The Faculty of Engineering proudly celebrates Armand Supra, a final-year student in Civil Engineering, as the winner of the 30th Jac van der Merwe Competition for Innovation. Armand’s project, Recycled Waste Plastic Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (RWP-FRP) Reinforcement Bars, addressed the urgent need for sustainable alternatives to conventional construction materials. Under the guidance of his project leader, Prof John Babafemi, Armand developed an innovative solution that offers a sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials.
Armand’s project aimed to develop RWP-FRP reinforcement bars as a sustainable alternative to traditional steel reinforcement. His original proposal involved identifying usable resin types from waste plastic sources to replace conventional resin in the Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) manufacturing process. He conducted tensile tests on the RWP-FRP reinforcement and compared the results to those of steel and GFRP counterparts. Finally, his research assessed the viability of RWP-FRP reinforcement as a solution and offered recommendations for their future development.
The Jac van der Merwe Competition for Innovation was established in 1995 to honour Jac van der Merwe, a Stellenbosch University alumnus and founding member of M-Net, who tragically passed away in 1994. Jac was known for his visionary ideas and inventive spirit, and this competition continues to celebrate his legacy by encouraging the next generation of engineers to think beyond the ordinary.
This year’s event marked a significant milestone as it celebrated 30 years of inspiring innovation among final-year students. Each engineering programme was represented on the judging panel, ensuring fair and diverse evaluations. A special word of thanks goes to Julian Ankiah, Executive Head of Technology Engineering and Support at MultiChoice, for his insightful contributions as one of the adjudicators.
Top Placements:
- Winner: Armand Supra (Civil Engineering) ~ Project: Recycled Waste Plastic Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (RWP-FRP) Reinforcement Bars
- Supervisor: Prof John Babafemi
- Runner-up: Henry van der Merwe (Chemical Engineering) ~ Project: A Preliminary Study on Amphoteric Precipitation Membranes
- Supervisor: Prof Lingam Pillay
Participants and their projects:
- Connor Robertson (Electrical & Electronic Engineering) ~ Project: Design of a Modular Humanoid Robotic Arm
- Supervisor: Dr William Duckitt
- Boaz Knud Hansen (Industrial Engineering) ~ Project: A Decision Support System for Solving the Strip Packing Problem
- Supervisor: Prof Jan van Vuuren
- Alex Keyser (Mechanical Engineering) ~ Project: Development of a DIY Prosthetic Socket
- Supervisor: Prof Kristiaan Schreve
- Matt Tate (Mechatronic Engineering) ~ Project: Design, Build and Test a 3D Printer for the Construction of Fan Blades and Watercraft Models for the Towing Tank
- Supervisor: Prof Chris Meyer
Chairing the event, Prof Gert-Jan van Rooyen (extraordinary Professor) praised the participants for their exceptional work, highlighting that engineering is not only about solving existing problems but also about envisioning new possibilities. He emphasised that the competition celebrates creativity and the pioneering spirit that drive the field of engineering forward.
The Faculty of Engineering extends its heartfelt thanks to MultiChoice for their ongoing support, which ensures the success of this competition.
Photograph (from left to right): Henry van der Merwe (runner-up; Chemical), Armand Supra (winner; Civil), Boaz Knud Hansen (Industrial), Mr Julian Ankiah (MultiChoice representative), Alex Keyser (Mechanical), Connor Robertson (Electrical & Electronic) and Matt Tate (Mechatronic).
