Construction World October 2021

COVER STORY

Murray & Dickson Construction Group (M&D), a leading diversified construction company, continues to build on a long and proud tradition of servicing the mining infrastructure market. M&D’s INFRASTRUCTURE AND PLANT DIVISIONS DEMONSTRATE THEIR METTLE AT ZONDEREINDE MINE

T he stellar work that M&D is currently undertaking for Northam Platinum Limited (NPL), an independent, fully empowered, integrated platinum group metals (PGM) producer, is another sound example of the extent of the company’s skills and experience supplying world- class construction services to the mining industry. Notably, this is the second project that M&D is undertaking at NPL’s Zondereinde mine, an established, conventional, long-life operation which mines UG2 and Merensky ore. “We consider this project to be the most important work that we have undertaken for NPL to date. It provides us with ample opportunity to demonstrate our core values of ‘being safe’, ‘doing it right’, ‘finding the best way’ and ‘doing what we say’. Our unwavering commitment to these core values has ensured that we retain our standing as one of the foremost suppliers of infrastructure solutions to the mining industry. The fact that we were again appointed by NPL to provide critical construction services validates our clients’ confidence in our abilities,” Niekie Wagener, Head of M&D’s Infrastructure Division, says. The success of any project starts at the tender stage. M&D secured this contract in an open tendering process while competing against other major

construction companies. Under the stewardship of Chris Porter, Group Commercial Director, the company’s Estimating team compiled a very competitive bid that met all the tender requirements. The construction services, which included the strong team reserved for this project, were also competitively priced. M&D’s team on this project includes George Stoop, Contract Manager; Rassie Erasmus, Project manager; Marthinus Erasmus, Construction Manager; and Siyabonga Mtshali, Site Engineer. Certainly, the company’s experience working with NPL at Zondereinde mine also provided a strategic competitive edge when bidding for the contract. A significant component of the work scope entails the large earthworks associated with the construction of the platform for the development of Shaft 3. By the time that M&D has completed the project, the company will have moved almost 1 000 000 m³ of material. This includes the 470 340 m³ of unsuitable material and 42 032 m 2 of topsoil that is being removed from the site terracing area. A total of 466 682 m³ of G7 and 31 410 m³ G5 material is also being imported for the construction of the terrace and the capping layer, respectively. The professional team is working to

“The fact that we were again appointed by NPL to provide critical construction services validates our clients’ confidence in our abilities.” Niekie Wagener, Head of M&D’s Infrastructure Division.

22 CONSTRUCTION WORLD OCTOBER 2021