Inside the University of Pretoria’s R280 million Engineering 4.0 facility
The University of Pretoria’s (UP) new R280 million state-of-the-art Engineering 4.0 facility is pioneering research in smart transport, cities, and infrastructure.
This complex, officially opened in 2020, is a key component of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT).
The Engineering 4.0 facility is located on the Innovation Africa@UP campus in Hillcrest, Pretoria.
It was established in conjunction with the SANRAL, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation, and York Timbers.
This partnership aimed to strengthen civil engineering by expanding lab facilities and skilled workforce development in South Africa.
Now a reality, it houses several laboratories and research and training facilities, including concrete, timber, and training laboratories.
It is also the site of SANRAL’s National Roads Materials Reference Laboratory, where the independent reference testing of materials for the road construction industry occurs.
It houses an accelerated pavement testing track, which entails a dedicated lane on the N4 into Pretoria that can be monitored to study traffic, pavement design and road construction data.
Professor Wynand Steyn, Dean of EBIT, said the R280 million facility is important because South Africa is currently facing a shortage of engineers and quality control systems when building our roads.
According to Steyn, Engineering 4.0 is not just a new building. It is a shift in how transportation and infrastructure systems are conceived, researched, and developed.
What is particularly encouraging is that this research and development takes place in South Africa, creating local expertise to help the country.
“Through its focus on the development of integrated transportation and infrastructure systems, Engineering 4.0’s research concentrates on reducing energy consumption levels in transportation, maximising productivity in industry, and creating a higher quality of life for people,” said Steyn.
MyBroadband was taken on a tour of the facility, and it was exactly what it said on the cover – a world-class research facility in smart transport, cities, and infrastructure.
The academics and researchers firmly believe that this facility is further strengthening UP’s position as a leading engineering and technology university in South Africa, the continent, and the globe.
Engineering 4.0 facilities
The ARC Group focused on functionality and aesthetics when designing the Engineering 4.0 facility’s architecture.
With an interactive design that brings the outdoor aspects of civil engineering indoors, the structure has a striking external envelope and well-thought-out flow patterns.
It has a central multi-volume foyer connecting various laboratories, exposed services and roof structures, and an open layout with glass-floored sections.
The building, which showcases concrete reinforcing and other important architectural features, is surrounded by grasslands and wildlife.
Upon arrival, a standout feature shown is an active two-kilometre-long test lane on Pretoria’s N4 highway.
This unique “active traffic lane” uses big data analytics and the Internet of Things to collect vital data in real time, including air quality, emissions, vehicle density, road surface performance, and traffic flow.
Sensors positioned above, below, and alongside the lane send this data to a specialised monitoring facility next to the highway.
This feature allows the university’s engineers to use real-world data to optimize pavement construction and design.
According to Steyn, this capability allows for the modelling of different facets of transportation systems, which results in the creation of more durable and effective roads.
In addition to the outdoor lab, Engineering 4.0 offers other amenities such as:
- The National Roads Reference Laboratory, the first and only accredited national reference lab for road construction materials in South Africa, independently tests materials from SANRAL, provincial projects, and neighbouring countries.
- The York Wood Engineering Laboratory promotes cooperation between engineering and science fields to increase the use of sustainable timber while advancing mass timber construction.
- Road materials technicians and students are guaranteed standardised certification in a dedicated training laboratory with 20 stations, which uses virtual reality to improve training. With curing rooms and a robust floor 900 mm deep for extensive testing, the concrete laboratory facilitates structural and pavement research.
- The Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT) Track makes rapid pavement structure evaluation possible. It predicts long-term performance in a fraction of the time typically required.
Overall, the research covers a wide range of topics, from integrating semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles to vehicle-pavement interaction problems and road construction materials.
Thus far, several innovative technologies have been developed at the facility. These include a long-range, wide-area network equipped with antennae and sensors to monitor environmental conditions, road performance, and railway track integrity.
Another breakthrough is the Smart Woef, a four-legged terrestrial robot designed for data collection in high-risk or hard-to-reach environments.
It also aids in repetitive data gathering, reducing the risk of human error due to fatigue or loss of attention to detail.
The facility’s emphasis on lowering transportation energy consumption is a noteworthy accomplishment for South Africa.
It is consistent with the government’s upcoming investments in ecologically friendly infrastructure projects supported by solid research.
With the goal of developing a pipeline of qualified experts in smart transportation engineering, the EBIT faculty believes that Engineering 4.0 is a crucial step in tackling South Africa’s lack of training facilities and civil engineers.
“Through its focus on the development of integrated transportation systems, its research is concentrating on the reduction of energy consumption levels in transportation, maximising productivity in industry, and creating an improved quality of life for the country’s citizens,” said Steyn.
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