IMPLEMENTATION OF TRACTOR BASED ROAD MAINTENANCE

Transcription

1 IMPLEMENTATION OF TRACTOR BASED ROAD MAINTENANCE Presented By: Presley Chilonda 1

2 PRESENTATION OUTLINE: Rationale for Tractor Technology in Low Volume Road works and rural development Positive experiences and benefits for rural populations and African Governments Actions required to Make it happen Unconventional Soil Stabilization Options 2

3 RATIONALE FOR ADOPTION OF TRACTOR TECHNOLOGY There are clear cost and sustainability advantages in using tractor based technology for roadworks & other rural tasks, over heavy equipment methods Tractor technology will promote development of indigenous MSMEs (Micro small &medium Enterprises) in the roads sector There is potential increased tractor utilization and in turn increased profitability for owners Can develop natural synergies with the agricultural sector Will contribute towards local employment creation (works & manufacturing) 3

4 RURAL ROAD ACCESS AND AGRICULTURE 60% of Africa s population live in rural areas 80 % of sub Saharan Africa is made up of small holder plots relying on subsistence farming Productivity is around 40% of potential output Agriculture contributes 27% of GDP Good road infrastructure is necessary 4

5 CHOICE OF TECHNOLOGY 5

6 High capital costs Import intensive USE OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT Requires highly qualified artisans to repair and maintain Designed for single operation (inflexible) High level of unproductive down time Therefore inappropriate for resource constrained countries with high cost and scarcity of capital (Interest rates 15-35% p.a.) 6

7 Alternatives We already have proven alternatives that are affordable and available within the continent. The use of agricultural tractors is a low cost, flexible and more sustainable option. 7

8 AGRICULTURAL TRACTOR Increases productivity in agriculture through provision of draught power Reduces farm work burden Flexible for use on roads, farm land, water supply Can accommodate a wide range of locally made attachments (towed graders, trailers, water bowsers, tyre drags, rollers, ploughs, harrows etc.). 8

9 Bringing agricultural tractor technology into the road sector will: Increase annual equipment utilization Reduce unit costs to more affordable levels Accelerate payback of capital investment to owners Substantially improve rural access with better use of the available limited resources 9

10 HEAVY CIVIL ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT ISSUES ON LOW VOLUME UNPAVED ROADS Operational Technical Back up service Cost 10

11 OPERATIONAL Inter- dependence (grader, tippers and loader required to compliment each other during graveling) Work sites usually located in remote locations and require low bed for movement between sites Dedicated function (can only be used for one operation) Lack of continuity of workload for plant items of dedicated function 11

12 TECHNICAL High pressure hydraulic systems Sophisticated mechanisms and hydraulics Disposable components; difficult to repair or refurbish Computer diagnosis on some machines 12

13 SPARES BACKUP AND EQUIPMENT AGENTS Limited local market for equipment sales of each model Specialist repair and maintenance skills, tools and facilities required (often only available in the capital city or regional centre) Few dealers able to provide the necessary close support Long spares supply lines and delivery times Frequent model improvements causing spares stocking and procurement problems and planned obsolescence 13

14 COST All equipment and spares imported consuming scarce foreign exchange High capital and finance costs High costs of stocking and provision of spares 14

15 TRACTOR: ONE POWER SOURCE - MANY APPLICATIONS Gravel Haulage, Water Collection Haulage and Distribution, Personnel Transport, Bridge, Drift & Culvert Materials Haulage, Fuel Haulage, Plant Haulage (low loader trailer or semi-trailer), Towed Grading (heavy and light), Tyre Dragging, Towed Compaction,... 15

16 TRACTOR: ONE POWER SOURCE - MANY APPLICATIONS Earthworks Excavation & Haulage (towed scraper), Excavation (back hoe/ripper/scarifier), Compressor & pneumatic tools), Loading (front shovel), Grass & Bush Control, Spreading Materials, Bitumen Sealing (towed bitumen/emulsion heater/sprayer), 16

17 TRACTOR: ONE POWER SOURCE - MANY APPLICATIONS Stone crushing (towed crusher and screens), Chippings Transport, Recycling pavement (milling attachment), Brushing/Sweeping, Mixing (disc harrow/rotovator), Slurry Sealing (mixer and spreader), Premix Patching Material Production, Temporary Accommodation (towed caravan/workshop). 17

