Concor once again showcased its remarkable ability to execute complex, fast track projects with exceptional efficiency and safety during the construction of the new drop-off and pick-up facility, along with the reconfiguration of an underground parking area into a taxi holding facility at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre. The company was honoured by the Master Builders Association (MBA) North, winning in the regional category for projects under R15 million. The MBA North regional safety competition saw 67 entries, including 60 principal contractors and 7 sub-contractors.

Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, one of South Africa’s largest mega shopping centres, boasts a diverse array of over 500 shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities. The centre attracts a vast number of shoppers and visitors each month, necessitating a significant workforce to support its operations. While some commuters use personal vehicles, the majority rely on minibus taxis for transportation. To streamline this process and enhance the commuter experience, a Public-Private Partnership was established for the construction of the taxi holding facility.

Concor Contract Manager, Martin Muller explains that the company is known for managing high-pressure construction programmes effectively, and applied attention to planning underpinned by effective programme management to ensure every phase of the project dovetailed seamlessly, meeting tight deadlines without compromising quality or safety.

“Our ability to deliver projects on time, within budget and to the highest safety standards was evident throughout this project,” he says. The project, initiated in February 2024 and completed by April 2024, was delivered on time and within budget, ready for the official opening by the Tshwane mayor.

Despite the tight timeline, the project was executed without any incidents, a testament to the rigorous safety protocols implemented. The construction site, active within a live retail environment, required meticulous traffic management and pedestrian safety measures. A full-time safety officer ensured compliance with all safety procedures, leading to a Five Star safety rating from the Master Builders Association (MBA) North.

Another of Concor’s significant strengths lies in involving local SMMEs and individuals from the communities where it operates. On this project, Concor engaged with community representatives to source, vet and employ SMME subcontractors, offering opportunities in trades such as brickwork, plasterwork, painting, paving and plumbing.

Muller says that while the contract period was too short for a formal skills development programme, local labourers were given the chance to work on the project, gaining valuable experience and mentorship.

The drop-off and pick-up facility is strategically located on the northern side of the centre, accessible from Atterbury Road. This facility enhances the movement of taxis, allowing for safe drop-off and pick-up of passengers. Commuters benefit from a designated pedestrian walkway leading directly into the mall, which is both safer and sheltered from the elements.

The facility can accommodate around 40 taxis at any given time within its spacious footprint. The construction involved extensive groundwork, soil stabilisation, and paving to ensure durability under high traffic volumes. Security measures include fencing around the area and structural steel canopies with reinforced concrete foundations. The pedestrian walkways were also designed with aesthetic landscaping.

In addition to the primary logistical infrastructure, provisions were made for registered informal traders to set up kiosks, offering food and other goods in a secure and sanitary environment with shelter from inclimate weather. Nearby, 24/7 accessible ablution facilities ensure safe and hygienic conditions for commuters and taxi operators.

Muller explains that previously, taxis lined Lois Avenue on the eastern side of Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, creating hazardous conditions for both commuters and other vehicles. “The new facility alleviates these issues by providing a controlled environment for taxi operations and commuter safety.”

The taxi holding facility was integrated within the centre’s existing parking structure. It includes 165 parking bays, with 135 for standard minibus taxis and the remainder for larger long-distance minibuses. Access is controlled via license plate recognition, with separate entrances for short-distance and long-distance operators. The area is secured with fencing, and the parking layout was upgraded with energy-efficient LED lighting and clear demarcation of bays.

The holding facility also features utility areas, including a rest area with a kitchen, ablution facilities catering to disabled individuals and a wash bay. With a focus on the environment, sustainable design elements were incorporated such as sensor-based lighting and water-efficient fixtures to reduce resource consumption. The dedicated wash bay encourages water conservation among taxi operators while providing a suitable vehicle cleaning area.

