The Royal Society, in the UK, has provided funding to support a three-year collaborative roads project between the UK’s University of Nottingham (UoN) and South Africa’s Stellenbosch University (SU).

The initiative aims to advance sustainable road construction methods in South Africa, focusing on improving mobility and furthering inclusive economic growth in rural communities.

In South Africa, nearly 80% of the road network consists of rural and low-volume roads.

These roads face significant challenges, including limited materials for construction, low funding, and less maintenance compared with highways.

The project, led by UoN transport engineering assistant professor Dr Anand Sreeram (UoN) and Dr Elaine Goosen (SU), will look at how some of these issues could be addressed by using locally sourced waste materials for road construction, creating a sustainable circular economy targeted at creating opportunities for small businesses, while also fostering skills development in rural areas.

“The main objective of the project is to enable the development of rural infrastructure using technological innovation to overcome local barriers and enable social mobility,” says Sreeram.

“We are very excited to start this initiative, as it is not often that we get to work on projects that can have such direct impact on improving the lives of people.”

The UoN says developed countries, such as the UK, have managed to implement circular economy frameworks in construction, utilising digital tools to manage material flows and overcome key market barriers, enhancing transparency and long-term value.

The proposed research aims to bring these techniques to South African rural road applications.

The project will combine the expertise of the UK and South African partners in pavement engineering, waste recycling, digitisation and the circular economy to develop new construction methods.

The standardisation of such technology is expected to enhance rural mobility and economic participation in rural communities, by allowing new businesses to enter the material supply and construction value-chains. 

This could ultimately help reduce poverty, enhance the quality of life for residents in these regions, and provide a model that can be adopted in other developing countries.

The Royal Society is an independent scientific academy, dedicated to promoting excellence in science for the benefit of humanity.