Two alumni of the Pavement Engineering Research Group in the Department of Civil Engineering at Stellenbosch University, both of whom have previously completed their master’s degrees (MEng), recently received awards at the 13th Conference on Asphalt Pavements for Southern Africa (CAPSA). CAPSA recognises young students and professionals (under the age of 35) who excel with their contributions at the conference with the prize “Best Young Professional Award”.
Nokuthula Mazibuko and Timon von Benecke received their awards in the sustainability and innovation categories. Mazibuko won the CAPSA23 Best Young Professional Award: Sustainability for her paper, “The resilient modulus and pavement life of a bitumen stabilised material using recycled concrete aggregate”, while Von Benecke received the CAPSA23 Best Young Professional Award: Innovation for his paper, “The Influence of Seal Binders and Rheology on Aggregate Orientation”.
Their supervisor, Prof Kim Jenkins, holder of the SANRAL Chair in Pavement Engineering at the Engineering Faculty, says they are proud of the two recipients. The theme of the three-day conference, which was attended by almost 600 delegates, was “Leading-edge technology to underpin sustainable road provision”.
Other Pavement Engineering Research Group members also presented some of their latest research. Dr Elaine Goosen, a lecturer in Civil Engineering and researcher in Construction and Durability of Pavement Materials, chaired the session on Bituminous Stabilised Materials (BSMs) and discussed the latest developments in BSMs.
BSMs enhance materials’ properties where they may have been unsuitable, allowing the recycling of materials not traditional to pavement layers and reclaiming materials previously considered at end-of-life. It forms an integral part of the sustainable future of roads. Dr Goosen also presented on data science as a valuable analysis tool and a viable specialisation field for research and practicing engineers but emphasised that it should be used responsibly.
The pavement research group aims to teach the principles of materials to students, research sustainable road methods and materials, and engage with industry for maximum impact. They are undertaking projects in the fields of materials performance research, numerical modelling and sustainable practices. The research group has active international collaboration with the Technische Universiteit Delft (Netherlands) and Wuhan University (China), amongst others.
Photo:
First Image: Prof Kim Jenkins and Timon von Benecke at CAPSA 2023.
Second Image: Prof Kim Jenkins with Nokuthula Mazibuko at CAPSA 2023.
Third Image: The Pavement Engineering Research Team at CAPSA 2023 – Prof Kim Jenkins are joined by Nemanja Nešković (junior researcher), Dr Elaine Goosen (lecturer and researcher), Quinton Baartman (master’s student in Civil Engineering) and Guillaume Nel (laboratory manager).
