rail track prior to completion.
2. The coping structure construction nearing completion at Berth 14.
3. The specification for fender structures calls for the structures to be cast in the dry,
by means of a de-watered shutter, pictured above. Each and every pour requires
the design and construction of a new seal to overcome water and tidal challenges.
4. Berth 2, with its existing gantry structure blocking access, must be noted for
its awkwardness.
3 4

The berth reconstruction begins with demolishing the existing
cope beam and excavating behind the quay wall to reduce the active
pressure acting on the aged wall. This ensures the wall does not fail
due to imposed loads during the construction phase. The specification
prescribed the use of impact hammers in lieu of vibratory hammers
as it is a known fact that these hammers have the potential to induce
a vibration into the surrounding soil matrix due to the high frequency
of the hammer. This vibration could liquefy the soil in a localised area
around the toe of the existing wall which would reduce the soils shear
properties, most likely causing the toe of the existing sheet pile wall to
rotate inducing a catastrophic failure.
The specified combination wall supplied by Arcelor Mittal comprises
of Double I section HZ 1180M/Sol 24 piles (king piles) which form
the structural elements and AZ 18-700 sheet piles which act as filler
sections. The team makes use of a 7-bay pile guide frame (modified
from lessons learnt on the previous Berth 12 contract) to ensure the
piles are kept within their vertical and horizontal alignment tolerances
and do not twist.
Piling
Before the piling can begin the piles are prepared in Lot 3 (an area
allocated by Transnet for the duration of the contract) where there is
only sufficient space for one third of the project’s piles. This creates
a logistical challenge to keeping the site supplied with material, while
timing the incoming shipments of piles from the Netherlands.
In Lot 3 the king piles are profiled with a curved cutting edge to aid
installation, and the anchor piles are prepared for the grout system.
To ensure the king piles are transported and off-loaded in good time,
bespoke pile bogeys and crawler cranes with the capacity to oﬄoad
the piles on land and place them onto the supply barges, are utilised.
Piling is undertaken by a seasoned team from their 40x15 metre
floating office, equipped with a 180-ton crawler crane, hydraulic piling
hammer and additional personnel facilities. The hammer with a 16-ton
ram drives the 27-ton king piles into position in quick succession (piling
rule of thumb recommends a hammer of minimum half the weight of
the pile being driven).
While the Marine team is driving the combination wall the land-
based crew immerse themselves (literally! due to the tidal variances)
in the work of removing the timber piles which formed part of the
old quay structure. These piles are removed by means of a vibrator
hammer and a 110-ton crawler crane. Even with a custom hydraulic
clamping device the team still battles to extract the piles as the
wood exposed in the tidal zone has decayed at an accelerated pace
leaving a very thin hourglass-shaped section which often shears
during extraction.
Anchor Piling
Berth 12 made use of a dead-man anchor wall to tie back the
combination wall, however this is not possible on the current project
as there are access restrictions and existing structures impeding the
placement of the dead-man wall. RCE, the design consultant for
Transnet Capital Projects, proposed that a new technology be used in
place of the dead-man anchor wall.
Although a first for South Africa, the Müller Verpress Pile (MV-Pile
or HP) has been used extensively in Germany, the Netherlands and
the United States for anchoring large combination-wall systems (both
grouted and un-grouted) as an alternative to the traditional dead-man
anchor solution and is known to be exceptionally economical both in
terms of cost and performance.
The system makes use of H-section bearing piles supplied with
thickened flanges by Arcelor. The piles are usually driven at 45 degrees
to the combination wall and through the centre of the king pile to which
it is later pinned. While the pile is being driven to level, grout is pumped
out near the toe of the pile at 10 bar through modifications made at
Lot 3. The grout acts as lubricant during driving and once set it bonds
to the steel pile and the surrounding substrate increasing the frictional
resistance of the anchor, as well as as protecting it from the adverse
effects of corrosion.
Müller Verpress Piling
at Maydon Wharf
- a First for South Africa
By Tim Milner
(an extract from an article written by Tim Milner, Stefanutti Stocks Marine’s tender manager. The full article was published in the SAICE magazine and is
available in the news section at www.stefanuttstocks.com)
EveryHPpileispreparedwithacuttingtoe,grout
shoe and steel grout tubes prior to installation.
The grout tubes terminate at the toe of the pile in
the ‘shoe’, which creates a void around the pile
as it is driven into the soil which is filled with grout.
Section from a temporary works drawing depicting maximum load capacities
behind the quay wall.