As with all its contracts, Concor’s commitment to community upliftment extended beyond the project site with the company identifying needs within local communities. In this instance the company donated building materials to a nearby school for an upgrade project, collaborating with the professional team to support local education infrastructure.

“Concor’s successful execution of the Menlyn Taxi Integration Project underscores our capability in handling complex projects fast track projects with precision and excellence,” Muller says. “This project not only improved the commuter experience at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre but also, once again, showcased our dedication to quality, safety, and community engagement.”

Championing sustainability in the construction sector, Concor has completed another Green Star high achiever – 7 Parks Boulevard – in the Oxford Park precinct of Rosebank, Johannesburg.

Developed by Intaprop, this elegant office development has been awarded a 6 Star rating in terms of the Green Buildings Council South Africa’s Green Star rating. It has also earned a Net Zero level 1 certification recognised as ‘World Leadership’. It was scored high at 75 points, for its performance in a range of indices including indoor environmental quality, energy, transport, water, materials, land use, ecology, emissions and innovations.

Located on the corner of Parks Boulevard and Eastwood Road, 7 Parks Boulevard comprises four basement floors and four office floors with a gross floor area (GFA) of 8,149 m² and a total commercial office area of 5,988 m². Among the sustainable building features it boasts are access to external views and plenty of natural daylight – important environmental strategies to enhance the wellbeing of the building’s users.

Among Concor’s contributions to the Green Star rating were two main requirements that had to be met before the project commenced with demolition and construction: a Waste Management Plan (WMP) and an Environmental Management Plan (EMP).

Active steps were therefore taken to reduce waste to landfill during building operations, including a waste recycling storage area in the basement. This dedicated area met the Green Star sizing requirement, and accommodated paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, cans and metals.

Energy and water efficiency in 7 Parks Boulevard is enhanced through sub-metering of major energy and water-consuming systems, with water-efficient fittings being installed to limit occupant water usage. The building also minimises greenhouse gas emissions associated with operational energy consumption. To facilitate this, an energy model of the building was generated during the design stage, comparing the building to a SANS 10400 notional building model. This energy model helped to inform the building design, ensuring a high performance from a ‘building envelope’ perspective.

To reduce the carbon footprint, the building is equipped with solar panels with a capacity of 230 kWp – producing 387,000 kWh of energy annually and reducing its reliance on coal-generated electricity.

Modelling also enabled internal operative temperatures to be assessed to ensure a high level of thermal comfort; temperatures remain within the ASHRAE Standard 55-2004 Acceptability Limits for at least 98% of occupied hours. Building glazing performance modelling was also carried out, with performance values being agreed between the architect and mechanical engineer.

To further reduce energy consumption, provision has been made to ensure that all individual or enclosed spaces are individually switched with occupancy sensors. The project also saves energy by providing office lighting that is not over-designed, with an average maintained illuminance level of no more than 400 lux.

All selected gaseous and fire suppression systems, refrigerants and thermal insulants used for the development have an Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) of zero; this eliminates any contributions to long-term damage to the earth’s stratospheric ozone layer.

Leading black-owned contractor, Concor company recently completed hollow-cast of the last base at the San Kraal Wind Energy Facility in the Noupoort district, currently being developed by EDF Renewables and project partners H1 Holdings, Gibbs Crede and a local community trust.

San Kraal is one of the facilities making up the Koruson 1 Cluster, on the border of the Eastern and Northern Cape provinces. It comprises three wind farms, namely Phezukomoya, San Kraal and Coleskop, each with installed capacities of 140 MW. Once completed, the 78 wind turbines on the three wind farms will contribute 420 MW to the country’s energy grid.

Each turbine base constructed measures over 20 m in diameter and is around 3,3 m deep, requiring over 400 m³ of 45 MPa concrete – with an additional 18 m³ of 50 MPa concrete in the plinth.

