AECOM racks up experience from Ghana to Lesotho and beyond

AECOM was involved in upgrading Section 2 of Moloto Road

This ranges from the Tema Port Expansion Project in Ghana to the Polihali Western Access Road (PWAR) Project as part of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, upgrading Section 2 of Moloto Road, being lead consultant for Phase 1 of the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link Project, and its involvement with a major transport project in Saudi Arabia. A feather in the cap for the team was the New Ashton Arch Bridge, South Africa’s first transversely launched concrete tied-arch bridge, which was awarded Best Infrastructure Project greater than R100 million at the 2022 Fulton Awards, held every two years by Cement & Concrete SA. The project also received a commendation for Innovation & Invention in Concrete. The judges praised the New Ashton Arch for its “unique bridge engineering technique”.

“The biggest part of our transportation team sits in our Highways & Bridges teams. We probably have one of the largest bridge teams in the country,” says Chris Britz, director: Transport, Africa at AECOM. Current work includes the 580 m long, cable-stayed Msikaba Bridge in the Eastern Cape, part of Sanral’s N2 Wild Coast project.

Britz explains that Transport falls under the Civil Infrastructure business line of the Africa business, together with Water, Environmental and Geotechnical. The business line is divided into market sectors – namely Highways & Bridges, Rail, Infrastructure Design, and Ports & Marine – dealing mainly with smaller municipal-type developments and associated services such as roads, water, drainage and sewerage.

Chris Britz, director: Transport, Africa at AECOM

Another major focus is construction management and construction supervision (CMCS), which allows AECOM to offer full services for both civil and transportation projects. This involves six main stages, from concept to design, documentation, procurement, supervision and closeout. “That is a bit different from other markets where design and documentation is often one contract, with a separate contract for the supervision, contract management and closeout. Most of our larger and more significant projects run across all six stages and therefore it is essential that we have a strong CMCS team in-house,” explains Britz.

AECOM plans, engineers and oversees the construction of some of the largest port and

marine facilities worldwide, including Tema Port in Ghana. The firm has been involved here for the last six years, providing a multidisciplinary service for the port’s vital expansion. AECOM expects to complete a separate LNG terminal project before the end of the year.

These projects follow on from previous work carried out by the marine team in South Africa on the Dig-Out Port at the old Durban International Airport site. The local team has also received support from the AECOM Global Aviation business line for airport projects done on behalf of Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), such as the King Shaka and Cape Town international airports.

The latter is a good example of AECOM’s multidisciplinary approach to projects. “Our ACSA work usually involves our Buildings team on the terminal side and our Bridges & Highways team on the aprons and runways, as the approach to pavements is largely similar,” highlights Britz.

“Our Infrastructure team supports other parts of the business internally. Our Highways & Bridges team also has a good industrial capability and resumé. Here, the Infrastructure team assists with the design of the bulk earthworks and all the services typically associated with an industrial site,” he outlines. An example of AECOM’s involvement here is its work for Toyota South Africa at its Prospecton manufacturing facility in Durban. The recent flooding in KwaZulu-Natal caused major damage to the plant, with AECOM working on a feasibility study to elevate the entire site as part of a larger climate-resiliency strategy for the automotive manufacturer.

Another major client for the Transport team is the Western Cape Government. Past project examples include the New Ashton Arch Bridge forming part of the larger Cogmanskloof pass upgrade. AECOM is currently carrying out various other road upgrades, reseal and gravelto-surface road projects in the province.

Britz notes that bidding for highway projects is highly competitive due to the general dearth of infrastructure tenders in the market.

South view of the New Ashton Arch Bridge

AECOM overseeing design and construction supervision of the Polihali Western Access Road AECOM was involved in a fuel works project at King Shaka International Airport in Durban

Given the constrained local market, AECOM’s digital transformation strategy has seen it branch out into Australia and New Zealand to tap into major infrastructure projects being undertaken currently in those territories.

“Although Australia uses different design packages that are unique to their market, their business culture and work ethic are highly compatible with South Africa,” points out Britz.

With digital advancements and virtual working, the South African team is expanding its current involvement in global projects, supporting teams in the Middle East, UK and USA.

In addition to its digital transformation drive, another key strategy for AECOM is Sustainable Legacies, which promotes environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals in all its projects. A good example is the PWAR Project in Lesotho, where the road provides not only access for the equipment necessary to build the dam, but also linkages and mobility for local communities.

“The road will ultimately link many roads and settlements in Lesotho to the outside world,” Britz concludes.