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Construction Review: September 2009
RIO-ANTIRRIO BRIDGE:
Rio-Antirrio has a five-span, four-pylon cable-stayed portion of length 2,252 meters (7,388 ft).It is the world's second longest cable-stayed deck; only the deck of the Millau Viaduct is longer at 2,460 meters (8,071 ft). However, as the latter is also supported by bearings at the pylons apart from cable stays, the Rio-Antirrio bridge deck might be considered the longest cable-stayed "suspended" deck.
Commonly known as a Symbol of Greece of the 21st Century, the Rio-Antirrio Bridge (also known as (Charilaos Trikoupis bridge) was constructed at a cost of 630 million Euros (834 million USD).
Funded by the European Union, the Bridge was finished ahead of its expected schedule and stipulated budget. It has a width of 28 meters (92 ft) with two vehicle lanes per direction, an emergency lane and a pedestrian walkway. The bridge consists of
a 2,252 meter long 4 pylon cable-stayed bridge with a span distribution equal to 286 meters, 560 meters, 560 meters, 560 meters and 286 meters,
two approach viaducts, with 392 meters on Rion side and 239 meters on Antirrion side.
It crosses the Gulf of Corinth near Patras, linking the town of Rio on the Peloponnese to Antirrio on mainland Greece.
Menara Telekom
The landmark tower is not only one of the most captivating and most magnificent towers of all time in the world but is also regarded as one of the foremost 21st century architectural wonders.
Menara Telekom (or Menara TM) is the headquarters of Telekom Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. It is located along the Federal Highway, Sprint Expressway and Jalan Pantai Baru and is served by the Rapid KL Kerinchi LRT station. It was designed by Hijjas Kasturi Associates and PECD Berhad.
Guest: INCREASING BUILDIN COSTS: to what extent is this being experienced in the South African market?
By Mike Wylie, Chairman, WBHO Construction.
Over the past two years we have seen massive price increases in input costs and building contracts. These were associated with high demand for both building materials and the services of subcontractors, arising from a high level of activity in the residential markets as well as infrastructure development.
About a year ago the residential market came off sharply and more recently with interest rate hikes and the global financial crisis, we have seen a slow down in the nonresidential market.
This reduced demand for building has seen a cooling off of the previously rampant price increases. In addition, steel prices have now in fact reduced somewhat from the very high levels seen in mid-2008.The reduced level of building activity in the non-residential sector is also now resulting in contractors tightening their margins in order to secure contracts.
Personality: Architect Penelope Seidler:
This architects’ greatest hero from the history of architecture is Le Corbusier- a Swiss-French architect, designer,urbanist, writer and also painter, who is famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called Modern or the International Style.
Biography:
Penelope Seidler is an architect (from the University of Sydney), accountant, and patron of the arts, a member of the New York Museum of Modern Art's International Council since 1973, and a former member of the National gallery of Australia Council.
Penelope married Harry Seidler in 1958 and the two were blessed with two children, a son Timothy and daughter, Polly. Mrs Seidler decided to become an architect after she married Harry realizing she would have to be able to share his passion on a more even level. She commenced the practice in 1959 as an architect and financial manager.
Supplement: Lifts and Escalators Move With the Times
Lifts and escalators, the prototypical hallmark of the modern multi-storey building, are in the midst of a post-modern overhaul, and saving –space, energy, money, time – is the new science. Construction Review has a look at where lifts and escalators came from and where they’re headed.
Looking back
Used for the first time in the nineteenth century, the first lifts or elevators were steam-driven. Though slow and cumbersome, they were reliable and easy to maintain, and remained popular for over thirty years. The first electric lift was demonstrated by Werner Siemens in 1880, but it wasn’t until 1889 that a truly viable electric lift was developed by Otis and a Frenchman, Chrétien.
The first escalator was invented by Nathan Ames, an American, in 1859. Called ‘revolving stairs’, his invention could be either manual or be controlled by hydraulic power. A working prototype wasn’t developed until 1892, however, with Jesse Reno’s patenting of the first endless conveyor or elevator. His ‘inclined elevator’ was installed in New York in 1896 and consisted of a moving belt that travelled along an incline of 25 degrees, with cast iron cleats providing traction for the passengers. The first commercial escalator was developed by Charles Seeberger and the Otis Elevator Company in 1900.
Supplement: SIXTY YEARS OF PVC – AND COUNTING …
As Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) pipes reach sixty years in service, the piping industry is building on the strength of the ‘original’ unplasticised formulation to produce a tougher and thinner new generation of PVC piping.PVC pipes have been used for decades internationally for water and sewerage reticulation, telecommunications networks, natural gas distribution, drainage systems, building construction, irrigation and mining applications. Plastics systems today account for roughly 65% of hot and cold water installations in Europe, and though Africa is far behind this figure, the continent is catching up fast. This is largely as a result of rapid copper price increases. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a thermoplastic material consisting of a PVC resin combined with various stabilisers, lubricants, fillers, pigments, plasticisers and processing aids.
Kenya
Mellech Engineering & Construction Ltd is a construction and infrastructure development company offering services in construction of buildings and civil works and diversifying services into roads and bridges, sewerage works, irrigation projects, water supply projects, electrical and mechanical works and other related infrastructure projects.
Mellech brings to the job multi-disciplinary teams with requisite capacity, capability and outstanding track records in undertaking and managing major engineering projects. Mellech continues to grow over the years as it works towards its vision of being the ‘Preferred Infrastructure Development Partner in Africa.
