THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF SOUTH AFRICAN ARCHITECTS, INCLUDING THE CAPE, NATAL, ORANGE FREE STATE AND TRANSVAAL PROVINCIAL INSTITUTES AND THE CHAPTER OF SOUTH AFRICAN QU AN TITY SURVEYORS

CONTENTS FOR DECEMBER 1954LEVER BROTHERS (S.A.) (PTY.) LTD. NEW SEED STORES

AT BOKSBURG. ARCHITECTS: STEGMANN AND

PORTER................................................................................... 22

A LECTURE DELIVERED TO THE CONCRETE ASSOCIATION

OF SOUTH AFRICA AT ESCOM HOUSE, JOHANNES­

BURG, by Ove Arup ............................................................ 27

Cover: A photograph by A Gordon of a spiral stoir built- by the Chief Civil Engineer's Department of the S.A.R. at the New Station site, Johannesburg. The stair completes 1}

turns and is freely suspended for l i turns. I t rises 25' 0 " and is 21' 0 " overall diameter, with a well of 5' 0 " diameter and a fligh t width o f 8' 0 " of which the tread width is 6' 3 " and the centre string width 21". It is believed to be the only reinforced concrete spiral stair which is freely suspended tor more than one complete turn.

Architects: Kennedy, Furner, Irvine Smith & Joubert.

Structural Engineers: A. S. Joffe.

DELAY AND DAMAGES IN THE BUILDING CONTRACT

by E. Douglass Andrews ................................................ 35

FLUORESCENT LIGHTING

by V. Pike ....................................................................... 39

TRADE NOTES AND NEWS ................................................. 40

NOTES AND NEWS ............................................................ 42

E D I T O R VOLUME 39 A L A W R E N C E T E A R L E P U B L I C A T I O N

W. DUNCAN HOWIEB.Arch.. Dip.T.P.. A.R.I.B.A., M.I.A.

ASSISTANT EDITORSU G O T O M A S E LLIB.Arch.. A.R.I.B.A., M.I.A.

GILBERT HERBERTB.Arch., Dip.T.P., A.R.I.B.A.. M.I.A.

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Published fo r the Institu te byLAW RENCE H. TEARLE & CO. (PTY.), LTD., 206-208, Jubilee House, 15, Simmonds Street, Johannesburg. P.O. Box 9259. Phone: 33-3827/8

Aerial view of the Seed Stores o f the new Factory a t Boksburg from the east showing the relationship o f these stores to the general production build­ings.

A R C H IT E C T S : STEGMANN AND PORTER

G E O R G E F . C . ST E G M A N N A .R .I .B .A ., M .I .A .M atriculated at K .E .S . and attended the University o f the W itw atersrand and the A rchitectural A ssociation School, London. Served for four years as A rt D irector to the H erbert W illcox O rganization, Elstree, and w orked as assistant to Grey W ornum before setting up in practice in Pretoria in 1936. Partner in the firm o f Stegm an and Porter. Served in the last w ar in the Engineers C orps, Royal Engineers and in the Specia l Services.

Photo bv L . T . Burragc

H E R B E R T G. P O R T E R A .R .l .B .A . M .I .A .Educated at the South A frican College School in C ap e Town and attended the University o f the W itw atersrand and the A rchitectural A ssociation school o f A rchitec­ture in London. C om m enced practice in Johannesburg in 1936 in partnership with G . F . C . Stegm ann and J . O rpen. R .l .B .A . Saxon-Snell Prizem an (aw arded for practical know ledge o f hospital design and construc­tion). Practice com prises institutional buil­dings, hospitals, industrial and com m ercial buildings. President o f the Transvaal Provincial Institute in 1950.

22 S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD, DECEMBER, 1954

These structures were designed and built to store oil seed in bulk before being processed into Edible Fats and Oils. It had been decided by the owners that the seed should be handled by means of high and low level mechanical conveyors interlinked by vertical elevators, the stack being held in position by retaining walls and the natural angles of repose of the materials stored, basically Sunflower seed and Ground nuts.

The design procedure in the first place was to ascertain the height and cost of the retaining walls and suitable roofing structures relative to the limita­tions of the permissible site dimensions available for the buildings.

Many types of structural system and enclosure were considered, designs prepared, priced, and their merits assessed on the bases of relative advantage in com­parison with cost. As a result of these investigations, it was decided to proceed with an arched reinforced concrete shell-roof type of structure with slab retaining walls, in that it would be highly resistant to damage by fire or hail, it would be weatherproof and would improve rather than deteriorate with age, have low maintenance cost and ensure a spacious, cool and airy building. Such a structure was found to compare most favourably with corrugated iron or asbestos cement sheeting on steel or pre-cast concrete arches of equal span especially when maintenance and roof replacement cost are taken into account.

Once the type of structure had been decided on much study was done to establish the least expensive shape for the supporting arch beams and shell vaults, the most suitable method of construction and the proper balance of steel concrete and shuttering costs irom which the final design evolved as an economical, simple and direct solution to the problem.

The shell-roof was placed on the inner surface of the arch beams to minimize its span and permit of the easy use of travelling shuttering, while the slab-type retaining walls were placed on the outer surface of the arches, following their contour to obtain maximum storage capacity relative to the permissible span. These retaining walls are structurally integrated with the arches, the longitudinal foundation tie beams and the lower stiffening beam of the shell-vault. This stiffening beam acts in addition as a rain water gutter and a protecting hood to the side windows and ventilators.

Vibrated concrete of specially studied dry mixtures was used throughout, the concrete finish being off Masonite concrete board shuttering. Insulating and diffusing glass is used to minimize the transmission of sunheat and obtain maximum light penetration from relatively small glass areas. The floor is o f tarmac placed over waterbound macadam to prevent sweating and to enable air ducts to be readily placed in the floor if forced aeration of the seeds is found to be necessary.

S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER, 1954 23

Cross aeration is obtained by side and roof ven­tilators combined with the window's, the side ventilators being hinged so as to open under slight pressure and thus act as release valves if the building is accidentally overfilled. Pressure resisting steel doors occur at the ends and sides of the buildings.

The design and construction of this building is the result of the co-operative effort of the client and his commercial and technical advisers, the Architects, the Quantity Surveyors, the Structural Engineer and the Building Contractors. Although the buildings are perhaps simple in appearance they are the result of much research and analysis.

THE STRUCTURAL AND MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE SEED STORES

tty tttt. o . far I t . 1.1 TS

From an engineering point of view, the construction of the Seed Stores deserves special attention. Normally the curvature of shells between the two edge stiffeners is of a regular geometric nature such as a circular arc, an ellipse or a parabola; the reason for selecting these regular curves lies in that the structural analysis of the shell lends itself to regular mathematical computation. In the design of the Seed Stores, three sections of the shell with different geometric properties, have been combined to form an integral unit; this, to my knowledge, is the first time that a development of this nature has been attempted. The two sides of the shell are circular arcs of a radius of 90 ft. The crown of the shell is a parabola, the radius of curvature of which ranges from 20 ft. at the crown to 34 ft. 3 in. at the transition to the circular arc. Due to the discontinuity in the shape of the shell (at the change of radius from 90 ft. to 34 ft. 3 in.) the condition arises where dis­turbances occur in the distribution of the membrane stresses causing additional bending stresses in a direction at right angles to the centre-line of the building. Apart from this, the static calculation revealed that the transference of shear forces from the shell to the arch rib was appreciably more complicated than for normal shells which follow a definite mathe­matical curve from end to end. The sign of the shear altered several times over cross-sections, so that the shear reinforcement required special treatment.

Another interesting problem was that of the effect of creep in the concrete on the buckling stability of the shell. The two circular sides of the shell are exceedingly flat segments. Each segment has an inclined span in the direction o f the curvature (i.e. from the edge stiffener to the change of radius) of 31 ft. 6 in.

The rise of this segment is a mere 15 in. The r 1-25

ra tio — is therefore----- =0-04, and the coefficientL 31-5

L2 31.-S*C —---= — -— = 795. By calculation it was found that,

r 1-25due to the flatness of the curve, creep would have a marked effect in that the curve would become appreciably flatter. The initial buckling stability would therefore be considerably reduced. The ultimate result was most interesting: the anticipated increase in the radius of curvature amounts to approximately 20 ft. in the extreme case, i.e. the curve flattens by 22 per cent. The factor of safety as far as buckling of the shell is concerned is thus reduced from 10 to 5, based on the original figure. This result indicates clearly that it is a matter of great importance to investigate the influence of creep on the stability of shells of a flat curvature.

The next aspect which should be noted is the end fixity of the arch ribs. Due to the horizontal loading imposed by the pressure of the confined material, the arches required extra stiffness near their springings in order to transfer the horizontal load to the foundations by bending. The cross-section of the ribs therefore is fairly deep, and for this reason they are sensitive to spread of the foundations. It was found that the extension of the horizontal tie bars o f 120 ft. length which had been provided in the floor was excessive, and that considerable secondary stresses would thus be induced in the arch ribs. In order to prevent this, the tie rods were “ prestressed” , a portion of the final tension being exerted before the arches actually

24 S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD DECEMBER. 1954

View o f 52' Double Bay unit showing travelling steel shutter­ing shell vault and the use of

Masonite Concrete Board in the third and fourth bays.

received their loading. This was carried out as follows:— After the foundations had been com­pleted, the tie rods were laid on the ground, and their ends were cast into the concrete on both ends at the springings of the arches. On the day that the shuttering under the shell was removed, the tie rods were lifted at their mid points by means of jacks and levers. The tension in the rods was measured by means of Huggen- berger tensometers. As soon as the desired tension had been attained, prefabricated supports were placed under the tie rods where they had been lifted, and the entire length of the tie rods was concreted in. This method of prestressing proved to be both efficient and economical.

