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SANRAL bids farewell to its materials specialist

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Dennis Rossman served the roads agency for 47-years.

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) is saddened to see Dennis Rossman, a world expert who advised on the construction materials used on South Africa’s national roads network, retire.

Rossman, who retired on 30 June, served the roads agency’s Eastern Region office in Pietermaritzburg for 47 years – without doubt one of the agency’s longest serving employees.

Three days later, on Wednesday 5 July, 2017, he commenced duties in Pretoria as consultant and technical advisor in the private sector and to the road construction materials industry associations.

“I am still too young to hang up my boots,” said Rossman. “I have loved my job and believe I have so much more to offer by way of product development and mentoring.

“I don’t want almost five decades of experience and expertise to go to waste,” said Rossmann as he packed cartons of files, books, brochures and certificates of awards and cleared the office he has occupied at the same spot almost all his working life.

Early life

Rossmann was born in Pietermaritzburg on 21 June 1952 and matriculated at Pietermaritzburg Technical College. He wanted to study electrical engineering but could not secure a bursary.

At a bus stop he met a friend who was working for the then Natal Road Department who suggested that he should apply to the department for financial assistance.

“I was given a bursary to study towards a three-year diploma in construction materials and pavement engineering at the then Pretoria Technical College.”

His first posting upon qualifying was at Kelso on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast during the construction of the N2 freeway between Illovo River and Hibberdene. He spent eight years in charge of materials and construction quality control at Kelso.

He was then promoted as chief technician at the National Department of Transport regional laboratory at Pietermaritzburg before becoming the deputy director of the National Department of Transport and being responsible for materials and quality control nationally. He recalls he would spend one week each in Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria and Cape Town.

Joining SANRAL

When SANRAL was formed in 1998, Rossmann became chairman of the construction materials, pavement engineering and geotechnical engineering cluster within the agency, a position he held until 2016.

Every design and tender document in the Eastern Region has had to be approved by Rossmann from a materials specification and pavement engineering perspective. He has also exercised oversight of quality control on projects.

At any given time, he would be overseeing 30 to 40 projects.

He was responsible for bringing into South Africa the technique of ultra-thin friction course (UTFC) from France – whereby a very thin asphalt layer is sprayed to give a smoother, quieter ride.

An avid writer

During his career, Rossmann spent whatever spare time he had writing several books, some of which have become the reference work for construction materials and pavement engineering.

In 2009, he co-authored Concrete Road Construction. He was very involved in the writing of the South African Pavement Engineering Manual. He was also on the editorial team for Guidelines for Low Volume Sealed Roads.

Presently he is working on the Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Works for State Road Authorities which he describes as a “labour of love” and is being done for the Committee of Land Transport Officials (Colto).

He has delivered papers at several international and local conferences on roads engineering, and for eight years, he lectured on pavement engineering to masters level civil engineering students at the University of Stellenbosch.

Other positions held

In the early 2000s, Rossmann was chairman of the World Road Association-PIARC for two years and also served on the PIARC committee that focused on how to provide access to poor communities with low volume sealed roads.

He was chairman for five years of the Road Pavements Forum’s committee for bituminous materials.

For his years of service to the roads construction materials sector, Rossmann was appointed honorary life member of the Society for Asphalt Technology.

In 2001, he won the Southern African Bitumen Association Excellence Award for outstanding achievement in asphalt technology. In 2016, the South African Roads Federation feted him with the President’s Award for outstanding service to the roads sector in South Africa.

What does Rossmann think of the national roads network in South Africa?

“We certainly rate among the top five in the world – with the likes of France, Germany and Australia.

“Our roads are excellent and a large measure of credit must go to the vast amount of technical expertise we have had. We had great engineers – among the best in the world.”

Although he will still be putting in many hours of work a day, Rossmann hopes to find some time to improve his golf.

He also wants to go off the SANRAL beaten tracks: bundu bashing in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park between South Africa and Botswana.

N1 through Botlokwa has been opened

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The elders of the community together with the Provincial Roads Authority approached SANRAL with a request to improve safety on the road in Botlokwa.

