Civil Engineering November 2022 | Vol 30 No 10

S tellenbosch University’s Facilities Management division was tasked with an ambitious upgrade programme to oversee the renovation and upgrade of multiple buildings across their main campus, which is located in Stellenbosch. The renovation and upgrade were to be aligned with the Facility Management division’s vision, which is to provide sustainable, accessible, and future-focused facilities and services. Located in the northern quarter of the expansive Stellenbosch campus, the new Decanting Facility sets a new building typology for the precinct which will help facilitate the University’s long-term devel- opment ambitions. The new building has been developed with sufficient functionality to house various faculties in a modern and agile set- ting. The facility will provide temporary, but fully functional workspaces for engineering students and staff while their buildings are being upgraded. Once construction has been completed at the Faculty of Engineering, the Decanting Building will be used during other campus renewal projects. Aspects of this project included archi- tectural services, structural services, fire and mechanical services, civil engineering services, electrical and electronic services, services coordination, planning approvals, construction monitoring and contract ad- ministration. This included the bulk master planning of the precinct civil infrastructure, the external services for the building and the adjacent parking area. A new parking area services the new Decanting Building and new student residences alleviating parking congestion in the precinct. All the parking bays consist of perme- able grass blocks filled with crushed stone to ensure the water table is replenished during winter rainfall. Sustainability was embedded into the design and applied throughout the construction. Sustainable urban drainage systems have been installed which elegantly incorporate stormwater man- agement solutions. Attenuation ponds create a visual feature and recreational amenity. Pedestrian linkages provide safe passage around the site and tactile paving has been incorporated to ensure universal access. COVID-19 CONSIDERATIONS The Stellenbosch Decanting Facility and Silvertrees Parking project was initially planned for completion on 5 May 2020. However, due to unforeseen circum- stances relating to the procurement of materials at the time and the shutdown of the site due to Covid-19 concerns, completion was reached on 24 November 2020. The Defects Liability Period began thereafter and ended on 24 November 2021 – thus completing the project. With the Covid-19 pandemic occur- ring during the construction phase of the project, a significant amount of time was lost as a result of National Government’s lockdown regulations. Strict procedures were also required when the site was re-opened to ensure safe passage and working environment for all staff and students traversing the areas. The Decanting Facility and Silvertrees Parking facility is fully op- erational and is used by the Stellenbosch University as an annex building to house lectures, seminars, presentations and meetings – all of which would otherwise take place in buildings that are currently undergoing refurbishment, repair or maintenance.  SANRAL SA I CE 2022 Nat i onal Awards Category: Techn i cal Excellence Stellenbosch Decanting Facility and Silvertrees Parking FINALIST Technical Excellence category (Sponsored by SKI Civil and Structural Engineers) KEY PLAYERS Client: Stellenbosch University Consultant: SMEC South Africa Contractor: GVK Siya Zama Stellenbosch University’s new Decanting Facility The site includes pedestrian linkages and tactile paving 28 November 2022  Civil Engineering