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EDITORIAL
Welcome to the fifth edition of
Transport produced by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) on behalf of the Department
for International Development (DFID). DFID replaced the Overseas Development
Administration (ODA) at the last UK Government elections in May 1997.
Transport covers the various DFID
themes within the transport sector and this editorial highlights Theme T4: Increase the
efficiency of national and regional transport systems. In this theme, emphasis is placed
on improving the operations of the institutions responsible for administering the
transport sector. Roads organisations need the ability to plan and finance road projects,
allocate funds efficiently and to manage and implement routine maintenance and other road
works. There are substantial differences in transport operating costs and tariffs across
the world, even between countries whose average road conditions are similar. In many
countries, high transport costs are having an adverse effect on economic growth and
development
Several of the current research
projects under this theme, on transport efficiency and freight operations, road network
management and road investment models were reported on in earlier issues. This edition
contains articles on projects ranging across different themes, including urban transport,
road safety and community participation in road maintenance. Also included are lists of
recent publications, book reviews and a diary of events. It is also with regret that we
report the death of Dr Ray Millard who was well known and respected world-wide by many in
the Highway Engineering profession.
The purpose of the DFID Newsletter
is to provide information on the Transport sub-sector and disseminate research findings to
relevant organisations and individuals both in the developed and developing world. DFID
are interested to hear of take-up of their research results and the project managers or
the editor would be pleased to hear from you if you have examples of where the results of
DFID research have been shown to be beneficial.
This newsletter is available free
of charge, aimed at those who are interested in Transport related issues in the developing
world. To be included on the mailing list for future editions, please send your name and
address to the editor.
NEW
TRL EMAIL ADDRESS
A new email address is now
available for general enquiries to TRL Overseas Centre: International_Enquiries@trl.co.uk. Individuals can still be contacted directly.
INTERNET
The text of all the DFID
newsletters will be available on the Internet on the DFID World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.oneworld.org/dfid
DFID Transport newsletters can also
be found on the TRL Overseas WWW Home Page: http://www.trl.co.uk/oseas.htm
DIARY
OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS
December 1997
Training Programme on Managing and
Financing Rural Transport
(Supported by DFID and the World Bank)
1-11 December 1997, Washington DC, USA
Contact: Linda Parsley, Overseas Centre, TRL,
Fax: +44 (0)1344 770719
Computers in Urban Planning and Urban Management (CUPUM 97), 5th International Conference
16-19 December 1997, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, India
Contact: Dr PK Sikdar, IIT.
Tel: +91 22 578 2545/6530, Fax: +91 22 578 3480
Email: cupum97@gemini.civil.iitb.ernet.in
January 1998
77th Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting
11-15 January 1998, Washington DC, USA
Contact: Angelia Summons.
Tel: +1 202 334 2934/2952, Fax: +1 202 334 2003
April 1998
Road and Airfield Pavement Technology;
3rd International Conference & Exhibition,
28 April 1998, China
Contact: Conference Secretariat, China.
Tel: +86 1 064 914 809, Fax: +86 1 064 914 808
May 1998
9th REAAA Conference (Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia)
An International Focus on Roads: Strategies for the Future.
3-8 May 1998, Wellington, New Zealand
Contact: Fiona Knight, Transit NZ.
Tel: +64 4 499 6600, Fax: +64 4 496 6666.
4th International Conference on Managing Pavements
17-21 May 1998, Durban, South Africa
Contact: Conference Planners,
Tel: +27 12 631 681, Fax: +27 12 631 680
Email: confplan@iafrica.com,
website: http://www.icc.co.
Rural Development Technology Africa Ô98
27-30 May 1998, Nasrec, Johannesburg,
South Africa
Contact: Tendai Dumbutshena,
Tel: +27 11 835 1565, Fax: +27 11 496 1161/2045
June 1998
Road Manangement for Senior Engineers
15-26 June 1998, Worthing, Sussex, UK
Contact: Training Manager, Crown Agents.