The community of Botlokwa’s pleas for a safe road have been answered. The N1, which cuts through the Limpopo village, has been made safer for Botlokwa residents living on the road.

After three years of constructing the road, The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) opened the portion of the N1 to traffic on 10 July 2017 and handed it to the community.

Botlokwa lies on the N1 highway between Polokwane and the Beitbridge Border Post. The town is divided by the busy highway. As a result some people live on one side but do their shopping or attend school on the other.

In recent years, the community has seen an increasing number road fatalities. Paying a simple visit to a friend’s house was a life-threatening exercise. But with the refurbished road, residents can look forward to a safer commute.

How it was done                         

The elders of the community together with the Provincial Roads Authority approached SANRAL with a request to improve safety on the road in Botlokwa.

SANRAL heard the community’s pleas. After some discussions, it was decided that the roads agency would separate the passing traffic and the local people by lowering the road, and fencing it off. They would then build a road bridge on the existing ground level as well as two pedestrian bridges for the local people. This way, the community would not be inconvenienced while crossing from one side of the village to another and their safety would be secured because the highway would be inaccessible.

Tshidi Lethale, SANRAL Project Manager, said: “The project has enabled improved road safety for both vehicles and pedestrians. This was done by preventing the illegal access of pedestrians and traffic to the N1 by means of two pedestrian bridges and a vehicle bridge.”

The community wanted a level crossing at the busiest intersection, so that the bridge would be on the natural ground level. Subsequently, the N1 was dropped by seven metres. The vehicle bridge was built with two three-metre-wide walkways on either side of the road and the two additional pedestrian bridges at either end of the village were constructed above street level.

Locals employed

Wherever possible, SANRAL used SMMEs from the village and employed unskilled and semi-skilled locals to construct drainage and other concrete works, erect fences and safely direct the flow of pedestrians during construction.

Some 25 local sub-contractors were employed and 15 local businesses were used during the construction of the project.

“In total, we lowered 1.4km of the highway, with an average of 180 people working on the project at any one time,” said Lethale. “We only used local subcontractors and labour, where feasible.”

Throughout the process, SANRAL engaged with the community and its leaders to ensure that everyone would be satisfied with the final result and with how it was achieved.

Lethale said: “During construction, we held monthly meetings between WBHO, the contractors and ourselves. And the week before these meetings, we met with the Public Liaison Committee (PLC) to get their input and feedback.”

William Mahobja, the site agent for WBHO, said that the skills transfer has been an important part of the project.

“You need to impart skills so that when you leave, you leave on a high note. It’s important that the people benefit on an individual level, because there wouldn’t have been a project without them,” said Mahobja.

A resounding success

For the duration of the construction, traffic was rerouted along the “old N1” that was used prior to the nineties.

Since construction started, no further road fatalities were recorded in the town, which is a great measure of success. SANRAL may consider safety awareness campaigns to enlighten the community on how to use the new pedestrian facilities.

The community has expressed its thanks to SANRAL. Pedestrians who use the new bridges report feeling safer and happier in their home town.

“Years ago, this road was killing our people,” said, Donald Solly Mohale, the Community Liaison Officer (CLO) for the project.

“Once, there were five deaths and six accidents in a week. We asked SANRAL to move the road and they offered us the bridges, which we accepted with both hands. Since SANRAL came on-site, we have never had a fatal accident. As the community, we are happy to have the bridges and to have the agency by our side. We are happy now that we are safe.”

Today, the main bridge is a substantial structure, spanning the width of the newly surfaced highway that flows beneath it. The community can continue their daily movement from one side of the town to the other at natural ground level, without fearing for their lives. These structures have changed, and saved, their lives.

N3TC’s funding to help close critical skills gap

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N3TC has identified the need to address some of the critical skills shortages in the country.

The N3 Toll Route, managed by N3 Toll Concession (N3TC), stretches from Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal to Heidelberg in Gauteng.

It traverses numerous deep rural and agricultural communities, small towns and villages as it meanders through Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.

