No economy can be sustainably vibrant without good roads

Our roads are a key asset to the South African Economy. It plays a sizeable role in our ability to produce and distribute. And it also gives us the ability to commute fast from place to place. The road system can thus rightly be described as a national asset. The quality of the roads determines the speed and safety with which people and goods can move. It is thus a key element in creating wealth.

Large parts of our road network fell into disrepair over the last 20 years. One of the reasons for this is the change in goods/material transport strategy. It was decided in the late 80's to change from largely rail transport to mainly road transport. Another reason for this state of affairs is a lack of proper road maintenance.

This situation needs to be dealt with soon. It will need a mixed strategy. The first component of such strategy will need to be road repair / road rebuilding. Where repair is still viable it should be the chosen option. But where the road's structure has been damaged, it will have to be rebuilt. The second part of such mixed plan of action calls for a program of preventive maintenance. This is vital to prevent a future recurrence of this state of affairs.

A blend of road surface restoration and preventive maintenance will have three effects. It will firstly help to allow people and goods to move safely. Secondly, it will ensure that our road network is kept in a good condition. Lastly, it will keep the long term cost of roads to the economy at an acceptable level.

A good road surface preventive maintenance scheme is made up of a whole range of methods. The goal of these are to increase road surface life in a cost effective and efficient way. A scheme with the right mix of strategies can result in an ongoing good road surface condition. This concept, as simple as it seems, has not been fully accepted by road authorities. They thus opt for reactive repairs rather than for prevention.

The course addresses the following areas:

• Maintenance Principles
• Road Design
  
• Road Pavement Repairs
  
• Preventive Maintenance of Roads
  
• Road Condition Assessment
  
• Implementing and using a Road Condition Database
  

Road condition inspection plays a key role in road maintenance. It is the main input prompting preventive action. It is covered for both flexible (i.e. asphalt) and rigid (i.e. concrete) surfaces.

Guidelines are amongst others also provided for:

• Sealing of cracks• Patching and pothole repairs
  
• Spray patching
  
• Repairs to storm drainage ducts
  
• Service trenches
  
• Repairs associated with service access openings
  
• Partial and full-depth repairs
  

Recommendations are practical - it centres on methods and products that are effective and improve road surface life.

Course Content

Who Should Attend

The course is designed to address specific needs of those who manage and oversee road pavement maintenance activities, select maintenance treatments, specify maintenance techniques and materials, supervise field maintenance operations, and provide quality
assurance.

Credits 6*, level 5**                      

* The course comprises 30 hours of study, of which 16 hours are in class, with a further 14 hours for the assignment.

**Occupational Certificate level