The Bay in Blouberg stands tall after refurbishment
For a long period from the end of 2018 into 2019, Blouberg residents and visitors would have seen remedial construction underway at The Bay in Bloubergstrand. This was due to the Body Corporate recognising the need for building maintenance and understanding its importance to safeguard the investment values of all the units.
Geoffrey Jäck, managing director of contractor, Indawo, said that the sheer scale of the project proved to be a challenge in itself, but the conditions that site workers had to work under created significant and persistent challenges.
Bloubergstrand is well-known for its high winds, especially among local and international kite surfers. Normally, further inland, wind tends to come and go, but along the western seaboard, the wind is relentless. This can be problematic on high rise buildings, such as The Bay.
Gaining safe access to higher floors externally is the biggest expense for this type of building maintenance. On top of the high winds, excessive sea spray and sheer height, worker safety is of paramount importance, as is the safety of residents, passers-by, tourists and visitors.
Indawo conducted external building refurbishment, structural repairs, waterproofing and painting work on The Bay. With structural repairs and waterproofing done, many would have noticed the long shoots installed on the outside of the building, which resulted in numerous social media engagements as people speculated what these were.
Indawo confirms that the shoots were required to safely move rubble from height into waste bins. This is a common and safe method of rubble removal today and is preferred to the lowering of rubble by hand.
Jäck says the nature of the work meant that initial inspections had to be done to identify the structural repairs required. Access to upper floors was gained using a range of methodologies and, in this case, rope access, cradles and scaffolding were used. In most cases only one method is required, but such was the challenge of this building, Indawo had to use all 3 methods.
As in all cases, but especially with tall, complex buildings such as The Bay and its prominence in a tourist-focussed area, health and safety is vital to ensure the safety of all. Indawo followed strict health and safety regulations and legislation to ensure that all aspects of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993) were adhered to.
Health and Safety Consultants, 4Most Solutions, provided health and safety checks and procedures to ensure compliance with the law.
Jäck concludes by saying that The Bay is one of the most recognisable buildings in Bloubergstrand and as such features prominently as a showcase development for the local property industry and for tourism. Maintaining it to high standards is testament to the trustees of the body corporate and managing agents’ commitment to its importance in the local landscape.
Indawo can be contacted on 021 941 5000 or email info@indawo.biz.