60 years of Engineering Education

1956 – 2016

60 years of Engineering Education

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60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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Foreword by the Vice-Chancellor When the Faculty of Engineering was established at

the University of Pretoria in 1956, 64 students enrolled. From these modest beginnings 60 years ago, UP’s School of Engineering, which today forms part of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, has shown exceptional growth and development.

While it has been firmly ensconced in its position as the largest engineering faculty in South Africa since 1971, the School of Engineering embarked on a focused growth strategy over the last decade in view of the shortage of engineering skills in South Africa. This resulted not only in a significant increase in the number of engineering students, but also in extensive improvements to the School’s physical infrastructure and facilities.

Today the School leads the country in terms of student numbers, graduates and research contributions. It has over 5 700 undergraduate and more than 2 500 postgraduate students. Some 15 700 bachelor degrees and 10 700 postgraduate degrees have been conferred over the past 60 years and the School is home to the widest range of professional engineering degree disciplines in any engineering faculty in South Africa. In terms of the International Science Index (ISI), Essential Science Indicators, it ranks in the top one per cent of engineering schools worldwide and is the highest ranked School in South Africa.

The School also boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, learning and research with the recent addition of the new Engineering 3 Building that offers more lecture halls and laboratory space, the award-winning Mining Industry Study Centre, the first-in-Africa Kumba Virtual Reality Centre for Mine Design and the African Rainbow Minerals Mining Exhibition Centre, to name but a few.

There is no doubt that the School has over the years made an enormous contribution not only to the engineering profession but also to the industrial

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60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

and economic development of South Africa.

On behalf of the University of Pretoria, I wish to congratulate the School of Engineering on its 60th anniversary.

During the course of the year there will be a number of events that reflect on the numerous achievements of the School and that will serve as motivation to move towards greater heights of achievement.

The University pays tribute Prof Cheryl de la Rey to the founders and all the staff and students of the School who have been part of its rich history and many successes through the years. We acknowledge the hard work and perseverance that were required to develop the School to the leading institution it is today. We take pride in our thousands of engineering alumni for their contributions to society in this country and also elsewhere across the world.

The essence of the engineering profession is distinguished by continuous technological advancement and innovation. The proud track record of the UP School of Engineering is ample proof that it will continue to rise to future challenges and provide leadership in the years to come.

Prof Cheryl de la Rey Vice-Chancellor and Principal

Voorwoord deur die Visekanselier Toe die Fakulteit Ingenieurswese in 1956 by

die Universiteit van Pretoria tot stand gekom het, was daar 64 ingeskrewe studente. Van hierdie nederige begin 60 jaar gelede het UP se Skool vir Ingenieurswese, wat vandag deel uitmaak van die Fakulteit Ingenieurswese, Bou-omgewing en Inligtingtegnologie, buitengewone groei en ontwikkeling getoon.

Terwyl dit reeds sedert 1971 stewig in die saal sit as die grootste ingenieurswesefakulteit in Suid-Afrika het die Skool vir Ingenieurswese oor die laaste dekade, in die lig van die tekort aan ingenieursvaardighede in Suid-Afrika, ʼn gefokusde groeistrategie toegepas. Dit het gelei nie net tot ʼn beduidende toename in die getal ingenieurstudente nie, maar ook tot uitgebreide verbeterings aan die Skool se fisiese infrastruktuur en fasiliteite.

Vandag staan die Skool nasionaal aan die voorpunt in terme van studentegetalle, gegradueerdes en navorsingsbydraes met meer as 5 700 voorgraadse en meer as 2 500 nagraadse studente. Oor die afgelope 60 jaar is sowat 15 700 baccalaureusgrade en 10 700 nagraadse kwalifikasies toegeken en die Skool bied die grootste verskeidenheid professionele ingenieursdissiplines van enige ingenieurswesefakulteit in Suid-Afrika aan. Die International Science Index (ISI) se Essential Science Indicators plaas die Skool in die top een persent ter wêreld en in die eerste posisie in Suid-Afrika.

Die Skool beskik oor die allernuutste fasiliteite vir onderrig, leer en navorsing, byvoorbeeld die nuwe Ingenieurswese 3-gebou wat meer lesingsale en laboratoriumruimte beskikbaar stel, die bekroonde Mynboustudiesentrum, die Kumba-skynwerklikheidsentrum vir Mynontwerp – die eerste van sy soort in Afrika – en die African Rainbow Minerals Mining-uitstalsentrum, om maar ʼn paar onlangse toevoegings te noem.

Daar is geen twyfel nie dat die Skool oor die jare ʼn reuse bydrae gelewer het, nie net tot die ingenieursberoep nie, maar ook tot die nywerheids- en ekonomiese ontwikkeling van Suid-Afrika.

Namens die Universiteit van Pretoria wil ek graag die Skool vir Ingenieurswese gelukwens met sy 60ste verjaarsdag. Daar sal in die loop van die jaar ʼn aantal geleenthede wees waartydens die Skool se talle prestasies gedenk sal word en wat as motivering sal dien om die toekoms binne te gaan met die oog op selfs groter hoogtes en prestasies.

Die Universiteit bring hulde aan die stigters en al die personeel en studente van die Skool wat deel uitgemaak het van sy ryke geskiedenis en talle suksesse oor die jare heen. Ons gee erkenning aan die harde werk en deursettingsvermoë wat aan die dag gelê is om van die Skool die toonaangewende instansie te maak wat hy vandag is. Ons duisende ingenieursalumni se bydraes tot die gemeenskap in hierdie land en elders in die wêreld vul ons met trots.

Die kern van die ingenieursberoep is deurlopende tegnologiese vooruitgang en innovasie. Die trotse rekord van UP se Skool vir Ingenieurswese lewer oorvloedige bewys dat die Skool sal voortgaan om toekomstige uitdagings aan te pak en leiding te neem waar en wanneer nodig.

Prof Cheryl de la Rey Visekanselier en Rektor

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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Moaletša ka Motlatšamokhanseliri Ge Lefapha la Boentšenere le thongwa mo

Yunibesithing ya Pretoria ka 1956, go ingwadišitše baithuti ba 64. Go tloga mathomong ao a mengwageng ye 60 ya go feta, Sekolo sa Boentšenere sa UP, seo lehono se bopago karolo ya Lefapha la Boentšenere, Tikologo ya Kago le Theknolotši ya Tshedimošo, se bontšhitše kgolo ye kgolo le tšweletšopele.

Ka ge le hlomilwe mo maemong a lona a go ba lefapha la boentšenere le legolo go feta ka moka mo Afrika Borwa go tloga ka 1971, Sekolo sa Boentšenere se thomile ka mokgwa wa kgolo wa nepišo mo pakeng ya go feta go lebeletšwe tlhokego ya mabokgoni a boentšenere mo Afrika Borwa. Se ga se sa feleletša fela ka koketšego ye bohlokwa palong ya baithuti ba boentšenere, eupša le ka dikaonafatšo tše dikgolo mo sebopegong sa infrastraktšha le dinolofatši tša Sekolo.

Lehono sekolo ke ketapele go lebeletšwe palo ya baithuti, dialoga le go kgatha tema dinyakišišong. Se na le baithutelatikrii ya mathomo ba ka godimo ga 5 700 le baithuti ba dialogadigolwane ba go feta 2 500. Ditikrii tša mathomo tše 15 700 le ditikrii tša dialogadigolwane tše 10 700 di abilwe mo mengwageng ye 60 ya go feta gomme Sekolo ke legae la mohlwaela wo mogolo go feta ka moka wa dikarolo tša tikrii ya boentšenere bja profešene mo lefapheng le lengwe le lengwe la boentšenere mo Afrika Borwa. Go ya ka International Science Index (ISI), Essential Science Indicators, se mo maemong go phesenteng e tee ya godimo dikolong tša boentšenere lefaseng ka bophara gomme ke Sekolo seo se beilwego maemong a godimo go feta ka moka mo Afrika Borwa.

Sekolo gape se ikgantšha ka dinolofatši tša bokgabo bja mmušo tša go ruta, go ithuta le dinyakišišo ka koketšo ya bjale ya Moago wo mofsa wa Boentšenere bja 3 woo o abago diphapošiborutelo tše dintši le sekgoba sa laporotori, Senthara ya Dithuto tša Instasteri ya Meepo, ya mathomo ka Afrika Senthara ya

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60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Nnete ya Tirišo ya Kumba ya Moakanyetšo wa Meepo le Senthara ya Dipontšho ya African Rainbow Minerals Mining go bolelwa tše mmalwa.

Ga go na kgonono gore Sekolo se kgathile tema ye kgolo mo mengwageng e sego fela profešeneng ya boentšenere eupša gape le go tšweletšopele ya intaseteri le ekonomi mo Afrika Borwa.

Legatong la Yunibesithi ya Pretoria, ke rata go lebogiša Sekolo sa Boentšenere mo segopotšong sa sona sa bo 60. Mo ngwageng go tla ba le meletlo ye mmalwa yeo e bontšhago diphihlelelo tša Sekolo gomme seo e tla ba hlohleletša go ya manamelelong a godimo a phihlelo.

Yunibesithi e tumiša bathei le badirišani le baithuti ba Sekolo bao e bilego karolo ya histori ye ya go huma le dikatlego mo mengwageng. Re amogela go šoma ka maatla le kgotlelelo tšeo di bego di nyakega go tšwetšapele Sekolo go ba institušene ya ketapele ye e lego yona lehono. Re ikgantšha ka diketekete tša baithuti ba rena ba maloba ba boentšenere ka tema yeo ba e kgathilego setšhabeng mo nageng gape le go phatlala le lefase.

Bokgonthe bja profešene ya boentšenere bo hlaolwa ka dikaonafatšo le dimpshafatšo tša theknolotši nako le nako. Rekoto ya go kgahliša ya Sekolo sa Boentšenere sa UP ke bohlatse bjo bo tletšego bja gore se tla tšwela pele go gola go lebana le ditlhohlo tša ka moso le go fa boetapele mo mengwageng ye e latelago.

Prof Cheryl de la Rey Motlatšampkhanseliri le Hlogo

Foreword by the Vice-Chancellor | Voorwoord deur die Visekanselier | Ketapele ka Motlatsamokhanseliri

Inhoud/Content Review by the Dean: Early history of the Faculty

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Oorsig deur die Dekaan: VroeĂŤ geskiedenis van die Fakulteit

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Tshekatsheko ka Hlogo ya Lefapha: Tlholego ya Lefapha

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Faculty highlights | Hoogtepunte | Dintlhakgolo

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Graduates statistics

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The Engineering 3 Building

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The Mining Industry Study Centre

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Community-based projects

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Chemical Engineering

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The Institute of Applied Materials

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Civil Engineering

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Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering

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The Carl and Emily Fuchs Institute for Microelectronics

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Graduate School of Technology Management

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Industrial and Systems Engineering

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Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering

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Industrial Metals and Minerals Research Institute

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Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering

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Mining Engineering

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The Mineral Sciences Building and the Kumba Virtual Reality Centre

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This booklet was compiled by Gert Pienaar Production co-ordination: Marissa Greeff Layout by Francois vd Westhuizen Sub-editing and translations: UP Language Unit

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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Review by the Dean: Early history of the Faculty By 1920, Tuks was already presenting lectures in Agricultural

Engineering but the need for educating in other branches of engineering had been identified. The idea to have a separate Faculty of Engineering at UP was planted in the 1930s, but all plans were put on hold with the outbreak of World War II. In 1947, Senate appointed a committee to conduct further research on the matter. Due to financial constraints the idea was abandoned in 1948, in favour of the establishment of the Faculty of Dentistry in 1950.

South Africa was in dire need of engineers but the University of Pretoria (UP) continued researching, investigating and planning how to best go about opening a faculty. The then South African Academy for Science and Art and the Department of Education, Arts and Science conducted research which determined the projected shortage of engineers facing the country. The Institute for Civil Engineers backed up this claim and UP’s proximity to research centres and industry was an additional motivating factor. Also, the huge potential of recruiting engineering students from the large Afrikaans rural population of the Northern Provinces was not utilised. In those times Afrikaans speakers were reluctant to study engineering in English at eg. the University of the Witwatersrand. On this basis, it was decided that UP was in a good position to be able to open a new faculty to supply engineers to South African industries. The School of Engineering has managed to transform its student demographics so that more than 44% of 2015 engineering students were black.