Transport corridors can provide the impetus to sustainable economic growth and the alleviation of poverty through infrastructure development, creating employment opportunities, skills development and the development and growth of business nodes along the route.

In response to the challenges of rural living, N3TC has identified the need to address some of the critical skills shortages in the country.

Commercial manager Con Roux said: “We are mindful of the fact that access to education is critical to ensure the sustainability of the region. In this regard, the company prioritises funding for educational institutions that demonstrate excellence in the provision of quality education, early childhood development programmes and building capacity in maths and science, technology and engineering.”

This is achieved through a variety of interventions, which range from providing learner focused interventions, basic, higher and tertiary education bursaries and scholarships, supplementary academic enrichment programmes, the provision of learning resources, staff training, and community skills development programmes.

“There is no doubt that education is key to South Africa’s economic and political transformation. Accelerated learning will not only benefit the individual recipients of funding, but also our communities, society and nation as a whole,” Roux said.

N2 bypass on track for August 2021

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The road will be a welcome development for motorists, who have to sit mired in traffic for hours when passing through the town.

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) is involved in the building of a R450-million bypass to divert traffic around Butterworth’s congested CBD.

The bypass could be a done by 2021, according to Eastern Cape roads and public works MEC Thandiswa Marawu.

Her department has already set aside the R450-million needed for the much-anticipated project, and construction is expected to start in September 2019.

The road will be a welcome development for motorists, who have to sit mired in traffic for hours when passing through the town.

Marawu said plans were at an advanced stage and she had already met with Mnquma municipal bosses and officials from SANRAL regarding the construction project.

When the bypass was first proposed a few years ago, it was proposed that it would start at the Ndabakazi turnoff about 10km west of Butterworth, and link up with the N2 on the Dutywa side.

However, Marawu’s spokesman Mphumzi Zuzile said the road was set to be diverted “two or three kilometres before Butterworth when you are coming from the East London side and just after Walter Sisulu University’s Ibika campus on the other side”.

Zuzile said the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project had already been completed for the project.

The EIA report is awaiting approval from the provincial department of environmental affairs.

“After Sanral has obtained the necessary approval from the department, that is when we will go to tender so that we will be ready for work to begin by September 2019,” said Zuzile.

In May last year, Sanral approved construction of the bypass subject to the EIA.

At the time, the now former Mnquma mayor Baba Ganjana, said: “Approval of the N2 bypass in this area is an achievement.

“During the early and late hours of the day, transport is so congested in this area. Approval means that the traffic will be flowing at all times.”

He added at that stage that Sanral still had to report back to the municipality on the results of the EIA and the exact route of the bypass. After that the municipality would negotiate with households that would have to be relocated to make way for the road.

SANRAL’s good governance confirmed

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Futuregrowth decided to invest in SANRAL debt instruments again following a process of constructive engagement between the two.

Asset management company, Futuregrowth, has decided to resume trading in The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited’s debt instruments.

SANRAL welcomed this decision as it shows compliance to good governance.

Inge Mulder, SANRAL CFO, said: “Futuregrowth’s decision confirms the high standards of governance at SANRAL and will contribute to broader confidence within the investment community.”

The company decided to invest in SANRAL debt instruments again following a process of constructive engagement between the two.

Futuregrowth decided in June 2016 to stop trading in SANRAL debt instruments.

Mulder said: “We take note of the conclusions reached and the recommendations made during Futuregrowth’s review of SANRAL’s governance structures.

“Futuregrowth’s decision to suspend trading failed to take into account that SANRAL is governed by legislation and its Board has put in place a number of processes that ensure the highest standards of corporate governance are followed. It is unfortunate that they decided to suspend without communicating with us to clarify or resolve matters.

High standards of public reporting

Mulder said: “SANRAL remains committed to meeting high standards of public reporting on key issues to both the capital market and through our Integrated Annual Report.

“We are keenly aware of our responsibility to provide relevant and transparent information to the market that will enable investors to make informed decisions.”