A significant difference on the Koruson 1 Cluster of projects was the use of hollow cast foundations, which require considerably less concrete than a conventional foundation, reducing the overall carbon footprint of the project. While considerably more complex in design and execution, the hollow foundation allows for the inclusion of ducts and facilitates the post-tensioning of cables for the concrete tower. It also includes ducts for the power cables to the electrical reticulation network in the foundation.

At the same time, the construction of hollow foundations is more labour intensive, and requires more formwork and steel reinforcing. Each of the San Kraal wind turbine base foundations used a total of 64 tons of reinforcing steel, and Concor’s steel fixing teams had to work with high levels of precision to meet the stringent tolerances required.

The complexity of the hollow foundation design required each foundation to be surveyed in four stages, to ensure they were cast in strict accordance with the design – and to align the 40 post-tension duct cable sleeves for the tensioning cables within a tolerance of millimetres. With a full-time Concor surveyor on site to conduct all the setting out and verification survey work, a total of 168 setting out points were calculated for each base. At the peak of construction, the project comprised about 400 employees, most of them from the local community of Noupoort. Concerted safety and technical training on site, as well as close supervision and guidance from Concor allowed the project to complete over 500,000 working hours without a lost-time injury. The contract to complete the turbine base foundations was completed in seven months.

The band is starting to play louder at the awe-inspiring Msikaba Bridge project, according to Concor’s Laurence Savage, Project Director of this pioneering structure. The Msikaba Bridge forms part of the South African National Roads Agency Limited’s (SANRAL) N2 Wild Coast project and is being constructed by the CME JV, a partnership between Concor and MECSA, both 100% black owned Grade 9CE South African construction companies.

“The last two years have been spent completing the four 21,000 t anchor blocks and progressing the elegant bridge pylons on each side of the gorge,” explains Savage. “We are now entering some exciting but technically challenging phases.”

The first of these is the post-stressing of the anchor blocks, to ensure the transfer of load exerted by the stay cables is well distributed through the blocks. Embedded 14 metres deep into each block, the post-stressing is profiled as a large ‘U’ shape to mobilise the dead mass of the anchor block being pulled up by the stay cable at the top.

He highlights that the post-stressing option is a modern and efficient strategy that reduces the need for reinforcement steel – which could have congested the blocks and made it difficult for the concrete to fill all the voids. The locally procured post tensioning strand cables at each of the 17 anchor points in each block are stressed up to around 500 t by a specialist company. The process is expected to take two to three weeks for each anchor point.

“The next major step will be installing pylon inserts into the pylon’s structure as it rises above the 86 metre mark,” he says. “There are 17 inserts for each pylon; these are steel rings weighing 8 to 10 t each, which are concreted into place one after the other until the pylon reaches a height of about 122 metres.”

The pylon inserts are used as the anchors from which the cables run as back-stays to the anchor blocks, and as fore-stays to the bridge deck. However, Savage notes that not all the inserts have to be in place before the launching of the deck can begin. Careful planning will allow the deck launching – itself a highly technical task – to commence after the first five inserts are installed, which is likely to be in the second half of 2024.

Another demanding aspect of the bridge’s latest phase will be the construction of the ladder deck. Being the first steel deck segment of the bridge, the ladder deck is to be cast in concrete into the foundation of the pylon and will be the largest continuous pour on site.

“We will cast 700 m³ of concrete in a single pour, with a very strong 65 MPa mix,” he says. “This will also demand a high density of reinforcement steel, weighing 160 t.”

As a company deeply invested in the growth and development of previously disadvantaged communities, Concor recently celebrated a significant milestone on its projects at the Koruson 1 Cluster in the Northern Cape. This comes as part of the company’s unwavering commitment to not just building infrastructure but also building futures through extensive skills development programmes.

The focal point of this commitment was the recent graduation ceremony held in Noupoort, Northern Cape, on 9 March 2024, to celebrate the achievements of people from the local community that had completed their training as concrete and shutter hands.