27t king piles driven with a hydraulic impact hammer from a floating plant. Driving infill AZ sheets.
The piling rig is mounted on a hydraulic platform allowing the rig to be shifted
incrementally during the alignment of the pile prior to driving.
Extraction of timber piles with hydraulic vibrator and clamp, note clamp is semi
submerged due to pile shearing off below the low water level.
Raking the pile line prior to driving ensured no obstructions within the top 2m of the
seabed could affect the piling.
Once the HP piles are driven they are pinned to the king pile.
The anchor piling barge, The Niord, is the price of the project. It
is a bespoke piling barge capable of driving the 33-metre long HP
piles, while grout is simultaneously pumped at 10 bar from a colloidal
mixing plant on land. The grout acts both as a lubricant for driving and
a bonding agent.
A converted Hitachi piling rig is mounted on a hydraulic platform
which in turn is fitted to the barge. It was procured in the Netherlands
along with the expertise of a Dutch piling engineer (who better to
learn from than the masters of piling?). The engineer assisted the
team to set up the piling rig and was present during the driving of the
first few piles. Stefanutti Stocks’ local team soon learnt the ropes and
can now install piles at a rapid rate. (This is definitely the right tool for
the job!)
The HP piling rig makes use of an IHC 70 hydraulic piling hammer
to drive the piles, the barge is capable of jacking itself out of the water
which prevents it from being affected by the waves of passing vessels,
the swell in the harbour and also prevents the piling being affected
by tidal variations. By operating on a hydraulic platform the rig can
be positioned to an accuracy of a millimetre as well as track to three
positions per barge movement.
The success of the HP piling can be measured through the
results of the test piles which have passed the stringent testing and
specification requirements set out in the contract.
The Stefanutti Stocks Axsys JV has
proudly accomplished the successful
implementation of Müller Verpress
Piling - for the first time ever in South
Africa - at Maydon Wharf.

on progress, the management style of TCP has mitigated these delays
as much as possible. “TCP and Stefanutti Stocks have embraced the
spirit of clause 10.1 of the New Engineering Contract (NEC) which
states that The Employer, the Contractor, the Project Manager and the
Supervisor shall act as stated in this contract and in a spirit of mutual
trust and co-operation,” says project manager Sheldon Randall.
“Completing this project with minimal disruptions to traffic and port
operations, while not compromising on safety or quality is a daunting
yet exciting challenge that we look forward to delivering on.”
Captions:
1. An aerial perspective of the main access road into Pier 2 at Durban's container terminal.
2. Figure 1 shows the layer work design of the high-spec pavement that is being
constructed.
Durban Container Terminal’s Pier 2 carries approximately 2-million
TEUs1
- a figure that is expected to grow to 3,3-million TEUs by 2017/18.
The large volumes of cargo are transported either into, or out of the terminal
via Langeberg and Bayhead Road. These roads carry a high proportion
of heavy-vehicle traffic that services the southern port precinct and often
reach gridlock during peak periods of the day. Interestingly, Bayhead Road
is reportedly one of the highest axle-loaded roads in Southern Africa.
This high volume of heavily laden traffic has taken its toll on
Transnet’s internal roads network and in September 2015 the
rehabilitation contract for the main access road into Pier 2 at Durban’s
Container Terminal was awarded to Stefanutti Stocks Civils KZN.
Stefanutti Stocks has been mandated by project managers Transnet
Capital Projects (TCP) to ensure that construction operations result in
minimal disruption to Transnet operations and that traffic into the continent’s
busiest container terminal continues to flow as smoothly as possible.
The work scope on this engineering and construction contract includes
the construction of temporary deviations with a full traffic management
plan; exposing, relocating and encasing a labyrinth of existing services; and
the subsequent construction of a high-spec pavement. The requirement
that this “super” pavement withstand the heavy-loads entering or exiting
Pier 2, and do so for a lifespan of thirty years, resulted in a highly specified
layer works design, as indicated in Figure 1.
The layer work design culminates in a base layer consisting of a
180mm high modulus asphalt (EME) chosen for its high elastic stiffness,
high resistance to permanent (plastic) deformation and fatigue failure.
It is also easy to work with, resistant to moisture and suitable for high-
traffic, high-load surfaces.
The EME is covered by a 50mm layer of asphalt-wearing course
with Salvicum, which is a strong, multi-purpose semi-rigid industrial
surfacing system from Salphalt. It was chosen for its outstanding
physical qualities and durable wearing course, as well as its ability to
meet the high-specifications required.
The project is being approached in a phased manner whereby
once the first carriageway has been completed, traffic will then be
diverted onto the rehabilitated section, and work will begin on the
second carriageway.
The full-extent of the underground services only became apparent
once the contract had commenced, and while this discovery impacted
Civils KZN division
rehabilitates main
access into
Transnet's
Pier 2
Source: Sheldon Randall
50mm Asphalt wearing course with Salvicum
180mm High Modululs Asphalt (EME)
150mm C3
150mm C3
150mm C3
150mm G6
150mm Insitu material
1
2
1
TEU stands for Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit which can be used to measure a ship's cargo carrying capacity. The dimensions of one TEU are equal to that of a standard 20' shipping
container. 20 feet long, 8 feet tall. Usually 9-11 pallets are able to fit in one TEU.

Mediterranean Shipping
Company (MSC) Terminal
nears completion
Source: Bradley Randall
Stefanutti Stocks Civils KZN is nearing completion on the 16-month
contract to upgrade the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
terminal in Ambrose Park on Bayhead Road in Durban’s Bluff.
The project scope entails the construction of
a 116 600m2
430-mm thick concrete platform
(equaling24rugbyfieldsalongsideoneanother),
and all associated services to the project.
These include storm-water, sewer, and a water-ring main with fire
hydrants; the perimeter concrete fence; an asphalted access road;
as well as the installation of lights around the perimeter and electrical
cable ducts for future works.
“Since we arrived on site on 2 February 2015, our construction
activities have not been allowed to impede operations at the container
terminal,” says site agent Bradley Randall. “This has required clear
communication, clever planning, and setting and meeting milestones
to ensure operations continue as normal.”
Further critical success factors on the project have included the
delivery of workmanship of consistently high quality across the large
volumes of earthworks and concrete construction, as well as an
unwavering commitment to safety that has resulted in a lost time injury
free rate (LTIFR) of zero to date (mid-April 2016).
“Other highlights on the project include a glowing review from the
design engineer, regarding the quality and execution of works to date, as
well as the celebration of five long-service awards,” concludes Randall.
The project is on track for completion in June 2016.
1
2
Captions:
1. An aerial photograph of the container hard stand taken in early April 2016.
2. Celebrating their twenty years’ long-service awards are, from left to right:
Voni Simelane, George Khumalo, contracts director Clive Reucasell,
Bhekizenzo Maphumulo and Bhekinkosi Nsele. (Beryl Nxumalo who also
celebrated 20 years of service is not pictured).

Industrial Plants, Oil & Gas
Civils KZN completes
fourth oil & gas project for
Sasol in
Mozambique
Source: Bob Fordyce
In March 2016 Stefanutti Stocks Civils KZN completed its fourth
project for Sasol Petroleum Mozambique Limitada. This entailed the
construction of access roads and five well pads spread across the
Temane and Inhassoro gas fields, and located over a 50-kilometre
distance from the central processing plant (CPF) in Temane.
The first three projects were undertaken at the CPF and included
the bulk earthworks and substation construction of the low-pressure
compression (LPC) project; the civil construction for the LPC project;
as well as the electrical and super heater expansion project.
The Temane fields will increase the supply of gas to the CPF, while
the Inhassoro fields will produce light crude which will be supplied via
flow lines to the new liquids plant in the CPF.
The scope of work included associated civil construction,
earthworks, roads (gravel as well as chip and spray) and early drilling
operations. The early drilling component was subcontracted to a
company from Botswana whose equipment convoy of seventeen
trucks was held up at the border for over two months. “Mozambique
is an interesting and unique country and in spite of having worked
here for decades, occasionally it still manages to surprise us!” says
contracts manager Bob Fordyce.
The early drilling, or ‘top hole drilling’ was a first for Stefanutti Stocks
and its subcontractor, and saw the 19- and 23-inch casings being
installed and grouted at 170-metre depths. Sasol will drill vertically and
horizontally to much greater depths to get into the gas source.
In order to achieve Sasol’s target dates a Vilanculos-based
contractor was used to supply the bulk of the plant utilised for the
earthworks component. The locally procured fleet included 20 tipper
trucks, four dozers, five excavators, eight graders, seven water tankers
and seven 10-ton rollers.
On the safety front, one of the measures included the 24/7 presence
of a full-time paramedic and a fully-equipped ambulance on the Inhassoro
sites. “We’re proud of the site team’s achievement of a total of 380 739 man
hours, with a lost time injury free rate (LTIFR) of zero,” concludes Fordyce.
Captions:
1. Top hole grouting at the well pad.
2. The drill rig is set up prior to top hole drilling commencing.
3. The well pad earthworks in full swing.
1
2 3

Stefanutti Stocks
Zambia completes
agricultural
irrigation dams
and spillways
Source: Reece Bester
Stefanutti Stocks Zambia has completed the construction of
two clay-core earth-fill dams for its agricultural client Amatheon-Agri
Zambia. The 500-metre long Abba Dam and the 1 050-metre long
Katanga Dam will be used for the irrigation of a 12 000-hectare farm
that primarily grows maize and keeps cattle.
The project also included the construction of two unique spillways.
The 200-metre long Abba Dam spillway was designed as a straight
spillway and has a 36-metre wide, and up to seven-metres deep stilling
basin that has been lined with a two-millimetre thick HDPE liner. A total
quantity of 7 100m3
of gabion baskets and reno mattresses were
installed at a daily production rate of 150m3
/day in order to meet the
contractual programme.
The 375-metre long Katonga Dam spillway was designed as an
arched spillway with a 36-metre wide, and up to two-metres deep
stilling basin that has been lined with a two-millimetre thick HDPE liner.
A total quantity of 7 060m3
of gabion baskets and reno mattresses
were installed at a daily production rate of 170m3
/day.
The project included a development initiative whereby smaller
contractors and 150 members of the surrounding community were
trained by senior foreman Sipho Mlambo on how to tie and pack gabion
baskets and reno mattresses. The newly-developed trainees worked
side-by-side with the Stefanutti Stocks teams who worked 12-hour
shifts per dam daily in order to achieve the required completion date.
Fortunately it was possible to source sufficient, good quality material
for the gabions within the project’s location and the crushing of all gabion
rock was undertaken on site. This would usually have been procured
from a commercial source, the closest of which is located 250km away.
“In order to achieve on programme delivery of this fast-paced dam
construction project we hauled and processed in excess of 400 000m3
of core-and-fill material in the six weeks preceding the Christmas
shutdown,” explains site agent Reece Bester. “In order to achieve our
client’s December target we pulled out all the stops, and the site could
easily have been mistaken for a contract mining operation due to the
pace at which the team was moving material!”
Captions:
1. The completed Abba Dam spillway.
2. Pictured inside the completed Abba Dam spillway are from left to right: Kelvin
Banda (foreman), Sipho Mlambo (foreman), Lesedi Masenya (sub-agent), Jairos
Phiri (mechanic), Reece Bester (site agent), Kingsley Booi (grader operator),
Adelino Manrique (mechanic), Bennie Summers (production manager) and Elton
Chirwa (site engineer).
Water, Sanitation & Pipelines
1
2

Office
accommodation
Retail &
parkades
Petrochemical
plants
Hotels &
leisure
Earth
dams
Power
plants
Pipelines
High-rise
residential
Dams
Mill & kiln
installation
Industrial
plants
Golf course
construction
Green
buildings
Stadia
Bulk
excavations
Healthcare
facilities
Piling
Sewer /
storm water
reticulation
Directional drilling
Duct
reticulation
Earthworks
Bridge &
structural
jacking
Bridges-
incrementally
launched,
conventional,
cable stayed,
balanced cantilever.
Reservoirs
Guniting Lateral
support
Structural
rehabilitation
to power
plants
Surface &
underground
fibre optic
Interior fit-out &
refurbishment
Design & build
Marinas
Structural,
mechanical, piping,
electrical &
instrumentation
Structures
• heavy industrial structures
• power projects
• mining infrastructure
• bridges
• water & waste-
water treatment
• concrete rehabilitation
Roads & Earthworks
• bulk earthworks
• road construction
& rehabilitation
• crushing & screening
• asphalt manufacture
& paving
• fibre-optic infrastructure
• dam construction
• mine infrastructure
& development
• agricultural development
Pipelines
• large/small diameter
welded steel pipe
• HDPE pipelines
• ductile pipelines
• oil & gas pipelines
• pump, mechanical &
electrical installations
• in-situ concrete lining
of pipelines
Marine
• jetties
• quay walls
• breakwaters
• scour protection and dredging
• caissons and pre-cast structures
• slipways and boat ramps
• marine furniture
• design and construction
• revetments and shore protection
Geotechnical
• geotechnical investigation
& reports
• installation of different
types of piles
• lateral support
• rock anchoring
& shot-creting
• consolidation &
other grouting
• diaphragm walls
Housing
Pipe spool
fabrication
Stefanutti Stocks - multidisc

Landfill
sites
Overburden
stripping Surface &
underground
conveyor
construction &
refurbishment
Concrete & earth canals
Effluent & water
treatment plants
Educational
institutions
River protection
Shopping complex
Airports
Airport aprons &
taxiways
Storage
facilities
Plate work
Tank building
Transport
nodes
Large industrial
factories
Quay walls
Caissons
Marine piling
Structural repair
& rehabilitation
Control buoy
gravity bases
Precast concrete
for marine
structures
Jetties
Container
terminals
Docks
Slipways
Railways
& stations
Breakwaters
Surface &
underground
piping
Surface &
underground
lighting
Decline shafts
Tailings dams
Discard
heaps
Structural &
concrete
repairs
Material
handling
infrastructure
Mechanical & electrical
& instrumentation
Open cast mining
Industrial
parks
Office parks
Structural, mechanical,
piping, electrical
& instrumentation
Middle East
• general construction
• electromechanical
• interior fit-outs
& refurbishment
Mechanical & Electrical
• structural steel erection
• mechanical equipment installation
• pipe spool fabrication
• installation of process piping systems
• plant shut down & maintenance
• water treatment plants
• switchgear & motor control
centre installation
• control system installation
• electrical field device installation
• field instrumentation installation
• commissioning assistance
Mining Services
contract mining
• open pit mine design, planning & optimisation
• fleet simulation & selection
• contract mining
• crushing and screening
• rehabilitation and closure
materials handling
• energy coal processing
• discard and fine coal disposal & recovery
• coal management
tailings management
• design solutions and construction management
• waste facility operations & management
• hydraulic mining and dredging
• rehabilitation & closure
Building Construction
• commercial buildings
• high-rise buildings
• industrial & service buildings
• hotels
• shopping centres
• mass housing
• township and residential
developmentsg
Road
construction
ciplinary construction group

The uThungulu District Municipality awarded
phase 1D of the upgrade of the bulk water supply
and reticulation to Kwahlokohloko SSA1 to a joint
venture between Stefanutti Stocks Pipelines and
Letsatsi Civil Construction and Plant Hire.
Project overview
This 50-week long project forms part of an overall scheme to improve
water supply to the Kwahlokohloko and Eshowe supply areas. The joint
venture is undertaking Phase 1D (of a total of six) of the bulk water supply
scheme project, which comprises the construction of approximately 4.6
kilometres of new ND900 steel rising main, and appurtenant pipeline works.
Extent of the works
The contract is for the supply of all labour, plant and materials
required to complete the full scope of work of Phase 1D, which
comprises the following elements:
• Site establishment and removal of establishment on completion;
• Compliance with relevant health, safety and environmental regulations;
• Site clearance, excavation and bedding to the 4.6-kilometre long
ND 900mm Class X42 welded -steel pipeline, with cement mortar
lined with Sintakote;
• Specials, fittings, valve installation and chambers;
• Gabion, stone pitching and headwall protection works;
• Fencing and re-instatement; and
• Corrosion protection.
Location of the works
The project is situated between Eshowe and Empangeni within the
uThungulu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. The supply area is situated
along the R66 to the Goedertrouw Dam (also known as the Phobane Dam).
Contract participation goal
The objective of uThungulu District Municipality's targeted
procurement policy is to bring about meaningful transformation in
the built environment through economic participation, transfer of
technical, management and entrepreneurial skills as well as the
creation of sustainable large black enterprises. Stefanutti Stocks
Pipelines are achieving this goal through a joint venture with Letsatsi
Civil Construction and Plant Hire that sees the company actively
engaging and mentoring Letsatsi employees.
Project progress
The project commenced in late October 2015, site establishment
was completed in November 2015 and pipe delivery started in
December 2015. Site activities such as clearing and grubbing, stripping
Stefanutti Stocks-Letsatsi Joint Venture constructs
4.6-kilometre pipeline
By Richard Harrison
topsoil, trench excavations and bedding started in January 2016 and
pipe-laying began in February 2016.
By the end of March 1 850-metres of trench had been excavated,
and a total of 1 100-metres of steel pipe had been laid. The joint
venture is on schedule for practical completion on 10 November 2016.
Captions:
1. A sideboom prepares to lay a 900ND steel pipe.
2. Stefanutti Stocks' team of welders weld the newly laid pipe.
3. The site team, front row from left to right are Jan Smit, Daniel Modiba and
Sam Mabela. Back row left to right are Walter Mukosi, Rudi Stander, Matimba
Mkhwanazi, Stevan Haley, Brian Jali and Anton Brink.
1
2
3

26 500 low-income dwelling units in surrounding residential areas, as
well as the Mangaung Correctional Services.
An unusual aspect of the project is the elevated inlet-works structure.
“Traditionally inlet works are built into the ground, however, the inlet works
we are constructing here are elevated to accommodate gravitational flow
of sewerage throughout the plant,” explains senior site agent Craig Cock.
The new lane will initially provide a process capacity of
14 Ml-a-day with a hydraulic capacity of 20 Ml-a-day. Ultimately it will
have a combined process and hydraulic capacity of 20 Ml-a-day.
Captions:
1. A 3D view of the Sterkfontein WWTW inlet works.
2. The general arrangement of the Sterkfontein WWTW inlet works.
The New North
Eastern WWTW
The New North Eastern WWTW project, also being undertaken
for the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, is being constructed to
relieve the load on an existing, hydraulically overloaded facility that
services the greater Bloemfontein area.
Phase 1, completed by Stefanutti Stocks Civils KZN in 2015, entailed
the civil construction of new waste-water treatment infrastructure
elements and included new inlet works; secondary settling tanks;
chlorination tanks and buffer ponds; concrete lined sludge lagoons;
pump stations and associated pipe works; a chlorine-dosing building
and an administration building.
Stefanutti Stocks Structures’ strategic enterprise development partner
Axsys Projects undertook certain elements of the work on Phase 1.
A further extension at the New North Eastern WWTW, encompassing
construction of a biological reactor; blower room building and the laying of
1 080m-long, 1 500mm HDPE outfall pipeline, was awarded to the division.
Once complete, the 45 Ml-a-day works will be the largest of its
kind in the Mangaung District.
Captions:
1. The chlorine dosing channels at the new North Eastern Waste Water Treatment Works.
2. The bio reactor at the new North Eastern Waste Water Treatment Works.
3. The bio reactor at the new North Eastern Waste Water Treatment Works.
1
2
1 32
Construction of new
lane commences at
Mangaung’s
Sterkwater
Waste-Water
TreatmentWorks
Source: Craig Cock
Repeat client Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality awarded the
construction of a new treatment lane at the Sterkwater Waste-Water
Treatment Works (WWTW) to Stefanutti Stocks Civils KZN.
The new lane is being constructed on the existing Sterkwater WWTW
site located south-east of Bloemfontein that serves approximately
2

Energy Generation
Stefanutti Stocks rebuilds and strengthens coal
silos and other coal handling infrastructure at
Majuba Power Station
Source: Francois Vermeulen
In late 2014 the collapse of Coal Silo 20 at the Majuba Power Station
in Mpumalanga made headlines across South Africa. Investigations by an
Eskom engineering team observed further external cracks and damage
on Silo 20’s lift shaft, conveyor piers and two more silos (Silos 10 and 30).
During the technical pre-qualification stage Eskom shortlisted
several contractors and, in late 2015, awarded this tender to a Stefanutti
Stocks RULA consortium. The project was awarded to the consortium
on the basis of a fixed lump-sum project for the design and construction
of earthworks, civils, mechanical and electrical & instrumentation (E&I).
Work commenced on site on 4 January 2016 with a targeted
completion date for the civil construction component of 2 August
2016. The mechanical and electrical installations undertaken by RULA
Bulk Material Handling, is to be completed by December 2016.
ThescopeoftheEngineer-Procure-Construct(EPC)projectincludes
the dismantling of existing structures; new designs; procurement,
fabrication, and manufacturing; delivery to site of new components and
material; followed by erection and installation. The civil silo repair was
designed by Eskom’s engineers, while the structural, mechanical and
E&I is designed, fabricated and erected by RULA.
Stefanutti Stocks’ civil scope specifically includes the reinstatement of
Silo 20, as well as the strengthening of Silos 10 and 30, and all supporting
systems including lift shaft, transfer houses, conveyor gantries and two
new piers comprising of 65m-high rectangular hollow concrete columns.
The reconstruction of Silo 20 includes demolishing about half of the
silo,strengtheningathirdwithanadditionaloutsidewall,andreconstructing
the remaining two thirds with a new outside wall. The strengthening of
Silos 10 and 30 will see an additional single wall installed to two thirds of
the existing silos. Stefanutti Stocks has three 72-metre high, self-standing
tower cranes situated at each of the silos respectively.
Scheduling
“The programme is very tight with specific key milestone dates that we
are working on 24 hours per day, seven days a week to meet,” says Francois
Vermeulen, Stefanutti Stocks Civils contracts director for the project. “RULA’s
access to Silo 20 is critical as they need to first install transfer grillage to the
main structure, after which the steel conveyor gantry sections will be installed.”
The transfer house (the main structure) is located on the top of Silo
20 with the overhang structural beams resting on the two new piers.
Access to the top of Silo 20 is via the lift shaft which is also being
rebuilt after being damaged in the collapse. The piers and lift shaft are
scheduled to be completed shortly after the completion of Silo 20.
“The lift shaft structure is currently being reinstated by means of slip-
forming,” explains Vermeulen, “whilst the piers are being constructed
using a conventional hand-over-hand formwork system.”
This project is unique in that it is a full EPC design and construct
project in which all different role players are working as one team, thus
making the interface between the consortium parties critical in achieving
the project's success. “The unusual interface and the niche construction
methodologies applied mean that the project team must plan and act as
a unit in order to achieve the fast track schedule,” concludes Vermeulen.
Captions:
1. Silo 20, the piers and the lift shaft under reconstruction.
2. Silo 10 after it has been cleaned and 8000 chemical anchors installed in preparation
for strengthening.
1 2

Divisions from all four of the multidisciplinary construction group
Stefanutti Stocks’ business units (Building; Structures; Mechanical &
Electrical; Roads, Pipelines & Mining Services) have participated in the
construction of the Kusile Power Station in Mpumalanga.
The most high-profile and visually evident aspect of this mega-
project, was the civil works contract undertaken by the Kusile Civils
Works Joint Venture (KCWJV) with Stefanutti Stocks Civils as the
lead partner. This was completed in September 2015, after a seven-year
construction period, during which some of the JV highlights included:
• The construction of the dewatering building base - a continuous
concrete pour over three days and using a total of 3 636m3
of concrete.
• The successful construction of four Turbine Generator Blocks in
one year.
• The successful sliding of 120 55-metre high Air-Cooled
Condenser columns.
• The completion of three boiler units in one year (combined these
three boiler units have around 55 000m2
of apron slabs).
• The boiler house team alone poured just over 46 886m3
of
concrete in 2014.
• The achievement of the safety milestone of 10-million lost time
injury free (LTIF) hours worked in July 2015.
Currently the KCWJV is working on the civil
completion works phase.
Stefanutti Stocks Roads & Earthworks commenced the bulk
and restricted excavation for the power station in 2009, a contract
which saw the division excavate in excess of 1,5-million-m3
and backfill
in excess of 1-million-m3
. The division’s scope of work also included
blasting, construction of three dirty dams, laying of pipelines and the
construction of access roads.
South Africa’s largest piling contract, awarded to Stefanutti Stocks
Geotechnical (lead partner) in a Joint Venture, was completed in 2011.
The project entailed the design and construction of 8 540 auger cast-
in-situ piles (800 - 1 200mm diameter) designed to carry their loads in
a combination of side shear and end bearing. Other highlights included
the removal of boulders and obstructions using coring barrels, and the
utilisation of 77 725m3
of concrete and 9 229 tons of rebar.
StefanuttiStocksCivilsinaseparateJointVenture,alsoundertook
the design and construction of the material handling silos including six
5 000-ton fly-ash storage silos, two 1 000-ton coal surcharge silos,
the ash-conditioning building and fly-ash dump. A further project the
division undertook at Kusile saw it apply its resources and skills to the
structural concrete construction of the coal stock yard, terrace material
handling and limestone material handling facilities.
Stefanutti Stocks Building, again in a Joint Venture, is currently
undertaking a building contract that sees the JV constructing a total of 84
buildings and structures that form an integral part of the 4 800MW Kusile
Power Station. These structures include conventional buildings, 27 sub-
stations, a water treatment plant, wastewater treatment plant, access control
building, workshop, administration offices as well as the masonry and finishes
within the six-storey auxiliary bays that alone comprise of 20-million bricks.
Stefanutti Stocks Mechanical undertook the fabrication and
erection of steel work to six miscellaneous structures, as well as the
erection of free issue steel work to a further five structures.
“A project like the construction of the Kusile Power Station project
only comes along once or maybe twice in your lifetime,” says Mark
Stannard, KCWJV’s project director and Stefanutti Stocks Civils
managing director.
“In addition to contributing via our
multidisciplinary capabilities, these Kusile
contracts have all provided an incredible
learninggroundforprofessionals,theworkforce,
graduates, interns and apprentices - all of
whom have benefited from their participation in
this technically exciting mega project.”
Caption:
The aerial photograph show the vast construction scope of the Kusile Power
Station project.
Construction group Stefanutti Stocks
puts its multidisciplinary skills to play
at Kusile Power Station
By Chrissi Maria

which needed to be drilled through in order to achieve the minimum
required rock sockets, impacted on the production schedule.
Furthermore unexpected water seepage below eight metres deep
required proper planning for drilling, pile-base cleaning and concrete
pouring. In some of the piles, mainly in the backfilled areas, severe
water ingress and associated side-wall collapses required the utilisation
of temporary casings.
This project had very tight milestones and required sections to be
handed over in early January 2016, with heavy penalties as a result of
not completing on time.
“Our planning in terms of material
procurement, mobilising to site and the
execution of the works had to be very precise,”
says Motaung. “We put a sound strategy
in place and completed the overall works
and sectional hand overs two weeks ahead
of schedule!”
Quality control - pile compression load tests
Sasol technology partner Air Liquide's, specification required
pile compression load tests be done on three 750mm-diameter piles
carrying a working load of 2 765kN. The piles were loaded to 1.5 x
working load as per the testing specifications.
“The main purpose for conducting the pile compression load testing
is to validate and to check compliance with the design specifications,”
explains project manager Teboho Motaung. “In order to allow the
application of a load to the test pile for an extended period of time this
method of testing involved the use of a reaction system, using a 500-
ton jack to apply the required test load of 4 147kN.”
As pile-compression load testing is regarded as temporary works,
the method and assembly of the tests were carried out in accordance
with the requirements of SANS1200F, British Standard and the South
African Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act.
Captions:
1. Stefanutti Stocks Geotechnical's piling rigs on site, with the Sasol plant in
the background.
2. A typical pile compression load test assembly used at Sasol Train 17th Plant.
Stefanutti Stocks’ Geotechnical division has successfully executed
numerous geotechnical projects for Sasol, including the Oxygen Train
16th project, completed in 2009.
In November 2015 the piling works contract for what will be the
worlds’ largest Oxygen production facility, the new Oxygen Train 17th
Plant, was awarded to Stefanutti Stocks Geotechnical.
The scope of works on this piling contract included the following:
• Preliminary designs at the tender stage and further auger trial
holes to verify the founding conditions.
• Final construction design with piles carrying loads in side-shear
only, including client’s minimum requirements based on the auger-
trial holes information.
• Installation of 516 temporary cased and uncased Auger-Cased
In Situ (ACIS) structural piles, with diameters ranging between
450mm to 750mm.
• Installation of three 750mm-diameter compression-load test piles,
with four anchor piles for each test.
The project was not without its challenges. The discovery of an
unforeseen hard rock layer of dolerite beneath 83 per cent of the site,
Geotechnical completes another piling project for
Sasol's Oxygen Train Plant
Source: Teboho Motaung
1
Bulk Earthworks & Geotechnical

24 - BENCHMARK VOL 15

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