VIDEO: State-of-the-art engineering facility launched in Pretoria
New R238-million facility will tackle transport issues in South Africa.
A state-of-the-art R238-million “first for Africa” engineering facility, which focuses on research aimed at tackling smart transport, cities and infrastructure, has been officially opened in Pretoria.
The University of Pretoria (UP) officially opened its Engineering 4.0 facility in Hillcrest on Monday.
The facility is a collaboration with the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), York Timbers.
It is the home for the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT).
Civil engineering department head Professor Wynand Steyn said Engineering 4.0’s research would concentrate on the reduction of energy consumption levels in transportation, while maximising productivity in the industry and creating a higher quality of life for people.
“The research focuses on road construction, road use, traffic flow, ensure the safety of passengers and cargo, now and into the future.
“We are researching road construction materials, vehicle-pavement interaction issues, infrastructure materials and management, exhaust-related emissions, semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles,” said Steyn.
Steyn said this facility could help in areas such as agriculture and logistics, where transporting food could be improved to reduce wastage or damage to fresh produce.
“The new facility will also address the shortage of civil engineers in South Africa.”
A flagship feature was an active 2km-long test lane on Pretoria’s N4 highway, according to EBIT Dean Prof Sunil Mahara.
“We collect real-time data and use big data analytics to do tests and analysis on how different road surfaces perform. We also analyse how traffic moves on the highway, the density and type of traffic, emissions testing, and air quality monitoring. Sensors next to, above and below the lane collect data,” he said.
Maharaj said the data would be monitored from a data house next to the N4.
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“This facility allows one to optimise pavement design and construction. The data collected can be used to model many aspects of transportation systems.”
Maharaj said society needed to redesign and integrate living spaces to promote social cohesion.
“We need to restructure urban planning so that people can live closer to work, reduce travel expenses, take the pressure off roads and lead more affordable, environmentally conscious lives.”
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula said South Africa’s national development plan placed infrastructural investment at the centre of economic growth.
“Engineering 4.0’s focus on reducing transportation energy consumption levels is a great achievement for South Africa. It will ensure that government’s future investments and infrastructural developments are based on sound research and are environmentally friendly.”
Mbalula said cities, towns and rural communities that relied on public transport and the roads network for economic participation would benefit from the research.
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