Water Main – Inanda Dam, KZN
Our hardest drill of the year is done and dusted!
In the third and final drill for LNY Construction at Inanda Dam for a water lines main sleeves, the team was set the task of drilling under a small river to pull a 450-diameter pipe and install a 315-dn HDPE product pipe.
The conditions proved to be very tough with lots of rocky outcrops that could not be drilled through, under or around. The only option was to remove several of the rocks using excavators. The project ended up being longer and more difficult than anticipated, but eventually, the team got it done successfully to the client’s full satisfaction. A great way to wind down 2023. 🥳
Water Main – KameelRivier, Mpumalanga
The Rolkon team recently completed a tough drill in KameelRivier, in the Mpumalanga Province for Shingirayi Civils.
Forming part of the installation of the Kuilin Pipeline water-main sleeves, the Rolkon team drilled and pulled through a 630-diameter HDPE pipeline. With extremely rocky conditions the project was a challenge right from the pilot drill and required a steady hand and focused teamwork. At the end of the day, and despite a slow reaming process, the project was successfully delivered to a very happy client.
The pipe welding was undertaken by Velocity Construction and the pipe was supplied by Rho-Tech.
Pipe Cracking – KZN
Another Successful Pipe Cracking project completed by our team for BLOC.
The project was to replace the 110 diameter sewer line with a 160 diameter sewer line at the AECI plant. The road could not be cut as it carries a lot of truck traffic and services and there could be no weakening’s placed on it so drilling was the obvious and best solution. The drill was 16 meters in length and was conducted with no impact on traffic or the surrounding area. The client was very satisfied with the team’s quick and efficient delivery, and Rolkon once again delivered another successful site.
CCTV Crossing – N3 Lynfield, Cato Ridge
For this job for Netronix on the N3 at Lynfield Park, Rolkon had to undertake a site survey and prepare the drill plans for what was estimated to be a 73m crossing for a CCTV installation. The extent of the drill and the cover needed resulted in this being a complicated drill that was compounded by the extensive rock on site, as well as the shorter ramp crossing of 31 meters.
Despite these challenges, this 5 day project was delivered on time, with the geological conditions adding an extra layer to the drill team’s experience.
Efaye 3.0 – Final Water Main
Rolkon was back for the final installation on this three phase project for Icon Construction in Efaye.
During this final 5-day project, the team installed 2 x 450 diameter sleeves with a 200-diameter water main. Once again the drilling was on point and accurate, and we delivered the project on time and on budget. Most importantly, our client was extremely satisfied with the project and our service in general. This is a critical pillar of the Rolkon ethos as we strive to foster long-term, solution-orientated relationships with all our clients.
Bulk Water Supply Scheme – Nkanyezini
The bulk water supply scheme location on Msunduzi river, an undulating area that brought some difficulties to the project. Rolkon was appointed by Afriscan Construction to install both a 450 and 630-diameter water main sleeve across a provincial road running through the peri-urban area of Nkanyezini.
The drill was closely monitored by both the client and project engineer Escongweni BPH Engineers who were delighted by the accurate drilling and delivery of the service. The project was delivered under budget and within the planned period of 5 days.
As a well-respected construction company, Afriscan has strict safety and environmental protocols which Rolkon was able to meet, being a company with Gate 2 Occupational Health and Safety registration.
Pipe Cracking – Berea, Durban
In this classic pipe cracking job, Rolkon used the Vermeer D9 drilling rig to help solve a clients’ long-time stormwater run-off issue.
At a residential property in Berea, Durban the team drilled though an existing pipe that went under a building and foundations. We carefully positioned the rig in the owners yard to avoid damaging the driveway, walkway and buildings and to ensure limited impact on the manicured gardens. After a careful and successful piloting, a quick and easy pipe crack and pull back process followed.
Great feedback from the client on trenchless technology and all round praise for the Rolkon team made this classic pipe cracking job a great day out.
Fibre Installation – uMhlanga Rocks
Whilst this project was not the most difficult we have had to do, it had a few interesting quirks and was certainly a drill with a view. Our client was 123 Net and the project was a fiber connection installation in Umhlanga Rocks.
