President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has unveiled plans to cut costs of road repairs and maintenance by at least 50 per cent.
The Managing Director of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Nurudeen Rafindadi, disclosed this when the Chief Executive Officer of Base Seal international, Danny Bowers, visited him on Thursday.
He stated that the high cost of constructing roads necessitated the need to find alternative solutions through the use of a base seal.
The PUNCH reports that Base Seal also known as (BS-100) is one of the new technological experiments and the most effective liquid soil stabilisers in the world when used in road construction.
It ensures the durability of roads through bonding, strengthening the sub-surface and creating a hard resilient pavement layer cementing loose materials on the road.
He said, “I am really excited about this partnership. FERMA is not the biggest component of the road sector in Nigeria but is a very significant player. The budget on road is running into trillions and we have to find alternative solutions.
“I know there is a number of technologies on soil stabilisation that can assist in improving the material and physical properties of soil as basements to our roads.
“I can tell you the National Council on Works has deliberated on the use of base seal with previous records and evaluation from the Ministry of Works tested.”
“As an agency, we are always looking for ways to manage cost via easier and cheaper ways to build strong and long-lasting roads.”
According to him, FERMA could with Base Seal reduce the cost of road maintenance by up to 50 per cent in some places, depending on how materials were gotten.
“You can imagine that by just mixing sand, cement and base seal, you already have a road that doesn’t need a strong base, laterite and asphalt. You can imagine a reduction in cost and convenience that will save you. It is very significant and if we scale it up, we will achieve more.
“Just consider that we don’t have to stockpile asphalt plant. We just need to do it as seen, mix it up and we already have a road. It reduces time and cost.”
Responding, the CEO, Base Seal, Danny Bowers, expressed optimism about the partnership would improve the quality of roads in the country, adding that it was a significant step to grow the use of the base seals in the region.
Credit: punchng.com
