A 10 megalitre reinforced concrete reservoir with post-tensioned walls and a free-spanning dome roof, built by Unicon at Thabazimbi, Limpopo.
Project Overview
Thabazimbi is a mining town in the Limpopo bushveld, and water storage there has to be reliable for people and industry alike. Unicon built a 10 ML reinforced concrete reservoir with post-tensioned circular walls and a dome roof that spans the whole tank without a single internal column.
A column-free dome keeps the floor of the tank clear, removes the leak paths that roof columns create and gives a roof that is structurally efficient over a large diameter. It is also among the least forgiving things to build in concrete: the walls are stressed with post-tensioning tendons, the roof is formed and poured as a single geometric shell, and every pour has to be tested, recorded and signed off before the next one starts.
At A Glance
Appointment
Full Contract (construction scope)
Contract form
GCC 2010
Location
Thabazimbi, Limpopo
Programme
Jun 2016 to May 2018 (23 months)
Value band
R5–20M
Employer
Anglo American
Sector
Bulk Water
Status
Complete
Unicon’s Appointment
Unicon is appointed to carry out the whole of the construction scope under one contract. We price the work, carry the programme and quality risk of our own works, procure and manage our subcontractors and hand over completed works. The contract may sit directly with the employer or under a main contractor or joint venture, which is common on larger public and mining projects.
GCC 2010 is the General Conditions of Contract for Construction Works, the standard contract for civil engineering and water infrastructure.
Scope Of Works
Brands & Stakeholders
Employer (project record)
Global mining group; the client on this contract.
Consultant
Appointed consultant on the contract.
Related Capability
Questions
The circular wall contains steel tendons that are tensioned after the concrete has gained strength. This pre-compresses the wall so it stays in compression when the stored water pushes outwards, which keeps cracking, and therefore leakage, under control.
With no internal columns the roof is a self-supporting shell. The tank floor stays clear, there are fewer penetrations to waterproof, and the structure is efficient over a large span. It does demand precise formwork and disciplined concrete placement.
Unicon built the whole reservoir structure and its connecting pipework and chambers under GCC 2010 (General Conditions of Contract for Construction Works), carrying responsibility for the concrete works, the programme and the quality of its work.
Yes. Reservoirs and bulk water works are the largest part of the Unicon portfolio, with fifty projects in the project database for municipalities, water boards and industrial clients.
More Projects
Wastewater · Full Contract
A new wastewater treatment works, including reedbeds, built by Unicon as principal contractor to serve the Club Med resort development on the…
View projectHeavy Civils · Full Contract
Excavation and concrete lining of a 4 km drainage canal serving farmland on the Mjindi Plantations near Jozini, carried out by Unicon under GCC…
View projectSend us the drawings or the scope. Whether the appointment is a full contract, construction management or turnkey, we will come back with the engineer who would run the job.