DIARY OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS

June 2000
International Course on Highways Procurement
05-09 June 2000, University of Birmingham, UK
Tel: +121 414 7546/6717
Fax: +121 414 3675/5160
email: v.tachtsi@bham.ac.uk

Strategic Management of Roads Course
12- 23 June 2000, Worthing, UK Organiser: Crown Agents
Tel: +44 (0)208 6433311
Fax: +44(0) 208 7700479
email: hrd@crownagents.co.uk

VELO MONDIALE 2000 World Bicycle Conference
18-22 June, 2000, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Contact: Congress Organisation Services,
PO Box 1558, 6501 BN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Fax: +31 24 360 1159,
www.velomondial2000.nl/

TRL Limited's Surface Transport 2000 - Exhibition and Conference
21 June 2000, TRL Limited, Crowthorne, UK
Organiser: TRL Limited
Tel: +44 (0)1344 770166
Fax: +44 (0)1344 770880
email: ppascoe@TRL Limited.co.uk

Management of Appropriate Technology in the Road Sector for Developing and Emerging Economies Course
26 - 30 June 2000, TRL Limited, Crowthorne, UK
Organiser: TRL Limited/Intech Associates
Tel: +44 (0)1344 770399
Fax: +44 (0)1344 770356
email: international_enquiries@TRL Limited.co.uk

July 2000
Roads and Transport in Developing Countries and Emerging Nations Course
03-14 July 2000 , TRL Limited, Crowthorne, UK
Organiser: TRL Limited
Tel: +44 (0)1344 770399
Fax: +44 (0) 1344 770356
email: international_enquiries@TRL Limited.co.uk

August 2000
First Winter Road Congress in South America
7–11 August 2000, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Organiser: PIARC, Buenos Aires
Fax: +54 1 823 37 40
www.vial.org.ar
email: funcenat@sinectis.com.ar

September 2000
10th Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia Conference
04- 08 September 2000, Tokyo, Japan
Organiser: REAAA Conference Secretariat
Fax: +81 3 3519 5092
www.extec.or.jp/reaaa/eng/10.html
email: reaaa@extec.or.jp

Traffic Safety on Three Continents - 11th International Conference
20 -22 September 2000, Pretoria, South Africa
Organiser: CSIR
Tel: +44 161 275 6489
email: hirobhjwane@yahoo.com

 

GLOBALISATION AND DEVELOPMENT

The UK Government plans to publish a second White Paper on International Development this autumn. It is intended to build on the 1997 White Paper- Eliminating World Poverty: A Challenge for the 21st Century – and will have a special focus on the changes resulting from globalisation and the opportunities and challenges this presents for faster progress in reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development in the poorest countries. Further information is available on the DFID website (www.dfid.gov.uk)

 

MANAGING UNPAVED ROADS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Studies to understand their performance, and therefore develop more cost effective management strategies, have been carried out at TRL Limited for several years. This has drawn on collaborative work in various countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa but also, as opportunities permitted, in Asia. This research has been supplemented by work sponsored by the World Bank and other funding agencies, such as Sida (Swedish International Development Agency), and linked to studies concerning social issues involving local population groups. Recently, DFID have commissioned research to undertake similar initiatives in Zambia.

One of the original objectives was to quantify the performance of unpaved roads under different conditions of rainfall and construction materials. It was found that rates of deterioration and performance varied widely from country to country, reflecting the large number of variables involved. The three photos illustrate some of the issues involved.

Photo Ashows a feeder road in the Mpika District of Zambia. It required little construction effort yet appears to be a road in harmony with its environment needing minimal maintenance for the few vehicles that pass. Probably the main reason is the favorable natural foundation and drainage conditions. By comparison, Photo B shows a secondary road in Nanumba District, Ghana in much poorer condition. Although originally built to a good standard, the poorer foundation conditions and higher traffic flow (than A) has led to its rapid deterioration.

Improved models for predicting the rates of deterioration and effects of maintenance on unpaved roads are being developed and will be incorporated into HDM 4. In this way investment decisions will be more accurately targeted. In early studies it became apparent that a wide range of alternative construction and maintenance equipment was available. Some of these items were very effective for certain operations: an example is the tractor-towed grader used for light grading in southern Africa, the use of which can reduce routine grading costs by 50 per cent compared to using motor graders.

