Short Bio

Prof AJ Babafemi had his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University, where he was lecturing. He obtained his PhD degree at the Department of Civil Engineering, Stellenbosch University, South Africa in 2015. He was also a postdoctoral research fellow at the university between 2016 and 2017. He joined the department as a Senior Lecturer in 2019. He is a member of the Unit for Construction Materials (UCM) and the current Package Coordinator of Structural Engineering and Civil Engineering Informatics.

Education/Qualifications

PhD (Civil Engineering), Stellenbosch University (2015)
M.Sc. (Building Structures), Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria (2011)
B.Sc. (Hons.) (Building), Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria (2001)

Professional Experience

Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Jul. 2024 to date
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Aug. 2022 to Jun. 2024
Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Aug. 2019 to Jul. 2022
Senior Lecturer, Department of Building, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, Oct. 2018 – Aug. 2019
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Civil Engineering, Stellenbosch University, May 2016 – June 2017
Graduate Assistant – Lecturer I, Department of Building, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, Nov. 2005 – Sept. 2018.
Lecturer III, Department of Building Technology, Waziri Umaru Polytechnic, Birnin-Kebbi, Nigeria, Dec. 2003 – Dec. 2005.

Honours, Awards, Memberships

Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund, Nigeria) for Academic Staff Training & Development Programme, 2011-2014.
Sub-Committee B Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, Stellenbosch University, May 2016-June 2017.
Sub-Committee B New Appointees Funding, Stellenbosch University, 2020
African Collaboration Grant (ACG) 2020
RILEM Senior (#31890)
NRF Rated Researcher – C2
Pr Tech Eng, ECSA (2024301826)
Corporate Member, SAICE (2012922)
Registered Professional Builder, CORBON (F.1334)
Corporate Member, MNIOB (M.0001408)
Member, Concrete Society of Southern Africa

Research Interests

Fibre reinforced cement-based materials
Time-dependent behaviour of cement-based materials
Green building materials
Use of supplementary cementitious materials in concrete
Durability properties of cement-based materials
Construction material behaviour in fire
Geopolymer concrete
3D concrete printing

Selected Publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=JWpBGHQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

International Collaborations

Prof. Suvash C. Paul (IUBAT, Bangladesh)
Dr. Biranchi Panda (IIT Guwahati, India)
Dr. Md Jihad Miah (University of Asia Pacific, Bangladesh)
Dr. Babatunde J. Olawuyi (FUTMinna, Nigeria)
Dr. BrankoSavija(DUT, The Netherlands)
Dr. Jonathan Phuong Tran (RMIT University, VIC, Australia)

Teaching

Strength of Materials 254

Short Bio

André was appointed as Adjunct Professor of Port and Coastal Engineering in January 2023. He is a professional engineer with more than 40 years’ experience in the international coastal and port engineering sector. He spent his early career at CSIR, gaining extensive technical experience in contract research where he specialised in marine structures, specifically port layout, wave-structure interaction, breakwater design, and marine intake and outfall structures. His specialisation included coastal processes and environmental data monitoring, with specific emphasis on wave dynamics and directional wave measurement, as well as hydraulic and numerical modelling of marine facilities.
André managed WSP’s Africa Maritime business for almost two decades – in the period 1998 to 2018 – initially as Managing Director of Entech Consultants, which was acquired by WSP in 2007. During this period, he not only focussed on the business activities but also maintained a key technical role in the management, design, and implementation of WSP’s coastal and port engineering projects. Whilst Director and Maritime Lead, André was instrumental in initiating global coordination of maritime activities within WSP. He retired as Director in 2020 and has been acting as Consultant since May 2020. He joined Zutari as Business Development Engineer in September 2022. André continues to provide strategic and technical leadership in the maritime sector bringing his expertise to a diverse range of projects, which include port planning and development, design of marine structures, marinas, small-craft harbours, resorts and waterfront development, as well as, marine intake, discharge works and desalination.
I am married and my wife and I have three children.
Outside interests include photography, birding, travel and camping trips (mainly visiting game reserves in southern Africa).

