Construction World April 2017

MARKETPLACE

The annual Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year Award is the country’s premier event to highlight the creative and technical talent of the cream of South Africa’s architectural students and to drive the advancement of design excellence nationally. Participating universities include: University of the Free State, University of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Johannesburg, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Pretoria and University of Witwatersrand. Eight finalists from Universities around South Africa have already won the regional competitions and will meet at the Hilton Hotel in Johannesburg between 8 and 10 May 2017 for the 30 th Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year Awards evening. The main contributors to the negative GDP growth rate were the mining and quarrying industry and the manufacturing industry. Mining and quarrying decreased by 11,5% in the fourth quarter. This was largely the result of lower production in coal, gold and ‘other’ metal ores (including platinum). Manufacturing decreased by 3,1% largely as a result of lower production in the manufacturing of food and beverages, manufacturing of petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic products and manufacturing of motor vehicles, parts and accessories and other transport equipment. The agriculture, forestry and fishing industry has been in decline for eight consecutive quarters. The largest positive contributors were the trade, catering and accommodation industry and finance, real estate and business services, which increased by 2,1% and 1,6% respectively, and each contributed 0,3 of a percentage point to GDP growth. Expenditure on GDP2 Expenditure on real gross domestic product fell by 0,1% in the fourth quarter of 2016. Household final consumption expenditure increased by 2,2% in the fourth quarter, contributing 1,3 percentage points to total growth. 0,3% contraction in GDP South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate was -0,3% in the fourth quarter of 2016. 30 th architectural student of the year competition

The largest contributors to the growth rate of 2,2% were food and non-alcoholic beverages (up 2,4%), clothing and footwear (up 10,4%), and the ‘other’ category (up 5,9%). Final consumption expenditure by general government increased by 0,3%. Gross fixed capital formation increased by 1,7%. The largest contributor to the growth was construction works, which increased by 3,6% and contributed 1,2 percentage points to growth in GFCF. There was a R16-billion drawdown of inventories in the fourth quarter (following an R11-billion build-up in the third quarter), which contributed -3,5 percentage points to total growth. Net exports contributed positively to growth in expenditure on GDP. Exports increased by 12,5%, mainly because of higher exports of precious metals and mineral products. Imports increased by 6,1%, mainly due to higher imports of machinery and equipment. 

New technical director

Kobus Burger has been appointed as a technical director of JG Afrika, a leading multi-disciplinary engineering and environmental consultancy.

With a total of 31 years’ of experience, Burger’s list of achievements includes his involvement in numerous projects throughout southern Africa designing a variety of reinforced and pre-stressed concrete bridges and temporary works for incrementally-launched bridges. A SANRAL registered senior bridge inspector, his expertise is highly sought-after for other specialised complex technical undertakings, such as participating in forensic structural investigations. Burger is manager of the structural design division of JG Afrika’s Pietermaritzburg office in KwaZulu-Natal, and stepped into his new role on 1 March 2017. Members of JG Afrika’s board, including Paul Olivier, managing director, congratulate Burger on his recent accomplishment at the firm, and know that his technical expertise and experience will enhance JG Afrika’s existing standing as a leading African engineering solutions provider. 

Participants thesis models are available to view at The Hilton Hotel between 9:30 and midday on 10 May 2016. Tertiary institutions are encouraged to send architectural and design students to view the models and listen to a student lecture that will be delivered by the eminent award winning architect Andrew Makin.  Vedhant Maharaj is the winner of the 2015 Architectural Student of the Year Awards. His winning architectural thesis is entitled ‘Yantra, Infrastructures of the Sacred and Profane’ and is a water purification infrastructure for the hazardously polluted River Ganges in India.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD APRIL 2017