SEACAP 17. Rural Access Roads on Route No.3. Module 2 – Completion of Construction Report.

Abstract

SEACAP 17 aims at identifying low-cost, locally resource based methods of improving problematic lengths of road to provide sustainable rural access. This report covers Module 2 - Construction and Base Data Phase. It includes a description of the pavement construction and of the base data and the techniques used for collection.

On the basis of the work to date it is concluded that the advantages and disadvantages for each pavement structure depend on the particular circumstances to which the design is being applied. In order to design rural access roads effectively on a limited budget, it is necessary for experienced engineers to spend time in the field understanding the particular problems and exploring the various solutions. In general it is expected that the preferred design solution will involve a 'spot improvement' approach where, for example, substantial and relatively expensive, pavement structures for short, difficult lengths combine with simple and cheap structures in the longer and more forgiving stretches to provide the minimum cost, sustainable, robust solution.

Implementation of the construction phase has highlighted problems which occur when research work is carried out under a more or less conventional construction contract. There is a lack of flexibility which makes changes and adjustments either too expensive or impossible whilst the nature of the contract makes it very difficult to force the contractor to rectify small areas of poor work. These problems are likely to be magnified when, as in this case, the research element is simply a part of a larger, conventional contract which must reflect the realities of the commercial world and an over-riding desire to complete the Contract.

It is necessary that a long term monitoring regime follows through on the base line data capture conducted during this work. This will involve monitoring the performance and deterioration of the trial pavements and the NEC standard gravel, taking into consideration the environments to which they are subjected, the standard of construction, the traffic and the maintenance required and actually carried out.

Citation

51 pp. + Appendices (103 pp.)

Published 1 January 2008