Gculisile Mvelase, a senior researcher in civil engineering, is a trailblazer with a passion for developing practical solutions to complex infrastructure challenges. Her expertise ranges from railway track design and construction, track maintenance, pavement design and geotechnical investigations.
She has led teams responsible for developing road specifications and standard protocols in Tanzania. In addition, her research on the use of coal fly ash in road construction contributed to a pilot project on Eskom access roads, supporting circular economy objectives.
One of her greatest achievements was presenting her award-winning paper titled “Assessing Track Ballast Durability” at the Southern African Heavy Haul Association Conference in 2024.
The study introduced innovative techniques for assessing the durability of railway track ballast using advanced aggregate imaging technology.
"Reliable data is essential for building and maintaining resilient rail infrastructure. By improving our understanding of ballast performance through enhanced imaging technology, we can make better maintenance decisions and reduce costly repairs," says Gculisile.
Gculisile holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in geotechnical engineering and a Master of Science in geotechnical engineering from the University of Pretoria.
Through her leadership and innovation, she continues to inspire the next generation of women in engineering.
Published 20 August 2026