DOLOMITE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT

International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR)

15 – 16 November 2018
NN Mankayi

“REDUCING DISASTER ECONOMIC LOSSES”

 WHAT/WHO IS COUNCIL FOR GEOSCIENCE (CGS)?

The Council for Geoscience (CGS) (former Geological Survey of SA)

• Geoscience Act 100 of 1993 – which was amended in 2010 into Geoscience
Amendment Act 16 of 2010.

• CGS is a government institution, one of the SOE’s – the CGS’s Engineering &
Geohazards main concern is safety & sustainable use of the land with a
primary objective to limit the effects of GEOHAZARDS on infrastructure.

• According to this Act & in the context of disaster management and reduction,
CGS is required to “Advise local, provincial and national authorities in respect of geology and
geohazards that may affect infrastructure development through the production of geoscientific
and geological information.”

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 ROLE OF CGS IN DOLOMITE RELATED ISSUES
Act as an advisory body on geo-
hazards, i.e. public, NHBRC,
Municipalities & government
departments.

Review dolomite stability

investigation reports on behalf of
the municipality:
#To deliver on this STATUTORY ROLE,
#Aligned with SANS 1936 requirements
for development on dolomitic land Establish and maintain a National
#Developments submitted to meet Dolomite Databank (ENGEODE),
SANS and NHBRC requirements i.e. keep reports, sinkhole records or
any other related information.

Collaborative Projects:
Mainly for government departments

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 BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE NDP
Constitution of South Africa
(Act 108 of 1996)
Municipal Systems Act
(32 of 2000)
Municipal Systems Act facing SA today, one of these is very much relevant to
(32 of 2000)topic of development:
Disaster Management Act
(57 of 2002)
National Development Plan
(NDP) 2030
• Vision Statement – National Development Plan (NDP) 2030:
“We, the people of South Africa, have journeyed far since the long
lines of our first democratic election on 27 April 1994, when we
elected a government for us all. Now in 2030 we live in a country
which we have remade”. Have we or are we on track???
• NDP 2030 has identified South Africa’s (SA) failure to implement
policies and an absence of broad partnerships as the main reasons
for slow progress. This situation gave rise to the 9 primary
challenges
the
(3) infrastructure is poorly located, inadequate and
under‐maintained.
• Chapter 8 of the NDP 2030 talks about the need to transform
Human Settlement and it highlights key objectives from an
infrastructure view point:
– Strong & efficient spatial planning systems, well integrated
across spheres of government.
– Upgrade all informal settlements on suitable & well located
land.
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 TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ON DOLOMITIC
LAND
#Subsection 2 of Section 27 of the
Municipal Systems Act (32 of 2000).
#required to provide core principles,
mechanisms & processes that are
Requires that municipalities must identify
necessary to ensure safe development, binding requirements in terms of the
i.e. including development on dolomitic land. legislation for integrated planning &
development, i.e. should be both political
CGS is expected to advise on matters related & technical.
Geohazards.

Therefore, a commitment to fully implement the core-principles & requirements as set out in the SANS
1936/ NHBRC 2015 Manual across spheres of government is critical, including at municipal level.

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 DOLOMITE AND FORMATION OF SINKHOLES

#Sedimentary, carbonate rock type, CaMg(CO₃)₂.

Ghaap Group of the Griqualand West Basin (Transvaal Supergroup)

#Weathers by slow dissolution process to form Wad (highly

compressible and erodible manganiferous material)

#Groundwater fluctuation (ingress/dewatering) erodes wad and lead

to development of cavities; thus, sinkhole and/or doline formation

Example; an arc shaped sinkhole, occurred on farm Mount Carmel,

about 30m away from R31 road between Kuruman and Danielskuil
UFOvni, 2017 towns.

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APPROXIMATE OCCURRENCE OF DOLOMITE IN SOUTH
AFRICA

#Dolomite Outcrop

#Covers 5 out of 9
Provinces

#Approx. 5 % of
Northern Cape’s area
coverage

Affected Districts
• John Taolo
Gaetsewe (JTG)
D.M
• ZF Mgcawu D.M
• Frances Baard D.M

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 EFFECTS AND IMPLICATIONS
Housing Transport routes
Threats to:

Loss of lives and infrastructure Costly to repairs

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 EFFECTS AND IMPLICATIONS

Other infrastructure Threats to: Other areas

Decrease in property value

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Section 4.1 – SANS 1936:2012 Part 2:

Geotechnical site investigations on dolomite
land shall comprise adequate and relevant
information necessary for the following:
a) Identification and quantification of any hazard
b) Determination of inherent hazard class(es) of the site (IHC) of the site.
• Dolomite area designation(s)
• Selection and design of foundations appropriate for the IHC and
dolomite area designation.
• Precautionary measures, and
• Dolomite risk management Strategy

To achieve and sustain a tolerable hazard rating

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 CORE-PRINCIPLES & REQUIREMENTS
(SANS 1936 & NHBRC 2015 MANUAL)

• SANS 1936 - primary objective is to set technical requirements for safe

development of dolomitic land where inherent hazard is within tolerable
limits and sustainable land-usage is achieved.

