Blog - Page 190 of 196 - SANRAL Stop Over

Our commitment to the youth of our country

8Jul2015

SANRALauthor2268views0comments

We invest in education by investing in learners and students

To identify and track the academic strength of high school pupils in Grades 10 to 12, we launched a scholarship programme. The platform allows us to follow individual career paths in science and engineering.

Since we introduced these scholarships, we have managed to support more than 400 pupils across many provinces. We invested more than R6.8 million in 2013 and around 179 pupils have benefited from this.

A great example of how our scholarships programme helps individuals is the story of Kagiso Leboka. He completed his high school education in Limpopo. He is thankful for our help, as he was raised in a rural area and wasn’t able to afford accommodation, boarding fees, school uniforms and participation in activities such as the Maths and Science Olympics without our assistance.

Louise Kalp is also another success story. She was able to focus on her studies without the pressure of worrying about her school fees. Both Louise and her mother Annie feel financially and emotionally supported.

Our goal for this programme is to give high school learners engineering skills. We, as well as other organisations, need people who are willing to learn about infrastructure development in order to assist with the building and planning.

This pairs up well with our National Development Plan in which we identify maths and science as one of South Africa’s long-term goals for basic education.

Amanda Gwilika has her eyes set on becoming a civil engineer. We came to her family’s rescue at a time when she could not afford school fees anymore.

We aim to be the best support structure that motivates and enables children to be the leaders of the next generation and to be the best they can be.

University of Stellenbosch invest in Pavement Engineering

7Jul2015

SANRALauthor1951views0comments

Keeping the South African roads industry at the cutting edge of global trends.

We will train the next generation of pavement engineers. How? Well with the help of University of Stellenbosch. Why? To contribute to the research that speaks to the needs of the country’s road industry.

We have used our finances to build an academic programme dedicated to the development of human capital and capacity building in the field of pavement engineering.

In order to achieve a goal that focuses on higher education, training activities and industry-driven research projects, we contribute to quality projects by improving the performance and quality in construction so that there are safer roads.

In this programme, 65% of students come from historically disadvantaged communities, which is a reflection of our commitment to diversity.

We offer specialised post-graduate courses to students and practitioners in the roads industry to keep them aware of new trends and developments in the global environment. We are also responsible for teaching at an undergraduate level, creating awareness about pavement engineering among students, as well as managing the asphalt and pavement research laboratories.

Our aim is to provide a world-class education to our students and help keep the South African roads industry at the cutting edge of global trends.

Our vision to support the Chair in Pavement Engineering over the past 13 years has made a substantial contribution to the sustainability of the country’s roads industry.

University of Cape Town take over Transport Planning & Engineering

6Jul2015

SANRALauthor2165views0comments

SANRAL investing in teaching and research.

Our role in Transportation Planning and Engineering at the University of Cape Town is to provide research on transport issues affecting South Africa.

We began this initiative in 2013 with the help of Dr Mark Zuidgeest, a praised academic from the University of Twente in The Netherlands. He was brought on to coordinate academic and research activities.

The research focuses on a number of themes, including pedestrians, accessibility, transport-related social exclusion and sustainable livelihoods. The insight we find generates the safety of road users and communities living close to road networks.

The University of Cape Town will introduce an undergraduate course in transport engineering in 2016. This course is an addition to the existing courses on transport planning and infrastructure management.

Our research projects currently in progress are:

Watching activity from pedestrians along Cape Town’s freeways – with support from the University of Stellenbosch.

Assessing walkability using crowd-sourcing techniques – with support from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi.

Creating a Transit Network Design for Integrated Rapid Transit Systems in Cape Town – with support from the City of Cape Town.

Watching the transport interaction model system in a highly fragmented city –with the Research Institute for Knowledge Systems in The Netherlands.

Looking into smart road design in South Africa- with the University of Stellenbosch and Heijmans Infrastructure in The Netherlands.

Our intention is to be the leaders in research and scholarship, especially in collaboration with other institutions in Africa and with the local industry.

Educating road users in road safety

3Jul2015

SANRALauthor2753views0comments

To ensure road users have a safe environment, education is required about behavioral changes on the road.

