Civil Engineering July 2021 | Vol 29 No 6

48 July 2021 Civil Engineering I n Br i ef UP’s Engineering 4.0 building awarded for innovative excellence The University of Pretoria’s state-of-the-art Engineering 4.0 building in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, which was launched on the Innovation Africa@UP Campus in Hillcrest on 30 November 2020, has been recognised for its innovative excellence by the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) in its property development awards for 2020. These awards recognise the efforts of architects, engineers, project managers, construction specialists and other property development professionals whose work is an inspiration for reim- agining a world where property development activity continues to inspire creativity and encourage productivity. “Given that the purpose of the building is to develop in- novative solutions to industry challenges, and that it is located on the University’s Innovation Africa@UP Campus, it is most appropriate that it should be recognised as SAPOA’s most in- novative design for 2020,” says Prof. Wynand Steyn, Head of the University’s Department of Civil Engineering The Engineering 4.0 building, designed by ARC Architects, is described as an engineering, built environment and information technology precinct with a learning facility, as well as a devel- opmental, research and large-scale testing laboratory. An indig- enous forest and grassland form an integral part of the design and support the area’s biodiversity. Large concrete tilt-up panels were used in combination with a steel structure and full-height glazed façades to enhance the interaction with the natural environment and promote biophilia. The sustainability measures that were applied transcend to wellness principles, with the aim of creating the ideal interactive learning, research and testing facilities in an open-architecture, fully immersive, world-class institution. ARC Architects, with Anton de Jongh at the helm and Marié Smit as lead architect on the project, were given the design brief to develop a facility that could operate as both a learning and a testing facility in an all-inclusive design. “The result was a facility that makes a significant impact,” said Prof. Steyn. The creativity of the design lies in its functionality, with an impressive external envelope and meticulously designed flow patterns, reminiscent of a machine.   Positivity following construction and building material sales increase The continued uptick in sales of construc- tion and building materials is positive news for the metals and engineering (M&E) industries as it signals growing demand for the sector’s products, says the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA). Wholesale trade sales data released by StatsSA showed a massive 85.5% increase in sales in April 2021 compared to April 2020, while month-on-month wholesale trade sales decreased by 0.1% in April 2021 compared to March 2021 due to the number of public holidays in the month. The increase was mainly driven by the increase in demand for building supplies across all segments such as basic steel and non-ferrous metal products, fabricated metal products as well as structural metal products, cement and bricks, among others, as construction activity picked up amid the easing of Covid-19 alert level restrictions. Residential home improvements also contributed to the sales growth in construction material. The increase in M&E production sales, which has averaged R75 billion a month for the last four months to April 2021 also supports the trend. SEIFSA Chief Economist Chifipa Mhango believes the positive data is an indication that economic recovery remains cautiously on track following the relaxation of lockdown measures put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 from March last year. These restrictions limited trading and industrial activity for the better part of 2020. “The latest data bodes well for the M&E industries as it signals an increased demand for its products as economic recovery in the country begins to gain momentum,” says Mhango. However, he cautioned that government needs to speed up the Covid-19 vaccination rollout to ensure that more people can return to work, thus further supporting economic activity. He called on govern- ment to help further drive demand for the sector’s products by ensuring that state- owned entities comply with local content requirements for infrastructure projects in line with the recently launched Steel and Fabrication Master Plan.  Construction and building material sales grew by 85.5% in April 2021 compared to April 2020 Entrance to the training labs from the foyer