The Koruson 1 Cluster is an ambitious renewable energy project, encompassing the San Kraal Wind Farm, Phezukomoya Wind Farm and Main Transmission Substation (MTS), all strategically located close to Noupoort. These projects are not just about harnessing renewable energy but also about energising the local community through employment and training opportunities.

When Concor first started on this project, the company identified a glaring gap in the local workforce—a critical shortage of skilled labourers. To bridge this gap, the company employed local people from the sending area as general labourers, who, while assisting with the casting of foundations for the wind turbines, received hands-on training to become skilled concrete and shutter hands.

The graduation ceremony was not just a formality but a celebration of hard-earned success and the promising future of the graduates. A total of 55 graduates, comprising 22 concrete hands and 33 shutter hands, were acknowledged for their competence and dedication and a highlight of the day was celebrating a woman concrete hand who successfully completed her training at MTS.

The event was attended by over 100 guests, including Noupoort’s Mayor, Mr Mzwandile Toto. In his address, Mayor Toto extended his heartfelt congratulations to the graduates and expressed his gratitude to Concor for its significant contribution to the community. This initiative by Concor is a shining example of how companies can play a pivotal role in uplifting communities by not just offering employment but by investing in the skills development of the workforce. By doing so, Concor is not only contributing to the local economy but also empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to secure a better future. The success of the graduates from the Koruson 1 Cluster project is a testament to the potential of such initiatives to transform lives and communities.

Concor has remained active in the building sector with the company having successfully completed several major fast track projects in 2023. Among others, this includes the Trevenna Super Basement project in Pretoria, 5 Parks Boulevard in the Oxford Parts Precinct, the Eastgate Sustainability Project and tenant reconfigurations at Westgate Shopping Centre.

Martin Muller, Contract Manager at Concor, says the new year also started on a positive note with projects spread across new build, refurbishment and repurposing of existing facilities, all of which are on tight construction programmes.

“Our multi-disciplinary teams are agile and have the requisite skills sets to deliver quality on these projects despite the varying scopes, and the fast track nature of all,” he says.

Commenting on current projects, Muller says work is underway in the Oxford Parks Precinct with a project to construct two office buildings with a common basement and podium. “What is exciting on this project is that Concor will be piloting Green Star V2. Our team is experienced in constructing to green star requirements as this was a feature of many of the structures within the Oxford Park Precinct, and we are well positioned for this challenge,” he says.

“Implementing and executing V2 will result in some learning curves for subcontractors, however the Concor team has the skills set to guide the process and we will work closely with the professional team to ensure we meet the requisite new benchmark.”

Another interest project is the refurbishment of an existing office building in Pretoria, which will see this building that dates back to the late 1970’s turned into an A Grade office facility. Concor has an established track record undertaking this type of work and apart from the challenges of working within the confines of the inner city, Muller says this is a straightforward 14 month contract.

Extensions to and the refurbishment of an existing shopping centre in Pretoria is another of the contract secured by Concor this year. The company understands the demands of working in live shopping centre environments and has successfully completed numerous such projects safely. This is also on a tight timeline of five months.

Also in Pretoria, the company is constructing a taxi holding facility which will provide a much safer environment for daily commuters in this area. This project started in February 2024 and is scheduled to completion in April 2024.

Muller says that an important aspect on all projects is the inclusion of subcontractors from the surrounding areas. “With competent core teams in place, we use the services of SMMEs and emerging contractors who can offer appropriate services such as wet trades and some finishes.”

This is aligned with Concor’s ongoing commitment to uplift local communities in the area in which it undertakes projects. Muller explains that awarding subcontracts is not where this ends, and ongoing support and mentorship is provided to these companies to ensure their sustainability over a longer term.

“An example where this has paid off is within the Oxford Parks Precinct where Concor has been building for more five years. Over this period of time, we have assisted in developing a number of subcontractors to competency levels that has seen them continue to work with the company and with other players in the market,” he says.