I-civili Enjeneering October 2008 Vol 16 No 10 INTERNATIONAL LANDMARK STATUS FOR WOODHEAD DAM P CA A W A R D S W I N N E R 2 0 0 7 FOR EXCELLENCE IN MAGAZINE National Infrastructure Maintenance Strategy PUBLISHING AND JOURNALISM BKS-SAICE Bridge Building Competition 20 MONTHS TO FIFA 2010 I-civili Enjeneering OctoberOctoOctob 2008 Vol 16 No 10 COVER ARTICLE INTERNATIONAL LANDMARK STATUS FOR WOODHEAD DAM P CA A W A R D S W I N NER20 07 FOR EXCELLENCE IN MAGAZINE National Infrastructure Maintenance Strategy PUBLISHING AND JOURNALISM BKSSAICE bridge building competition IsiXhosa ON THE COVER Liviero Civils, part of the Liviero group, which this year celebrates twenty- ON the cover five years of active construction in South Africa, was formed in 2005. As a result of the superior expertise it has Liviero is known for its immaculate plant fleet ensuring a taken on board, including its group of committed production capacity in excess of R250 million 41 professional engineers, it has already become a serious player in the market HISTORY AND HERITAGE EDITORIAL 1 Past Master 18: John Gamble 34 The Woodhead Dam is awarded ASCE Past Master 19: Thomas Stewart 36 International Landmark status 2 GENERAL INTEREST A moral and ethical dilemma: systems that fail 45 EDITORIAL 2 Coaching in Construction 52 It takes two to tango – ASCE and SAICE 5 Innovation in Civil Engineering 54 I-civili Enjeneering October 2008 Vol 16 No 10 OTHER PROJECTS PUBLISHED BY SAICE/SAISI South Africa’s largest permeable Block 19, Thornhill Office Park, URBAN AND RURAL: WATER Bekker Street, Vorna Valley, Midrand paving project to date 62 Private Bag X200, Halfway House, 1685 Tel 011-805-5947/48, Fax 011-805-5971 http://www.civils.org.za FOR CAPE TOWN [email protected] IsiXHOSA FEATURE Indoda enombono 64 EDITOR Water for the tip of Africa 10 Verelene de Koker [email protected] Tel 011 805 5947/8, Cell 083 378 3996 The dam on a mountain top 14 PEOPLE EDITORIAL PANEL Amazing Russian couple at Bateman 66 Elsabé Kearsley (chair), Irvin Luker (vice-chair), Johan de Koker (president), Wally Water shortages bring unification to Burdzik, Huibrecht Kop, Jeffrey Mahachi, Jones Moloisane, Hermien Pieterse, C&CI chief retires after 26 years’ service 67 Eben Rust, Marco van Dijk, Michelle Theron, Verelene de Koker (editor), Barbara Spence (advertising), Dawie Botha (executive director), Zina Girald, Marie Ashpole Peninsula municipalities 17 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATE SA R560,00 (VAT included), International US$120,00 IN BRIEF 68 Ninham Shand inherits Stewart’s mantle 21 ADVERTISING SBA constructs waste water treatment works at Ballito Barbara Spence, Avenue Advertising State-of-the-art solar water heater launched New [email protected] Tel 011-463-7940, Fax 011-463-7939 URBAN AND RURAL: Sensus bulk water meter Harnessing the wind with Cell 082-881-3454 Voith WinDrive technology Singapore’s first DESIGN AND REPRODUCTION international Water Week a huge success Marketing Support Services, Menlo Park, Pretoria INFRASTRUCTURE New urban development on the North Coast PRINTING Ultra Litho, Johannesburg The National Infrastructure Maintenance The South African Institution of Civil Engineering accepts no responsibil- ity for any statements made or opinions expressed in this publication. SAICE AND PROFESSIONAL NEWS Consequently nobody connected with the publication of the magazine, Strategy, and its implementation 24 SAICE History and Heritage Panel 73 in particular the proprietors, the publishers and the editors, will be liable for any loss or damage sustained by any reader as a result of his or her Nail-biting FUN (Bridge Building Competition) 75 action upon any statement or opinion published in this magazine. URBAN AND RURAL: SAICE 2008/9 essay topics for ISSN 1021-2000 professional registration 80 WATER FOR GAUTENG Call for reviewers 81 SAICE Training Calendar 2009 82 LISH The culture of civil engineering and the history B E PU RS E N I Z SAICE Student Chapter at the A G A A S M F of the Gauteng water supply system University of Stellenbosch 84 O 30 N A I O S S O C I AT Civil Engineering | October 2008 1 Text Tony Murray 1 Chairman SAICE History & Heritage Panel [email protected] EDITORIAL 1 The Woodhead Dam is awarded ASCE International Landmark status SAICE Was asKED BY the American for some 40 years and has identified the selection criteria are much more Society of Civil Engineers to put forward about 50 projects as International Civil stringent and ASCE gave us a few anxious a South African project for recognition Engineering Landmarks and another 250 moments with requests for additional in- as an International Civil Engineering as National Landmarks in the United formation before the good news arrived. Landmark. We are delighted to report States. To qualify for inclusion a project The programme is an excellent model that our first nomination, the Woodhead must basically be over 50 years old and should SAICE decide to set up