Leading piling specialist, Gauteng Piling, has been awarded the contract for the piling for the construction of Southern Africa’s largest single-phase retail centre, Mall of Africa.

The massive 120 000sq m Atterbury Property Developments project is being built in the heart of the new Waterfall City, situated between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and is scheduled to commence trading in the first half of 2016.

Mall of Africa Structural and Civil Consulting Engineers, Aurecon, entrusted  Gauteng Piling with the design as well as installation of the concrete auger cast piles that will provide the structural support for the two-level shopping complex that will accommodate over 300 shops.

Hennie Bester, MD of Gauteng Piling, says that - based on initial probing trials - it was anticipated that a total of 217 auger piles would be required. “But the soil conditions proved far more challenging than expected so the final total of piles is now likely to be over 400,” he states.

Bester says the rock content of the soil was higher than anticipated from the initial probing holes, and to exacerbate the situation the rock also varied in both depth and strength. “The soft rock is extremely abrasive and calls for frequent hardfacing and maximum maintenance to toughen the drilling components. These drilling challenges meant that Gauteng Piling had to rent two additional, bigger rigs to augment our own fleet for this 2,5 months contract.”

Gauteng Piling is employing four of its own drilling rigs as well as a probing tractor for the contract which is on schedule despite exceptional fast-track requirements and internal labour incidents prior to the start of drilling. The required depth of the piling varies between five to 10 metres.

Gauteng Piling also handled the drilling for the initial geo-technical tests for Mall of Africa conducted by Crossman Pape & Associates. 

A long-standing member of Master Builders Association North, Fourways-based Gauteng Piling’s recent contracts include the piling for the Fire & Ice Hotel in Pretoria, The Grove Shopping Centre in Pretoria, and the Bon Accord Police Station, also in Pretoria. The company also handled the piling requirements for a new FAW auto dealership in Croydon in Ekurhuleni, to name just some of its recent work.

Gauteng Piling has attained 135% BBBEE recognition and, as Bester added, is strongly committed to the future development of emerging contractors in all facets of the building industry.