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Members of the Ethiopian road engineering delegation with the CSIR's Dr Martin Mgangira, one of the course presenters (right) |
Road engineers and professionals from Ethiopia with Hans Ittmann, Executive Director of CSIR Built Environment (second from the left), Dr Colin Gourley of DFID, who coordinated the event, and Dr Phil Paige-Green, who led the training programme at the CSIR |
Novel technologies to ensure sustainable infrastructure, notably improved design methods for low volume roads, were on the agenda recently when CSIR Built Environment experts shared their knowledge with a delegation of 12 road engineers and professionals from Ethiopia.
The visit was requested and coordinated by DFID, the UK Department for International Development. Tesfaye Yalew Ayele, Head of the Construction Works Coordinating Bureau, Ethiopian Ministry of Works and Urban Development, and leader of the delegation, explained that Ethiopia consists mainly of rural areas, with very poor road access. The government there aims to find an affordable way of providing road access to and for rural areas in order to reduce the isolation of the rural population.
Dr Phil Paige-Green led the training programme. He is an internationally recognised expert in unsealed and sealed low-volume roads, road construction materials and soil stabilisation. His research has resulted in the application of products, improved materials usage and specifications for sustainable road construction, which have had a great social impact.
Paige-Green has led various projects in 14 countries in Africa, including in Ethiopia. His research has helped some countries upgrade their road design manuals, while he has also assisted with training guidelines and conducted road improvement investigations and technical audits.
"We provided the group with technical information on low-volume roads, chemical soil treatment, contractor development, and employment creation in terms of the construction of surfaced roads and streets," he comments. The primary objective was to provide knowledge on innovative design and construction practices that would assist Ethiopia with providing appropriate, cost-effective solutions to the enormous task facing them of providing about 75 000 km of new and upgraded road in the next five years.
In addition, Agrément South Africa - an agency managed by CSIR Built Environment - explained the certification process of proprietary products to the delegation, while an information specialist shared the processes of obtaining access to information from the CSIR with them.
A site visit to a nearby road followed where the delegation could see the two heavy vehicle simulators in action, as well as a field trip to the Mokopane area to visit various low volume rural roads where the CSIR was actively involved in the construction and monitoring. "The delegation expressed much interest in the various soil and bitumen laboratories at the CSIR, as Ethiopia is planning to set up its own road research laboratory," says Paige-Green.
The visitors also spent time at the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) during their visit.
The delegation confirmed that it views this first visit as the beginning of a relationship for future learning. It is envisaged that follow-up visits and ongoing support to them will result from this initial interaction.
Enquiries: CSIR Communication
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