In conclusion, I would like to describe the formwork. The height of the structure is approximately 48 ft. The conventional method of using props would have meant considerable expense and loss of time. It was therefore specified that moving formwork should be used. Each store was divided into five sections of 52 ft. lengths, consisting of two continuous units of 26 ft. lengths each. A trussed steel frame was erected to cover an area of 52 ft. by 76 ft. The framework was supported on jacks for the purpose of lowering and raising. When lowered, the framework rested on longitudinal rails along which it could be moved. The moving of the shuttering was effected simply by lowering the jacks. The move over 52 ft. to the next position was effected within half a working day and no difficulties whatsoever were encountered. It is thus clear that in this case the mechanized type of formwork offered considerable advantages over conventional methods.

In solving special problems which occurred in connection with the analysis of the structure, the assistance of Prof. A. J. Ockleston o f the Civil Engineering Department, University of the Witwaters-

rand, was of great value. Prof. Ockleston conducted model tests in order to obtain information about the following aspects on which there is as yet no scientific literature available:-—

(i) the analysis o f an arch for lateral stability against buckling. (The available literature dealt with buckling in the axial direction of the arch only);

(ii) the behaviour of a combination of parabolic and circular shells.

The model for test No. 1 which was designed to represent one o f the exterior ribs was constructed of perspex. A linear scale of 1:42 was adopted. This scale gave a model having a span of 30 in. and a rise of 14 in. The scale factors for the model were the following:—

Linear dimensions 1:42Displacements 1:42Elastic constants 1:5-9Loads and forces 1:10400.

The test results indicate that the arch rib would fail by lateral buckling if it were subjected to a load equal to about 2 • 2 times the dead load for which it was designed.

The model for test No. 2 represented one of the structural units consisting o f three arch ribs together with the shell connecting them. The linear scale chosen for the model was one-fifth full size. It gave a model about 10 ft. long having a span of approxi­mately 21 ft. The material used for the model was cement and sand mortar in the proportions o f 1:4 with steel wire reinforcement.

The loading test on the model began 15 days after it had been cast. Sensitive Deflectometers were used to measure the deflections at the crown o f the roof, at the lower edge of the shell and midway between the crown and the edge of the shell. At each level three gauges were fitted. The model was loaded with bags

S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER. 1954 25

Photography by J. A. Nelson Studio.

Aerial photograph by Sky Photos.

Interior view of store with seeds temporarily stored in bags pend­ing erection of overhead con­veyor system.

of sand. When due allowance is made for the scale of the model and for the relative values of the elastic properties of the materials of model and prototype the test load on the shell representes 1 • 94 times the dead load for which the shell of the prototype was designed; the total load on the shell including its self-weight represents 2-34 times the design dead load.

The results o f the loading test on the model indicated that the stresses in the shell vault are within safe limits and the behaviour of the shell corresponded closely to the theoretical predictions and calculations.

26

ARCHITECTS STEGMANN AND PORTER

ENGINEERS MESSRS. UNILEVER

QUANTIT YSURVEYORS HICKMAN, BJORKMAN AND HOPE-JONES

CONSULTING STRUCTURAL ENGINEER DR. 0. GRAATS

BUILDING CONTRACTORS FREEMAN & PYLE (PTY.) LTD.

S .A .~AR C H IT EC T U R A L RECORD, DECEMBER, 1954

i e e c t i h e n i i .n i i t / « t o th is c o n c r e t e a s s o c i a t i o n o f s o i t i i a f i i i c a i tESCO.II IIOFSE. fo i l i VVI S m III,. IT!IDA > IOII, SEPTEM BER. 111.11.

I t V O V i : A R I FC.B.E., M.Sc., M.Ing.F., M.I.Struct.E.

First I should like to thank the Pre-stressed Concrete Development Group and the South African Concrete Association for inviting me to talk to you this after­noon. It is a great honour, but I am a little afraid that I may not be able to measure up to whatever expecta­tions you may have.

Normally I take care to talk only to Architects. That is much less of a risk, because if I touch on Architec­tural matters, my remarks are obviously those o f a layman and need not be taken very seriously, whereas if I talk on structural matters, I have at least the comfortable feeling that I may know a little more about the subject than they do. This comfortable feeling is totally lacking to-day. I am quite aware that South African Engineers compare favourably with those from the larger countries in Europe and America, a view which is confirmed by what I have seen of your country, and by the fact that the comparatively large number of South African Engineers which are or have been on our staff have without exception been very good—much better in fact, than the average recruited from England.

I do not think, therefore, that 1 have very much to teach you, but I have lived longer than most of you, and have had occasion to deal with structural problems both from the angle of the contractor, designer and, lately, even of the client (I am about to have a house built for myself) and this under conditions which vary a good deal from those in this country; and perhaps some of the things I have come across or thought about may be of interest to you.

The difficulty is to decide what to say and where to stop. It is obviously no good to go too much into

details; I cannot in our talk discuss the theory and various methods of pre-stressing for example. I will have to generalize, and to show you some slides illustrating various points in my talk or being of some interest for other reasons.

What 1 should like to talk to you about is the enormous change which has taken and is taking place in engineering and building methods, and its impact on the‘organization of the whole business of building, and especially on what I call design in the widest application of the term.

In every form o f human activity, we can distinguish three phases:—1. The aim—an idea with an emotional charge which

acts as the motive power.2. The consideration and choice of ways and means

necessary and available to achieve the aim, and3. The definite action by which the aim is attained.

These three phases are not always clearly defined.In primitive, spontaneous or emotional actions the second phase may be practically non-existent, whereas in an over-developed intellect this phase may be so prolonged as to completely inhibit the will to act. I had better concentrate on the kind of activity we are considering here, that is the building or construction of an engineering structure.

The three phases in this case correspond to:—1. The aim, or client’s brief.2. The design, or scheme.3. The execution or construction.

The point I wish to make here, is that the design stage, taking design in its widest sense, really permeates both the briefing and the construction stage.

S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER, 1954 27

The word design is used in many different ways, and in fact there are a whole group of words such as design, plan, scheme, invention, project, sketch, proposal, arrangement, structural method, etc., which all have something in common and yet have each their particu­lar shade of meaning, which although not clearly defined, is generally obvious from the context. What they have in common is that they are all, potentially at least, instruction to the Builders, Contractors and Workmen who carry out a job, they are all the results o f thoughts about how a thing is to be done.

These instructions can be given in words and in the case o f a specification or building manual, which belongs to this group, they are so given, but mostly the instructions are more conveniently expressed in pictorial form, in the form of drawings, sketches, etc.

The word design generally implies something which is, or can be put down on a drawing, but the design is really not complete without its specification.

The difference between primitive and more advanced construction or building, is this, that more attention has been paid to the design stage, more thought has been given to how to build before action is taken; and it is in this wide sense that the design stage, as I mentioned before, permeates the other stages.

Take the client’s aim or brief for instance. The architectural design or lay-out, can largely be con­sidered as the special interpretation of the client’s wishes. The client does not really know what he wants before the architect has put pencil to paper and has shown the client what could be done. The process of briefing may go on throughout the development of the design. It is the job of the client or his representative, to make decisions on policy, and it is the job of the designer, be he an architect or engineer, to make plans for the execution o f this policy. But policy depends on possibility, and the possibilities are not known until at least tentative designs have been prepared and costed. At any stage, the client may have to be brought in to decide such questions of policy.

The client’s brief is really most important for the success of the job, and I am afraid that some clients have a lot to learn in this respect. I think there are two successful ways o f doing it. Either the client should interfere as little as possible and leave his technical advisers a free hand to make minor policy decisions, o f course, after having acquainted them as fully as possible with the whole purpose of the under­taking. Or the client should take an intelligent interest in the various technical possibilities and work with the engineer or architect to find the best solution. The point is, that wise decisions must be based on a knowledge of facts, and if the client has no time to absorb the relevant facts, he should leave the decisions to somebody who has, and whom he can trust.

A wise lawyer once said to me: “ Whoever decides to act as his own solicitor, has a fool for a client.” Perhaps the same can be said of clients who refuse to take technical advice before plunging

for a solution. O f course, clients don’t often act as their own engineers, but they may think that they can dispense with the services of engineers altogether, or they may think that they can get the necessary engineering services for nothing by placing an order for something entirely different—an astonishing naivete to be found in many a hardheaded businessman. Thousands of badly planned factories and housing estates testify to the disastrous effect of laymen acting as their own architects or planners. The man who “ knows what he wants and means to get it” is often his own worst enemy, unless of course, he really knoivs what he wants.

In extenuation it must be admitted that there is a lot of architectural or technical advice which it is not worth paying for. What the client must do, is to choose the right advisers, but how to do this is another question. We all face the same problem when choosing our doctors or dentists.

We have seen that briefing or policy making and design overlap, and must be thoroughly integrated. The same applies to design and execution. A building operation consists of thousands of separate actions by many different people, and each of them has what we may term its design or planning stage, where possibili­ties are weighed and decisions taken, and they all have to be co-ordinated by somebody. Where is the mixer going to be placed ? Should the concrete be precast or cast in situ? Where should the order for the steel be placed? There are thousands of such decisions to be taken on every job, and many of them may involve the making of drawings for site-layout, scaffolding form-work, shop-details, bending schedules, drawings often prepared by the contractor and not in ordinary parlance deemed to be part o f the design proper.

A Consulting Engineer’s design, for instance, may mean the whole set o f instructions issued by him in the form of letters, specifications and drawings to indicate exactly what he wants the job to be like, when it is finished. These instructions may or may not concern themselves with how the work is to be carried out, but if they don’t, then somebody else must make these decisions, and the more thought is given to them, the better.

When I first started work in England with a firm of Designers and Contractors, the general practice was to leave the method of shuttering to the foreman carpenter on the job. But we soon introduced the practice of designing all our shuttering, and to have it prefabricated in panels to save labour and increase re-use. But we found, of course, that it would be a great help if the method of shuttering had been con­sidered already in the design stage. And that applies to all other methods of execution.

It is essential for economy that the design takes into account the method of construction as well as the final structure.

