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s a i c e

the project was codenamed The Civil Thread. During Ideas about the format of this book were stimulated
visits by groups of tourist engineers, notably a visit by the work done by TV Bulpin who wrote the book
by a group from Australia, it was noted that such a Discovering Southern Africa. The idea to format it in
publication could contribute to making the South African terms of projects in the nine provinces should provide
civil engineering world more “visible” and that in terms a workable platform for tourists and visitors to a region
of outreach to the public at large it could also serve to from which to launch trips, to keep an eye out for
inform, to guide, to delight and to create interest and interesting structures and civil engineering items such
awareness in the profession. The idea was not forgotten as the famous and innovative South African dolosse
and was revived during preparations for SAICE’s 110 which are protecting the harbour structures around
th
anniversary in 2013. the coast and indeed across the world. South African
inventions and innovations are too many to mention in
Much of what is civil engineering is not visible above such a brief work as this. It will however interest the
ground and in many cases will not be seen after the reader to know that a three part series of South African
construction phase has been completed. In this regard inventions and innovation was published by South
the reader will not be able to view everything that is Africa’s Department of Science and Technology under
mentioned in this book, but that does not detract from the title The Edge Series.
the fact that those structures are there.
Our wish is that this book spells another new begin-
It is furthermore very obviously not possible to feature ning as well as a reason to celebrate the past, provide
every component of the heritage of civil engineering in some eye openers and awe. And most of all a salute to
South Africa but it is hoped that the projects or items our South African civil engineering professionals, their
that do feature will create curiosity about what else colleagues and collaborators, their teams of artisans,
there is and that it will celebrate not only the specific workers and support staff.
project but all of the work and contributions of the
South African civil engineering profession throughout In the words of the SAICE Coat of Arms: Fortiter
the hundreds of years. Conde Animo (Together we build with a resolute
mind).

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