Brief history
The company was formed in 1969 by two engineers who were employed by the (then) Johannesburg City Council, KN Soderlund and WK Schutte. These two gentlemen retired in 1999. The company appointed two new directors in 1990, BA Lewis and RB Watermeyer, who took over the management of the firm when the original directors retired, along with an additional appointee, ACM Jacquet. All three parties are currently registered professional engineers.
When Mr Lewis retired in 2013 it was decided to devolve the company into the specialist fields of the previous directors, Dr Watermeyer forming Infrastructure Options which specialises in creating standards for government, Mr Jacquet forming SABeEX which specialises in procurement documentation, and Mr Lewis continued with structural and civil engineering with the company name of Sarapenta on a more part-time basis. All three are still currently listed on the company letterhead as consultants, and are available in this capacity in their respective fields. Sarapenta and Soderlund & Schutte have subsequently completed a number of joint venture projects, and are currently collaborating on the apartments and bridge projects listed below.
Current composition
AS Davie is the current sole director of Soderlund & Schutte, having joined the company in 1986 as a civil technician. He obtained a degree in urban engineering from the University of Johannesburg in 1995 (then Technicon Witwatersrand), and registered as a professional project manager with the SACPCMP in 2008 (no. D/1757/2008), and as a professional technologist with ECSA in 2013 (PrTech 201370003). The firm is registered with the South African Association of Consulting Engineers.
Permanent staff members include
• Anthony Davie is the owner and director of Soderlund & Schutte.
Academic: B Tech(Eng)
Professional Construction Project Manager
Professional Engineering Technologist (2013)
• Z Ameen, a structural engineer and graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand
• P Seema, a senior CAD draughtsman with 15 years structural experience
• C Ratcliffe, a registered accountant shared with Infrastructure Options
• M Kgotle as receptionist/girl Friday. Additional contract staff are hired as and when required to suit specific project requirements.
Recent/current projects
The following projects have been completed since 2013, or are currently still in progress:
• New office building for Alchemy Architects in Boeing Road East, Dunvegan: a two storey concrete-framed structure with associated drainage and vehicle access. Completed late 2013.
• New container handling facility for Grindrod in Denver: around 90 000m² of heavy duty block-paved container handling area, two storey concrete-framed main office building, sewerage and storm water systems, and minor structures including a wash bay and guardhouse structures. Completed early 2015.
• New container handling facility for MICD in Maputo: around 42 000m² of heavy duty block-paved container handling area, two storey concrete-framed main office building, sewerage and storm water systems, main entrance road, and minor structures including a wash bay and guardhouse structures. Completed mid-2014.
• New container handling facility for MSC in Rosherville: around 20 000m² of heavy duty block-paved container handling area, main access road and improvements to existing municipal road, water supply, sewerage and storm water systems, and reinforced concrete wash bay. Completed early 2014.
• New municipal water supply for Rosherville Ext.16: around 300m of 110mm Ø uPVC water main from an existing Rand Water main to the site. Completed late 2014.
• New municipal access road to Heriotdale Ext.18: around 280m of dual-lane kerbed asphalt road with associated storm water system. Completed mid-2016.
• Township infrastructure for Theta Ext.7: around 900m of 160mm Ø uPVC municipal water mains, 480m of 160mm Ø PE-HD municipal sewers, 380m of kerbed asphalt municipal road and 200m of subsurface storm water drains. Completed late 2016.
• New apartment block in Morningside: 24-storey high-rise concrete-framed residential apartment block placed on a previously constructed parking structure with extensive modification to supports. Expected completion in mid-2017.
• New road bridge for Crownwood Road: new structure and re-alignment of portion of existing road to cross the Klip Spruit upstream from the existing bridge. Design currently being finalised.
• Township services for proposed Aeroton Ext.30: around 450m of 160mm Ø uPVC municipal water mains, 1 300m of 160mm and 200mm Ø PE-HD municipal sewers, 400m of kerbed asphalt municipal road and 480m of subsurface storm water drains. Design completed, expect to tender soon.
• Various civil projects for the University of the Witwatersrand consisting mainly of new parking areas and improvements to access roads, including some minor structures (on going).
Several minor projects: structural alterations to warehouses and residences, structural repairs to minor buildings and walls, storm water management plans for commercial developments, outline scheme reports for land re-zoning applications, assessment and review of completed infrastructure designs.
