General

The world’s biggest diamonds.

Diamonds dates back billions of years, and tells a tale of beauty, wealth and spirit. The word ‘Diamond’ originated from the Greek word ‘adamas’, which means unconquerable or unbreakable.  For thousands of years diamonds have stood for far more than just a beautiful sparkly gem.

The Pharaohs believed that diamonds represented the sun (a symbol of power, courage and truth).  In Ancient India it symbolized clarity and invincibility. Ancient Greeks believed diamonds to be the tears of the gods. In the middle ages it was believed that the diamond was a miracle stone, having exceptional healing abilities. In Europe, 322BC, diamonds were reserved only for Kings as it stood for strength, courage and invincibility and by the 1600 – 1750 diamonds symbolised ultimate prosperity and wealth among woman and men.

The tale of the modern diamond market really begins with the discovery of diamonds in Kimberly round about 1866. South Africa plays one of the most important roles in the history of diamonds as 65% of all diamonds were mined in SA and some of the world’s most famous diamonds have been discovered in SA.

Here are 8 of the world’s biggest diamonds ever to be discovered:

Sergio (3,167 carats)

The Sergio is the largest carbonado (black) diamond ever found. It is also the largest rough diamond ever found. This very rare diamond was discovered in the state of Bahia in Brazil in 1895. Carbonado is the toughest form of natural diamond which is an impure form of polycrystalline diamond consisting of diamond, graphite, and amorphous carbon. Like many other carbonado diamonds, it’s believed to be of a meteoritic origin. The diamond was discovered by Sérgio Borges de Carvalho.  The diamond was broken up into smaller 3-6 carat pieces as industrial diamond drills.

Cullinan Diamond (3,106.75 carats)

The Cullinan Diamond was discovered by Sir Thomas Cullinan in 1905. This largest gem quality rough diamond which was ever found was discovered in the Premier No. 2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa.  The Cullinan was placed on sale in London in April 1905 and despite a large amount of interest stayed unsold after 2 years. The Transvaal Colony government bought the Cullinan in 1907 and presented the diamond to King Edward VII on his 66^th Birthday.  The Cullinan was cut into various sizes such as Cullinan I (also known as the Great Star of Africa) and is the largest clear cut diamond in the world and is mounted in the head of the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross. Cullinan II is the second-largest (also known as the Second Star of Africa) and is mounted in the Imperial State Crown. Both these diamonds form part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II privately owns 7 other major diamonds which was cut from the Cullinan. These diamonds she inherited from her grandmother, Queen Mary in 1953.

Excelsior Diamond (955.20 carats)

This diamond was known as the largest gem-quality diamond in the world from the time it was discovered on 30 June 1893 until 1905 when the Cullinan Diamond was discovered.  The Excelsior diamond was discovered at Jagersfontein Mine, South Africa, in a shovelful of gravel that was being loaded into a truck by a worker.  The diamond was unsold for many years before the owners of the diamond made the decision to cut the stone in the several smaller stones, which meant that it would never be a single large spectacular stone. The diamond was of a blue-white tint colour.

Star of Sierra Leone (968.9 carats)

With the discovery of this Diamond in the Diminco alluvial mines in the Koidu area of Sierra Leone on 14 February 1972, it was ranked the fourth largest diamond found. This diamond was also ranked as the largest Alluvial diamond ever to be discovered, which is the term used to describe diamonds which has been removed from the primary source (the kimberlite pipe) by natural erosive action over an extended period of time and finally deposited into a new environment such as a river bed. The diamond was cut into an emerald shaped stone, but was re-cut at a later stage due to an internal flaw.  This resulted in 17 separate diamonds of which 13 were deemed to be flawless.

The Incomparable Diamond (890 carats)

Discovery of this Diamond was near MIBA Diamond Mine, Democratic Republic of the Congo and was found in a pile of rubble from mine dumps by a young girl in 1984. The rubble was considered to be too bulky to contain any diamonds and therefor had been discarded.  The young girl gave the diamond to her uncle, who then sold it to a diamond dealer. Once the diamond was transported to Belgian, it took years of master craftsmen to cut this diamond into a gorgeous yellow-brown diamond.

Millennium Star (777 carats)

This near to perfect diamond was discovered in the Mbuji-Mayi district of Zaire in 1990 and is currently owned by De Beers Company. This pear-shaped stone is stunningly flawless internally and externally and is known to be the second largest top-colour rating diamond in the world. This diamond is one of the most beautiful diamonds in the world, and experts have declared it to be priceless.