Education/Qualifications

PhD Civil Engineering – University of Stellenbosch 1994
Hons B Eng Civil Engineering – University of Stellenbosch 1982
B Eng Civil Engineering – University of Stellenbosch 1979

Professional Experience

1980 to 1988: NRIO, CSIR (Researcher, Engineer)
1988 to 1996: Ematek, CSIR (Senior Engineer, Projects Manager)
1996 to 1998: Environmentek, CSIR (Business Area Manager)
1998 to 2007: Entech Consultants (Senior Engineer, Director, Managing Director)
2007 to 2013: WSP Africa Coastal Engineers (Divisional Director)
2013 to 2020: WSP Group Africa (Divisional Director, Technical Director)
2020 to date: Private Consultant
2022 to date: Zutari (Business Development Engineer)
2023 to date: University Stellenbosch (Adjunct Professor of Port and Coastal Engineering)

Honours, Awards, Memberships

Professional Engineer, ECSA (#980530)
Member SAICE (#013505)
Member International Navigation Association (PIANC)
University of Stellenbosch – involved in various roles as part-time lecturer, external examiner and moderator since 1989
Treasurer and Secretary of South African Section of PIANC: 2001 – 2021
Chairman of Local Organising Committee for Conference on Coastal and Port Engineering in Developing Countries (COPEDEC), held in Cape Town, 1999
Member of Working Group on 3D Waves of International Association of Hydraulics Research (IAHR), 1993-1997
Awarded grant by Japanese Sociaty of Civil Engineers to attend HydroPort Conference in Yokosuka, Japan in 1994
Award for best dissertation in Water Engineering at University of Stellenbosch, 1994

Research Interests

Port and Coastal Engineering

Selected Publications

Retief, M., and Van Tonder, A. (2015). Seawater – A Prerequisite for Marine Desalination. Civil Engineering, October.
Van Der Berge, A., Reedijk, B., and Van Tonder, A., (2007). Xbase: Development and Application of a Special Concrete Toe Unit for Extreme Conditions. Coastal Structures Conference, Venice, Italy.
Van Tonder, A., Kloos, M., and Kapp, G., (2005). Murray’s Bay Harbour, Robben Island: Harbour Improvement Measures to a World-Renowned Heritage Site. Proc ICE Conference on Coastlines, Structures and Breakwaters, London.
Kapp, J.F., Van Tonder, A., Kloos, M., Canto, R., and Kapp, G., (2004). Lessons Learned from and Opportunities Identified for Developing Waterfronts as Tourism Gateways in Countries in Transition. Ports and Cities Congress, Lisbon.
Van Tonder, A., (2003). The Role of Coastal Engineering in Africa. SAICE Centenary Congress 2003, Cape Town.
Van Tonder, A., Smith, G., Luger, S., Bartels, A., and Kapp, J.F., (2002). Solving a Harbour-Induced Erosion Problem at Bar Beach, Lagos, Nigeria. Proc 28th International Coastal Engineering Conference, Cardiff, Wales, UK, July.
Van Tonder, A., Kapp, J.F., Bartels, A., and Gbajabiamila, H., (2002). Bar Beach, Lagos, Nigeria. Turning a Navigational Liability into a Recreational and Commercial Asset. Proc 30th International Navigational Congress, Sydney, Australia, September.
Kloos, M., Van Tonder, A., Bartels, A., Allen, S., Moore, G., Moes, H., and Van Aswegen, (2000). Hydrodynamics and Design of a Unique Gravity Base for a Tethered Control Buoy. Proc 27th International Coastal Engineering Conference, Sydney, Australia.
Van Tonder, A., Rossouw, M., Von St Ange, U., Coetzee, L., and Davies, J., (2000). Assessing the Quality of Directional Wave Measurement by a Differential GPS Buoy. Proc 27th International Coastal Engineering Conference, Sydney, Australia.
Bartels, A., Holtzhausen, A., Phelp, D., Luger, S., and Van Tonder, A., (1999). The Effect of Dolos Shape on Hydraulic Stability. Proc 5th COPEDEC Conference, Cape Town, South Africa.
Davies, J., Newling, M., and Van Tonder, A., (1997). First Results from a Revolutionary Directional Wave Buoy Making Use of Differential GPS Technology. Proc. IAHR Speciality Seminar S1, Multidirectional waves and their interaction with structures, San Francisco, USA.
Van Tonder, A., and Davies, J., (1994). Evaluation of Directional Wave Measurements – A Comparative Field Exercise. Proc. HydroPort Conference, Yokosuka, Japan.
Phelp, D., Luger, S., Holzhausen, A.H., and Van Tonder, A., (1994). Results of Extensive Field Monitoring of Dolos Breakwaters. Proc 24th International Coastal Engineering Conference, Kobe, Japan.
Luger, S., Holzhausen, A.H., Phelp, D., and Van Tonder, A., (1994). Increased Dolos Strength by Shape Modification. Proc 24th International Coastal Engineering Conference, Kobe, Japan.
Van Tonder, A., and Du Toit, C.G., (1993). A More Effective Method to Solve Ocean Wave Propagation Problems in Coastal Regions. Proc 3rd Nat. Symposium on Comp. Fluid Dynamics, Stellenbosch.

