UCT joins global rail discussions at IHHA 2017

The 11th International Heavy Haul Association (IHHA) Conference, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre 2-6 September 2017, is a five-day event attended by close to a thousand delegates from more than 25 countries.

The Concrete Materials & Structural Integrity Research Unit (CoMSIRU) is participating in the conference, presenting its research work on railway bridges as well as showcasing its broad activities at the expo. “Visitors to our stand are particularly interested in partnering opportunities in research and training programmes,” says Prof. Pilate Moyo, Director of CoMSIRU and member of the IHHA 2017 Organising Committee. 

Prof. Mamokgethi Phakeng, UCT Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Internationalisation, chaired the strategic session “The Impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution”. The topic ties in with this year’s conference theme of “Advancing Heavy Haul Technologies and Operations in a Changing World.” The railway industry faces similar key challenges globally, as one participant summarises: “We have 21st-century technologies being managed with 20th-century thinking by 19th-century institutions”.

The IHHA 2017 Conference is hosted in partnership with Transnet and the South African Heavy Haul Association (SAHHA), the South African chapter of the IHHA, of which CoMSIRU is an active member. IHHA an international is a non-profit, non-political organisation whose aim is the development, acquisition and dissemination of knowledge for heavy haul operations.