Construction World November 2015

PROJECT PROFILE 2015 WINNERS Steel Awards 2015 has come and gone and according to Awards Convenor, the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction’s (SAISC) Spencer Erling, the quality of the entries easily matched the outstanding quality of previous years. “We are going through very tough times in the steel construction industry yet, in spite of this, we are able to produce world class work – an indication that the future is a bright one,” he said.

STEEL AWARDS

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The SKA Africa Radio Antenna Positioner was the overall winner at Steel Awards 2015. It was also the winner of the of the Asso- ciation of Steel Tube and Pipe Manufacturers Overall winner and tubular category winner: SKA Africa Radio Antenna Positioner (ASTPM) Tubular category. This is the second year in a row that the overall winner comes from this category.

The judges said that this project “radiates excellence not only in the use of structural steel but in every aspect of its structure and purpose.” Part of South Africa’s technical capability displayed in the bid for the SKA was backed up by the design and build of the seven dishes for the SKA Africa Telescope. This ‘mini-SKA’ has in itself displayed excellence delivering images of the galaxy Centaurus A, 13-million light years away. The SKA Africa programme is for 64 antenna positioners to be completed by late 2016, on a site 90 kilometres from Carnarvon, Northern Cape without mobile phone contact, far from engineering resources, so that by mid-2017 the SKA will be doing scientific work. Each receptor consists of three main components: The antenna positioner,which is described as a steerable dish on a pedestal – the judges thought this in itself was superb use of steelwork; a set of radio receivers and the associated digitisers. The antennae positioner allows for a vertical (tilt)range of 15° to 88°, and an azimuth range of 360° degrees to an accuracy of within 1,4 thousandths of a degree under optimal conditions and 7 thousandths of a degree during normal operational conditions.

CONSTRUCTION WORLD NOVEMBER 2015

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