Teaching

W03-1: Coastal Processes, Field Data Collection & Analysis
W03-1: Physical and Numerical Modelling

Short Bio

Lesley is a geographer with a particular interest in geospatial science and its application across disciplines. She has worked in disciplines such as geology, groundwater, nature conservation, agriculture and the built environment. The topic of her PhD involved the use of remote sensing to estimate evapotranspiration and her Masters dissertation focussed on wetland mapping with remote sensing. She spent over three years at University of Edinburgh, UK, where she was a postdoctoral researcher in fire safety for international development. Here she was involved with the IRIS Fire project where she applied geospatial techniques to map and understand fire spread in Cape Town’s informal settlements. She is grounded both practically and academically in the use of remote sensing for multiple purposes. She has worked in a variety of settings in South Africa including science councils, a private consultancy, and a nature conservation agency. She is currently freelancing part-time as a Fire Safety Researcher at Kindling, a fire safety NPO.

Education/Qualifications

Postgraduate Certificate, Learning and Teaching Higher Education, Glasgow Caledonian University.
PhD, Environmental & Geographical Science, University of Cape Town.
MSc Geomatics, University of Cape Town.
BSc Hons Geography (GIS) & Environmental Studies, Stellenbosch University.
BSc Geography & Geology, Stellenbosch University.

Professional Experience

October 2022 – current, freelancer including Fire Safety Researcher, Kindling
August 2021 –September 2022, Specialist researcher Geoinformation, Agricultural Research Council.
2017 – 2021, Postdoctoral Research Associate in fire safety for international development, University of Edinburgh.
2016 – 2017, GIS Lecturer (0.6FTE), Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
2013 – 2015, GIS Scientist, Western Cape Nature Conservation Board, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
2012 – 2013, GIS Specialist, Geohydrological and Spatial Solutions, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
2006 – 2012, Researcher, Agricultural Research Council, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
2000 – 2006, Scientific officer, Council for Geoscience, Bellville, South Africa.

Honours, Awards, Memberships

South African Geomatics Council: Professional Geoinformation Science Practitioner (GPr GISc1379)

Research Interests

Fire safety in vulnerable communities, applied and interdisciplinary geospatial applications

Selected Publications

Flores Quiroz, N., Gibson, L. Conradie, W.S., Ryan, P., Heydenrych R, Moran, A., van Straten, A. & Walls, R. 2023. Analysis of the 2017 Knysna fires disaster with emphasis on fire spread, home losses and the influence of vegetation: a South African case study. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, vol 88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103618.
Wang, Y., Ruan, H., Xia, T. & Gibson, L. 2022. Fire Safety of Ethnic Minority Traditional Settlements in Southwest China. Fire Technology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-022-01333-z.
Gibson, L.A., Cicione, A., Stevens, S. & Rush, D. 2021. The influence of wind and the spatial layout of dwellings on fire spread in informal settlements in Cape Town. Computers Environment and Urban Systems 91(2), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2021.101734.
McDougall, Brown, Thomson, Hanley, Tully, Quilliam, Bartie, Gibson, L. A. & Oliver, D.M. 2021. From one pandemic to another: emerging lessons from COVID-19 for tackling physical inactivity in cities, Cities & Health, 5:sup1, S181-S184, DOI: 10.1080/23748834.2020.1785165
Gibson L, Rush D. 2020. Novel Coronavirus in Cape Town Informal Settlements: Feasibility of Using Informal Dwelling Outlines to Identify High Risk Areas for COVID-19 Transmission From A Social Distancing Perspective. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2020;6(2):e18844. URL: https://publichealth.jmir.org/2020/2/e18844.
Stevens, S., Gibson, L. & Rush, D. 2020. Conceptualising a GIS-based risk quantification framework for fire spread in informal settlements: A Cape Town case study. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Vol 50, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101736.
Hurst, J.E., Barn, R., Gibson, L. et al. Geospatial mapping and data linkage uncovers variability in outcomes of foot disease according to multiple deprivation: a population cohort study of people with diabetes. Diabetologia 63, 659–667 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-019-05056-9
Gibson, L., Engelbrecht, J. & Rush, D. Detecting historic informal settlement fires with Sentinel 1 and 2 satellite data – Two case studies in Cape Town. Fire Safety Journal (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2019.102828
Gibson, L.A., Munch, Z., Palmer, A.R. & Mantel, S.K. 2018. Future land cover change scenarios in South African grasslands – implications of altered biophysical drivers on land management. Heliyon Vol 4, ISSUE 7, E00693. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00693
Publication record is available on ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lesley-Gibson/research

