Road Maintenace in Nepal

 

Road Maintenance in Nepal

Maintenance are those activities carried out to keep the road in condition as near to condition of newly constructed or rehabilitated or reconstructed road. The types of maintenance are Routine maintenance, Recurrent maintenance, Periodic maintenance, Emergency maintenance and Preventive maintenance. Road asset needs care and upkeep once constructed. It is the series of interdependent activities carried out on and off the road surface with a view to preserve asset and to maintain its serviceability. 

Purpose of maintenance

a. Reducing deterioration (Deterioration depends upon traffic loading, pavement strength, climate and environment)

b. Lowering vehicle operating cost

c. Keeping road open

d. Safety

e. Environmental issues

f. Construction and design standard and quality

Effect of axle load

Pavement damage increases rapidly with higher axle loads and actually increases faster than the load increases. 

Effect of neglecting road maintenance

Research shows that 1% decrease in maintenance cost increases 110% vehicle operating cost. 1 unit of money spent on maintenance saves 3 units to road users and 2 units to road agency.

Need for maintenance

To preserve the road asset and to deliver the designated level of service to the road users.

Causes of deterioration

• Topography & Subgrade

• Material and Pavement thickness

• Drainage

• Quality of construction material

• Environment

• Traffic

• Age

Forms of deterioration

• Cracks

• Potholes

• Raveling

• Ruts

• Exposed base/subbase

• Bleeding

• Edge break

• Corrugation

• Shoulder wear

Deterioration causes reduction in serviceability of road and increases the cost to the government and to the road users. There exists cost effective time for preventive maintenance, cost effective time for rehabilitation and costly time for rehabilitation and it is desirable to make a rational decision by concerned authority.

In Nepal surface distress index (SDI) has been used from 1992 for assessment of the road condition. This assessment is made on subjective basis. However, it is better to use pavement condition index (PCI) which measures pavement condition on objective basis.

PCI scale (100-0)

100-75   Planned maintenance

40-75    Major rehabilitation

0-40      Reconstruction

Present practice of planned maintenance started in Nepal from 1992 through pilot project and is given continuity till the date.

Planned maintenance is a systematic and efficient application of routine, recurrent/reactive and periodic maintenance so as to preserve the road asset and provide desired level of service to the road users.

Present maintenance strategy

a. Preservation and maintenance of road assets for full utilization.

b. Ensuring more than 95% of SRN in a good/fair condition as per SDI.

c. Minimum road closure

d. Effective service delivery to the satisfaction of road users

e. Substantial reduction in accident by adopting enhanced safety.

f. Reduction of vehicle omission and dust pollution

Pre-requisite of planned maintenance

If road is not in maintainable condition, it should be brought to maintainable condition by:

a. Back log maintenance

b. Rehabilitation

c. Reconstruction

Backlog maintenance is the works except rehab/reconstruction required to bring road in maintainable condition.

SRN

Planned maintenance

Maintenance activities

Cyclic

• Routine (365 days)

• Recurrent/reactive (2-3 cycle/year) (pre monsoon & post monsoon) 80% if rainfall occurs within 4 months (120 days).

• Periodic (5-7 year/cycle)

As necessary

• Specific location (to cover the backlog)

• Emergency (location dependent)

• Others: (Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Bioengineering, traffic safety, Research & Development)

Present planning process for road maintenance

a. Assessment of road distress/defect condition at division level

b. Calculation of total quantities for road maintenance.

c. Preparation of total cost needed for maintenance (routine, reactive, periodic and others)

d. Workshop on ARMP in regional/province level.

e. Preparation of ARMP (Annual Road Maintenance Plan) in regional/province level.

f. Preparation of priority based on strategic importance, traffic loading, age for periodic maintenance in regional level.

g. IARMP (Integrated annual road maintenance plan) in central level

h. Budget allocation for periodic maintenance on priority basis

i. Budget allocation of routine/reactive maintenance as per demand

j. Budget allocation for other activities (road safety, responsive research, heavy equipment, mobilization for emergency, emergency maintenance and others)

Implementation of maintenance activities

• Carryout the road condition/roughness survey and traffic count (few stations) in a year.

• Invitation for recurrent/reactive maintenance on cycle basis (two cycle)

• Maintenance by force account (Amanat)

• Invitation for bid for periodic (Reseal/Overlay)

• Contract award

• Execution of contract

Problems

a. Routine maintenance is not carried out in proper basis in majority of the road links.

b. No interest in carrying out crack seal in initial stage and waiting for to develop pothole in large scale.

c. Reactive/Recurrent contracts neither carried out in cycle basis nor in whole section of length and rarely completes in stipulated time.

d. Pre-treatment (crack seals) never got priority.

e. Periodic maintenance contract seldom completes within fiscal year (remoteness, lack capacity of contractor, lack of equipment, lack of willingness of employer & contractor)

f. Above situation leads piling of backlog maintenance leading to the deterioration of road surface, increasing cost and decreasing service level to the road users.

g. Lack of capacity building training

h. No proper importance given to the water management although water is principal enemy of roads.

Pavement management System

PMS came into popular use in late 1960s and early 1970s to describe decision support tools for the entire range of activities involved in providing and maintaining pavements.

Total pavement management system was adopted to achieve best possible value through coordinates set of activities using public funds and providing and operating smooth, safe and economical pavement.

“activities” means as those activities associated with pavement planning, design, construction, maintenance, evaluation and research”

Components

1. Pavement condition survey

2. Database containing all related pavement information

3. Analysis scheme

4. Decision criteria (Rule developed to guide pavement mgmt. decision)

5. Implementation procedures

Challenges

• Changing mindset of lack of ownership in all level of road maintenance

• Change attitude problem toward maintenance

• Change lengthy working procedure

• Change low maintenance priority towards prime/high

• Manage water mgmt. problem during rainy season

• Increase efficiency of length workers despite age and avoid political affiliation

• Change sense of recognition among political, high level bureaucratic and technical leadership towards road

• Capacity enhancement of supervising and undertaking parties & personnel.

• To overcome problem regarding harsh working condition, limited time for maintenance and remoteness

• Increase absorption capacity of implementing agency

• Increase awareness towards road maintenance works

• Keep present level of fund (sufficient maintenance budget) for future and increase as needed. (currently MOF has started providing sufficient budget for maintenance activities)

• Give priority and carry out pre-treatment work.

• Manage small and scattered maintenance work in efficient way

• Use of bioengineering for slope maintenance and stabilization of shallow slope failure

Way forward

• Change current maintenance policy based on SDI basis to IRI (International roughness index) and volume of traffic.

• Assign service level depending on IRI value in high volume roads.

• Reform present road boards Nepal to smart, efficient, research & development friendly organization and IT friendly

• Carry out maintenance activities in initial stage (seal cracks)

• Penalize overloading high emission vehicle

• Carryout and introduce more traffic count station and frequency

• Carry out strict law enforcement measures

• Priority assessment should be compulsory

• Network optimization (optimum network management strategy)

• Use of investment model for maintenance priority (HDM-4)

• Carry out extensive research and use local materials)

• Capacity building (Supervising staff, private party contractor)

• Prepare workable maintenance specification.