CESA honours engineers

Mentor of the year, Ric Snowden.

Amongst the winners is Ric Snowden, director of special projects at Arup, who won mentor of the year. The panel noted that Snowden, who displayed all the characteristics of excellence in promoting candidate engineers of the future, was entered into the competition by Sazi Enicker and Cuan Lynes, two of Snowden's current protégées, who stated that Snowden was the 'mentor of choice at Arup', mentoring more graduates than any other.

Enicker said, "His vision of training candidate engineers for long term sustainability at Arup, the industry and the country, is a role he takes very seriously."

Snowden, who said that he was honoured to receive the award, is positive about the future prospects of the country and is excited about what the next generation of engineers has to offer.

He started working at Arup in 1974 and was appointed as a divisional director at the age of 28. His specialist fields of design are bridges; structural engineering; pre-stressed concrete; industrial and mining structures; silos and chimneys; water retaining structures; complex foundations; structures subject to dynamic loading. Snowden has significant experience in the design leadership and management of civil / structural and multi-disciplinary engineering projects.

Key projects:

• Currently the project director responsible for company's independent certifier role on Gautrain. This substantial role included selective design reviews of all the civil and structural works, including bridges, viaducts, tunnels, stations along the 85 km route.
  
• He was also the director responsible for design of various stations and elevated viaducts for Hong Kong Metro and bridges for Transnet.
  
• Director responsible for all engineering design relating to building works for major upgrade to Sappi Enstra's Paper Mill 6 (PM6) and remedial works to the digestors at Sappi Ngodwana.
  
• Director responsible for design and construction of a 10 000 m² warehouse extension and ancillary buildings for Caterpillar Africa, Isando.
  
• Director responsible for structural design and construction monitoring of a 33 000 m² distribution warehouse, office block and ancillary work for Nestle, Johannesburg.
  
• Review director for Can and Ends Manufacturing Plant for Bevcan, Springs;
  
• Director responsible for multi-disciplinary design and construction management of a new Can Manufacturing Plant for Bevcan in Luanda, Angola.
  
• Project Manager for all civil/structural work done by Arup in the UK for the new 600 MW Pagbilao Power Station in the Philippines. Work included a jetty, water treatment plant and equipment foundations.
  
• Design of several 300 m high chimneys and storage dams for Eskom.
  
• Review director responsible for civil and structural design, documentation and construction management of various chemical plants at Secunda, Sasolburg, Natref and AECI.
  
• Manager of Mossgas' civil/structural engineering department, responsible for specifications, standards and design of new on-shore plant.
  
• Director responsible for building and civil works on a two million hectolitres per annum new brewery at SAB's iBhayi Brewery, Port Elizabeth.
  
• Additions to Mwanza Brewery in Tanzania.
  
• Review director for several Guinness projects in Africa and Jamaica.
  
• Concept design of expansions to SAB's Rosslyn Brewery.

Other winners

• Engineering Excellence with a value greater than R250-million - won by The Braamhoek Consultants Joint Venture, comprising GIBB, Knight Piésold and SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants for the Bedford Dam - Ingula Pump Storage Scheme for ESKOM with Golder Associates receiving a commendation for the Optimum Colliery Mine Water Reclamation Project for Optimum Coal
  
• Engineering Excellence with a value between R50-million and R250-million - SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants for the Mossel Bay 15 Ml/day Sea Water Desalination Plant for Mossel Bay Municipality. Aurecon South Africa received a Commendation for the Granger Bay Boulevard and Green Point Traffic Circle for the City of Cape Town: Roads and Major Projects Division. GIBB also received a Commendation for the Rhodesfield Project for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa.
  
• Engineering Excellence with a value less than R50-million - SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants for the Blackburn Pedestrian Bridge for SANRAL. Two Commendations we handed out, one to KAYAD Knight Piésold for the Demise of the Athlone Cooling Towers for the City of Cape Town; and the other to Vela VKE for the Markgraaf Pedestrian Bridge for the City of Bloemfontein.
  
• Best International Project, sponsored by the Built Environment Professionals Export Council (BEPEC) - BKS for the Omdurman Water Treatment Works for Biwater, with Golder Associates receiving a Commendation for the Amoma Pit Infrastructure Detailed Design and Engineering for Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd.
  
• Business Excellence category sponsored by Business Report - Bigen Africa Services received an Accolade
  
• Young Company of the Year - ERO Engineers
  
• Visionary Client of the Year category - eThekwini Municipality
  
• Young Engineer of the Year - Mpho Ramphao from Aurecon
  
• Mentoring Company of the Year - SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants
  
• Publishing Excellence - Brooke Pattrick Publications received recognition for Publishing Excellence: Trade Media
  
• Publishing Excellence: Daily Newspapers - Independent Newspapers