Johannesburg's glow unlikely to return
Pretoria - A reversal of the migration by firms from the Johannesburg central business district (CBD) into suburban areas was unlikely, according to Standard Bank. "Some proponents believe the migration into suburban areas might be halted by market forces and that at some point there could be a resurgence of demand for office space in the Johannesburg CBD, where large cost savings may be achieved," it said in its latest Commercial Property Pointer.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

N Cape withdraws from auto project
The Northern Cape provincial government (NCPG) has officially withdrawn from the project to establish a R260-million vehicle-assembly plant in Kimberley.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

V&A success opens doors abroad
Promising prospects for SA to export engineering expertise into Africa and beyond. The success of Cape Town's Victoria & Alfred Waterfront development, coupled with the rand's weakness against the dollar, has opened the way for the export of SA engineering expertise to the rest of the continent and beyond.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Virgin Active sweats for Greenpoint lease
Cape Town - Virgin Active had paid a "significant amount" to two former LeisureNet directors, Rod Mitchell and Peter Gardener, to secure the lease of The Point Sports Club in Greenpoint, one of the top five gyms in Virgin's stable of 76 it now operates across the country. Ian Burroughs, the managing director of Virgin Active, said the agreement to operate the well-known Cape Town gym, which has about 5 000 members, followed more than four months of tough negotiations with the two former LeisureNet directors.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Richway set to revamp centres Northgate, Brooklyn, Walmer Park to be extended
RICHWAY Retail Properties is undertaking a multimillion-rand extension of three major shopping centres. These are Northgate Shopping Centre in Johannesburg, Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria and the Walmer Park Shopping complex in Port Elizabeth. The R66m extension of Northgate in the developing area of Northriding, north of Johannesburg, will add 12236m² to the centre, with another 1451m² being upgraded. The centre will add a flagship Checkers Store and an entertainment hub anchored by a full-size ice rink and restaurant area.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Aveng expects big Mozal contracts
AVENG, a listed construction group, was expecting to secure contracts worth hundreds of millions of rands from the Mozal II development in Mozambique, CE Carl Grim said yesterday.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Capital needs to tap into tourism potential
Pretoria has all the resources to become a world-class city, says Tshwane's metropolitan council mayor. Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, the mayor of Tshwane metropolitan council, boasts that the city is the only place where tourists can learn about the history of SA from both sides of the political spectrum.
(©www.bday.co.za)

SA well placed in bid for $1bn Iraq power rehab
South African companies are "extremely well positioned" to clinch some of the $1-billion power-sector rehabilitation contracts to be awarded by Iraq during the next two to three years under the United Nations (UN) oil-for-food programme, says South African Electrotechnical Export Council executive director Eileen Leopold.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Merger holds implications for stock exchange
Choice between unit trust or loan stock could reshape property sector IF GRAYPROP and Grayvest merge they will have to choose whether to house the newly created entity either in a property loan stock company or a property unit trust.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Insulation furnace to be rebuilt in a R20-million project
Rockwool, fibreglass and glass- reinforcement product manufacturer Owens Corning South Africa (OCSA), of Springs, on the East Rand, intends rebuilding its insulation furnace in a R20- million project scheduled to take place in early 2002, reports MD Andrew Scott. The furnace was originally destined for reconstruction in 1998, but had its life extended through cold-repair work.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Engineering contracting companies merge
Three closely-associated South African engineering contracting companies have merged to form Murray & Roberts Engineering Solutions, which will target business in emerging economies.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Structural steel design guides in southern Africa and comparison to international Eurocodes
The CSIR, in conjunction with the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC), have been studying the fundamental differences and similarities between the Eurocodes and the South African steel design code SABS 0162: 1993, and has released a comprehensive reference book, which compares the fundamental design philosophies, theory and code requirements of these codes.
(©www.csir.co.za/akani/)

