Architect and Builder September/October 2015 | Page 9

BOOK REVIEW MEGASTRUCTURES AND MASTERMINDS Author: Tony Murray ISBN: 9780624072768 Megastructure and Masterminds takes you inside some of the most remarkable construction projects in Southern Africa. Each chapter is a fascinating look into the construction of major structures like passes and tunnels, bridges, dams, harbours and lighthouses. It features 33 of these structures, including Du Toit’s Kloof Pass and the Huguenot tunnel, the Victoria Falls bridge, Kariba dam, Durban harbour and the Agulhas lighthouse. POLYUREA NOW IN SA Thermo Seal have been appointed as the Sub-Contractor to Civils2000 to assist with the rehabilitation of approximately 8,000m2 of the existing concourse at the intersection of Adderley & Strand Street, Cape Town CBD. The existing concourse is over the Golden Acre Shopping Mall running underneath these roads and had to be waterproofed. The main contractor, Civils2000, lifted the existing asphalt surfaces and Thermo Seal applied a 3mm Polyurea supplied by ABE Chemicals. The material used is the Eco Quickspray from VIP. Tests have shown that the heated tar to be applied had no effect on the Polyurea system. The temperature of the tar varies from approximately 145 - 160 degrees Celsius. All of this had to take place within an active city environment, therefore careful planning of opening and closing road sections had to take place. Speed of cleaning and preparing the existing surfaces also had It also tells the story of the civil to be performed in very short intervals, not even mentioning the winter rain that had to be dealt with. Thermo Seal have received sections of approximately 350 – 600m2 to prepare, prime and spray at a time. Each of these sections has been done in a very fast time with a turnaround of no more than 5 days. The effective work of the team has made it possible for the contract to flow with ease. Polyurea is still a much underutilised product in South Africa, but projects like this will help to expose the product to larger markets, taking into account the quality of the product, ease of application, versatility, etc. Other advantages of Polyurea are: • UV resistant, • Applied as one uniform layer, • Chemical resistance, • VOC free, therefor 100% solids, • Elongation up to 380% Contact Thermo Seal on 021 980 6800 or e-mail: [email protected] engineers behind these projects and how, through imagination, inspiration, persistence and technical exptertise, they literally changed the face of the region. About the Author Tony Murray is a leading member of the South African Institute of Civil Engineers and is actively involved in chronicling the history of various aspects of civil engineering in South Africa. Giveaway We have a copy of Megastructures and Masterminds to give away. The first reader to email Louise with their details will receive the book: [email protected] REDEFINE ON THE FTSE Property group, Redefine Properties, will, for the first time, be included in the FTSE/JSE Top 40 Index, making it one of the 40 largest listed companies in South Africa by market capitalisation. Redefine’s inclusion in the Top 40 was announced by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange last night and will take effect from September 21. Pictured is CEO, Andrew Koenig. www.redefine.co.za News Watch 7