SANRAL already undergoes biennial third party governance reviews and will publish such findings in their Integrated Annual Report.

“As a state-owned company, we are pledged to good governance and have embraced King IV as a guideline, with a Board of Directors that takes full responsibility for the application thereof,” said Mulder.

Mulder added that Futuregrowth’s decision should contribute to a wider sense of confidence in SANRAL’s corporate governance. She indicated that dialogue with investors will continue to cement this confidence and thereby ensure that the bond market remains a viable funding instrument for national road infrastructure.

She said: “We will engage the Minister of Transport where appropriate to propose improvements in our current governance as we are mindful of SANRAL’s governing legislation, the jurisdiction of the Minister and government processes to review the governance of SOEs.

“SANRAL remains a well-run institution with good bond market credentials. This makes it a prudent investment choice at a time when investment in road infrastructure is vital to South Africa’s future developmental trajectory.”

Roads authorities focus on pedestrians, cyclists, the vulnerable road user

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In South Africa, non-motorised-transportation is a reality as it is either the only available mode of transport or the most affordable.

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) is making sure there is a focus on pedestrians and cyclists during the planning, design and implementation of road infrastructure.

This was the resounding message from the recently-held seminar of the South African Road Federation (SARF) in partnership with SANRAL.

Speaking to delegates, SANRAL Provincial Coordinator and SARF National Road Safety Chairperson Gail Bester said: “Over the decades, the industry has made significant strides in designing infrastructure that is faster, wider and more efficient for motorised transport; whilst non-motorised transport has not received the focus it deserves. It cannot be treated as an add-on at the risk of being ad hoc and fragmented.”

It is for this reason the SARF Road Safety Committee saw the need to host its first seminar dedicated to promoting the non-motorised transport agenda.

The line-up of speakers included amongst others, Abram Chego from the National Department of Transport, Dr Marianne Vanderschuren from the University of Cape Town, and Dr Pieter Venter from the Global Road Safety Programme.

Presentations covered a broad range of issues from the Draft Green Paper on Roads Policy for South Africa, funding options for implementing non-motorised transport (NMT) infrastructure including existing DOT grants, to NMT appraisal and assessment tools.

There was also a focus on the use of technology to monitor, detect, track and count pedestrians for safety and security benefits, as well as lessons learnt on several NMT case studies.

Pedestrians most vulnerable

In South Africa, NMT is a reality as it is either the only available mode of transport or the most affordable.

According to the National Household Travel Survey, 2.9-million workers walk from home to places of employment and 12.7-million learners walk to school daily.

Yet, pedestrians are the most vulnerable road user considering this group accounts for 1 456 of the 3 904 fatalities recorded by the Road Traffic Management Corporation between October to December 2016.

Bester said: “The fact that motor vehicles have been the dominant mode of transport in road designs is apparent in the high crash fatalities involving pedestrians. It was therefore necessary that we initiated dialogue amongst us as industry professionals to mainstream NMT considerations in the planning, design and implementation of road infrastructure.

“This is aligned with the resolutions of the National Road Safety Strategy, the vision of the United Nations Decade of Action, and the recently formalised NMT Guidelines developed by the National Department of Transport.”

Finding a balance

SANRAL Project Manager Siveshni Pillay was one of 11 speakers and she delivered a presentation focused on the recently-developed draft pedestrian and public transport facility guidelines document for national roads.

Pillay explained that historically, SANRAL managed mainly high mobility corridors including freeways. Since taking over additional routes from the provinces, with substantial public transport and pedestrian activities and facilities, SANRAL had to manage the balance between freeway mobility, public transport and the accommodation of pedestrians.

“SANRAL’s guidelines provide direction to designers and decision makers on design principles for the development of an integrated roadway that ensures the safety and mobility of all road users,” explained Pillay.

It draws on lessons learnt on the routes taken over by SANRAL such as the R573 Moloto Road from Gauteng to Mpumalanga and Limpopo, R71 in Limpopo and R61 in the Eastern Cape. Engineering solutions took into account rural settlements and schools along these routes which means a high number of pedestrians, as well as informal trading on the road reserve which add to the number of pedestrians on the national roads.