28 S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER, I9S4

1. Priory G re e n H o u sin g Sc h e m e . F in sb u ry , London . A rch itect— Tecton . E x ec u t iv e A rch itects—F . Sk inner a n d B. L ubetkin . A jou r-store y b lock o f fla ts w ith a n o rm al re in io rced con crete box fram e s tru c tu re . C le a r s p a n a b o u t 11 *6 ". Th ere w ere four b lo ck s of th is type on the sch e m e , a n d tw o e igh t-sto re y b lo ck s.Photograph by John Maltby.

2. F ac to ry E x ten sion for S c a ffo ld in g (G re a t B rita in ) L td ., W illow L a n e , M itcham , S u rre y . P lan n in g b y O ve A ru p & P artn e rs . L a ttice sh e ll netw o rk . S p a n 80 ft.; w id th 40 ft. T h ere w ere four th u s p lu s one 60 ft. b y 20 ft.

3 . Photography sh o w s the c a s t in g of the ligh t w eig h t con crete sc r e e d on to "rib m e t** m esh . The a g g r e g a t e i s e x fo lia te d v erm icu lite >n Jh is in s ta n c e . Th is con stru ctio n is b e n g m ark e d com m erc ia lly a s "L a t t ic e S h e l l " a n d the c la d d in g c an b e d o n e in the fo llow ing w a y s : c o r r u g a te d a s b e s to s hook b o lte d ; w aterp ro o fin g on T. a n d G . b o a r d in g ; w aterp ro ofin g on lig h tw eig h t con crete on T . an d G . b o a r d in g ; or w aterp ro o fin g on lig h tw eig h t con crete on ribm et sn u tterin g .Photographs 2 and 3 by B. Everett. ...

I have worked for over twenty years inside firms combining design and contracting, and I remember well how exasperated we were when we, as contractors, had to carry out designs by Consulting Engineers, who did not seem to mind in the least what unnecessary difficulties they put in the way of the contractors. In those days it was not done for a mere contractor to propose modifications to a Con­sulting Engineer’s design. I think there has been a change for the better since then.

After all, to design should mean to indicate the best way to carry out the job, and the best way is the one which achieves the desired result with the least trouble and expense. It follows that the designer must know a good deal about the practice of building and the cost of various alternative methods, and that he must design to facilitate the chosen method. In civil engineering, for instance harbour work, the method of construction often dominates the design. To decide whether to use piling, cylinders, caissons, solid or hollow blocks or construct inside a cofferdam, a knowledge of the economy of these methods is necessary, and the designer must all the time visualize every phase of the work, so that he can fit the design to the execution.

Where a more or less standard method of con­struction has been developed, as was the case in ordinary traditional building, the question does not arise so much—everybody knows how to play their appropriate role. But this situation has changed. Nowadays there is such a bewildering variety of new materials and building methods that we hardly know how to build. The designer can of course go on designing in the way he has been brought up to, but that is hardly fair to the client. If there is a better and cheaper way now, it ought to be adopted, and then this will in most cases have to be reflected in the design.

We see then, that the design-stage really permeates the whole building activity from the first conception of the plan to the last finishing touches on the job. Advanced, as against primitive, technique means more design throughout, more planning of every step, more direction, more organization, instead of leaving to chance. This again means thorough integration of design and execution.

S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER. 1954 29

Does this not mean, then, that the designer should be part of the construction team, that designing and contracting should be carried out by the same firm? There is a lot to be said for this. It is the custom in some countries—Germany and Sweden for instance. And in industry—cars, refrigerators, wireless sets— the maker also designs. But there is also a lot to be said on the other side. Conditions are rather different in building and construction. It is very valuable for the client to have an independent adviser, who is on his side, and who is not interested in advocating the particular form of construction in which his firm happens to specialize. However, it would take too much of my time to discuss this question at length.

Design and execution can of course be integrated without necessarily merging the firms concerned. There is such a thing as close collaboration between engineer and contractor, and that is a very necessary and valuable thing. The difficulty is that this collabora­tion cannot start before the contractor has been appointed—which normally means after the design has been more or less fixed. In most normal cases, that does not matter so much, if the engineer has the necessary knowledge and experience of contracting methods. But where the case is an unusual one, where new ground has to be covered, it would be better to dispense with ordinary competition and nominate a contractor, who could then be part of the design team. This method has been used on several occasions, and even the London County Council have accepted it on a very important job, the experimental buildings at Picton Street in South London. In this case, which involves the building of 600 flats in 11-storey and 4-storey blocks, the L.C.C. have appointed a firm of contractors and a Consulting Engineer to work together with their own Architects and Quantity Surveyors and various members of Building Research Station on the design team. They are investigating a good many different solutions, and are trying to find one which will mean an advance on previous methods.

At any rate the old-fashioned attitude o f the omniscient Consulting Engineer is disappearing. The Engineer must realize that he is paid to look after his client’s interests, and that they are best served by incorporating in the design all the best ideas, whether they originate with Engineer or Contractor. He should, therefore, be willing to listen to alternative proposals and judge them on their merit. He cannot be expected always to get all the brain-waves himself, but he is expected to know a good thing when he sees it.

We have seen that “ design” permeates the whole building operation from the clarification of the under­lying purpose to the organization of operations on site; and the modern tendency, fostered by the need for economy, is to emphasize design or planning, rather than to trust to luck. We will now have a

short look at the new building techniques themselves and their influence on design.

New building techniques are developed as the result of progress in many different departments of science and technology. Ours is the age of specialization, but the most spectacular practical advances generally result from a pooling of specialist knowledge from different spheres.

We have made progress in:A. The theoretical understanding of structures and

their calculation. Purely mathematical techniques such as the use of matrices for solving simultaneous equations have been successfully applied to structural problems. Ultimate load theories have widened our understanding of the factor of safety —or vice versa—the design o f shells has progressed from the first crude membrane theories, soil- mechanics is now a science in itself—etc.

B. Then we have a better understanding of the properties of materials and have improved or entirely new materials at our disposal. There are special steels for a variety of purposes, aluminium alloys, plastics, light weight concretes,

C. Then we have developed new machines, new plant and tools. We have bigger and better cranes, excavators, mixers, pumps, electric tools of all kinds, means of handling materials, etc.

D. And side by side with that we have many new construction methods. I don’t know whether pre-stressed concrete comes under this heading or under new materials, but it is one of the most important developments of recent times. Then there is site welding of steel, new methods of piling, boring, tunnelling, o f scaffolding and moving large shuttering panels, sliding or climbing forms, the vibration of concrete, vaccum process of concreting steam curing, and hundreds of other innovations.

E. And finally there is the growing application of factory production to the problems of building. This trend towards pre-fabrication, as it is some­times called, has been the subject of discussion in the technical press for a long time.

If we confine ourselves to a bird’s eye view of the trends, which is the only thing possible in a short talk, we can say that they all amount to a better exploitation of our resources—of our own brains and of the materials and the labour at our disposal. The most striking is the saving of labour through mechanization, factory production and better organization—all evolved through better designs or better planning—bringing our thoughts to bear on every little stage in the organization of building processes.

As far as actual building operations are concerned, we can divide them into two main categories:1. Improved site operations involving plant, tools,

methods of transport, hoisting and moving of scaffolding, formwork, templates and other labour- saving devices.

30 S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD, DECEMBER. 1954

2. Factory production, where the plant is stationary and the raw material is moved to the factory and finished products are transported to the site and form part of the structure.

The key to both these trends is the Exploitation of Repetition.

To make the construction of a large and expensive piece o f plant a paying proposition, it is necessary to have sufficient work for it to do, either on a series of jobs where it can perform the same kind of task, like excavating or mixing concrete, or on a job which is sufficiently large to write off the cost of the plant; as when we design very large shuttering units or travelling scaffolding which is purposely made for one large job only. The same applies to factory production—it obviously does not pay to start a factory unless we require a great many units o f the same kind. Factory production is mass-production, and the necessary corollary is standardization. If we want to manu­facture wall panels for a number of schools, for instance, they should be of the same size or at least a limited number of sizes, and the schools must be designed on a grid system which takes this into account.

The amount of repetition which is required to make use of a particular building technique, depends entirely on that technique, and varies from case to case. Inversely, the number of repetitions decide which kind of technique we can economically use.

We cannot economically use a tower-crane on a small house, nor can we use pre-cast, pre-stressed and steam-cured concrete units in such a case, unless there is a factory nearby which delivers such units to this and a lot of other small sites.

This explains why the most modern and labour- saving techniques have not penetrated very far into ordinary small-scale construction. All the more spec­tacular techniques require building on a large scale— either very large jobs on one building site, or standard unit jobs spread over a larger area, but controlled by the same design organization.

This also explains, partly at any rate, why there is a tendency towards large-scale building. It is only large scale building which offers an opportunity for rationalization and mechanization, or for some sort of modular planning and unit construction.

Another matter is, that this opportunity is rarely fully exploited even when it exists, and this again is partly due to the fact that the whole set-up of the building industry—including its direction by clients and designers—has not yet been adapted to modern methods, and partly because the necessary centraliza­tion o f direction is not really desired.

The London County Council, for instance, spend many millions each year on the building of units, which could very well be standardized to a very high degree, even allowing for variations in finishes and disposition of blocks, to avoid monotony.

Theoretically, the quantities involved would be sufficient to place large-scale orders for the various parts, or to call into being special factories for the production of standard components of pre-stressed concrete, wall panels, stairs, etc. It would also be possible to construct elaborate purpose-made plant— hydraulically operated sliding shutters, portal cranes lifting whole walls and floors into place—or whatever large-scale production method could be thought of. The result would undoubtedly be that the first dozen blocks or more would cost much more than if tradi­tional methods were used, but there would be a fair chance of bringing down the cost in the long run, if the same construction teams could be kept on the job for years and really acquire speed and efficiency in applying the chosen system, and if large-scale orders for years ahead could be placed for all equipment and pre-fabricated parts. This however, amounts to complete centralization and would be politically and practically undesirable. The L.C.C. insist that the execution of future-buildings shall be divided into medium-sized jobs so as to give all—also the small—- builders a chance. All that can be done, therefore, is to experiment on one site, with a chosen contractor on the team—with the proviso that one cannot count on any special plant being re-used on other jobs or of any repeat orders later on, and the cost o f the job must not exceed the cost of similar jobs constructed by familiar methods. Under these conditions no spectacular savings can be expected, although it is hoped that a careful study of all design problems and a comparison between alternatives will produce some benefit. However, it is undoubtedly very difficult both to introduce new methods and also make a saving— unless you have a sufficiently long run.

