| Summary: | The present Natalspruit Hospital, comprising a multi-storey building, was erected in 1959.
It is situated in Natalspruit in the North-Western corner of Kathorus, located approximately
30km South-East of Johannesburg. Although well located next to a railway station, taxi
interchange and easily accessible from the N3 highway, the present hospital is in urgent
need of replacement.
The Kathorus area is underlain by dolomites of the Malmani Formation. Dolomite has
been shown to be soluble and therefore water can gradually dissolve the rock over time
giving rise to voids or cave systems. The soil covering the rock can collapse resulting in
the formation of sinkholes. In the early 1980’s a sinkhole developed at the existing
Natalspruit Hospital. A dolomite investigation was then undertaken in 1985 which
determined that the site is a high risk dolomite area. High risk dolomite area means that
>1.0 ground movement event is anticipated per hectare in a 20 year period. The formation
of sinkholes can be precipitated by human activity such as leakage of wet services.
Therefore subsequent to the dolomite investigation undertaken in 1985, all wet services
were upgraded and all underground services enclosed in sleeves. Areas around all the
buildings were also paved to prevent the ingress of water into the underlying dolomite. All
buildings that were erected on the site subsequent to this were single storey buildings
designed for high risk dolomite areas.
In 2002, a further sinkhole of 1.5m deep was identified. It was concluded that the existing
Natalspruit Hospital is located in a high risk dolomite area in which sinkholes have
developed in the past, and as a result there is a high potential for serious damage to
infrastructure to occur in the future. It was therefore proposed that a new Natalspruit
Hospital would need to be constructed. The single story buildings that were erected after
the dolomite investigation could however form the basis of a Community Health Clinic
(CHC) on the present site after the new hospital has been completed. Even though a CHC
will remain at the existing site there is an urgent need for additional health care in the
region.
This research project addresses the site selection as well as the design phase and
construction of the new Natalspruit Hospital. It also demonstrates how environmental and
social issues can positively influence the site selection, design and construction of the
new Natalspruit Hospital.
The site selection phase will include the location of a site in accordance with the following
criteria:
• Site must be further than 5km from the existing Natalspruit Hospital as a portion of
the existing hospital is located on low risk area and therefore will remain and be
converted to a high level clinic.
• Site must be situated on a low risk dolomite area.
• Site must be council-owned to ease the purchasing the property.
• Site must be vacant.
• Site must be able to accommodate a 800 bed hospital.
Design Phase:
• Inform the local community of the proposed new Natalspruit Hospital.
• Allow the community to review the design.
• Include community input into the design.
• Include inputs from environmental specialist studies into the design.
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Construction Phase:
• Minimise the negative impacts of the construction phase on adjacent land owners.
• Employ local community members for the construction of the hospital.
The report demonstrates how including environmental and social issues into the site
selection, design and construction of the new Natalspruit Hospital has and will further
positively influence the project. Results from both a public participation process and a
number of specialist studies will be included into the detailed design of the new Natalspruit
Hospital prior to construction. An Environmental Management Plan will be compiled to be
followed during the construction process.
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