The Civil Engineering Contractor April 2019 | Page 32

PROFILE
Sectioning and removal of FFP ducting from outside the boiler house.
power station. This meant having to
accommodate live services that could
not be compromised. Simply gaining
access to the damaged structure in
order to carry out the necessary initial
assessment was itself a major issue.
We also had to liaise closely with
the client’s own consultants in what
was really an unprecedented situation,”
Brinkmann adds.
The solution devised by Jet
Demolition, and which caught the
attention of the judges at the awards,
involved various highly innovative
demolition methods. These included
complex rigging with purpose-built
winches, extended-length chain-blocks
and mobile cranes, extensive rope-
access activities, and controlled cut-
and-drop techniques using the boiler
walls themselves as a drop chute.
To give a sense of the immense
scale of the project, Brinkmann
reveals that the 96m-high suspended
boiler towered higher than the Statue
of Liberty. A total of 11 000t of
steel was removed successfully over
a 13-month period. Brinkmann is
well aware that this once-off project
was, indeed, an opportunity of a
lifetime, both for himself personally,
and professionally for the company he
has nurtured since its inception.
“We have carried out work
successfully in a dozen African
countries, from South Africa to
Algeria. Our focus has always been
highly demanding industrial-type
30 | CEC April 2019
projects, which demand the best
international safety and quality
performance, no matter where in
Africa. Hence, we have to compete on
an international basis. I think that our
two consecutive awards is a vindication
of this approach,” Brinkmann stresses.
Jet Demolition’s innovative
implosion of the 14-storey HG
de Witt Building in the bustling
Pretoria CBD clinched it its first
accolade at the World Demolition
Awards in 2017. The latest win
for the Duvha boiler project adds
further to the company’s track
record and expertise. As for entering
the awards next year? “We already
have an exciting environmental
rehabilitation project lined up as
our potential entry, as this further
showcases our bespoke approach
and innovation,” he adds.
His early career
Brinkmann
studied
mining
engineering and found a particular
interest in explosives engineering
in 1980. “I then proceeded to do
my Masters in Blasting, and joined
the Chamber of Mines in a research
position. I came to South Africa
with the Chamber of Mines, chasing
opportunity and adventure. I initially
sold blasting instrumentation, and
then developed shaped charges that
were later patented. I was attracted
to try demolition in 1991 and did
my first large demolition project
for the Old President Brand Gold
Plant in Welkom (Anglo American
Corp). From there it was a natural
progression into difficult and
demanding demolition projects.
A hands-on approach, mechanical
interest and aptitude, and a fondness
for explosives came together to fuel
my drive for demolition work.”
His early inspiration came from
two role models, both university
professors — Professors Richard Ash
and Norman Smith — “who were
both extremely accomplished with
theoretical and practical applications in
blasting. Their approach and ambition
sparked my interest and enduring love
affair with explosives and blasting.”
He notes that mentoring is a critical
imperative in demolition as there
is no formalised demolition training
available in South Africa, meaning that
all personnel have to be developed
and nurtured in-house. “Mentoring is
continuous and sublime — constant
interaction with our team members
means we all learn from each other
on a daily basis; very much a two-way
street,” explains Brinkmann.
Highs and lows
Parallel to this on-the-job approach
to skills development is the need for
practical learning from mistakes and
triumphs. “I learned most things in
life the hard way: I have pushed the
boundaries in both good and bad ways,
and never stopped learning along the
way. My challenges have been: not
delegating enough; being a perfectionist;
and being focused on every detail meant
that I have a skewed balance in life. If I
had learned to delegate more, I certainly
would have had a more balanced
approach to life,” he confesses.
“Learning how to write
efficiently and to address the public
appropriately is one of the major
personal challenges I needed to
overcome. I also needed to accept
that development only happens
through trial-and-error, patience,
persistence, and perseverance. My
work-life balance is a continuing
challenge, as are things outside my
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