Expertise

Vela VKE has been involved in large and complex civil engineering projects for more than 30 years in both the transportation and water sectors.  These projects were often of a multi-disciplinary nature and of such an extent that the work was undertaken in joint venture, made up of local and international partners.  Examples of such projects include the Palmiet Pumped Storage Scheme, Huguenot Highway Tunnel, Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), Maguga Dam in Swaziland, Mabuko hydro-electric power station in Uganda, Bougouriba hydro-electric dam in Burkina Faso, Gautrain tunnels and viaducts and the Mokolo Crocodile West Water Augmentation Project (MCWAP) .  These projects have also received a number of industry awards including Project of the Century going to LHWP in the water category and to the Huguenot Tunnel in the geotechnical and transportation categories.

Notable projects that were undertaken solely by Vela VKE include the Daspoort road tunnel and Mamelodi sewer tunnel in Pretoria, railway tunnels, earthworks and bridges along the Ermelo-Richards Bay coal export line, river energy dissipation and erosion protection measures along the Sambao River in Madagascar, the Ash and Nuwejaarspruit rivers in the Eastern Free State and the Prevention of Water Ingress into the Gold Mines of the Witwatersrand project.

The core of the civil engineering division is located in the Johannesburg office with support staff located in our offices in Pretoria, Durban, Bloemfontein and Cape Town.  Vela VKE staff are experienced in working within multi-disciplinary teams where an integrated and holistic approach to projects are required.
 

Detailed Capabilities:

• Project concept and feasibility planning
• Highway and water tunnel design
• Rock support and tunnel lining design
• Geotechnical investigations and related designs
• Aerial survey and mapping
• River and facilities management, operation, maintenance and monitoring
• Hydrology and hydraulics
• Erosion protection measures along rivers
• Abstraction, storage and energy dissipation weirs
• Pump stations and pipelines
• Appurtenant engineering works such as intake and outlet structures and tunnel ventilation shafts
• Contract documentation and construction supervision

Vela VKE offers a fully comprehensive service for all types of civil engineering projects. The Division works in close collaboration with specialists inside and outside the firm to provide efficient and cost effective solutions.

Barend Christiaan Viljoen obtained his Hons. B. Eng (Cum Laude) degree in 1979 at the University of Stellenbosch.  Chris has since accumulated 28 years of experience in a variety of engineering disciplines.  In particular he has several years of design, supervision and project management experience on railway, tunnelling and water projects.  He is presently working on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Further Phases Study and the Mokolo Crocodile West Water Augmentation Project.  Recent projects include the Prevention of Water Ingress into the Gold Mines of the Witwatersrand, the upgrading of the Ash River and the Nuwejaarspruit river upgrading projects.  He started his career with the then South African Transport Services on the Coal Line project in 1981 and in 1988 joined the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase 1 design team where he later became the Chief Design Engineer for the Delivery Tunnel North portion of the project.

Chris is presently head of the Vela VKE Structures division and is a member of EXCO. He has been a registered professional engineer since 1985 and represents Vela VKE at the South African Association on Tunnelling (SANCOT), the South African National Committee on Large Dams (SANCOLD) and is a member of the structures, railways and harbours and geotechnical divisions of SAICE.

When not at work Chris enjoys travelling, hiking, Koi fish keeping and gardening with his family.

Email : viljoenc@velavke.co.za