Female engineer heads up geoscience consultancy , 2005/03/30
Terratest, the geotechnical and environmental consulting firm established in 1990, has undergone significant changes in 2005.
Mrs Jan Norris, who joined the company in 1996 as a geotechnical engineer and became a director in 2004, has now been appointed managing director and Prof. Deneys Schreiner, formerly Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, took over as Head of geotechnical engineering as from 1st March 2005.
Peter Waldron, the project leader of the very successful Schools Play-pump Programme (which recently received the SAACE commendation for Engineering Excellence for projects with a value of less that R5-million) continues at Head of the Earth Sciences section.
With a professional team of engineers, environmental scientists, hydrogeologists, geophysicists, geologists, project managers and GIS specialists, Terratest provides a unique service to the industry. “Terratest’s strength lies in the synergy between our environmentalists, geohydrologists and geotechnical specialists,” says Norris. “The integration of our services allows us to view each project holistically and provide optimum solutions to our clients, which include municipalities, consulting engineers, the mining sector and developers.”
The firm is involved in a variety of projects, including the implementation of the Zululand Groundwater Supply Programme, for which an average of 20 boreholes are being drilled every week. The programme has been carefully planned, with input from a variety of sources, including the Zululand District Municipality's planning division, groundwater consultants, engineering consultants, local government structures and community representatives. This is a rudimentary programme which is not seen as the final method of water delivery to the local communities, but rather as an interim measure to supply water quickly, cost-effectively and efficiently to recipients who will receive bulk water only several years from now.
A recent challenging geotechnical project was a large lateral retaining wall on the North Coast Road, Durban, undertaken for Ethekweni Municipality City Engineers Unit. Owing to the widening of this road the existing Metro rail line had to be supported in a complex and unstable geology. The solution involved ground anchors, piles, and rock bolts, and on completion, great emphasis was placed on the aesthetic appearance of the area. A Terrace Block Wall, planted with indigenous vegetation, was erected, and on the upper slope terracotta pigmentation was used in the schokcrete to create an environmentally appealing look.
Terratest is also busy with the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Abaqulusi Municipality in the Vryheid area. An SEA aims to integrate natural environmental concerns into the planning process at the same level at which social, economic and institutional considerations are addressed. It serves as a tool for the practical translation of the idea of sustainability into programmes and projects in the Integrated Development Planning (IDP) process.
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