Presented on a public platform for the first time, the SANRAL guidelines will be piloted to test the practicalities and workability of some of the proposed solutions. The guidelines will also be shared with industry players for comment.

“As SARF, we are committed to rolling out similar seminars nationally. It is time to transform our space, change our thinking and promote the NMT agenda,” Bester ended.

Stellenbosch Smart Mobility Lab

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The SSML, which has been used by approximately 150 students since 2016 for research purposes, is a physical environment based in the civil engineering department of Stellenbosch University.

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited’s pursuit for innovative ways to make travelling a pleasure are evident in the work The Stellenbosch Smart Mobility Lab (SSML) does.

A researcher’s paradise, the SSML brings together multiple disciplines to study traffic patterns so we can predict behaviour and build more intuitively.

The SSML was established in the faculty of engineering at Stellenbosch University in June 2014. It focuses on technology applications to transport problems (also known as intelligent transportation systems).

It provides a platform for the development of innovative and cost-effective transportation solutions for developing countries. This state-of-the-art research and teaching environment, established in partnership with SANRAL, is specifically geared towards addressing traffic problems in developing countries like ours.

A smart city

The SSML is positioned to help make Stellenbosch the first transport orientated “smart city” in South Africa.

A smart city incorporates a wide range of system improvements, each designed to move people and goods more efficiently. It uses data, information technology and communications to optimise infrastructure usage and improve services such as electricity, communications, infrastructure management, water provision and transportation.

Associate Professor of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) at Stellenbosch University, Dr Johann Anderson, said: “Stellenbosch is well connected with surrounding areas – with five arterial routes extending from the town centre in a radial configuration. These radial routes then join to form a single north-south arterial road west of the town centre – Adam Tas Road – which is the most congested during peak hours of traffic.”

This makes Stellenbosch the perfect testing ground for ITS applications in South Africa, which can then be tested in the SSML and distributed throughout Africa.

Promoting interdisciplinary research

The SSML, which has been used by approximately 150 students since 2016 for research purposes, is a physical environment based in the civil engineering department of Stellenbosch University.

It facilitates undergraduate and postgraduate research in transportation engineering and ITS applications. The lab is shared by students working on transportation issues from multiple disciplines, including civil engineering, electrical and electronic engineering and industrial engineering. It is a rich source of information for anyone interested in building a better and more efficient future for our country.

The students who frequent the SSML represent a wide range of interests even within their fields, from transport safety, traffic engineering and systems engineering to computer programming and electronic development.

The lab environment thus encourages interdisciplinary research that can provide a more complete picture of how South Africa moves and what changes in that movement.

SANRAL’s Western Region Engineering Manager for Operations, Randall Cable, said: “New ITS techniques, such as the computer vision technology developed by Hardy van Zyl, a graduate of the SSML, assist traffic engineers to analyse and understand traffic patterns. This analysis of data assists the SSML to conduct future research into ITS solutions – not only to the congestion on roads in Stellenbosch, but also in ways to enhance traveler information, made available to users of the local transportation system further afield.

“This will greatly contribute towards the improvement of mobility in the smart city environment, with an emphasis on providing sustainable and cost-effective solutions for developing countries.”

Motorists can expect smooth sailing in the North West

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SANRAL is committed to creating equitable access for small contractors, particularly black-owned companies, to access opportunities through procurement.

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited’s flagship project in the North West province is on course to be completed in time.

The project is a major upgrade to the R24, which entailed developing a 12km dual carriageway from Magaliesberg Mountain to the Marikana Road at Buiten Street. The improvements are almost complete and SANRAL expects the road to be open to motorists in July.

The upgrade is intended to reduce heavy congestion during peak hours and create improved accessibility to the N4, Rustenburg’s industrial areas and Waterfall Mall, as well as being a conduit to further development on vacant land.

Valued at R194.9-million, the project is part of the 1500km of North West provincial roads that were incorporated into the SANRAL national road network.

