VIAPLAN consulting civil and structural engineers
COMPANY PROFILE Company History VIAPLAN - Viaplan Consulting consulting civil and structural engineers Engineers was founded in 1985, in Pretoria, by Professional Engineers, Christo Kuun, Jac van Aarde and Riaan Möller. Kuun and van Aarde specialized in the design of roads and highways, while structural and specialist bridge design projects were handled by Riaan Möller. An in-house civil engineering materials laboratory, known as VIALAB, completed the full spectrum of services required for the design, contract management and quality control required for the construction of roads and bridges. In 1994, an office managed by Möller was established in Port Alfred, operating as VIAPLAN Eastern Cape. The Port Alfred office specializes exclusively in the design and contract management of structural engineering projects which include local, national and international assignments. Kuun retired in 2010 and became a specialist consultant to the Gauteng Department of Transport, on the geometric design of roads and highways. Based on the success of the structural and civil work Professional Ethics produced in Port Alfred a decision was made to expand proud of the fact that we are professionals who have a VIAPLAN's services to the greater Port Elizabeth area. duty and responsibility to our profession, clients, Jean-Jacques Kriel joined the practice in 2015 and an colleagues and society. For this reason we always conduct office, managed by Kriel, was established in Port our business in an honest and ethical manner. VIAPLAN Elizabeth. The Port Elizabeth office specializes in the adheres strictly to the Code of Conduct for Consulting design and contract administration of civil and structural Engineers, as published by CESA and ECSA, with whom we projects. are affiliated. The company was rebranded and given a fresh new We at VIAPLAN want to deliver an equal and professional image in 2015. The Port Alfred and Port Elizabeth offices service to each and every one who requires it. We do not are currently operating under a new logo as: VIAPLAN discriminate and pride ourselves in being non-biased and Consulting Civil and. independent. - We are conscious and 01
Values Knowledge and Technology - Professional Civil and focused on harnessing the latest technology and academic developments to make designs modern and economical. Performance - Our commitment to meet agreed deadlines. Service Excellence - Principles liaise directly with clients and personally design and take responsibility for each project. Integrity - Non-negotiable professional integrity and ethics. Vision - To be a leading civil and structural engineering practise, respected by industry for our specialist service and accepted by the community for our ethics....because CROSSED FINGERS don t hold up bridges... Principle Members RIAAN MÖLLER Academic Qualifications: 1975 BSc, BEng (University of Stellenbosch) 1978 E.C.S.A Registration (Reg # 780149) Professional Affiliation: Member of South African Institute of Civil Engineers Member of Consulting Engineers South Africa Member of the Engineering Council of South Africa Field of Expertise: Structural analysis and design Career Experience: 1975-1981 Uitenhage Municipality (Bridge and Structural Design) 1981-1986 Africon Consulting Engineers (Bridge Design) 1986 - pres. Viaplan Consulting Engineers (Bridge and Structural Design) JEAN-JACQUES KRIEL Academic Qualifications: 2011 B.Eng (University of Stellenbosch) 2013 M.Eng (University of Stellenbosch & Maastricht ) Professional Affiliation: Member of South African Institute of Civil Engineers Member of the Engineering Council of South Africa Field of Expertise: Civil and Structural Design and Contract Administration Career Experience: 2008-2011 Bergstan and Group5 Construction (Training) 2011-2014 Grinaker LTA (Building and Civil Engineering) 2014-pres. Awards: Viaplan Consulting Engineers (Civil and Structural Design) 2013 Mandela Rhodes, SAVUSA SKILL NRF Scarce Skills Scholarship 02
COMPANY PHILOSOPHY Although Viaplan has been practicing for 40 years, an early decision was made not to diversify into a multi-disciplinary practise, but to rather concentrate on the passions of each Principle Member. We believe that if you love what you do, you will be good at what you do. Being driven by passion ensures that we constantly acquire and apply the latest methods and technology in our work. The decision to specialise rather than diversify was made in order to establish ourselves as specialists in our field, able to render our services to eccentric architects, the man on the street and various consultants confronted with unusual applications and interesting ideas. We, at VIAPLAN, therefore place emphasis on continued professional training in order to improve our knowledge and understanding of new developments in our field. This is done by our participation in national and international conferences and courses, as well as implementing the latest technology and methodology on an ongoing basis. This approach, we believe, enables us to provide our clients with safe and economical design. Should we find ourselves in the position where an assignment falls outside our field of expertise, we will consult with specialist colleagues with who we have cultivated good working relationships. We feel that it is to our clients' benefit to have our Principle Members personally involved in all our projects. From the initial consultation stage, to detail design and construction stage, regardless of the nature, scope or complexity of the assignment, we feel that this hands-on approach gives us an advantage over larger multidisciplinary practises. Vision - To be a leading civil and structural engineering practise, respected by industry for our specialist service and accepted by the community for our ethics. Mission - To keep our client needs as our primary focus in service delivery, while ensuring that the designs we produce are safe and economical. VIAPLAN also focuses on continual development of its systems and services by utilizing the latest methods and technologies. Hereby ensuring that we produce current, modern and precise design. 03
