Chap-0-M

A GUIDE TO BITUMINOUS SURFACE DRESSING

 

 

 

 

 

 

PREPARED BY: - P.B. DANGOL

Introduction

This guide to Bituminous Surface Dressing has been prepared by Mr. P.B Dongol who holds the position of Section In- Charge on N.C.C.N'S Hetauda Narayanghat Highway project Contract II. In consequences it is based on over many years of practical experiences of highway construction to International Standards.

There is no better college than the school of experience. A gram of experience is worth a tonne of theory. Accordingly this guide will form a useful aid to anyone undertaking Highway Construction work in Nepal or any similar lesser-developed territory.

Whereas in the developed west, highway contractors purchase DBST aggregates directly from suppliers for instance, Mr. Dongol has trekked along the Kholas of the Rapti River system-seeking source of aggregate. He has quarried his raw material screen then washed them & dried them & thereafter has the satisfaction of seeing them approved by eminent consultants & incorporated into a highway which will help his country's future development.

At the Job site he has built up a first class team of people who work together as a coordinated unit, a fine achievement when one considers that the majority of the workers were just raw lads from the villages when they were taken in for training at the start of the DBST Program.

This is highway Construction at its most basic embodying all the objectives of those early civil engineers that dedicated themselves to turning the resource of nature to the benefit of mankind.

This paper contains the benefit of much experience & hard working. I am sure that it will be well received & I trust that it will be widely read.

………………….

COLIN H. FOOTE

CHIEF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER

A.D.B. SPONSORED MANAGEMENT

FOREWORD

During the Hetauda Narayanghat Highway Construction Project, under National Construction Company Nepal Ltd. in the year 1980s, we conducted the surface dressing operation for the very first time in Nepal. ND Lea and Associates was the consultant and the project was loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

It was an excellent learning opportunity for us as a Nepalese Team to work in an entirely new setting. Our construction industry was in a very primitive stage in those days. We even had to sent samples of bitumen to Thailand for necessary tests. Skilled manpower was almost unavailable. Reference books and manuals of operation were also not available in the country. However, with a lot of difficulties and pain, we could complete the project successfully and learn many more things to sharpen out competitive edge.

This booklet is the outcome of the experience gained form the project. It was originally published in August 1981. I have attempted to revise it keeping in view the latest construction practices and the units of measurements. Some useful tables have been added to make it a complete guide book in itself.

I would like to thank Mr. Shayam BC, a good friend of mine and a senior engineer in the NCCN for his valuable suggestions and effort to bring this booklet in the shape.

Mr. Birendra Raj Pandey, an Engineer and the Director of Nepal Adarsha Nirman Co. Pvt. Ltd. and his team in the company are thankful for their encouragement and support in editing and finalizing the details in the booklet.

Thanks are also due to Mr. Dinesh Bhandari of NCCN for type setting the text and Mr. Suyog Prajapati, studying in class 9 in GEMS School for his untiring effort in preparing the drawings, tables and texts for the manual.

_________________

Post Bahadur Dangol

Kopundole

April 2003

Review

This guide prepared by Mr. Post Bahadur Dangol for Bituminous Surface Dressing work reflects the true picture of his practical experience in the construction of Hetauda Narayanghat Highway Project especially for Double Bituminous Surface Treatment work (DBST).

Mr. Dangol has gained practical experience and knowledge in the field of bituminous works since 1961 during the construction of Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu Valley Road, Kohalpur Mahakali Highway Project and many other road projects in Nepal.

In this guide, he has truly represented all the activities in sequence from the beginning of double bituminous surface treatment works to the final setting. He has explained how much quantity of bitumen at what temperature has to be sprayed, spray rate of aggregate in different stages and use of different equipment at those stages. During the construction activities, all the required laboratory tests of materials, checking and trial tests of equipment, handling of manpower use of relevant standard charts and tables are elaborated as per actual field conditions.

Although this guide is concentrated on Hetauda Narayanghat Highway Project, it is indeed a very useful reference to all concerned client, consultant and contractors related to bituminous work.

Finally I would like to congratulate Mr. Dangol for his effort to prepare this guide. I consider this guide is an asset in the field of bituminous work.

                                                                                                                                                                ____________

Ashok P Malla

General Manager,

NCCN

15 May 2003