The drill rig had to be neatly positioned between a shoe shop and a restaurant and the drill took place under the busy Lagoon Drive that runs outside the new Oceans Mall and The Pearls. With such a densely packed area, there are a number of services located at between 0.9 and 1.2 meters below road level which meant careful drilling because damaging anything in the area would impact the whole of the Umhlanga Village. The drill had to happen quickly to ensure minimal impact on business, traffic and the urban environment, and the team achieved this with no fuss.
Sewer Installation – Van der Bijl Park
This project proved to be one of the more difficult we have had to undertake with real lessons learned in this sewer installation in Van der Bijl Park.
With site constraints, a lack of technical information, hard geotechnical conditions and heavy rain, the Rolkon team found themselves having to tough it out to deliver a project to our client BLOC Contractors that we are all very proud of. The first drill was under a road and went relatively well and the 30m pipe was quickly installed.
The second drill was under a culvert which for most of the way went through ferricrete, a hard, erosion-resistant layer of rock cemented by iron oxides. This material was not kind to the drill rigs and our rods, drill heads and reamers really took strain with a number of them breaking mid-drill. Whilst it seemed as if we would never succeed we eventually got the pilot through, reamed and pulled the 60m pipe.
What was supposed to be a 5-day job ended up being a 20-day job which reminded us that whilst not every job goes perfectly we must always deliver and stick to our promise of leaving no site unresolved.
Fibre Installation – Amanzimtoti Dunes
The Rolkon team experienced new terrain on this project with a dune drill in Amanzimtoti.
This project at the Amanzimtoti Pipeline Aquatic Centre was very environmentally sensitive and the team had to drill under the dunes which were covered by indigenous mangrove-type vegetation.
Working for MOT Construction on a project for Liquid Fibre, we had to install 4 x 160 diameter ducts for fibre coming in from Mauritius. The project was on a tight schedule as the completion of the landside works had to align with the arrival of the ship.
This time and the environmentally sensitive project was another major success for the Rolkon team.
Stormwater – In Upmarket Durban Suburb
In what is Rolkon’s biggest project done to date, the team faced some severe space constraints and a 17m grade drop over the length of this drill in an upmarket suburb in Morningside Durban.
Working for BLOC, who was contracted by the eThekwini Storm Water department, the horizontal directional drill for this project served to implement a stormwater network that links all the properties along the main storm water bulk line in Innes Road.
The pilot drill was approximately 104m starting from the properties at the top of the hill and following the grade down a 17m fall over the length of the drill. With no line of sight, master driller Hendrik Nortje had to rely on the instrumentation and expertise of his locator as the team navigated under outbuildings, pool houses, tennis courts and foundations of retaining walls.
The reaming process was very slow as approximately 130 cubes of mud had to be removed from the base pit using a TLB, tipper and specialised fluid truck with a suction pump. Both the entry and exit points were carefully constructed by BLOC using a sheet file methodology to ensure maximum safety for the Rolkon team. RhoTech supplied 90m of pipe which they welded on-site using the butt-welding methodology. A 2-step reducer was specially made for this process to ensure the best quality welding for the job. In addition, a 315mm pipe puller, specially engineered by Nicky from New Vision Engineering, was purchased for this job.
The successful delivery of this multi-faceted project was made possible by the knowledge, experience and expertise shared by BLOC and our Rolkon team.
Electrical Duct – Durban Town Centre
In what was a very technical and difficult job, the Rolkon team led by our newly accredited driller Solly installed an electrical duct into the basement of a building in Dr Pixley Kaseme Street in the Durban City Centre. Despite all the building rubble in the confined space on the building, Solly managed to pilot the drill from the ground floor into the basement, weld the 160mm diameter pipe and pull in the new sleeve.
Thanks to the skilled planning done by our assistant project manager Sthe, the calm demeanor of our driller Solly, and the technique that is horizontal drilling, this project is a demonstration of how Rolkon is able to take up the challenge of difficult projects and deliver – no matter the site.
Thank you team!
Water Main – Efaye, Wartburg 2.0
In the second phase of this project for Icon Construction the Rolkon team installed 1 x 450mm, 2 x 400mm and 1 x 200mm diameter water main sleeves.
Rocky conditions and the crossing of a busy highway made no difference to the efficiency of the delivery and in our client’s words “there was no fuss, no excuses, the project just happened.” The total length of the ducts was 60 meters and the installation included a 72m product pipe with stub and flanges.