Steel sector still fragmented despite a globalisation drive
Global steel – as a concept – has taken off during the last two years and, as a result, the world's top steel producers have formed strategic alliances, entered into significant mergers and concluded acquisitions across international borders.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Chile plans $1,35bn public-works construction
The Chilean government has announced $1,35-billion of infrastructure projects to be awarded to the private sector through concessions over the next 12 months. The programme, which involves mainly highway construction and improvements, is part of a government plan to hand over $14,5- billion in public works projects to private firms over the next six years.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

African engineering protocol signed in Harare
Engineers from various African states have signed a historic protocol of understanding at a regional meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe.The formation of the Africa Engineers Forum (AEF) has established regional co-operation among African countries and says to the world that engineering in Africa is an African agenda.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Company steeling itself for listing on stock exchange
The listing of Iscor's two wholly-owned mining and steel companies is the culmination of the third and final stage of a comprehensive re-engineering process that has been under way since 1994.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Indian steel firm mulls SA ferrochrome investment
India's largest private steelmaker, Tata Iron and Steel Company (Tisco), has revealed that it is considering a location in South Africa to set up a ferrochrome-manufacturing facility.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Depressed metals may hamper JSE
US markets staged a rebound on Tuesday after a batch of mixed earnings reports from blue-chip companies. The Dow Jones induxtrial average and the S&P500 ended 1% higher, while the Nasdaq composite index rose nearly 2%. In Asia, the Hang Seng was fractionally lower and the Nikkei was also down 1.8%.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Growing demand for "IDEA"
IDEA 2000, an information product developed by CSIR Building and Construction Technology, in association with the National Department of Housing, assists provinces to focus on the crucial elements of the planning process. This enables national and provincial departments to make informed decisions regarding funding allocations and ensures that the location of housing projects occurs according to integration and sustainability principles.
(©www.csir.co.za/akani/)

South African vacuum pumps cleaning up Texas
South African liquid-ring vacuum pumps are being used increasingly for soil rejuvenation in the US. Johannesburg manufacturer Global Vacuum, formerly known as Hi-Vac, is exporting pumps to the US for use in cleaning contaminated soil and groundwater in Texas and other parts of the country, reports GM Scott Gordon.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Agricultural area ripe for investment
A MASTER plan for the development of the Makhathini Flats will be in place by the end of July, KwaZulu-Natal agriculture and environmental affairs MEC Narend Singh said at the weekend
(©www.bday.co.za)

R400m KZN agro-industry plan
Kwazulu-Natal’s Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs Narend Singh has announced investment proposals of more than R400-million for Makhathini Flats, a remote area in the north-east of the province.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Fines do not good neighbours make
Maybe it is a sign of the tense times through which we are going, but the number of disputes between owners and trustees is increasing, and the Sectional Title Helpline now receives many calls from owners inquiring whether trustees have any right to impose “fines” for rule transgressions.
(©www.mweb.co.za/property24/)

Cottages and family homes moving fastest
RESIDENTIAL property in the southern suburbs of Cape Town is selling relatively fast due to limited stock being available, according to Durr Estates International's southern suburbs office director, Geoffrey Allison.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Success is within reach of Faircape
SUCCESS appears within reach of the consortium which took over the decaying Heynes Matthew property in Observatory, Cape Town, about 18 months ago.
(©www.bday.co.za)

The nod in ninety days
Dredging has begun to clear Maputo waterfront's yacht basin in the first phase of a R50m-R60m residential marina redevelopment, Club Nautico. The project is intended to restore the first of the city's two once-exclusive waterfront yacht clubs
(©www.fm.co.za)

Foreign demand for residential properties escalates
Durban - Property companies are reporting a significant upsurge in foreign investment in residences, with substantial foreign currency and tourism spin-offs for the country. However, there has not been a parallel increase in foreign interest in commercial and industrial properties.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Drop in CPI raises hopes of another rate cut
Pretoria - The annual consumer inflation rate dropped to 6,3 percent in June from 6,4 percent in May, Statistics South Africa said yesterday, raising hopes that interest rates may be cut further later this year. Monica Ambrosi, an economist at Standard Bank, said the June drop in the CPIX - the consumer price index (CPI) stripped of home loans - was mainly because of technical factors. Price increases from May to June were mostly in food, healthcare, housing and transport. Taking into account home loans, the inflation rate for the year to June was only 6,3 percent.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

