Kenneth Knight

Kenneth "KK" Knight (23 March 1922 – 2 November 2018) was a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of KwaZulu Natal. He served as head of department between 1967 and 1982. and as Dean of the Faculty during 1969/1971. Prof Knight was a lecturer and researcher in geotechnical and pavement engineering

In 1963 he was appointed as senior lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Natal (now the University of KwaZulu Natal). He was made full professor in 1967 and served as the head of department until his retirement in 1982.

Contributions Knight was an early advocate of equal access to engineering during apartheid. During his 1977 SAICE Presidential address he stated, "My ideal is that of educating and training engineers of any ethnic group and of either sex to perform engineering work whenever engineering work is required to be done for the benefit of the community." His advocacy was responsible for promoting the career of Trueman Goba, the first black SAICE president, and of Allyson Lawless, the first female SAICE president. in collaboration with Jeremiah Jennings, and the effect of bentonite on the skin friction on cast-in-situ piles and diaphragm walls. He also contributed to the use of gap graded mixes for asphalt overlays. Knight was also the Chairman of the organising committee for the first Conference on Asphalt Pavements for southern Africa held in Durban in 1969, which now continues on a five yearly cycle.

Awards For his contributions to geotechnical engineering, Kenneth Knight was awarded the 1992 SAICE Geotechnical Division Medal.