ETD Collection

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Roads--Design and construction

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Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Factors affecting the performance of contractors on road projects supervised by national agency of public works in Gabon
    (2018) Onana, Jean-Claude
    This research investigates the performance of contractors in timeously delivering road construction projects in Gabon. Road infrastructure is the backbone of economic development of any country. A good road network facilitates trade and cooperation. It also provides access to markets in addressing socio-economic challenges by providing access to employment opportunities (World Bank 2014). The study was motivated by the fact that despite the government of Gabon’s efforts to improve the delivery of road projects by initiating a National Infrastructure Master Plan (NIMP) and creating a National Agency of Public Works (ANGT) to supervise the construction of national roads, the performance of contractors involved on these projects remains unsatisfactory in delivering road projects within the time frame proposed. The objective of the study was to establish the effect of finances on the performance of contractors in the road construction sector, to assess the effect of skilled manpower on the performance of contractors in the road construction sector, to examine how organization structure affect the performance of contractors in the road construction sector, and to establish the effect of client support on performance of contractors in the road construction sector. The study uses a cross sectional descriptive survey design since it is an investigation of an individual group of respondents. The purposive sampling technique was used in coming up with a sample size. The study relied mostly on primary data source and 65 questionnaires were used as source of data collection. From the questionnaires sent 54 respondents returned their questionnaires cutting across professionals from the contractors and the ANGT directly involved in road construction projects these included Project Managers, Planners, Engineers, Site Managers, and Site Supervisors. The data collected were both qualitative and quantitative. Collected data were coded and entered into Statistical Package for Social Scientists SPSS Version (20.0). The data were analysed to test the hypotheses using the Chi-Square statistical method. The calculated Chi-Square values in all four cases were found to be less than the critical value consequently the null hypotheses were accepted in all four cases as per the study objectives. The findings were presented descriptively in forms of tables while explanation was presented in prose. The main findings were that all the 4 factors as per the study objectives had influenced the performance of contractors delivering road project on time. It was noted that finance and organization structure have the highest influence followed by skilled manpower and client support according to the number of respondents. The recommendations for improvement in finances included that contractors should form public private partnerships with financiers and government who may be willing to finance major road construction projects, legislation be put in place to ensure clear timelines for payments and spell out penalties for default and the establishment of a bank to serve the construction industry. The recommendations included training and skill upgrading within construction firms and establishment of more middle level technical colleges in order to improve availability of skilled manpower. Also recommended was that construction firms also need to have a flexible dynamic organizational structure as the existence of such was found to be the core from which the successful implementation of road construction projects was founded. In addition, client support in form of prompt payments and approvals, involvement of stakeholders, early land acquisition and project coordination are necessary to ensure enhanced performance of contractors in the road sector. This would ensure timely, cost effective and quality completion of road projects.
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    The effect of road roughness on vehicle operating costs for medium-sized trucks: a calibration of existing models
    (1991) Finlayson, Adrian Mclean
    In the economic and social development of any country, an effective road transportation system is an important factor However, it also consumes a large proportion of the total infrastructure costs, while the costs borne by the road user for vehicle operation and depreciation arc even greater. A policy must therefore be adopted in which total community costs for any road link Of network are minimized. To do this meaningfully, alternatives must be developed and compared and the trade-offs between them carefully assessed. This, in turn, requires the ability to quantify the different cost functions for the desired period of analysis. [No abstract provided. Information taken from introduction]
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    Stockpile life of foam stabilised material and the implications for labour intensive construction
    (1998) Chasi, Brian Takaona
    Various studies have been done to show that labour-based construction can meet the high standards normally required in the construction of roads. The organisational requirements that were needed to ensure the efficient use of labour have also been dealt with in various studies. Tile need for alleviation of poverty, unemployment and the negative social impact thereof by increasing the labour input in construction is understood by all concerned. A further step is however necessary before the idea of increasing the . labour component in any kind of roadwork can be taken seriously. Engineers need to move forward from the policy and organisational issues associated with labour intensive construction and start to provide designers with sound and innovative engineering solutions to overcome the hurdles experienced on the ground. The study looks at the process of foam bitumen stabilisation of soils and gravels with a view of utilising this innovative method for labour intensive construction. The material after having been stabilised can be placed in a stockpile. Actual durations that the material can safely remain in stockpile have been determined in this study to be in excess of six months for recycled asphalt and in excess of four months for the foam stabilised sand. Foam stabilised gravel was also studied and showed that after a year in stockpile the material failed probably due to a weakening of the bitumen and aggregate bond. Covering the stockpiled material did not show any significant difference to that of a similar uncovered stockpile. The position within the stockpile also did not have much effect on the engineering properties of the stoc piled material. The fact that the foam stabilised material can be worked on when cold and that it can be stockpiled for several months implies that the material is labour friendly and can be used in labour intensive construction of road base course layers or wearing course layers.