“Jan has consulted on public relations in the concrete industry for more than 25 years and has been commissioned by such organisations as the Cement and Concrete Institute; Master Builders’ South Africa; the Concrete Society of Southern Africa and many commercial companies within the concrete industry.

Through his writings and networking on behalf of these clients, Jan has promoted the excellent use of concrete throughout the entire built environment, including civil engineering, architecture, building, property development and DIY. He has exposed concrete in the best possible light in both daily newspapers and industry/technical magazines.

His commitment to total professionalism and honesty in his writings, networking and dealings with all those he comes into contact with, earns him the right to be recognised by the Inland Branch of the Concrete Society as somebody who has made a significant and valuable contribution to the on-going success of concrete as a building material of choice, not only in the region, but also in the whole of South Africa”.

“The balanced cantilever construction method is used for building long-span bridges over areas where construction from the ground upwards is not possible, and was used on this project to provide an efficient and economical solution, as well as for ease of constructability.

The aesthetically-pleasing shape of the piers, the ‘flowing curves’ architectural theme and the advanced crystallization technology used in control of concrete materials, production, placing and curing, are all features that contributed to the selection of this team for the award.

The viaduct has become a landmark on the road from Johannesburg to the north and is testimony to the way concrete can not only be structurally sound, but also very pleasing on the eye”.