School-construction is another field where standardi­zation and pre-fabrication might yield results. The Hertfordshire C.C. and the Ministry of Education have used this kind of procedure on a large scale.

In Hertfordshire a large scale programme was completed in record time by using standardized light steel frame—the Hill system, and lately they have also experimented with other systems, for instance the Punt system of plywood construction which follows the same grade as that previously used for the Hill. The Ministry of Education have, in conjunction with a firm o f designers and contractors developed a pre­stressed concrete system and the first school in this system has just been completed.

As far as I know, these various prefabricated schools do not show any spectacular advantage from the point of view o f cost, but they do certainly facilitate the planning of a large school programme by single authority. The Hertfordshire school programme could certainly not have been carried out in such a short time by traditional methods.

Ordinary one-storey factories are another possible field for large scale standardization. In this case,

S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER. 1954 31

however, there has not been in England a single authority controlling a large amount of building, and the same applies to South Africa. The development has therefore been controlled by private enterprise. In Sweden, the firm Strengbeton manufactures all the necessary pre-stressed concrete units to put up sheds of any size, delivered off the peg so to speak, and covered with lightweight concrete slabs. This sort of thing is only possible where there is a big demand for more or less standard buildings in the vicinity of the factory. This is of course, not so very much different from the old ordinary north-light roofs of structural steel, which, even if they could not be ordered off the peg, at least have become an almost standard product.

Then there are the factories for pre-cast and pre­stressed concrete which play a role of increasing importance. This is a part of the development towards pre-fabrication of building components. There are as yet very few standard components, they have to be especially ordered in sufficiently large quantities to make it pay—but at least the factory lay-out, plant, stretching beds, etc., can be used for a large number of jobs by changing the forms.

This pre-fabrication of building components, reducing the site work to an assembly of parts, has been a favourite theme for discussion amongst architects for many years. The object is to make full use of modern methods while retaining the freedom to assemble the standard parts into different patterns, thus retaining architectural control. Many people think this can be achieved by modular co-ordination of dimensions—but I am afraid it is not so easy as that. You cannot design the parts without at the same time designing the whole, and modular planning of this kind is only possible where the same design team controls a large body of building of a repetitive nature.

In Civil Engineering and industry, where the jobs are not so amenable to standardization, the emphasis is more on plant and methods of construction—such as post-tensioning concrete. This enables us to make a continuous structure out of pre-cast concrete elements, and I think it has a great future in Civil Engineering—bridge building, harbour works, water tanks, etc. But it would take too long even to give a bird’s eye view of all the many improvements which have taken place, not to mention the new materials—- fibre-glass, etc., which are round the corner.

The engineer who is responsible for the design of a particular job certainly has a great many possi­bilities to choose from. How can he make sure that his design takes as much advantage as possible of the many new techniques at his disposal.7

We must assume that he and his collaborators have kept abreast of developments and are familiar with the

technical advances which affect their type of work, otherwise he can obviously not make use of them.

This does not mean, however, that he should at once try to apply all the latest techniques just to show how clever he is. New techniques tend to be expensive, the first time they are used. His job is to design a factory or bridge or whatever it is, which meets all the client’s requirements, and which costs as little as possible. To that end, he has to make use of the resources—the materials, the plant, the labour and the contracting experience—which is locally available.

If it is a small job, he can probably do no better than follow local practice in construction while concentrating on design.

On larger jobs it may be possible to introduce special methods or plant new to the district, but he is then really dependent on the collaboration of contractors, who are willing and keen to try something new. It may in such cases be difficult to obtain realistic competitive tenders. That is in fact one of the major difficulties which face the engineer who wants to introduce a new technique. He must find somebody to build what he designs, and contractors tend to overestimate anything with which they are not familiar.

One way out is to work with nominated contractors —which I think is an excellent way if you know and trust the contractors. But the time is not yet ripe for a general application of this principle.

As an illustration, the Donnybrook Garage in Dublin was built for the C.I.E., a kind of Irish Transport Board. The plan was to build 5 or 6 of such garages, which all had a main hall, 110' wide by 400' long. It was just the case for shell-concrete, steel was difficult to get just after the war, and by making movable forms for 5 bays— there were ten 40 ’ bays per garage—the timber form- work could be used 10 to 12 times. But no Irish con­tractor had built concrete shells, and they were afraid of it. The client was persuaded to give the job to an Irish firm collaborating with a Danish firm who were familiar with the technique. Their contract provided that a target price should be worked out, and that they should be given cost plus a small percentage of profit plus a large percentage of the saving in relation to the target. This worked very successfully, and there was a saving, even on the first job. The others were never built, because there was a change of Government and of policy, which affected a lot of other jobs too !

The making of thin concrete shells is a technique which most contractors can learn, and which does not require elaborate plant—although it can only usefully be employed where the formwork can be re-used a number of times. We have designed shells for West Africa—in spite of the fact that the local pundits shook their heads, and the University tried to veto it. Here in South Africa, you are very familiar with this type of construction and some of the largest shell- covered areas are to be found here.

32 S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER I9S4

3M k 10

5. H arlo w S e c o n d ary M o dem S ch oo l. H arlo w . E s s e x . A rch itects—R ich ard S h e p p a rd & P a rtn e rs . A d ia g rid roof sp a n n in g 54 It. by tu n “ s a re faV ®" p re c a s t m em b ers a t 8 ft. cen tres.The M agn el sy ste m of p re s tr e ss in g w a s u se d , the c a b le s v ary in g

. si. * * ° s *x te en w ire s . The junction b e tw e en the m em bers,w hich is c le a r ly se e n in th is p h o to grap h , w a s m ad e w ith Cim ent F on d u . The M a g n e l jac k i s b e in g o p e r a te d b y the tw o gen tlem en in the cen tre .Photograph by Spice Photos.

6. A ero R e sea rc h F ac to ry , D uxford . D e sig n e d b y O ve A rup an dP artn ers. M ain b u ild in g is s te e j fram e d w ith R u b ero id paten t roofing. The office b lo ck w a s c an t ile v e re d out of the m ain bu ild in g in o rder to k e e p the p ro c e s s in g a r e a a s free a s p o s s ib le fromo b stru ction .Photograph by Ramsey & Muspratt.

7. T h am e s s id e R e stau ra n t a t the F e st iv a l o f Britain . A rch itects:Fry . D rew an d P artn e rs . R oof s tru c tu re c o n sis ts of two s h e e ts of ligh t g a u g e a lu m in ium san d w ic h in g cork b lo ck s in b e tw e en an d c u rv e d to form a sh e ll.Photograph by S. Ncwbery, with acknowledgements to "Build ing".

8. 9. The T echn ical C o lle g e at Burton-on-Trent. W orksh op Block. A rch itects—R ich ard S h e p p a rd & P artn e rs . W elded ste e l v ie re n d e e l 9 i_?r j u s in g a b o x sec t io n m ad e u p of tw o ro lle d ste e l a n g le s w eld ed toe to too a n d h u n g from p ost-te n sion ed p re s tr e ss e d c o n ­c re te b e a m s . The L ee-M cC all sy ste m of p re s lre s s in g w a s u se d . The c le a r s p a c e ac h ie v e d is ap p ro x im ate ly 42' x 185'. G laz e d on the north fa c e on ly . G la z in a in c lin ed a t 45 d e g r e e s to the v ertica l.

10. The Ib a d a n U n iversity . A rch itects—F ry . D rew an d P artn e rs .Sh e ll roof o ver the d in in g h all s p a n s ap p ro x im ate ly 4 5 . the o v e ra ll depth of the sh e ll is ap p ro x im ate ly 2 '3 " an d the co lum n s a re s p a c e d a t l l ’ lO” cen tre to cen tre.

11. B an k o f E n g lan d P rinting W orks. A rch itects— E asto n & R o b e rt­so n . P h oto grap h sh o w s the m ain b an k in g h all co m p ris in g do u b le p re c a s t p re s tr e ss e d con crete a rc h e s sp a n n in g 125' d e a r with a duct for s e r v ic e s b e tw e en . Th is d u ct a ls o se r v e s a s an e x p an sio n joint. S p a n n in g b e tw e en th ese a r c h e s there a r e in-situ north light sh e ll roo fs sp a n n in g 36'. The total len g th o f the m ain p rodu citon h all is ab o u t 800'. Th e s h a p e of the a rc h e s w a s d e s ig n e d to g iv e the b e st d istr ibu tio n of l igh t to the m ain h all. II

There are, however, other techniques which depend on elaborate plant or factory production, and which are the monopoly of certain contractors. That again cuts out competition, and in most cases afFects the design profoundly.

In a situation like that, the guide must simply be the client’s interest. If the most economical solution is, for instance, to buy the factory more or less ready made from a firm having all the facilities for making the units, then that is the advice the clients should have. In less extreme cases it may be a matter of specifying certain proprietary floor units or similar requirements. The point is, that the Engineer should know of the various possibilities before he starts designing, and obtain the quotations he needs to arrive at the right decision.

