Overview of projects undertaken by CSIR BE

Prof Wynand JvdM SteynCSIR Built EnvironmentTUT

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Content

• CSIR • Structure• Purpose in life• Funding sources• Focus areas

• External projects• SRP projects• PG projects• PG details

• Nanotechnology in pavement engineering• Application of soil mapping to road engineering

• Summary

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CSIR structureLeadership

Built Environment

Information and communications

technology

Materials science & manufacturing

BiosciencesDefence, peace, safety & security

Natural resources & the environment

Laser technology Space technology

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CSIR BE structure

Built Environment

Architectural sciencesInfrastructure

systems & operations

Infrastructure engineering

Construction

Logistics &quantitative methods

Planning supportsystems

Rural infrastructure& services

Agencies:Agrément SA

Asphalt Academy

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CSIR purpose in life

• directed and multidisciplinary research• technological innovation & industrial and scientific

development • improve quality of life of the country’s people• supporting innovation • improve national competitiveness in the global economy

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CSIR funding sources

• External (75%)• Local and international• Focused research and specialist consultancy• Answer the questions of the client• Solving specific problems

• Internal (25 %)• Parliamentary grant (PG)• Strategic Research Programme (SRP)• Develop new fields of study

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Infrastructure Engineering Focus areas

• Transport Infrastructure Engineering• Accelerated Pavement Testing• Advanced Material Testing / Rock Mechanics

Laboratory• Coastal engineering and ports infrastructure• Housing Technology and Building Physics

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External projects (current / recent major)

• SA• GDPTRW asphalt study• SANRAL thin concrete• SANRAL SAPDM• PAWC LTPP and LIC

• Africa• Ghana design manual• Uganda lime project• Ethiopia investigation

• International• CALTRANS pavement

research (concrete, WA, riding quality, etc)

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SRP projects

• Strategic Research Programme funding• 2 to 3 years• Stimulate knowledge based technological innovation in support of

the CSIR mandate and the DST ten-year innovation plan• Supports achievement of impact in the following areas

• Enhanced competitiveness of the local industry• Improved quality of life of the people of South Africa• Contribution to skills development and human capital development

• Currently 3• Nano-phosphor• Renewable road binders • Advanced digital image port engineering

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Parliamentary Grant (PG) projects

• Flagship project - Innovative technologies and solutions for enhanced road system performance

• Innovative• Refer to both radical and incremental changes to products, processes or

services• Goal of innovation is to solve a problem

• Road infrastructure key driver supporting and stimulating socio-economic development

• Uniquely SA solutions developed, calibrated & validated• Optimal & sustainable utilisation of limited resources

• Concerns• Current condition• Traffic volumes and mass• Material availability• Logistics costs• Human capacity

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Tasks, progress and main findingsGeneral

• Mostly 3 year projects with ongoing focus• Support of Type A, B and C research questions• Support of current and planned externally funded projects• Specific HR development

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Tasks, progress and main findingsMaterials• Recycled Materials - Secondary cementation• Chemical and liquid stabilisers - Physical Bonding• Durability and performance of stabilised materials - 2 x

Carbonation Theories• Stabilised material curing – Lab vs Field• Application of soil mapping to infrastructure/geotechnical

engineering• Structural failures of the road environment (non-pavement):

Slope Stability• Nano technology applications in pavement materials• Performance prediction of bitumen based on chemical analysis• Chemical properties of materials- Accelerated laboratory ageing

– long term performance

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Tasks, progress and main findingsPavement engineering

• FEM development and verification, including development/improvement of PADS suite

• Limit state design of concrete – Ultra-Thin Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete

• Advanced deflection analyses - Differences between the deflection and hence stiffness results from different devices

• Concrete pavement studies – focus on environmental issues

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Tasks, progress and main findingsAdvanced measurement

• Advanced observational techniques of materials – CT Scans, SEM and Atomic Force Microscopy

• CSIR BE Laboratory accreditation procedure completion• Advances in existing test methods – i.e. strain-at-break,

tri-axial, dust and spray monitors - concentrate on field strain-at-break apparatus, Hamburg & TWTT

• Concept development of new-generation HVS & associated equipment

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Tasks, progress and main findingsInteraction

• Mitigation of solar radiation – focus on temperature and durability – ThermalPADS

• Advanced SIM analysis – Including framework for tyre Contact Stress Information System & MK V SIM device

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PG project - Nanotechnology for pavement engineering

• Nanotechnology focuses on nanoscale• Chemistry and Physics - basic sciences – nanotechnology

tools• Engineering – applied science – client of the basic sciences• Basic focus vs engineering focus

• Objectives• Scale

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Engineering applications

• 2 main areas• Improved materials development• Characterisation of materials

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Improved materials - 1

• Focus - Scarcity of materials• Typical methods

• Fracture behavior• Self healing materials• Concrete enhancements• Carbon Nanotubes• Nanophosphors

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Improved materials - 2

• Nanophosphors

b) Bitumen with 10% nano-phosphora) Neat green nano-phosphor

c) Red road paint with 10% nano-phosphor d) Concrete with 10% nano-phosphor

b) Bitumen with 10% nano-phosphora) Neat green nano-phosphor

c) Red road paint with 10% nano-phosphor d) Concrete with 10% nano-phosphor

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Characterisation - 1

• Require improved understanding of material behavior• Typical examples

• AFM• SEM

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Characterisation - 2

150/200 Pen

100/120 Pen

60/70 Pen

40/50 Pen

1 h ageing @ 140°C1 h ageing @ 80°C1 h ageing @ 40°CNo ageing15x15 µm sample

Z – 115 nm to 1 600 nm

150/200 Pen

100/120 Pen

60/70 Pen

40/50 Pen

1 h ageing @ 140°C1 h ageing @ 80°C1 h ageing @ 40°CNo ageing15x15 µm sample

Z – 115 nm to 1 600 nm

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Characterisation - 3

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PG Project - Application of soil mapping to infrastructure engineering

• Most countries have soil maps at various scales• Mapped at 1 : 50 000, Published at 1 : 250 000• Based on land types• Maps accompanied by wide range of soil descriptors

• Mainly for agricultural application• Some engineering properties, eg, Atterberg limits

• Potentially very useful for road engineering• Little use is currently made in road engineering• Application to road engineering

• Material thicknesses and depths• Classification and mineralogy of soils• Early identification of potential problem soils

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Web-based maps

• Use revised soil patterns (grouping of certain patterns)• Can alter scale on the screen• Add and remove features (roads, water, cadastral info, etc)• Various derived maps, eg, swelling clays• Use of maps for Road Engineering

• Plot road on map• Note topography, water, soil patterns

• Confirm as best route• Look at soil patterns

• Fewer the patterns the more consistent the material• Less centre-line testing required

• Refer to inventory data and profiles

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Requirements for roads

• Planning• Road location• Areas with least problems• Difficult hydrologic, topographic, hard rock conditions, etc• Avoid poor areas by realigning early• Take into account extra costs and precautionary measures

• Subgrade conditions• Nature and thickness of subgrade soils• Potential problems

• Expansive• Collapsible• Dispersive

• Potential subgrade strength

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Requirements for roads

• Material location• Maps indicate poorly developed soils (lithosols and rock outcrops)• Inventories indicate exposure of rock and rock type• Early indication of possible gravel and quarry sites• Also show depth of soil, excavatability, plinthic horizons (laterite),

hardpan calcrete, etc

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Summary

• Research focusing on solving existing and future problems• Both current hands-on and medium to long term view• Led by industry requirements

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