Department of Civil Engineering, CiviLab@CUT started as part of the Soil Mechanics Research Group (SMRG) at the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) and was initially set up to address the problem of damage to light structures (particularly RDP houses) caused by founding on expansive soil. This is a widespread problem in the semi-arid area of Central South Africa.

Since then, however, CiviLab@CUT has expanded into the industry conducting research in road repairs, concrete testing and maintenance, we have continued our research in soil testing and are moving deeper into determining the effects of expansive soils on structures. Along with our testing, we are developing a database of tests we have conducted that will make this information available to a broader group of engineers, allowing faster and easier transfer of information between professionals in the field.