Civil Engineering October 2021 | Vol 29 No 9

Marke t Contr i but i on A non-invasive tunnelling service for the installation of under- ground sewer and water pipelines, fibre optics and electrical sleeving, the trenchless construction industry plays a leading role in infrastructural roll-out across the globe. So why is the application of this technology in South Africa so slow to root? Limited awareness, says Faith Thlale, director and majority shareholder of Rolkon Trenchless Construction, a spe- cialist civil engineering company based in KwaZulu-Natal. As one of the leaders in the field of trenchless construction, Rolkon is focused on providing better insight into this field of construction as a way to shift away from traditional trenching methods as the only option. “To do this, we have to show the relevance and benefits of this technology to the South African market,” says Thlale. OUT WITH THE OLD South Africa has an estimated 197 000 km of reticulation systems, the majority of which were built 30 to 60 years ago. This ageing infrastructure is responsible for an estimated 37% loss of capacity, making a big impact on service delivery and new development. Having well exceeded their design life, these systems require re-sleeving, enlargement or replacement. In most cases, roads, utilities, and other infra- structure has been built layer upon layer in the years since initial construction and the underground space in the public right-of-way is congested with pipelines and utilities. Trenchless construction helps to mitigate this situation and fast track the upgrade of infrastructure while limiting the disruption caused to vehicles and people in urban and peri-urban areas. RINGING IN THE NEW The current position of trenchless con- struction, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, is that of back-stop or problem-solver when traditional trenching methods fail to deliver. “Ironically, this role is starting to pay dividends in both the fibre and civil engineering spaces where trenchless is becoming part of the planning solution,” says Thlale. Investment in the South African fibre optic industry is conservatively estimated at R9 billion over the next three years, making it the country’s highest-growth industry. Fibre connectivity is becoming a crucial selling point for commercial and residential properties and with just 18% of South Africans able to access a fibre connection, the race is on to secure an edge. When it comes to fibre installation, this has often been mandated as a ‘no cut’ space, which means trenchless construc- tion is the only way to install. From a civil engineering point of view, KwaZulu-Natal is benefiting from a series of freeway upgrades being undertaken by SANRAL and public transport upgrades being undertaken by the eThekweni Municipality Transport Authority. With most of these projects being undertaken in peri-urban and/or dense urban areas, being able to minimise disruptions to services, traffic flow and the movement of people is critical. Achieving this means moving away from the digging- only mindset and applying trenchless construction methods for the installation of a multitude of services, from water and sewer lines to electricity and fibre. Environmental protection is another area of future demand, where less invasive alternatives to trenching are becoming a baseline requirement of many construc- tion and civil engineering projects. AN INDUSTRY AT THE READY The innovation of trenchless construction and the benefits of this technology for the South African landscape is something Thlale is passionate about. “I want to drive this industry so that its benefits are realised across a range of sectors, from developers, consulting engineers and con- tractors to municipalities and parastatals,” she says. For Thlale, these benefits include: Q Q Environmental sensitivity: infra- structure can be installed under buildings, forests, wetlands and bodies of water Q Q Minimal disruption: a smaller con- struction footprint and the option of being able to work in the right of way Q Q Saves time: decreased disturbance means a shorter completion time and less inconvenience associated with the project Q Q Added value: up to 30% more value for money on a given project Q Q Decreased rehabilitation time: minimal digging decreases the time to rehabilitate the work area to ‘as found’ or better condition Q Q Save on costs: being fast and efficient means cost saving in direct and conse- quential terms Q Q Skill development and labour: growing the trenchless industry will increase the resource pool of skilled labour which in turn results in higher wages. Open-cut or trenching has always been the way most jobs are designed and completed. But as the knowledge of this approach grows and the capa- bilities of trenchless construction are tried and tested locally, so this method of construction will become a standard by which many jobs are planned and costed. To dig or not to dig ? Civil Engineering October 2021 39 Trenchless construction offers a solution for the installation, replacement or rehabilitation of underground infrastructure