Big lift at Moses Mabhida Stadium

Scaw product will literally be at the centre of the placement of the final section of the 106-m-high, 350-m-long, 30-storey, iconic, steel arch for Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Described as an architectural masterpiece, the arch is made up of 55 separate, 10-m-long pieces with a combined weight of 2 600 t. It will resemble the ‘Y’ in the South African flag once all the pieces have been put together in the first quarter of 2009.

PC strand with power

Low relaxation, prestressed concrete (PC) strand out of Scaw South Africa’s Wire and Strand plant will be used to lift the centre piece into place by Scaw’s customer, VSL Tsala. With a lifting force of between 600 t and 800 t, and a breaking force of 260 kN, the PC strand will transport the centre piece with ease. Ahmed Patel, national sales manager for Wire and Strand, says, “Grade 1860 strand was supplied in both right hand lay and left hand lay. The reason we supplied the two different helical lays is to avoid ‘twist’ occurring during the lifting operation.”

Reports from the Moses Mabhida Stadium indicate that stadium construction is progressing well and that it will be completed by the October 2009 FIFA deadline. The R2,6-billion stadium is designed as a multi-functional, hard-working and easy-to-maintain asset for Durban. It is expected to become a popular tourist attraction, with a cable car running people up to a viewing platform at the top of the stadium.

Construction of the 350-m-long arch that will reach across the length of the roof of the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Once complete, the arch will resemble the ‘Y’ in the South African flag.