Fax: +44 (0)181 7707448
Appropriate Technology Roadworks for Developing Countries
22-26 June 1998, Berkshire, UK
Organised by Intech Associates and TRL
Contact: Linda Parsley, TRL,
Fax: +44 (0)1344 770719
Roads and Transport in Developing Countries
29 June-10 July 1998, Wokingham, Berkshire, UK
Organised by the Overseas Centre, TRL
Contact: Linda Parsley, TRL,
Fax: +44 (0)1344 770719
July 1998
8th World Conference on Transport Research
12-17 July 1998, Antwerp, Belgium
Contact: Viviane De Wacker, University of Antwerp. Tel: +32 3 220 4174, Fax: +32 3 220
4026
International Conference on Traffic and Transportation Studies
27-29 July 1998, Beijing, China
Contact: Dr Baohua Mao, School of Traffic and Transportation, Northern Jiaotong
University,
Beijing 100044, People's Republic of China.
September 1998
CODATU VIII
21-25 September 1998, Cape Town, South Africa
Contact: Christian Jamet, President CODATU Scientific Committee,
Tel: +33 472 047 701, Fax: +33 472 047 702
PTRC TO TWIN WITH THE EGYPTIAN NATIONAL
INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT
A major 3 year contract from DFID
to assist in the institutional strengthening of the Egyptian National Institute of
Transport (ENIT) has been won by PTRC Education and Research Services.
ENIT was formed in 1983 by the
Egyptian Ministry of Transport as an educational, training and research centre serving the
Egyptian transport sector. Sharing many of the same objectives as PTRC, its mission is 'to
be an influential source of the knowledge, education, training and research for improved
efficiency in the transport industry'. It's programme of activities includes a one-year
Diploma course for young transport professionals, a programme of shortcourses for middle
managers, and high level seminars for senior staff.
The package of support funded by
DFID is intended to help the Institute in its next phase of development and to ensure that
it is fully self sufficient and self financing by 1998.
PTRC's role is to:
- Set up a staff development programme
- Develop training management systems
- Advise on the marketing of the
Institute's activities in Egypt and the Middle East
- Restructure the Diploma course and
organise its accreditation by a UK University
- Recommend and design a programme of
short courses to meet the needs of Egyptian transport operators
- Procure software, equipment and
books for the ENIT library
- Establish links and cooperation
between the Institute and international transport professionals.
Through this contract the
University of Westminster has accredited the ENIT Diploma Course and also a Masters degree
option. It is now possible to receive a transport degree from a British University but
taught in Arabic.
The project will be managed by
PTRC, supported by specialist advisors and the extensive training resources and expertise
of the PTRC network of Member organisations.
For further information contact: Dr
Andy Costain, PTRC,
Tel: +44 (0)181 741 1516, Email: PTRC@cityscape.co.uk
THE USE OF MAAP IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Globally the cost of road accidents
average 1% of a country's Gross Domestic Produce (GDP). Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest
road accident death rates (in terms of fatalities per registered vehicle) of any region in
the world. Furthermore, road accidents are an increasing problem - recent findings from
Botswana show an increase of 18% per year over a decade.
Bringing this situation under
control requires the careful targeting of scarce resources within the three E's:
Engineering, Education and Enforcement. However, success can only be achieved if full
information on road accidents is available through an efficient accident data collection
and analysis system. To assist with this, TRL, with the support of DFID, have developed
the Micro-computer Accident Analysis Package (MAAP) which allows accident data to be
recorded and analysed on a single personal computer. An important feature of MAAP is it's
graphics capability, which includes the ability to plot accident locations.
Throughout the 1980's and 1990's
the package has been installed in a number of Sub-Saharan African countries including
Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Swaziland and Ghana. Support for each of these
installations, has been provided through visits and remote support from TRL. This has
contributed to the smooth running of the installations and enabled local road safety
professionals to develop their accident investigation skills.
The first installation of MAAP in
Africa was in Botswana and for the past ten years the Accident Analysis and Statistics
section of the Department of National Transport and Communications has used it to produce
annual Road Traffic Accident Reports. MAAP has also been used to identify accident
blackspots in the capital Gaborone and a number of hazardous locations have been
successfully improved by engineering countermeasures.
