Awards shine spotlight on engineering excellence
• Honour for role players in built environment, writes Alf James
The who’s who of the built environment celebrated excellence in engineering at the 2018 CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards on August 15 with the theme: creating legacies and honouring legends. This year close to 50 submissions were received for the awards hosted by Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) and sponsored by Aon South Africa.
In celebration of Nelson Mandela’s Centenary year Cesa expanded the award’s categories to include The Lifetime Industry Achievement Award, a discretionary award to recognise an individual who has contributed significantly to the development and promotion of the consulting engineering industry in SA in their lifetime.
Cesa CEO Chris Campbell said: “Engineers create legacies, each time you change the landscape you change history. Each time you plan, design, build, maintain and rehabilitate, you are creating a legacy for the next generation as engineering impacts on people’s lives making clean water possible, providing reliable energy, safe transport and fast communication.”
Aon South Africa Business Unit Manager Meggyn Marot agreed: “The gravity and everlasting effects of an engineer’s work on a society should never be overlooked.
“As challenging as the environment may be, you have achieved success by being out there, being at the forefront and having a clear plan about what the eventualities might be. We believe that risk should also be embraced for the opportunity that it presents.
“As winners of the 2018 Cesa Awards you have been a part of making history and sewing your craft into the fabric of the societies you serve. We congratulate you for the strides and accomplishments you have made. We are proud to sponsor this prestigious event and of our ongoing association with Cesa and its members,” said Marot.
Campbell said engineers are the main role players in the delivery of infrastructure, the development and maintenance of which is a key ingredient for sustained economic growth that leads to job creation and poverty alleviation.
WINNERS
The inaugural Cesa Lifetime Industry Achievement Award was presented posthumously to Ivor Evans, one of Cesa’s past presidents who served the industry with enthusiasm and passion his entire career.
Airports Company SA sponsored the Young Engineer of the Year Award, which was awarded to Shamiso Kumbirai from Aurecon, with Ntseuoa Motsieloa from Nyeleti Consulting receiving a commendation.
The category for Engineering Excellence with a value greater than R250m was won by Aecom for the construction of the Cape Flats 3 bulk sewer — phase 2, with HHO Consulting receiving a commendation for the upgrade of the N11 section 10 from Middelburg to Loskop Dam.
The category for Engineering Excellence with a value between R50m and R250m was won by Aurecon for the Sol Plaatje University library and student resource centre. Commendations were awarded to Knight Piésold for the rehabilitation of Main Road between Atlantic Road, Muizenberg and Clovelly Road, Clovelly — phase 3; and to Royal HaskoningDHV for the Grayston pedestrian and cycle bridge.
The category for Engineering Excellence with a value less than R50m, was won by Hatch Africa for the Tugela River pedestrian bridge with Naidu Consulting receiving a commendation for the widening of the Tongati River bridge.
In the category of Best International Project, sponsored by the Built Environment Professionals Export Council, SMEC SA was the winner for the Sydney Metro Cable stayed bridge with Knight Piésold receiving a commendation for the Von Bach Dam asphaltic seal replacement.
Knight Piésold won the Business Excellence category with BVi Consulting Engineers receiving a commendation. Naidu Consulting won the Mentoring Company of the Year, sponsored by Bosch Holdings, with Knight Piésold receiving a commendation. Infraconsult Engineering was recognised as Small Company of the Year.
Graham Jennings from Knight Piésold is the Mentor of the Year. Sanral is the Visionary Client of the Year.
Crown Publications received recognition for Publishing Excellence: Trade Publications and Tiso Blackstar, publishers of Business Day, received recognition for Publishing Excellence: Daily Newspapers.
Knight Piésold was the winner of the Cesa Job Shadow Initiative with UWP Consulting as the first runner-up and Hatch as second runner-up. Cesa’s Limpopo Branch won the Branch of the Year award.