Thesis (MScEng (Civil Engineering))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Introduction
South Africa is currently experiencing a significant increase in infrastructure investment.
Forecasts by BMI-BRSCU have shown that the building and construction industry is expected
to grow considerably to 2010, before languishing slightly to 2015. This growth will be driven
in particular by investment in non-residential building (41% growth) and construction (73%
growth) activities. Even beyond 2015 however, the demand will still be high on the
construction industry to provide infrastructure for South Africa’s growing population.
South Africa is also facing a serious shortage of engineers, technicians and other skilled
workers in the construction industry. This places high demands on designers and contractors
to provide services and to realise projects in ever-reducing time periods and at less cost. These
conditions have made it increasingly difficult to maintain the required quality of construction
in an industry where mistakes can lead to disastrous consequences.
Recent advances in structural materials, structural systems and the way in which projects are
handled, now enables a new look at the possibilities of combining pre-fabrication with on site
work. This method, known as Hybrid Concrete Construction (HCC), has the potential to
revolutionize the South African construction industry if applied correctly. Local research into
this technique is however required and it is the aim of this thesis to draw attention to this
subject.
Key Findings
Hybrid Concrete Construction (HCC) can be applied to any structural project, it will however
not necessarily be successful. A structure needs to be adapted from the very start to suit a
particular construction method. This ensures that all the advantages of the selected
construction method may be achieved. Adapting a structure to a different construction method
requires a mutual understanding and commitment from all project participants, including the
architect, engineer, contractor and client. HCC also requires a certain degree of repetition in a
project to be financially viable.
A theoretical cost exercise was performed where only the material and erection costs were
considered. In this exercise, HCC was found to be slightly less expensive than other
construction methods for the Office Building of more than 10 storeys. HCC was also found to
be significantly faster than other construction methods for the Office Building of more than 3
storeys. The time calculation was however based on the simplified time estimates from one
source.
Because of HCC’s shorter estimated construction period, the client can expect to earn revenue
from a much earlier date. This decreases the relative cost of a HCC project. This advantage,
however, needs to be quantified for chosen South African projects.
On-site safety is still an important issue with HCC projects. Labourers are not accustomed to
this construction method and it may be necessary to alter current skill development programs
to include a crane safety course. The training of qualified riggers and crane operators should
receive priority if HCC is to develop in South Africa.
This preliminary investigation has shown that Hybrid Concrete Construction (HCC) can be
feasible for the South African market. Further investigation is however required to determine
the parameters for which HCC would be the preferred construction method.
Recommendations
Based on the findings and conclusions of this investigation, the following recommendations
are made.
The following actions should be undertaken by individual South African companies:
· Develop relationships with external project partners
· Train competent riggers and crane operators
The South African concrete industry should invest in the following actions:
· Invest in mass-producing precast concrete facilities
· Develop a central database of South African projects with information on time,
costs, project concepts and layouts to be used as a guideline for decision making
· Develop local guidelines for the production and application of self compacting
concrete
· Compile guidelines for the design and construction of HCC and precast concrete
construction in South Africa
· Develop a local hidden corbel type connection to its full potential
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/3038 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Jurgens, Christiaan Johannes |
| Contributors | Wium, J. A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Civil Engineering. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 7053506 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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