The Woyie River Diamond (770 carats)

This beautiful diamond was discovered in Koidu, Sierra Leone in 1945 and at the time was the largest alluvial diamond ever to be found. The rough diamond was brought to London in 1947 where it was viewed by Queen Mary and later exhibited in 1949 at the British Industries Fair.

The Golden Jubilee (755 Carats)

This gorgeous yellow-brown coloured gem was discovered in South Africa in 1985 and was first known as the “Unnamed Brown” due to its colour. The diamond remained unknown to the outside world until 1990 and required 2 years work to bring this beauty to its current state. The diamond was purchased by a group of Thai business people led by Henry Ho in 1995. It was arranged for the diamond to be given as a gift from the people to King Bhumibol to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the King’s accent to the throne. It was received on his behalf in 2000 by his daughter, Princess Matia Chari Sirindhom and is now on display in the Royal Museum at Pimammek Golden Temple Throne Hall in Bangkok as part of the crown jewels.

As one of the world’s most precious substances, diamonds have been greatly desired across the globe for countless ages. They are changeless and astonishingly durable. The powerful symbolism they embody only adds to their tremendous worth.
Diamonds don’t get old, they only become more valuable.

That’s why they perfectly represent love, power, and the majesty & mystery of the universe.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Flickr
Pixabay

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About Nadine Vermeulen

I started working at Leads 2 Business in October 2014 in the Leads 2 Quotes Department. I managed all the Daily Tender Bill Requests and followed up on BoQ's for our Daily Tender Subscribers. In 2017, I was promoted to L2Q Assistant and now work with Bill of Quantities for Contractors. 🙂

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Smart Highway

To be honest, I had never even heard of the term “Smart Highway”. It is not a term you would use for our highways and I tend to avoid the highway at all cost. Accidents, traffic jams, big trucks…it can be a nightmare!

So, What is it?

According to Wikipedia the ‘Smart highway’ and Smart road are terms for a number of different proposals to incorporate technologies into roads for generating solar energy, for improving the operation of autonomous cars, for lighting and for monitoring the condition of the road.

We always need to make sure our cars are roadworthy, but our roads are not always car-worthy. Most of us have had our soul leaving our body and apologising profusely to our beloved cars when hitting a pothole that you could probably swim in.

So now how can ‘Smart Highways’ or ‘Smart Roads’ help us?

Roads that may be able to think, feel and predict the needs of people and the vehicles that travel on them? Roads that have an environmental conscience and can help improve our safety?
Roads that could maybe actually make a difference to the world?
Apparently they are very much in the pipeline.

Solar Roadways:
The main purpose of solar roadways is to replace asphalt roads with Solar Panels which generate energy through the sun that can be used by local houses or businesses that are connected to the system from either the house’s driveway or the business’s parking lot.

Road Markings:
Photo-luminescent paint for road markings, which was developed by Studio Roosegaarde and Heijmans in the Netherlands, absorb light during the day and can glow for up to 10 hours.

Solar Road Panels:

There are 3 layers that make up the solar panels:
1. The Road Surface Layer – The Road Layer is the High Strength layer that has the photovoltaic cells which attracts the sun’s rays, has traction so vehicles won’t slide off the road, and it is waterproof to protect the layers below.

2. The Electronic Layer – The Electronic Layers contain a mini microprocessor board that helps control the heating element of the panels. This technology can help melt the snow that lands on the panels so that hazardous road conditions will no longer be an issue in snowy weather. This layer can sense how much weight is on the panels and can control the heating element to melt the snow.

3. The Base Plate Layer – The Base Plate Layer is the layer that collects the energy from the sun and then distributes the power to the homes or businesses connected to the solar roadways. This will also be used to transfer the energy to cars as they drive over the strip to recharge the battery

Smart Pavement:
Photovoltaic pavement is a form of pavement that generates electricity by collecting solar power with photovoltaics. Parking lots, foot paths, driveways, streets and highways are all ideal locations where this material could be used.
Frost protection and melting snow, ice:
Snowmelt systems using electricity or hot water to heat roads and pavements would be installed in various locations. With snow and ice melt systems deployed to obstruct winter weather, this would mean that deaths, accidents, governmental and insurance costs, economic losses, and personal auto expenditures could be reduced.

