Since the assumption of office by the honourable Minister for Works Engr. David Nweze Umahi , the road construction industry has been abuzz with expectations of what is to come. The expectations are not unconnected with the unparalleled level of infrastructure development witnessed in his eight-year tenure as the governor of Ebonyi State and the…
Since your pronouncements on a potential shift from flexible to concrete roads, the discussions that trailed the Lokoja – Obajana – Kabba – Ilorin Road when concrete pavement was first proposed has been re-ignited. It is no doubt that the level and rate of collapse of our roads may have informed such push. It is obviously a good call to want to look at the possibility of a shift from the status quo with a view to mitigating serious failure challenges facing the Nigerian road asset.
Should we succeed in finding the answers, this may throw a light on whether the push for a shift from flexible to rigid pavement alternative would be a panacea to the failure crisis and therefore has merit. Before casting my dragnet in search of answers, I deem it worthy to express my sincere thanks to the minister for the path so far taken in steering his ministry within the short time he mounted the saddle.
To drive this home, a former works minister was questioned by a senator during screening regarding why a road in his constituency was abandoned for two years. The minister replied that when they got to the site, they discovered that there was water at the site, hence work had to stop. The question that comes to mind is, were there studies, concept, and detailed designs for the project.
Concrete pavement capitalises on the strength of concrete to minimise the stress transmitted to the natural ground, hence the reduction in the number of sub-layers. From this simple definition, it can be understood that whichever way we go, flexible or rigid , the bottom line is about minimising the stresses on the subgrade. At this point, it may be pertinent to ask – why do we need to guard against the stresses imposed on the subgrade .
This explains why most failures occur during the rainy season. In the light of this simplified soil – structure interaction view, the prediction of the likely moisture levels of the subgrade over the life of a road asset is vital to their long-term performance or survival. Maintaining the equilibrium moisture of the subgrade borders on road drainage and must be properly understood by all road engineers.
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