DIGEST 2006 - Sabita

accomplished through self-study.
The consequence is that several
years pass before a newly
graduated engineer has sufficient
knowledge to fully contribute to
his/her firm’s workload.
In response to the industry needs,
the extensive and flexible
curriculum is structured into seven
modules involving 11 weeks of
classroom study over a 14 month
period, supplemented by project
work in the learner’s home office.
Participants who
successfully
complete the course
will gain credits
towards a
postgraduate
qualification where
required. Credits
towards
professional
registration are also
being discussed
with the relevant
authorities.
An integral part of the course
structure is to guide the learner
through the inception, design and
construction of both a new road
and a rehabilitation project. The
project assignments will be
consistent to all the modules, with
written and oral submissions to
encourage the students to apply
the theoretical knowledge gained
through lectures to actual
projects. At the end of the course,
students will be required to submit
a final oral project report
supplemented by an extensive
project file for assessment.
Participants who
successfully
complete the
course will
gain credits
towards a
postgraduate
qualification
Other ad hoc initiatives
undertaken during recent years in
response to industry needs have
been the presentation of the
Quality Management of Bitumen
course in 2005, which will
hopefully be repeated on request
during 2007/08, and Achieving
Volumetrics and Compactability
using the Bailey Method during
November 2006. An international
lecture and workshop on
Acceptance Control and Quality
Assurance of HMA is also
scheduled for
February 2007.
In addition, the
following regular
courses will still be
offered on a
regional basis:
• Introduction to
bituminous
products;
• Application and
construction of
surfacing seals;
• Design of surfacing seals;
• Manufacture, application and
construction of hot mix
asphalt;
• Design of hot mix asphalt
(including the application of
the Bailey Method;
• Compaction of hot mix
asphalt (in conjunction with
SARF).
To ensure that best practice
manuals currently published by
AsAc are relevant to current
technology, TG1 – The Use of
Modified Bituminous Binders in
Road Construction is being
upgraded and revised by an
industry task group for distribution
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