Civil Engineering April 2021 | Vol 29 No 3

Civil Engineering April 2021 15 lab tests being conducted by the third- and fourth-year students. “That year epitomises my life, it was always going to be a mixture of hydraulics and soil mechanics. “I owe so much to those two professors as fatherly characters rather than academics. They really embraced me and encouraged me not to pick one focus but to do what made me happy – and my good- ness my life has been happy, I’ve really enjoyed my work,” says Kelvin. Today, Kelvin enjoys working with young people, drawing on their enthusiasm and love of technology. His inspiration comes from finding out new things and applying and integrating new technology. “I really enjoy interacting with the generation that grew up working on computers, compared to my generation that had to do things the old-fashioned way – marrying the two ap- proaches is the greatest inspiration. “I also take great pleasure in teaching the next generation of engineers who will become our future leaders. The most rewarding thing at this stage of my life is to see how the younger folk are developing and embracing soil mechanics and getting a real sense of appreciation for what soil is,” says Kelvin. SORROW AND JOY Kelvin’s outstanding achievements highlight his incredible strength in overcoming adversity. Kelvin is functionally blind, with just 3% vision in one eye. This happened suddenly on 3 February 1992 at the age of 34. Within one week of being exposed to hazardous waste where it was not supposed to be, Kelvin went from fully sighted to blind. Despite his disability, Kelvin is still able to assess hundreds of documents and complex drawings as part of his job using modi- fied computer equipment and programmes. It took about a year for Kelvin to come to terms with the fact that he would never see again, but he has since taken his loss of sight on positively and learnt to appreciate the small things people don’t often stop to notice – the feel of the sun on your back on a cool day or the smell of rain on soil. He also feels that losing his sight has made him a better engineer. “In some ways losing my vision has given me an advantage, because I have to form a vision and opinion based on what I hear and touch. And when dealing with people I can often hear the underlying emotions and nuances other people sometimes don’t pick up on. It can be particularly helpful during dispute resolution and litigation,” explains Kelvin. He has learnt to use his other senses a lot more carefully, not only in life but on site. Listening to his own and others’ footsteps tells him about the compaction and particle size distribution of the soil. Smell helps him to detect moisture content in the soil, and touch provides a host of information about the soil’s characteristics. “It is amazing how much people miss. You can learn so much more by using your other senses over and above eyesight. In some ways eyesight can mislead you about what you see on the surface, rather than what you interpret from smell, touch, and sound, and I now try to teach people to use their other senses more.” In addition to losing his eyesight, Kelvin faced great sorrow when his young daughter Kelley was killed by a drunk driver at just nine years old. The driver was never brought to book for his crime. Through all these difficulties, Kelvin’s wife Linda has been a rock, particularly by providing ongoing support through his blindness. His daughter Ashleigh, along with her husband Stewart and their son Zach are also a great joy in his life. OUT AND ABOUT Many people are unaware that Kelvin was an impressive athlete is his younger days, having completed the Comrades Marathon four times and the Iron Man five times, including winning two silver medals. Kelvin also competed in numerous river canoe marathons and cycle races. In addition to his athletic endeavours, Kelvin was an avid scuba diver. He and Linda particularly enjoyed scuba diving at Sodwana Bay and along the Southern Cape where the oceans are characterised by beautiful, brightly coloured sponges and corals and large schools of fish. Today Kelvin enjoys spending time outdoors. Over weekends he likes to garden, and he and his family enjoy holidays to the bush. “I really enjoy the smell of thunderstorms in the bushveld – the odour of the foliage changes before, during and after a storm. I find it incredible to be out among the wildlife and to listen to the interactions of the animals, particularly birds,” he says. Kelvin makes use of an optical zoom device with 200 times magnification that allows him to view the birds and animals he loves. IN THE WORDS OF A FRIEND Peter Davies, an independent consultant with more than 50 years of geotechnical experience and a mentor and friend of Kelvin’s, praises his uncompromising protection of South Africa’s water resources, which has led to discontent with standards and several death threats as well as attempted legal action. “The man is a target for people who find that standards are expensive to meet.” He calls Kelvin the only civil servant in South Africa who fully understands the issues around geosynthetics and lining systems. “South Africa is fortunate to have an engineer of his character and quality in the government service. I am proud to have him as my dearest friend.”  On site at the raising of Hazelmere Dam, Kelvin inspects the in- progress ground anchor cable installation on the non-overspill crest