Franki, the CTICC and the foreshore: geotechnical work on CTICC expansion, Cape Town

Leading geotechnical contractor and solutions provider, Franki Africa (Franki), now part of the Keller Group, has been contracted to implement a range of geotechnical work on the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) East Expansion project.

Franki’s association with the CTICC started back in 2001 when Franki did the piling work there, together with the foundations and deep basement, by diaphragm wall technique, for the then Arabella Grand Hotel, now The Westin.

Franki Cape Town says they are proud to have been associated with the original CTICC development and now again with the CTICC East Expansion Project.

In fact, Franki has a long and proud history in the Cape where it started business some 68 years ago, in the late 1940s, which is the time when the Foreshore reclamation, where the CTICC is now situated, was completed and the land was made ready for development.

Since then Franki has been involved in the development of many of the structures now standing on the Foreshore, providing the design and construction of piled foundations and lateral support for basement construction.

These structures include, amongst many others, the contentious elevated Foreshore Freeways, the huge Civic Centre, Artscape, the high-rise Metropolitan building, The Cullinan and Southern Sun hotels together with the neighbouring office developments and the Icon building. Franki has also been very busy with the residential developments along the canal to the V & A Waterfront.

Recently Franki provided the lateral support for the deep basement of the tallest building in Cape Town, the Portside, on the edge of the Foreshore and has just completed the piling and the lateral support works for the new Netcare Hospital next to the CTICC East site.

With Franki’s recent incorporation into the Keller worldwide group of companies, new products and technology have become available for use from within the group and Franki look forward to seeing even more cost effective solutions for deeper parking basements in the Foreshore area where a high water table in the reclaimed fill makes for difficult conditions for basement construction.

Franki Africa MD Roy McLintock adds that being part of the Keller Group is a tremendous boon all-round. “The Keller Group is the world’s largest independent geotechnical engineering contractor giving Franki access to a wide range of innovative technologies, finance for future growth and, of course, a wealth of geotechnical intellectual property and experience. This, with Franki’s vast experience in working in Southern Africa and on the African continent, augurs well for the future,” he says.