5 Amazing Facts About Civil Engineering You Probably Didn’t Know

5 Amazing Facts About Civil Engineering You Probably Didn’t Know

Civil engineering is one of the oldest, yet least understood professions. These engineers are the backbone of every society – responsible for designing and constructing buildings, bridges, roads, dams, and other structures. But that’s not all!  Here are some awesome facts about the history of civil engineering that you probably didn’t know.   1. It…

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What Does a Civil Engineer Do?

What Does a Civil Engineer Do?

From the Pyramids at Giza in Egypt, to the Great Wall of China, civil engineers have played an important role in creating the world we know.    Civil engineers design, construct and maintain the civil infrastructure that allows us to live in our homes without fear of our roof caving in, drive on our roads…

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What Does a Mechanical Engineer Do

What Does a Mechanical Engineer Do

From inventing the wheel to perfecting flight, mechanical engineering has been responsible for major inventions that have shaped the world as we know it.  Mechanical engineering revolves around motion and energy transfer and uses mathematics, science, and technology to solve real-world problems.  Read on to find out more about what mechanical engineers do.   What…

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7 Characteristics of a Successful Engineer

7 Characteristics of a Successful Engineer

Engineers are the inventors, designers, problem solvers, and builders of the world we live in. They are often called ‘unsung heroes’ because they design products that we use every day without even knowing it. But engineers also invent new technologies that change our lives in big ways. Here are some typical character traits that help…

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What does a structural engineer do?

What does a structural engineer do?

The Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower, the London Underground, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Taipei 101 all have one thing in common – a structural engineer turned them from an idea into a reality. Structural engineering is part of the broader field of civil engineering. It ensures that the ‘bones’ of a structure can confidently stand…

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7 things to know about engineers

7 things to know about engineers

Ever wondered what engineers are really like? Let’s take a lighthearted look at these complex problem solvers with some insight from someone who’s been married to a civil engineer for almost 15 years. They can be masters of DIY. This will depend on their field of engineering, but it’s likely that home DIY projects will…

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What does an electrical engineer do?

What does an electrical engineer do?

It’s almost impossible to give a short answer to this question, but if we had to try, we’d say that electrical engineers are the brains behind anything to do with electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. So that’s how it comes to be that power stations, the internet, navigation systems, and telecommunication networks – seemingly very different…

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What does an engineer do?

What does an engineer do?

Engineering is all around us. And we engage with it every day in almost every aspect of our lives. From the smartphone that connects you to your world to the car that gets you from A to B and the office building you work in – all of these require the specialised skills of an…

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The growing significance of agricultural engineering

The growing significance of agricultural engineering

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term agricultural engineering? Tractors? Irrigation? Grain silos? While these form an important part of this highly specialised branch of engineering, there’s a lot more to it – especially when it comes to sustainability. Let’s take a look.   What is agricultural engineering? Agricultural…

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Modern marvels of structural engineering

Modern marvels of structural engineering

Why do we feel confident taking lifts to the tops of tall buildings or driving through kilometres-long tunnels? Because structural engineers have made it safe for us to do so. These highly skilled professionals take architectural designs and ambitions and make them structurally possible. As the Institution of Structural Engineers explains, they “design the strength…

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Finding purpose through Lithon Staff Development Programme

Finding purpose through Lithon staff development programme

Lithon Project Consultants CEO, Gert Maritz, is incredibly excited about the expanding possibilities at the Namibian-based engineering consulting firm. Along with his raft of new responsibilities, he is deeply committed to overseeing and advancing the staff development plan he designed during his tenure as COO. Formally implemented over two years ago, the programme is based…

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Meet Fred Mudge

Meet Fred Mudge

Meet Fred Mudge   2021 has been a big year for structural engineer Fred Mudge. Not only does it mark his fourth year as a member of the Lithon team, but he’s also just married his university sweetheart. We chatted with him on his first day back from his honeymoon in Zanzibar to find out…

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Meet Magretha Vlok, COO of Lithon Holdings

Meet Magretha Vlok, COO of Lithon Holdings

Magretha Vlok isn’t most people’s idea of a typical engineer. Colourful and confident, with a sense of style to match – she firmly believes that “beige isn’t a colour” and has been known on occasion to team tartan with African and animal prints. This newly appointed COO of Lithon Holdings brings energy, experience and a…

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Project Management at Lithon Project Consultants