MAAP has provided local road safety
specialists with the major tool they require to monitor safety on their road networks and
to carry out in-depth analyses of road accidents. With technical support from TRL and
continued funding from DFID, this important work will promote wider use of the database
and techniques of analysis and design such that road safety is significantly improved.
For further information contact
Ryszard Gorell, TRL.
Tel:+44 (0)1344 770636, email: rgorell@trl.co.uk
DFID Project Reference R6028 'Accident data collection and
analysis: the use of MAAP in the
Sub-Saharan region of Africa'
Theme Objective T1
CODATU
CODATU (Cooperation for the
continuing development of urban and suburban transportation) is an international
association with the goal of furthering scientific, technical, economic and social
activities and exchanges for the development and improvement of urban and suburban
transportation based on shared experiences between developing and already industrialised
countries.
The association is a meeting point
for professionals in the urban transport sectors including:
- training, consulting, research and
financing institutions
- local organisations and transport
authorities
- operators and engineering companies,
industries and manufacturers
CODATU's activities to date include
the organisation of international conferences on Urban Transport Planning issues in Dakar
(1980), Caracus (1982), Cairo (1986), Jakarta (1988), Sao Paulo (1990), Tunis (1992) and
New Delhi (1996).
Recently, CODATU has created 5
technical committees, each of which will provide decision makers with advice and
information. These are:
- transportation systems and
organisation of space
- financing and control
- intermodal transportation
- relations with the environment
- use of new technologies.
A newsletter and training
programmes for it's members are also being planned.
The next conference is CODATU VIII
which will be held in CapeTown, South Africa in September 1998 when 200 papers will be
presented on the topic of `Urban Transportation Policy: a sustainable
development tool'.
For further information, contact:
Claude Berenguier
(Executive director), CODATU, Espace Ville, Rue Maurice Audin,
69518 VAULX-EN-VELIN Cedex, France.
Tel: +33 (0) 4 7204 7701,
Fax: +33 (0) 4 7204 7702.
REVIEW OF NATIONAL ROAD DESIGN MANUAL
In May this year, representatives
of the engineering community in East and Southern Africa gathered in Nakuru to review the
Kenya Road Design Manual. The seminar was held by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing
(MoPW&H) and jointly sponsored by the Government of Kenya and the British Development
Division East Africa (BDDEA). Central and local government as well as consultants,
contractors and academic institutions were represented.
The Manual contains the information
required by engineers to design structurally sound road pavements using materials of
specified qualities. To take account of engineering experience and developments in
technology, the Manual is periodically reviewed. TRL has been engaged in collaborative
research projects with the Materials and Research Department of the MoPW&H for many
years and were invited to participate in the review and present the findings from two DFID
funded projects.
A study of the performance of
bituminous road surfacing materials (DFID Project R5612) showed the need for new mix
design methods. In tropical environments, bituminous road surfacing materials frequently
fail through Ôsurface down' cracking because of bitumen hardening. The study also showed
that there has to be a balance between countering cracking and inducing deformation under
very heavy wheel loads. The knowledge gained benefitted subsequent projects, the results
of which were an integral part of the presentation.
TRL also outlined the findings of a
DFID funded project (R5604) which aimed to resolve the problems of designing and
constructing roads in arid areas where the cost of importing water can be prohibitive. The
project investigated the compaction of soils and road pavement materials at the prevailing
low moisture contents. This is contrary to conventional design, but the research shows
that durable roads can still be assured for many materials offering substantial savings in
construction costs.
Other topics addressed at the
seminar included the potential for pavement design and construction of lightly trafficked
roads using lower cost marginal materials, the need for good drainage design and the
promotion of environmental issues. This process of review and assessment will enhance a
manual already well respected in the region.
For further information contact
Mick O'Connell, TRL.
