The Civil Engineering Contractor June 2019 | Page 17

no doubt that director Andrew van
Gool, a steel industry veteran with
20 years’ experience, and factory
manager Andre Schultz, would turn
his dream into reality.
“Andrew knew what I wanted, and
also that he would be able to create
what I was thinking. Whereas other
people would have said they would
get back to me, Andrew has the
passion to make anything happen,”
Gibson comments.
Van Gool admits that translating
Gibson’s vision was a difficult task.
In addition, it is not a commercial
building like a shopping centre with
a double or triple volume height.
Instead, people are quite close-up to
the actual structure itself, meaning
that every joint, weld, and patch of
painting is highly visible to inspection.
“The patrons may not be
engineers or architects themselves,
but they know what is straight or
unpainted. Hence the attention to
detail is the most important part of
an undertaking of this nature,” Van
Gool stresses.
ON SITE
Grandprix Models owner Gary Gibson with Fabcon Steel director Andrew van Gool.
Informing Gibson that Fabcon Steel
had never undertaken a curved
steel structure in the shape of an
airplane wing before, Van Gool was
nevertheless bullish.
www.civilsonline.co.za
Design and engineering
challenges
A total of 25t of steel in 18 trusses and 2 200 bolts were used.
CEC June 2019 | 15