New hope for SA construction
The civil engineering and construction sector is poised for a buoyant future, as the government commits itself to increased infrastructure spending and the private sector implements large projects, particularly in the mining and minerals industry.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Engineering council shifts to outcomes-based education
The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) is currently focusing its attention on shifting its system of accrediting engineering programmes, at the university and technikon level, to an outcomes basis.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Confidence in Cape Town CBD grows with projects worth R8,7bn
CAPE Town's central business district (CBD) is sitting on development projects worth R8,7bn that have been planned, approved and are under way, which reflects tremendous confidence in the future of the mother city by investors.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Montague Gardens gets new industrial park in prime spot
SPEARHEAD Property Holdings has launched a R60m, 21000m² industrial park at Montague Gardens in Cape Town. CE Mike Flax says the development, Spearhead Business Park will be exposed to about 18000 passing vehicles daily.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Interest rate hits listed property sector
A HIGH interest rate environment is dampening corporate activity in the listed property sector of the JSE Securities Exchange SA, says Property Unit Trusts Association chairman Gerald Nelson. This follows a three percentage point increase in interest rates this year, resulting in a slump in the rate of acquisitions and new listings recorded by the property unit trust and property loan stock sectors.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Property market reacts to rate hike
Pretoria - The three interest rate hikes over the past few months would start to have an effect on the residential property market, Herschel Jawitz, the managing director of Eskel Jawitz Real Estate, said at the weekend.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Mbeki unveils SA's Freedom Park
President Thabo Mbeki on Sunday unveiled a site in Pretoria set aside for the development of a park to commemorate the country's cultural, natural and political history.
(©www.iol.co.za)

Agency helps to keep lid tight on brain drain
Many graduates from universities and technikons who don't find employment within six months, leave South Africa in search of work. According to Loraine Haywood, managing member of Grad-Tech, this results in a huge skills loss to our country and a negative impact on our economy.
(©www.iol.co.za)

Two-pronged assault on training neglect
South Africa’s training needs are two-fold, firstly, to upgrade the skills of staff at the lower levels and to bring them up through the ranks and, secondly, to educate medium- to upper-level management, believes Production Management Institute (PMI) of Southern Africa senior lecturer Gordon Robertson.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Radebe unveils plans to power ahead with privatisation
Cape Town - An upbeat Jeff Radebe, the minister of public enterprises, yesterday unveiled plans to power ahead with the privatisation of state enterprises this year but promptly ran into stiff opposition from unions over plans to fast-track the concessioning of Durban harbour to ease congestion.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Security for world summit is likely to affect business in Sandton, warns head of chamber
TIGHT security in the Sandton business district during the World Summit on Sustainable Development later this year is likely to have a negative effect on a number of businesses in the area, Ronnie Ntuli, president of the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industries has warned.
(©www.bday.co.za)

German construction workers in first strike since World War 2
Berlin - German construction workers went out on strike yesterday for the first time in post-war history in a pay dispute that marks the latest round of labour unrest in a turbulent election year.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Bids this month for engineering privatisation
Following the call for expressions of interest in acquiring a stake in Eskom Enterprise-owned engineering firm Roshcon earlier this month, non-binding offers are to be submitted by June 28.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Southern Africa's aluminium industry: opportunities and challenges
With the extension of the Hillside smelter by a further 130 000 t/y in progress, the upgrading of the Bayside capacity to 200 000 t/y and the doubling of the Mozal smelter Southern Africa will soon boast a primary capacity of some 1,35-million t/y.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

SA firm supplies millions worth of busbars to Mozal
In a multimillion contract, Gauteng-based Busbar Services and Dynamic Weld is in the process of supplying fabricating and linkage busbars to the Mozal II expansion project in Mozambique.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Beam facilitates structural engineering
Aluminium, as the raw material bauxite, is one of the most common metals found on earth, but unfortunately, misunderstandings about the metal are just as common.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Project management takes its place in business
The learning programmes of the College of Project and Programme Management of Cranefield Institute of Management, have advanced in leaps and bounds since 1985.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