Fibre Sleeve – Cape Town
Rolkon has made its trenchless drilling debut in Cape Town with a contract for the Azile Group to pull new fibre ducting for a new fibre network in Gugulethu and Kayalitsha. The project entails pulling between 100 and 200m of 110mm fibre ducting per week, and so far it has gone off without a hitch, with our team delivering beyond expectations.
Slowly and steady, week by week, we can now proudly say that Rolkon is a National team!
Water Main – Efaye, Wartburg
In another great project delivered by the Rolkon team for Icon Construction the team had to install 4 x 450mm and 1 x 315mm watermain sleeves in Efaye near Wartburg.
The ducts were 60 meters in total length with a product pipe of 72 meters by 250mm including stub and flanges. This project was delivered as per our client’s expectations in rocky conditions, and in the client’s words “there was no fuss on this job, the project just happened.”
Water Main – Mandini
The Rolkon team faced a relatively tough drilling environment with varying geotechnical conditions coming into play as they drilled from soil to rock.
Undertaking the drill for Mdima Civils the project entailed the installation of 630mm water main sleeves for a new water main pipeline in Mandini. The 2 pipes of 18m each were installed over 5 days with some time taken drilling through the rockier parts of the dig.
Traffic Signals – Midway Mall, Newlands
The Rolkon team spent the better part of this drill pounding through the rock-hard surface of the ground in order to find soil conditions conducive to pulling duts for the traffic signals outside Midway Mall in Newlands.
The drill was a first for our new client the eThekweni Transport Authority (ETA) and although the drill took longer thanks expected, all the crossings were completed as planned.
The length of the drill was 75m, with 2 x 110mm ducts pulled to ensure the effective function of the new traffic signals.
Water Main – Mt Frere
It definitely felt like winter on a recent job in Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape where the team installed a 40m water main for client Kara SA who is working on a project to make water more accessible for the local community.
The 450mm pipe was installed under the main highway running through the town, but using trenchless technology there was no disruption to the traffic. A relatively straightforward job, the biggest challenge was the sub-zero overnight temperatures and the hard, compact soil conditions.
Water Main – Empuluzi
It was a tough project for the Rolkon team in Empuluzi near the Swaziland border. Working for BLOC Contractors this project involved the installation of several water main sleeves in a number of different locations.
The pipes were all different lengths and they had to be installed at different depths based on the surrounding landscape.
Site conditions ranged from hard and dry to soft and muddy and as the rain and snow of the weekend drew in, the job had to be put the job on hold. But the team returned to site to finish the installation adding another successful project to their list of experiences.
Water Main – Mandini
Like many of our projects in urban and peri-urban areas, space was limited with houses all around the trench site and a constant flow of pedestrians who walk in and on the edge of the road given the lack of pavements in the area. This meant we had to pay a lot of attention to our surroundings, in particular, to ensure the safety of the people and animals and to keep the avoid any damage to properties.
The 200mm pipe for this water main could not be pulled in as traditionally done so it was pushed the length of the 18m drill with very little difficulty and the water main was delivered as per our client’s expectations on time and within budget!
High-Pressure Water Main – Dube Trade Port
The team was called back for a second job at Dube Trade Port for Stefanutti Stocks, this time in Trade Zone 1 for the installation of a 250mm PN 16 high-pressure water main.
The 78m dig took place under a traffic circle roundabout that had an array of services running underneath it. This meant great care in the planning of the drill route and a slow and steady drill to ensure no services were damaged. On this project, the choice of trenchless construction resulted in significant time and budget savings as the client didn’t have to dig up the roadway. It also meant that access to Dube Trade Port and the Air traffic control centre was unaffected throughout the project.
Netronix Fibre Installation – Hillcrest
On a recent fibre installation project for Netronix, the Rolkon team had to pay careful attention to safety and accuracy on a site with very little space to manoeuver.
The drill was 31m in length and 110mm in diameter and took place under the very busy Old Main Rd in Hillcrest from a site located between Christians Village Mall and Hillcrest Corner Shopping Mall. “The drill started at the entrance of the shopping mall and terminated at the exit pit on the adjacent verge, so we had to be even more accurate and careful with our drill line,” said Rolkon operations manager Derick Nel.
More learnings from this site as Rolkon completes another successful trenchless construction project.