In 1951 the Rector, Prof C H Rautenbach, established a committee consisting of Prof W F Beezhold as convenor and other members mainly from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, to urgently investigate the establishment

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60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Prof Sunil Maharaj

of a fully-fletched Faculty of Engineering at the University of Pretoria. Finally, after the availability of the required financial resources was secured, Council approved in principle the establishment of a Faculty of Engineering on 16 September 1954. The final capital budget amounted to £550 000, of which £172 000 came from private donors, an equal amount as a government grant and the remainder as a government loan. The City Council of Pretoria was the primary donor and donated an amount of £100 000. The new faculty was set to house six departments, mechanical, civil, electro-technical, metallurgical,

chemical-technical and mining engineering, and the existing Department of Agricultural Engineering would be the seventh.

In the beginning of 1956, lectures in the faculty officially began and the Principal, Prof CH Rautenbach, addressed the first group of 64 engineering students. This first intake was restricted to registration in Mechanical, Civil and Electro-technical Engineering only. The first Dean of the Faculty was Prof C A du Toit who also acted as Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Prof D J de Vos was appointed as Head of the Department of Civil Engineering and Prof F G Heymann as Head of the Department of Electro-technical Engineering.

In 1959 the first students in Chemical, Metallurgical and Industrial Engineering were admitted. Prof DJ Schoeman was appointed as Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Prof G T van Rooyen as Head of the Department of Metallurgical Engineering. Industrial Engineering was incorporated as a subdivision of Mechanical Engineering. During later years Mining, Electronic and Computer Engineering were introduced. The total student registration number increased from the original 64 in 1956 to 469 at the beginning of 1959 to almost 8 290 students in 2015.

The first sections of the Engineering Building (now known as Engineering 2) were completed in April 1957. Prior to this date lecturing and laboratory facilities from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science were utilised.

During 1958 the Heavy Machines Laboratories were completed, followed by completion of the remainder of the Engineering Building in 1960. During subsequent years steady growth was experienced and numerous additions of new buildings for the housing of state-of-the art laboratories, lecture halls, offices, etc. were completed. These later expansions will be mentioned in more detail in the subsequent section of this publication.

Through this publication the Faculty acknowledges the vision, wisdom and efforts of many who made truly magnificent contributions to the 60 years of development in engineering education at Tuks. The contributions of leaders, academic and support staff, alumni, donors, industry and government are reflected in the achievements of the Faculty and enable it to continue making a distinct contribution to the development of our country and to the realisation of the aspirations of all South Africans.

Previous Deans

Prof CA Du Toit (1956 - 1975)

Prof Dawie Schoeman (1976 - 1986)

Prof Louis van Biljon (1987 - 1988)

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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Oorsig deur die Dekaan: Vroeë geskiedenis van die Fakulteit Teen 1920 is lesings in Landbou-ingenieurswese by Tukkies

aangebied, maar die behoefte aan onderrig in ander vertakkings van ingenieurswese was reeds geïdentifiseer. Die idee van ’n afsonderlike Fakulteit Ingenieurswese aan die Universiteit van Pretoria (UP) is in die 1930’s oorweeg, maar met die uitbreek van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog is alle planne uitgestel.

In 1947 het die Senaat ’n komitee aangestel om verdere navorsing daaroor te doen. Die idee is in 1948 laat vaar as gevolg van finansiële beperkings.

Suid-Afrika het ’n nypende tekort aan ingenieurs ondervind en UP het voortgegaan met ondersoeke en beplanning oor die beste manier om ’n fakulteit in te stel. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns en die Departement van Onderwys, Kuns en Wetenskap se navorsing het bevestig dat die land ’n tekort aan ingenieurs gaan hê. Die Instituut van Siviele Ingenieurs het hierdie bevinding gesteun, en UP se nabyheid aan navorsingsentrums en nywerhede was bykomende motivering. Die potensiaal om ingenieurstudente uit die landelike Afrikaanse bevolking van die noordelike provinsies te werf is nie benut nie omdat Afrikaanssprekendes destyds onwillig was om ingenieurswese in Engels aan die Universiteit van die Witwatersrand te bestudeer. Op grond hiervan is besluit dat UP in ’n goeie posisie is om ’n nuwe fakulteit te open om ingenieurs vir Suid-Afrikaanse nywerhede te verskaf. Die Skool vir Ingenieurswese se studentedemografie het oor die jare só verander dat meer as 44% van die 2015-ingenieurstudente swart was.

In 1951 het die Rektor, prof CH Rautenbach, ’n komitee met prof WF Beezhold (sameroeper) en lede van hoofsaaklik die Fakulteit Wiskunde en Natuurwetenskap aangewys om dringend ondersoek in te stel na die oprigting van ’n volwaardige Fakulteit Ingenieurswese. Uiteindelik, nadat die nodige finansiële hulpbronne verkry is, het die Raad die oprigting van die Fakulteit Ingenieurswese op 16 September 1954 goedgekeur. Die finale

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60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

kapitaalbegroting was £550 000, waarvan £172 000 van private skenkers gekom het, met ‘n gelyke bedrag as ‘n staatstoekenning, en die res was ‘n staatslening. Met sy skenking van £100 000 was die Stadsraad van Pretoria die primêre skenker. Die Fakulteit sou ses nuwe departemente huisves: Meganiese, Siviele, Elektrotegniese, Metallurgiese, Chemies-tegniese en Mynbouingenieurswese, met die toe reeds bestaande Departement Landbouingenieurswese as die sewende departement.

Aan die begin van 1956 het lesings in die Fakulteit amptelik begin en die Rektor, prof CH Rautenbach, het die eerste groep van 64 ingenieurstudente toegespreek. Die eerste inname is tot meganiese, siviele en elektrotegniese ingenieurswese beperk. Die eerste Dekaan van die Fakulteit was prof CA du Toit, wat ook as Hoof van die Departement Meganiese Ingenieurswese waargeneem het. Prof DJ de Vos is as Hoof van die Departement Siviele Ingenieurswese aangestel, en prof FG Heymann as Hoof van die Departement Elektrotegniese Ingenieurswese.

In 1959 is die eerste studente in Chemiese, Metallurgiese en Bedryfsingenieurswese toegelaat. Prof DJ Schoeman was Hoof van die Departement Chemiese Ingenieurswese en prof GT van Rooyen was Hoof van die Departement Metallurgiese Ingenieurswese. Bedryfsingenieurswese was ’n onderafdeling van Meganiese Ingenieurswese. Later is mynbou-, elektroniese en rekenaaringenieurswese bygevoeg. Die totale getal geregistreerde studente het toegeneem van 64 in 1956 tot 469 aan die begin van 1959 en 8 290 in 2015.

Die eerste dele van die Ingenieurswesegebou (nou bekend as Ingenieurswese 2) is in April 1957 voltooi. In 1958 is die Swaarmasjinerie-laboratorium voltooi, en in 1960 die res van die Ingenieurswesegebou. Talle nuwe geboue is later bygevoeg om laboratoriums, lesingsale, kantore, ens te huisves.

Deur hierdie publikasie gee die Fakulteit erkenning aan die visie en daadwerklike pogings van talle individue wat manjifieke bydraes tot die 60 jaar van ontwikkeling van ingenieursopleiding by Tukkies gemaak het. Die bydraes van leiers, akademiese en steunpersoneel, alumni, donateurs, die bedryf en die regering word gereflekteer in die Fakulteit se prestasies en stel ons in staat om steeds ʼn sigbare bydrae tot die ontwikkeling van ons land en die verwesenliking van die aspirasies van alle Suid-Afrikaners te maak.

Tshekatsheko ka Hlogo ya Lefapha: Tlholego ya Lefapha Ka 1920, dithuto ka Boentšenere bja Temo di be di abja mo

Tuks, eupša tlhokego ya thuto ka makaleng a mangwe a boentšenere e be e šetše e tšweletše. Kgopolo ya go ba le Lefapha la go ikemela la Boentšenere Yunibesithing ya Pretoria e ile ya tšweletšwa ka bo1930, eupša dipeakanyo ka moka di ile tša emišwa ge go phulega Ntwa ya Bobedi ya Lefase. Ka 1947, Senata se thwetše komiti ya go tšwela pele go nyakišiša kgopolo ye. Kgopolo e ile ya tlogelwa ka 1948 ka lebaka la go hlokega ga tšhelete.

Afrika Borwa e be e na le tlhokego ye kgolo ya boraentšenere gomme Yunibesithi ya Pretoria e ile ya tšwela pela go nyakišiša, go fetleka le go beakanya ditsela dife tše di kaone tša go thoma Lefapha. Akademi ya Afrika Borwa ya Bokgabo le Saense (South African Academy for Science and Arts) le Kgoro ya Thuto, Bokgabo le Saense di dirile dinyakišišo tšeo di laeditšego gore kgauswinyana naga e tla nyaka boraentšenere ba bantši. Insitute ya Boraentšenere ba Segae e thekgile taba ye gomme go ba ga Yunibesithi ya Pretoria kgauswi le disenthara tša dinyakišišo le intasteri e bile lebaka le lengwe la go hlohleletša. Go tlaleletša, kgonagalo ye kgolo ya go ngwadiša baithuti ba boentšenere go tšwa go palo ye kgolo ya maAfrikanere a go tšwa metseng ye e sego ya ditoropo ya diprofense tša leboa e be e sa šomišwe gobane, mehleng yeo, baboledi ba Seafrikanse ba be ba sa nyake go ithuta boentšenere ka Seisemane Yunibesithing ya Witwatersrand. Ka lebaka le, go tšerwe sephetho sa gore Yunibesithi ya Pretoria e be e le maemong a mabotse a go bula kgoro ye mpsha go abela diintasteri tša Afrika Borwa boraentšenere. Sekolo Prof Jan Malherbe (1989 - 1998)

sa Boentšenere se kgonne go fetola pharogantšho ya baithuti ba sona gore go feta 44% ya baithuti ba boentšenere ka 2015 e be batho baso.

Ka 1951, Hlogo, Prof CH Rautenbach, o hlomile komiti ya go bopša ke Prof WF Beezhold (modulasetulo) le maloko ao bontši a tšwago go Lefapha la Mmetse le Saense ya Tlhago, go nyakišiša ka bjako go hlongwa ga Lefapha la Boentšenere le le feletšego Yunibesithing ya Pretoria. Mafelelong, ge ditšhelete tše di bego di nyakega di hweditšwe, Lekgotla le ile la amogela go hlongwa ga Lefapha la Boentšenere ka kakaretšo ka la 16 Lewedi 1954. Tekanyetšo ya Ditšhelete ya mafelelo e be e balelwa go £550 000, yeo £172 000 ya yona e bego e e tšwa go mothekgi wa ditšhelete wa poraebete, palo ya go lekana nayo e le thušo ya ditšhelete go tšwa mmušong, gomme ye e šetšego e le kadimo go tšwa

Prof Calie Pistorius (1999 - 2001)

Prof Roelf Sandenbergh (2002 - 2014)

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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mmušong. Ka thekgo ya lona ya £100 000, Lekgotla la Toropo ya Pretoria e bile mothekgi yo mogolo wa ditšhelete. Lefapha le be le tlo ba le dikgoro tše tshela tše diswa: Boenetšenere bja Semotšhene, Segae, Elektro-thekniki, Metaletšikhale, Khemikhale-thekniki le Meepo gomme kgoro ya bošupa ye e šetšego e le gona ya Boentšenere bja Temo.

Mathomong a 1956, dithuto di thomile semmušo ka Lefapheng gomme Hlogo, Prof CH Rautenbach, o file polelo go sehlopha sa mathomo sa baithuti ba 64 ba boentšenere. Sehlopha sa go amogelwa la mathomo se be se dumeletšwe fela go ithuta boentšenere bja semotšhene, Segae le elektro-thekniki. Hlogo ya Lefapha ya mathomo ya Lefapha e be le Prof CA du Toit, yoo gape e bego e le Hlogo ya motšwaoswere ya Kgoro ya Boentšenere bja Semotšhene, Prof DJ de Vos o thwetšwe bjalo ka Hlogo ya Kgoro ya Boentšenere bja Segae gomme Prof FG Heymann bjalo ka Hlogo ya Kgoro ya Boenetšenere bja Elektro-thekniki.

