Caption News Release
The School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand awarded seven doctoral degrees in 2015 – a record achievement that surpasses previous years’ achievements.
Standing (left to right) Gafar Oniyide, Markus Mathey, Victor Akinbinu, Dr Bekir Genc. Seated: (left to right) Dr Halil Yilmaz, Prof Emeritus Dick Stacey, Prof Emeritus Huw Phillips, Prof Cuthbert Musingwini (Head of School), Kenneth Rhodes, Prof Fred Cawood
“This achievement indicates the School’s commitment to our strategic goal of raising research productivity, which aligns with the Wits Vision 2022 of being a global top-100 university within the next seven years,” said Head of School Professor Cuthbert Musingwini.
Kenneth Rhodes – known to many as the ‘father of hardrock mechanisation’ in South Africa – focused his DEng on the implementation of mechanisation efforts in gold and platinum mines between 1983 and 2008.
PJ le Roux’s thesis investigated instability in open stope mining, developing a new design criterion to calculate, with certainty, the stability of open stopes.
Hennie Grobler, head of the Department of Mine Surveying at the University of Johannesburg, proposed an alternative method of mine surveying, to improve the safety and accuracy of primary survey network control in a narrow tunnel environment.
Bekir Genc, senior lecturer at the Wits School of Mining Engineering, used his PhD to understand how mine planning software can be utilised strategically for optimal benefit – developing a methodology for evaluating the use of this software and predicting future utilisation.
Victor Akinbinu conducted research into the links between fragmentation and brittleness of Class II rock types, and successfully proved the relationship that will find application in blasting design in mining and civil construction work.
Markus Mathey conducted research into the strength of coal mining pillars at high width-to-height ratios, demonstrating that while an exponential strength increase may be applicable to other rock types, it cannot be justified for coal; he argued that the use of the largely theoretically-based formula currently in use in South Africa should be discontinued.
Gafar Oniyide, earned his PhD by investigating the increasing rock temperatures that arise with deeper mining operations; his thesis improves the understanding of the mechanical response of rock masses under high temperatures and stresses, as well as mining-induced cooling around excavations.
Seen at a breakfast held to celebrate this achievement last week were: Standing: (left to right) Gafar Oniyide, Markus Mathey, Victor Akinbinu, Dr Bekir Genc
Seated: (left to right) Dr Halil Yilmaz, Prof Emeritus Dick Stacey, Prof Emeritus Huw Phillips, Prof Cuthbert Musingwini (Head of School), Kenneth Rhodes, Prof Fred Cawood
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About the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Mining Engineering
The School ranks among the top in the world and boasts one of the most expansive programmes. It is the largest English-speaking school of mining engineering and one of the fastest growing – with a student body in excess of 800 students. Among undergraduates, over a third are women. Offering world-class, accredited programmes for South Africa, Africa and the world, the School prioritises multi-disciplinary research into best-practice innovations and technology to forge a mining sector that is safer, more productive, environmentally and socially responsible, and economically successful. www.wits.ac.za