9 Jul 2013

Building & Construction

Can you engage effectively with your employees?

Technology has turned the world in which we live upside-down, says Lia Marus and asks: how can you effectively engage your employees?

Still on the employee front, a mining framework agreement has been signed, unfortunately without the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU).

The mining sector has been hit by unreasonable wage demands and it seems as though some in labour are oblivious to the damage they are doing to the industry.

No business can afford unreasonable wage demands... something has to give: either the company goes under, and everyone loses their jobs, or it cuts staff and an unfortunate number are out on the street, and/or it takes the mechanised route - and that still leads to fewer jobs.

No-one is saying miners should work for a pittance, but demanding astronomical increases is just plain stupid.

Hoof would have thought of it... 10 top media personalities took to the Twitterverse to help raise funds for the charity of their choice in the #BeTheStud campaign - and they made a difference for charity.

Our tame motoring editor Henrie Geyser is a heady blend of city chic and country charm, so it's no wonder he sees those same qualities in the Volvo CC.

Rod Baker, Content Director

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Weekly top stories

R4.2bn titanium dioxide plant on the cards
[Alistair Anderson] Nyanza Light Metals, a company jointly owned by Arkein International and Evraz Highveld Steel and Vanadium, said it would build a R4.2bn titanium dioxide pigment production plant in SA, following a favourable prefeasibility study. Read more >>
Do it once - and do it right
[Paddy Hartdegen] Anyone with half a brain and no mathematical training can follow this simple reasoning: it is cheaper to do a job properly the first time without taking shortcuts than to do it badly, using inferior methods and materials in the hope that it will save money. It should be obvious to everyone that this is never the case. Sadly it isn't. Read more >>
Eskom extends Medupi's power delivery date; costs up
Bumper month for Green Star SA ratings

Building & Construction
Bumper month for Green Star SA ratings
June was a bumper month for green building certifications with a total of six new buildings receiving a Green Star SA rating from the Green Building Council South Africa. This further substantiates that the green building movement is rapidly gaining ground in South Africa as developers and progressive businesses increasingly embrace sustainable building practices. Read more >>

Best Projects 2013 open for entries
Entries are now open for the 2013 Construction World Best Projects Awards (BPA), which aims to showcase excellence in the South African building, civil engineering and professional services sectors. Read more >>

GBCSA introduces course on Economics of Green Building
Buildings contribute one third of all carbon emissions worldwide, making them a prime target for initiatives to reduce emissions and embrace sustainability. Read more >>


Building Materials
Bricks from Corobrik help build new NMMU engineering building
Completed in September 2012, the R42 million engineering building at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth was constructed using three kinds of Corobrik clay brick products, and is the "new face" of the university. Read more >>

Dulux demonstrates commitment to sustainability through five core pillars
Coatings specialist Dulux South Africa's operations and activities mirror those of its Amsterdam-based parent company AkzoNobel, through commitment to core values for sustainability and environmental responsibility. Read more >>


Civil Engineering
Emira granted REIT status, wins Menlyn award
JSE-listed Emira Property Fund, which owns a diversified portfolio of office, retail and industrial properties, has been granted REIT status by the JSE and has won the Fulton Awards Innovative Construction Award for the Podium in Menlyn. Read more >>

New PMB interchange wins SAICE award for Technical Excellence
Pietermaritzburg's recently completed Dr Chota Motala Interchange is the city's first multi-level flyover and is a winner with motorists and the civil engineering fraternity alike. Read more >>


Construction
Keynote speakers for the Construction Risk Management Conference announced
The fifth annual Construction Risk Management Conference is to take place on 21 and 22 August 2013, in Joburg. The theme is: The Construction Risk Best Practice; Attaining the Gold Standard. Read more >>

Kwikspace to provide accommodation at new Namibian acid plant
Dundee Precious Metals (DPM), a Canadian mining company, has commenced work on a N$2.3 billion acid plant in Namibia to help eliminate sulphur dioxide emissions in Tsumeb, whilst creating sulphuric acid as a by-product that can be sold to other Namibian mines. Read more >>

New Hetzner data centre under construction
On 2 July 2013, Hetzner, a South African specialist web-hosting company, announced that construction of a world-class data centre in Samrand (Gauteng) has begun and is expected to be completed by late 2013. Read more >>


International

Top retailers, unions to inspect Bangladesh factories
DHAKA, Bangladesh: Seventy top retailers have pledged to improve worker safety and allow inspection of all of their garment factories in Bangladesh within nine months under a pact signed with unions after a deadly factory collapse, a statement said today. Read more >>


More International


Government

GP transport dept to blacklist companies for shoddy work
[Nthambeleni Gabara] The Roads and Transport Department in Gauteng is moving towards blacklisting construction companies who do shabby jobs after getting a tender. Read more >>

Eskom extends Medupi's power delivery date; costs up
Eskom's Medupi coal fired power station in Limpopo is unlikely to deliver first power to the grid by the end of this year as it was envisioned, the power parastatal confirmed yesterday. Read more >>


More Government news


Jobs offered

Factory Manager - Cape Town
Carpenter - Port Elizabeth
New Business Manager - Johannesburg



New events to diarise

Managing Risk in Construction Contracts
Alusani Skills & Training Network - 28 Aug 2013 to 29 Aug 2013 Johannesburg


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