Tel: +44 (0)1344 770993,
email: moconnell@trl.co.uk
SSATP:
URBAN TRANSPORT COMPONENT
The Sub-Saharan Africa Transport
Policy (SSATP) program was launched in 1987 as a joint initiative of the World Bank and
the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to improve the response to key
policy issues and the development of related capacities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The program
benefits from the participation of bilateral and multilateral development agencies and is
managed by the World Bank.
The programme is implemented
through a number of components which progress at their own speed, depending on priority,
availability of partners, donor's involvement and linkages with the World Bank operational
programs. The active components are: Urban Transport, Road Maintenance Initiative, Rural
Travel and Transport, Trade and Transport and Railways Restructuring.
The objectives of the Urban
Transport Component (UTC), as approved at the latest Steering Committee Meeting in Dakar
in May 1996 are to,
- Consolidate and strengthen the
policy reforms through the reinforcement of sector dialogue, user participation and
institutional coordination
- assist in the provision of safe and
affordable urban mobility with a specific focus on the urban poor
- develop partnerships with African
institutions to enhance local expertise in the areas of urban transport planning,
operation and research
- disseminate best practices in the
region.
Actions that have been promoted and
financed so far include support of institutional reform in the urban transport policy,
non-motorised transport pilot tests in Kenya and Tanzania, a road safety actions plan,
studies on the mobility of the urban poor, and analyses on external effects of urban
transport systems.
As of September 1997, the following
countries are active members of the SSATP-UTC: Benin, Bukina Faso, Cameroon, Cap Vert,
Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania,
Togo and Zimbabwe.
For further information contact:
Patrick Bultynck,
Urban Transport Economist, SSATP-UTC Coordinator,
The World Bank. Tel: +1 202 473 4549,
Email: pbultynck@worldbank.org
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN ROAD MAINTENANCE:
WHY ARE SOME COMMUNITY ROAD MAINTENANCE SCHEMES EFFECTIVE?
In many countries of Africa steps
are being taken to develop sustainable approaches to the maintenance of national road
networks. Strategies adopted have highlighted the need for the local community to
participate in road maintenance initiatives by taking some responsibility for the
secondary and feeder roads that link them to the national road network.
A DFID funded research project
currently being undertaken by I.T. Transport aims to explore the subject by addressing
questions such as, why do villagers maintain certain roads and footpaths and not others?
What role does government play? What are the gender roles in road maintenance? What
resources do villagers have and use?. The research is focused on Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda and is being carried out in three stages.
The first stage, completed earlier
this year, involved a literature review of current experience of community participation
in the maintenance of roads and other rural infrastructure. The review indicated that
attitudes towards maintenance often differ between governments and donors; there is a lack
of end-user participation in the planning process; villagers feel no 'sense of ownership'
or responsibility towards public infrastructure and government financing of maintenance is
scarce especially at the feeder road level and below.
These points have shaped and guided
the second stage which will examine existing project experience. This will be achieved
through case studies from projects in the region which have incorporated community
participation in their design and implementation. One case study will focus on the
Government of Tanzania's pilot Village Travel and Transport Programme, which aims to
increase the capacity of local communities to develop and maintain their transport
infrastructure. The attitudes of stakeholders towards the participatory approach are being
studied, together with the possible effects on future road maintenance.
The experience gained from the
literature review and case studies will be presented as 'Guidelines for planning and
implementation of community participation in maintenance' to be presented and discussed in
regional seminars and appropriate publications. The guidelines will benefit transport
planners and engineers when planning and implementing future transport infrastructure
maintenance.
For further information or comments
please contact:
Dr. Tony Airey or Marcus Wattam, I.T. Transport Ltd,
Tel: +44 (0)1235 833 753, E-mail: ittran@rmplc.co.uk
DFID Project Reference R6476
'Community Participation in Road Maintenance'
Theme Objective T3.
RS MILLARD, CMG,
PhD, FICE, FIHT
15 June 1920 - 1 June 1997
It is with regret that we report
the death in June of Dr. Ray Millard, one of the highway engineering professions most
influential and vigorous members.