Where funds are particularly short, it is preferable to focus maintenance efforts to localised works that will at least keep the road open and maintain basic access. Previous newsletter issues have drawn attention to research concerning the construction and maintenance of unpaved roads, constructed of earth or gravel, which have a low priority for attracting development funds. Nevertheless, they typically average over 80% of road networks in developing countries and are of paramount importance in the lives of poor rural people. The development of cost effective construction and maintenance strategies for these roads is one of DFID’s current priorities. Further research is being directed at appropriate ways and means of achieving this objective. Photo C, a secondary road in Sekpe east, Ghana is an example of this situation.

It is more widely realised that road authorities should be encouraged to make greater use of local manpower and equipment resources. In this way the management of unpaved roads will become more effective and greater numbers of people will benefit. Considerable evidence exists which demonstrates significant reductions in the rate of deterioration of unpaved roads subject to regular maintenance.

Studies continue but this year it is intended to publish a Guideline document for the management of unsealed roads.

For further information contact: Dr C S Gourley or Mr G Morosiuk
Tel: +44 (0)1344 770036 or 7770491 or 770036
email: international_enquiries@TRL Limited.co.uk

DFID Projects Reference:
R5599 Unpaved roads
R6895 Management guidelines and performance for unpaved roads
R7444 Minimising the cost of sustainable rural road access
Theme Objective: T2

 

BUILDING GOOD ROADS WITH 'POOR' MATERIALS

The materials standards for constructing roads are, for good engineering reasons, high, which limits the range of materials normally considered suitable. However, for many years TRL Limited has been promoting a more flexible approach by using a wider range of material types, especially for lower traffic roads in developing countries.

The benefits are clear: reduced construction costs and, provided maintenance is properly scheduled, reduced whole life costs; with savings of about 10 per cent of total transport costs over a 20 year period. In addition, top quality materials can be conserved (for use in asphalt or concrete) and haul distances minimised.

The advantage of using this flexible approach to design has also been demonstrated recently by results from visits to two early TRL Limited field trials. The first site is in Ethiopia, where a 1.6km length of road was built using volcanic cinder as a road base. Volcanic cinders are widespread around the world and locally abundant, but they suffer from having poor grading and weak particles. The experiment was constructed in 1976 in collaboration with the Ethiopian Roads Authority. The field sections were found to be still in excellent condition in 1999 despite having carried an estimated 1.5 million equivalent standard axles (esa), three times the design traffic.

The second site is in Belize, where a soft limestone occurs that is common in tropical countries. The limestone has poor grading and weak particles and very low wet strength. In 1978 field trials were constructed on a main highway using the limestone for road base. The sections were still in good condition in 1998, after carrying 1.3 million esa. In both these trials negligible maintenance was applied, which although not recommended as a policy, reveals the potential for ‘marginal’ materials to form adequate products if properly engineered.

These experimental sites remain a testimony to high quality construction and appropriate use of materials. But there are many other examples where ‘poor’ materials have been successfully exploited in this way. In the November 1998 issue it was reported that a collaborative research programme had just commenced in the Philippines which included investigating uses for the volcanic ash from the 1991 eruption of Mt Pinatubo. There are strong indications that the ash can be used both as a replacement for asphalt sand and as a stabilised roadbase for low traffic roads. Previously, as a result of a period of extensive research in southern Africa in the 1990s, revised specifications were proposed enabling the use of pedogenic materials, such as laterites and calcretes, for road pavement layers in low traffic roads. There is thus mounting evidence that adequate roads can be constructed with confidence using ‘sub-standard’materials in the pavement layers, often with substantial cost savings.

TRL Limited are currently collaborating with Roughton International to prepare a Guide on a range of marginal materials, setting out ways of selecting them for road construction with a higher degree of confidence.