PROJECTS Over the last 40 years VIAPLAN has had great success in providing its clients with civil and structural designs, as well as conducting the contract administration of various developments, which include: Bridge Design and Management Numerous bridge structures have been designed by VIAPLAN, including structural steel, pre-stressed concrete and reinforced concrete structures. These bridges are used as road-over-road bridges, road over river bridges, railway bridges and pedestrian and service bridges. Due to the extent of bridges designed, VIAPLAN is regularly asked to do assessments of existing bridges when widening is required or when specifications for rehabilitation is needed. High Rise Building Structures Our flagship project in this category is the Telkom Towers Building in Pretoria, which boasts two towers of 23 floors, connected with a steel bridge. Residential Structures In excess of 1000 new homes and renovations have been designed and supervised by VIAPLAN. Projects vary from minor additions to multi million rand luxury homes. We strive to realise the dreams and visions of our clients, no matter the size, budget or complexity. technology. Bilila Lodge and Melia Lodge, both located in the Serengeti, Tanzania, and each exceeding R100million, are projects that we are especially proud of. Melia Lodge is in the final planning stages. Projects in far reaching remote areas pose many challenges all building materials are manufactured and tested on site, or transported to site over 100's of km's. Labour is generally unskilled and language barriers often come into play. Communication and trust between all parties involved is thus crucial for the success of the project. Numerous local lodges and hotels have been designed by VIAPLAN, namely: Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve, Eagles Crag Lodge, Shamwari Game Reserve Kariega Lodge, Kariega Game Reserve, Fort House and Kwandwe Private Nature Reserve Apartment Blocks Situated close to and in university towns, VIAPLAN has been in the position to design and supervise numerous apartment blocks. The designs have had to be especially economical in order to keep the unit selling price as affordable as possible. The majority of apartment blocks are aimed at students. Sports Stadia The swimming pool and stadium for the South African Military Health Service in Pretoria was an interesting and challenging project. The complete design was made up of an Olympic sized swimming pool, underwater viewing gallery and stadium with a retractable roof, covering the entirety of the pool and surrounding buildings. Hotels and Lodges The Royal St Andrews Lodge situated in Port Alfred (R130 million project), was designed and administered by us. The project started as the minor restoration of a historic hotel with great sentimental significance to the community of Port Alfred and has since developed into what is hoped to become a local hub, boosting Port Alfred's economy and creating jobs across the board as conferences, events and tourism needs are catered for. The design sensitively blends a bygone era with state of the art luxury and Educational/Institutional Structures VIAPLAN has completed the design and supervision of numerous educational facilities. The new Kingswood Librar y and new High Per formance Centre in Grahamstown are good examples of where state of the art modern design and technology has complimented and blended with the Victorian-Gothic Revival style of the Kingswood College. Interesting projects constantly arise and challenge us to 04
broaden our design horizons projects like the extensions of the Letaba Hospital (Mopani District), South African Military Health Services Officer's Mess and the additions to the Correctional Service Facilities in Brits, to name a few. Low Cost Housing Developments The involvement in turnkey projects has given VIAPLAN the opportunity to design and administer low cost housing projects. Over 500 units have been constructed to date. Thornhill, just outside Port Alfred, is a shining example of what low cost housing should look like. Industrial Structures Various steel structures have been designed and erected under the supervision of VIAPLAN. Designs have had to be economical, practical and adaptable. Often industrial structures change tenants and with that their function. VIAPLAN has been integral in accommodating and designing for the changing needs of our clients. Reservoirs and elevated water retaining structures Numerous reservoirs have been designed over the years. Foundation design in coastal geotechnical conditions Being situated along the coast for over 20 years has given VIAPLAN extensive experience in the design of foundations in coastal geotechnical conditions. Drilled and hand excavated piles have been used often to realise the vision of our clients, whilst being sensitive to the natural environment and accommodating often poor founding conditions. Super vision, structural repor ts and failure assessments Located in the rural Eastern Cape, VIAPLAN has often been called on to act as Resident Engineers in order to supervise projects for out-of-town Engineering Consultancies. A great deal of transparency, trust and communication is required between Engineers in such situations. The Port Alfred Waste Water Treatment Works (valued at over R35 million) is a project that was designed by Bigen Africa Services (Pty) Ltd and supervised by VIAPLAN. 05
CONTACT US We enjoy working directly with our clients and would prefer to meet with you in person to talk about how we can assist you. If you have an interest to make use of the services provided by VIAPLAN please use the contact details of our respective offices below to connect with us. Port Elizabeth Office 25 donkin street t 041 582 1299 central f 086 724 5211 port elizabeth c 082 466 9547 6001 infope@viaplan.co.za Jean-Jacques Kriel 082 466 9547 jj@viaplan.co.za Rick Moller 076 800 5292 rick@viaplan.co.za Port Alfred Office 44 campbell street t 046 624 4922 po box 28 f 046 624 3740 port alfred c 082 6556 779 6170 infopa@viaplan.co.za Riaan Moller 082 655 6779 riaan@viaplan.co.za Anna Cloete 083 452 6348 anna@viaplan.co.za VIAPLAN consulting civil and structural engineers 06