Ka phatlalatšo ye Lefapha le amogela pono, bohlale le maatla a bontši bjo bo kgathilego tema ka nnete mo mengwageng ye 60 ya tšweletšopele ka thuto ya boentšenere mo Tuks. Go kgatha tema ga baetapele, badirišani ba akademi le thekgo, baithuti ba maloba, baabi, intasteri le mmušo bo tšweletšwa diphihlelelong tša Lefapha gomme ba e kgontšha go tšwela pele go kgatha tema ya go bonala mo tšweletšopeleng ya naga ya rena le temogo ya maikemišetšo a MaAfrika Borwa ka moka.

Ka 1959 go amogetšwe baithuti ba mathomo ba boentšenere bja khemikhale, metaletši le intasteri. Prof DJ Schoeman o thwetšwe bjalo ka Hlogo ya Kgoro ya Boentšenere bja Dikhemikhale gomme Prof GT van Rooyen bjalo ka Hlogo ya Kgoro ya Boenetšenere bja Metaletšikhale. Boentšenere bja Intasteri bo akareditšwe bjalo ka karolwana ya Boentšenere bja Semotšhene.

Mo mengwageng ye e latetšego, boentšenere bja meepo, elektroniki le dikhomphutha bo ile bja thoma go rutwa. Palomoka ya baithuti ba ba ingwadišitšego e oketšegile go tloga go 64 ka 1956 go ya go 469 mathomong a 1959 le 8 290 ka 2015.

Dikarolo tša mathomo tša Moago wa Boentšenere (bjale o tsebja bjalo ka Boentšenere bja 2) di feditšwe go agwa ka Moranang 1957. Pele ga fa, go be go šomišwa diphapošiborutelo le ditlabela tša laporotori tša Lefapha la Mmetse le Saense ya Tlhago. Ka 1958, Dilaporotori tša Metšhene ye Megolo di ile tša fela go agwa gomme tše dingwe tša Moago wa Boentšenere di feditšwe ka 1960. Mo mengwageng ya go latela, go bonwe kgolo ya go nanya gomme le meago ya go balega ye meswa e tlaleleditšwe gore e be mafelo a dilaporatori, diphapošiborutelo, dikantoro, bjalobjalo. Ditlaleletšo tše di tla ahlaahlwa ka botlalo ka karolong ye e latelago ya kgatišo.

View of Engineering 2 Building after completion in 1960

12

60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Faculty highlights 1956 to 2016 General development

Facilities

In 1956 the first group of 64 first-year students are admitted to study Electrotechnical, Mechanical and Civil Engineering. In 1959 the first Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering students gains admission. The first students in Industrial Engineering enroll in 1960 and the first Mining Engineering students in 1962. (More detail about the first phase in the existence of the Faculty is given on pp 7–9.) In 1976 Electronic Engineering is added as a degree programme and in 1999 Computer Engineering is introduced.

The first part of the J G Strijdom Building for Engineering (currently known as the Engineering 2 Building) is completed in 1957 and the second part in 1960.

The Heavy Machinery Laboratories are put into use in 1958 and an additional wing is added in 1973. In 1975 the Engineering Tower Building (currently known as the Engineering 1 Building) is completed. The building makes provision for the office of the dean, administrative staff, departmental offices and ten lecture halls with a total of 700 seats.

The Department of Engineering and Technology Management is founded in 1994 and in 2007 its name is changed to the Graduate School of Technology Management. The School offers several postgraduate programmes and by 2014 approximately 3 000 honours, master’s and doctoral degrees had been awarded.

In 2000 the Faculty of Engineering becomes part of the new Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, which comprises the School of Engineering, School for the Built Environment, the School of Information Technology and the Graduate School of Technology Management.

In 1987 the former Physics Building is renovated and furnished to accommodate the departments of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, and Mining Engineering. It also houses the Department of Geology, which promotes essential interaction among these three disciplines.

In 2015 a fifth level was added as an extension for Mining Engineering. This level is home to among others the Kumba Virtual Reality Centre for Mine Design (VRC). (See also p 47.)

Since 2001 the School of Engineering’s nine undergraduate programmes have been subject to a new, internationally recognised accreditation process by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) every five years. Accreditation is granted in terms of prescribed standards of the Washington Accord which is currently used to assess the training of professional engineers in 17 countries across the world, including Australia, India, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. Engineering first-year class of 1956

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The Engineering 3 Building was completed in 2011. It comprises six lecture halls with 2 060 seats in total, laboratories, offices, and parking space in the basements. The Mining Study Centre, which makes provision for 800 students, was taken into use in 2013. (For more information on these facilities, see p 20.)

Student profile Based on student numbers the Faculty of Engineering becomes the biggest of its kind in the country in 1971. By 1980 there were 1 670 registered undergraduate and 460 registered postgraduate students. In 2015 there were 5 734 undergraduate and 2 546 postgraduate enrolments, which translates into 8 290 students in total. The biggest postgraduate group in 2015 was in the Graduate School of Technological Management with 1 082 students.

The first 17 BSc.Eng degrees were awarded at the end of 1959. In 2013 a record number of 694 BEng degrees were awarded. The first three master’s degrees were awarded in 1962 and in 1963 the first doctorate was awarded to Dr Hugo Kiderlen. In 2014, 503 honours, 203 master’s and 24 doctoral degrees were awarded. (Also refer to the table on p 18 and the graphs on p 19.)

There are numerous specialist research groups and financed research chairs in all the academic departments of the School of Engineering. In addition, an ever increasing number of academic staff members receive ratings from the National Research Foundation (NRF). Financial support comes mainly from sources outside the University. (More information on the School’s research activities appears in the departmental overviews on pp 24–46.)

The Thomson ISI Essential Science Indicators (ESI) published in February 2016 ranks the School at number 511 globally. In the ESI citations list it is ranked at number 633, which is the highest ranking achieved by an engineering school or faculty in South Africa.

Research in the School receives strong support from the large number of fulltime postgraduate students who are currently registered. In 2014, 70 research master’s degrees and 24 doctorates were awarded.

Prof Gert Pienaar

In the first decade of its existence most of the students in the Faculty were male, white and Afrikaans speaking. In 1966 Dimitra Jennings became the first woman student in the Faculty and in 1969 she completed the degree BSc.Eng. in mechanical engineering cum laude. In 2015 there were 2 061 registered women students – about 25% of the total number of registered students. The first group of 42 black students enrolled in 1994. In 2015 there were 3 606 registered black students – about 44% of the total number of registered students.

Research and institutes The Faculty’s research activities have been gaining momentum since the mid-70s. The Carl and Emily Fuchs Institute for Micro-Electronics (CEFIM) was founded in 1973 and the CEFIM Building was completed in 1982. The Institute of Applied Materials (IAM) was established in 1996 and the Industrial Metals and Minerals Research Institute (IMMRI) in 1999.

Dimitra Jennings, first woman with BScIng (1969) 14

60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Hoogtepunte: 1956 tot 2016 Algemene ontwikkeling In 1956 word die eerste groep van 64 eerstejaarstudente toegelaat vir studie in Elektrotegniese, Meganiese en Siviele Ingenieurswese. In 1959 word toelating verleen aan die eerste studente in Metallurgiese en Chemiese Ingenieurswese.

In 1960 skryf die eerste studente in vir Bedryfsingenieurswese en in 1962 vir Mynbou-ingenieurswese. (Meer besonderhede oor die eerste fase van die bestaan van die Fakulteit word op pp 8–9 gegee.) In 1976 word Elektroniese Ingenieurswese en in 1999 Rekenaaringenieurswese as graadprogramme toegevoeg.

Die Departement Ingenieurs- en Tegnologiebestuur word in 1994 gestig en in 2007 word die naam na die Nagraadse Skool vir Tegnologiebestuur verander.

Die Skool bied verskeie nagraadse programme aan. Teen 2014 is sowat 3 000 honneurs-, magister- en doktorsgrade toegeken.

In 2000 word die Fakulteit Ingenieurswese as die Skool vir Ingenieurswese ingesluit in die nuwe Fakulteit Ingenieurswese, Bou-omgewing en Inligtingtegnologie, tesame met die Skool vir die Bou-omgewing en die Skool vir Inligtingtegnologie.

Sedert 2001 ondergaan die Skool vir Ingenieurswese se nege voorgraadse programme met gereelde tussenposes van sowat vyf jaar ʼn nuwe internasionaal erkende akkreditasieproses deur die Ingenieursraad van SuidAfrika (IRSA). Akkreditasie geskied in ooreenstemming met voorgeskrewe standaarde van die Washington-verdrag, wat tans in 17 lande wêreldwyd toegepas word vir die beoordeling van opleiding vir professionele ingenieurs, insluitende Australië, Indië, Kanada, Nieu-Seeland, die VK en die VSA.

Fasiliteite Die eerste gedeelte van die J G Strijdomgebou vir Ingenieurswese (tans bekend as die Ingenieurswese 2-gebou) word in 1957 voltooi en die tweede gedeelte in 1960. Die Swaarmasjienlaboratoriums word in 1958 in gebruik geneem en

in 1973 word ʼn addisionele vleuel bygevoeg. In 1975 word die Ingenieurswesetoringgebou (tans bekend as die Ingenieurswese 1-gebou) voltooi. Die gebou maak voorsiening vir die dekaanskantoor en administratiewe personeel, departementele kantore en tien lesinglokale met 700 sitplekke in totaal.

In 1987 is die destydse Fisikagebou opgeknap en ingerig om die departemente Materiaalkunde en Metallurgiese Ingenieurswese, asook Mynbouingenieurswese te akkommodeer. Dit huisves ook die Departement Geologie, waardeur noodsaaklike interaksie tussen hierdie drie dissiplines bevorder is.

In 2015 is ʼn vyfde vlak bygevoeg as uitbreiding vir Mynbou-ingenieurswese.

Dié vlak huisves onder meer die Kumba Virtuele Werklikheidsentrum vir Mynontwerp (VRC) (Sien ook p 47.)

In 2011 is die Ingenieurswese 3-gebou voltooi. Die gebou bestaan uit ses lesingsale met ʼn totaal van 2 060 sitplekke, laboratoriums, kantore, asook parkeerruimte in die keldervlakke. In 2013 word die Mynwese-studiesentrum wat voorsiening maak vir 800 studente, in gebruik geneem. (Meer besonderhede oor hierdie fasiliteite verskyn op p 20.)

Studenteprofiel Op grond van studentegetalle word die Fakulteit Ingenieurswese in 1971 die grootste van sy soort in die land. Teen 1980 was daar 1 670 ingeskrewe voorgraadse en 460 ingeskrewe nagraadse studente. In 2015 was daar 5 734 voorgraadse en 2 546 nagraadse inskrywings, dus 8 290 studente in totaal.

Die grootste enkele nagraadse groep in 2015 was aan die Nagraadse Skool vir Tegnologiebestuur met 1 082 studente.

Die eerste 17 BSc.Ing-grade word aan die einde van 1959 toegeken. In 2013 is ʼn rekordgetal van 694 BIng-grade toegeken. Die eerste drie magistergrade word in 1962 toegeken en in 1963 word die eerste doktorsgraad aan Dr Hugo Kiderlen toegeken. In 2014 word 503 honneurs-, 203 magister- en 24 doktorsgrade toegeken. (Kyk ook na die tabel op p 18 en die grafieke op p 19.)

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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Hoogtepunte: 1956 tot 2016 vervolg In die eerste dekade van die Fakulteit se bestaan was studente hoofsaaklik blank, mans en Afrikaanssprekend. In 1966 is Dimitra Jennings die eerste ingeskrewe vrouestudent en in 1969 behaal sy die graad BSc.Ing. in meganiese ingenieurswese met lof. In 2015 was daar 2 061 geregistreerde vrouestudente – sowat 25% van die totale getal ingeskrewe studente. Die eerste groep van 42 swart eerstejaarstudente skryf in 1994 in. In 2015 was daar 3 606 geregistreerde swart studente – sowat 44% van die totale getal ingeskrewe studente.