The most vulnerable road users are pedestrians, passengers, cyclists and occupants of buses and minibuses. In order to make them safer, we have developed an infrastructure for road users to provide people with necessary information and road safety training that will change behavior patterns.

This particular training is a lifelong learning process and education should start from a junior school level. Road safety education is now being offered at 1 172 schools.

Teachers are given road safety manuals and classroom materials during workshops in different educational regions. They teach students the importance of road safety and link it to the national curriculum.

The curriculum consists of pedestrian safety, basic road signs, crossing roads safely, and passenger safety in using public transport, as well as safe cycling.

We believe that pupils on the brink of adulthood should receive education in road safety behavioural matters. These opportunities aim to prepare learners to be responsible road users.

Pupils get the chance to learn new activities that can be used in the classroom and how to integrate road safety issues into the curriculum.

With this new knowledge, there will be a constant reminder to use the lessons on the road, which prove to be valuable not only to pedestrians, but us too.

University of the Free State introduces family math and science programmes.

2Jul2015

SANRALauthor3665views0comments

With a great deal of support and funding for our programme in supporting maths and science, we are able to empower pupils to learn at the University of the Free State.

The programmes are currently benefiting primary school learners – and their parents in the Free State, the Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape.

Our intention for these programmes are to clarify mathematics and science for pupils in their early school years by raising levels of understanding and changing their attitudes towards the subjects.

This is done through integrating Family Math and Family Science activities into classrooms on a regular basis and adding them to the curriculum.

The programme was launched in the Free State and Northern Cape in 2009 and was extended to the Eastern Cape during 2012. The programme has partnered up with respective provincial Departments of Education.

What makes this programme so successful is its learning material that is distributed in the classrooms. The material is practical and relates to the everyday activities experienced by the young pupils at home and during play.

Training sessions for parents were conducted to allow them to relate to the classroom activities.

Each parent received a guide and support material and was very thankful for our effort to enlighten them.

Student teachers at the University’s Faculty of Education also received training on the Family Math and Family Science programme and participated in the community training sessions. Each student received a manual with activities and a kit consisting of prepared material to develop further teaching and learning resources.

Wits sets up talent programme in association with SANRAL

1Jul2015

SANRALauthor2390views0comments

We have partnered with Wits University to prepare students for an academic, social and psychological mindset to enable them to access higher education opportunities.

Students are enrolled in a three-year enhancement programme, which is funded by the Department of Science and Technology, the Industrial Development Corporation and BP SA. They follow a syllabus designed to prepare them for future studies at a university or other tertiary education institutions.

Students attend three contact sessions per year at the Wits Residential Academic Enrichment Camp. They receive tuition from top-quality university lecturers and additional support to improve their academic performance and prepare them psychologically for future studies at university.

719 high school learners attended a two-week long camp in June 2013. They focused on subjects such as maths, science, engineering, research and computer science and also participated in various life skills, sports, dance and music appreciation activities. They were also taken on an excursion to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg to increase their understanding of South Africa’s history.

We received positive feedback from the students who had high expectations of the programme and expected that it would benefit them by developing their study skills, motivating them to study harder and improving their school marks.

Our approach is for communities to receive lifelong benefits that contribute to a better life. We want students from under-resourced schools and communities to improve their studies, and are able to do so through this programme.

Nelson Mandela Bay Investor Seminar

19Jun2015

SANRALauthor2238views0comments

SANRAL experienced a great amount of success at the Nelson Mandela Bay Investor Seminar in Port Elizabeth.

Our goal was to educate the public about SANRAL’s community development, careers and bursary programmes. We also shared interest in app building and ensured the public they were ahead of the technological trends for their mobile devices.

With focus on such trends, we hired two IT developers to help develop the app. Their strength lies in web and software development, and when asked about the new value they offer, they spoke to visitors about the new focus it will bring for road users.

Motorists often call in to ask about the state of the roads before they set off on a trip, especially during peak holiday seasons or during bad weather.

If this app is accepted and officially commissioned by our head office, it will be the first of its kind in South Africa, keeping SANRAL technologically ahead in terms of user friendly service.