Project management at Lithon project consultants

At Lithon, we’ve recognised the pivotal role project management plays in delivering well-executed and cost-effective projects. As part of our long-term strategic plan for the business, we established a dedicated Project Management Office (PMO) in early 2020, headed up by our COO, Scott Richards. Our goal? To not only develop an effective project management culture…

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A look at some of the world’s best and worst roads

A look at some of the world’s best and worst roads

Over 1.4 billion cars currently travel on roads ranging from small country lanes and quiet backroads to mid-city routes and multi-lane highways. Some, like the ones we drive on every day, make very little impression on us, while others are triumphs of engineering that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Here are some…

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Providing expert skills in road and transportation infrastructure

Providing expert skills in road and transportation infrastructure

Gert Maritz, a Lithon Project Consultant and Roads and Transportation specialist, gave us some insight into some of the projects that Lithon has been involved in. As experts in road, airport and rail infrastructure, Lithon is very proud to be a part of projects that are so important to a country’s development.  Here’s a closer…

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We’re extending our consulting offering

We’re extending our consulting offering

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on SMEs across the globe, with the United Nations reporting that, “Small businesses, including those run by women and young entrepreneurs, are being hit hardest by the economic fall-out of the pandemic. Unprecedented lockdown measures enacted to contain the spread of the coronavirus have resulted in supply…

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Meet Gert Grobler, Lithon Executive Director

Meet Gert Grobler, Lithon Executive Director

Gert may be a recent addition to the Lithon team, but already the effect of his creativity, innovative thinking and complex problem-solving skills are being felt by the business. An actuary with a strong financial and business acumen, Gert is energised by those around him and committed to positively impacting the lives of others in…

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A closer look at job shadowing

A closer look at job shadowing

You’ll never know until you try – that’s essentially the idea behind job shadowing, where students spend time in an organisation getting hands-on experience and gaining insight into a particular career path. Job shadowing can last anywhere from a day to a few weeks and has benefits not only for students but for companies too. …

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Why choose a Consulting Engineering firm for your development project

Why choose a Consulting Engineering firm for your development project

Consulting engineering has gained momentum over the last few decades with the increase in complex, large-scale engineering developments. As a result, firms like Lithon, who are able to manage and execute all aspects of multi-disciplinary projects, have become an increasingly popular choice. If you’re looking to team with a consulting engineering company, here’s what you…

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How a successful CSI programme benefits everyone

How a successful CSI programme benefits everyone

In 2019, “companies spent an estimated R10.2 billion on corporate social investment (CSI) in South Africa.” (Trialogue Business in Society Handbook 2019) The retail and wholesale (22%), mining and quarrying (19%) and financial services (16%) sectors made up the top three contributors. While CSI is not to be confused with a company’s purpose, the two…

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Building leadership capacity at Lithon

Building leadership capacity at Lithon

Lithon’s purpose has always been clear – to make a positive and significant impact on the lives of people. And while this intention is visible in the work we do and the impact it has on communities, it’s equally important to us that we live out this purpose within Lithon itself.  That’s why we focus…

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Meet Gert Maritz, Lithon Operational Director

Meet Gert Maritz, Lithon Operational Director

While stationed as a full-time supervising engineer on a roads construction project in Oshakati in 2005, Gert met Lithon CEO and Founder Adriaan Grobler. Although Lithon was a young company at the time (founded in 2002), Gert was drawn to its stated purpose – to make a significant and positive impact on the lives of…

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Mashare Irrigation Scheme Phase

Mashare Irrigation Scheme Phase

Multi-disciplinary Engineering, Detailed Design, Procurement, Construction Supervision and Project Management for a 372-ha irrigation scheme in the North of Namibia.  Multi-disciplinary Engineering, Detailed Design, Procurement, Construction Supervision and Project Management for a 372-ha irrigation scheme in the North of Namibia.  Soil Surveys were obtained to identify suitable crops for this area.  The scope entails all…

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Ndonga-Linena Irrigation Scheme

Ndonga-Linena Irrigation Scheme

Professional services for the design, preparation of tender documents, procurement evaluation and construction supervision and project management of Ndonga Linena Irrigation project Phase Two. Multi-disciplinary Engineering, Detailed Design and Construction Project Support for a 540-ha irrigation scheme in the North of Namibia.  The scope entails all infrastructure requirements (river pump stations, booster pump stations, electrical reticulation,…

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