Ready-Mix Concrete: A Solution to Dhaka’s Pothole Problem?

Ready-Mix Concrete: A Solution to Dhaka’s Pothole Problem?

Our social media is filled with “depressing and hilarious videos and images” of drivers or passengers causing accidents in potholes covered by rainwater. While we can merely feel their pain and discomfort by watching these clips, the suffering of these victims is intolerable. Whether you have been injured or caused accidents by these potholes, one thing is certain, if you are living in Dhaka, you have experienced some kind of inconvenience in your daily movement due to these potholes on the road. This pothole problem on Dhaka’s road has been ongoing for a long time for various reasons. But one of the main reasons is our road contractors use low-quality asphalt to repair potholes in order to save money. However, what they are not understanding is the fact that using cheap materials to fix the roads causes more money as they need repairments quite often.

So, what will happen if we switch the low-quality asphalt with local ready-mix concrete? This article is going to answer this question of yours. But before diving down into details, let’s take a glimpse at ready-mix concrete.

Ready-Mix Concrete

Ready-mix concrete (RMC) is made at batching plants according to concrete requirements and then transported to project locations. There are two types of mix plants (i) wet mix plants and (ii) dry mix plants. Wet is more popular than dry mix plants. In wet mix plants, all ingredients of concrete including water are mixed in a central mixer and then transferred to the project sites by agitator trucks. To avoid setting and segregation of concrete, the trucks rotate at a constant speed of 25 rpm during transit.

A control room oversees the entire operation of the plant. The concrete components are poured into the mixer according to the mix design. A concrete mix design is a recipe for producing one cubic meter of concrete. A quality control engineer is always present at the plant to ensure the quality of the product. The usage of this ready-mix concrete is gaining popularity in recent times and apparently, there are many advantages of using ready mix concrete.

Dhaka’s Pothole Problem

Potholes in Dhaks’s road cause many difficulties such as affecting the flow of traffic, hampering pedestrian movements, and in the worst case, causing accidents and deaths. According to a research paper, during the period 2010 to 2015, on average 20% of all reported crashes and 15% of fatalities in Bangladesh occurred only in Dhaka City. Potholes are not solely responsible for these fatalities but they are one of the major causes of these accidents. However, there are still many more disruptions that have been caused due to damaged roads. For example –

  1. Wheel Damage and Tire Blowouts – When a tire hits a deep pothole, the rough edges of the hole might split the tire or puncture it. Any damage to the structure of the tire might result in a quick loss of air and a blowout. A blowout might cause your car to lose control and drive into oncoming traffic and causing a crash.
  2. Misalignment of the Steering System – The pressure of a pothole can potentially cause damage to the steering assembly and cause a misalignment in the steering components as well as in the engine which can be a vital reason for accidents.
  3. Damage to the Exhaust System –  If the pothole is deep enough, your exhaust may be destroyed as it scratches or dives into the ground. A faulty exhaust system can damage your engine and put you and your passengers at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
  4. Internal Injuries and Impact Pain – Road accidents caused for potholes can be the reason for someone’s broken ribs, arms, or legs. It can make someone unable to walk for the rest of his/her life. Sometimes the internal injuries heal but the pain and trauma people get from an accident, always haunt them.

Potholes are very common on the roads of Dhaka and because of these the accidents on roads are increasing day by day. The as usual elements which are used for fixing the roads are not that effective. It is high time we should switch to a better alternative like ready-mix cement. Now, let’s see how ready-mix concrete can help to fix these problems.

Advantages of Using Ready-Mix Concrete

Road contractors of Dhaka use cheap quality materials to fill up the potholes in the roads. For this reason, the roads need to be repaired every year which is clearly causing more money. We should quickly move to a permanent and better solution. Using ready-mix concrete to repair the potholes can be a more lasting solution than the existing one (low-quality asphalt). For example,

Maintain Quality Concrete

According to the building standard the suppliers of ready-mix concrete manufacture quality concrete. Asphalt is produced by direct humans and that is why human error is inevitable. Besides, ready-mix production is fully computerized so the fault by any human is not possible here, which is a great way of quality assurance. Suppliers would collaborate closely with city engineers to develop realistic standards for creating and delivering high-quality concrete that outperforms present asphalt. Also, for concrete construction projects, ready-mix companies offer the same quality of materials, thus there would be no difference in the quality of concrete for commercial projects and city road work.

Have the Fleet and Equipment to Mix, Deliver, and Pour On-Site

Concrete providers who are serious about their business will have a large enough fleet and high-quality equipment to precisely mix and deliver concrete on schedule. Instead of waiting for long periods of time for contractors to become available during the hectic building season, a large fleet allows more work to be conducted around the city at once.

Save Time and Costs

The city will not be overcharged for the number of materials or concrete utilized because ready-mix providers ensure supply control for both resources and concrete. Furthermore, proper concrete mixing, pouring, and spreading will produce long-lasting results. As a result, road construction projects will be completed more quickly and on time. Furthermore, the quality of the concrete will meet or exceed city standards, necessitating fewer repairs than the low-quality asphalt.

Contribution to Decrease Road Accidents

Cities, counties, and states are responsible for road maintenance. This means that different government agencies are in charge of assuring public road safety. This maintenance includes the installation of suitable signs and lighting, as well as the repair of dangerous holes and dips in the roads and pavement. Using Ready-Mix Cement is a much more cost-efficient, long-lasting, and safer way than using asphalt. 

So, instead of a cheap and temporary repair for local pothole problems, cities must consider investing in dependable ready-mix concrete that seeks to manufacture high-quality and long-lasting concrete. Quality concrete means the work won’t have to be repeated again next year, and city roads will be safer and easier to drive on for longer.

FAQ

What is Ready-Mix Concrete?

Ans: Ready-Mix concrete is a type of concrete that is mixed to client specifications within a batch plant, and then delivered to a site to be immediately used.

What is Ready-Mix Concrete used for?

Ans: Ready-mix concrete can be used for any type of construction like- civil engineering projects, road developments, foundations, driveways, footpaths, etc.

Is Ready-Mix Concrete Expensive?

Ans: It is not cheap but also not expensive. The price for ready-mix concrete is standard.

What does it mean to ‘cure’ concrete?

Ans: Curing concrete is the term used for stopping new concrete from drying out too quickly.

Is Ready-Mix Concrete the solution for Dhaka’s Pothole Problem?

Ans: Yes, using ready-mix concrete can be a permanent solution for Dhaka’s Pothole problem.

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *