Architect and Builder June/July 2019 | Page 10

NEWSWORTHY MCCORMICK PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CELEBRATES THE OPENING OF KATALE SQUARE McCormick Property Development celebrated the launch of its 66th development with the opening of Katale Square recently. Located in Marapyane, Mpuma- langa, the 8,727m 2 Mall opened its doors to the community on 27 June and promises to bring more than just retail convenience to its shoppers who previously had to travel approximately 60km for their monthly shop. Anchor tenants include Shoprite, Shoprite Liquor, Roots and Cashbuild. In line with MPD’s vision of developing shopping centres as places of entertainment, Katale Square is the first project in the portfolio to boast a children’s water park for young and old to enjoy. An arcade and proposed sports betting zone will add to the entertainment on offer. MD of MPD, Jason McCormick, V&A WATERFRONT SWING BRIDGE Designers SMEC South Africa and construction contractor Stefanutti Stocks Coastal have recently replaced the old swing bridge at the V&A Waterfront that connects the Pierhead and the Clock Tower precincts. The original bridge was designed and constructed in 1997, a time when the area received less pedestrian traffic. With new development at the Silo District, a larger bridge was required to cater for the increased footfall. On average, 180,000 to 240,000 people cross the bridge every month, depending on the season and events taking place on the property. The length of the new bridge remains unchanged at 42m, but it will be twice as wide at 4m. A raised beam running down the centre of the bridge will encourage people to always enter the bridge to their left. The new bridge, which rotates on one bearing similar to a crane tower, is mechanically advanced and will increase capacity during peak periods. Advanced technology will also ensure the bridge needs less down-time for mechanical maintenance. has commended the work of the property “Katale development Square team. embodies our vision of creating quality retail spaces that go beyond pure brick and mortar. Our mission is to actively create opportunities for communities to shop, socialise and engage with each other as we believe this is the future of retail.” Katale Square is the first of two centre’s set to open this year, with Mabopane Square (Mabopane, Gauteng) to open in October. 10 KNAUF INSULATION LAUNCHES NEW ACOUSTIC BATT INSULATION Knauf Insulation has launched its new Acoustic Batt. Acoustic Batt has been specifically developed to meet demand for a noise reducing insulation slab for the South African market. Acoustic Batt is a high performance mineral wool insulation slab designed for use in internal partition walls and intermediate floors to reduce the transmission of noise between rooms. 100mm Acoustic Batt has a calculated Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) value of 1.04. Suria Ramnarain, Sales Development Manager at Knauf Insulation said: “We noticed some of our customers preferred to use an insulation slab for internal partitions. To meet this demand, we have developed the Acoustic Batt, which offers exceptional acoustic performance and complements our popular acoustic insulation range.” “Unlike closed cell or PET insulation, mineral wool has excellent sound absorption properties. This is because mineral wool has an open structure, which traps sound between its individual strands and turns it into heat energy. As a result, when acoustic mineral wool is used in walls or floors, sound cannot travel through the structure into an adjacent room or reverberate back into the source room as echoes. Acoustic Batt is classified as non-combustible Euroclass A1 Reaction to Fire classification and forms part of Knauf Insulation’s sound insulation range which comprises Ultracoustic-A Roll, Acoustic Roll and Acoustic Floor Slab. This is the third new product that Knauf Insulation has developed specifically for the African market over the past 12 months. It follows the Ceiling Roll (Multi Pack) and Ceiling Roll (Combi-cut) last year. For further information about Acoustic Batt or to download the datasheet, visit: www.knauf-insulation.co.za/products/acoustic-batt News Watch