Navorsing en institute Sedert die middel van die sewentigerjare het die Fakulteit se navorsingsaktiwiteite meer momentum gekry. Die Carl en Emily Fuchs-instituut vir Mikro-elektronika (CEFIM) word in 1973 gestig en die CEFIM-gebou word in 1982 voltooi. Die Instituut vir Toegepaste Materiale (ITM) word in 1996 gestig en die Navorsingsinstituut vir Industriële Metale en Minerale (IMMRI) in 1999.

Daar is talle spesialis-navorsingsgroepe en geborgde leerstoele in al die akademiese departemente van die Skool vir Ingenieurswese. Daarbenewens word ʼn toenemende getal akademiese personeellede deur die Nasionale Navorsingstigting (NNS) as navorsers gegradeer. Finansiële ondersteuning vir navorsing kom hoofsaaklik uit bronne buite die Universiteit. (Meer inligting oor die Skool se navorsingsaktiwiteite verskyn in die departementele oorsigte op pp 24–46.)

Die Thomson ISI Essential Science Indicators (ESI) van Februarie 2016 gradeer die Skool as nommer 511 ter wêreld. In die ESI-sitasielys beklee die Skool die 633ste posisie – die hoogste gradering van alle ingenieurskole en fakulteite in Suid-Afrika.

Navorsing in die Skool word sterk ondersteun deur die groot getal voltydse nagraadse studente wat tans geregistreer is. In 2014 is 70 navorsingsgerigte magistergrade en 24 doktorsgrade toegeken.

Prof Gert Pienaar 16

60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Dintlhakgolo: 1956 go fihla ka 2016 Tšweletšopele ya kakaretšo Ka 1956 sehlopha sa baithuti ba 64 ba amogetšwe go ithutela Boentšenere bja Elektrothekniki, Semotšhene le Segae. Ka 1959 baithuti ba mathomo ba Boentšenere bja Metaletšikhale le Dikhemikhale ba hweditše tumelelo.

Baithuti ba mathomo ba Boentšenere bja Intasteri ba ingwadišitše ka 1960 gomme baithuti ba mathomo ba Boentšenere bja Meepo ka 1962. Ka 1976 Boentšenere bja Elektroniki bo tlaleleditšwe bjalo ka lenaneo la tikrii gomme ka 1999 Boentšenere bja Khomphutha bja tsebišwa.

Kgoro ya Boentšenere le Taolo ya Theknolotši e hlomilwe ka 1994 gomme ka 2007 leina la yona la fetolelwa go Sekolo sa Dialoga sa Taolo ya Theknolotši.

Sekolo se aba mananeo a mmalwa a dialogadigolwane gomme ka 2014 go abilwe tekanyetšo ya ditikrii tše 3 000 tša honase, mastase le bongaka.

Ka 2000 Lefapha la Boentšenere le bile karolo ya Lefapha la Boentšenere, Tikologo ya Kago le Theknolotši ya Tshedimošo le lefsa, leo le akaretšago Sekolo sa Boentšenere, Sekolo sa Tikologo ya Kago le Sekolo sa Theknolotši ya Tshedimošo.

Go tloga ka 2001 mananeo a senyana a Sekolo sa Boentšenere a be a tlangwa ke tshepetšo ya tumelelo yeo e lemogwago ya ditšhabatšhaba ye mpsha ke Khansele ya Boentšenere ya Afrika Borwa (ECSA) mengwaga ye mengwe le ye mengwe ye mehlano. Tumelelo e fiwa ka mokgwa wa ditheo tša Tumelelano ya Washington yeo ga bjale e šomišwago go lekola tlhahlo ya baentšenere ba profešene mo dinageng tše 17 go phatlalala le lefase, go akaretša Australia, India, New Zealand, UK le USA.

Dinolofatši Karolo ya mathomo ya Moago wa J G Strijdom wa Boentšenere (nakong ya bjale o tsebega ka Moago wa Boentšenere bja 2) e feditšwe ka 1957 gomme karolo ya bobedi ka 1960. Dilaporotori tša Metšhene ya Boima di thomile go šomišwa ka 1958 gomme karolo ye nngwe e okeditšwe ka 1973. Ka 1975 Moago wa Tora ya Boentšenere (nakong ya bjale o tsebega ka Moago wa Boentšenere bja 1) e feditšwe. Moago o na le ofisi ya Hlogo ya Lefapha, badirišani ba taolo, diofisi tša kgoro le diphapošiborutelo tše lesome tša madulo a 700.

Ka 1987 Moago wa Fisika wa pele o mpshafaditšwe gomme wa lokelwa fenišara go fa madulo dikgoro tša Disaense tša Dimateriale le Boentšenere bja Metaletšikhale, le Boentšenere bja Meepo. E fa gape madulo Kgoro ya Geologi, yeo e godišitšego tsenelano ye bohlokwa gare ga dikarolo tše tše tharo. Ka 2015 legato la bohlano le tsentšwe bjalo ka koketšo ya Boentšenere bja Meepo.

Legato le ke legae la gare ga tše dingwe Senthara ya Kgonthe ya Tirišo ya Kumba ya Moakanyetšo wa Meepo (VRC).

Moago wa Boentšenere bja 3 o feditšwe ka 2011. O na le palomoka ya diphapošiborutelo tše tshela tša madulo a 1 800, dilaporotori, diofisi, le sekgoba sa go phaka ka fase ga moago. Senthara ya Dithuto tša Meepo, yeo e swarago baithuti ba 800, e thomile go šoma ka 2013.

Molahlakore wa baithuti Go ya ka palo ya baithuti Lefapha la Boentšenere le bile le legolo go feta ka moka la mohuta wa lona mo nageng ka 1971. Ka 1980 go be go na le baithuti bao ba ngwadišitšego go ithutela tikrii ba 1670 le baithuti ba dialogadigolwane ba 460 bao ba ingwadišitšego. Ka 2015 go be go na le baithuti ba ba ngwdišitšego ba 5 734 ba go ithutela tikrii le ba 2 546 ba dialogadigolwane, bao ka moka ba dirago palomoka ya baithuti ba 8 290. Sehlopha se le tee se segolo sa dialogadigolwane go fihla lehono seo se ngwadišitšego ka 2015 ge baithuti ba 1082 ba ngwadišwa Sekolong sa Dialoga.

Ditikrii tša mathomo tše 17 tša BSc.Eng di abilwe ka 1959. Ka 2013 palo ya rekoto ya ditikrii tše 694 ya BEng e abilwe. Ditikrii tše tharo tša mastase di abilwe ka 1962 gomme ka 1963 tikrii ya mathomo ya bongaka e abetšwe Dr Hugo Kiderlen. Ka 2014, ditikrii tša dihonase tše 503, dimastase tše 203 le tša bongaka tše 24 di abilwe.

Ka paka ya mathomo ya go ba gona ga yona baithuti ba bantši e be e le banna, ba bašweu ba go bolela Seafrikanse. Ka 1966 Dimitra Jennings e bile moithuti wa mathomo wa mosadi ka Lefapheng gomme ka 1969 o feditše tikrii ya BSc. Eng in Mechanical Engineering ka dihlora. Ka 2015 go be go na le baithuti ba basadi ba 2 061 ba ba ngwadišitšego – e kaba 25% ya palomoka ya palo ya baithuti bao ba ngwadišitšego. Sehlopha sa mathomo sa baithuti ba baso ba 42 se ngwadišitše ka 1994. Ka 2015 go be go na le baithuti ba baso ba ba ngwadišitšego ba 3606 – e kaba 44% ya palomoka ya palo ya baithuti bao ba ngwadišitšego

Nyakišišo le diinstitute Mešongwana ya nyakišišo ya Lefapha e be e lemogwa go tloga gare ga mengwaga ya bo70. Institute ya Carl le Emily Fuchs ya Maekroelektroniki (CEFIM) e thomilwe ka 1973 gomme Moago wa CEFIM o feditšwe ka 1982.

Institute ya Dimateriale tšeo di Dirišitšwego (IAM) e thomilwe ka 1996 gomme Institute ya Dimetale tša Intasteri le Dinyakišišo tša Diminerale (Afrika Borwa) (IMMRI) ka 1999.

Go na le dihlopha tša dinyakišišo tša bokgoni le ditulo tša nyakišišo ye e thekgwago ka ditšhelete mo dikgorong ka moka tša thuto tša Sekolo sa Boentšenere. Go tlaleletša, palo ya badirišani ba thuto ye e golago kudu e hweditše tekanyo ya Motheo wa Dinyakišišo wa Setšhaba (NRF). Dithekgo tša ditšhelete di tšwa methopong ya ka ntle ga Yunibesithi.

Thomson ISI Essential Science Indicators (ESI) yeo e gatišitšwego ka Dibokwane 2016 e bea Sekolo maemong a bo 511 lefaseng ka bophara. Mo lenaneong la ditsopolwa tša ESI e beilwe maemong a 633, yeo e lego maemo a godimo go feta ka moka ao a fihleletšwego ke sekolo sa boentšenere goba lefapha ka Afrika Borwa.

Nyakišišo mo Sekolong e amogela thekgo ye kgolo go tšwa palong ye kgolo ya baithuti ba nako ka moka ba ba ngwadišitšego nakong ya bjale. Ka 2014, ditikrii tše 70 tša mastase le ditikrii tše 24 tša bongaka di abilwe.

Prof Gert Pienaar

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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Number of degrees awarded during the period 1959 to 2014 Discipline

Bachelor

Honours

Masters

Doctoral

Agricultural*

345

62

33

4

Civil

2 966

1 376

301

49

Chemical

1 421

1 013

273

51

Computer Electrical Electronic

4 247

1 245

577

96

Industrial

1 902

643

112

31

Mechanical

3 285

702

322

67

Metallurgical

829

327

124

45

Mining

716

119

26

11

Engineering Management

1 533

1 450

30

General

-

-

-

47

TOTAL

15 711

7 020

3 218

431

* This programme was terminated in 2003

18

60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Graduates statistics 1959 to 2014

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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THE ENGINEERING 3 BUILDING

2.

1.

The Engineering 3 Building

was inaugurated in 2011. It was considered a crucial addition to the existing inadequate facilities of the School of Engineering resulting from the rapid increase in engineering student numbers of about 11% per annum over the period 2001 to 2011. The building, designed by ARC Architectural Consultants, is environmentally friendly with natural ventilation and temperature control features incorporated in the design. It is the 2013 winner of the prestigious SA Property Owners Association (SAPOA) Innovative Excellence Award.

The building is located at the site of the old parking area behind the Aula. The six lecture halls can seat up to 2 060 students. The graphic communication centre provides an additional 475 seats and the Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate (CDIO) initiative laboratory has 91 seats. Other facilities include the state-of-the-art undergraduate and research laboratories, office space for 70 postgraduate students and offices for lecturers.

The ground and basement levels of the building consist of a four-and-a-half level parkade.

3.

Clockwise: South-western view of the Engineering 3 Building.

20

60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Foyer area of the lecture halls complex in the building.

Interior of a lecture hall in the Engineering 3 Building.

THE MINING INDUSTRY STUDY CENTRE The Mining Industry Study Centre was inaugurated

in 2013. The design utilised an additional 3 000 square metres of previously unused space at street level beneath the Engineering 1 Building. The developed area consists mainly of a large arched roof covering a ground level and mezzanine interior that accommodate approximately 800 students. It supports the on-campus study needs of students in a computer laboratory and also provides facilities for individual and group work. Provision had to be made for storm water control from the large arch-shaped steel roof. Consequently, an area of 4 500 square metres surrounding the building was landscaped to accommodate a botanical ‘wetland’ garden that absorbs the storm water. This garden also now serves the purpose of a ‘living laboratory’ to enable botany students to research a wetland habitat. To resolve the issue of waterproofing,

a UV stable, EPDM rubber liner was installed to contain the water and prevent it from seeping towards the lecture halls in the basement below the study centre. The erection of the study centre was sponsored by the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund and by Glencore Xstrata. The building was designed by ARC Architectural Consultants.

Clockwise: Western view of the Study Centre, located in the space below the Engineering 1 Building.

Interior of the Study Centre, showing the computer laboratory and group work enclosures on the lower floor and the individual study booths on the mezzanine floor.

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COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECTS In 2005, the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Engineering, Built

Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) implemented a new compulsory module, the Community-based Project Module, for all undergraduate students. The decision to create such a free-standing module was motivated by the need to accommodate community-service and servicelearning projects within the curriculum of all undergraduate programmes. The module is the first of its kind for students in the disciplines of engineering, the built environment and information technology in South Africa.

The module’s service-learning-related project aims to achieve a beneficial impact on a chosen section of society and to expose engineering students to real-life issues. By becoming involved in the communities, the students will have the opportunity to become more aware of their responsibility to the communities, develop an awareness of their citizenship and how they can utilise their acquired knowledge to the benefit of the communities.

The eight-credit module (80 hours) is offered on an open-ended and projectorientated basis. About 1 800 students register per year. More than 13 000 students have worked on 4 260 projects (550 annually) since 2005. These include international projects in five African countries and in countries on other continents. The module requires students to work in the community for at least 40 hours, during which time they address a specific need in the community.

They subsequently have to complete various assignments in which they reflect on their experiences. Popular student projects include teaching mathematics and physical sciences at secondary schools, doing renovation projects, repairing old computers for schools and non-profit organisations, and teaching basic computer skills to community members.

At the beginning of the academic year, the module and project manager, Dr Martina Jordaan, presents an orientation lecture and then assists the students to identify appropriate projects and introduces them to the community partners. Students work in groups with a group leader who is responsible for

Engineering students in action during project work

22

60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Dr Martina Jordaan, Module and Project Manager

Engineering students in action during project work.

coordinating their group to achieve its outcomes successfully. After completing the project, an on-site supervisor assesses the students using a prescribed form, verifies the log of the hours worked and approves the final YouTube video about the students’ projects. The marketing and visibility impact of the module for the University is clear as the YouTube videos received a total of more than 35 000 views during 2013, 2014 and 2015.

The module was used as an example of a service-learning module for nonservice-related courses in a textbook about service learning in South Africa.

The success of the module is reflected in the positive feedback from the communities and students. The module received recognition in the form of

an Education Innovation award from the University of Pretoria in 2006. It was also a finalist for the Talloires Network MacJannet Prize in 2010 and won the Excellence Award of the National Marketing Advancement and Communication in Education (MACE) in the category, ‘Integrated campaigns/projects’ and subcategory, ‘Social responsibility citizenship development’ in 2014. In 2015, Dr Jordaan was the first recipient of the University of Pretoria’s Community Engagement award. One of the student groups’ YouTube video was a finalist in the American Society of Engineering Education Community Engagement Division Film Festival in 2015.

Dr Martina Jordaan Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Historical perspective The Department of Chemical Engineering was officially established in 1960 with Prof Dawie Schoeman serving as the first Head of the Department. The first graduates completed their studies in 1962. When Prof Schoeman became Dean of the Faculty in 1980, Prof Uys Grimsehl took over as Head of the Department. Prof Philip de Vaal succeeded him in 2004.

The first-year enrolment was fairly stable for the first 15 years at between 20 and 30 students per annum. This number had increased to 170 by 2015.

Annual graduates increased from 7 in 1962 to 80 in 2015. The current number of postgraduate students is 188, 67 of whom are busy with full-time master’s or PhD studies.

Research achievements The Department has been highly successful in attracting funds to complement internal resources. Since 1960, a total of five endowed Chairs have been adding value to the activities of the Department, namely: • the Rand Water Chair in Water Utilisation Engineering, • the East Rand Water Care Company (ERWAT) Chair in Waste Water Management, • the National Department of Science and Technology (DST) Chair in Carbon Technology and Materials, • the DST Chair in Fluoromaterial Science and Process Integration and • Sedibeng Water Chair in Water Utilisation Engineering.

Several members of the Department have made notable research achievements:

24

60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

In 2015 Prof Walter Focke, Director of the Institute of Applied Materials, was recognised as one of the University of Pretoria’s top academic achievers.

Prof Evans Chirwa was appointed to the Sedibeng Water Chair at the end of 2014.

Prof Brian Rand, currently an extraordinary professor in the Department, was the DST Chair in Carbon Technology and Materials until his retirement at the end of 2014 and was one of two researchers in the School of Engineering with an A-rating from the National Research Foundation.

Prof Willie Nicol was the 2012 recipient of the SAIChE Innovation award for achievements in the field of reactor technology.

Prof Thoko Majozi, currently an extraordinary professor in the Department, received the 2010 SAIChE Bill Neal-May Gold Medal award for Outstanding Achievement and International Recognition, was appointed as a research fellow of the CSIR in 2009 and received the Silver Medal of the British Association, awarded by the Southern African Society for the Advancement of Science (S2A3), in 2008.

In 2008, the University of Pretoria celebrated its centenary and honoured 100 leading minds of the past century. Profs Walter Focke, Thoko Majozi and Henk Viljoen were honoured at this event.

Previous page: Pilot-scale distillation column.

Hierdie bladsy links na regs: 1962 personeel en finalejaarstudente in Chemiese Ingenieurswese.

Voor: Dr JD Raal, mnr C Nel, prof DJ Schoeman, mnr W Skinner Agter: LRWA Middelberg, DJ Jacobs, J Koen, LFWG Krook, JS de Jager, UHJ Grimsehl Inlas: ST Mayr Prof Philip de Vaal, Head of Department.

Prominent alumni Alumni of the Department have a proud record of local and international performance: Hans van Leeuwen, Professor of Environmental and Bioengineering at Iowa State University (Class of 1975) Ralph Havenstein, former Executive Director of Sasol and CEO of Anglo Platinum (Class of 1977) Renus Kelfkens, Senior Vice-President: Engineering at Sundrop Fuels, Longmont, Colorado (Class of 1977)

Marinus Niemand, Programme Director: Capital Excellence at Sasol Synfuels (Class of 1996)

Research focus areas and expertise The following research areas are pursued in the Department: • Biotechnology and bio-reaction engineering • Particle and droplet technology, ranging from nano- to micro-scale • Process modelling, control and optimisation • Polymers and advanced materials, including fluoropolymers and carbon technology

Henk Viljoen, Distinguished Professor and Chair: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Class of 1979)

• Tribology (lubrication characteristics of lubricants and fuels)

Rudi Heydenrich, Senior Vice-President: Research & Technology at Sasol Limited (Class of 1982)

Research in the Department is supported by a variety of analytical equipment, the replacement value of which exceeds R50 million. Laboratory facilities were refurbished and expanded considerably during a comprehensive upgrading project that cost more than R80 million and was completed at the end of July 2015. This will enable the Department to continue playing a leading role locally and globally.

Ingmar Boesenberg, former Supply Chain Director at SAB-Miller (Class of 1983) Marius Kloppers, former CEO of BHP-Billiton (Class of 1986) Elgonda la Grange, Director Global Consulting Services at Honeywell (Class of 1986)

• Water utilisation and environmental engineering

Prof Philip de Vaal

Stephan Schoeman, Executive Vice-President: Technology at Sasol Limited (Class of 1986) Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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THE INSTITUTE OF APPLIED MATERIALS Historical matters, mission and broad objectives Professor Anton Heyns founded the Institute of Applied Materials (IAM) in 1996. His vision was to create an interdisciplinary materials programme at the University of Pretoria with participation from the departments of Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering. Professor Walter Focke took over the reins around the turn of the century. Based on an external review, IAM was reconstituted as a ‘virtual’ department tasked to promote interdisciplinary materials activities at the University of Pretoria. This includes materials-related training and applied research and development relevant to the needs of local industry.

Focus, specialisation and expertise

The SARChI Chair in Fluoro-materials Science and Process Integration is located in the Department of Chemical Engineering but collaborates with IAM. It is driving efforts to locally synthesise fluoropolymers at industrial scale.

Dr Ndeke Musee investigates nanomaterials’ fate, behaviour, and effects in ecological systems to support the idea that they are safe-by-design and promote their ecologically responsible manufacture, use and disposal.

Specialist equipment available Specialised processing pilot facilities and characterisation laboratories are available for materials research activities in carbon materials, polymers, emulsions, pyrotechnics and particle technology.

The research focus is on fluoro- and carbon materials, polymer technology, nanotechnology, pyrotechnics and chemical product design. The activities in the last category include modelling multicomponent mixture properties, layered solids as functional additives for polymers, green pyrotechnics and combating malaria transmission.

The SARChI Chair in Carbon Technology and Materials was established under the leadership of Prof Brian Rand, a world expert in carbon materials research.

It was initially set up to provide research and training in carbon materials, particularly those relevant to the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor and related industries. Following the demise of the Pebble bed programme, the emphasis has shifted to the application of graphite materials in other energy applications.

Dr Hein Badenhorst is pursuing technologies for the capture and storage of solar energy. Prof Ncholu Manyala, the current Chair holder, studies the application of graphene-based materials in the conversion of solar energy to electricity, and storing it using graphene-based supercapacitors.

Prof Walter Focke, Director of IAM 26

60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Achievements Notable product and process development achievements include: • the De Wet process for the manufacture of zirconium chemicals from zircon sand, • recycling of PTFE, • a green process for the synthesis of hydrotalcite stabilisers for PVC, • insecticidal wall linings for malaria vector control and • Green pyrotechnic time delay compositions for mine detonators.

Prof Walter Focke

This page: The novel solar concentration platform in the Department of Chemical Engineering uses only cheap, off-the-shelf components to generate concentrated solar power. A Fresnel lens is used to achieve concentration ratios of up to 2 000 suns reaching temperatures well over 1 500 degrees Celsius. The platform is currently being used to investigate flash desalination of seawater but in future it will be the basis for exploring electricity generation using concentrated photo-voltaics and thermoelectric conversion. In the long term it will form the starting point for investigating high temperature solar chemistry, aimed at converting solar energy into liquid fuels.

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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The Department of Civil Engineering has trained

more than 30% of all registered professional civil engineers in South Africa.

As one of the three oldest departments in the School of Engineering, it has a long-standing reputation for undergraduate teaching. During the last 25 years, the Department has come to excel, not only at teaching under- and postgraduate modules, but also at conducting cutting-edge research that has an international impact.

Formal education and training The Department had 965 registered undergraduates in 2015, more than 40% of whom are previously disadvantaged individuals (PDI), with a first-year complement of 353 students. The BEng degree programme is structured to fully meet and even exceed the requirements of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).

The Department offers postgraduate courses in the fields of geotechnical engineering, water resources engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, railway engineering and civil engineering materials.

In 2015, the Department had 200 students enrolled for BEng (Hons), MEng and PhD studies, many of whom are citizens of neighbouring Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries and further afield.

Research activities To develop an active research environment, it was necessary to appoint appropriately qualified staff who are interested in conducting research, recruit high-calibre postgraduate research students and find funding for state-of-theart research equipment.

CIVIL ENGINEERING 28

60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

During the past 25 years, the Department invested a significant amount of funding in well-equipped laboratories, the latest addition being a 500 kN closed-loop materials testing system (MTS) that can be used to conduct fatigue testing on full-scale, large infrastructure elements at high load amplitude and frequency.

In 2011, Profs SW Jacobsz and Elsabe Kearsley obtained funding from the National Equipment Fund of the NRF for the largest geotechnical centrifuge in the southern hemisphere. The centrifuge has an effective centrifuge radius of 3,0 m and is capable of accelerating a payload of up to 1 tonne to 150 G. It is used to emulate realistic soil behaviour in scale models and, to date, these have included models of sinkholes, mine backfill subsidence, cave mining, railway embankments, pavements, and soil-structure interaction of footings and culverts.

Prof Hannes Grabe was appointed to the Transnet Freight Rail Chair in Railway Engineering. Through the activities of this Chair, he presents as many as 13 railway-related block courses a year. Nearly 850 people have attended these courses during which they had the opportunity to spend up to five days gaining knowledge from local and international experts in the field. The Department’s railway-related research includes experiments on a full-scale test section on the University’s Experimental Farm, as well as long-term measurement of the behaviour of various sections of railway lines used for different purposes.

Previous page: Profs SW Jacobsz and Elsabe Kearsley preparing for scale model testing in the enclosure of the Geotechnical Centrifuge.

This page right: Prof Wynand Steyn, Head of Department.

Onder: 1959 personeel en finalejaarstudente in Siviele Ingenieurswese.

