Civil Engineering - Stellenbosch University

🚨 Applications Closing Soon!

Ready to design, build, and transform infrastructure?

This is your final opportunity to apply for Civil Engineering undergraduate studies. Apply before 31 July 2026.

📅 Don’t delay—secure your future today!

CPD course on River and Stormwater Hydraulics presented by Dr Adele Bosman and Prof Neil Armitage.

The course aims to provide participants with the knowledge base and competencies to plan, design, operate and manage river infrastructure.

This course will be presented in person only at Stellenbosch University.

Registrations close on 21 August 2026.

CPD Course on Foundation Design, presented by Prof Peter Day and team.

The objective of this course is to provide a practical understanding of:
1. Extending the theories of bearing capacity and settlement as taught at the undergraduate level to the practical design of foundations.
2. Obtaining and selecting design parameters from site investigation data.
3. Selection of appropriate foundation types for various types of development and soil profiles.
4. Design of spread footings, piled foundations and raft foundations.
5. Application of limit states principles to design foundations.

The course will be presented in a hybrid format, with the in-person portion of the course presented at the Stellenbosch Campus.

Registrations close on 30 June 2026.

CPD Course on Soil Behaviour, presented by Dr Talia da Silva Burke.

This course will unpack the theory defining critical state line and constitutive models based on this theory.

The course will be presented in person at the Stellenbosch Campus.

Registrations close on 15 May 2026.

🎟️ Open Day tickets are live!

🎓

Your journey starts here, and it begins with booking your spot.

Tickets for our On-campus Undergraduate Open Day are now available on Quicket. Plan your day, book your information sessions and get ready to experience campus life for yourself.

📅 Saturday, 18 April 2026
🕗 08:00 – 15:00
📍 Stellenbosch campus
🎟️ Free entry

👉 Stellenbosch Campus: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/358511-stellenbosch-university-undergraduate-on-campus-open-day-2026/?ref=events-list #/

⚠️ Remember to check session times when booking to avoid overlaps.

We can’t wait to welcome you to campus!

We are celebrating our upcoming March graduates!

Johnson Mapfumo will be receiving his Master's Cum Laude for his work on the numerical modelling of steel fibre reinforced concrete subjected to fatigue loading. He was supervised by Dr Humaira Fataar and Prof Gideon van Zijl.

Fatigue behaviour of pre-cracked steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) was investigated numerically using the ABAQUS CDP model. Constitutive laws from fib Model Code 2010, fib Model Code 2020 and EN 1992-1-1:2023 Annex L were evaluated. fib Model Code 2010 provided the most stable representation, while fatigue simulations highlight limitations in the current damage model for cyclic loading.

In 2026, he plans to pursue a PhD in Structural Engineering at Stellenbosch University and, where possible, engage in any relevant work opportunities that may arise alongside his studies.

Congratulations, Johnson!

We are celebrating our upcoming March graduates!

Carla van Wyk will be receiving her Master's Cum Laude for her work on plant-based admixtures for cement-based materials. She was supervised by Prof Riaan Combrinck.

Water reducers are gaining widespread use due to their ability to enhance concrete
workability and lower cement content. They are, however, predominantly derived from petrochemicals and hazardous substances that pose environmental, occupational, and health risks during manufacture, use, and disposal. This study investigates environmentally friendly plant-based alternatives to conventional
water reducers with the aim of developing a more sustainable and commercially viable admixture for cement-based materials. The study focuses on plant materials such as tree gums and tea leaves as well as by-products from agricultural industries such as grape pomace and olive pomace.

In 2026, she will be working full-time at Merlicon as a junior structural engineer.

Congratulations, Carla!

We are celebrating our upcoming March graduates!

Palesa Tshetlanyane will be receiving her Master's Cum Laude for her work on using platinum slag as fine aggregate in concrete coastal applications. She was supervised by Prof John Babafemi and Prof Bolanle Ikotun.

Her research explored the valorisation of platinum slag, a South African platinum-smelting by-product, as a sustainable partial replacement for natural fine aggregate in high-strength concrete for aggressive marine environments. The study examined workability, mechanical behaviour, and durability by evaluating oxygen permeability, water sorptivity, and chloride conductivity across replacement levels of 0% to 30%. The results showed that, while early-age strength is reduced, mixtures containing 10% to 20% platinum slag developed strong later-age performance, with 20% replacement offering the most favourable overall balance of workability, long-term strength, and resistance to chloride ingress.

In 2026, she plans to apply for a PhD at Stellenbosch University.

Congratulations, Palesa!

We are celebrating our upcoming March graduates!

Markus Colyn will be receiving his PhD for his work on "Sustainable 2D concrete printing for eco-conscious construction: Recycled aggregates and low-carbon binders". He was supervised by Prof John Babafemi and Prof Gideon van Zijl.

3D concrete printing as a sustainable construction technique remains constrained by high cement content, low aggregate-to-binder ratios and a lack of recycled materials in printable mixtures. His research developed and evaluated thirteen low-carbon printable mixtures incorporating locally available alternative binders and recycled aggregates, achieving reduced cement content, an a/b ratio of 1.75, and suitable rheological and mechanical performance. The suitability of one of these mixtures for large-scale printing was proven through the printing and testing of a 2.7 m long sinusoidal wall, demonstrating structural stability comparable to conventional masonry while reducing material usage by 55%. The study established practical strategies for advancing the sustainability of 3D concrete printing.

In 2026, he will be continuing his research as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering at Stellenbosch University. His work will focus on developing interlocking, prefabricated 3D-printed low-carbon concrete wall panels for low-income housing construction in South Africa.

Congratulations, Markus!

We are celebrating our upcoming March graduates!

Martin Okirya will be receiving his PhD for his work on "The development of intensity duration frequency curves under climate change considerations using remote sensed rainfall data in Uganda". He was supervised by Prof Kobus du Plessis.

Extreme rainfall intensification poses growing risks to hydrological infrastructure in data-scarce regions such as Uganda. In his research, seven remotely sensed rainfall (RSR) datasets were evaluated against observed Annual Maximum Series using RMSE, PBIAS, and Kolmogorov–Smirnov metrics, with GPCC and NOAA_CPC performing best. The developed RSR bias correction framework significantly improved RSR accuracy, while the empirical aligned time distribution and the statistical exponential methods most effectively disaggregated daily rainfall to sub-daily rainfall. Under RCP 4.5, projected rainfall intensities from the Intensity Duration Frequency curves, increase from 9% in Gulu (BCCR-WRF331 CORDEX-Africa RCM) to 170% in Fort Portal (REMO2009 CORDEX-Africa RCM), emphasizing the need to incorporate climate change into hydrological design.

In 2026, he plans to continue advancing his research by pursuing the recommendations and exploring additional research areas identified during the study. He also intends to undertake short-term consultancy assignments in hydrology, water resources engineering, and environmental management, while engaging in university lecturing and academic mentorship.

Congratulations, Martin!