GLOBAL EXPERT TO HOLD SEMINARS ON GREEN PAVING SYSTEMS:

The seminars, which are aimed at engineers, environmental managers, landscape architects and contractors, are being organised by the CMA and will be staged in: Gauteng on September 30th ; Cape Town on October 4th ; Port Elizabeth on October 6th ; and in Durban on October 7th.

Dr Shackel will cover global developments in permeable paving and will also report back on the research on permeable-paving-sub-base materials that Australia’s University of New South Wales as well as Belgian and German universities are undertaking under his guidance. This research is being sponsored by the CMA, the CMAA (Concrete Manufacturers Association Australia), Interpave UK, and UNI North America.

Moreover, Dr Shackel will cover the latest updates on PermPave, the software package he and Professor Simon Beecham of the University of South Australia, jointly authored for the design permeable paving systems. LockPave, the software used for designing conventional paving, will also be on the agenda and delegates will be encouraged to discuss aspects they’re not sure about.

CMA director, Hamish Laing, says that PermPave was designed for South African conditions and is programmed with South African rainfall data.

“It also facilitates the downloading of additional local climate and rainfall information and enables the selection of local paving blocks best suited to a particular application. The designing for specified volumes of water, either for storage and re-use, or for replenishing underground water tables, is another of the software’s valuable attributes.”

In addition to discussing the deployment of permeable paving in South Africa, Cairns will also explain how the country’s new paving standard, SANS 1058 2010, differs from that of its predecessor.

Dr Shackel is based in Sydney, Australia and has worked as a consultant for asphalt, block paving and rigid concrete pavements on many projects worldwide. He is a recognised authority on concrete block paving (CBP) and is the author of numerous research papers and three books on this topic. His work on LockPave won him an Award for Excellence from the Concrete Institute of Australia.

He is especially recognised for his work on heavy duty pavements including those for ports, container handling facilities and airports. He is also an expert on ecological and permeable pavements and has been involved in environmental research in the pavement arena.

He has taught pavement engineering at the University of New South Wales at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels for more than 35 years. He is well known to international audiences, having travelled and lectured extensively in 24 countries including the USA, Canada and Europe.

Dr Shackel has published more than 100 research papers dealing with geomechanics and pavement engineering and his work as paving coordinator for the Sydney Olympics won him a further award from the CIA in 2001.

A civil engineer, Cairns’ experience in concrete block paving is extensive. He is a member of the international SEPT (Small Element Paving Technologists) committee and he represents the CMA on the international group researching sub-base materials for permeable paving systems.

The seminars have been registered with the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) and participants will qualify for CPD points. A nominal charge is being levied to cover costs. Interested parties should contact Pam on (011) 805 6742. Alternatively, registration forms can be downloaded off the web on www.cma.org.za .

DATE:   June, 2010
ISSUED BY:   David Beer Communication Consultants
FOR:  Concrete Manufacturers Association 
ENQUIRIES:  Hamish Laing (011) 805 6742
David Beer (011) 478 0239 or 082 880 6726.  Email: bigsky@ibi.co.za