The Civil Engineering Contractor July 2019 | Page 19

ON SITE
you want consistent sagging —
not one portion sagging more than
another as this is what creates cracks.
If there’s sand on one side and rock
the other, you can never compact the
sand to exactly the same consistency
as the rock and you will get cracks.
“Projects like these are won by
planning, adapting, pure grit and
knowing the man next to you in the
trenches,” says Burger. nn
Project manager for Khune-Con,
Wick Burger Gauteng Piling’s on-site supervisor,
Victor Mudau.
permits, local authorities commonly
issue a temporary approval, known as
a 7(6), but whereas in the past these
were issued within 48 hours, last year
this was stretched to seven days and
this year arbitrarily increased to 40
days. “This lack of consistency plays
havoc with planning.”
Burger explains that while they
lose two or three days due to wetness
during excessive rains, it does not
affect production. “We dig pits that drain off the rain and then drizzle on
a layer of cement to extract excess
moisture, scooping it out as sludge.
Then you’ve got compactable soil
you can work with. An engineer can
always make a plan to make up the
time.”
There was no rock on the site,
and Burger explains that this worked
in their favour: “You primarily want
consistency in the soil. There will
always be sagging in a building, but
www.civilsonline.co.za
List of professionals:
Contractor: Khune-Con
Architect: SCS Architects
Civil Engineer: Egmont
Furstenburg Engineers
Quantity Surveyor:
Erhardt Burger (Khune-Con)
Earthworks: Khune-Con
Readymix supplier:
Pronto Readymix
Geotechnical work and
piling: Gauteng Piling
CEC July 2019 | 17