CESA Aon 2019

YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

DARREN PILLAY is a Professional Engineer currently employed as a Senior Bridge Engineer at Knight Piésold. He completed a BSc Civil Engineering degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is currently enrolled in the CESA Business of Consulting Engineering. He has completed the external CESA/SABTACO candidacy programme, the internal candidacy programme and is now enrolled in the internal emerging leaders programme. His career spans eight years, starting with the role of a design engineer responsible for determining the feasibility of hydropower potential off the Western Aqueduct, one of the main water supplies to Durban. During this project, he identified, along the 96 km pipe-route, a critical concern of insufficient water supply to meet future demand. Upon completion of this project he was appointed as a Clerk of Works on a 14 km road strengthening project. His skill and determination to excel developed him into the role of the Senior Structural Assistant Resident Engineer, supervising the structural and ancillary road works for three of the four years of the contract period. With insight into the use of geosynthetics in road construction, he has written and presented a paper for the Geosynthetic Conference for Young Professionals. During the past four years he has focused on structural engineering design, specialising in the civil structures of bridges and major culverts. His current work-in-progress includes the preliminary design of structures on the N2 (Pongola), N2 (Umtentweni) and N2 (Wild Coast) routes, which has a total of 49 structures.

FINALIST

With design and site experience, he has recently been accredited as a certified COTO Culvert Inspector. He is currently involved with volunteering at Johannesburg Children’s home on an as-and-when need basis, previously helping to arrange and tidy up its charity shop. He has also aided the elderly community in Lenasia by supplying food parcels to those who have recently been struggling financially. z

TREVOR MATHABATHA , is a Professionally Registered Engineer currently employed as a Senior Structural Engineer at Knight Piésold. He has completed a BEng in Civil Engineering degree from the University of Pretoria and M.Eng (prof) from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is now enrolled into the Company’s internal emerging leaders programme. His career spans eight years, starting with the role of junior design engineer responsible for design of various industrial structures at two power stations. After two years in this position he was seconded to a specialist forensic engineering firm for a year. In that year he was responsible for performing non- destructive testing, GPR scans, condition assessment, and compiling inspection reports for industrial and water retaining structures in several power stations. These reports assisted the client in its maintenance strategies and in allocating resources for the relevant possible maintenance projects. After he completed his secondment period, he was appointed as an assistant structural resident engineer on a project in Polokwane comprising the construction of the new three storey Sechaba building for UNISA. His roles included attending progress meetings, technical and site meetings on behalf of the resident engineer/ project manager and resolving site queries. In the past four years he has focused on structural engineering, specialising in the design of water retaining structures, industrial buildings and condition assessments of structures. His skill and determination to excel developed him into the role of a Senior Structural Engineer. Other office responsibilities include successful management of the draughting personnel and mentoring junior staff. z

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CESA AON ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2019