Comparison of three design standards on Nakuru – Nyahururu road of flexible pavements in Kenya.
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Date
2018-05Author
Mosissa, Michael A
Type
ThesisLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The study road Nakuru – Nyahururu diverts from A109 Highway in Nakuru town passes
through mountainous escarpments and small towns like Bahati, Subukia and the seat of
Laikipia County (Nyahururu). It covers a total distance of 60 kilometers.
Alignment soil and the borrow pits were tested and analyzed, falling weight
deflectometer (FWD) were analyzed at 100 meters interval for determination of uniform
sections and to categorize the condition of the road, roughness measurement IRI
(International Roughness Index) were analyzed at 100 meters interval and used to
determine the condition of the road. Analyzing the traffic count was held in key places
along the project road. Due to under design; roads are dilapidating before their design
period is reached and will be forced to do the reconstruction or excessive maintenance
making road construction uneconomical.
It is recommended that structurally sustainable and economical design methods among
the usual Kenyan road design manual Part- III & IV(1987), Tanzanian design manual
(1999), AASHTO 1993 and South African mechanistic-empirical pavement analysis
design software (mePADS) for a rehabilitation of flexible pavement on Nakuru –
Nyahururu road.
From the analysis, the cost among three methods in the beginning of the design
options: - Tanzanian design manual 1999, AASHTO 1993 and South African software
looks relatively more expensive than the Kenyan design manual. But the Kenyan road
design manual needed a major rehabilitation. On the aspect of structurally sustainable
pavement, Tanzanian design manual (1999) is safe when analyzed through the
mechanistic-empirical Pavement Analysis Software (mePADS) whereas Kenyan design
manual fails to reach half way the design period. AASHTO 1993 will reach its service
life one or two years before the design period.
Therefore; it is recommended that the Kenyan design manual RDM, 1987 needs to be
revised for the design and construction of economical and sustainable road pavement
structures with in the design period.
Publisher
University of Nairobi