As water demand continues to put a strain on infrastructure in Gauteng’s urban areas, the residents of Kempton Park and Brixton (and surrounding areas) will experience some relief as two new water towers are nearing completion. These developments represent critical milestones in South Africa’s broader Strategic Integrated Projects in energy, water and sanitation, transport as well as digital communications infrastructure.
The new Kempton Park tower, located on the western edge of the City of Ekurhuleni that is chronically affected by high water demand and shortages, is a 43-metre-high conical structure. The tower can store up to 2.5 megalitres of water, alleviating high demand in an area. In Brixton, a similar but slanted wall is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, also adding much needed capacity in a water stressed region of the City of Johannesburg.
Central to the development of these builds was Uni-Span, which has for over 36 years built a rich heritage of providing the unseen framework holding together some of the most important public assets – from bridges, water reservoirs and power plants – across Africa.
Both towers demanded complex temporary works design, with high load-bearing capacities, circular geometry, vertical climbing systems, and preventative measures to avoid deformations or collapses, even in extreme weather.
On the Kempton Park Water Tower, Uni-span provided critical formwork support to MLK Engineering and Construction.
“A water tower takes around 18 months to complete and is one of the most intricate structures a contractor can supply, even more so than a bridge,” says John Damant, CEO Uni-span. “While similar, these two projects called for meticulous design and a high degree of preparation and onsite support.”
As a sub-contractor, Uni-span was responsible for designing all the formwork and scaffolding based on the contracting engineers’ drawings.
This amounted to supplying hundreds of tonnes of formwork material, which included a complete scaffolding solution for large scale civil works and strong, durable and versatile timber support tailored for complex civil applications.
The designs had to ensure safe, efficient and reliable support, so the towers could be built on time, on budget and robustly, so they can last for generations to come.
Gideon Lesia from Mapitsi Civil Works, which led the Brixton project, emphasised that the water tower infrastructure will make a significant difference to the existing water supply system in surrounding Johannesburg suburbs.
“It’s a project that positively contributes to addressing the area’s water infrastructure challenges and supports the broader community. Working with Uni-span as our formwork subcontractor was a seamless experience. Their designs were clear and professional, and the logistics around material delivery were efficient and hassle-free. They proved to be a reliable partner,” he says.
Both projects underscore the vital role that expert engineering and quality formwork play in delivering infrastructure that not only meets immediate needs but also supports long-term community development.
“As the economy grows and investment into infrastructure continues, one cannot overstate the importance of structural integrity in every project, big and small,” Damant says. “Our formwork, but most importantly our expert engineers, are critical in ensuring stability as these compounded structures are painstakingly put together. From the start of each project, our engineers are present on site to ensure correct assembly and maintenance of each part of the formwork, a commitment I believe sets us apart.”