BUILDING CONTRACTORS
NEW HEAD OFFICE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
T he Department of Rural Development and Land Reform sent out a Request for Proposal for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the development of a new head office on 27 July 2009. Much water subsequently flowed under the bridge but eventually persistence by all parties resulted in an Enabling Works Contract (EWC) being concluded on 15 June 2018. The PPP agreement was entered into between the Concessionaire, Tshala Bese Uyavuna Consortium (TBUC), and DALRRD (the Department) on the 3 December 2020 and Financial Close in February 2021, with site works commencing shortly thereafter. The Department was now set to get their new head office for 2 159 staff by the end of February 2023. The TBUC delegated the design and construct responsibilities to the DRD D&C JV (D&C) made up of WBHO Construction (85%) and Mhlaba Properties (15%). Being a complex and potentially high-risk project with serious consequences for late completion, construction was simplified with flat post-tensioned slabs and unitised faÇades wherever possible. This meant that whilst the structure was being built on site, the design, importation and manufacturing of façade panels was happening concurrently in the background. This ensured that the building envelop could be closed as early as possible thus allowing maximum time for finishing processes so as to ultimately achieve the best build quality possible. Float, or contingency time, had to be created in the programme so as to best try and absorb the inevitable delays caused by the “construction mafia”, COVID, importation delays, weather and the comprehensive design review processes required in PPPs. Subsoil drainage design was done by considering a permeable pebble layer that showed itself during the bulk earthworks phase of the contract. The standard perforated subsoil drain network had to be supported by another concrete pipe network below it, which could deal with the potentially high volumes of water that may be experienced. This all had to be diverted towards the northern part of the site where the 100-
year flood levels permitted exit into the Apies river. In order to minimise the effects of the 2021 Numsa strike action and the effects it had on the country’s steel production as well as the ever-increasing cost of steel, conventionally reinforced slabs were changed to post-tensioned. This resulted in a reduced overall steel demand for the project and quicker turnaround times of formwork. To create a column free area in the ground floor auditorium, the first, second, third and roof floors above were initially supported by temporary cast- insitu concrete columns and then finally supported by large post-tensioned beams built on the roof slab. Once the roof beams had been cast and tensioned, the temporary columns on ground floor could be demolished and the remaining floors above then “hung off” the roof slab. The large faÇade presented a wonderful opportunity in that it became the palette for an artwork that extends around the total perimeter of the building. An image depicting various mountain scapes from all of South Africa’s nine provinces is either pixelated into the copper-coloured overclad panels or etched into the glazing. We believe that this will be the longest single artwork ever created in South Africa.
PROJECT INFORMATION
• Company entering: WBHO Construction • Client: Tshala Bese Uyavuna (RF) Consortium • Start date: February 2021 • End date: 16 March 2023 • Main Contractor: WBHO Construction/Mhlaba Properties D&C JV • Architect: Boogertman + Partners
• Principal Agent: DRD D&C JV • Quantity Surveyor: AECOM • Consulting Engineer: Pure Consulting
44 21 st Best Project Awards 2022
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