But the Smart Highway is not just all solar.
The current roads are very expensive to maintain and don’t do much other than allowing above-ground transportation.
A concept that involves replacing common asphalt paving with sophisticated and upgradeable factory-made concrete slabs are currently being developed by Integrated Roadways in the USA that will give the roadways the ability to detect vehicles and know where they are in real time.
Smart roadways would be able to call first responders to the site of an accident by knowing where vehicles are and how fast they were going. It would also be able to collect real-time information on road conditions and congestion data, letting drivers (and self-driving cars) choose the route that is the most efficient and safe.
There are also reports on a technology that will use small turbines to catch the updraft from passing cars and use it as a source of energy, powering street lights by attaching specialised turbines to each. The turbines would be designed to be aesthetically pleasing by looking like small works of art, rather than the future of roadway energy generation.Asphalt and the New Materials Building These Roadways
New materials for roadway construction are also being explored, which will take traditional asphalt, aggregates and glassphalt to new applications. The American Ceramics Society have been discussing an updated “smart concrete” that will embed sensors, wireless connections and similar technology into pre-cast concrete panels. Dowel bars will connect the slabs into an integrated modular system, creating a continuous paved roadway. Access ports in each slab will allow the technology to be serviced without requiring the slab to be destroyed or replaced. Applications of new materials for roadway construction could address many of the problems that the weight and increased traffic face on the current roadways. Cement, sand and aggregate will also be freed up for other building applications.

The smart highway/road will be more ‘animated’ than its conventional ‘inanimate’ predecessor. The road will come with sensors, data capture capabilities, the ability to be responsive to changes in the environment but perhaps most importantly, be connected. Roads will be able to ‘talk’ to cars, bicycles, traffic lights and even cities. We could all benefit from quicker, safer and more effective trips, not to mention get back time that is lost to traffic jams as well as the positive environmental impact that is likely to follow building such a road would bring.

This all sounds so great. Will it ever reach South Africa? We will just have to wait and see.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Inmotion Ventures
Firmatek
EWN

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About Melanie Miles

One girl who would rather wear boots than high heels...

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Solar & kinetic roads

Energy is the basic need for the development of the modern world, however when we think of the future most of us have started to think negatively about the planet and what humankind is doing to our home.
There are still some believers out there who believe that they can make a difference to the world and they are doing everything possible to change it.

Solar Roadways was founded in 2006 by Scott and Julie Brusaw, when they first introduced roads with integrated solar panelsin 2006. They claim that their technology could be a game changer in the attempt to make our planet more sustainable.

They have created the first prototype “solar panel roads” – this will replace all conventional tar roads.

This will not only create jobs in every country it is brought into, but it will also increase road safety with its built-in LED system that can inform drivers of any accidents that may be ahead or any other obstructions in the road.

South Africa can really benefit from something like this with its current energy shortages and problematic power plants. Imagine the roads you are driving on bringing electricity to the country, this would drop the rising electricity prices and provide safe roads for all to travel on.  With the introduction of this into our country there would also be an increase in jobs in this new sector, new skills to be learnt and the solar panels only have to be replaced when faulty.

So what are these “SMART’’ road panels and what makes them so special.  Well, if my research is anything to go by, then these revolutionary little solar panels could promise to pack quite the eco-punch.

The solar roadway is a road; a series of solar panels, structurally engineered to be driven upon.
Solar Roadway panels are made of tempered (safety) glass.
Glass was chosen for its hardness, strength, durability, and transmittance.
Solar Roadway glass is textured to create proper traction for vehicles and pedestrians.
Each unit is made of top and bottom glass panels, with the other components such as solar cells and LED lights enclosed in between.

The objective of the solar roadways is to be able to tap and store as much energy as possible to be used in business & domestic consumption. It is a revolutionary way of finding solutions to the petroleum-based asphalt roads, and the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity
One advantage of this project is that it is will enable the world to cut down on greenhouse emissions by half.
One major difference one will notice when comparing Solar Roadways glass panels to traditional tar roads is aesthetics. The hexagonal panels are quite a work of art and will dramatically beautify roads, highways etc. Unlike tar roads,
Solar Roadway panels are impervious to potholes. The repair of potholes is expense, and an unnecessary inconvenience to motorists, (with the panels) you can merely remove one and fix it (No more potholes to deal with)

In China, one of the world’s first solar highways is taking shape.

In France, a 1 kilometer-long strip of road is made entirely out of solar panels. This trial solar panels is to be tested for 2 years to see how much electricity its can generate.

In the Netherlands the newest bike paths doubles as a solar energy generator that helps power surrounding neighborhoods.

One major drawback of this project is its start-up and maintenance costs
South African governments are not moving fast enough to progress the uptake of solar energy, let alone solar road energy.

Could the solar panel superhighway be the power station of the future?

Sources:
Solar Roadways
Wikipedia
Ecopreneurist
Slate
Nootrix

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About Nirasha Rampersad

I started working for Leads to Business June 2017 as Support Assistance in L2Q.