For further information contact:
Dr CD Gourley or ME Woodbridge
Tel: +44 (0) 1344 770491 or 770188
email: international_enquiries@TRL Limited.co.uk

DFID Project References:
R6887 Promoting the use of lower cost marginal materials
R6841 Promoting the use of volcanic ash, a natural pozzolan
Theme Objective T2

 

ENHANCING EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TRANSPORT SERVICES ENTREPRENEUR

Transport services contribute greatly to the quality of life in rural areas. Both manufacturing enterprises and repair and maintenance entrepreneurs provide a valuable role in support of rural transport services at most levels. Enhancing their effectiveness increases rural employment prospects and provides better rural transport facilities.

Although some rural areas with surplus crops have a good frequency and quality of transport services, low-producing areas invariably have poor quality and expensive communications owing to the perceived low demand and difficult operating conditions. Thus the poorest rural people often suffer from the lowest availability of reliable and affordable transportation.

Entrepreneurs who manufacture Intermediate Means of Transport (IMT) often believe that vehicle supply is limited mainly by lack of materials, equipment and design know-how. However, people living in rural communities feel that the major constraint on the demand for the purchase of such vehicles is their low levels of disposable income. Thus there is a discrepancy between the perception of producers and that of potential purchasers, which complicates interventions.

The repair and maintenance entrepreneurs similarly believe their success is constrained by technical issues relating to materials, components, utilities, skills. However, customers and NGOs attribute their limited success to low quality and reliability of work, and a poor attitude to the customer.

A handbook is being prepared addressing the above issues and proposing interventions to improve the situation. Examples are measures to improve the abilities, attitudes and performance of small entrepreneurs, together with ways of obtaining and analysing data.

For further information contact:
Dr C P Crossley of Cranfield University at Silsoe
Tel: +44 (0) 1525 863050
Fax: +44 (0) 1525 863366
email: c.p.crossley@cranfield.ac.uk

DFID Project Reference
R6882 Rural Transport Services In Sub-Saharan Africa: Enhancing The Role Of Small-Medium Enterprises

 

LOW-COST, INNOVATIVE ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES

Poor access to health services is one of the main concerns of rural communities. Journeys to health centres and hospitals are generally long: transport of those too sick to walk is often so difficult that trips are delayed to the last minute, causing unnecessary suffering and loss of life. A motorcycle trailer has been developed and tested in trials carried out in Mtwara, southern Tanzania. It has good potential as a low-cost ambulance to improve access to health services, requiring a relatively low investment and having low maintenance and running costs.

The trailer/ambulance was constructed in a local workshop using commonly available materials and components. Main features of the design include: a suspension improving the ride for patient and passengers; robust wheels made with IT technology; and braking applied automatically through the hitch pin to improve control and safety. A removable stretcher is mounted on rubber pads inside the frame.The trailer can carry two carers with a patient or up to six passengers with the stretcher removed.

The trailer has been operated from a village health centre carrying referred patients to Mtwara town hospital. The 48 km long trip takes just over two hours. When not required as an ambulance, the trailer provides services for passengers and goods to help subsidise the ambulance service cost.

Six months and 8,600 km service have been completed. The experience has provided guidelines on the operation of the service. The motorcycle, a Honda CT110, proved adequate over most of the route except long hills. A minimum 125cc motor cycle capacity is required. Direct running costs for fuel and maintenance were assessed at $0.10 per km.

The trials have proved the effectiveness of the motor cycle trailer. Anumber of lives have already been saved, mainly complicated pregnancies. One mother was so grateful that she named her daughter ‘Trailer’!

For further information contact:
Mr R Denniss of IT Transport
Tel: +44 (0) 1235 833753
Fax: +44 (0) 1235 832186
email: itt@ittransport.co.uk

DFID Project Reference:
R 6855 Low cost motorised ambulance service for rural communities

 

CURRENT DFID FUNDED KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH (KaR) PROJECTS

• • New Projects • Current Projects

THEME T1
(Improve transport safety and reduce the impact of accidents particularly for poor people in rural and urban areas.)

• Cost and safety design of rural roads in developing countries (R6891)
TRL Limited: Mr C J Baguley
Aspects of rural highway design identified that optimise costs and safety; detailed design manual drafted; lookup tables relevant to models such as HDM generated. Manual published and in country seminars conducted.

