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Focus on CSIR Built Environment
This concise four-page profile on the CSIR Built Environment unit touches on the major role of infrastructure in the country. The unit's R, D & I competences play a crucial role in this regard, as well as in the whole built environment sphere. |
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Medium-density mixed housing
The CSIR initiated a multi-year research project on medium-density mixed housing (MDMH) in South Africa. This form of housing is an important component in the transformation of the country's housing environments. Some of the findings and recommendations from the research project are highlighted in this CSIR fact sheet.
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Improved sanitation infrastructure at schools
Good physical infrastructure at schools enhances access to education, while inadequate and poorly maintained infrastructure excludes learners. This fact sheet provides more information on an R&D programme on partnerships that involve skills development and incentive principles similar to commercial franchising. One of the aims is to enhance delivering and managing infrastructure services and to create sustainable small enterprises.
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Focus on CSIR decision support for service access planning using accessibility modelling
Service access planning deals with the location and right-sizing of service delivery facilities, and the development of transportation and service linkages. Read this fact sheet on relating methodology, software, standards and guidelines, and examples of applications.
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Planning of social facilities and recreational spaces
The CSIR has developed guidelines for access norms and threshold standards to facilitate the planning of social facilities and recreational spaces in urban areas. This fact sheet provides information on these guidelines and standards that assist local authority planners in developing well-provisioned and planned human settlements that are fully functional.
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Technology possibilities for improved low-income housing
This fact sheet provides information on the CSIR's research on technology possibilities for improved
low-income housing. The aim is to develop a demonstration house that is more comfortable, durable,
faster to build, easily extendable and less dependent on municipal services.
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Ultra-thin concrete technology for low-volume roads
Ultra-thin (50 mm thick), continuously-reinforced concrete technology has been
successfully developed and tested by the CSIR and its partners. This fact sheet provides information on the labour-intensive technology that is aimed at low-volume roads. |
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Focus on
CSIR Space Planner
The CSIR has released a basic calculator to determine the number of social facilities required for a pre-defined population and the basic associated land requirements for these. This fact sheet contains information on the tool, which includes custom sets of standards compiled for different settlement contexts which will be expanded over a period of time.
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Stress-in-Motion (SIM) - tyre/road interface contact stresses
Tyre/road interface stresses are those induced by vehicular traffic running on roads, and are the primary cause of surfacing problems. This fact sheet provides information on Stress-in-Motion (SIM) technology, which provides some of the most important inputs into modern mechanistically-based road pavement design. (See a short flyer on SIM) |
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Focus on CSIR research in
planning support systems (PSS)
The core research
agenda of CSIR Built
Environment’s planning
support systems
(PSS) competence
area includes the
development of decisionmaking
support tools,
frameworks and models
that can be employed by
the public and private
sector in supporting
sustainable development
and governance of
settlements, cities and
regions. PSS comprises
the following research
groups |
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Advanced construction technology platform
This fact sheet provides background information on one of CSIR Built Environment's key projects, aimed at establishing an advanced construction technology platform in support of a more competitive construction industry.
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Focus on CSIR research in coastal engineering and port infrastructure
This fact sheet provides background information on the competencies, facilities and track record of the Coastal Engineering and Port Infrastructure research group.
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Future Ports: Enhancing competitiveness of SA's ports
The CSIR, in consultation with the National Ports Authority (NPA), has embarked on a three-year research programme called Future Ports, aimed at developing technologies to enhance the sustainable planning and development of South Africa's ports and their efficient, safe and environmentally sound operation. This fact sheet provides background information to the project and identifies the overall research objectives of this initiative.
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iRoads: Enhancing the performance of SA's road systems
The CSIR has embarked on a significant research programme to improve the performance of South Africa's road networks by developing a new advanced road pavement design platform that addresses materials design, road pavement structural design as well as accelerated pavement testing. This fact sheet provides background information on the iRoads project.
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NyendaWeb: ITS for improved traffic management
NyendaWeb is a multi-year CSIR research project aimed at boosting the performance of South Africa's transport system by developing a number of advanced systems for improved traffic management. Systems being investigated include hardware, sensors, software systems and data management systems. This fact sheet sets out the background to the project and describes its main objectives and anticipated outcomes.
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CSIR research in transport infrastructure engineering
The Transport Infrastructure Engineering research group strives to deliver practical, innovative, knowledge-based solutions addressing the infrastructure needs of the transport sector. This fact sheet details the group's experience, and describes its key competencies, services and products.
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Urban Dynamics Laboratory: Enhanced service delivery in urban areas
Enhanced service delivery has been identified as a key requirement to enable the South African government to meet its core social and economic objectives of halving the country's rates of poverty and unemployment by 2014. This fact sheet describes the aims of the Urban Dynamics Laboratory (UDL), a multi-year research project launched in support of this process.
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