Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa March/April 2014 | Page 56

PROJECT

Sasol Infrachem
Laboratory
The Infrachem Laboratory Building is a significant laboratory serving
the Sasol Petro Chemical Industry and Sasol R&D Complex

SASOL INFRACHEM
LABORATORY
Sasolburg
CLIENT
Sasol Technology (Pty) Ltd
ARCHITECTS
Impendulo Design Architects
QUANTITY SURVEYORS
JC Nel and Putter
CONSULTING ENGINEERS:
CIVIL & STRUCTURAL
WSP Group
LNW Consulting Engineers
ELECTRICAL & MECHANICAL
CA Du Toit
MICROSCOPY LABORATORY:
SPECIALIST MECHANICAL/
ELECTRICAL
Clinkscales Maughan Brown
WET SERVICES
Chris Kyle
HEALTH & SAFETY
Sasol Technology (Pty) Ltd
LABORATORY CONSULTANTS
Sasol Infrachem

T

he Sasol Infrachem Laboratory provides routine laboratory services to the Sasol
Chemical Industry complex in Sasolburg. With the expansion of the various plants at
the Sasol One and the Midlands complex, there is an annual demand for approximately
1,800,000 laboratory sample tests. Quality Assurance tests are conducted 24 hours a
day throughout the year. Several laboratories, some dating back to the 1950s, have been
consolidated into the new laboratory building. The laboratory was expanded during design
phase to include a new materials laboratory for Sasol Research and Development. This
facility includes a microscope laboratory which includes the most powerful HRTEM industrial
microscope presently available in the world.
Site Selection
Various sites were evaluated and, finally, a brownfield site adjacent to existing laboratories was
selected. This creates the Science Campus on the Sasol One plant site. Laboratories have been
consolidated into a single building, rationalising the activities, laboratory instrumentation,
services and personnel. The existing laboratories were found to be operating at 180% of the
original design capacity. Associated risks were with safety, manag [Y[