Rethinking Traditional Approaches to Low-Volume Road Provision in Developing Countries

2003 ◽  
Vol 1819 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Pinard ◽  
C. S. Gourley ◽  
P. A. K. Greening
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Road ◽  
Project Appraisal ◽  
Holistic Approaches ◽  
Low Volume Roads ◽  
Social And Economic Development ◽  
Low Volume ◽  
Traditional Approaches

Low-volume roads (LVRs) constitute an integral component of the road system in all developing countries, where their importance extends to all aspects of the social and economic development of rural communities. However, the original documentation relating to the provision of such roads is based in many respects on technology and research carried out in Europe and the United States some 30 to 40 years ago in environments very different from those prevailing in developing countries. As a result, these traditional approaches are often inappropriate for application in developing countries. Moreover, they tend to focus on the technical environment of road provision, with inadequate consideration of other interrelated environments that critically influence the types of LVRs that should be provided. As a result, a need for new, more holistic approaches to low-volume road provision has been engendered to satisfy the various needs of rural communities in a more sustainable manner. The objective of this discussion is to provide an insight into new, more holistic and sustainable approaches to the provision of LVRs in developing countries. Embodied in these new approaches is a need to rethink the old ways of providing such roads based on research and development work that has been carried out in these countries during the past 20 years. Examples include aspects of planning and project appraisal, geometric and pavement design, construction and drainage, and environmental issues, all of which need to be reconsidered in a more appropriate manner.

Evaluation of the Long-Term Performance of Woven Geotextile Used between Base Course and Subgrade of a Paved Road

2019 ◽  
Vol 2673 (8) ◽  
pp. 310-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saad Ullah ◽  
Burak F. Tanyu ◽  
Erol F. Guler ◽  
Edward J. Hoppe ◽  
Emre Akmaz
Keyword(s):  
Transportation Network ◽  
Experimental Program ◽  
The Road ◽  
Low Volume Roads ◽  
Road Profile ◽  
Low Volume ◽  
Base Course ◽  
Virginia Department ◽  
Paved Road ◽  
Term Performance

The purpose of this research was to investigate the properties of the exhumed geotextile from a low-volume road on the Virginia Department of Transportation network. The exhumed geotextiles have been in service for 23 years, which provided an opportunity to evaluate the longevity of the materials as well as to make assessments of how it relates to the changes in material properties. During this investigation, subgrade and base course materials were also obtained from the same site and an experimental program was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the exhumed geotextiles for separation, stabilization, and filtration for the base course thicknesses of 4, 6, and 8 in. The results from this study combined with the results from the previous studies conducted at the same site showed that when the geotextile is placed between the subgrade and base course, the thinner the pavement section, the more evident the effectiveness of the geotextile improvements. One important finding of this research was that the placement of a geotextile reduced the particle breakage caused by abrasion under the applied transient loads. This was observed as a stabilization effect of the geotextile inclusion. As a general conclusion, for low-volume roads with relatively thin pavement sections, properly selected geotextiles provide benefits for separating the subgrade and base course (minimizing pumping), filtering infiltrated or ground water, and stabilizing the road profile. These benefits become more apparent when the thickness of the base course is less than 8 in.

Nature and Effects of Low-Volume Roads in Botswana

2003 ◽  
Vol 1819 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bizzar B. Madzikigwa
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Road Network ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Rapid Improvement ◽  
The Road ◽  
Low Volume Roads ◽  
Low Volume ◽  
Sand And Gravel

