In one of the most dramatic undertakings seen in the construction industry in the Western Cape, two cranes lifted 86 tons of steel 10 storeys high to secure it into its final position as a bridge support for two storeys of penthouse apartments in the landmark KnightsBridge project underway at Century City.

Project manager Dave Jamieson said as far as they knew this was the largest private sector steel bridge lift ever undertaken in the region and took close to 10 hours to complete.

He said the supporting steel for the bridge apartments was lifted in two stages. Each stage involved lifting two steel girders which had been temporarily braced together to form a stable box section. Each box section weighed about 43 tons and was lifted by two mobile cranes - one of which had a capacity of  275tons and the other a capacity of  170tons.
The span of the structure was 34,3m, its width 16,12m and its depth 4,2m. The whole structure was manufactured off site by Union Structural Steel and assembled on site before being raised 28,5m, the equivalent of a 10-storey building.

Jamieson said the supporting structure onto which the steel was placed consisted of two concrete walls - each comprising four columns – which were erected each side of the Grand Canal.

“Contractors WBHO had to build these to very tight tolerances. In fact the eight support pads had to be correctly positioned in the horizontal plane to within 3mm, and the level had to be correct to within -3 to + 5 mm which is no easy feat.

“Lifting the steel into place was also very challenging as there was only a gap of 85mm between the end of the steel and the concrete wall and the steel had to be lifted through 10 storeys to its final position,” he said.
The spectacular KnightsBridge luxury apartment towers will comprise three imposing buildings with the two main buildings being linked by the penthouse bridge. This will house five luxury duplex penthouses each enjoying sweeping views from Table Mountain across Table Bay to Tygerberg Hills and the Hottentots Holland mountains to the north.
Spanning the water, KnightsBridge  is being built on a private island and adjoining wharf with vehicular and pedestrian access being provided by a series of bridges.

Only a handful of the 193 apartments in the R285m development by Rabie Property Projects remain to be sold. The first apartments are due for completion in May 2006 with  the last handovers scheduled for August 2006.

The apartments range from single bedroom homes through to double volume duplex and simplex penthouses – offering owners an exceptional lifestyle surrounded by water and  bordering Century City’s award-winning nature conservation wetlands, Intaka Island and within a stone’s throw of Canal Walk Shopping Centre.

The development exudes luxury with a Porte cochere and double volume foyer at the main entrance and an array of superb communal amenities which will include an executive club lounge, gymnasium, 20m indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi as well as a boutique wellness spa. Private trainers, masseuses and beauty therapists will be on hand at the wellness spa for the convenience of residents.

Apartments range in size from 50 square metres to over 200 square metres and are priced from R750 000 through to R3,5m with the largest unit, which includes a rooftop plunge pool room with 360 degree views, having been sold for more than R4m.

For further information telephone Property World on 021 5513354.