Information is already available on the website and the app will need to be compatible with all our platforms.

The Investor Seminar offered dialogue and insights to local business, with top speakers in various fields sharing their knowledge and insights.

They will update the public with the progress of the app and ensure they have access to it.

Changing lives and giving opportunities to youth

19Jun2015

SANRALauthor2311views0comments

Boosting one’s career can sometimes be a challenge. You spend countless hours giving your time and energy to an apprenticeship or internship and are often unsure of where it will lead.

However, this is not the case with young engineer, Gideon Machete, who has had assistance from SANRAL in the form of a bursary, as well as hands-on experience at the Centre of Excellence in Port Elizabeth.

Joining Machete on his career journey is 11 other fortunate graduates. The Centre of Excellence Design Academy offers individuals from around the country a formal in-house training programme which allows for career development and growth. Their four years of studying opens them up to a whole new sphere of application and design.

The Academy was established to facilitate and advance their careers by providing experience on real projects. The Centre of Excellence offers graduates a workflow that will build up their experience and ensure they meet professional standards.

The programme lasts between 12 to 18 months, depending on their previous field experience. Once they have finished the programme, they begin on construction sites or gain additional experience in SANRAL projects around the country.

They are very fortunate to have the support structure surrounding them to assist in furthering their careers as the programme helps guide them on the right path.

Because SANRAL is responsible for the on-going maintenance, development and expansion of the South African national road network, qualified engineers are able to delve into different fields and become experts of the many engineering roles on offer.

The Centre of Excellence in Port Elizabeth not only provides intensive post-graduate training, mentorship and coaching but also ensures each individual has been exposed to a broad variety of disciplines.

Wetlands saved and upgraded during road upgrade

15Jun2015

SANRALauthor2585views0comments

Construction was put on hold when we came into contact with a wetlands forest along the Kwambonambi intersection on the N2 highway, north of Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal.

As we progressed with our upgrade, we started an environmental impact assessment before construction. The assessment revealed that the upgrading would disturb a nearby wetland.

We approached the Department of Environmental Affairs who granted us authorisation for the upgrade, but it was on condition that the wetlands, including an indigenous swamp forest would be rehabilitated.

According to a report by Michelle Nel on the website wetland.org, there are two methods of rehabilitation – either stabilising the problem area and maintaining the present condition of the wetland, or trying to reclaim the wetland area that has been lost.

It is vital to make informed decisions when undertaking wetland rehabilitation and if you are ever in doubt, get specialist advice, for example, from the Mondi Wetlands Project or Working for Wetlands.

Some simple methods of rehabilitating wetlands include closing drains, fencing off sensitive areas to keep grazers out, and placing plugs in gullys.

All these methods will help wetland plants re-establish themselves and it is the plants that hold the magic key to the functioning of wetlands.

Wetlands and riverbank plants are vital for preventing erosion; they play a crucial role in the purification of water, reduce the severity of floods and regulate water especially during droughts. When the plants go, these valuable functions disappear.

Knowing the importance of wetlands, we got a botanist to survey the plants in the swamp forest to identify which ones to rescue.

The swamp forest patch was then removed to make way for the construction of the interchange ramp and a number of indigenous trees were removed.

Rehabilitation involved replacing alien vegetation with indigenous species.

Reducing SANRAL’s carbon footprint for a better future

15Jun2015

SANRALauthor2549views0comments

We are aware of our duty to help reduce our carbon footprint.

We replace tar with asphalt, which is bitumen-based and environmentally friendly.
We recycle road construction materials whereby?aggregate, bitumen and asphalt is milled from old roads, reworked and used when they are upgraded.
We use solar panels and micro wind turbines to control adjustable messaging signs warning road users to problems ahead.
Our road construction and maintenance activities have an expected impact on the environment, therefore SANRAL’s approach is to lessen the impact of these activities with project-specific Environmental Management Programmes and interventions such as the use of Reclaimed Asphalt.
We ensure the country’s road infrastructure helps create a better life for all South Africans.
Our activities are monitored to ensure compliance with legislation and EIA requirements. This ensures appropriate environmental management work is done.