Pilot Sabita Asphalt Competition

BVi Consulting Engineers presented the idea of an asphalt briquette competition – similar to the existing concrete cube competition run at many universities – to Sabita in 2015. The proposal was met with enthusiasm, and in May 2016 the idea was put into practice at Stellenbosch University, with the assistance of Much Asphalt.

The competition was open to the 4th year civil engineering students. This project was aimed at introducing civil engineering students to bitumen and asphalt, and students were tasked to produce asphalt briquettes superior in tensile strength to that of their fellow classmates. The competition was deemed a great success by Sabita, the sponsors and the University, and was thoroughly enjoyed by the students.

We believe we have started something that can be implemented at universities across the country – this will not only benefit graduates, but also the industry as a whole. Discussions are currently underway to implement the competition in other institutions of higher learning in the Western Cape.