18 Motor grader Cost - US$ COMPARISON OF MOTOR GRADER AND TOWED GRADER UNIT Daily output grading 10km Use single application Recommended length of road per maintenance unit 200km Fuel consumption per day 160litres/8hours Towed grader & Tractor unit Cost US$ Daily output grading 10km Multiple use with different attachments Recommended length of road per maintenance unit 200km Fuel consumption per day 40litres/8hours 18

19 AGRICULTURAL TRACTOR V MOTORGRADER In a Local Authority area with a road network of km and maintenance units of 200km each, using motorized graders you need 50 at a cost of $ compared to 50 tractors and towed grader units at a cost of $ !! Clearly this helps to explain why low volume unpaved roads are abandoned due to perceived low return on heavy plant investment. Tractor units investment of $ to cater for km of roads is a sound economic investment with good return on investment, and low running costs. 19

20 Experience in Zimbabwe Achieved a maintained rural road network of km Developed a tractor based maintenance system for roads Divided the road network into units of between km Provided a maintenance budget based on length of road and traffic, operated under force account system Annual maintenance plan developed with unit staff Routine maintenance cost = us$600/km/year in today s prices. 20

21 EXPERIENCE IN ZIMBABWE 21

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23 EXPERIENCE IN ZIMBABWE 23

24 EXPERIENCE IN ZIMBABWE 24

25 EXPERIENCE IN MOZAMBIQUE Based on the Zimbabwe model, but carried out by SMEs Used available tractors and towed graders Piloted, then extended to other provinces Training and mentoring provided to contractors Issues of realistic pricing, lack of benchmark price guidance, suspected collusion over bidding Additional measures required to promote competitive market and enabling environment. 25

26 EXPERIENCE IN KENYA Tractors used in construction of km under RARP & MRP 4No 100hp(75kW) 4WD tractors & towed graders rehabilitated 700km of road in 18 months 5tonne towed graders locally manufactured Earth and gravel road rehabilitation rates were between 0.6 and 1.13 km/tractor-grader/day Rehabilitated earth roads trafficable 2 hours after rains due to effective camber and drainage. 26

27 ROAD MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT COSTS RELATING TO UTILISATION AND FINANCE COST Equipment & Annual Utilisation (hours) 140hp Motorgrader 1,000hours/year 140hp Motorgrader 500hours/year 100hp Tractor+Heavy Grader 1,000hours/year 100hp Tractor+Heavy Grader 500hours/year 70hp Tractor+Light Grader 1,000hours/year Ownership & Operating Cost per day (excluding VAT on procurement) Opportunity/Finance Opportunity/Finance Opportunity/Finance Costs 15% P. A. Costs 25% P. A. Costs 35% P. A. US$721 US$807 US$893 US$1,082 US$1,251 US$1,420 US$382 US$406 US$431 US$587 US$635 US$683 US$352 US$368 US$384

28 COMPARISON OF ROUTINE MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY CAPITAL INVESTMENT COSTS ITEM Cost New (US$) Total Cost (US$) 1. Heavy Equipment Unit Option 1 No 120K motor grader 264, ,000 1 No Tipper truck 50,000 50,000 Total (US$) 314, Tractor Unit Option 1 No 70 hp tractor 24,000 24,000 1 No light towed grader 15,000 15,000 1 No Trailer 10,000 10, No tyre drags 200 2,000 Total (US$) 51,000

29 ACTION REQUIRED Awareness creation concerning availability and performance (Leaders-agencies-media-private sector) Real Cost-awareness regarding all equipment Stable, specific & diversified Market for contractors and SMEs Designs and specifications for procurement Procurement guidelines Management and support guidelines Training-Demonstration & accreditation of courses Availability of finance Availability of for hire Dissemination & mainstreaming of Knowledge 29

30 RTG 300A Grader from Rogue Engineering

31 UNCONVENTIONAL SOIL STABILIZATION OPTIONS Delivery of road projects at high units costs due to costly importation of construction materials led to the development of technologies that would enhance the properties of poor in-situ materials. Introduction of unconventional soil stabilization. Received products by RDA include the following: a. Claycrete Ionic II Soil Stabilizer b. NanoAlps c. ConAid etc

32 Thank you for your attention.