On jobs where there is an architect in control of the design, and where the purely architectural considera­tions are of major importance, a further complication is added. It is essential in such cases to produce a tailor-made structure, which exactly fits the architec­tural intent, so as to create a harmonious and neat job. This calls for a flexible technique. Many of the modern techniques—especially those which operate with large pre-fabricated units, but also some which apply rigid shuttering systems—impose a severe restriction on architectural expression, and this is becoming more and more of a problem. The most flexible o f all techniques—apart from brickwork, which has a limited application—is reinforced concrete cast in situ. One can do almost anything with reinforced concrete and in some cases it is therefore, the only possible solution. I will show you a few jobs of this kind which are “ tailor made” to a very high degree,

12, 13. R u bber F ac to ry at B ryn m aw r. A rch itects— The A rchitects C o -o p e ra tiv e P a rtn ersh ip . The p h o to g rap h s sh o w the m ain dom ed sh e ll roo fs. e ac h sp a n n in g ap p ro x im ate ly 83' x 64’ g iv in g a total a r e a oi ap p ro x iam te ly 250’ x 200'.Photographs by Veale and Co.

representing an intimate unity of architecture and structure. They can only be satisfactorily produced by hard work and intimate collaboration.

If it is intended to make use of a particular highly mechanized method of production, then a different architectural approach is required. In such cases the architect must subordinate his design to the require­ments of the method of construction.

Other materials have each their particular kind of flexibility and rigidity. Structural steel is limited to particular sections, but site and shop welding has increased flexibility and continuity enormously.

Structural aluminium alloys are flexible in the sense that the extruded section can be designed to fit each particular job. In fact it is economically necessary to do so, the standard sections are much too wasteful in material, and the extra cost of dies is insignificant. The extra effort demanded of the designer is con­siderable—but that is not a matter which ought to be taken into consideration. You don’t get anything worth having for nothing.

Pre-stressed concrete in the form of pre-cast units has not much flexibility, unless the units are swallowed up in a matrix o f cast in situ work, but post-tensioned concrete, where the cables are applied in situ, can be as flexible as reinforced concrete.

* * *

We certainly live in a very exciting time where each year sees the birth of new techniques and methods of construction. It is increasingly difficult for any single engineer to be familiar with and keep abreast of all these new techniques, and only by collaboration between a group of engineers and even calling in specialists is it possible to cover the field.

34 S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER. 1954

D E L A Y A N D D A M A G E S I N T H E B U I L D I N G G O N T R A G T

A lecture delivered in September to the Summer School at Cope Town by

£ . DOUGLASS ANDREWS

My subject to-night is Delay and Damages in the Building Contract, and first I must explain that I will deal only with delay by the building contractor. In the building contract one party, the builder, agrees to build, and the other party, the owner, agrees to pay. Now clearly it is possible for the building owner to delay the performance of his duty, and in these circumstances the builder has rights, an examination of which would be interesting, but I shall not now under­take this, because firstly, the matter of delay by the building contractor is more directly the concern of the architect, for the architect is the first judge, usually, to rule as to whether or not the builder is late in performing his contract, and secondly because a con­sideration of both aspects would require more time than I can claim to-night.

I shall deal then with delay by the building contractor in the performance of his duties and the claim the building owner may make against him by reason of this delay; which is a clumsy title, for which I apologize.

Before I start, 1 would like to express my gratitude to my wife, Advocate Hester Steyn, who, after spending a busy day solving other people’s legal problems, was always most patient when I sought her advice. Her help has been of the utmost value to me in this paper.

As I have said, the building contract is an agreement between two parties, one to build and the other to pay, and that in the Standard Contract Form is set out, in what is called, in impressive Gothic type, “ The Articles of Agreement” . But this bold statement requires modification—when and how is the building to be built? and when and how is the money to be paid?— and so on—and so we have, in not quite such impres­sive print, what the Standard Contract Form calls “ The Conditions of Contract” .

When is the building to be built? — the time for completion of the builder’s contract. That is our subject to-night.

TIM ETime is an element found in all contracts.1 Now

non-performance by the builder is of two kinds: one relating to the content of the obligation, for example, the builder might use different materials from those you specified or he might not build in accordance with the plans you have given to him. This kind of non-performance the lawyers call “ breach of con­tract” . The other kind relates to the time of fulfilment o f the contract, as for example where the builder’s

work is to satisfaction but he has not completed on time. For this second kind of non-performance the lawyer also has a special phrase: he says the builder is in mora. As you doubtless know, the architect similarly employs a phrase to describe this not uncommon position—a quite different phrase, with which we will not detain ourselves now.

What is meant by in moral If my friend Mr. Haddon to-morrow persuades you that you will in future undertake the difficult duties of an arbitrator, then it is as well that you know the phrase, as it is one you are likely to encounter when listening to lawyers’ argu­ments, and even if you are not an arbitrator, if you are an architect, engaged in your usual professional activities, because you will on every building contract you are supervising have to decide whether or not the builder is in mom.

“ IN M O RA ”I propose to spend a few moments discussing what

the words mean. Memories of your school days will recall that the words are the Latin for “ in delay” , but in the legal sense they have a more circumscribed meaning. Mora means a culpable delay in making performance,2 which quite solves the problem, except now we must define culpable delay. What is culpable delay by the builder? The builder will be legally responsible or culpable for the delay if he knew the scope of the work to be completed, if he was aware of the date when performance was due, and also, and not least important, that the work is capable of being performed.3

To know the scope of the work. This must be clear in the contract, otherwise there is no contract between the parties, and where it has been agreed that variations as yet undefined, may be included, then it is clearly necessary that the scope of such variations must be precise.4

To be aware o f the date when performance was due. Again this, as we will discuss later, is usua'ly agreed at the commencement of the contract, and, too, the agreed date of completion may be extended for a number of reasons. I shall return to this point when we consider the provisions o f the Standard Contract Form a little later.

1. W esscls on Contract- para. 2«55.2. W esscls—see supra, para. 2857.5. Morn Delvtoris volgens die Hcdendnagse Rom eins-Hollandse Reg dour Dr. I.

van Zijl Steyn. p.43 et seq.+. W essels see supra para. 77.

S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER. 1954 35

The third and last requirement, you will remember, dealt with the possibility of performance of the con­tract. Summing up very briefly, the common law in South Africa excuses a contracting party if the contract has become impossible of performance after it has been entered into.5 This, in lawyer’s language, is called “ supervening impossibility o f performance” , and generally speaking English Law does not accept this as an excuse."

How can a builder be delayed by supervening impossibility? Well, there are many circumstances which can arise but they can all be grouped into two main classes, and even these two classes overlap considerably.

The builder may be delayed by vis major, which means superior strength? and which includes not only acts of God, and the forces of nature, earthquakes, exceptional rain or snow, but also acts caused by human agency, hostile invasion, general strikes of workmen and so on .8

The other class is delay caused by inevitable accident, or, as it is usually referred to, casus fortuitus, 9 defined as “ whatever cannot be foreseen by the power of human comprehension, or which when foreseen cannot be prevented” . In fact, as I have said, the two classes overlap, and for all practical purposes the definition I have just given of “ inevitable accident” can be used and applied to all.

Now in the event of such a happening, then in common law the builder is excused his lateness, and in the event of the circumstances being continuous the contract is extinguished. Let us look at a practical example. Suppose the builder comes to you with the excuse that he is late because he cannot get cement for the works. Well, you will first make sure, of course, that the work is being delayed by lack of cement, and having satisfied yourself of the existence of the shortage, you will test the position against the definition I have given of inevitable accident,—could the builder, who is expected to have an expert’s knowledge of the subject, reasonably have foreseen the shortage, and when he became aware of the shortage did he do all in his pow'er to overcome it?

I must make one point very clear, that he must have done everything he could to prevent the delay. So, if he can get the cement by paying a higher price per bag, then he must do this. Or if the shortage is of labour, then the builder similarly must do every­thing to obtain carpenters, offering better wages, and he cannot refuse because it will cost him more. He cannot of course be expected to break the law, but otherwise he must do everything he possibly can to carry out his obligations.

I have said that time is an element in all contracts, and it is usual to agree upon and to set down the date for completion. If no time for the completion of the builder’s work is fixed, then a reasonable time must be given him.10 I have heard it said that where no time is specified, and a builder sends in a tender

which is accepted, but which he wishes to withdraw, he is able to force the owner to release him, by insisting on an extremely lengthy time for completion, when the contract is signed. Obviously the suggestion is untenable and the builder could ask for no more than a reasonable time.

Similarly if a time for completion is specified and also provision is made for the authorization of extra work, then the builder must be given a reasonable extension of tim e." This principle is adopted in Clause 20 of the Standard Contract Form.TIM E CONTRACT

Now we come to a phrase which I have often seen in the preliminary clauses of both Specifications and Bills of Quantities. “ Time is to be regarded as of the essence of the contract.” What actually does this mean ? The phrase is borrowed from English Law, and there it has a somewhat different interpretation from what it can have here, although the general meaning is the same. It means that the date fixed for performance is of so great an importance that if the performer is late the other party can cancel the contract.12

Let us imagine that you are the architect for public stalls to be erected in Adderley Street to view the procession of delegates to the Central Council of the Institute to be opened in Cape Town on the 16th September, and the contract for the construction of these stalls sets out that the date for completion is the 15th September. It will be useless if the stalls are completed on the 17th, and so clearly we have a case where time is of the essence of the contract. And if you consider for a moment you will realize that in this type of contract it would be impossible to have a clause empowering you to authorize variations and consequent extension of the date for completion. Nor can damages for non-completion be assessed by the day or by the week. The building owner in this case cancels the contract, and he can sue the builder for damages on the grounds of breach of contract.

This is an entirely different position from the normal building contract, wherein if the builder is late, the owner can claim damages which increase usually in proportion to the degree of lateness of the builder, but the owner cannot cancel the contract.

I suspect the phrase is used in Specifications and in Bills of Quantities with the intention of impressing upon the builder the serious way in which he is expected to regard the various provisions for damages payable in the event of non-performance; but in those circumstances the phrase has no meaning.

So having dealt with the common law in South Africa, let us look very briefly at the provisions of the Standard Contract Form which deals with time as it relates to the building contractor’s performance.

