Asphalt Academy

Asphalt Academy Funding and Utilisation
The Asphalt Academy Trust is operated on a non-profit basis with equitable grants contributed by its
trustees, Sabita and CSIR Transportek. Additional income is derived from the presentation of courses,
seminars, workshops and the sale of technical guidelines to support the AsAc annual business plan and
budget.
Where possible, any surplus income derived from the activities of AsAc is used for the development of new
courses in line with industry needs.
Asphalt
Education, Training and Development
Course Profile
Course
2001/02
No. of
courses Attendees
No. of
courses
2002/03 2003/04
No. of
Attendees courses
Attendees
2004/05
No. of
courses Attendees
Introduction to Bitumen 11 204 4 49 1 18
Application of Surface Seals 2 43 4 50 1 23
Asphalt Testers Course (ATC) 7 72 7 63 8 76 1 12
Bituminous Materials on Site 1 8 1 5 - -
Application of HMA 4 54 1 36
Design of HMA 3 49 - -
Design of Surface Seals 2 37 2 89
Advanced Bitumen Course 1 38 - -
Totals 7 72 21 318 27 358 6 178
Knowledge Transfer
Course
Activity Profile
2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 Publication
Attendees Attendees Attendees Attendees
Sales
Academy
TRH3: HMA design (June) 241
Tg1: Modified Binders (October) 319 915
TRH3: HMA design (March) 51
Ultra Thin Layer Asphalt (May) 75
Tg2: Foamed Bit (September) 256 1002
Foamed Bit. Workshop (March) 118
CAPSA Tutorials (September) 87
CAPSA’04 416
SARF compaction crse (ongoing) 137
SuperSurf launch 267
Totals 660 382 118 907 1917
Asphalt Academy
CSIR Transportek
P.O. Box 395
Pretoria
RSA 0001
ASPHALT
ACADEMY
Tel. : +27 12 841 2436
FAX. : +27 21 841 2350
Web. : http://asac.csir.co.za
Email : asac@csir.co.za
Annual Report
2004-2005

Board Overview
AsAc activities 2004/05
The growth of the Asphalt Academy in both the range and scope of its activities is graphic proof that not
only are the human resource development needs of the bituminous products industry being accurately
assessed, but also that they are being met and satisfied.
In the past year AsAc's activities were sharply focussed on two key operational thrust areas:
1. Education, Training and Development: represented by eight separate courses and workshops
presented throughout South Africa; and
2. Knowledge Transfer: activities in this category ranged from the development, assessment and
implementation of technical guidelines, through presentation of the TRH3: Guidelines for the
Design of Surface Seals, to the South African HMA design method, ultra-thin asphalt and
foamed bitumen workshops, the launch of the SuperSurf package for analysing upgrade
options and, of course, the highly successful CAPSA'04.
Statistics showing the expansion of both these focus areas are represented in tabular form elsewhere
in this report.
While the challenge to reverse the erosion of skilled personnel in the broad field of transportation
remains, it is already being addressed through several initiatives, including the formation of strategic
alliances between AsAc, tertiary institutions and other strategic role players including road
authorities. In addition, the pressure on AsAc to develop and present additional courses, workshops
and seminars continues to rise dramatically. Based on its current management structure, however, the
capacity of AsAc is approaching its limit, and if this vital resource is to continue meeting industry
needs, consideration will have to be given to increasing this capacity, and to the investigation of
broader sponsorship initiatives to sustain growth plans into the coming years.
The Asphalt Academy's vision is to retain the flexibility and versatility to respond to the ever-changing
education, training and professional development needs of the bituminous products sector, and to
justify its recognised stature as this industry's premier centre for the achievement of these objectives.
The Asphalt Academy (AsAc) can be very proud that in just its fourth year of operation
it has already delivered relevant best practice seminars, courses and workshops to
almost 2500 practitioners in the bituminous products industry, in addition to the
publication and sale of nearly 2000 technical guideline documents.
This continuous expansion of activities, which included the organisation of CAPSA'04,
affirms the Academy's stature as South Africa's premier centre for the coordination
and development of education, training and knowledge transfer programmes.
The highlight of the year's achievements was the organisation of CAPSA'04 at Sun
City, under the theme Roads, the Arteries of Africa, which attracted more than 400
Local and international delegates.
Les Sampson
Executive Director
Other activities initiated during 2004/05, as part of the strategic direction provided by the AsAc Advisory Group
included:
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The development of a block course in flexible pavement engineering designed to fast-track new
engineers, technicians and technologists whose broad-based civil engineering curricula generally offers
little exposure to this field;
The presentation of targeted technical courses on aspects of seal/hot mix asphalt design and application
(including new modules of the Asphalt Testers Course), knowledge transfer seminars/workshops to
launch new publications and guidelines and the presentation of four CAPSA'04 tutorials;
The establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport
Technology Transfer Centre (four courses were presented as part of the understanding) and the
presentation of a seal design course in association with the Limpopo Road Agency;
Joint presentation of SARF/AsAc compaction courses in Gauteng and Namibia;
Development of a quality management system.
A key focus area for AsAc in the past year has been the establishment of strategic alliances with road authorities
(as evidenced by the collaboration with KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and the Limpopo Road Agency) to
identify and present specific courses and programmes for their areas. Discussions were also initiated with the
CETA to identify AsAc's role in providing technical support to the ongoing development of qualifications and
associated training material relevant to bituminous product technology. While the Academy's primarily focus is on
South African initiatives, the development of strategic alliances to open up other SADC markets is ongoing.
The activities in 2004/05 have made it clear that industry demand for AsAc expertise in its two key operational
thrust areas has increased sharply, and that in addition to the development of new course material, an expansion of
capacity will have to be considered in the Academy's future planning.
Piet Myburgh
(Sabita) Trustee
Phil Hendricks
(CSIR) Trustee
Asphalt Academy Advisory Group
Pat Loots
Admin Manager
Jeanette Nichol
Finance Manager
Modjadji Sethekge
Admin Asst.
Benoit Verhaeghe
Technical Adviser
Seirgei Miller Cape Peninsula University of Technology Kobus van Der Walt SA National Road Agency Limited
Christo Bester University of Stellenbosch Vuka Nkosi Black Top Holdings
Arthur Taute Vela VKE Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd Fani Xaba Africon
John Onraët Society for Asphalt Technology Elzbieta Sadzik Gauteng Provincial Government: Gautrans
Mervyn Henderson PGWC Department of Transport and Public Works Simon Oloo KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, Technology Transfer Centre
Barry Dumas PGWC Department of Transport and Public Works Kim Jenkins University of Stellenbosch