Construction World March 2023

BUILDING

THE NEW IKUSASA BUILDING Construction of the four storey, three and a half basement building began in March 2021 with handover in February 2022.

The striking new Ikusasa building has added to the overall character and appeal of the Oxford Parks precinct in Rosebank, Johannesburg. Constructed by Concor in just 12 months from start of earthworks to handover, this fast track project achieved ‘World Leadership’ level in green building standards. Construction of the four storey, three and a half basement building began in March 2021 with handover in February 2022.

6-Star Green Excellence In its construction and operation, Ikusasa reduces water use, energy consumption, process waste and pollution to a level that earns it 6 Star Green Star SA Office v1.1 green standard in terms of the Green Buildings Council South Africa (GBCSA) certification. Achieving this 6 Star rating meant that Concor applied both its client’s sustainable designs and its own stringent quality systems. The company has completed a number of buildings to 5 Star Green Star SA level, and Ikusasa was its first to achieve a 6 Star certification. The building is now occupied by blue chip company Anglo American Global Shared Services, who recognised Concor by awarding a Certificate Award of Excellence to the company. Fast track agility As a fast track project, Ikusasa was a complex endeavour requiring an agile approach to construction. Concor’s own team of professionals in core disciplines co-ordinated over 70 subcontractors on site. Concor’s scope of work included the fit-out of the entire building, coordinating the installation of all fittings and fixtures before handover. Success was achieved through tight control over scheduling, and by prioritising sustainability and zero harm principles.

Construction Innovation Technology Concor used innovative strategies to fast track the project – giving the tenant early access in a phased approach. Innovative foundation piles Using value engineered foundation piles eliminated the need for concrete bases or excavating around each pile. Instead, the design allowed the columns to be cast over the piles. Some 115 piles were cast, with columns spaced on an 8.4 metre by 8.4 metre grid to hold the suspended concrete slabs. By speeding up this part of the contract, Concor could bring in the wet trade contractors earlier including bricklayers, tilers, and installers of the unitised façade panels. Back-propping on just two levels Another innovation was to back-prop on just two levels rather than the traditional three levels. This allowed earlier access to the lower floor plate to initiate brickwork and ‘first fix’ services such as floors, ceilings, electrical supply cables and water pipes. Premanufactured unitised façade panels The same engineering firm was used for both the structure and the façade for the curtain wall. This allowed design and manufacturing of elements for the façade to begin while the contractor was still busy constructing the concrete structure. Accurate dimensioning of the façade was possible using sophisticated software that could model the full façade around

28 CONSTRUCTION WORLD MARCH 2023