5. Peters Flamman & C o. v. Kokstad Municipality 1919 A .D . 427.6. Paradine v. Jnne 1647 Alcvn 26.7. Bell S .A . Legal Dictionary.8. Nathan C om m on Law o f S . Africa Vol. Ill p. 1504.9. Vinnius quoted in W cssels see supra para. 2658.

10. W cssels— see supra para 2879.11. Barker v. Townsend 24 N .L .R . 145.12. Van Zijl Stevn see supra p. 101.

36 S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER. 1954

STA N D A RD CONTRACT FORMIn the Conditions of Contract, Clause l, we iind

that the architect may issue instructions, and if the instructions are verbal and in the opinion of the contractor involve a variation, then the contractor must point this out to the architect. The question presents itself: can the word “ variation” here include a variation of time of performance of the contract.7 Although it is impossible to say with certainty in the absence of a decision by the Courts, still I think, because of the wording of 1 (a), “ the variation or modification of the design quality and quantity of the work . . . etc.” , that it is clear that the word “ varia­tion” in this clause does not include a variation in the date of completion. In other words, there is no duty on the contractor to raise a claim for additional time within seven days of receiving the architect’s instruc­tion involving extra work.

Clause 18 is the clause dealing specifically with the time which the parties agree shall be taken by the builder in performing his contract, specifying the date of commencement, and this clause requires little explanation.

Clause 19 deals with the damage payable by the builder if he is in mom, and we will deal with that a little later.

Clause 20 gives a list of possible reasons for delay which will excuse the builder if he is in mom. The list is somewhat jumbled but may repay a few moments of our attention.

The first possible excuse given is force majeure— which is an English Law expression borrowed apparently from the French and which has not to my knowledge ever been interpreted by our Courts. On the face of it, it seems an exact translation of our term vis major, but in an English case in which the phrase was discussed but not defined, break down of machinery through an accident was deemed to be force majeure, 13 and so it seems that the inevitable accident, casus fortuitus, o f our law is included.13 In the absence of a decision from a South African Court we must assume that this wide interpretation would apply, in which case, and in any event because o f the common law of South Africa, exceptionally inclement weather, and civil commotion, combination workmen, strikes and lockouts and the other pro­visions dealing with architect’s instructions, are all excuses which if proved will entitle the builder to an extension of time; so that in fact there is, from the strictly legal point of view, no reason to set out this list. Nevertheless from the point of view of the architect in practice, and of the builder and of the owner, it is, I think, useful to give the list as a guide.

Do not forget that this is a clause drawn in England where, as I have said, the common law is different, so that in England if the parties want this protection for the builder it is essential to put it in the contract. In South Africa, by giving the architect the right to make a fair and reasonable extension of time, the

builder is giving up something of his legal rights, but by so doing he accepts a procedure which is simple and speedy and, I hope, just.

In passing I point out that the clause speaks of “ exceptionally inclement weather” , which is not every rainy day, as many seem to believe. A builder who contracts to build in Cape Town during the winter months must expect to experience the normal wet weather of that period of the year.

N O M IN A TED SUBCO N TRACTO RSAlso, I draw your attention to the inclusion of the

excuse “ delay on the part of nominated subcon­tractors” . I think this is somewhat unfortunate, as the builder is protected by his right in terms of clause 15 (a) (1), to insist on a subcontract with the nominated subcontractor so that he is placed in relation to the nominated subcontractor in the same position as he is to the ordinary subcontractor. In any event if the work o f a subcontractor, nominated or otherwise, is delayed by inevitable accident, then this will excuse both his delay and the delay to the builder which results. I see no reason in our contract form for this special reference to nominated subcontractors, linked as they are with nominated suppliers, a class defined nowhere in the document.

As you no doubt know, the clause makes the architect the judge as to whether his own lateness in furnishing instructions (which include drawings) has delayed the builder. Well, the Courts dislike this type of provision and have often found a way to avoid accepting such an arrangement. Here, however, the architect’s decision is subject to arbitration, and the wording being clear I would suggest it would be difficult to upset, except of course, that the word “ reasonable” in the phrase “ reasonable extension of time” , would be carefully borne in mind.

In considering the provisions of this clause an interesting point arises. Can the architect, in making a fair and reasonable extension of time for completion, consider time saved by omissions against extra time needed for additions? This point was considered in one South African Court case.11 The reasoning in the judgment is somewhat difficult to follow, but, to sum up, the conclusion arrived at by the Judge was that where work was omitted at the same time and of a similar nature to extra work authorized, then the time saved could be offset against the additional time allowed. The effect of each variation order must be separately considered, and a general balance sheet of “ time saved” setting-off “ time allowed” was in this case disallowed.

O f course the architect cannot bring the dates of completion forward by reason of omitted work,—he can only allow an extension of time, and still less could the owner recover damages on this basis. In allowing an extension of time it is necessary that the architect

L3. M atsdukls V Priestmnn & C o . 1915 ( I ) K.B.fiSI.14. Kelley $ . Hin«le* Trustees v Union Government 192S T .P D 272

S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER. 1954 37

must decide how long the works, as a whole, have been delayed. Let me explain what I mean by an example. Suppose the roofing tiles for a job have been delayed by inevitable accident, for three weeks, then it does not necessarily follow that the works have been delayed at all, or again they may have been delayed for more than three weeks, although this is unusual. The exercise of this duty by the architect is one of the most difficult thrust upon him, for he must relate the happening to its effect on the builder’s organization. Apart from the normal experience o f my own practice I have on several occasions had to give a decision in arbitration on such matters, and I have found it inordinately difficult.

Now, if you remember, I said that before the builder can be held responsible for delay he must be aware of the date when performance was due. The position is very clear that the builder knows the date o f completion agreed in the contract and it is equally clear that he is the first to be aware of delay to the building works. Surprising enough, Clause 20 does not impose a duty on the builder to notify the architect of the delay— except in the case of a strike or lockout. This over- sight has been corrected in the new R.I.B.A. Contract Form. When the builder demands an extension of time, after considering the reasons the architect must make a reasonable extension if he agrees that the builder is entitled to it.

But what is the position after the expiration of the date set down for completion, and the builder then offers reasons for his non-completion? Then clearly the provisions o f Clause 20 no longer apply. What the builder is now doing in fact is that he is setting up a defence to a claim for damages by the owner, and this is a matter on which the architect must make a decision in terms of Clause 26.

Before we leave the Standard Contract Form may we just glance back at Clause 17 (A) wherein, in the event of a fire, the contractor undertakes to repair the works and a reasonable extension of time for com­pletion will be made under Clause 20. It seems strange that no reference to this appears in Clause 20. If the fire was due to force majeure, then it is clear that Clause 20 does cover the position.

I think it is probable that the Courts would decide that the architect had the power to make an extension of time for delay due to fire, but the matter is not completely free of doubt, because, as I have said, I am unaware of an interpretation of force majeure by a South African Court, and in view of the restrictive interpretation which our Judges have placed on similar clauses.

Clause 22 provides that if the builder fails to proceed with the works with reasonable diligence, then the employer after certain preliminary steps may determine the contract. Here we have to do with breach of contract, not with delay. The test being applied is— how much work is being done ? not, how long is being taken. And the clause therefore is different from Clause 20 both in outlook and remedy.

DAM AGESAnd so I come to the second section of my subject.

The damages that flow from the mora o f the builder. This subject of damage is a vast one and I shall only attempt briefly to extract the general principle.

The fundamental principle of damages is that the injured party must be placed as much as possible in the same pecuniary position as he would have been if the other party had duly performed his obligations.

The claim for damages, therefore, while it can include profits which the injured party could reasonably have expected to make, on the other hand cannot be too remote. Thus, an architect sent his competition drawings by a firm of carriers, who lost them. The architect claimed as damages the value of the premium, on the ground that he doubtless would have won the competition. The Judge however awarded him as damages the cost of preparing the drawings.15

It is common in building contracts for the parties to insert a clause that if the builder does not perform by a certain date the building owner can claim an agreed sum of money usually proportioned to the degree of lateness of the builder, as liquidated damages. Such a clause is Clause 19 of the Standard Contract Form—the clause which is commonly called the “ penalty clause” , and so I want to say a word about liquidated damages and penalities.

The amount set out in such a clause may be either an amount which is a genuine pre-estimate of the loss which the owner will suffer if the builder does not give him occupation on the agreed date, in which case the amount is described as liquidated and ascertained damages, or, alternatively, it may be an amount inserted as a threat to secure performance, in which case it is called a penalty. And after a lot of expensive litigation the law in South Africa has been laid down, that if the amount is a genuine pre-estimate of damages, then the owner need not prove his loss, but on the other hand, if it is a penalty, then the owner must prove his damages.16

How will the Courts decide that the amount set down is, in fact, liquidated damages? And the onus of proving that they are not, will rest on the contractor. It is not sufficient to point to the contract and say that the words “ liquidated and ascertained damages” have been used. The Courts have, in spite of this, decided that the amount set down was in fact a penalty. On the other hand it is not sufficient for the contractor to prove that the owner, in fact, never suffered the loss. Let me give you an example, to explain. Suppose I contract with a builder to build me a house, and that if he does not finish the house on the last day of September, he will pay me £20 per week as liquidated and ascertained damages; and when the last day of September comes, I cannot move in as the house is incomplete. But instead of going to live with my

15. Scent v G ibson Bros. 1888. 5 H .C .G . 148.16. Pearl Insurance C o. v Union Government A .D . 1933 277 and A .D . 1934 560

(Privy Council).

38 S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD, DECEMBER. 1954

family in an hotel, my brother says to me “ 1 have a large house. Come and stay with me until your house is complete” . And I do not pay him anything. 1 have therefore not suffered the agreed damages. This will not relieve the contractor from paying to me these damages. No, to avoid that, he must prove that when the contract was signed the amount was not a genuine pre-estimate of damages.

