The engineers behind the repair of the Umhlali River Bridge on the N2 after the 2022 floods, have been recognised for an “exceptional achievement in structural engineering”.
The bridge was reopened to traffic in August last year, 15 months after the floods.
It took nine months for the contractor to be appointed, getting the project off to a slow start. The reopening of this crucial economic artery was a huge relief to motorists who had endured long travel delays with bumper-to-bumper traffic.
The team from Naidu Consulting and DT Mlangeni Projects bagged the Leica Geosystems Technical Excellence Structural Project of the Year Award at the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) awards ceremony in Johannesburg in September. The judges said they had considered projects that pushed the boundaries of structural engineering.
Project manager Siphesihle Henry Mthembu said the design solution that received the SAICE award entailed jacking the displaced bridge deck vertically and horizontally to be reseated into its original position.
“We had to work to very tight timeframes. It was confirmed that the precast beams of the deck had been unseated off their bearings. Due to this and the floodwater causing extensive scour to the fill behind the abutments, the bridge had to remain closed to traffic. The jacking procedure carried significant risk because of the highly technical and specialised nature of the work,” said Mthembu, giving due credit to the contractor and the consulting engineers for the role they played.
According to Andrew Clothier, 2024 SAICE president, “These awards represent the epitome of civil engineering excellence, recognising the remarkable achievements of our members, the companies, clients and contractors who have worked tirelessly over the past year to push the boundaries of our profession. The projects and people honoured reflect not just skill and dedication, but the heart and passion that drive civil engineering forward.”
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