• Development of an urban road safety management approach. (R7476)
TRL Limited: Mr A J Downing
To introduce effective urban safety management approaches targeted at vulnerable countries in Asia and S.E. Asia

•• Case studies to assess methodology for accident costing. (R Tba)
Ross Silcock: Mr D Silcock
To improve the basis for costing road accidents in order to focus investment, to understand the impact of road accidents on different groups in society and to provide better inputs to project evaluation

THEME T2
(Reduce the costs of construction, rehabilitating and maintaining road infrastructure to help reduce vehicle operation costs.)

• The design of stabilised sub-bases for very heavy traffic (R6027)
TRL Limited: Mr M J O'Connell
To develop material specifications for stabilised sub- base layers suitable for roads in extreme tropical climates and with very high traffic loads to improve the performance of roads and reduce whole life costs.

• Longer life road surfacing using bitumen modifiers (R 6473)
TRL Limited: Mr H R Smith
Develop recommendations for the use of bitumen modifiers in asphalt and surface dressings which inhibit premature cracking associated with high temperatures and high levels of radiation in tropical environments.

• Recycling of bituminous road materials (R6474)
TRL Limited: Mr H R Smith
To establish methodologies which will allow damaged bituminous materials to be recovered and modified for re-use in road structures.

• Management guidelines and performance models for unpaved roads (R 6895)
TRL Limited: Dr G Morosiuk
Provide management guidelines on unpaved roads and motorable tracks for use by senior engineers and planners. Also derive new road performance models, aimed at improved access quality on rural roads and increased use of local resources, for incorporation into HDM4.

• Dense bituminous surfacing for developing countries: A guide (R6897)
TRL Limited: Mr C R Jones
Produce a guide describing the design and construction of dense bituminous surfacings in tropical climates. It will be targeted at engineers in the developing world and enable them to supervise the construction of improved surfacings.

• Rational road drainage design for natural pavement materials (R6990)
TRL Limited: Mr J P Hayes
Reduce the costs of constructing, rehabilitating and maintaining road infrastructure, and vehicle operations through drainage guidelines implemented in the planning, design and construction of road projects.

• Improved vehicle maintenance cost relationships (R7456)
TRL Limited: Mr J L Hine
Improved user cost models for calculating road expenditure and more efficient vehicle maintenance and operating policies adopted on a widespread basis.

• Appropriate surfacings for low volume roads (R7470)
TRL Limited: Mr W G Ford
To develop and implement labour based technology for surfacing low volume roads.

•• Environmentally optimised designs - Stage 2 (Implementation) (R Tba)
TRL Limited: Dr C S Gourley
To develop a new framework for low-volume sealed rural road design that recognises the influence of all environmental control parameters.

•• A new edition of Overseas Road Note 1 to suit current needs (R Tba)
TRL Limited: Mr S Done
An improvement in the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of road management at the local district level through the adoption of recent advances in road management and an emphasis on poverty reduction

•• Low cost, labour-based paved roads for poor communities (R Tba)
Intech Associates: Mr R Petts
To refine, document and disseminate low-cost, labour-based alternative road surfacings suitable for local small-scale/community contracting enterprises and employment generation for the poor.

THEME T3
(Improve the mobility of rural and urban poor for meeting their livelihood needs)

• Low cost transport for access to water and health facilities (R7157)
IT Transport: Mr I T Barwell
To help to alleviate two main transport problems of the rural poor, collection of water and access to health facilities, by making available appropriate low-cost means of transport and transport services.

• Policy toolkit for increased rural mobility (R 7457)
TRL Limited: Mr J L Hine
Working framework and procedures for identification of measures and policies to increase rural mobility implemented on a widespread basis.

• Field manual: construction and improvement of paths and tracks (R7461)
I T Transport: Mr G Taylor
To produce a manual which will be used in the field by NGOs, technical assistance personnel, local communities and local government staff in constructing, improving and maintaining paths and tracks.

