Road Maintenance Forum (RMF)

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The Road Maintenance Forum is a joint initiative by CESA, CSIR, IMESA, SAT, SAFCEC, SANRAL and Sabita and is aimed at all persons involved in the road maintenance sector. The timing of these events is aligned to International Road Maintenance Day (1^st Thursday of April) and Transport Month (October) and it aims to address the relevant issues impacting road maintenance operations.

The aim of these seminars/webinars is to:

1. Enable a platform for the exchange of information
2. Provide an opportunity to share best practice
3. Find solutions to challenges that are common to those operating in the road maintenance
4. Facilitate contact between parties that are active in this space
5. Identify possible research and development needs

Please click on the links to view available presentations below:

6th Road Maintenance Forum held 24 July 2025

Welcome and Introduction – Krishna Naidoo (SAT President)

Keynote Session

• Road Maintenance Management systems – recent successes –
  Dr Chris Holdt of Zutari

Road Maintenance Policy – Training

• Feedback on training resolution – Phil Hendricks of Sabita
• CETA Feedback – Current initiatives regarding training for improved performance of the industry
  Ms Motshwane Dhlamini – Specialist: Qualifications Development

Road Maintenance Operations

• Operational and Technical issues: Recent experiences concerning poor patching – John Onraet
• Patching of Cold Laid Asphalt – Nik Berning (SAT)
• Microsurfacing – Larusha Gramni on behalf of J Lambert
• Training and Development for Road Maintenance Management and Operations – Shan Govender (eThekwini Municipality)
• Roads and Storm water cleaning and maintenance in the urban environment – Mark Tomlinson (eThekwini Municipality)

5th Road Maintenance Forum held 17 July 2024 – Hybrid Event 

• Welcome and Introduction
  Keynote Addresses
• Mr Dumisani Nkabinde of SANRAL on Perspectives of Road Maintenance in SA
• Mr Prasanth Mohan of Dept of Transport ; Initiatives by the DoT to promote the adoption and use of the Asset (SANS/ISO55001) and the Construction Management Systems (SANS1393)  (Part 1)
• Dr Rodney Milford  on  DoT Presentation Part 2
• Update on Vala Zonke
• CSIR Smart Mobility Pavement Asset Management
• Techniques for Crack Sealing
• The Impact of non-maintenance of roads on freight to market
• Resolutions and thanks

4th Road Maintenance Forum held 22 November 2023

• RMF Introduction 
• Keynote Address: Dr J Potti 
• Roadworks : Worker Safety Procedures
• Latest FEM Statistics
• Lessons Learnt in Best Practice in Road Maintenance
• Cold Mix Certification Process

3rd Road Maintenance Forum held 13 April 2023

 Systems 

• Background and Objectives of the RMF 
• JRA Pothole Patrol Initiative 
• Road maintenance and the environmental impact
• Proforma Maintenance Contracts
• Fixing Potholes – through CSI

Materials 

• Latest developments in cold mix asphalt

Training

• Challenges experienced with road maintenance training
• Road Maintenance in a tertiary curriculum
• RRM Qualification and the QCTO

Quality Testing 

• Status of the public sector laboratories
• Status of the laboratories housed at Eng4.0 with special reference to SANRAL Nat Reference Lab
• Status of the CSIR Research Lab

Resolutions 

2nd Road Maintenance Forum held 5 October 2022

• Background and Objectives of RMF
• RMF Reflections : Policies before Roads
• Preventative Maintenance Strategies in CoCT
• Fit for Purpose Approach to Road Maintenance
• Sabita training materials
• Service Provider Training for Road Maintenance
• Commercial Laboratory Support to Road Maintenance Industry
• Sabita Manual 12

1st Road Maintenance Forum held 7 April 2022

• An Overview and in respect of Reclaimed Asphalt
• Trench Reinstatements
• Failure Reporting
• A Contractors Perspective
• Base  Layer Material for Patching rmf_mpumalanga-mms__cvdhrmftrainingresolutionfeedback24july-2025