Construction World August 2021

BUILDING

TWO MAJOR NEW FOUNDATION PROJECTS FOR GAUTENG PILING

Leading Johannesburg-based construction foundation provider, Gauteng Piling, has secured two newmajor contracts in its 25 th year of operations: the piling for a large apartment block in Randburg, and a new church in Gqerbeha.

T he company, founded in 1996 by building industry veteran, Nico Maas, is supplying the foundations for : • Fern Valley apartments at 450 Vale Avenue, Ferndale, Randburg; and • A new church building for The Old Apostolic Church in Bethelsdorp, Gqerbeha. Lethabo Mashala, Gauteng Piling’s Contract Manager for the new 66-apartment Fern Valley upmarket apartments, says the three-storey facility is being developed by Caliber Properties on a site where old residential property was demolished. Fern Valley will also feature a basement and garden area. “We are providing 140 auger piles between 4 m to 7 m deep with diameters ranging from 250 mm to 600 mm with appropriate steel reinforcement cages over the area of about 4 000 m 2 ,” Mashala stated. “Gauteng Pilling’s Williams Digger MF rig is being used for the project. These rigs are exceptionally fast, mobile and reliable and has the capacity of handling piles substantially deeper than required on this site.” Keoatlaretse Tema is the Gauteng Piling Contract Manager for the impressive half-moon shaped church building being constructed by WBHO on a new terrain of just over 2 000 m 2 in Bethelsdorp. “For this project, we will be installing 65 auger piles, between 2,7 m to 8 m deep with diameters between 300 mm and 800 mm. The steel reinforcement cages vary between 200 mm and 650 mm in diameter,” Tema explained. The main challenge here, apart from the

threat of political unrest, was the fact that some old rubble seemed to have been buried in parts of the site. “This meant that we had to ensure that the rubble soil did not collapse into the piling holes overnight,” she added. Gauteng Piling had to transport another of its fleet of Williams Digger rigs on a lowbed trailer to the coastal site just over 1 000 kms from its yard at Diepsloot, Gauteng, to provide the piling in Gqerbeha. It is one of several contracts outside Gauteng successfully handled by the piling company this year. Among other major foundations provided during its Silver Anniversary year by Gauteng Piling are: • Foundations for large pedestrian bridge for the new MEGA International Fresh Produce Market at Mbombela; • Stabilising a large gaping sinkhole near residences in Irene, Centurion; • Forest Mansions apartment block in Bramley; • Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) campus in eMalahleni; • Capital Hotel in Mbombela; • Offices for the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Mahikeng; • Tree Tops apartment block developed by Tricolt in Houghton; • Entrance and expansion of Cresta Shopping Centre in Randburg; • Facility for diving rescue training for the University of Johannesburg’s Medical Rescue students in Auckland Park; • Storage tanks of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Nigel; and • Expansion of the Africa Floorcare warehouse in Alberton. 

34 CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2021