•• Sustainable livelihoods, mobility and access needs (R Tba)
TRL Limited: Dr D Maunder
Investigate the utility of the sustainable livelihoods approach in identifying the mobility and access needs of the poor with specific reference to rural-urban linkages.

THEME T4
(Increase the efficiency of national and regional transport systems whilst safeguarding the inter -est of poor and vulnerable users).

• Decentralisation of road administration (R7437)
R Robinson & Engineering for Development: Dr R Robinson
Appropriate decentralisation of tertiary road administration that achieves effectiveness and efficiency of management arrangements to meet the transport needs of the rural poor.

•• The value of time study in least developed countries (LDCs) (R Tba)
IT Transport Ltd: Dr G Edmonds
Methodology for deriving VOT in LDC’s for transport/accessibility project appraisal developed and disseminated.

 

IMPROVING PUBLIC TRANSPORT QUALITY AND ACCESS FOR THE URBAN POOR

The Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC) of Loughborough University is currently leading a team comprising the Transport Research Laboratory, the International Institute for Environment and Development and the Urban Resources Centre of Karachi on a short term project on behalf of the Infrastructure and Urban Development Division of DFID. The aim of the project is to identify, explore and document critical issues in the provision of public transport services in low-income Karachi settlements with a view to develop methodology to address policy and operational issues.

It is assumed that public transport makes a significant contribution to the livelihood strategies of the urban poor. The contribution (both positive and negative) includes access to employment and income generation opportunities, education, health, and social networks which can help in securing incomes and necessary goods and services

The focal question being addressed by the team is how to improve the access and quality of public transport for the urban poor in total and specifically for women, children and the aged. The focus is on formal and informal relationships (contracts) and roles and responsibilities where transport services have been provided specifically for the poor. Over 100 interviews have been undertaken, city forums held with settlement representatives, councillors, operators and residents and key documents obtained and reviewed. Analysis and report drafting is taking place at the present time.

Outputs will be published in the UK and south Asia with primary dissemination via local partners networks. An email conference on the project findings was established in April and project outputs will be available on the WEDC website. Subsequent secondary dissemination will include translation by local publishers.

For further information contact:
Dr M Sohail, WEDC, Loughborough University
Tel: +44 (0)1509 222885
Fax: +44 (0)1509 211079
email: M.Sohail@lboro.ac.uk

 

SAFETY FIRST

The 5th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Control, jointly sponsored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Collaborating Centres on Injury and Control Worldwide was held in New Delhi India recently from March 5 - 8th 2000. Over 600 delegates from 58 countries attended the Conference which included numerous sessions on various aspects of Traffic Safety, Injury Research, Workplace Injury, Children, Safe Communities, Education, Biomechanics and Epidemiology .

The basic theme of the conference was to promote an understanding on safety in various walks of life by incorporating knowledge from different disciplines like engineering, public health, medicine, law, psychology and community behaviour. A secondary objective was the sharing of experiences and blending of perspectives from the 58 countries represented.

TRL Limited supported the Conference with presentations on "Public Transport Safety" and "Teaching Children to be Safer Pedestrians" both of which were outputs from DFID sponsored research projects and featured findings from India, Nepal, Ghana, Tanzania. Zimbabwe and the UK.

For further information contact:
Dr DAC Maunder at TRL Limited
Tel: +44 (0) 1344 770642 Email: international_enquiries@TRL Limited.co.uk

 

WORLD BANK TRANSPORT FORUM, WASHINGTON

Forum, Washington, April 10 to 12, 2000 Two very clear and related themes were repeated:

From the transport perspective the encouraging news is that of six countries that have already developed a poverty strategy, five have identified transport as a key investment component. This seems to result from:

The Forum also gave exposure to a major poverty enquiry, 'Voices from the poor', which identifies the inadequacies and opportunities of transport as being an important contributor to the livelihoods of the poor. Allied to the general theme of poverty-reduction is the increasing concern about the ravages of the AIDS/HIV pandemic. The transport sector is being asked to consider what part it can play in reducing this problem

For further information contact:
Mr P Fouracre at TRL Limited
Tel: +44 (0) 1344 770993
Email: international_enquiries@TRL Limited.co.uk