a similar Reservoir on Table Mountain, was ac- have made a significant impact on civil initiative to recognise local historic sites, corded this honour. The commemorative engineering in its region. In actual fact, and the motivation for doing so has been plaque was handed over at a ceremony at the Silver Tree Restaurant, Kirstenbosch, during the visit of the ASCE President to ASCE has been running the International Landmarks programme for some 40 Cape Town on 1 August this year. years and has identified about 50 projects as International Civil Engineering ASCE has been running the International Landmarks programme Landmarks and another 250 as National Landmarks in the United States 2 Civil Engineering | October 2008 summed up very clearly. ASCE believes famous Telford and Stephenson Bridges that its Landmark Programme has the and Brunel’s Great Western Railway. following objectives and benefits: The Eiffel Tower, Sydney Harbour Bridge N It will encourage all civil engineers to and the Suez and Panama Canals are become more aware of the history and obvious inclusions, but ancient works heritage of their own profession. such as Macchu Pichu and the Lake N It will increase appreciation by the Moeris Quarry Road in Egypt have also After considering various other projects, public of civil engineering contribu- made the list. The latter and the Victoria the SAICE History and Heritage Panel tions to the progress and development Falls Railway Bridge appear to be the of the United States and the world. only works in Africa recognised to date. selected the Woodhead Dam for our N It will identify and designate national Surprisingly the only dam outside the first nomination because it was felt that historic civil engineering works that US to feature is the Zuiderzee Enclosure have made a significant contribution to Structure in the Netherlands. it best conformed to the ASCE criteria. the development of the United States After considering various other Apart from being situated on a famous and other countries and to the profes- projects, the SAICE History and Heritage sion of civil engineering in particular. Panel selected the Woodhead Dam for mountain, it was the first dam of any N It will encourage, where appropriate our first nomination because it was felt consequence to be built in the sub- and feasible, the preservation of signif- that it best conformed to the ASCE icant historic civil engineering works. criteria. Apart from being situated on a continent and the first significant project N It can provide a documented ar- famous mountain, it was the first dam of to be undertaken by Thomas Stewart, chive of Civil Engineering Historic any consequence to be built in the sub- Landmarks for the use of engineering continent and the first significant project the father of the consulting engineering students, professional writers, re- to be undertaken by Thomas Stewart, searchers, and historians. the father of the consulting engineering profession in South Africa. Construction N It can promote the inclusion of infor- profession in South Africa. Construction was fascinating and innovative, and the mation on Historic Civil Engineering was fascinating and innovative, and the Landmarks in encyclopaedias, guide- dam continues to play a part in Cape dam continues to play a part in Cape books and maps used by the general Town’s water supply. Town’s water supply public. Hopefully this is only the first of several Most non-American works on the list works which will make the ASCE list, and of ASCE International Landmarks are the History and Heritage Panel is already 1 The Woodhead Dam straddling Disa Gorge in the United Kingdom and include the looking for further candidates. 2 The Woodhead Dam from the Gorge 2 Civil Engineering | October 2008 3 Text D a w i e B o t h a SAICE Executive Director [email protected] EDITORIAL 2 It takes two to tango – ASCE and SAICE The DAY haD arrived and all was ready those from Ghana and Zimbabwe. Patrick Natale and his wife Sheila, to- for the 1897 Woodhead Dam on Table We returned inspired and enthu- gether with Meggan and her husband Mountain to become an International siastic and eager to start an African Peter, for coming all the way to South Civil Engineering Landmark. Round Table, similar to the ASCE Africa to award International Landmark This was an initiative by the model. From this idea sprung the Africa status to our Woodhead Dam. American Society of Civil Engineering Engineers Forum as we know it today. (ASCE), the first ‘foreign’ engineering We salute our ASCE colleagues for A LADY, A BOY SCOUT AND A institution to invite SAICE into the their acknowledgement of our Institution VOORTREKKER international engineering ranks in 1994, and for their contribution towards the The SAICE Western Cape Branch had the after the historic democratic elections civil engineering profession on the dedication set up and organized to the last that had taken place in South Africa African continent.