Member Profile
Membership type: affiliate
Virginie Uwimana
Country of origin: Namibia Currently in: Namibia, Windhoek General field of specialization: Engineering sciences- Academic Background
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Degrees
2016 Undergraduate Engineering sciences - Research and Profession
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Current Research Activities
Engineering sciences
My current research activities are in the field of material science. With a global shift towards sustainable development a change from conventional structural materials to green materials is essential in the design of green buildings. It is therefore imperative to research into construction materials that increase the efficiency to which a building utilizes its energy resources while minimizing its impact on the environment. Where possible building envelopes should contain local recycled phase changing materials that are environmentally friendly, low in cost and adapt to change in temperature to meet the users thermal needs.Current profession
Current professional activities type:IndustryCivil engineer- Be involved in the design, supervision and management of projects in the field of structures, roads, water and environmental engineering.
- Prizes, Grants and Awards
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Other Awards
Oct 2018National Students Research Symposiums (NSRS) 3rd place oral presenterThe award is for the research presentation on assessing the efficiency of corrosion protection by organic coating and investigating the effects of corrosion on the tensile strength of structural steel. This research looked at efficiency of corrosion protection by organic coating and how corrosion affects the strength of structural steel, with preference to steel water tower stands. Corrosion of steel varies depending on the environment it is exposed to and the corrosion behavior of a material cannot be described unless this environment has been identified. Hence a field investigation was done at the Windhoek Central Hospital (WCH) to confirm that uniform corrosion was the main type of corrosion. Water samples were taken to determine whether the water could be classified as corrosive in accordance with the Namibian potable water standards. This information helped to determine an adequate corrosion simulation test that would best simulate the natural environment in the lab. The samples were exposed to an accelerated corrosive medium and the corrosion rate was determined to be 4.1mm/year or 3.68g/m2.h. The loss in tensile strength was determined to be 0.16% of the initial strength per day of exposure. Ultimately the purpose of this research was to predict and reduce the possibility structural failure of water towers caused by corrosion.