On the other hand if the builder is building me a row of six houses which 1 intend to let on completion, and the contract provides that he shall give me occupa­tion of all the houses by the end of September, failing which he will pay me liquidated damages of £50 pet- week, then this would be on the face of it regarded as a penalty- because he will in terms of the contract have to pay me £50 per week if, on the agreed date, he has given me occupation of five houses or no houses.

So we see that while the use of the words ‘‘liquidated and ascertained damages” in the contract are not conclusive, it is wiser to use these words rather than ‘‘penalty'” because a penalty clause has no value at all as far as the owner is concerned and he will be left with the task of proving what damages he has suffered.

There are of course some building contracts where damages for non-completion would be either non­existent or minute. Take as an example a school for the Provincial Administration to which the pupils are to be admitted without payment of fees. If the

Administration have to hire premises in the interim in which to conduct the school, or in some similar way have incurred losses, then they can recover these, but in the main the damages will be small.

I have on more than a few occasions heard the opinion expressed, by people who should know better, that a damages clause has no legal effect unless a compensating clause is included giving the builder a bonus if he finishes before the completion date. A moment’s consideration will persuade you that this belief is quite at variance with the whole theory of damages, and I shall not now dwell on it further. F IN A L CERTIFICA TE

Finally, I would draw your attention to the precise wording of Clause 19, read with Clause 25(g) of the Standard Contract Form. Clause 19 says, ” . . . and the Employer may deduct such damages from any moneys due to the Contractor” . Clause 25(g) says, ” . . . the Architect shall issue a final certificate of the value of the works executed by the Contractor . . . ”

It is the architect’s duty to issue a final certificate and with it a separate written statement stating how long, if at all, the builder is in mora—days, weeks or years. The employer has the right to deduct then the damages he has suffered calculated in accordance with clause 19 from the amount due in terms of the architect’s certifi­cate. It is clearly not the architect’s duty to issue a final certificate reflecting these damages deducted.

F L U O R E S C E N T L 1 (JII T I N (iB Y V. P I K E

T e c h n i c a l M a n a g e r Neon Fluorescent (S.A.)

Ltd.

Lighting design today is based on two main factors— Quality and Quantity. Leaving out quality for the moment and dealing with quantity, it is accepted that this can best be most economically obtained with Fluorescent Lighting. Light output comparisons between Incandescent and Fluorescent Lamps are too well known for repetition in the space available here, but for general use in the home, etc., where “ quality” lighting from expensive ornate fittings and chandeliers, which in themselves are “ Objets de Art” , and which fit in with the general surroundings, it is difficult to imagine these being replaced by the more economical Fluorescent Lamp.

Where Fluorescent Lighting makes its most appeal is in the commercial and production field. Here the economies of lighting enter into the question. There is a tendency today to increase “ General Lighting” levels; whereas a mean average of 10 foot candles was considered adequate in the past, today levels of 25 foot

candles and upwards are being used as “ General Lighting” standards.

The choice of Fluorescent Lamps available is limited to two, Cold Cathode and Hot Cathode. Each have their sphere of operation. The limitation of a Cold Cathode Lamp, for instance, is that the smallest fitting available today is a two 8 ft. lamp unit which emits 5,000 lumens for a total lamp consumption of approximately 88 watts. This figure is comparable to a two lamp Hot Cathode 4 ft. unit with these very important exceptions.

In a Hot Cathode Lamp the method of striking the initial arc is to preheat a filament at each end of the lamp. This calls for an auxiliary circuit operating a “ Starter” , giving a “ delayed action” start. Also the number o f “ starts” affects the life of the lamp. This combination of “ starter jitters” and filament failures, due to excessive starts, has done much to prejudice the layman’s mind against Fluorescent Lighting.

S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD, DECEMBER. 1954 39

In Cold Cathode Lighting we do not have the same conditions. It starts instantly through the closing of the switch, and has no auxiliary circuit other than a simple ballast which steps up the mains voltage sufficient for starting and operating the lamp.

Theoretically, the life of a Cold Cathode Lamp is indefinite, and is governed only by the perfection of its manufacturing process. Depreciation of lumen output does occur, however, and this can be traced down to deterioration of the Fluorescing crystals and impurities in the mercury used in the manufacture of the lamp. The “ Useful Life’’ o f a Cold Cathode Lamp has been accepted at 15,000 burning hours and the drop in light output at 30 per cent at 10,000 hours to 45 per cent at 15,000 hours. Fifteen thousand hours is a long time, in fact it represents over four years of life if operating at 10 hours per day. It is true that if you expect this performance you are apt to instal it and leave it to the lamp to do the rest, but, and here we come to a most important question: “ Does that lamp need maintaining?” Yes! is the very definite answer here, tables are available that show that in certain conditions the depreciation of light through absolute neglect o f maintenance, due to the fact that the lamp still operates after a long period, can be as high as 60 per cent o f the initial value or even higher.

One cannot overestimate the value of regular maintenance o f a Fluorescent Lighting installation. The depreciation of light from the lamp itself is a known factor and can be taken into consideration when designing an installation, but the loss of light due to other causes, which can be avoided if proper cleaning and maintenance service is attended to, is very high. A recent test in a small hall, in which were installed six 4-lamp Cold Cathode fittings, was inspected. The lamps and fixtures had not been cleaned for some considerable time, and it was decided to make a test. Before any cleaning was done, a foot candle reading, based on standard procedure, was taken. The lamps only were cleaned, and a second reading taken. The result was 24 per cent increase in foot candle values.

Increasing interest in the recognition of the impor­tance of maintenance will eventually result in the development of specialised “ lighting maintenance service organisations” . Maintaining an Incandescent Lamp installation usually calls for only replacing lamps and cleaning luminaries, but with Fluorescent, not only are these factors present, but, in the case of Hot Cathode, there are starters and ballasts, which cause the non-operation of the fitting, and it is not the job for the “ man about the house” but calls for some knowledge of the subject to rectify the fault. The result is that “ that constant flicking” which denotes either starter or lamp failure so common today, and which calls for the services of an electrician to remedy, and is so exasperating to the innocent buyer of Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lighting.

Let it be accepted that for large users of light “ Fluorescent Tubular Lamps” are the answer to a problem. Whether that problem be answered with “ Hot Cathode” or “ Cold Cathode” is another matter. A Cold Cathode installation would be initially higher in primary costs, but given proper attention, there is no doubt that for the large user it would be the more economical in the long run. It would here be opportune to point out an advantage of Cold Cathode Lighting over other types, especially in regard to South Africa, and it is that it can be “ custom built” . Lighting is so integrated with a building’s use and appearance that it should be given consideration in architectural design and decoration. Active co-operation between engineer and architect is very necessary as an insurance against practical difficulties, but, once achieved, the desired result can be attained. Difficulties in this co-operation have been experienced in the past, due in the main to the special requirements for housing auxiliary equipment, accessibility, etc. It is felt, however, that with close liaison at the drawing board stage, development of this very important branch of lighting will develop.

T R A D E NO TES A N D NEWS

SECTION THROUGH FENWAL DETECT-A-FIRE UNIT

^ i r i i u n ? " " CONT«

jjil " — — -1^-

J . L ------------

The Fenwal Detect-a-fire responds when the sur­rounding air reaches a predetermined temperature, and it is the only fire detection unit that has the dynamic property of being able to determine instantly when the temperature of the surrounding air reaches the ideal combustion temperature.

Fire protection engineers are primarily concerned with the detection of fires which occur under usual fire conditions at rates of rise up to 40°F per minute. This range covers the vast majority o f incipient fires. Above 40 F per minute rate of rise, fire conditions approach ideal combustion or flame propagation, and these fires are usually classified as explosive. They seldom present any serious fire detection problem and any

40S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD, DECEMBER, 1954

of the principles of fire detection incorporated in a well-designed device would respond.

Fire engineers are also concerned with the ideal temperature alarm level, that is the temperature above which a fire condition is always considered to exist. This may be defined as the Selected Protection Level, and Fenwal have established 140°F as an ideal alarm setting for normal ambient temperatures.

Fixed temperature devices operate on the principle that the activating element itself will fuse, break or bend to mechanically open or close an electric circuit when a predetermined temperature is reached. The entire detector unit must be completely heated to the operating temperature. Because of this, it often happens, under fire conditions of temperature rise, that the surrounding air may reach a temperature fatal to human life or damaging to equipment before some designs of fixed temperature detectors have been heated to alarm temperature throughout. This thermal lag between the temperature of the surrounding air and the device’s operating temperature leaves an unpro­tected zone above the 140CF Selected Protection Level setting. This is static fire detection in as much as the device operates only when its own temperature reaches the selected level.

The rate-of-rise devices operate on the principle that an increase in ambient temperature above a predeter­mined rate (usually 15°F per minute) will cause the activating element either directly or indirectly to energize an electric alarm circuit. Their operation depends on the expansion of a gas (usually air) and its rate of escape through an orifice of predetermined size. If the gas escape is slow in relation to the rate of expansion, pressure is exerted against some flexible component to make or break an electric circuit. Since such a unit is activated only by an increase in ambient temperature above a rate of 15°F per minute, it is obvious that this principle of fire detection has no relation to the selected protection level, and false alarms may result from harmless temperature varia­tions.

The Fenwal Detect-a-fire unit introduces a third and new principle of fire detection. In the critical fire detection range this device has the inherent ability to operate whenever the surrounding air temperature

reaches the selected protection level under all con­ditions of rise. The diagram illustrates this new principle. The two contact points, made of fine silver, are mounted on, but electrically insulated from, the two curved struts which have a low co-efficient of expansion. Contacts and struts make up the internal strut assembly. This assembly is mounted under compression in a tubular stainless steel shell. The shell’s co-efficient of expansion is much higher than that of the strut assembly.

An increase in temperature causes the shell to expand, which is the temperature sensitive, activating component and always in direct contact with the surrounding air.