King Shaka International Airport Dube Trade Port Sewer
This was our second project for Stefanutti Stocks at King Shaka International Airport, this time in Dube Trade Port Tradezone 2 where our team drilled for the installation of a sewer main.
With a drill length of 66m, this project required the installation of a 315mm diameter sewer main under a road 45m in length.
The piloting took about 3 days to complete because of the rocky soil conditions, and the team had to drill from a property adjacent to the installation site, where space was limited and we had to take care not to interrupt the operations of the surrounding businesses.
The project was extremely technical in that it had to be drilled to specific levels to allow for optimal sewage flow, and the pressure was on because if not successfully installed, over 2km of sewer line would have had to be relayed.
Preparation and design was the focus of this project, and thanks to the safe working chamber provided by Bloc, the collective team were able to successfully complete the project.
King Shaka International Airport Water Main
The Durban sun baked down on the Rolkon team as they completed the installation of a water main at King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) for Stefanutti Stocks .
An unplanned but urgent job, the Rolkon team were called in to install an 18m long, 315mm diameter UPVC water main under the road at the airport. A little trick on this job was that the main had to be pushed and not pulled through the drill hole, which took some extra focus in terms of guiding.
A quick turnaround time on this project and another site successfully resolved!
Sizela Sewer Sleeve
What a way to test horizontal drilling technology and the skills of the Rolkon team!
In our first big project of 2022, Rolkon put in the hard yards to install a 400mm sewer sleeve for the new sewer line being built in Sizela by Bloc Contractors.
During this 30m drill, we had to cross the main road and navigate around and below a playground and a wetland area. In addition, we faced really soft ground conditions, with the clay soil making the progress slow going. But as is the Rolkon way, the drill was completed successfully and once again, trenchless construction came out on top!
Driveway Tunnel For Fry Foods
Quick and efficient was the name of the game as we took on a recent job for Bloc Contractors, pulling 3 x 110 diameter pipes and 1 x 160 diameter pipes a short distance under the concrete entranceway of the Fry Foods factory.
This doesn’t mean it was an easy job, not when our rig was hanging over the edge of a retained hill with little to no wriggle room!
Fibre Tunnelling Under the R102 – Verulam
In a fibre installation project for MTelecoms, the Rolkon team focused on length and location as they drilled under the R102 in Verulam.
Given the tight location on the edge of the busy R102 and the 67m drill under the road, the focus was on getting the set-up and navigation scanning just right. The steady focus resulted in a 2-hour pilot drill, with another hour required to pull the pipe back.
Fibre Tunnelling For MTelecoms – New Germany
What a job this has been! 3 months of drilling and moling for MTelecoms who is laying fibre in a residential area in New Germany.
1100 metres drilled and 1800 metres of moling as we passed 450 houses with some tricky tunnelling and site conditions.
Part of our approach to resolving each site is ensuring we foster long-term relationships with our clients and thanks to the Rolkon team for extending working hours to get this job done, we will soon be starting a new project with MTelecoms that we are excited to get working on.
Edendale Sewer Sleeve – Pietermaritzburg
Railway lines, vegetable gardens and tight community living Rolkon faced a tricky drill site during a 2-day project in Edendale in PMB for Bloc Construction.
Before the new sewer sleeve could be installed the live line had to be decommissioned and securely blocked off, after which the pilot drill of 50m was done making sure the grade was appropriate for the sewer flow. Once the 12m sleeve was installed the sewer line was recommissioned.
As is the Rolkon way – the site was successfully resolved, with cabbages and railway line left undisturbed!
Anton Lembede Aqueduct – Durban Inner City
This job in the inner city of Durban involved horizontal drilling under an existing stormwater culvert in order to pull an 800mm sleeve with a product pipe weighing 11 tonnes in total.
The site situation required that the pilot be drilled from 80m away with the hole 4m below ground. At this depth, the hole was below sea level which meant managing the tidal water flow into the hole. The pipe was pulled a total of 18m and the project took 2 days to complete.
M13 Fields Hill Crossing – Durban
This roadside project required us to horizontally drill under the M13 highway without causing any disruption to traffic. A difficult site to access for both machinery and the technical team, we had to target drill because the high traffic volumes did not allow us to navigate across the road.
A job turned down by another drilling company, difficult soil conditions and the length of the drill itself added to the challenges. But as we do at Rolkon, we got the job done, living up to our promise of leaving no site unresolved!