Committed to paving excellence

Maintaining and expanding South Africa’s paved road network is vital for sustained growth and community well-being. Saied Solomons, CEO, Southern African Bitumen Association (Sabita), expands on opportunities and technical developments.

What are your thoughts on industry funding models?

SS Given the changes we foresee in the short to medium term, it’s important to introduce a road funding regime that is both equitable and sustainable. This should ideally encompass a usage tariff, which includes distance travelled, mass of vehicle, road space and time of day (to assist with managing congestion). Sabita fully supports the establishment of a transport regulator, which was recently announced. This is a crucial step in setting future road transport usage tariffs, as well as providing clarity for potential investors, be it via the fiscus, public-private partnerships or any form of hybrid approach.

Low-volume road projects are a key government focus in 2021. What are Sabita’s recommendations regarding the best technologies and techniques?

If appropriate standard low-volume roads are provided and adequately maintained, this will have definite benefits for communities in terms of business and employment, plus access to basic services like health and education.

As a proactive response, Sabita developed an in-depth guideline on the appropriate standards for low-volume roads, which has now been updated and incorporated in Sabita Manual 40. Adopting these guidelines could significantly improve the unit costs of upgrading gravel roads in South Africa.

Within this context, it’s important to maximise labour-intensive construction methods and create opportunities for SMME development. Consideration should also be given to the:

• incorporation of economic models to evaluate the feasibility of upgrading specific roads, taking into account the socio-economic benefits applicable for the affected communities

• adoption of applicable design approaches, with the emphasis on the cost-effective utilisation of available (in situ) material

• immediate roll-out and implementation of the guidelines on selected roads, which will include the initial training of implementation agencies/ consultants/SMME development.

Regarding technical manual updates, what’s new and what’s still to come in 2021?

Last year, the following manuals were reviewed and updated:

• Manual 2: Bituminous binders for road construction and maintenance: The revised manual covers the background, testing and compliance of the PG (performance grade) specification.

• Manual 5: Guidelines for the manufacture and construction of asphalt: The revision document takes into account recent developments in the design of asphalt, as reflected in Sabita Manual 24 and Manual 35, which will impact on the management and execution of the construction of asphalt layers.

• Manual 39: Laboratory test protocols: This details the laboratory test methods for bitumen stabilised materials, bitumen PG specification and for advanced testing of asphalt mixes.

• Manual 40/TRH3: Design and construction of surfacing seals:

• TG1: The use of modified bituminous binders in road construction: This document was updated to reflect the changes in the requisite test methods in the main.

The following manuals are due for completion this year:

• Manual 37/TMH5: Sampling methods for road construction materials: This has been reviewed by various people within Sanral and others in the industry. Comments received are now being considered and incorporated and it is envisaged that the manual will be published by year end.

• TG3: The use of geosynthetics in pavements: The revised manual incorporates the latest design developments associated with geosynthetics.

• Manual 26: Guidelines for primes, stone precoating fluids and bond coats: An extensive investigation into bond coats and the latest on precoating fluids will be featured in this update.

• Manual 33: Design procedure for high modulus asphalt (EME): The update will focus on the incorporation of the PG specification parameters, sampling and testing frequencies. The scope of this manual will also include heavy-duty asphalt, covering an appropriate range of generic products.

• Manual 35/TRH8: Design and use of asphalt in road pavements: This revision will feature updated nomenclature and formulas associated with the calculation of volumetric parameters. This will bring them into line with the nomenclature adopted for the revision of the relevant SANS test standards and Sabita protocols for asphalt testing.

What events will the Society for Asphalt Technology (SAT) be hosting this year?

In its quest to deliver as a learned society, SAT will be hosting monthly seminars on a range of important technical and practical topics. For further details, visit www.socsat.co.za.

The highlight will be SAT’s Annual Conference, which takes place on 9 September 2021. Details will be communicated to members well in advance, and on a regular basis.

What are the prospects for roads in 2021?

Last year proved to be extremely challenging for an industry that was already facing a severely depressed market. Despite these challenges, many managed to see the year through with a hope of a better tomorrow.

There is an air of expectation for 2021 given the government’s commitment to infrastructure spend as a stimulus. To enable a much speedier economic recovery, it’s essential to find a solution to the lengthy and cumbersome procurement processes that bog down the roll-out of projects.

There is thus much to be done during this period. That necessitates a work regime that is compliant with pandemic rules in order to enhance communal health.