Voor: Mnr JF Pienaar, mnr BC van Wyk, dr GPR von Willigh, prof CA du Toit, prof DW de Vos, dr M van Rooyen, mnr CJ Wessels

Middel: PA Stoffberg, PWB Kruger, HJ Meyer, KE Bruinette, PS Steyn, mnr JG Jooste

Agter: MJ Rautenbach, MJ le Roux, IP de Villiers, AB Hugo

Prof Wynand Steyn is the driving force behind pavement-related research at the University. PaveTesting Ltd donated equipment to measure pavement profile and friction, with the objective of supporting education in pavement engineering in South Africa. Opportunities will be generated for hands-on training and research for under- and postgraduate students in pavement engineering, enabling the University to remain at the cutting edge of pavement research. Planned research utilising this equipment will focus on current issues in southern African pavement and road engineering, such as the effects of road condition on the safe and economical transportation of freight.

In 2015, Mr Marco van Dijk was awarded the Water Research Commission’s Knowledge Tree award in the category, New Products and Services for Economic Development. He received this prestigious award for his significant contribution to water science and technology, and the impact his research has had on economic development. His work focuses on conduit hydropower, an alternative, unconventionalhead of department method of generating electricity.

Prof Wynand Steyn - HOD, Head of Department Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING 30

60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Historical perspective In 1956 Prof Gustav Heymann was appointed as Head of the new Department of Electro-technical Engineering at UP. In 1976 an independent Department of Electronic Engineering was established under the leadership of Prof Louis van Biljon. The Department expanded to become the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering in 1986 and on 1 April 1992, owing to academic considerations, it was once again merged with the Department of Electrical Engineering to form the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. In 1999 a new undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering was introduced

by Prof Wihelm Leuschner (HoD from 1994 to 2011), resulting in another name change to the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering.

Prof Sunil Maharaj (the current Dean) was appointed HoD in 2011. Prof Johan Joubert is the current Acting Head of the Department.

Staff members from the Department who held leadership positions at UP • Prof Calie Pistorius (jnr) was HoD (1989−1994), Director of the Institute for Technological Innovation (1994−1998), Director of Information Technology (1998−1999), Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) (2000–2001) and finally Vice- Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria (2001−2009). Currently he is the ViceChancellor of the University of Hull in the UK. • Prof Louis van Biljon was the first head of the Department of Electronic Engineering in 1976, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering in 1987 and VicePrincipal of UP in 1988.

• Prof Jan Malherbe was HoD (1988−1989), Dean of the Faculty of Engineering (1989−1999, Executive Director (2000−2001) and Vice-Principal of UP (2001−2005).

Research achievements The Department has always been prominent in producing peer reviewed research publications and registered patents of novel electronic devices and systems. It maintained a steady average of 30 publication units per year for the past eight years (2007–2014).

Ground-breaking research work on recombination emission from silicon transistors by Prof Daan van Wyk was published in the Proceedings of the IEEE

in 1965. At present, the highly sophisticated field of light emitting silicon is very important in achieving the ultimate speed of operation (speed of light), in computing devices such as microprocessors.

Prof Jan Malherbe is considered one of the leading researchers in the Department. He was one of the first engineering academics at UP to receive a B rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) and over the span of his career at UP he received numerous awards for his research achievements and his contribution to the advancement of research in the Department, the Faculty and the University.

In 2010 Prof Xiaohua Xia became the first engineering academic and researcher at UP to be awarded an A rating by the NRF. There are currently one A rated, five B rated, six C rated and one Y rated lecturers in the Department − a total of 13, which is exceptional for any engineering department in South Africa.

The research of the Department is well supported by the participation of 164 honours and master’s students, and particularly by 60 PhD students.

The major sponsors for the research and educational offerings in the Department are ARMSCOR, Bytes Universal Systems, CBI Electric, EXXARO, DST, ESKOM, GENDAC, GEW, Huawei, MOSIS, NRF, Parsec, Powertech, SANEDI, SIEMENS, ST Microelectronics, TELKOM, Tempetech (Microchip), Sentech, and Vodacom.

Centres of expertise • ASN: The Advanced Sensor Networks (ASN) Group was established in 2005 with Prof Gerhard Hancke as head. The Centre received the SARChI Chair for ASN was awarded by the NRF in 2014, which from 2015 is held by Prof A Alfa.

• CBI Electric Low Voltage Chair in Power Electronics: Managed by Prof R Bansal.

• CEFIM: The Carl and Emily Fuchs Institute for Microelectronics was established in 1981 after a huge donation was received from the Carl and Emily Fuchs Foundation and through the hard work and inspiration of Prof Louis van Biljon. The donation comprised a Chair in Microelectronics and the construction of the CEFIM building in 1982.

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

Left: Electrical engineering heavy machines laboratory

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provide solutions to problems in the medical and biological fields, eg cochlear implants to enable deaf people to hear by utilising electrical stimulation of hearing nerve fibres.

Education

1959 personeel en finalejaarstudente in Elektrotegniese en Meganiese Ingenieurswese.

Voor: Mnr P van Zwieten, prof FG Heymann, prof CA du Toit, prof WG Leeman, dr JP Botha

Middel: Mnr L van Biljon, mnr K Adendorff, dr GT van Rooyen, mnr N Wessels, mnr WG Lewis, mnr T van Niekerk

Agter: JG Heyl, mnr DF van der Merwe, A Bredenkamp, FW Guldenpfenning, JD Muller

• CEM: The Centre for Electromagnetism was established in 1996. CEM houses the only compact antenna electromagnetism measurement facility (established in 1989) in southern Africa, the largest in the southern Hemisphere. CEM obtained SANAS accreditation in 1997.

• CeTEIS: The Centre for Telecommunications Engineering in an Information Society was established in 1997. CeTEIS is a Telkom Centre of Excellence, sponsored by Telkom and Bytes Universal Systems.

• EEDSM Hub: The South African National Hub for the Postgraduate Programme in Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management was established in 2008 under the directorship of Prof Xiaohua Xia. Since 2010 the Hub has produced 125 postgraduates, 134 journal articles, 227 conference papers and two books.

The academics and support staff in the Department take their education brief very seriously and provide lecturing, mentoring, laboratory guidance and administrative support. An awareness of engineering professionalism and esprit de corps is supported by the example set by the lecturers as professional engineers and world-class researchers. Close contact with industry, government and other institutions through contract research and consulting by lecturers ensure that when graduates leave the University with a degree in engineering they are ‘complete’ candidate engineers.

We currently have around 1 200 undergraduate students, 30 lecturers and 32 assistant lecturers. Outstanding lecture halls in the new Engineering 3 Building make lecturing to large groups very effective. The more than 30 general and specialist laboratories in the Department ensure a complete process of learning and experiencing electrical, electronic and computer engineering and its derivatives, from undergraduate level to PhD. We strive for excellence in education. Prof Tania Hanekom (Function Head: Undergraduate Education) received the University of Pretoria Education Innovation Award for 2015, as well as the prestigious CHE/HELTASA National Excellence in Teaching Award for 2015.

The future of the Department

• Bioengineering: The application of engineering methods and technology to

The tremendous growth in popularity and progress made the world over in respect of electrical (energy), electronic (automation, control and telecommunications) and computer engineering (artificial intelligence), in all applications from communications, transport, food production, medicine, energy, mining and manufacture and entertainment, will only accelerate. As a Department we will have to grow more engineers in these fields for South Africa and the world. We have to cope with an exponential rate of innovation in all these technologies and will have to continuously re-invent ourselves.

Prof Johan Joubert (Acting Head)

• EXXARO Energy Efficiency Chair, held by Prof Xiaohua Xia. • SENTECH Chair: The Sentech Chair in Broadband Wireless Multimedia Communication is held by Prof Sunil Maharaj.

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60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

THE CARL AND EMILY FUCHS INSTITUTE FOR MICROELECTRONICS

Introduction The Carl and Emily Fuchs Institute for Microelectronics (CEFIM) is the oldest institute at the School of Engineering and has been doing research and development in the fields of microelectronics, photonics and optoelectronics since 1973.

CEFIM has made a valuable contribution to the local microelectronics industry over the years and many CEFIM alumni have established themselves as leaders in the field, both in South Africa and internationally.

The enthusiastic and dynamic group of engineers and students at CEFIM have a mission to: • provide expert human resources for Southern Africa, • do research and • serve the community in the fields of microelectronics, optoelectronics and other related areas.

These goals are attained by: • training undergraduate students in the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering; • maintaining a postgraduate programme that includes both research and training; • creating and expanding facilities for research; • promoting links among, and co-operation with, other organisations working in the same fields; • being a centre of expertise in microelectronics and optoelectronics; and • creating facilities for new fields of research in microelectronics and optoelectronics.

CEFIM staff and students address research questions in millimetrewave microelectronics, mixed-signal integrated circuit design, micro electromechanical systems (MEMS), silicon photonics and novel electronic devices.

The CEFIM building on the University of Pretoria’s Hatfield Campus.

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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The Institute has been active in the field of microelectronics research and specialist training since 1973. The research and postgraduate programmes are mainly in the field of integrated circuit design, especially the design of analogue signal processors, RF circuits and optical receivers in CMOS technology. Other important activities include simulation and modelling of circuits, devices and processing technologies, as well as applying semiconductors as optoelectronic devices. International contact is vital; CEFIM lecturers and students often participate at international conferences and overseas experts regularly visit the CEFIM facility.

CEFIM has excellent facilities for designing and testing advanced integrated circuits and photonic devices based on sub-micron technology. These include sophisticated integrated circuit design software, state-of-the-art testing equipment for millimetre-wave circuits and optoelectronic devices, as well as a fabrication facility for the manufacture of novel silicon structures and devices.

History Carl Julius Fuchs was born in 1904 in South Africa and married Emily Lilian Humphrey in 1928. As no children were born of their marriage, Carl and Emily Fuchs decided to establish a foundation with the primary purpose of supporting charity and education in South Africa. The Carl and Emily Fuchs Foundation was formally established in August 1969 and it made donations to various charitable organisations and educational institutions. A portion of these funds were donated to universities for the establishment of several chairs, including, in 1970, the Carl and Emily Fuchs Chair in Microelectronics at the then Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pretoria.

On 31 March 1973, the University of Pretoria conferred an honorary doctorate, DSc Honoris Causa, on Carl Julius Fuchs for his contribution to the development of the electronics industry in South Africa. In 1981, the University of Pretoria approached the Fuchs Foundation for a donation to establish a permanent microelectronics facility at the University to train students in this rapidly advancing technological field. Mrs Fuchs said: ‘We considered the idea for some time, and eventually decided to make the donation to the University of Pretoria. We saw a facility like this as a monument to Carl Fuchs’ dream of

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60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

some day supporting training in the mainstream of technological progress.

We also felt that this facility would generate multiple spin-offs in South Africa, which could eventually improve many people’s standard of living.’ The first interim management committee meeting of the newly founded Carl and Emily Fuchs Institute for Microelectronics was held at the University of Pretoria on 13 October 1981.

CEFIM directors: Prof Louis van Biljon (1981–1986) Prof Pieter Rademeyer (1987–1989) Mr Willie Malan (1990) Prof Monuko du Plessis (1991–2012) Prof Saurabh Sinha (2013) Prof Sunil Maharaj (Acting) (2014)

Top: Prof Saurabh Sinha and Dr Tinus Stander of CEFIM conducting mm-wave characterisation on semiconductor passives with the Anritsu ME7828 vector network analyser and Cascade Microtech PM300 probe station.

Middle: Prof Monuko du Plessis (Acting Director CEFIM)

Bottom: Prof Johan Joubert (Acting Head of Department of EER)

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT Engineering and Technology Management

is an evolving discipline. The increasing complexity of engineering systems and activities, the scope and sophistication of resources, and advances in technology have all been driving forces in the evolution of this field.

History A Chair for Engineering Management, sponsored by industry, was established at the University of Pretoria in 1987, with Professor Gideon de Wet as its first incumbent. This evolved into the Department of Engineering and Technology Management in 1994, the first and, at the time, only Department of its kind at a South African university. Professor Antonie de Klerk was the first Head of the Department and was succeeded in 2000 by Professor Tinus Pretorius. The Department went from strength to strength and postgraduate student numbers soon exceeded 1 000. The Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) evolved from this Department and was established on 1 January 2007.

