SAICE joins the nation in extending its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, and sympathy to those who were injured in this tragic incident when the temporary steel scaffolding, used as support for the “Great Walk” pedestrian bridge being built parallel to the Grayston Bridge across the M1 highway, collapsed. This pedestrian and cycle bridge is being built to better the lives of people in Alexandra, providing them with easy access to opportunities in the economic hub of South Africa, Sandton.
The steel structure (scaffolding) had been assembled off site in four main sections and had only been erected recently. Temporary structures like this one, comprising shuttering, steel and scaffolding, are used as an interim measure to support permanent structures, i.e. the actual bridge would have been constructed on it – during construction the temporary works holds the permanent structure.
This must be one of the most unfortunate and appalling incidents the civil engineering and construction industry in South Africa have had to endure.
In these sad circumstances it is heartening that the City of Johannesburg, Gautrain, Metrobus and Putco cooperated to alleviate the plight of the general public by making available their services free of charge on Thursday. SAICE also applauds the City of Johannesburg for temporarily suspending the eco-mobility festival and opening the roads in Sandton to traffic.
Parks Tau, Mayor of Johannesburg, said that Murray & Roberts (M&R), the contractor responsible for the construction of the bridge, responded “proactively”. Ed Jardim, group investor and media executive of the company, explained that the exact cause of the incident was not known.
Manglin Pillay, CEO of SAICE, said, “Murray & Roberts’ response to this tragedy was exemplary – they acknowledged responsibility and took immediate action by being on site immediately, and providing their personnel and equipment to assist. I was particularly impressed with their CEO, Henry Laas, for the manner in which information has been forthcoming.”
M&R has also hired independent consultants to help investigate the cause of the fatal collapse.
As civil engineering is all about providing quality of life, this devastating incident in which people were killed and many injured, is the more tragic for the civil engineering fraternity. Civil engineers are serious about providing safe structures for people, and for this reason a thorough investigation on the cause(s) of the collapse is an imperative.
In terms of accountability, this tragic collapse is an opportunity for the civil engineering and construction industry in South Africa to be an example of true accountability – to show transparency by clearly communicating the stages of the process of accountability, and taking action. This could become an example to all of what true accountability should be.
If a collapse like this can occur while a reputable civil engineering company like M&R, with many very experienced civil engineers, is doing the construction, SAICE is perturbed to think what could happen in many of the municipalities and national departments with their inadequate number or often total lack of civil engineering capacity.
Issued by the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE)
For additional information, please contact Marie Ashpole
Tel: 011 805 5947/8
Cell: 082 870 9229
Email: marie@saice.org.za
www.saice.org.za