The road sector in Botswana continues to develop its road network throughout the country at a tremendous rate. When Botswana gained independence in 1966, it had only 10 km (16 mi) of bitumen road. By 1992 the total length of bituminous surfaced road reached 3500 km (2,175 mi) out of a total road network of 18 000 km (11,285 mi). These statistics clearly show that the majority of roads are not yet surfaced; these are low-volume roads that provide access to the rural areas where most of the country’s population is found, though in low density. In spite of the rapid improvement in the quality of the national road network in recent years, much remains to be done. In the early 1970s and early 1980s the rural roads unit was introduced in the Ministry of Works Transport and Communications, which was charged with the responsibility of design and construction of low-volume roads around the country in a bid to integrate the country’s road network. This unit was later disbanded in the 1990s, and all roads are improved through the conventional procurement system using private contractors. For these roads the justification of a surfacing project based on conventional economic return methods does not apply, and worse still, the road improvements have to compete with other amenities for the same limited resources. Three ministries in Botswana are responsible for roads: Ministry of Works Transport and Communications, Ministry of Local Government, and Ministry of Trade, Industry, Wildlife and Tourism. These ministries have different responsibilities for different roads within the country, and earth, sand, and gravel roads are found under the jurisdiction of each of the ministries. The major drawbacks concerning low-volume roads in Botswana are inadequate maintenance, poor road construction materials, and the environmental impacts of the roads. Since the budget and resources are inadequate to keep these roads in good condition, it would be prudent to find technological means that would improve the locally available road construction materials so as to minimize their effects on the environment and vehicle operating costs.

scholarly journals A Study on Impact of Digitalization Rural Development in Khambhat Taluka

2019 ◽  
pp. 220-224
Author(s):  
Sahima N.Vohra
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The United States ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Digital Gap

In recent years, information and communication technology (ICT) has rapidly spread across the globe, along with increased market penetration and easy availability of economical smartphones and cell phones with both wired and nonwired connections to access the Internet; this leapfrogging in the Internet access is true even in the rural areas of the world's developing countries. This study explored the interplay between contextual and individual factors related to Internet adoption in isolated rural communities. By investigating 10 remote villages throughout Chile that received Internet access infrastructure in 2010–2011, we identified 3 areas in which contextual and individual factors are intertwined.1.Geogeaphical isolation,2. the communities' aging population also represented a strong challenge because they lack young people, a relevant technology socialization agent.3.Jon and economic. When the Internet has reached the vast majority of the population, isolated communities confront specific challenges that we need to consider in policy?making decisions. As Internet access spreads and the level of penetration reaches high percentages in both developed and developing countries, the urban–rural digital gap remains strong (e.g., LaRose, Strover, Gregg, &Straubhaar, 2011; Rivera, Lima & Castillo 2014). Thus, many policy?making efforts have promoted online connection in rural areas. For example, in the United States, the Department of Agriculture has promoted broadband access programs such as the Sustainable Broadband Adoption Program (LaRose et al., 2012).

Surface rutting of thin pavements and gravel roads under standard and reduced tire inflation pressures

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 679-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Shalaby ◽  
Alan Reggin
Keyword(s):  
Low Pressure ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
Thin Membrane ◽  
Heavy Vehicles ◽  
Tire Pressure ◽  
The Road ◽  
Low Volume Roads ◽  
Low Volume ◽  
Pavement Service Life ◽  
Partnership Program

In Canada, over 300 heavy vehicles equipped with central tire inflation systems are being used in forestry, mining, and grain hauling. Since 1995, Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation has permitted truck fleets to operate with primary highway axle loads on secondary highways under a partnership program. This paper reports on the comparison of rutting progression on an accelerated field experiment utilizing standard and reduced tire pressures. The experiment was conducted by Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation in the Big Quill Lake area of southern Saskatchewan. The vehicles used in the experiment were nine-axle B trains, eight-axle B trains, and six-axle semi-trailers. The statistical analysis of rutting data presented in the paper shows that reduced tire pressures can effectively extend the pavement service life of gravel and thin membrane surfaced roads. On the thin membrane pavements, there was less rutting on the low-pressure lane until twice as many vehicles had trafficked the road, and rutting was no worse on the low-pressure lane even when 10 times as many vehicles had trafficked the road. On the gravel surface, rut depth was lower on the low-pressure lane until twice as many trucks had trafficked that lane.Key words: rutting, pavement, central tire inflation, tire pressure, low-volume roads, unsurfaced roads.

