Hlengiwe Msweli

Current Responsibilities and Skills

• Plan and conduct geotechnical (field) investigations for both the mining and civil geotechnical sectors;
• Develop proposals and determine cost and schedule for investigations;
• Profile test pits & large diameter auger holes and log boreholes;
• Perform and analyse in-situ tests (e.g, DCP, DPSH, SPT, Shear vane and permeability tests, etc);
• Analyse geotechnical findings, perform appropriate calculations and prepare reports;
• Interact with clients and team members (laboratories, plant hire contract, etc.) to complete the assigned project on time;
• Assist with the design and evaluation requirements of projects (e.g., foundation and lateral support design, slope stability analysis, etc.,);
• Develop design drawings and specifications for projects;
• Review geotechnical designs and reports developed by outside consultants;
• Review project design proposals and approve geotechnical aspects;

Project Examples

Civil Geotechnical projects:

• Road investigations in Pongola N2, Emlaza J17, Rietvallei and Barry Marias Road; Duties included logging of inspection pits, dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) testing, use of materials for construction of roads, technical report writing;
• Proposed new plant facilities P856-ARM Nkomati mine, Mpumalanga; Responsibilities included supervision of drilling, logging of boreholes, sampling and technical report writing;
• Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine Extensions, Limpopo Province; Duties included supervision of drilling, logging of boreholes, sampling and technical report writing;
• Township and foundation investigations in areas such as Mantevrede, Highveld X193 and Westlake View X12; Responsibilities, included supervision of excavators, profiling of test pits, sampling of relevant soil horizons, technical report writing;
• Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital Emergency Admissions reconstruction, Johannesburg; Responsibilities included logging of inspection pits, DCP testing, soil sampling and report compilation;
• Tailings Dam Site Investigations in Withok, Far West Rand Group tailings dam; Duties included supervision of drillers, test pitting, percussion drilling and profiling
• Other areas include Brakpan Tailings Dam Butress, Blyvoor TSF 6, Pilgrim TDF; Responsibilities where profiling of test pits, sampling of relevant soil horizons, report writing

Transmission lines projects:

• Soil nominations as per ESKOM’s requirements for 400kV and 132 kV transmission line towers for various projects in Upington, Ceres, Ogies, Ermelo and Tzaneen; Responsibilities included supervision of TLB operators, profiling of test pits and assigning soil nominations to each test pit according to Eskom standard
• Dolomite risk investigations: Heineken warehouse and Dawn Park; Responsibilities included setting out of boreholes, supervision of drilling, logging of boreholes, cross section construction and analysis, report writing, GIS map preparation;
• Tower 14, Vosloorus: Dolomite stability investigation for rectification and rehabilitation of existing or new towers; Responsibilities included, supervision of drilling, logging of boreholes, GIS map preparation and report writing.

Key Achievements:
Streamlined operations and prioritized tasks, allowing increase in revenue.

Previous Responsibilities and Skills

• Developing proposals, project management and liaison with project managers, clients, and authorities
• Running of field work program, including soil, sediment, groundwater, surface water, soil vapor, and indoor air sampling, aquifer testing, supervision of drilling contracting works, soil boring and monitoring well installation, well development, lithological and water quality logging, purging, and sampling and remedial pilot tests;
• Co-ordinating laboratory services; interpreting and visualizing environmental and geoscience data;
• Preparing environmental compliance work plans, permit, health, and safety files/ plans;
• Compiling and evaluating data and technical report writing;

Project Examples

• Shell Downstream SA (Pty) Ltd GESS Island View Remediation, Durban, South Africa 2020 – Ongoing soil and groundwater assessment of a network of 150+ monitoring wells at the port facility. The project activities involved vapor surveys, monitoring well drilling, soil sampling, water sampling, and aquifer testing to allow groundwater contamination assessment. The site conceptualization allowed the delineation of pollution plume migration and development of recommended mitigation measures to control the spread of contamination in several sites
• Shell Downstream SA (Pty) Ltd GESS, Multiple KZN Sites: Section 24G Rectification Process 2023 – Assisted with a Section 24G rectification process, phase I and II assessment, regulatory engagement for reporting for multiple retail sites. Developed a health and safety plan for the work, organised induction for the field team, undertook groundwater sampling and analyses
• SAPREF (Pty) Ltd Site 2 D1 Substation Environmental Site Assessment 2023 - Soil and groundwater assessment investigating the source of LNAPL at the SAPREF Site 2 D1 Substation. The project activities involved supervision of installation of monitoring wells, soil logging, soil sampling, groundwater sampling, developing a conceptual site model (CSM) and Conduct a Tier I risk assessment and qualitative risk assessment (for LNAPL only)
• SAPREF(Pty) Ltd LOT106 Survey and Biannual Groundwater Sampling 2023 - Stormwater and groundwater assessment of the land at LOT 106 for the New Multi Product Pipeline (NMPP) project. The project activities involved vapor surveys, boreholes drilling, soil sampling, water sampling, and aquifer testing to allow groundwater contamination assessment
• Engen Refinery (Pty) Ltd Environmental Site Assessment and Biannual Groundwater Monitoring Event 2020 - Activities included borehole drilling, sampling, testing, data analysis and reporting
• Astron Energy Downstream Lubricants Manufacturing Plant (LMP) Biannual Gauging and Sampling 2020 - The project involved soil vapor surveying, soil sampling and analysis, installation of deep and shallow groundwater monitoring networks, to delineate the presence of LNAPL

Key Achievements:

Through effective collaboration and communication assisted the business with acquiring more projects withing the Port of Durban. Lead pilot remediation effectively and efficiently which informed the actual remediation for a multinational oil and gas client.

• Delivering geological/geotechnical projects using applicable standards and principles;
• Geotechnical investigations including data gathering, site characterisation, sampling, analysis of ground conditions and laboratory results, and technical report writing;
• Project financial awareness, including the preparation of tender documents;
• Task managing small projects
• Proactive communication with colleagues and other design teams
• Umhlatuzana Wastewater Treatment works – Geotechnical field investigation, including soil samples and preparation of a geotechnical report, including recommendations;
• Kingsburgh Wastewater Treatment Works – Geohydrological assessment including a 2km hydrocensus survey

• Preparation of environmental site work plans
• Conducting field work, wetland assessment and delineation, ecological assessments, soil and surface water sampling
• Conducting environmental data quality control
• Conducting environmental impact assessments, environmental management plan and basic assessments
• Water use license application
• Conducting environmental audits
• GIS Mapping
• Technical report writing

Key Achievements:

Streamlined operations and prioritized tasks, allowing senior staff to increase revenue.