Dr Ray Millard was an engineer with
a strong and energetic commitment to solving highway engineering problems in the
developing world. His reputation grew in the 1960s when, as Head of the Tropical Section
of the Transport and Road Research Laboratory (now TRL), he initiated a broad range of
research work in developing countries which formed the foundation of TRL's reputation
overseas. He was Deputy Director of TRRL from 1965 until his departure from the Civil
Service in 1974. During this time he served on the Council of the Institution of Civil
Engineers and in 1971 was awarded the CMG for his dedicated service to the developing
world.
After a few years in the private
sector he joined the World Bank in 1976 as a highway engineering adviser and from 1982 he
continued as a freelance consultant.
Over his lifetime he produced
numerous publications, including a TRL State of the Art Review: Road Building in the
Tropics (1993) which incorporated a lifetime's knowledge. The loss will be deeply felt by
all who knew him and we send our condolences to his wife and family.
PEDESTRIAN VULNERABILITY AND ACCIDENTS
The developing world faces the
serious and growing problem of pedestrian road accident casualties, particularly in the
urban environment. Contributing factors include poor or inadequate pedestrian facilities,
the growth of the population and the rapid transition of developing countries to motorised
transport. In general, the poorer sections of the urban community are more exposed to
pedestrian accident risk than the more affluent.
An ongoing programme of research,
funded by DFID and managed by WS Atkins with inputs from TRL, aims to examine the high
incidence of pedestrian casualties, determine contributory factors and provide guidance
for highway engineers in appropriate analysis and design principles of remedial measures.
The project is being carried out in
Accra (Ghana), Bangalore (India), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), Colombo (Sri Lanka) and
Harare (Zimbabwe). Extensive accident, highway and socio-economic data have been collected
and are undergoing analysis in the search for significant risk factors. The aim is to
provide engineers and road safety specialists with engineering criteria and guidance
enabling them to provide safety measures for pedestrians using roads and footpaths.
The main source of data has been
police reports, which form the basis of the locally maintained MAAP databases. The highway
survey information includes traffic and pedestrian volumetric counts and details of
highway condition, standard and geometry. Socio-economic data have been collected through
structured interview questionnaire methods.
The research has involved the
collaboration of local agencies who undertook the surveys and provided an insight into the
problems inherent in the local environment and culture for pedestrians. These agencies
include the Police, Ministries of Works and Engineering, road safety
committees/institutions and emergency services. In 1998, the study team will report on the
different experiences of setting up major field research in the various developing
countries. It will present it's findings on the behavioural pattern of pedestrians and
their socio-economic background, the highway related data and the relationships between
different risk predictors.
For further information contact: Dr
Farshid Kamali or Gregg Holland, WS Atkins International Ltd.
Tel: +44 (0)1372 726140.
DFID Project Reference R6236 'Pedestrian Accidents/Vulnerability in Developing Countries'
Theme Objective T1
WHY
SEND A BILLION DOLLARS?
One of the biggest investments a
city can ever make is a mass transit system. The three main options; underground rail
(metro), Light Rail Transit (LRT) and high-capacity segregated Bus-ways have been
investigated by TRL in a DFID funded research project, with the research focusing on the
performance and potential of each mode under actual developing city operating conditions.
A typical 'metro' underground
railway can cost around one billion US dollars. This does not guarantee success, however,
and many metros fail to meet their expectations. New metros in Colombia and Taiwan have
cost 3 and 6 billion US dollars respectively, and yet both have had contractual problems
and have yet to carry the passenger numbers forecasted. Cost and construction time
overruns are common and this coupled with unrealistic passenger forecasts led TRL to
suggest that 'because of the extremely high cost, a city should exhaust all alternatives
before opting for a metro'.
Research on the busway alternative,
shows that these can rival the carrying capacity of many metros for a fraction of the
cost. Hourly directional passenger flows of 18-20 thousand at 18-20 km/hr are possible.
The modern version of the traditional tramway is the LRT which has also been studied. This
has an appealing modern image but appears to have a lower passenger carrying capacity than
a busway. This somewhat surprising result is thought to be due to the superior ability of
buses to overtake the obstacles that are typical in developing cities, and which can delay
LRT.
