ABSTRACT

Nwaniba road is a principal inter-regional road, linking Uyo metropolis with Idu in Uruan L.G.A
of Akwa Ibom State. Major sections of the road having served for fifteen years post construction
shows signs of deterioration, yet no evaluated maintenance management programs or system have
been designed specifically to optimize cost-effective maintenance decisions on the road. This study
explored the structural performance of certain sections of the road pavement with the aid of
Benkelman beam and characterized the visible surface conditions of the pavement between CH
0+000 (Latitude 5.030682ºN, Longitude 7.934061ºE) and CH 3+200 (Latitude 5.028623ºN,
Longitude 7.962174ºE). The investigation process involved; collection of historic data, a condition
survey which formed the basis on which the carriageway on Ekpri Nsukara bound was divided
into 3 homogeneous sections of approximately similar serviceability conditions and a rebound
deflection measurement of the sections using a Benkelman beam. Historic data revealed that there
was major rehabilitation carried out in 2009 on two sections (CH 0+739 to CH 1+059 and CH
1+870 to CH 2+205) respectively. The rehabilitation wasn’t due to pavement failure, but was done
to increase the road capacity and introduce adequate traffic control features at; Brook street and
General Edet Akapan intersections respectively. The Structural distress on Nwaniba road (Ekpri
Nsukara Bound) is less significant than the functional distress with a ratio of 1:6.2, covering 144.48
m2 and 889.87 m2 respectively. 4.43 % of the area (23,360 m2) covered in the study has visible
distress and the reason for this minute value is the two (2) sections of major rehabilitation, which
reduced the area of the pavement with the same post-construction conditions of exposure. The
deflection basin parameters revealed that the standard deviation for Sections 1, 2 and 3 are;
0.00212 mm, 0.00071 mm and 0.00071 mm respectively. Showing that the deflection values are
clustered close to the mean and the variability is low for the data sets collected. Similarly, the Base
Layer Index (BLI) for Sections; 1, 2 and 3 are; 0.014 mm = 14.0 µm, 0.002 mm = 2.0 µm and
0.001 mm = 1.0 µm respectively, are lower than the benchmark value of 200 µm indicating sound
pavement structural conditions. It is concluded that; the pavement is still in very good structural
condition, despite approaching the climax of the design life and due to the transitive nature of
functional deficiencies in pavement, the functional efficiency of the road can be restored by the
provision of nominal Asphalt overlay to increase the longevity and optimize the service life of the
pavement.

vii
 1

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Movement of people and freight from a point of origin to a point of destination is as old as

man. Such movement is colloquially referred as Transportation and it plays a major role in the

socio-economic viability of a region, and overall communication between human Communes.

It is well established that most developing countries like Nigeria, prioritize road

transportation over other transportation modes due to its many advantages which may include; its

ability to provide direct access to various intended land use activities and also its general ability to

serve as a link between other modes of transportation (Afolayan and Abidoye, 2017). In the road

transportation sector, the pavement type commonly encountered in Nigeria is generally known as

“flexible pavement”. It has self-healing properties that allow for a reasonable extent of recovery

after the removal of heavy wheel loads and also has the ability to withstand the production of

stresses due to temperature variations or excessive atmospheric conditions (Brockenbrough and

Boedecker, 2004). Despite afore listed properties, this pavement type is not exempted from

deterioration in the course of time.

(Harral et al.,1988) asserts that:

Road deterioration is not confined to developing countries. Nor is it a new concern

for the World Bank, which published The Road Maintenance Problem and

international Assistance in 1981 to draw attention to the matter. What is new,

however is the scale to which road deterioration has progressed in so many

developing countries.

Developing cities like Uyo in Akwa Ibom state is characterized by a continuous increase in

urbanization which results in a greater influx of people, goods and services. The ever increasing

population whose transportation needs must be met, is further worsened by the spatial distribution
 2

of land use activities between already existing areas of development and newly designated areas.

