DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY |
Naomi Nieuwoudt,
SNA Consulting Engineers, Bloemfontein |
Naomi Nieuwoudt's day at SNA Consulting Engineers in Bloemfontein begins at the office doing project co-ordination and administration work. As an Engineers Representative she is also on site at various times to ensure that project specifications are met. A project that is very close to her heart and which she is currently involved in is the Thaba-Nchu Community Development Project.
The development project forms part of the larger SANRAL outreach program designed to uplift rural communities along the N-road routes. The two year contract which was awarded in a joint venture began in February 2006 and entailed the upgrade of various roads with specific emphasis on the utilization and development of SMME/BE subcontractors.
"The targeted area is very poor and the residents have to cross the N8 in order to reach commercial areas and schools," explains Naomi.
The interesting background to the N-route upgrades originated because many school children from the community who commuted on foot required safe facilities and pedestrian crossings. This was particularly true along the N8 road which had limited facilities, posing a security risk to school children and other commuters.
Due to the nature of the project, community interaction was high. "PLC's (Public Liaison Committees) were established in order to act as mediator between community members and the contractor. This body consists of various ward councillors, community members, advisors, municipal board members and even traffic officials," explains Naomi.
According to Naomi, dealing with a PLC makes life easier in some cases but can also be quite challenging. "The PLC has the power to control labour usage on a project. With this venture, the project was bound by strict labour targets. The contractor therefore had to liaise with the PLC when sourcing local labour. They also tried as far as possible to make use of local contractors and suppliers," notes Naomi.
SNA Consulting Engineers are long standing users of Civil Designer and AllyCAD and have integrated the programs with great success into all of their branches.
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"I enjoy working with Knowledge Base programs, nothing else comes close to it. I've also come to rely on the Support Centre and have called the help line on more than one occasion when it mattered most," says Naomi.
Community reaction to the Thaba-Nchu Community Development Project has been extremely positive. The project area has a total of 14 352 households and is subdivided into four wards. With the completion of the project, it is hoped that the community would benefit from the upgraded services, and additional facilities provided.
Another project that Naomi is currently working on is the Botshabelo Roads Upgrade venture. The project which began early in 2006 involves the upgrade of Roads FG6 and BOT1030-2. Both roads with a length of 1,1 km and 1,2 km respectively made use of labour intensive Emulsion Treated Base (ETB) methods. "When you have a labour intensive ETB, everything gets done by hand. This method is more expensive as opposed to using conventional methods, but allows for the transfer of skills and job creation," explains Naomi.
With a labour intensive ETB there is however the risk of irregularities in the road's surface as it is difficult to ensure a uniform standard if things are done manually. "When tasks are done by hand, it can ultimately affect the driving quality of the road. In order to combat this problem, the contractor recommended that the subbase layer of the road be done using labour intensive methods while the ETB be done using normal conventional standards. This would ensure that the same amount of labour be used without compromising on the quality of the road," she says, adding that the project is currently in its final phase of completion.
The challenging nature of the civil environment does not seem to intimidate Naomi in the least, clearly thriving under pressure. "What I love about my profession is working with people. I also love the creative side of things and putting working designs in place despite the challenges. One of my biggest challenges currently, is working within the confines of municipal regulations, provincial regulations and even national government regulations. These all impact on the final design, but that's part of the job. You just have to find a way to make it work," says Naomi clearly displaying a cool and calm approach in the toughest conditions..
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Naomi Nieuwoudt
is a Civil Technologist at SNA Consulting Engineers in Bloemfontein. She studied her Civil Engineering qualification at the Free State Central University of Technology (CUT) where she completed her in-service training at Raubex Construction. After graduating, Naomi joined SNA Consulting Engineers and has been with the company for one and a half years. She is currently in the process of acquiring her professional engineering status with ECSA and enjoys woodwork and oil painting in her leisure.
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Block I, The Terraces, Steenberg Office Park, 1 Silverwood Close, Tokai 7945.
Tel: +27 +21 701-1850 Fax: +27 +21 701-1822
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