It therefore seems surprising that
cities consider spending a billion dollars on a rail system when a busway costing just
fifty million dollars could, in many cases, offer the same passenger capacity. The choice
is evidently not based upon technical criteria alone.
For further information contact
Geoff Gardner, Overseas Centre, TRL.
Tel: +44 (0)1344 770644. Email: ggardner@trl.co.uk
DFID Project Reference R5596:
'Urban Mass Transit'
Theme Objective U2
ORN 17 - Road Safety Education in developing
countries: Guidelines for good practice in primary schools.
Road accidents are one of the most
prominent causes of injury and death in developing countries. The problem is particularly
marked among child pedestrians who typically represent 20 - 30 per cent of developing
country pedestrian road accident casualties.
TRL, funded by DFID, began
researching Road Safety Education materials and teaching methods for use in developing
country primary schools in 1996 and based on results from research in Ghana, has produced
Overseas Road Note 17. The Guidelines are aimed at policy makers and advisors in
Ministries of Education, Transport, Health and Public Works, as well as teachers,
headteachers and the Police. The Road Note provides practical information, illustrates the
importance of Road Safety Education, and shows how developing countries might establish an
adequate Road Safety Education course for primary school children. Also described is how
Road Safety Education, as part of a school's curriculum, can be linked with subjects such
as life skills, the environment, mathematics, English and science, or can be a subject in
its own right. Examples of road safety teaching methods from other developing countries
are included. Full details of the research project and samples of teaching materials and
methods are given in TRL Report 265.
For further information contact:
Ivan Sayer,
Overseas Centre, TRL. Tel: +44(0) 1344 770407 Email: isayer@trl.co.uk
DFID Project Reference R6890 'Road safety education in developing country schools and
communities',
Theme Objective T1
BOOK REVIEWS
Transport in the Urban Environment
Published by The Institution of Highways and Transportation, 1997.
This new publication by the U.K.
Institution of Highways and Transportation is a comprehensively revised version of the
highly successful Roads and Traffic in Urban Areas known as `the Brown Book' which has
proved a good source of information for practitioners in highways, traffic engineering,
transportation and urban planning. Transport in the Urban Environment (TUE) is divided
into six parts.
Part I (Issues, Responsibilities
and Principles) provides an overview of the key issues, including the intrinsic importance
of travel and transport. Sustainable development issues are discussed as well as the
importance of developing sustainable urban transport policies. Past travel patterns and
future trends are described as is the recent growth in the negative impacts of traffic
growth. Transport policy is covered focusing on objectives-led planning and the role of
targets and the roles, responsibilities and powers of both central and local government
are described.
Part II (The Transportation
Planning Process) describes the context for urban transport plans. The components of
transport policy are described, in detail, as are the different methods of data
collection. Urban transportation plans need to be based upon an understanding of the role
of modelling, however policies cannot be adopted in urban areas without proper appraisal
of their economic and environmental effects, which are the subject of another chapter. For
measures to be introduced successfully however, public approval and acceptance are
required, so a chapter concentrates upon methods of involving the public.
Part III, deals with issues
relating to traffic, safety and environmental management. This part covers general issues
such as managing the use of the road system, town centres, procedures for implementing
traffic management measures and enforcement, transport users, road safety, environmental
management, technology for network management, car parking, traffic calming and the
management of speed, as well as demand management.
Part IV deals with the highway and
traffic considerations for development. Chapters cover the transport aspects of new
developments and of development control, development related parking, residential
developments and non-residential parking.
In Part V the development and
design of highways and other infrastructure schemes is considered in detail. Chapters
cover design concepts, alternative concepts of capacity, as well as the procedures for the
planning and approval of transport infrastructure schemes.
Part VI reports on variations
applying to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales; and provides a general index to the
whole volume.
Although TUE is not specifically
aimed at engineers and planners in the developing world, there is no doubt that the
culture will be as extensively used by transport practitioners as `the Brown Book'
throughout urban centres of the developing world.
The new book has been produced in
hardback and in an electronic format (CD-ROM).