Design Firm upbeat on Kenya’s Construction Industry
Mruttu Salmann & Associates is a thirty-year old architectural practice providing architectural, interior design and project management services.
The firm was established in 1980 by Isaac Mruttu and Salmann Hameed. Mruttu Salmann & Associates is a Kenyan registered limited company and the directors are registered as Architects with both the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (CAP 525, Laws of Kenya) and Tanzania.
Professionalism is at the core of Beglin Woods Architect’s success
In the last 17 years, Beglin Woods Architects and Interior Designers have designed many of the best known and most commercially successful buildings in Kenya. David Beglin and Simon Woods amalgamated their individual practices in 1992 after almost 40 years of combined experience in Kenya.
Botswana
The University of Botswana (Multidisciplinary Offices & Classrooms) Project
Education is a major reflection of the economic status of any country. Thus, it is equally important that educational facilities provided for the community be of top notch quality, as is the current attempt to develop Botswana’s sole university, University of Botswana, in the country’s capital, Gaborone.
Gaborone Technical College gets a face-lift
The merger of the Gaborone Technical College and the Automotive Trades Technical College is currently underway. Work on the P70 million (10 million USD) project commenced in January 2008 and is expected to be completed before the end of September 2009.
Tanzania
The Contractors Registration Board
The main objective of CRB, therefore, is to ensure that the construction industry in Tanzania is served by competent contractors who observe business ethic, quality of work and safety of workmen and the public at large
Uganda
ERT Completes Phase I
The Energy for Rural Transformation Programme (ERT) in Uganda
successfully completed Phase I of the activities in February 2009. The
objectives of ERT are two fold to develop Uganda’s rural energy and ICT
sectors so that they make a significant contribution to bringing about rural
transformation and to contribute to global environmental protection by
reducing green house gases
MINISTRY OF WORKS & TRANSPORT: Partnerships for Better Relationships
The Ministry of Works and Transport in Uganda is mandated to plan, develop and maintain an economic, efficient and effective transport infrastructure and services by road, rail, water, and air.
South Africa
Sea Kay Profile
OVERVIEW Sea Kay Engineering Services is the core of Sea Kay Holdings operating mainly as a mass housing construction company providing subsidized, affordable (GAP) and bonded mass housing to a client mixture including Government, banks, mines, property development companies and private clients.
Stoneridge Mall
Situated on a steeply sloping site adjoining the Greenstone Mall, Stauch Vorster Architects were approached by property developers Abland, to design a Lifestyle Retail Centre to complete the comprehensive retail offering at the core of the commercially thriving Modderfontein Greenstone Park. Valued at R500 million (66 million USD), construction of the 50,000m² Stoneridge Lifestyle Centre commenced in September 2006 and was completed in September 2008.
East London Airport Upgrades
East London would not have been in many conversations years ago when referring to South African cities with diverse economic resources and international business potential—however times have changed. The recent business developments of Mercedes Benz SA and other global manufacturers including the boost to the city’s industrial capacity with the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ), East London has become one of the country’s top economic powerhouses.
Village @ Horizon
Regarded as one of the oldest shopping centres on the West Rand, Horizon View shopping centre’s size and configuration relegated it to a past era, that is no longer viable in the ever expanding reality of ultramodern retail centres.
Joe Davidovitz, Development Manager of Madison Property Fund, states that the previous centre’s outdated style and limited retail offering had become obsolete amongst its retail competitors; and inefficient in delivering the high standard demanded by the discerning shopper of the area.
Fairlands Landmark Scoops Prestigious SAPOA Excellence Award
The Fairland’s Project, developed by Eris Property Group and owned by FirstRand, is a R1,132 billion(138 billion USD), 160,000sqm green office development in Fairlands, Johannesburg. The development has taken top honours in the annual South African Property Owner’s Association (SAPOA) Innovative Excellence in Property Development Awards 2009.
Web Extras
New Premises for Perimeter Security Specialist
Leading perimeter security specialist, Betafence South Africa (Pty) Ltd has relocated to new bespoke premises in Berg River Park, Paarl.
After months of preparation the company finally relocated on 4 April 2009 from its old premises in Blackheath to the new larger facility.
Originally home to Berg River Textiles, the factory had been standing vacant for a number of years. Betafence SA saw this vacant facility as the ideal opportunity to relocate to larger premises and approached Madison Properties, the current property management company, to take over and lease the facility.
China's construction projects 'rushed'
By Dr.Hongyi Tao current director with Dorman Long Technology Limited (DLT), UK and also the Managing director (also general manager) with Dorman Long Engineering Technology Consultant (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, China. In this issue he talks about the two main challenges facing the bridge construction sector.
Experts are painting a damning picture of the safety standards on bridge projects, particularly those in the remote areas. The projects are sometimes rushed - often leading to design or building flaws - in order to finish work on time, or even before expected completion dates.
PVC Pipe: Dimension Change Without Stopping Production
QuickSwitch is a revolutionary system for PVC pipe extrusion. Pipe diameter and wall thickness can be altered within a matter of minutes without stopping production at all. At the touch of a button, the complete extrusion line changes automatically to the new dimensions. In this issue Construction Review looks in depth at this new innovation. Intro
PVC has become the world’s most versatile thermoplastic, with a wider range of uses than any other plastic material. PVC products deliver substantial performance benefits, making it the material of choice in many applications and sectors of our modern society.
In the past, PVC products have been selected against competition from other materials because they provide the most cost-effective solution – thus PVC has made a positive contribution to socio-economic development for the last 50 years.