Postgraduate programmes The GSTM offers internationally recognised engineering and technology management development programmes. A master’s programme in engineering management was established in 1989, followed by an honours programme in 1995. A master’s programme in project management was established in 1999.

Doctoral programmes in the three main stream disciplines are available as well. The GSTM is registered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the USA as a Global Education Provider and claims to be the capital for Project Management research and training in Africa. In 2008, the master’s programme in project management (MPM) received international accreditation from the PMI’s Global Accreditation Centre for Project Management Education Programs (GAC).

Prof Tinus Pretorius, Head of GSTM

Research A strong focus on research at the GSTM ensures competitive education.

Research also ensures relevance to the market in terms of increased competitiveness, optimising product life cycles, technology transfer and positioning of technological abilities within the international context. The Department’s academic and research offering and consultation services to industry achieved relevance, competitiveness and excellence through their focus on technology and innovation management, project management, systems and life cycle management, and asset and maintenance management.

Partnerships and collaboration Collaboration with both local and international institutions is of great importance to the GSTM and contributes to the continuous improvement in the quality of our research and educational activities. The GSTM has a long-standing collaboration with Tilburg University in The Netherlands and academics from both institutions engage in exchange programmes for research and teaching activities. The GSTM was instrumental in establishing an Engineering and Technology Management master’s programme at Port Harcourt University in Nigeria. There is also a collaboration agreement with Shandong University in China in the field of project management, as well as formal collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences RavensburgWeingarten in Germany. Individual academics from the GSTM engage in continuous collaboration activities with their counterparts at other local and international universities. The GSTM invites overseas academics on a regular basis to present guest lectures in our programmes Prof Tinus Pretorius Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING If one characteristic of industrial engineering should be valued above all others, perhaps it should be the ability of the industrial engineer to integrate the contributions of all the other engineering disciplines into a final, functional and marketable product, at the lowest possible cost, using system knowledge and understanding. This ‘product’ may be a factory, a part of a factory, a logistic supply chain, a computer program, a quality management system, or even a procedure or plan of action. In general, industrial engineers are responsible for the analysis, design, planning, implementation, operation, management and maintenance of integrated systems consisting of people, money, material, equipment, information and energy.

Brief history The history of the Department is summarised as follows: • 1956: The Faculty became aware of the need for university education in additional engineering disciplines, such as industrial engineering.

• 1960: The first industrial engineering undergraduates were enrolled.

• 1963: The first graduation of industrial engineers in South Africa took place.

• 1975: The Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering was established, with Prof Johan Botha as its Head. Industrial Engineering had previously been a sub-division within the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

• 1981: Departmental academic staff members initiated the creation of, and served with assiduity as members of, the South African Institute of Industrial Engineering (SAIIE).

• 1984: The South African Council of Professional Engineers recognised the professional status of the industrial engineer as a fully fledged, independent and distinct engineering discipline.

• 1987: Departmental academic staff members were involved in the establishment of The South African Journal of Industrial Engineering (SAJIE) as the official journal of SAIIE. The journal gained international recognition as an accredited scientific journal (ISI Science Citation Index).

• 2015: The Department celebrates its 40th anniversary. Our alumni continue to impress the national and international milieu with their knowledge, experience, creativity and diligence.

Prof Botha was succeeded as Head of the Department by Profs Paul Kruger, Schalk Claasen and Sarma Yadavalli.

Links: 1963 personeel en finalejaarstudente in Bedryfsingenieurswese.

Voor: Mnr HL Aucamp, mnr GJ Botha, prof CA du Toit, prof CWI Pistorius, mnr K Adendorff, dr JP Botha Middel: KF Hartman, CF van Veijeren, R Kuyper, WH Coetzer, MSL Boshoff, JPLW Cloete, HW Weideman

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60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Agter: CI Dreyer, ET Brett, WF Kohl, WG Kirsten, PM Grobler, PD Potgieter, JG Duvenage

Mission of the Department

Fields of research

The mission, goals and activities of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering are:

Supply Chain Engineering. Research topics currently considered include supply chain design methodologies, supply chain modelling and optimisation, intelligent logistics, and reverse supply chains.

• to serve the Republic of South Africa by producing engineers capable of making significant contributions to man-machine systems of different sizes and purposes (production and service); • to continue to enrich and embellish the use of quantitative models of industrial engineering systems in the never-ending search for efficiency and productivity; • to rigorously and continuously meet the curriculum accreditation requirements specified by the Engineering Council of South Africa; • to manage the day-to-day existence and operation of the Department in terms of the ISO 9000 Standard for Quality Management by using an inhouse documented Quality Management System; • to support other engineering disciplines in solving problems of a multidisciplinary nature, particularly where economic aspects are involved;

Enterprise Engineering. Enterprise engineering is emerging as a new discipline to address the design of the enterprise in a coherent and holistic way. The Department is actively involved as part of a multi-disciplinary team in establishing this new discipline. Using design research, the research team developed an Enterprise Evolution Contextualisation Model (EECM) that was validated for numerous theoretical enterprise design approaches.

Optimisation. Research in the field of optimisation includes large scale, agentbased transport modelling; commercial vehicle behaviour; waste collection optimisation; and analysis of risky driver behaviour.

Prof Sarma Yadavalli

• to introduce to the entire population of school leavers the nature of, and opportunities offered by, a career in industrial engineering; • to be active in research, and to produce research outputs that are relevant, both nationally and internationally; • to strive to produce the best quality of industrial engineers in South Africa; and • to vigorously maintain the foremost position in the field of industrial engineering education.

Prof Sarma Yadavalli, Head of Department

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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MATERIALS SCIENCE AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING Brief history The precursor of the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, as it is known today, predated the establishment of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Pretoria in 1956. Before the Faculty of Engineering came into being, the state-owned corporation, Iscor (Iron and Steel Corporation of South Africa) established the Iron and Steel Science (‘Yster- en Staalkunde’) Chair in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, which was held by Prof WG Leeman. Iscor also provided lecturers from the nearby Iscor plant at the time. With the advent of the Faculty of Engineering, the chair was transferred to the new Faculty and, in 1958 Prof GT van Rooyen was appointed head of the new Department of Metallurgical Engineering. The first group of graduates completed their studies in 1962. Prof Van Rooyen stepped down in 1994 and was succeeded by Profs Rian Dippenaar, Roelf Sandenbergh, Chris Pistorius, Madeleine du Toit and Roelf Mostert (the current head of the Department).

In 1987 the old Physics Building was completely renovated and renamed the Mineral Sciences Building. It was equipped to accommodate the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, the Department of Mining Engineering and the Department of Geology, which resulted in close cooperation among all the sectors of the minerals- and metals-related disciplines.

General focus and areas of specialisation The Department is currently the only fully integrated metallurgical engineering department at tertiary level in South Africa and is capable of exposing our future professional metallurgical engineers to the full scope of the minerals/metals discipline, ranging from minerals processing, through pyro- and hydro-extractive metallurgy, to physical metallurgy, and welding and corrosion metallurgy.

Metallurgical engineers who graduate from our Department can therefore feel at home in and make a meaningful contribution to any branch of metallurgy in the 38

60 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

1959 personeel en finalejaarstudente in Metallurgiese Ingenieurswese.

Voor: Mnr MN van Niekerk, prof DB le Roux, prof GT van Rooyen, mnr JP Hoffman, mnr SW Vorster Agter: K Engelbrecht, HJ Smith, FW Badenhorst.

Stainless, ArcelorMittal SA, BHP Billiton and Anglo Coal. A strong and vibrant postgraduate research programme offers research based master’s and PhD degrees.

Over the years, the Department witnessed a number of highlights: During the 1980s, the contribution that the Department made to the South African development of 3Cr12, a new corrosion-resistant steel, gave impetus to the research activities of the physical metallurgy programme.

Top left: Profs Andrie Garbers-Craig and Madeleine du Toit at a Jeol JSM 630 scanning electron microscope.

Right: Prof Roelf Mostert, Head of Department

minerals/metals industrial cycle in South Africa and even abroad. Specialisation is offered at honours degree level, with an advanced teaching programme that includes exposure to the latest technological and academic developments in the metallurgical industry.

The Department is active in the following six research and teaching programmes: minerals processing (Dr N Naude), pyrometallurgy (Prof A Garbers-Craig), hydrometallurgy (Dr D Groot), welding engineering (Prof PGH Pistorius), physical metallurgy (Prof WE Stumpf) and corrosion (Prof RF Sandenbergh). Recent milestones in the history of the Department include the establishment of the Anglo American Centre of Pyrometallurgy in 2011, the SAIW (South African Institute of Welding) Centre for Welding Engineering in 2011, and the TenovaBateman Research Chair in Minerals Processing in 2012.

Research The Department’s research programme is focussed on industrial problems faced by the metallurgical industry in South Africa and in the rest of Africa. It receives generous financial support from and has many healthy interactions with leading mining and metallurgical companies such as Anglo American Corporation, Glencore Xstrata, Tenova/Bateman, Kumba Iron Ore, Exxaro, Columbus

During the 1990s, it was realised that the time was right for close co-operation between Iscor and the Department with regard to some of the research and development activities of the corporation. This resulted in the establishment of the Industrial Minerals and Metals Research Institute (IMMRI) in 2001, to perform contract research for Iscor. Furthermore, academic interaction between the Institute and the Department would be mutually beneficial.

In its pursuit of excellence in research and teaching, the Department utilises a range of sophisticated analytical and simulation equipment, including a deformation dilatometer, a thermomechanical simulator, and scanning electron microscopes with EBSD (electron backscatter diffraction) facilities, and a transmission electron microscope with auger spectroscopy and FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy capabilities.

Our mission The Department’s high-level teaching and research programmes are mutually supportive in that excellent teaching leads to high-level research while the outstanding research, in turn, leads to excellent teaching. This combination makes the University of Pretoria’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering a driving force for greater competitiveness in the local and continental minerals and metallurgical industry through the development and optimisation of advanced processes, while developing our youth to the highest academic level.

Prof Roelf Mostert

Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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INDUSTRIAL METALS AND MINERALS RESEARCH INSTITUTE

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Introduction The Industrial Metals and Minerals Research Institute (IMMRI) was founded in 1999 to foster closer research and development cooperation between Iscor (now ArcelorMittal South Africa) and the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Pretoria. This initiative was enthusiastically supported by the Chief Executive Officer of Iscor, Mr Hans Smith and the Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of Pretoria, Prof Johan van Zyl, and entailed as a first step the secondment of a number researchers and their equipment to tailored facilities in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering. IMMRI now functions as a self-funded institute within the University with its main client being ArcelorMittal South Africa, and is linked internationally to the research activities of ArcelorMittal, Vanitech and CBMM. Prof Tom von Moltke was instrumental in the establishment of IMMRI. He served as its first Director and as extraordinary professor in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering until his retirement in 2013. Prof Von Moltke led IMMRI with distinction, establishing it as the country’s leading entity providing high-level support to the steel industry on physical metallurgy, surface characterisation and production support. He also promoted strong ties between the steel industry and the Department. Prof Roelf Sandenbergh is presently serving as Acting Director of IMMRI.

Research activities of the Institute The research and support activities of IMMRI are focussed on physical metallurgy, metal finishing and fabrication processes, and specialised customer support. Specialised instrumentation housed in the facilities include Gleeble and Bähr thermal deformation characterisation instruments, a 200 keV transmission electron microscope (TEM) with an energy-dispersive X-ray analyser (EDS) and an electron energy loss spectrometer (EELS), JEOL scanning electron microscopes with an energy-dispersive X-ray analyser (EDS), two surface analytical spectrometers (X-ray photo-electron and Auger electron spectrometers, XPS and AES), a glow discharge optical emission spectroscope (GDOES), an infrared spectrometer (FTIRS) and a corrosion laboratory equipped with a potentiostat.

The instruments are operated and supported by specialist researchers and are available to students and staff who, after training, are encouraged to operate the instruments.

Previous page: Researcher Rorisang Maubane at the Bähr DIL805 Dilatometer, used for studies of phase transformations and for thermo-mechanical simulations of deformation and annealing treatments of metallic alloys.

Top: Postgraduate student Thabang Makwela at the Jeol JSM IT300 Scanning Electron Micriscope.