In view of the above, there is a need to augment the huge road transportation infrastructure deficit

through; the construction of new roads to link the newly opened up areas to the preexisting areas

while prioritizing the maintenance of existing roads to ensure that it carters for the needs of the

ever increasing traffic without partial or total dilapidation (Ernest et al., 2010). The huge capital

required for the construction of new roads make it difficult for Government at various levels to

approve and fund them at will. Most times, new roads are partly funded, partly constructed and

abandoned along the way or construction periods are excessively prolonged due to insufficient

funds as a result of other basic societal needs that are competing relatively for the available

resources. The shortage of new roads makes the existing roads to be overburdened by extreme

traffic loads which they were not designed to bear in most cases during their useful life, thereby

increasing the rate of deterioration accordingly (Ikeagwuani and Ibeawuchi, 2016). The current

system of road maintenance in the country, is rightly described by The World Bank (1991) as being

“largely one of reaction to crisis. This works as long as ample funds are available. In a period of

financial constraints, it is a recipe for chaos”.

In view of the above, it is necessary to have a sound maintenance management system to optimize

routine; evaluation of road pavements, planning, organization/ prioritization of various available

options and timely cost-effective execution of appropriate maintenance decisions. This will avert

avoidable rehabilitation and reconstruction at which point, estimated cost would have been

catastrophic by; the magnitude of road transportation physical infrastructure lost, previous

financial investment lost and the significant increase in the overall cost of vehicle operation on

such roads. The ability to accurately predict road pavement sections that require preventive

maintenance measures and sections that do not require them, depends exclusively on the pavement

evaluation procedures adopted by the maintenance Engineer.

Pavement evaluation is the holistic assessment of pavement performance with regards to two

comprehensive scopes; structural and functional. Structural evaluation of flexible pavement is a

 3

quantitative assessment of the primary response of pavement to transient loads. The response of

pavement layers can be measured in terms of deflection which can then be deduced to obtain;

stress, strain, transient and permanent deformations respectively. Functional evaluation of flexible

pavement is a qualitative assessment of the serviceability performance of the pavement in relation

with road user’s perception of the riding quality, skid resistance etc.

1.2 Statement of the Research Problem

The dilapidation of road networks in Nigeria poses very serious problems to the economic

and social life of the country. Often times the apparent failure of road pavements are preceded by

continuous deformation under traffic loads. While such deformations are inevitable, and may have

very little effects on the general integrity of the pavements, it gives way to other factors external

to the normal use of the pavement (e.g. moisture penetration, temperature effects etc.) over a

reasonable period of time. This consolidates the overall effects and causes a consistent graduation

from simple pavement deformations (that may not be visible to the physical eyes) to compound

deteriorations that are inevitably observed during the usage of such road pavements. In Nigeria,

most road maintenance activities are often prioritized by relevant agencies and stake holders based

on the visibility of pavement distress. Hence, there is need for reliable performance evaluations,

predictions and preventive maintenance of road pavements to ensure; serviceability and restoration

of initial integrity just before attaining visible deterioration.

1.3 Objective of the Study

The specific objectives of the study include;

(a) Identify surface distress on the pavement and quantifying them.

(b) Determine the percentage of distressed area within the stretch covered.

(c) Characterize the structural integrity of certain sections on Nwaniba road pavement, with the

aid of Benkelman beam.

 4

1.4 Significance of the Study

This study will help the road management and maintenance agencies to identify better

strategies to adopt in the management/ maintenance of road pavement. It will provide

enlightenment for policy makers and various key players in the transportation sub-sector, so

they can prioritize decisions that will best improve the longevity and optimize the service

life of road pavements. It will also serve as a reference material for future students

researching on pavement evaluation or other related areas.

1.5 Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study focused principally on the evaluation of Nwaniba road Pavement in Uyo, Akwa Ibom

State, between Chainage (CH) 0 + 00 to CH 3 + 200. The Benkelman beam was the major probe

instrument in view of its; relatively cost-effective benefits, ready availability in developing nations

and simple none-destructive method of revealing the structural capacity of pavements.

This study, however, is subject to a number of limitations;

i. The relatively labour-intensive requirements for the use of the Benkelman beam

ii. The slow rate of testing that requires traffic flow disruption/ control

iii. High cost of privately procuring test trucks and ballast.