Publication: Construction World
Issue: November 9, 2021

Consulting engineering firm Knight Piésold’s engineering excellence was recognised through two of its projects, which received high commendations in the consulting engineer category at the Construction World 2021 Best Projects Awards. The projects were the Emoyeni Reservoir in KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa, and the Neckartal Dam in Namibia.

The company was appointed by eThekwini Municipality’s Water and Sanitation Unit  as the consulting engineer for the design and construction supervision of the proposed 30ML rectangular reinforced concrete reservoir at the Emoyeni Reservoir site.

Knight Piésold lead engineer Kendall Slater explained that in addition to the reservoir design, the company carried out hydraulic modelling of the combined Knelsby and Emoyeni reticulation systems, and made recommendations on upgrades required. The proposed Emoyeni Reservoir site is located in Hillcrest in the Outer West region of the eThekwini municipality.

“The design and construction of the Emoyeni Reservoir utilized unique design and construction methods that are not commonly used in conventional reservoir projects. The project faced several challenges such as limited working space, working in a high-density residential area, COVID-19, as well as untried methods.”

Meanwhile, the Neckartal Dam, which is located outside Keetmanshoop in the south of Namibia, is a curved gravity dam constructed with roller compacted concrete. The structure, across the Fish River, has a crest length of 520 m and a height of 80 m, capable of storing 850 m³ of water.

Gunter Leicher, Country Manager for Knight Piésold Africa in Namibia, explains that the company has had a presence in the country for the past 12 years making its mark through its involvement in the Neckartal Dam project – the country’s largest dam.

Sharlenee Moodley, Marketing Lead for Knight Piésold Southern Africa, explains that these projects being recognized testifies the excellence and quality of the employees of the company in executing projects. “This year marks a historic milestone for Knight Piésold as we celebrated our centenary anniversary. We are so proud of the achievements that the company continues to showcase through its strong strategic focus on sustainable development, innovation, and technical excellence.”

Read the article on Construction World.