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Software to help benefit companies in construction

Jeepers! Where to even begin?!

Technology has transformed our lives in unimaginable ways. And for a lot of us, these systems can be a bit daunting.
There are so many different types of software that are able to benefit various types of professionals within the construction industry, that we often don’t know which would be most effective or relevant to our businesses.

So why even consider any of these systems? Since construction work happens manually, and work progresses on site through multiple visits and contracts, some large construction projects sometimes take years to complete. Digitizing a few processes might assist with getting the work done faster and better!

Let’s have a look at the biggest benefits of having a construction management software in place:

Having a system in place that will assist you with analyzing and tracking processes from conceptual to handover which keeps detailed notes of which persons are in charge of which tasks, date of completion, etc., will help keep track of delays and pick up where the faults lie. It also makes it easier to bridge the communication gap between customers, managers and the rest of the team, which in turn increases the proficiency of performance and helps mid-project changes a breeze to keep track of.

Allocating jobs to each professional also becomes an easy task.

Cost Estimation – In today’s day and age, this has to be the most important process to have in place within the construction industry. Due to human error being so real, there is no room for mistakes when it comes to cost estimation. This could make or break winning a tender. Construction software maintains financial data in a secure way, with automated calculations & predictions.

How much easier can it be? This software assists with sending out bills, generating invoices and tracking payments that need to be made and/or received. Pretty cool, right?

Project & Tender Information Platforms – This is where Leads 2 Business comes in! It’s imperative for any construction professional to know what projects are coming up where and when. The planning process is one of the most important steps to building your brand and growing your business.
To have a provider, such as Leads 2 Business, that is able to notify you and keep track of projects and tenders of interest, saves you time, money and effort. Being in the know of who to approach and when will put you that much closer to winning that tender.

These are but a few of the many construction software systems out there that are able to benefit anyone within the industry. What a time to be alive! Gone are the days of sitting in front of the fax machine waiting for a 500 page tender document to be sent (one page at a time, can you even imagine?!)
With construction management software, all project management documents are stored in a safe place and because all documents to each project are stored in a single location, important information is simply one click away! Being able to share these documents with every professional involved also becomes a lot easier, which prevents time wasted hunting through piles and piles of paperwork.

Here are a few links to some of these great software systems:

CCS (Construction Computer Software)
IntelliBuild
Agile
Contract Communicator Systems
EJM Construction Software

With all this amazing technology right at our fingertips, why would we still choose the old fashioned way?

As scary as it may be, the future is exciting! All we have to do is submit to it – work smarter, not harder!

Sources:
Construction Computer Software

Contract Communicator

https://www.jonasconstruction.com/blog/top-10-benefits-construction-management-software/

About Elaine Cockcroft

I started working at Leads 2 Business in January 2016 and form part of the sales team as Account Executive based in Gauteng.

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Where Construction & Technology Converge

We live in a world where there is a technical solution for most of our problems.

You need fast communication, you no longer send a pigeon or letter, you pick up the phone or open your laptop and call, email, fax or send a message to someone. It is slowly becoming the same concept in the construction industry not only with technology but machinery as well.

Technology has reduced our life cycle as well as cost of a project drastically. Completion time, quality as well as safety have all improved through technology. Such improvements could not have come at a better time since construction projects are becoming increasingly complex and expensive putting construction teams under a great amount of pressure to reduce costs, time-lines and efficiency.

Many construction companies have begun incorporating new construction technologies into their daily activities and most of these daily activities consist of software or programmes for digital collaboration. A perfect example of this would be our very own Leads 2 Business information platform. Subscribers all over Southern Africa relay on Tender and Project information being published daily in order to attend Site meetings, meet Closing dates, obtain Bidders Lists, Site Attendance Registers and Bill of Quantities (BoQ’s).

Following Projects from Conceptual through to Completion on the L2B information platform can save a great amount of time, energy and costs.

A simple laptop or computer allows contractors as well as consultants to install many costing, design and performance programmes which allows them to use design, pre-construction or operations and management programmes, minimizing many obstacles along the way. Computer aided designing helps in flawless buildings as computer stimulation problems can be found and resolved before constructing buildings physically. Can you imagine building a whole puzzle only to find that you had one single puzzle piece place incorrectly? This would include you taking the whole puzzle apart only to reshuffle the whole puzzle to create your perfect complete picture.

With the economic challenges that are being faced, typically it is the companies that have the ability to adapt and utilize technological change that hold a huge competitive advantage over the rest of the construction companies. Technology has and will continue to become a strategic and long term asset for any construction company.