– Section 4.3.6 of SANS 1936-1:2012 state that, “The local authorities in whose jurisdiction
the developments fall shall establish, implement and maintain a Dolomite Risk
Management Strategy (DRMS) in accordance with the principles and requirements of SANS
1936-4 to mitigate the risks associated with developments on such land.”

– Section 4.1.4 (SANS 1936-2:2012) state that, “An application for land use rights, made to
any relevant authority, shall include a sufficient level of information to provide confidence
in the presented determinations(s).”

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 DOLOMITE RISK ASSESSMENT AND INHERENT HAZARD
CLASSIFICATION
• Gravity survey: • Percussion drilling:
– Overview of the subsurface materials. – Identification & description of subsurface
– Areas of gravity low or low density profile.
materials, e.g. deep bedrock. – Delineation of broader subsurface material
– Areas of gravity high or high density horizons.
materials, e.g. shallow bedrock. – Identification of subsurface cavities &
– Assist in location of drilling positions. groundwater levels, if any.

Dolomite area designation Description

D1 No precautionary measures are required

D2 General precautionary measures, in accordance with the requirements of SANS 1936-3, that are
intended to prevent the concentrated ingress of water into the ground, are required.
D3 Precautionary measures in addition to those pertaining to the prevention of concentrated ingress of
water into the ground, in accordance with the relevant requirements of SANS 1936-3, are required.
D4 The precautionary measures required in terms of SANS 1936-3 are unlikely to result in a tolerable
hazard. Site-specific precautionary measures are required.

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 DOLOMITE AREA DESIGNATION AND SITE ZONATION
CASE STUDY 1

Zone l, IHC 4(3)//1/4: Medium inherent susceptibility with <20 m of blanketing layer and characterised by small cavities.
Zone ll, IHC 6/7(3)//1/6 : Medium to high inherent susceptibility with variable blanketing layer and characterised by large cavities.
Zone lll, IHC 4/6//1/7: Medium to high inherent susceptibility with >20 m of blanketing layer and characterised by large cavities.

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DOLOMITE AREA DESIGNATION AND SITE ZONATION
CASE STUDY 2

Zone A: Inherent Hazard Class - 5/3 (4)//1(4), D3 dolomite area designation

Characterised by shallow bedrock and limited air/ sample loss to none.
Zone B: Inherent Hazard Class - 6/4 (7)(8)//6 (1) (4), D4 dolomite area designation
Characterised by thick chert rubble, large cavities in places and total air/ sample loss

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DOLOMITE AREA DESIGNATION AND SITE ZONATION
CASE STUDY 3

Zone A, Inherent Hazard Class: 3/4 (1) // 3(1) , D3 dolomite area designation.
Full title residential development (RN2-3) on stands of 300 m2 or greater is recommended or 10 – 25 dwelling houses per
hectare and a population if ≤ 60 people per hectare is recommended.
Any form of commercial, retail and/or light industrial development is permissible (C1 to C10) as in SANS 1936-1(2012) Table
1 with appropriate stringent precautionary measures.

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 CRITICAL PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES
IN TERMS OF SANS 1936-3

There is always a risk in dolomitic areas, but the risk can be managed through
implementation of appropriate precautionary measures, as set out in SANS
1936-Part 3 and site specific Dolomite Risk Management Plans (DRMP’s).

Raft Foundations Concrete aprons

Storm water management HDPE Pipes

Gutters & Downpipes

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 DEVELOPMENT & DRMS BY DEVELOPERS
PHASE 1 – Research:
Critical: All developers on dolomite Hazard identification, risk
must establish, implement & analysis & evaluation.
maintain a DRMS in accordance with (Physical & Anthropogenic
factors)
the principles of SANS 1936-4.

PHASE 5 – Monitoring & Factors contributing to the risk for

Review:
Enforce SANS 1936/ NHBRC
requirements & prevent
occurrence of instability
features.
WHY? This is a mechanism
development on dolomite:
PHASE 2 – Manage likelihood:
Physical Factors: Develop systems, GIS-
Geological & Geotechnical
• database & maps.
• Geohydrological
Anthropogenic Factors:
• Existing infrastructure & development
• Land-use planning
• Social structure & awareness

to implement & enforce

measures for development
on dolomitic land.
practical implementation &
Results = safe &
sustainable development.
PHASE 3 – Risk Management
PHASE 4 – Mitigation:
Enforce by-laws through
Programme:
Educate individual home
owners about the inherent
prevent in-appropriate
hazard & how to manage
developments .
their own risk.

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 CONCLUSION

• Proper & adequate investigations, appropriate Precautionary Measures and

Risk Management are essential for sustainable developments on areas
underlain by dolomite.

• DRMS is a critical component for sustainable development on dolomitic land.

• CGS is available to assist in reviewing reports and providing advisory on

matters related to geo-hazards, i.e. associated with dolomitic land.

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 Thank You
“DISASTER RISK ASSESSMENT AS A FIRST STEP IN PLANNING AN EFFECTIVE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES”
By A.S. POTGIETER