The project which was identified by Eden District Municipality, was aimed at uplifting the low income area of Lyonville, and entailed the upgrade of Berkley Street as well as a section of Long Street. The road was upgraded from a gravel surface to a cement block-paving road in order to improve the access route to and from the Lyonville residential area in Uniondale.

According to Mr Gerhard Otto, Project Manager, Uniondale Area, the construction project was largely executed through labour intensive construction methods. “The venture entailed 6600m² of paved road and 1,92km of kerbing. In addition, the construction required approximately 333 000 of concrete paving blocks and approximately 100 metres of storm water pipes. The assignment has secured work for about 44 local residents who have also been empowered with a skill that will equip them to become pavers and kerb layers.”

The job creation initiative worked extremely well and many workers received a certificate of competency based on their level of expertise. In addition, workers were managed in designated clusters by skilled professionals and many of them were able to source employment because the venture had resulted in a skills transfer. The team also found the community to be particularly supportive as they understood what the road upgrade would mean in terms of improving the living conditions and job creation opportunities in the area.

The project was completed with the use of interactive software design package, Civil Designer. “This program was used with great success and it saved us much time. It was great to know that we could rely on such a powerful package to help us achieve our objectives. I found this project to be particularly rewarding because the team of engineers and the contractor could give something back to the community,” he says.

Workers were selected from the community based on a list of criteria. The area ward councillor was responsible for maintaining a database of unemployed workers from a previously disadvantaged background. These people were then chosen to work on a two weekly rotational basis. Workers consist of men, women and unemployed youth and worked very well in their respective teams to get the job done.

The Uniondale project required the following:

• The excavation of road material;
• The compaction of the in situ layer;
• The construction of the new road base layer;
• The establishment of a dust free surface by means of concrete paving blocks;
• The construction of sidewalks;
• The partial improvement of the storm water drainage systems and,
• The building of culverts, storm water inlets and head walls.

According to the engineer, this type of project will not only improve the mobility of residents, but will also serve to improve the quality of life for people in the district.
 

Civil Engineering, October 2005 - Page 15