| dc.description.abstract | This report describes the design, tender documentation, contractor procurement and
implementation of a project to upgrade section of Awuch – Lanydyang road in Amida Subcounty in Kitgum district from gravel to bitumen standard using labour intensive low-cost seal
technology. Government of Uganda has for close to 10 years been promoting this technology
with the primary objective of creating employment opportunities for the many unemployed
citizens. Secondly, continuous re-gravelling of district and community access roads is also
becoming unsustainable become non-renewal road construction materials, such as gravel, are fast
getting depleted. Thirdly, sealed roads reduce environmental and health effects of dust arising
from gravel roads.
The author was the project manager and was involved in the project in identification, preliminary
and detailed engineering design, tender documentation and contract management. This project
was implemented using the traditional project implementation approach where the designer is an
employee of the Client and is also responsible for inspection, monitoring and control during
construction while actual construction is done by a contractor under contract with the Client.
The design process involved preliminary road evaluation, geometric design and road safety
considerations, drainage considerations, materials assessment, and pavement and surfacing
design. The Dynamic Cone Penetrometer catalogue approach was used for design of the
pavement layers. Environmental and social safeguards were also considered during the design
phase where potential environmental and social impacts of the project were identified and
considerations put in tender and contract documents to ensure that negative impacts are mitigated
and positive impacts are enhanced.
The standard bidding document prepared under authority of the Public Procurement and Disposal
of Public Assets Authority for use in the procurement of works was extensively used. Additional
items drawing the attention of the bidder to the labour-based and low-cost seal approaches were
added where necessary. The Technical Compliance Selection methodology was used during bid
evaluation. The bidding process attracted only two bidders and the contract was awarded to the
best evaluated bidder at a contract price of Ushs 318,421,107=.
The construction process involved scarifying the existing gravel wearing course to a depth of 200
mm, watering, re-compacting and reshaping to give a camber of 3% to serve as the new subbase. Construction of the road base involved importing gravel, stabilizing with 4% lime,
compacting and curing. The stabilized road base was primed using MC 30 about a week before
starting the sealing operation. The sealing operation involved spraying controlled quantity the
binder on the primed base layer, spreading aggregate and compacting using loaded tipper trucks.xiii
The contract was signed on 16th November, 2018 and work commenced on 1st December, 2018
with intended completion date of 30th May, 2019. However, arising from the saving, the
contractor was given instructions to execute additional works and the project scope increased
from upgrading 1.3 km to upgrading 1.55 km. In accordance with the conditions of contract the
completion date was extended to 30th June, 2019. The Contractor substantially completed the
works on 5th July, 2019, that is, five days behind schedule. During the course of implementation
the Contractor also stopped work for over one month when such stoppage was not provided for
in the work schedule and the Contractor had to be cautioned.
A number of quality control tests were carried out during implementation. The stabilized road
base failed the first in-situ density test and the Contractor was instructed to scarify, re-water and
re-compact the road base before a second test was carried out.
Environmental and social management plan was prepared during the planning phase and this was
used to monitor the Contractor‟s compliance with environmental and social safeguards
requirements.
Only contractors who had undergone training in low-cost seal at Mount Elgon labour-based
training centre were considered eligible to bid for the works as a result the advert attracted only
two bids. The people employed to work on the project generally lack knowledge and experience
on low-cost seal and had to be taken through some on-site training. The Contractor also
experienced problems in getting bitumen and pneumatic rollers. This greatly affected the smooth
implementation of the project. Participation of women in the project was quite low despite
efforts to promote their participation. The amount paid to the labourers for their daily labour was
generally below the market rate and this made the project unattractive. Besides, the Contractor
sometimes took unnecessarily long to pay the workers.
The few challenges encountered notwithstanding, upgrading of the road section was generally
well executed, given that low-cost seal technology is still fairly new in Uganda. A total of 4,340
work-days were created as a result of the project, an indication that labour-based road works has
the potential to significantly reduce unemployment in the country.
In order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of delivering low-cost seal road projects
there is need to train more people in the technology by incorporating design, construction and
maintenance of low volume sealed roads in training curricula of the different tertiary institutions
that train engineers and technicians and increase funding for research in low volume sealed
roads. There is also need to formulate policies that support labour-based road works | en_US |
