ABSTRACT
The primary objective of this work is to form the foundation of a Road Management Maintenance System (RMMS) that Road Maintenance Agencies like FERMA can immediately implement to make better decisions pertaining to rehabilitation options. Further, this is to allow for appropriate decisions about the best type of maintenance and rehabilitation interventions to apply to the poor state of
arterial roads taking into consideration various factors, least of which are the type and extent of distress present and the benefit cost analysis. The outcome of this work will assist sub-Saharan Africa, but principally Nigeria, in their goal of fostering economic growth and creating a more sustainable transportation network. Recommendations on how to simplify input factors necessary for Nigeria to initiate a database and prepare more regionally specific designs have been made, including traffic, climatic and sub- grade classifications. Economic analysis included present worth of costs (PWC) that were derived from condition rating curves specific to intervention pavement life and performance. Based on preliminary findings, subject to field validation, a chip-seal specific rehabilitation strategy for low volume federal roads is more cost effective over the 20-year analysis period and 1-lift Asphalt Concrete (AC) is more cost effective over the 20-year analysis period for high volume federal roads. Recommendations for further research have been made.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
As the curtains drew on the last decade, there was a paradigm shift by International donor agencies involved in Sub Saharan Africa away from funding of infrastructure projects toward those relating to health and education (social projects). Between 1980 – 1984 the share of total donor funding to infrastructure projects was close to 25%, whereas it had decreased to less than 10% by the 21st century (AFDB working group, 2006). Much of this has been due to the higher prevalence and understanding of the impact of HIV/AIDS scourge, not to mention malaria, on the economic development of the developing world. However, this shift away from infrastructure projects has come at a cost, as there has been an under appreciation of social and economical impacts, that transportation infrastructure, irrespective of functional
classification can have on the economic growth of a country. It would appear that the line has only just been drawn to connect the dots between the appreciation for roads and basic access being directly related to health and education. Clearly, there is a balance between funding of road infrastructure and funding of health and social projects, given the interconnection of these sectors.
With the exception of few Countries, Sub Saharan Africa is unique in that roads that have been created are inefficient and insufficient to spawn and sustain growth. Also these roads require not only substantial maintaining and rehabilitation, but also substantial new road construction. Many nations that have not had the opportunity to fully develop road infrastructure systems are now discovering that the standards and methods from neighbouring or western countries which they have been relying upon are not altogether applicable to their circumstances (Arumala and Akpokodje, 1987). This inapplicability stems from differing climatic circumstances (heavy rain events) complex and deep stratography of soils, highly plastic and highly decomposed materials, and increasing transport distances of materials to the construction site. There is also a difference in terms of need that is not addressed in the standard manuals and application guidelines of other countries.
Road infrastructure is critical to economic development, both low volume/rural roads and major arterials. There is a direct relationship between a country’s economic prosperity and kilometres of paved road. (Owen, 1964; Queiroz and Gantam, 1992). There are many papers and reports on the merits of the rural road sector, World Bank’s sub Saharan African Transport Policy being a major source, (World Bank, 1996). It is
also a fact that all-season passability and lack of basic access to rural communities impedes economic growth. There is also need to further develop, effectively manage maintenance practices on and rehabilitate the major trunk system within these countries. These will enable the countries to sustain and accommodate economic growth brought about by improved rural mobility.
In the case of Nigeria, as the thesis demands, the major arterial network is in such disrepair and dilapidation that sustained immediate action is required.
The period between 1970 and 1982 played the most part in Nigerian road development efforts. Most of the roads were constructed with a life span of between ten and fifteen years. While there was nothing wrong with this design life span, it was the neglect of a follow- up maintenance regime that did worst damage to the road network. So, by 1982, therefore, the roads built in 1970 had completed their functional lifespan with their optimal performance life cycle between
1992 and 1995.
In other words, most of the roads constructed during the oil boom years had collapsed by 1995. (FERMA 2008).
Looking back with hindsight now, the travesty that occurred was instead of developing a programme of back rolling the terrible situation in which we found ourselves we embarked on an unending journey of rehabilitation of road network. In a country that is so rich in potential, pavement infrastructure is critical. The enactment of FERMA ACT on
30th November, 2002 gave Nigeria, a singular platform for structured
and institutional mechanisms to address road maintenance.
“Transport is the lifeline of the economy and social interactions. An inefficient transport system implies stagnation in all sectors” (Olusegun Obasanjo, 1999). The formation of Federal roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), the publication of its strategy for roads sector maintenance management (FERMA, 2003) and most recently “Preventive Road maintenance initiative, (FERMA 2012) may be the injection needed to realise this.
After decades of Civil strife and repression Nigeria has finally embarked upon what appears to be a more democratic chapter in its history. Unfortunately, the years of negligent spending and misdirected national policy have left a national transportation infrastructure system in need of desperate rehabilitation and modernisation, especially if the millennium development goals are to be realised, and the 20-2020 plan of becoming the 20th largest economy in the world by 2020 is to be realised (FERMA 2008). Much of the road network requires some form or other of maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction (MR&R). However, this must be done with historical data and funding. What are abundant is desire and seeming commitment to improvement.
The intent of this work is to assist sub-saharan African Countries, principally Nigeria through FERMA, streamline its MR&R interventions. It is particularly poignant given that African Development Bank’s country strategy Paper (AFAS, 2005) identifies one of the major transportation issues as the absence of a maintenance plan and the primary objective of Nigeria’s Medium Term Road Maintenance Management Strategy (MTRSMMS) or to apply preventive measures that will help to stabilize the structural strength of Road pavement. To accomplish these a generic framework that includes a series of decision tables and flow
charts will be developed based on the functional class of the road, traffic volumes and loads, distress type and event, and the existing pavement layer design. It is envisaged that engineers at the Federal, Zonal and State levels with be able to utilize this proposed framework to determine one of a suite of focussed and appropriate MR&R alternatives that can be used to better assess, based on available budget and ability to carry our maintenance, which intervention is most appropriate.
In essence a tool kit by which engineer can make appropriate decisions would be ideal. Further, with respect to those roads that require major rehabilitation or reconstruction, mix design guidelines should be provided to ensure that layers that are reconstructed are completed to meet the climate, load and future traffic volume.
1.2 OBJECTIVES
The objective of this thesis is to provide assistance to sub-saharan African nations in making appropriate decision about the best type of MR&R intervention to apply to the poor state of arterial roads. Such decisions will be contextual and would answer various questions, least of which are the type and extent of distress present and the benefit cost Analysis.
A secondary objective is to provide FERMA with analysis of its mix designs and re-evaluate them to allow for more appropriate pavements to be constructed. It is recognised that these objectives need to be balanced against regional issues that include;
Soils – condition and variability
Materials – quality and availability
Budget constraints
Maintenance capacity
Traffic type and volume
Experience and availability of partitions
1.3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The methodology for this research includes an in-depth review of current road building practices in Africa with a special focus on Nigeria. Determination and expansion on data sources and how they can be better formatted for use by pavement Engineers, and life cycle cost analysis will be performed on various rehabilitation options. This will provide FERMA with logical information on when to implement rehabilitation interventions.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
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