International Collaborations

University of Edinburgh, University of Science and Technology of China, University of Stirling, Kindling

Short Bio

Founding member of the company responsible for Geotechnics, Transportation and Project Management in 1965 after international experience in contracting and construction supervision. Subsequently I had three senior engineers as team leaders supported by highly qualified senior engineers. In 1977 I left to take up a chair in Civil Engineering at Stellenbosch University. The three took over my respective fields as Partners to help build the company to a major organisation as BKS Inc nationally and internationally. All three were subsequently recognised professionally for excellence in their careers. Later, in ca. 2012, BKS Inc was acquired by AECOM International.
Technical Director, Pave Testing – South Africa. Director TRAC South Africa. Fellow South African Academy of Engineering. Past President SAICE 1993. Life Member of AAPT.
Emeritus Professor in Transportation and Construction in Dept Civil Engineering, Stellenbosch University. Co-director of Construction Management Programme (CMP)

Education/Qualifications

PrEng, DIng (HC) SU 2014, DEng SU 1999, PhD UTx 1984

Short Bio

Roman is appointed as Extraordinary Associate Professor in the field of Structural Engineering at the Stellenbosch University. His research interests are within field of structural reliability and consist mainly of the assessment of existing structures, traffic load modelling and target reliability values.
Further interests are aligned with the cost optimisation and reliability based decision making.
He received his Dr.-Ing. (PhD) at the University of German Armed Forces in Munich. The aim of his study was the development of a safety concept for military traffic on existing bridges. MSc in Structural Engineering was accomplished at UC Berkeley with a focus on Earthquake related design.

His additional past activities, as a self-employed consultant, included design and design review of any structural engineering work with emphasis on bridges and tunnels. His previous professional experience involved large transportation projects in North America, where he mainly provided structural design services for bridges and other transportation related structures. He is licensed Professional Engineer (Civil) in California.

Education/Qualifications

Dr.-Ing. Concrete Structures (University of German Armed Forces in Munich)
MSc Structural Engineering (University of California – Berkeley)
BSc Civil Engineering (The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina)

Professional Experience

PE Registration California (2010)
Consultant – World Bank Southern Africa (2018-2020)
Structural Engineer – BUNG, AG Germany (2010-2014)
Bridge Engineer – David Evans and Associates (2008-2010)

Honours, Awards, Memberships

IABSE National Chair (2020 – )
Karl Kling Research Award to Dissertation (2014)

Research Interests

Structural reliability, Bridge Loading, Bridge Design

Selected Publications

Google scholar profile

International Collaborations

Prof Sykora, Prof Caprani

Teaching

Structural Design 354
Advanced Concrete Design MT13

Short Bio

Emeritus Professor in Structural Engineering

Education/Qualifications

BSc(Eng) (Pretoria U), DIC, MPhil (London U), Engineer (Stanford U), DEng (Pretoria U), DEng (Stellenbosch U), PrEng

Research Interests

Application of risk and reliability to structural design basis, including standardization, wind loads, climate change, geotechnical reliability, existing structures

Short Bio

Jan Wium qualified as a civil engineer from the University of Pretoria and obtained a PhD from the SwissFederal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. He worked as a structural engineering consultant for 20years before joining Stellenbosch University in 2003. He leads a research group in construction engineeringand management, and focuses on modular construction, constructability, modern technology and construction risk.