Network-Level Application of Roads Economic Decision Model in Nicaragua

2003 ◽  
Vol 1819 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Archondo-Callao ◽  
Douglas Méndez Talavera ◽  
Lubina Cantarero Zeas
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Consumer Surplus ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Improvement Program ◽  
Unpaved Roads ◽  
Economic Decision ◽  
The Road ◽  
Low Volume Roads ◽  
Low Volume ◽  
Poverty Indicators

A network-level application of the Roads Economic Decision (RED) model in Nicaragua is presented. The RED model was developed by the World Bank to improve the decision-making process for development and maintenance of low-volume roads. The model adopts the consumer surplus approach to estimate transport benefits and is customized to the characteristics of low-volume roads, such as the high uncertainty in the assessment of the model inputs, the difficulties in characterizing the road condition of unpaved roads, and the need for a comprehensive analysis of generated traffic to clearly define all accrued benefits. The network-level application was designed to define a rational maintenance and improvement program for a network of secondary unpaved roads with particular attention to the alternative of improving the network by surfacing roads with concrete blocks and to include in the decision-making process not only economic considerations but also poverty indicators and priorities perceived by local administrators.

Private–Public Partnership for Low-Volume Roads: Swedish Private Road Associations

2003 ◽  
Vol 1819 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Ivarsson ◽  
Malmberg Christina Calvo
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Local Property ◽  
Public Expenditures ◽  
Private Ownership ◽  
Swedish Model ◽  
Low Volume Roads ◽  
Low Volume ◽  
The Government

Unit costs for low-volume road construction and maintenance are low compared with those for higher-level roads. The problem is that in many countries this network is vast, and the total cost requirements to ensure minimum access are enormous. This problem is a particular challenge in developing countries where more than two-thirds of the poor reside in rural areas. The option of private ownership and financing of low-volume roads is proposed. It is argued that the Swedish model for low-volume road management and financing is simple and efficient and can easily be adapted to a variety of circumstances in both rich and poor countries. In Sweden, private road associations manage two-thirds of the road network at less than half the cost and with better results than do the government road agencies. This model is based on a well-structured institutional framework for private ownership of low-volume roads that includes a law on private roads and financial and technical incentives. The government provides legal and financial incentives for local property owners to associate and assume responsibility for their roads. The result is a private–public partnership in which government subsidizes road costs with grants from the budget. Increasing efficiency and effectiveness of public expenditures and working in partnership with the private sector are highly relevant goals in both developed and developing countries.

Application of Highway Development and Management Tool for Low-Volume Roads

2003 ◽  
Vol 1819 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Veeraragavan ◽  
K. B. Rathnakara Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Strategy Analysis ◽  
Performance Trends ◽  
Low Volume Roads ◽  
Low Volume ◽  
Suitable Framework ◽  
Development And Management ◽  
The Impact

Connectivity is a key component of rural development in developing countries. Traditionally, many road organizations budget and program for road works on a historical basis. An objective, needs-based approach is necessary with knowledge of the content, structure, and condition of the roads being managed. The Highway Development and Management Tool (HDM-4) provides a suitable framework for such an approach. From the available traffic and condition surveys, nine representative low-volume road sections with varying geometry and pavement condition are analyzed. The types of vehicles using the roads are two- and three-wheelers; standard medium buses; standard minibuses; light commercial vehicles; two-axle trucks, cars, and tractors among the motorized traffic; and bullock cart and bicycle among the nonmotorized traffic, which are the conventional modes of transport for low-volume roads in developing countries. The purpose of the study is to forecast budget requirements and predict performance trends by applying the strategy analysis of HDM-4 to low-volume roads. The analysis was carried out for two objective functions: to maximize the net present value and to minimize the total costs for a target international roughness index. The design period was 20 years; economic indicators were determined at a discount rate of 12%. Two investment alternatives, namely, a desired maintenance and an ideal maintenance, are compared with the do-minimum alternative. The study reveals that the strategy application of HDM-4 can be used for managing low-volume roads effectively. The tool will help in forecasting budget requirements and assessing the impact of various investment alternatives.

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