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That Empty Feeling
When will the office market see the end of the double-digit — and still rising — vacancy rates...
(©www.industryclick.com)

Leasing In An Instant
IT IS A SCENE THAT IS OCCURRING with greater frequency in apartment communities across the nation: A prospective resident fills out an application and just minutes later finds out if the apartment is his. A process that traditionally has taken several days can now be completed almost instantaneously. The reason? The development of advanced, computerized screening services, typically Web-based, that function much like the systems that quickly issue or deny someone a credit card, simultaneously assessing a vast array of factors to recommend that an apartment manager accept or decline a certain applicant.
(©www.industryclick.com)

Find the Perfect Location for Your Business
The best location for any business is one where customers will want to shop. But how do you find that goldmine location that's both convenient for customers and ideal for you? The answer lies in the amount of homework you do. Since customers determine the location's ultimate value to the business owner, it is up to you to become an expert in your market and your customers' buying patterns.
(©www.ired.com)

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Farm workers threaten to invade vacant land
The Tshwane Metro Council has been trying frantically to locate the owner possibly the state of a fully developed, large piece of land zoned for industrial use outside Pretoria, which angry farm workers threatened
(©www.bday.co.za)

Eskom sewage sludge still waiting
It has higher radioactivity after being mixed with waste water from laundry Business Editor WANTED: good, safe home for three tons of radioactive sewage sludge with 20-year-half life. Generous terms available. Apply to Koeberg nuclear power plant.
(©www.bday.co.za)

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Change attitude or go, tobacco farmers told
HARARE White Zimbabwean tobacco farmers were warned yesterday to co-operate with the government of President Robert Mugabe or pack their bags and leave.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Judgment in Lesotho dam bribery case postponed
Johannesburg - Judgment has been postponed in the corruption trial of a former chief executive of the Lesotho Highlands Water Authority. The Maseru high court is expected to deliver its verdict in the trial of Masupha Sole tomorrow. Sole is facing 16 counts of corruption or bribery related to the construction of the Katse Dam phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Uganda to build Nile dam despite environmentalists
Nairobi - Uganda would go ahead with a controversial $550 million hydroelectric power project whether environmentalist critics liked it or not, President Yoweri Museveni said in remarks published yesterday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Australia's Anvil to mine in DRC
Lusaka - Australia's Anvil Mining is about to start mining copper in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has some of the world's richest mineral deposits.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Eskom to power infrastructural growth in Africa
Johannesburg - Africa's top power utilities were set to play a pivotal role in the provision of infrastructural development, Eskom chief executive Thulani Gcabashe said yesterday.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Zim dollar loses half its value
Zimbabwe's dollar has lost half its value against the US dollar on the black market since mid-May, analysts say.
(©www.news24.com)

17 African economies show good growth
Seventeen African countries achieved growth rates in excess of 5% in 2001, while 16 others registered between 3% and 5% growth rates within the same period, the African Development Bank (ADB) reported.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

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Anglo spends $2,3bn on deals
Group is holding to its stated intention of building up its base metals division
(©www.bday.co.za)

'Reconnaissance permission' clause proposed for minerals bill
Parliament - The government has proposed a new clause in the controversial draft Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Bill to allow mining companies to survey land before applying for prospecting rights.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

SA gold miners Down Under
South African gold-mining firms have, in recent years, accelerated their foray into Australia, a largely surface-mining country now facing the challenge of going underground.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

$30m manganese-beneficiation plan
Mineral research body Mintek is planning to capitalise on South Africa’s standing as the host of about 80% of the world's known reserves of high-grade manganese ore.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Kimberley in a changing diamond world
On an uncharacteristically rainy day in Kimberley, De Beers senior manager diamond buying Marcus Simmons peers into a diamond, attributing dollar signs to carats which, thousands of years ago, started out as nothing but carbon.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Agency to back minerals development, research
Science council Mintek recently established a subsidiary company, Mindev (Pty) Ltd, as part of its mandate to increase the domestic beneficiation of South Africa’s minerals and metals.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