“Where can we find greater structural clarity than in the wooden buildings of old? Where else can we find such unity of material, construction and form? Here, the wisdom of whole generations is stored.”

Sources
Beyond Design
Construction Exec
Mckinsey

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About Roxanne Mustard

My Name is Roxanne Mustard and I started working at Leads 2 Business in September 2016. My role in the Leads 2 Business team is as a Regional Content researcher in the Projects Department.

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Common misconceptions about demolition

What is demolition?

Demolition derived from the verb demolish: to completely destroy a building, especially in order to use the land for something else.

When I think of demolition, I think of buildings collapsing, loud bangs, big machines, and building areas being closed off. Due to demolition becoming very messy.

I have to admit I didn’t know much about demolition, especially since most of the sites are usually covered up when you go by, but I have to say thanks to Google. As I have learnt that there is a lot that goes into demolition and behind the scenes. I even learnt what demolition is.

“Though demolition is an important part of the life of our cities and neighbourhoods” – Demolition 101

When it comes to demolishing a building it is not as easy as one, two, three. There are many factors that come into play, e.g.: Professional machine operators, proper equipment, and the most important of them all a plan.

1. Buildings don’t just fall, and implosions are just one percent of demolition work. Machinery such as excavators and backhoes do most of the work.

2. Demolition contractors help preserve and restore historical buildings.

3.  The personnel using the machinery need to undergo the proper training on how to use the equipment the right way. Especially since we all know that technology is constantly evolving, so the machine operators need constant training to keep up with the changes.

4. Contractors do not just knock buildings down for fun. It’s their job.

Please visit the Leads 2 Business Blog for more information on demolition.
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About Nazeema Sishi

I am a content researcher who just started with Leads 2 Business in February this year, I work in the Daily Tenders South Africa department. I am a young vibrant lady who enjoys meeting new people and doing new things. I welcome challenges and always find new ways of doing things. I am a mum and I love spending time with my not so little, very talkative son.

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Tools everyone in the Demolition Industry Should be using

Originally when I was given this topic, my first thoughts were….hmmm? Demolition, that’s got to be pretty straight forward, right? Blowing a bunch of buildings up or smashing walls down with a sledge hammer in an episode of “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” came to mind but apparently it’s not that simple.
After hours of research and chatting to a couple of experts in the demolition industry there are basic guidelines to follow before any of the dirty work can even begin.

What exactly are we demolishing?

Are there special regulations?

There are different tools to use for different methods of demolition. One would have to assess where the site is situated. Apparently bringing a bulldozer to a graveyard to build the next Mall of Africa would be frowned upon. Yes, it would get the job the done but there are basic regulation guidelines one would have to follow. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so it won’t be that easy to knock it down either. Depending on what you’re demolishing, you may need to use different tools to finish the job.

Here is a list of tools that everyone in the industry should be using:

1. Safety Equipment
The number one rule in construction is always SAFETY FIRST. Make sure your team is equipped with adequate Health & Safety training as well as all the necessary PPE equipment.

2. Explosives
In the controlled demolition industry, building implosion is the strategic placing of explosive material and timing of its detonation so that a structure collapses on itself in a matter of seconds, minimizing the physical damage to its immediate surroundings. Despite its terminology, building implosion also includes the controlled demolition of other structures, such as bridges, towers, and tunnels.
Building implosion (which reduces to seconds a process which could take months or years to achieve by other methods) typically occurs in urban areas and often involves large landmark structures.

3. Excavators
An excavator is a construction vehicle used to excavate or move large objects. An Excavator is basically made up of 2 parts: A driving base holding a powerful boom arm with an attachment designed for excavating. The operator sits within a small cab connected to the base and controls the arm.
The excavator uses a Hydraulic system to generate a Hydraulic force to control the mechanical arm of the machine. It also uses a chain wheel system for its movement.
There are several types of excavators which are classified on use, brand and purpose.

4. Hand-Held tools
These tools are your “go-to” for more precise work.
If you are just taking fixtures off the walls, or removing adhesive from a floor surface for example, hand held light demolition tools will do.
Bigger tasks like mass tile removal, concrete breaking and knocking down partitions, will require heavy duty power tools in many instances.

Sources:
https://home.howstuffworks.com/5-tools-you-need-for-demolition6.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_implosion

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About Shanna Knezovich

I started my journey with Leads 2 Business in 2013 as an Account Co-Ordinator. I transitioned into an External Sales position as an Account Executive in 2015. I help professionals within the building & construction industry keep up to date with the latest project and tender information as well as source new business opportunities throughout Africa.

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