Construction World February 2021

PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

STATE-OF-THE-ART LININGS INSTALLED

W ell-known and highly regarded for their work on earthworks and demolitions, the Icon Group expanded their service offering last year to better leverage their inhouse skills and provide various industries with high-quality dam linings. The company has been successfully offering clients reliable and cost-effective installation of HDPE geomembranes. “With a combined lining experience of over 50 years within the ICON team, we are glad to be able to offer this solution and grow our footprint throughout Africa,” explains Wayne Neary, ICON Group MD. The Group recently completed an installation for Ikwezi Mining in KwaZulu-Natal, a company which strives to consider its future impact and environmental footprint. Commonly used on mining tailings dams, HDPE geomembranes, also known as geomembrane liners, play a very important role in ensuring pollutants from contaminated waste or water don’t seep or leak. The geomembrane is a synthetic waterproof hydraulic barrier produced from high-density polyethylene resin. It has excellent environmental stress crack resistance, low temperature resistance, aging resistance, corrosion resistance and a large operating temperature from -60 to 60°C. With a factory guarantee of 20 years if correctly maintained it can have a lifespan of more than 50 years. Icon has a maintenance plan that can assist all clients. They have a standard 10-year installation guarantee. The membrane liner is used across a range of applications from waste containment, water containment, aquaculture, industrial projects, energy projects and mining projects. “When it comes to preventing pollution, you can’t cut corners. Our team makes use of

the highest quality linings with state-of-the-art welding technology to ensure we delivery the most effective lining solutions currently available to the market,” says Neary. Installation of the membrane is complex and must comply with ISO 9001 – 2008 GRI standard. “With our substantial inhouse expertise on geomembrane installation, customers can rest assured that the job will be done right,” says Neary. The company makes use of a careful five-step installation plan. • Preparation, including assessing design requirements, and ground treatment to remove sharp objects. • Installation, making use of tractors, hoists and other machinery to ensure correct and careful placement of the membrane in sheets. • Field connection and joint testing, to ensure a functional lining in the correct position. • Welding, where joints are carefully welded together seamlessly. • Quality inspection to ensure all joints are properly sealed and will hold under a variety of circumstances. “We look forward to bring this solution to new and existing customers across the continent, and aim to be the linings supplier of choice for the region,” concludes Neary. The ICON Group, established over 30 years ago, is the trusted provider of bulk earthworks, demolitions and other related civil engineering and construction services that are needed to get a commercial, industrial or mining site into an ideal state of build readiness. The ICON Group has an unrivalled reputation for delivering on specification and well within the deadlines provided. ▄

CONSTRUCTION WORLD FEBRUARY 2021 18