BUILT TO LAST
New Awards
Venetia Diamond Mine
Murray & Roberts Cementation has commenced work as a contractor to develop an underground mining operation at the De Beers Venetia Diamond Mine.
The multibillion rand project will extend the life of the mine beyond 2040 and replace the open pit with an underground operation.
Based near Musina in Limpopo Province, Venetia is South Africa’s biggest diamond mine representing about 40% of the country’s diamond output.
Historically, the mine was a conventional opencast operation, but it reached a stage where it was decided that it could be mined more effectively as an underground mine. Murray & Roberts Cementation assisted with the feasibility study conducted by De Beers.
The project represents a significant long-term opportunity for Murray & Roberts. An important factor in its award was the benefit Murray & Roberts Cementation receives from the expertise and technology of its colleagues in North America. This includes a new approach to shaft sinking in favour of a Canadian model that undertakes all activities in the sinking cycle in-line – with no two jobs taking place simultaneously.
This practice is expected to bring about the same safety performances achieved by Murray & Roberts Cementation’s sister companies in Canada and the USA. This ‘Zero Harm’ performance is attributable both to technology and to a higher skills-set among the personnel involved.
Bridge Park development
Murray & Roberts has commenced construction of the R450 million Bridge Park development in the Bridgeways precinct site at Century City. The development will consist of two “green” office blocks on a shared basement and podium with a total rentable area of more than 18 000 m².
Construction of the first block, Bridge Park East, started in January and completion is expected in April 2015. The timing of the second block, Bridge Park West will be determined by market demand but will more than likely take place within the contract period due to the high demand for commercial office space in Century City.
The project has been registered with the Green Building Council of South Africa and the developers are striving for a five star green star rating in the Design and As Built categories.
Project manager Raynard Haupt says that Bridge Park is being developed as part of “an all-green precinct” at Century City which will also include The Business Centre, Phillip Morris and Chevron.
“Bridge Park will be built in phases and is ideally suited for corporates that want office space of between 1 590 m² and 18 000 m². The project, undertaken in partnership with Growthpoint, South Africa’s largest listed property fund, is a strategic venture as it will provide future expansion options for Growthpoint’s extensive tenant database.”
