The Association has received notification from the South African Reinforced Concrete Engineers Association (SARCEA) pertaining to a shortage of reinforcing Steel. They advise that the shortage from the steel mills is such that their members are unable to supply the necessary requirements to meet their obligations. They also state that at this stage, they are not in a position to give indication of the severity or duration of the shortage. To read the full notice, click here.

Early in the month of August, the Association was pleased to announce that we negotiated a 2.5% global discount with Builders (MassBuild) for all Association members who have registered an online profile with Builders. Members who have not yet taken advantage of this offer may click here for more information.

With social distancing still part of standard operating procedure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the various member meetings that were scheduled for August 2020 were hosted via the MS Teams online platform. A number of industry hot topics were addressed, and the Association thanks Bilaal Dawood Attorneys, Cox Yeats Attorneys, Jeremy Diedericks Attorneys and Bingelela Consulting Professionals for sharing their expertise with us.

 Topics that were covered included the following:

• Bill of Quantities – pricing for P&G section
• Changes to P&G amounts in the final account – know your rights!
• Payment guarantees & claims in terms of the JBCC
• Overcoming challenges with Municipality approvals.

Two common member enquiries that the Association receives relating to the P&G section of the Bill of Quantities were raised during these meetings and responded to as follows:

Can the Professional Quantity Surveyor (PQS) change the rates in the P&G section of the Bill of Quantities after the priced bill has been accepted and agreed upon at the inception of the contract?   “No this is not an acceptable practice and if the PQS insists on continuing with this action lodge a dispute in terms of the contract agreement.”

Is it acceptable for the PQS to adjust the attendance and profit items in relation to value changes relating to Provisional Sums?

“Yes, as the profit is a percentage of a value determined by the PQS when drafting the Bill of Quantities and this also relates to the Attendance item. It should increase or decrease proportionally to the sum in the final account for that particular provisional sum.”

Inconsistent water supply severely hampers building operations and in August 2020, several areas on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast were once again plagued by water supply interruptions. These interruptions result from abnormally high ocean tides that cause salinity levels in the Umzimkhulu River to rise. In November 2019, we reported that members assisted with the erection of an emergency berm to contain the inflow of saline water which at the time served its purpose. With the resurgences of water stoppages, the announcement by Ugu Municipality that they have accelerated the process for upgrading the berm is welcomed.

The Association takes the opportunity to welcome IHE Industrial Supplies and South African Women in Construction and Built Environment onboard as new members and we look forward to being of service to them. Members who require contractual and legal advice, occupational health and safety assistance, staff training and more should not hesitate to contact us.

Ernest Roper | Membership Services Manager