CONCOR’S name has long been associated with Construction World’s Best Projects with numerous company projects, both in infrastructure and the built environment, winning accolades over the past 22 years since the inception of this prestigious awards platform. This year has been no different with two of the three projects entered by the company securing podium finishes.
The large and challenging Trevenna Super Basement Project in Sunnyside, Pretoria has created a ‘future-proofed’ five-level basement as a precursor for A-grade office buildings in the Trevenna Office Campus. This project received a Highly Commended Award in the Building Contractors category as well as a Special Mention Award in the AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction category.
Covering almost 70,000 sqm of parking space and other amenities, the super basement extends 20 metres below ground level. This meant that the basement floor was 12 metres below the water table, creating significant groundwater and rainwater challenges. Hard rock conditions were also encountered and required controlled blasting and other excavation to reach the required levels.
The Trevenna Super Basement is in a busy urban area, surrounded by high-density residential accommodation. Community engagement was therefore key to the project’s success, as was careful planning, effective communication and a flexible approach from the contractors.
The Eastgate Sustainability Project was awarded a Highly Commended award in the AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction category and a Special Mention award in the Building Contractors category. This project involves the extension of the solar energy generation plant, the installation of rainwater harvesting, storage and treatment facilities and the upgrading of the heating, cooling and ventilation (HVAC) system.
Underpinning each of these fast-track sub-projects is the demanding condition that trading activities at this busy shopping centre must be allowed to safely continue undisrupted. At a technical level, there are myriad challenges which the Concor team is successfully overcoming through careful planning, efficient execution and skilled workmanship.
Demanding particular attention is the fact that most activity is being conducted on the centre’s roof parking level, where the load-bearing capacity of the roof slab is a constraint.
Winning awards and securing podium finishes in prestigious competitions like Construction World’s Best Projects is a testament to Concor’s commitment to excellence and its ability to deliver outstanding results in both infrastructure and the built environment.