Reviewed By M. Al-Katib
Road Maintenance and Regravelling
(ROMAR) using labour-based methods (Handbook and Workbook) by C Andersson, A Beusch and D
Miles. Published by IT publications, 1996.
These books are written for the
managers of small construction businesses starting in the routine maintenance and
regravelling sector. They were originally developed as part of a contractor development
programme in Lesotho and now form part of the `Improve Your Construction Business' series
of publications.
The Handbook has two main sections;
the first, entitled `Principles', introduces the reader to the terminology, standards and
techniques used in road maintenance. It also details basic soil mechanics and field
testing, the choice and design of equipment/handtools and the organisation of labour based
roadworks. The second section, called `Practice', covers pricing and bidding, how to plan
and carry out effective maintenance and regravelling, and also discusses staff management
techniques. Particularly useful are the detailed cost examples which are based on typical
work rates.
The smaller workbook complements
the handbook, by covering the same topics but asking questions and giving exercises with
worked solutions. These are extremely useful for testing the readers understanding of the
subject.
The ROMAR books provide a good
introduction to the subject, giving clear worked examples and extensive technical,
financial and management advice. A few small errors were noted that could confuse a reader
new to the subject, but hopefully these will be corrected in future editions and should
not dissuade anyone interested in the subject from getting a copy of the books and gaining
much useful information.
The books are well written and
contain concise information that will help both new and established contractors to improve
their operations.
Reviewed by Nigel Hewitt
RECENT
PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS
IHT (1997). Transport In The Urban
Environment. Published by the Institution of Highways and Transportation (IHT), London.
ISBN 0902 933 213. (£56 includes worldwide p&p)(IHT)
IFRTD (1997). An Annotated
Bibliography on Rural Transport. Edited by N. Sieber. Available from IT Publications Ltd,
London. ISBN 1 85339 4181. (£9.95 + p&p)(IT Publications)
Larcher, P (1997). Labour-based
Road Construction: A State of the Art Review. Available from IT Publications Ltd, London.
ISBN 1 853 39 4165. (£11.95 + p&p)(IT Publications)
REPORTS
ORN 17
TRL (1997). Road Safety Education in Developing Countries - Guidelines for Good Practice
in Primary Schools. TRL Overseas Road Note 17. (£10*)(TRL)
TRL 265
SAYER, IA, CJ PALMER, G MURRAY and J GUY (1997). Improving Road Safety Education in
Developing Countries; Ghana. TRL Report 265. (£10*)(TRL)
TRL 267
HINE, JL, JH EBDEN and P SWAN (1997). A Comparison of Freight Transport in Tanzania and
Indonesia. TRL Report 267. (£10*)(TRL)
PAPERS
DOWNING, A (1997). Accident Costs
in Indonesia: A Review. ICORS'97, India, 24-27 July 1997. (TRL)
DOWNING A and H ISKANDAR (1997).
Engineering Approach to Accident Prevention and Reduction. KRTJ-5, Yogyakarta, 22-24
September 1997. (TRL)
GOURLEY, C S and PAK GREENING
(1997). Use of `sub-standard' lateritic gravels as roadbase materials in southern Africa.
International symposium on thin pavements, surface treatments and unbound roads,
University of New Brunswick, Canada, 24-25 June 1997. (PA3281/97)(TRL)
GOURLEY, C S (1997). Lightly
trafficked sealed roads in southern Africa: flexibility in design and construction. 1st
International symposium on paving of low volume roads, Rio-de-Janeiro, Brazil, 5-10
October 1997. (PA3283/97)(TRL)
GREENING, PAK and J ROLT (1997).
The use of marginal materials for road bases in the Kalahari region of southern Africa.
International symposium on thin pavements, surface treatments and unbound roads,
University of New Brunswick, Canada, 24-25 June 1997. (PA3282/97)(TRL)
LARCHER, P and D MILES. Developing
Small Scale Contractors in Road Maintenance.