When a Detect-a-fire device is originally temperature- set and hermetically sealed at the factory, the entire unit including the internal strut mechanism is at the set-point temperature. So, when the device is sub­jected to very slow rates of rise in the range o f 0 to 5°F per minute, the unit heats up nearly evenly throughout. The net result is that both the shell and the strut assembly expand to the point where the unit operates exactly at its set-point temperature. Under conditions of more rapid rates of rise, equal heating of both the outer shell and the inner strut assembly no longer takes place. Therefore the rate of expansion of the shell precedes that of the internal strut assembly. This causes an anticipation or rate-compensation effect in which the Detect-a-fire alarms when the temperature of the air reaches the selected protection level, 140 °F even though the shell temperature is still below this point.

By proper selection of alloy metals of both the shell and strut members Fenwal engineers developed a unit which would operate only when the surrounding air temperature reached the Selected Protection Level in the range of the majority of fires. Thus the Fenwal Detect-a-fire principle of fire detection not only improves on the static principle of the usual fixed temperature detection but also incorporates a new rate of rise compensating characteristic. It is for this reason that the dynamic operating characteristic of the Detect-a-fire is defined as the Rate-compensation principle of fire detection.

S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD, DECEMBER, 1954 41

TEEE EEEETOEtS WES EE TO E X T E N D TEE

1 I J , EE E l EEEESS A V E R Y EE E REE I

CEE Ei E S T HE A S .1 1 EE 1 H A P P Y A N D

E0EEEESPEREEE S N EW Y E A R

Sir Arthur Stephenson of the firm of Stephenson and Turner o f Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, is a member of many boards and councils, among which are the Hospitals Advisory Council, Melbourne and the International Hospitals Federation.

He was knighted for his services in respect of hospitals in Australia.

In the Coronation Honours, he was awarded the C.M.G. for his services to hospital architecture, the award being conferred by Her Majesty The Queen, who gave Sir Arthur a private audience during her recent visit to Australia. He has received the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture which is the first time the award has been conferred on an Australian.

Sir Arthur has spent most of his active practising life in the study of institutional planning and develop­ment. Among other problems, he is primarily responsible for the development of major teaching hospitals in Australia. He is also concerned with problems of hospital development in New Zealand.

He has spent much time in Europe, England and America following the trends of thought there. He is at present on another tour to study “ hospital thinking” in these countries and in other parts of the world. Prior to coming to South Africa, Sir Arthur was in Singapore and Malaya. From South Africa he visited Greece and Italy. He is at present in England. He also plans to visit Canada and America. When in America he is attending the American Hospital Association Convention.

During his South Africa visit his tour was organized by Dr. A. J. Orenstein, Chief Medical Officer of the Central Mining-Rand Mines Group, at the request of Lord Baillieu, Chairman of The Central Mining Corporation, an old friend of Sir Arthur.

42 S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER. 1954

CHANGE OF AD D RESS

N .P .I.A .

E. J. Duncan, formerly c/o Payne and Peyton, Chancery Lane, to c/o G. E. Le Sueur and Partners, 21 South British Buildings, Field St., Durban.

J. Edgecumbe, formerly 22 Timber St., Pietermaritz- burg, to 23 Harwin’s Arcade, Timber St., Pietermaritz­burg.

J. W. Farrow, formerly 22 Timber St., Pieter­maritzburg, to “ Lynford” , Hilton Road, Natal.

D. F. Holliday, formerly c/o Chick, Bartholomew and Poole, 100 Club Arcade, Smith St., to 58 Overport Drive, Durban.

R. B. Rutherford-Smith, formerly c/o Frolich and Kass, 15 Holt's Buildings, Smith St., to P.O. Box 613, Pietermaritzburg.

A. E. Schaffer, formerly c/o Town Planning Dept., City Hall, to Forrest House, Albany Grove, Durban.

J. A. Todd, formerly 507, United Buildings, Smith St., to c/o Vos and Mullins, 818 Sanlam Buildings, Smith St., Durban.

M. Phillips formerly 502, Salisbury House, Smith Street, Durban to 107 Trust Buildings, Gardiner Street, Durban.

C. A. Levick formerly 49, National Mutual Buildings, Smith Street, Durban to c/o City Hall, P.O. Box 651, Nairobi, Kenya.

Miss June Chunningham formerly c/o R. F. Williams and Partners, 1317, Sanlam Buildings, Smith Street, Durban to c/o Powers and Powers, 903, S.A. Mutual Buildings, Gardiner Street, Durban.

L. S. Deveruex formerly c/o Powers and Powers, 903, S.A. Mutual Buildings, Smith Street, Durban to c/o Margo and Margo, 125 National Mutual Buildings, Smith Street, Durban.

J. W. Hurst formerly c/o McDonald and Strachan, 1203 Salisbury House, West Street, Durban, to c/o Hirst and Franklin, 1053 Mansion House, Field Street, Durban.

S. V. Moore formerly c/o McDonald and Strachan, 1203 Salisbury House, West Street, Durban to c/o Hirst and Franklin, 1053 Mansion House, Field Street, Durban.

J. F. Richards formerly of Johannesburg to 22 Garlicke House, 52 Field Street, Durban.

C .P .I.A .Jack Barnett formerly of 1 Fort Road, Three Anchor

Bay, to 55 Hout St., Cape Town.T .P .I.A .

Miss J. E. Ferguson, formerly Box 12, Salisbury, to 47, N.E.M. House, First St., Salisbury.

Miss C. Liebson, formerly Eldoraigne, P.O. Club View to 306 Nauro Court, Eiselen St., Pretoria.

Mallows and Meadley, formerly branch at cr. Kroep and Kerk Streets, to 124 Kerk St., Rustenburg.

S. Stakesby-Lewis, formerly Box 12, Salisbury, to 47, N.E.M. House, First St., Salisbury.

L. H. Vaughan, formerly Sanlam Buildings, Johannes­burg, to Retreat Hotel, Goldman St., Florida.

Col. E. White, formerly 8 Clewer Mansions, Union Avenue, to Fife House, 61, Fife Avenue, Salisbury.

REG ISTRA TIO N S1. Aronson has been registered as a practising

member (T.P.I.A.) and K. P. J. Napier as salaried member (T.P.I.A.).

TRA N SFERD. C. Benington has transferred from salaried to

practising membership (T.P.I.A.).

UN IVERSITY O F N A TA L Architectural Students Society Tour

During February 1955 (1st to 25th) the Architectural Students’ Society o f the University of Natal is arranging a tour of the main centres of South Africa to view and study interesting examples of architecture, both traditional and modern. The major centres to be visited are: Pretoria, from where the tour will com­mence; Johannesburg; Free State new development areas; Bloemfontein; Capetown; via Garden Route to Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown, East London and Durban; with the tour ending at Pretoria. It is anticipated that the cost of the tour will not exceed £25. Any student interested in joining the tour may obtain further particulars from:

The Chairman,A.S.S. Tour,225 Melk Street,New Muckelneuk, Pretoria.

C O R R E C T IO N SIt was inadvertently stated in the O ctober issue that M r. L. G.

W arren o f Pretoria had resigned. This announcem ent was incorrect, M r. W arren is still a member o f the institute.

We regret the incorrect spelling o f M r. Crickm ay on page 23 o f the O ctober issue.

W e also regret that M r. S. A. Abramowitch whose name appears in the caption o f the photograph on page 46 o f the November issue was deleted from the photograph owing to drastic trimming by the printer’s guillotine.

The architects o f House Plaut which appeared in the August issue were Kantorowich and Hope, the write-up by George Skacel and the photographs were taken by Koopm an. W e regret not crediting the above as unfortunately no names appeared on the photographs, or description.

S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD. DECEMBER. 1954 43

TR A N SV A A L PR O V IN CIA L IN STITU TEL IS T O F A C C E P T E D T E N D E R S F O R M A JO R P R O V IN C IA L SE R V IC E S F O R Q U A R T E R E N D IN G 30th S E P T E M B E R , 1954

SE R V IC E A R C H IT E C T S Q U A N T IT YSU R V E Y O R S

C O N T R A C T O R S A M O U N T

Erection of H ostel at the M essina School W . E . Stauch <Sl P artners

S . D . v . d. M erw e M essrs. M essina Building C ontractors

£59,850

Erection o f the Florida E .M . High School D epartm entally D epartm entally M essrs. L . Fokken s (Pty.) L td .

£85,881

Erection o f the R oodepoort A .M . High School

Departm entally Departm entally M essrs. L . Fokkens (Pty.) L td .

£89,181

Erection o f G irls’ H ostel at the H . M . Sw art School

W . W agner D epartm entally M essrs. A . D . Robinson (Pty.) Ltd.

£36,662

Erection o f School and Q uarters at M alelane

Departm entally Departm entally M r. J . M . Ruthven £14,618 10s.

A dditions to H ostel at D uiw elskloof School

J . E . T . D ay Strickland-Cholmney M essrs. Biihrs Builders (Pty.) L td .

£43,244

Erection o f V alhalla Prim ary School D epartm entally Departm entally M r. C . N . v. N iekerk £27,835

Erection o f N ew H ostel at R odeon High School

H . Verm ooten R . J . C . Prentice M r. M . A . Buys £78,440

Erection of M iddelburg R oad D epot A . V . Nunn Departm entally N . J . H angelbroek £50,000

A dditions to the F ak k e l A .M . High School

K ling &. Trope Lane <&. D ove M essrs. M . J . Lourens (Pty.) L td .

£64,500

Erection o f K em pton P ark E .M . School Departm entally Departm entally M r. B . R. du Plessis £31,203

A dditions to R ossm ore A .M . High School A . Endres H . Coetzee M r. B . D . Bouw er £60,250

Erection o f K itchen B lock at the Barberton H ospital

Departm entally Departm entally M essrs. Joubert Bros. £9,866 16s.

Erection o f Louis Trichardt Road D ep ot A . V . Nunn Departm entally M r. O . V . Oschger £39,648

44 S.A. A R C H IT E C T U R A L RECORD, DECEMBER. 1954

Journal of the SA Architectural Institute PUBLISHER: University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

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