IMMRI closely collaborates with ArcelorMittal on local and international levels.

It contributes to improved operations at ArcelorMittal South Africa through production support and by solving problems related to poor toughness in thick, high-niobium-microalloyed line pipe plate steels and rejections due to cracking in as-cast and rolled products. IMMRI is also actively involved in postgraduate steel research projects in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering with an emphasis on industrially relevant ArcelorMittal South Africa products.

Research on vanadium-alloyed steels within IMMRI, supported by Vanitech, resulted in an invitation to Dr Kevin Banks to report on the work by means of a keynote paper, and in Dr Alison Tuling and Mr Rory Maubane delivering papers at the MS&T Conference in Pittsburgh in October 2014. IMMRI is also doing research on niobium-based microalloyed steels with CBMM of Brazil and reported on this work at a CBMM international seminar in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in September 2014.

Over the years, IMMRI has succeeded, through vision and hard work, in developing synergies and mutual support between the University and industry for the benefit of all.

Prof Roelf Sandenbergh Universiteit van Pretoria | University of Pretoria | Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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MECHANICAL AND AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING The Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering is one

of the original three engineering departments (mechanical, electrical and civil) established in 1956. The focus was originally on mechanical engineering alone, but an industrial engineering programme was introduced in 1958 that grew into the separate Department of Industrial Engineering in 1975. An aeronautical engineering focus was introduced in 1991 and the Department formally changed its name to the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering. The Department grew steadily from its first intake of approximately 20 students.

The first Head of the Department was Prof CA du Toit (1956–1974), and the subsequent heads were Profs J Visser (1975–1984), PC Haarhoff (1985–1990), JL Steyn (1990–2001) and JP Meyer (2002–present).

Under the leadership of Prof Meyer, the Department has grown significantly in student numbers, infrastructure, equipment and research output. It is the biggest programme in the School of Engineering and is one of the largest in

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the world with approximately 1 800 students (1 400 undergraduate and 400 postgraduate). Its curriculum was developed to ensure that all the minimum requirements and outcomes of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) were met.

Top left: Response reconstruction on a commercial truck.

The reconstruction is done using large servo-hydraulic actuators and software that was developed at the University of Pretoria to calculate the required driving forces, given measurements of the vehicle response during applications in the field.

Bo regs: 1960 personeel en finalejaarstudente in Meganiese Ingenieurswese.

Voor: Mnr WG Lewis, mnr J Visser, prof CA du Toit, mnr P van Zwieten, mnr FW Güldenpfenning, mnr GJ Pretorius.

Agter: L Fourie, M Erasmus, JU van der Merwe, TJH Oliphant, IA Meyer.

Undergraduate education The curriculum is regularly compared with those of other leading international universities and has been refined to meet the CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate) standards, developed by a consortium of 125 universities (including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Duke, Beijing Jiaotong, the Royal Institute of Technology, Ghent, Queen’s, Stanford, the United States Naval Academy, Michigan, Sydney, Strathclyde, Notre Dame and Leeds).

The curriculum uses a rigorous system of international external examination for almost all modules. The capstone design and research projects are evaluated by a panel of approximately 50 professional engineers from industry.

The Department has an exchange agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which allows student exchanges in both directions during the third year. Since this agreement was implemented eight years ago, almost without exception, one of the Department’s students has been the best student in the third-year class at MIT. The Department has two very active student societies. In the Mini Baja competition, students in small teams plan, design and manufacture their own four-wheeled, singleseater, off-road recreational vehicle to meet a given set of design specifications. This is well-aligned to the educational objectives and outcomes of the CDIO initiative. The teams participate in competitions against other local universities.

Over the past few years, teams from the Department have also competed in the USA in a competition organised by the SAE (the Society of Automotive Engineers) and have done very well.

The University of Pretoria Aeronautical Society is a student branch of the Aeronautical Society of South Africa (AeSSA), which is a division of the UK-based Royal Aeronautical Society. They organise aeronautics-related activities, from lectures to industry visits, and participate annually in a local intervarsity competition organised by the AeSSA. The students design and build their own radio-controlled aircraft

and compete against each other. The society is strong and performs very well, having won all the intervarsity competitions so far.

The Department’s lecturing staff complement is highly qualified and has been transformed from consisting entirely of white males who only give lectures in Afrikaans to a department with a good international profile, including four women, presenting most of the first- and second-year modules in both Afrikaans and English, and the third- and fourth-year modules in English only. At present, the Department has 25 full-time lecturing staff members, supported by 12 highly capable support staff members. The profile of the students has also transformed, from being predominantly Afrikaans male students, to representing a diversity of ethnic groups, international students and showing a healthy growth in female students.

Class sizes have grown significantly with student numbers as high as 1 300 (Graphical Communication, which is also being presented to students from other departments) in the first year, and 230 in the final year. It is a challenge to lecture to students with such large class sizes, especially with limited resources available. Web-supported communication and teaching methodologies are, however, actively embraced to deal with the large classes.

Facilities Two developments led to significant changes in the laboratory infrastructure. Firstly, the Department’s laboratories were originally designed and built as teaching laboratories. The increasing emphasis on transforming it into a research-intensive Department created a demand for research space and state-of-the-art research equipment in addition to the teaching laboratories.

Secondly, the increased student numbers and changes in technology required restructuring of laboratory spaces, more sophisticated laboratory equipment and a modern workshop.

Prof Josua Meyer, Head of Department

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Eskom Chair for Plant Asset Management, Rand Water Chair in Mechanical Engineering, Weir Minerals and Exxaro Chair in Maintenance Engineering, the LMT Chair in Vehicle Engineering and the CSIR Chair in Aeronautics. The Centre for Asset Integrity Management was established in 2014, with Prof Stephan Heyns as Director.

Masters degree student Benjamin Gwashavanhu explaining his research on the development of new methods to visualize the vibrations of rotating turbomachinery blades.

More laboratories, lecture venues, office space and student learning spaces were introduced with the completion of the Engineering 3 building. The Department modernised most of its teaching equipment, established three major laboratories, and is presently modernising its workshop. All three laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and the experimental research output being produced is of an international standard. These laboratories are supported by a good computational infrastructure.

Research and postgraduate studies Research is conducted in the Department that is of local and international relevance in the broad fields of asset integrity management, clean energy and vehicle engineering.

An advisory board was established that creates regular opportunities to engage with captains of industry. Through this board and industry-sponsored research projects and chairs, a good relationship has been established with industry, ensuring regular interaction. The following Chairs are sponsored by industry: 44

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The Department has conducted, and continues to conduct, collaborative research projects with leading international universities such as MIT, Duke, Ghent, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Imperial College, TU Delft, Chalmers, Virginia Tech, Tsinghua and Wrocław. Industry-related research is supported by Airbus, the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, the European Research Office of the US Army, EU Horizon and the Mine Health and Safety Council. To support the full-time master’s and PhD students and maintain and improve research equipment, the Department has become very dependent on external funding and almost all its research income is external funding via local and international research organisations and industry.

The profile of master’s and PhD students has changed from mostly part-time students to mostly full-time students. A large contingent of these students is international students. These research students, together with postdoctoral fellows and good academic staff members, as well as the availability of stateof-the-art laboratories and external funding, are all vital to the development of a successful research-intensive Department. More and more students and staff members are winning best paper awards at international conferences for international scholarly journal papers.

The Department produces between a quarter and a third of the country’s mechanical engineers. It also produces research outcomes that are relevant not only to industry, both locally and internationally. The large student numbers and high quality of research being produced by the Department make it a national strategic asset that has a significant influence on the growth of the economy, job creation and the international competitiveness of our local industry.

Prof Josua Meyer

MINING ENGINEERING Since its inception in 1961, the Department of Mining

Engineering at UP has contributed greatly to the mining industry by providing it with world-class mining engineering leaders. The Department has established a sound foundation on which to continue development of its teaching, research and community service. The language of tuition changed from Afrikaans only to English only in the early 2000s, resulting in a 350% increase in the number of students and a student body that better represents the demographics of the South African population.

Current developments and achievements The Kumba Virtual Reality Centre for mine design is a major expansion of the Department’s facilities. This impressive project is the first of its kind in Africa. It is set to change the face of teaching on the continent and will establish UP as the leading institution in mining engineering in Africa. The Centre was built on top of the existing Mineral Sciences Building on the Hatfield Campus.

Top left: A lecture hall situated in the new top level of the Mineral Sciences Building. In here 68 students can be seated and each pair of students shares a built-in computer with a sunken screen, enabling an open workplace. Mine design software based on programmes used in industry is loaded on the computers which assist students to perform their final year mine design projects.

Top right: Prof Ronny Webber-Youngman, Head of Department

Within the Virtual Reality Centre, the immersive 3D-360 cylinder (which accommodates 25 students at a time) is supported by a state-of-the-art, 76seat mine design lecture hall and a 47-seat 3D cinematic theatre. The 3D-360 cylinder is 4.5 m high and has a diameter of 10 m. It is equipped with surround sound and overhead projectors that take students right into the heart of a mine, whether speeding down a shaft or walking along tunnels, potentially exposing them to every facet of mining engineering. This contemporary teaching approach exposes students to several aspects of mining engineering via different packages (such as hazard awareness, mine design and various mining methods) in an immersive, three-dimensional environment. Difficult and dangerous conditions

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• Rock breaking; • Underground mine design; • Environmental management; • Chair in Safety, Health and Environment (including risk management); • Mineral economics; and • Management and leadership.

Specialist research equipment and educational methodology

Good communication skills are essential for students’ success in their academic endeavours and are also very valuable in the workplace. The Department appointed an English skills instructor to improve their communication skills, especially in written work.

1965 personeel en finalejaarstudente in Mynbou Ingenieurswese.

Voor: Prof JdeV Lambrechts, prof CA du Toit, mnr FQP Leiding.

Agter: DJ Hugo, BC Alberts, JC van Rooyen, CJ Breytenbach, MW Theunissen.

can be simulated, addressed and understood in a safe and controlled virtual environment.

See also page 47 for images and more details of the Kumba Virtual Reality Centre.

The Department also appointed an instructional designer to design all mining modules in a format where the one-dimensional script would be enhanced through the inclusion of: • high-quality pictures and illustrations; • simulations of complex mining sequences; • animations showing difficult concepts in mining, including mouse-overs to provide explanations of mining sketches and descriptions; and • video material to make images come alive.

As the mining industry is so diverse, the specialist fields within the mining sphere are numerous. The Department organised the areas into the following groups (with research chairs in two):

The Department hosts the Engineering Leadership Academy for final-year students. Students are bound to become future leaders and they should be groomed to be the best they can be before leaving the University. The programme exposes students to experiential situations that will teach them intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. Psychometric assessments, real-life case studies and several other techniques are used to hone well-rounded leadership habits.

• Chair in Rock Engineering;

Prof Ronny Webber-Youngman

Research and educational focus areas and expertise

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THE MINERAL SCIENCES BUILDING AND THE KUMBA VIRTUAL REALITY CENTRE

Top: Cylinder 1 of the virtual reality facility for mine design. Students inside the 3D 360 cylinder experience a stereo immersive environment and in this case an open pit mine. The image is wrapped around the cylinder wall and the viewer has a stereo 360 degrees view in a virtual environment. The viewer can move through the scene with the help of a X-box control to enable a closer investigation or a bird’s eye view of specific items and operations. Optimised surface structures layout scenarios are part of the module development program to enable users to choose the correct surface layout for each mine design.

Top left: The western wing of the Mineral Sciences building. The protrusion at the top of the building shows the location of the cylinder of the virtual reality facility. In the foreground is the western entrance to the Mining Industry Study Centre.

Bottom left: Theatre 1 of the virtual reality facility for mine design. The 3D stereoscopic theatre seats 47 students in front of an 8 by 2.5 metre screen. Visuals are produced in standard and non standard ratios and are either normal 2D or stereoscopic 3D. The screen is serviced by two HD stereo projectors, each with its own computer. These computers van be synchronised with each projector, showing a different aspect of an operation. For example, the mining cycle can be visualised on the one half of the screen while a financial module linked to the visuals on the first screen are run on the second screen, providing real time financial data of an operation. It is also a facility where powerful incident recreations can be taught and re-lived in the safety of a theatre.

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