Tanzania Roads Association: Annual Roads Convention on Road Transport: The key to
Development, Dar es Salaam, September 24-26, 1997. (Loughborough University)
MBARA, T C and D A C MAUNDER
(1997). Travel Characteristics of Urban Households in Harare, Zimbabwe. 8th IFAC Symposium
on Transportation Systems 1997, Chania, Crete 16-18 June 1997. (PA3228/97)(TRL).
SMITH, H, AC EDWARDS and J MREMA
(1997). Condition of the TANZAM Highway at Kitonga Gorge. Tanzania Roads Association:
Annual Roads Convention on Road Transport: The key to Development, Dar es Salaam,
September 24-26, 1997. (TRL)
STERLING, A, T TOOLE, K A ZAMHARI
& A TATANG DACHLAN (1997). Improved Indonesian Procedure for Asphalt Design. KRTJ-5,
Yogyakarta, 22-24 September 1997. (TRL)
STERLING A and K A ZAMHARI (1997).
Designing Asphalt Mixes That Last. 3rd Annual Bitumen Conference, Singapore, 25-27 June
1997. (TRL)
TATANG DACHLAN, A, K A ZAMHARI, A
STERLING & T TOOLE (1997). Improved Design Procedure for Hot Mix Asphalt. EASTS Ô97,
Seoul, 29-31 October 1997. (TRL)
WAWAN WITARNAWAN & A F DALY
(1997). Strengthening of bridges using external post-tensioning. EASTS Ô97, Seoul, 29-31
October 1997. (TRL)
WOODBRIDGE, M E (1997). The
Development and Value of a Construction Material Information System. Tanzania Roads
Association: Annual Roads Convention on Road Transport: The key to Development, Dar es
Salaam, September 24-26, 1997. (TRL)
NEW TRL OVERSEAS ROAD NOTE
ORN 16 - Principles of low cost road
engineering in mountainous regions, with special reference to the Nepal Himalaya
The results of more than twenty
years of research and practical experience of road construction and maintenance in
mountainous regions are brought together in this publication. TRL has collaborated with
consultants Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick to combine experience in overcoming the special
engineering problems presented by an unstable, ever-changing mountainous environment, such
as Nepal, 'Low cost' design philosophy implies some relaxation of road standard and normal
design procedures. Occasional damage to the road must be expected, so the desire for a
high road standard needs to be balanced against the costs of reinstatement. Design must be
related to the landscape; aspects such as identifying the most stable route (relatively
speaking!) and preserving natural drainage systems are vital.
ORN 16 concentrates on the
principles behind design decisions and procedures demanded by the rigours of a mountainous
environment. Emphasis is placed upon the risks associated with inappropriate design or
poor construction practice, and upon techniques or procedures that are effective and safe.
Nepal experiences natural disasters regularly and is a good proving ground for the
techniques described. However, the principles are applicable in any unstable landscape.
DFID Project Reference R6026
'Environmental impact of road construction' Theme Objective T2
NEWSLETTER
EDITORS
Transport
Linda Parsley, Overseas Centre, Transport Research Laboratory, Old Wokingham Road,
Crowthorne, Berks
RG45 6AU, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1344 770551 Fax: +44 (0)1344 770719
Email: lparsley@trl.co.uk
Earthworks
Dr John Bennett, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)115 936 3465 Fax: +44 (0)115 936 3474
Email: j.d.bennett@bgs.ac.uk
Energy Efficiency
Dr Andrew Gilchrist, ETSU, Harwell, Oxon OX11 ORA, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1235 433589 Fax: +44 (0)1235 433727
Email: andy.gilchrist@aeat.co.uk
Urbanisation
Dr Andrew Cotton, Water, Engineering and Development Centre, Loughborough University,
Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1509 222885 Fax: +44 (0)1509 211079
Email: wedc@lboro.ac.uk
Water
Geoff Pearce, Overseas Development Unit, HR Wallingford, Howbery Park, Wallingford, Oxon
OX10 8BA, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1491 835381 Fax: +44 (0)1491 826352
Email: odunit@hrwallingford.co.uk
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Fax: +44 (0)171 917 0072
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Fax: +44 (0)171 387 2808.
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