The first contract was for the replacement of existing armour rock on the breakwater of the harbour. A precast yard was established in Cape Town harbour for the manufacturing of 3 000 dolos units. These were transported to Robben Island by barge and tugs.

The second contract was for the extension of the existing breakwater by 80m, the construction of a new T-jetty inside Murray’s Bay harbour and the deepening of the harbour by means of dredging. Concrete caissons were used for the extension of the breakwater as well as for the new jetty.

Seven caissons were built at the syncrolift in Cape Town harbour and transferred onto the syncrolift bogeys. The caissons were then lowered into the water and towed to Robben Island by two tugs.

The contracts, valued at R70 million, will be completed by mid-April 2005.

The Tailings Retreatment plant in Rustenburg

Centurion Shopping Mall

Also completed…
• The redevelopment of the Centurion shopping mall was finalised in September 2004. The project was valued at R182 million.
• The Woodlands Boulevard, a new shopping centre in Pretoria East, was also completed in September 2004. The project value was R175 million.
• Murray & Roberts completed Tiger Brands’ 9 500m2 GLA office park on William Nicol Drive in Bryanston. Practical completion took place in September 2004 and the project value was R52 million.
• Microsoft’s new head office in Bryanston was completed in September 2004. The project value was R45 million.

Iron ore terminal
Murray & Roberts was awarded a contract by METSO Minerals for the construction of three iron ore stacker reclaimers in the Port of Saldanha. Requirements were for construction of the three machines to take place over 19 months, with three distinct construction periods of four months each, separated by three month commissioning periods. Construction work commenced in January 2003 and was to be completed in July 2004.

However, due to access delays, the erection of the last stacker reclaimer recommenced in February 2005 and completion is scheduled for May 2005, followed by a further two months of commissioning and performance testing.

Excellent safety standards have been maintained on this project, with a total of 251 204 hours worked without any lost time injuries (LTI). The construction site has received a five star NOSA safety rating.

Melrose Arch

The project commenced in February 2004 and is scheduled for a staggered hand-over from July through to August 2005. It is progressing in line with the budget and time frames.

The project value is currently R76 million, with provisional sums for selected subcontract trades making up a further R50 million.
 

Developments in Dubai
The Department of Civil Aviation of the Government of Dubai has awarded a contract for completion of Terminal 3, Concourse 2 and the Car Park at Dubai International Airport to the joint venture of Al Habtoor Murray & Roberts and Takenaka. The contract is valued at approximately $1 billion and is due for completion early in 2007. Murray & Roberts is project leader with a 40% share.

Murray & Roberts in partnership with Al Habtoor has a proud record of achievement in constructing some of the landmark projects that define the recent development of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. These include the Burj al Arab Hotel and Concourse 1 at Dubai International Airport. Takenaka is a leading Japanese contractor with specialist expertise in integrated airport projects.

Although the Burj Dubai and Dubai Mall projects were not secured, Murray & Roberts has gained significant expertise participating with its partners in bidding such significant ventures against the best in global competition.

Upgrading Mondi
Murray & Roberts has recently completed a number of contracts on the Mondi RB720 upgrade project in Richards Bay. These contracts had a total value of R140 million and included:
• Paper machine 1 upgrade
• Installation of a new evaporation plant
• Installation of 130 tons rotary lime kiln and ancillary equipment
• Malodorous gas piping and mechanical installation
• Shutdown of 130 fibreline tie-ins for the project.
The site was established in November 2004 and the contracts completed from mid-2004 to January 2005.

CONSANI PLACED INTO LIQUIDATION
Consani Engineering, the Cape Town-based manufacturer of liquid and gas tank containers and wholly owned subsidiary of Murray & Roberts, has been placed into liquidation by its directors with immediate effect.

Consani built a global reputation serving a niche market from South Africa. However, in recent times the ongoing strength of the SA Rand together with customer resistance to increased prices for tank containers and aggressive competition, have impacted strongly on the business.