Small businesses benefit

The project is already creating jobs and business opportunities for communities in the region.

SANRAL is committed to creating equitable access for small contractors, particularly black-owned companies, to access opportunities through procurement.

Hennie Kotze, SANRAL’s Senior Project Engineer, said: “As part of the contract, SANRAL required the main contractors to allocate 12% of the value of work to targeted enterprises and 6% to the employment of local labour – a move which has contributed to job creation and skills development in the area.”

Makulu Construction is one of 13 small businesses that have been subcontracted on the project.

“Makulu received a R10m allocation for civil works. This included installing subsoil drains and constructing drain inlet boxes, head and wing walls, kerbs, brick wall and paving,” explained Kotze.

The company’s directors, Jimmy Ntuli and Johan Jansen van Vuuren, boast a combined eight years’ experience and have been at the helm of the company since it began operations in April 2013.

Ntuli is pleased the company was subcontracted by WBHO (the main contractor) on the project.

“The R24 Rustenburg project is important for the area, as it will help traffic flow and prevent serious traffic incidents,” said Ntuli.

Locals enjoy employment

The project also provided work for local people. Makulu’s R24 project office, for instance, has 40 employees. Eighty percent (32) are contract-based employees sourced from communities in close proximity to the project.

“Employees also received training to safely operate the grinder, walk behind concrete cutter, handheld concrete cutter and concrete breaker,” Ntuli said.

With its head office in Pretoria, Makulu operates countrywide and in neighbouring countries and specialises in civil, drilling and blasting works.

The company employs 24 permanent office and management personnel. It is recognised by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) as a Grade 3CE PE contractor.

Birds saved in environmentally friendly construction

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In addition to flamingos and pelicans, Barberspan is home to maccoa duck, chestnut-banded plover, black-necked grebe, Namaqua sandgrouse, greybacked sparrow lark and swallow-tailed bee-eater.

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) knows that environmental management is a very important part of building and managing roads.

Constructing and operating roads can change the lay of the land, affect water resources and cause pollution. It can be particularly challenging when construction is in an environmentally sensitive area such as the Barberspan Bird Sanctuary in North West, one of South Africa’s most important bird havens.

Barberspan was one of the first wetlands in South Africa to be covered under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. Home to thousands of birds, it’s an important site for ornithological research and a premier birding destination.

The N14 bridge is of particular environmental interest. During its construction, SANRAL made sure it did not destroy the existing bridge under which a swallow colony existed. This came after SANRAL took into account an environmental impact recommendation. The new bridge crosses the sanctuary on the outskirts of Delareyville.

The rehabilitated and improved section of the N14 route between Delareyville and Sannieshof is making an important difference to both the community and bird refuge.

It was officially opened by Deputy Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga in March 2014 and is a vital link between Gauteng, North West, Northern Cape and Namibia.

It brings commerce, growth and prosperity to the area while safeguarding its valuable natural heritage

A haven for birds

Bird numbers at any time exceed 20 000 from 350 different species. In September and October, as the summer rains reach the area, the pan is often found teeming with more than 40 000 water birds, making it a bird lover’s paradise.

In addition to flamingos and pelicans, Barberspan is home to maccoa duck, chestnut-banded plover, black-necked grebe, Namaqua sandgrouse, greybacked sparrow lark and swallow-tailed bee-eater.

In days gone by, Barberspan was just a large, temporary pan in the fossil bed of the Harts River, formed and enlarged by northerly winds and massive herds of springbok trampling the edges of the waterhole.

Global report raises concerns about competitiveness

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South Africa’s global competitiveness has dropped one place – from 52 to 53 – in the latest report produced by the International Institute for Management Development.

The Institute cites a lack of sustainable and inclusive growth, high levels of structural unemployment and a lack of access to quality education as some of the reasons for the country’s continued poor performance in global competitiveness.

Despite poor performances on the economic indexes, the report notes that South Africa is ranked highly when it comes to the cost of living and effective personal income tax rates.