Determining Measures Enhancing Bridges Maintenance Practice in Nigeria

Isa Sani Mohammed,Bashir Mohammed,Anas Muhammad

doi:10.13189/cea.2020.080401

Abstract

A number of bridges, across the globe, have suffered from poor maintenance. This has caused cracks and other forms of deterioration resulting to untimely failure of the bridge structure thereby impairing its safety. That is attributed to limited number of accurate and economical techniques and measures hindering the enhancement of the bridges maintenance practice particularly in Nigeria. This study assesses bridges maintenance practice within Kaduna and Zaria based on the following objectives: the identification of the concepts of bridges maintenance practice, examination of the measures enhancing bridges maintenance practice within Kaduna and Zaria metropolis and the determination of suitable measures that enhance bridges maintenance practice. A total of one hundred and fifty (150) questionnaires were administered to maintenance personnel of state and federal government agencies, consultants and contractors that are involved with bridges maintenance. Ninety-two (92) valid questionnaires were returned representing 61.33% valid response rate and, were subsequently analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The study determines the following: inventory, condition, need and damage assessments, reliability and technical feasibility, funding and allocation, considerations of risks involved with any damages in safety and scheduling and programming among others as the most suitable measures enhancing bridges maintenance practice within Kaduna and Zaria metropolis. The thirty-two (32) Bridge Maintenance Measures (BMM), based on global best practices, in order of their suitability as rated in the study will enhance the practice. The suitable measures determined in this study have the potential for enhancing bridges maintenance practice towards achieving safety, cost, quality, amongst others.

Highlights

Mature economies face the challenge of maintaining and modernizing critical infrastructure such as transport, power, water, and telecommunications (Council for International Business, 2014)
A total of one hundred and fifty (150) questionnaires respondents have reasonable academic qualifications and were distributed to maintenance personnel of the federal this would authenticate the reliability and validity of data and state agencies, consultants and contractors involved in obtained from the survey
The results show that the suitability of the measures that enhance bridge maintenance practice

Summary

Introduction

Mature economies face the challenge of maintaining and modernizing critical infrastructure such as transport, power, water, and telecommunications (Council for International Business, 2014). The US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) spent $12.8 billion in 2013 for bridge maintenance (ASCE, 2013). England spent £4 billion in 2012-13 for maintaining the road network (Department for Transport and Highways Agency, 2014). The UK Department for Transport proposed cutting annual road maintenance budgets by £1.2 billion (Department for Transport and Highways Agency, 2014). The developing countries such as Nigeria faced this challenge of funding bridges maintenance and rehabilitation across the country. Federal Government of Nigeria planned to spend N270 billion for maintenance, repairs and restoration of over fifty (50) bridges across the country (Nwannekanma & Gbonegun, 2017)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion