Isak Venter Receives Geotechnical Gold Medal

April 2018 Vol 26 No 3 Isivili Enjiniyering ISAK VENTER SWARTBERG DUBAI CREEK RECEIVES PASS TOWER: GEOTECHNICAL EMERGENCY FOUNDING AN GOLD MEDAL REHABILITATION ICONIC BUILDING Est 1974 DELIVERING TOP QUALITY GEOTECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR OVER 40 YEARS. Fairbrother Geotechnical Engineering is an established Cape Town based company offering a full range of geotechnical solutions. With exceptionally skilled and experienced staff, along with a professional management team, we are able to provide top quality geotechnical solutions throughout Africa. DURBANVILLE - PILING SERVICES OFFERED: DRIVEN CAST-IN-SITU PILING: Pile diameter range LATERAL SUPPORT: Full range of lateral support solutions from 280mm to 610mm with working loads from 250kN which includes a design and construct service. to 1650kN. CFA PILING: Pile diameters of 400mm to 600mm with FORUM BORED PILING: Pile loads of 600kN to 800kN working loads from 500kN to 1650kN. SLOPE STABILISATION: Various forms of rockfall netting MARINE GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS: and catch fences with nailed and anchored solutions. 3 Self Erecting Work Platforms (SEWP’s) used primarily for drilling investigations in nearshore and harbour DRILLING & GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS environments. BANTRY BAY - LATERAL SUPPORT LAKE MALAWI – MARINE GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATION [email protected] (021) 715 5470 4 ESTMIL CLOSE, DIEP RIVER, CAPE TOWN WWW.FAIRBROTHER.CO.ZA FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK Our regular feature (From the CEO’s Desk) stands over until next month Est 1974 DELIVERING TOP QUALITY GEOTECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR OVER 40 YEARS. Fairbrother Geotechnical Engineering is an established Cape Town based company offering a full range of geotechnical solutions. When God dropped our magazine With exceptionally skilled and experienced staff, along with a professional management team, we are able to provide top quality geotechnical solutions throughout in the rubbish bin Africa. In January 2016 we received a touching aspects of this development. The other DURBANVILLE - PILING letter here at National Office from a article dealt with the construction Verelene de Koker SERVICES OFFERED: forty-something inmate at one of our of the (then) new Consol Nigel N1 Editor [email protected] local prisons. Glass Factory. DRIVEN CAST-IN-SITU PILING: Pile diameter range LATERAL SUPPORT: Full range of lateral support solutions He was serving time for his part in He treasured that copy of our maga- from 280mm to 610mm with working loads from 250kN which includes a design and construct service. criminal activities. During his sojourn in zine, reading and re-reading those two to 1650kN. prison he gradually grew out of blaming articles, and the rest of the magazine as wellbeing of our country, a despondent CFA PILING: Pile diameters of 400mm to 600mm with his childhood environment, lack of well, and through this reading he became student struggling to get through the FORUM BORED PILING: Pile loads of 600kN to 800kN working loads from 500kN to 1650kN. resources, poverty and unemployment so acutely aware of the importance civil engineering course, a professional for his plight, into admitting that his own of civil engineering that he started engineer with a myriad of problems on his SLOPE STABILISATION: Various forms of rockfall netting MARINE GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS: anti-social attitude had led him to making studying towards a diploma in civil en- hands, a despairing university lecturer, or and catch fences with nailed and anchored solutions. 3 Self Erecting Work Platforms (SEWP’s) used primarily bad choices in his earlier life. gineering, with the support of the prison whoever needs some encouragement from for drilling investigations in nearshore and harbour After this harrowing road of self- authorities. his or her peers. DRILLING & GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS environments. search and self-admission he started This inmate’s letter of appreciation We should also not underestimate the shouldering his punishment with his head was a first of its kind for us at National value of leaving our magazine in waiting held high. He accepted that he could not Office, but over the years we have in fact rooms and libraries where they can reach change his past, but he was determined received numerous emails from other youngsters who otherwise would not even to make better choices going forward, readers thanking us for articles in our have known about civil engineering. Just starting right there in prison. magazine which they had found particu- by becoming aware of what civil engineers Over time, and because of his larly interesting and informative. Our do, spreads the awareness that there is changed focus, he developed into a re- members are also increasingly sharing more to a road than just its riding surface, spected advisor to his fellow inmates on their knowledge and their engineering and more to a glass of water than merely matters such as HIV Aids and substance experience with their fellow SAICE mem- opening a tap. abuse. He also started assisting younger bers via the magazine, to the extent that This experience with our friend in inmates doing technical courses in their it has truly become our members’ very prison has again brought home the truth quest to better their education while own magazine. about new doors opening when old doors in prison. My message to all our article contribu- close. The secret of course is actually Then one day, during the course of tors is therefore, do not ever underesti- walking through the new door when it 2015, he found a discarded copy of the mate the value of your contribution. In the opens, and grabbing the vast opportuni- BANTRY BAY - LATERAL SUPPORT LAKE MALAWI – MARINE GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATION July 2011 edition of Civil Engineering bigger scheme of things every civil engi- ties that lie beyond. in a rubbish bin at his prison. He was neering project, big or small, is important, When I wondered aloud how on earth fascinated by especially two articles in and every project that is described and a 2011 copy of our magazine landed in a that edition. The one article was about shared enthusiastically within the pages of 2015 rubbish bin, and that in a prison yard the Phase 1 development (then) of the our magazine will inspire someone some- of all places, a colleague answered without [email protected] (021) 715 5470 4 ESTMIL CLOSE, DIEP RIVER, CAPE TOWN new Menlyn Maine Precinct in Pretoria, where – be it an inmate wanting to better a moment’s hesitation: “God dropped it and particularly the project management himself to be able to contribute to the in there.” WWW.FAIRBROTHER.CO.ZA Civil Engineering April 2018 1 April 2018 Vol 26 No 3 Isivili Enjiniyering ISAK VENTER SWARTBERG DUBAI CREEK RECEIVES PASS TOWER: GEOTECHNICAL EMERGENCY FOUNDING AN GOLD MEDAL REHABILITATION ICONIC BUILDING Isivili Enjiniyering = SiSwati ON THE COVER ON THE COVER P4 Franki Africa, the leading specialist geotechnical contractor in Africa, busy installing sheet piles As a Keller Group company, Franki’s state-of-the-art equipment is backed by expert design in Ghana. Franki’s success on the continent capabilities; the photo shows the Minicat VC06, new to Africa, which further expands Franki’s is based on a genuine desire to positively offering on the continent partner with its customers in implementing cost-effective and technically sound solutions encompassing deep foundations, ground FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK improvement, earth retention, marine construction and trenchless technology. When God dropped our magazine in the rubbish bin � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 1 South African Institution of ON THE COVER Civil Engineering April 2018 Vol 26 No 3 Franki Africa – global strength and local focus� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 4 Isivili Enjiniyering PROFILE PUBLISHED BY SAICE Block 19, Thornhill Office Park, Bekker Street, Vorna Valley, Midrand Isak Venter – reflections on a life well lived � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Private Bag X200, Halfway House, 1685 8 Tel 011 805 5947/8 | Fax 011 805 5971 http://www.saice.org.za | [email protected] CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Manglin Pillay Pr Eng [email protected] | Tel 011 805 5947/8 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING EDItor Verelene de Koker [email protected] Swartberg Pass emergency reconstruction of flood damage �� 16 Tel 011 805 5947/8 | Cell 083 378 3996 EDItorIAL PANEL Dubai Creek Tower – founding one of the world’s most iconic buildings � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Marco van Dijk (chairman), Irvin Luker (vice‑chairman), 26 Errol Kerst (president), Manglin Pillay (CEO), Steven Kaplan (COO), Johan de Koker, Andile Gqaji, Gerhard Heymann, Jeffrey Mahachi, Avi Menon, Growthpoint Properties’ Lakeside Offices, Centurion – Jones Moloisane, Beate Scharfetter, Marie Ashpole, Verelene de Koker (editor), Elsabé Maree (editor’s assistant), leading the way in dolomitic development� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 32 Lorraine Mpofana (editor’s assistant), Barbara Spence (advertising) Mind the Gap – towards the elimination of open assembly ANNUAL SUBSCRIptION ratE R695.00 (VAT included) configuration in segmental retaining walls � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 36 ADVErtISING Barbara Spence, Avenue Advertising

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