ASAQS Exco announces accreditation of ProjectPro courses
Four ProjectPro courses have been accredited by the ASAQS for earning Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points. All courses are facilitated by Terry Deacon, a Project Management Professional with 30 years of experience in project management. Courses may be held anywhere in South Africa if there are sufficient delegates.
Course (followed by points awarded):
1. Project Management Demystified (Entry level) 20
2. ProjectFlow (Intermediate level) 50
3. Project Management Professional (PMP) Workshop 30
....Passing the PMP exam (Advanced level) 20
4. Seize the Day! Efficiency, effectiveness and stress management 10
Visit the ProjectPro website at www.projectpro.co.za for more details, prices, dates and to register. Contact Terry Deacon on 082 557 3119 or training@projectpro.co.za to discuss your needs.

You will also find details of the ProjectPro courses on the ASAQS Calendar There are still two courses that you can attend this month.

The Strategic Management of Large Engineering Projects
As the number, complexity, and scope of large engineering projects (LEPs) increase worldwide, huge stakes may endanger the survival of corporations and threaten the stability of countries that approach these projects unprepared.
Roger Miller and Don Lessard (in collaboration with the IMEC Research Group) have put together a state-of-the-art book on managing large engineering projects. As they so cogently argue, large engineering projects represent the wave of the future in international project management and bring their own unique challenges as well as opportunities.

If you are interested in obtaining a copy of The Strategic Management of Large Engineering Projects you may order it over the Internet from either:

M.I.T. Press or
Amazon.com

New statutory body to champion construction industry development
The newly formed Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) is the culmination of an extensive process, started by the Department of Public Works in November 1997, to address the challenges of growth, performance improvement, delivery and transformation in the construction industry. Throughout this process, the public and private sectors were involved in the formulation of a common industry development strategy, and the planning and legislation that defines the role of the CIDB in driving this strategy into implementation.
(©www.csir.co.za/akani/)

A guide to good thatching practice in South Africa
A guide to good thatching practice, published CSIR Building and Construction Technology, has proved an invaluable practical reference work for both lay persons and building professionals for the sound design, construction and maintenance of thatched roofs. The guide deals with thatching materials, the tools of the trade, construction techniques and workmanship. Lightning protection and fire safety of thatched roofs are treated specifically and appendices offer a typical thatch roof specification and set an approach to the rational fire design of thatched lapas.

Download a read-only copy of A Guide to Good Thatching Practice here
[File size 3.62MB]
(©www.csir.co.za/akani/)

The Value of Project Management
Continuing with the 3rd part in The Value of Project Management Series....
Caveats.
This page describes some disclaimers and caveats to keep in mind when using the TenStep site.The TenStep Project Management Process is designed to be applicable to all projects, whether you are building a house, a circuit board or a computer application. After all, all projects deal with planning, managing issues, scope, risk, etc.
Process Overview.
First try to gauge the size of the project you are undertaking. This process places projects into three broad categories - small, medium and large.
(©www.tenstep.com)

Holding court
If 100 contractors were asked, when working out a variation on a fair valuation basis, if overheads should only be included if additional expenditure could be proved, 99 would probably answer ‘no’. However, there is always one member who will choose to swim against the tide. When pricing what used to be called a ‘star rate’, it is almost automatic to add a percentage for overheads/profit to the labour, materials and plant costs.
(©www.industryclick.com)

New members to the CUG
A warm word of welcome to the following members who have joined us in the CUG during the past week:
Hans Hermanides
Andrew Reid
Michael Hickman
Koos Calitz
Nigel Andrews
Terry Mamabolo

Please note that your registration to the CUG will remain in force as long as you remain a member of ASAQS and there is no need to register every year. If you have not received an e-mail confirming your registration contact ASAQS.

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