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Banks worried about Aids
The banking industry is looking at ways to improve life cover for mortgage holders as it faces huge losses from more and more homeowners dying of Aids-related diseases, the Banking Council says.
(©www.news24.com)

Spotlight on: Stilbaai
The popular Garden Route town of Stilbaai, which nestles peacefully on either side of the Goukou River estuary and is within easy reach of Mossel Bay, is experiencing buoyant property trading conditions.
(©www.property24.co.za)

New mining revitalises Vryheid
The prospect of renewed growth in coal mining is giving rise to hopes of a pick-up in the residential property market of Vryheid, in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Getting to grips with 'voetstoots'
Understanding what the 'voetstoots' clause actually means and how it affects you as a buyer or seller can go a long way to ensuring that the sale or purchase of your home is a pleasant experience.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Nice house, but who owns it?
Home buyers should be aware that it is not a legal requirement for the seller of a property to be the actual owner of that property at the time of sale.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Fabulous Family Spaces
Interior living spaces are opening up and blending with each other to reflect the way families really live in the '90s, and the results are famtastic! The following pages highlight wonderful family spaces from six different plans. Read on, and find a home that fits your family.
(©wwwdoityourself.com)

Seeff shows positive growth despite interest rate hikes
Cape Town - Seeff Property Services recorded R4,2-billion in national sales for the year ending February 2002 - a R1,1 billion increase from the previous financial year.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

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Get What You Want: Negotiate to Win
Failed negotiation strategies do more than prevent you from getting what you want. They also detract from your credibility and your knowledge base of the person or company you're negotiating with.
(©www.ired.com)

Understanding Acoustics in Architectural Design
In today’s architectural environment, good acoustical design isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. Acoustics impacts everything from employee productivity in office settings to performance quality in auditoriums to the market value of apartments, condominiums and single-family homes.
(©archrecord.construction.com)

International Modernism
A look at the people and products behind this month's selection of Modernist projects around the world
Dresden Synagogue
Wandel Hoefer Lorch + Hirsch
A simple, elegant, and poetic structure joins the Byzantine towers of Dresden's skyline. The new synagogue is informed by Dresden's history, and a sign of the future for the city's Jewish community.
(©archrecord.construction.com)

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Closing prices:
BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING

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National income rises by 8.1%
The increase in national income has boosted corporate profitability and the disposable income of households
(©www.bday.co.za)

CPIX hits 9,2% high on rand's decline
THE Reserve Bank's targeted inflation measure accelerated to its highest level last month since formal targeting was introduced 28 months ago.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Legalese 101- Part One
Hold harmless; reasonable time; substantial performance: These are all terms most engineers have encountered in the course of reading contracts and other legal documents. But what exactly do they mean? These and other sometimes-confusing terms, referred to as “legalese,” also abound in industry literature and documents dealing with dispute resolution processes for construction engineering, design and specifications
Note: This site requires free registration in order to access information
(©www.cmdfirstsource.com)

Discounted Cashflow
This week we take a look at DCF, NPV, etc. These finacial tools are regularly used in determinig project viability. Get to grips with the basics by downloading this handy guide in PDF format.
Another concise introduction can be found the Business Owners Toolkit website in the article Deciding to Make a Major Purchase.
One way to do that is to use "time value of money" tables to compute the present value of the expected cash inflows from the investment. The attached file contains two present value tables that you can use to easily calculate the present value of a future payment, or the present value of a series of future payments. The file also contains examples showing how to use the tables.

E-MAIL ADDRESSES !!!!!!
In future the Chapter will distribute all notices, newsletters, invitations, etc. to members via E-mail. Obviously this can't be done if we don't have the E-mail addresses of ALL the members. Members are requested to E-mail their name and E-mail address to bert@netgro.co.za with GAUTENG MEMBER as the SUBJECT.

All E-mail addresses received before 30 June 2002 will be in a lucky draw and the winner will win a NORTON INTERNET SECURITY program, which includes NORTON ANTI-VIRUS 2000

Remember: Visit the ASAQS website for new updates!

New members to the CUG

John Powell
Chris Steffen

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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