Education/Qualifications

BSc (Eng) Civ (cum laude), 1979, University of Pretoria, South Africa;
BEng (Hons) Structures, 1982, University of Pretoria, South Africa;
MEng (Structures) (cum laude), 1985, University of Pretoria, South Africa;
Docteur es Science Technique, 1992, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Professional Experience

Structural engineering consultant 18 years

Honours, Awards, Memberships

SAICE Fellow, PrEng(ECSA)

Research Interests

Modular construction, constructability in construction, modern technology in construction, construction risk

Selected Publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=2w-1MqUAAAAJ

International Collaborations

IABSE, GLF-CEM

Teaching

Engineering Management, Structural Concrete, Construction Risk

Short Bio

I am a Professional Engineer with 40 years’ experience in the field of civil engineering in South Africa and abroad. My interests are mainly in various aspects of roads design and maintenance, and more specifically in pavement design and maintenance.
I am currently employed by the Department of Transport and Public Works of the Western Cape Government as a Specialist Engineer in the Chief Directorate Roads Design. I have also been acting for just over a year now in the position of Chief Director Roads Departmental Operations. I also teach Advanced Design to the final year civil engineering students in the second semester.
I am married and my wife and I have three children and three grandchildren.
Outside interests include golf (keen but not good) and camping trips (mainly visiting game reserves in southern Africa).

Education/Qualifications

PhD Eng (Civil), University of Pretoria, 1993
MEng (Civil)(Cum Laude), University of Stellenbosch, 1985
BEng Hons (Civil), University of Stellenbosch, 1979

Professional Experience

2017 – Current Specialist Engineer, Department of Transport and Public Works, WCG
2013 – 2017 Practice Area Lead Africa – Pavement Engineering, AECOM (Pty) Ltd
2011 – 2013 Technical Director: Transport, WorleyParsons RSA (Pty) Ltd
2007 – 2011 Technical Director, Kwezi V3 Engineers (Pty) Ltd
2004 – 2007 Director, Nyeleti Consulting (Pty) Ltd
2000 – 2004 Director, Letsunyane Associates (Pty) Ltd
1992 – 2000 Director, Crous Wolff Associates Incorporated
1988 – 1992 Project Leader, Theron Prinsloo Grimsehl and Pullen Incorporated
1987 – 1988 Associate, Theron Prinsloo Grimsehl and Pullen Incorporated
1985 – 1987 Resident Engineer, Theron Prinsloo Grimsehl and Pullen Incorporated
1982 – 1985 Assistant Engineer, South African Transport Services

Honours, Awards, Memberships

Engineering Council of South Africa
South African Institute of Civil Engineers

Research Interests

The use of granular materials in road pavement structures

Selected Publications

2015 Modern Pavement Condition Assessment Methods for Periodic Maintenance and Rehabilitation Planning on a Network Level – a United States Approach with Possible Application Opportunities in Southern Africa (Conference on Asphalt Pavements 2015 (CAPSA 2015), Sun City, South Africa)
2007 A Yield – Strength Model for Partially Saturated Unbound Granular Material (Road Materials and Pavement Design, International Journal, Paris, France)
2003 Optimising Rehabilitation Design by Using Composite Pavements and Stochastic Design Methods – Maintenance and Rehabilitation of Pavements and Technological Control (3rd International Symposium, Guimaraes, Portugal)
1995 A Design Catalogue for Low Volume Roads Developed for South African Conditions – Low Volume Roads (6th International Conference, Volume 2, Minneapolis, United States of America)
1995 Incorporating Elasto – Plasticity in Granular Layer Pavement Design (International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics, Volume 32)
1993 The Elasto Plastic Behaviour of Granular Pavement Layers in South Africa (PhD Dissertation, University of Pretoria, South Africa)
1992 The Elasto Plastic Behaviour of Crushed Stone Bases in Flexible Pavement Structures (7th International Conference on Asphalt Pavements, Nottingham, United Kingdom)
1991 Determination of the Ballast Tamping Cycle of Railway Tracks using a Mechanistic Design Approach (The Civil Engineer in South Africa)
Review of Surfacings for Low – Volume Roads on the Basis of Experience in South Africa (5th International Conference on Low Volume Roads, United States of America) (Research Record No 1291, Volume 1, National Research Council, Rayleigh, United States of America)
Mechanistic Analysis of a Railway Track with a Bonded Layer (MEng Thesis, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa)

Teaching

Advanced Design 446 (Pavement)