Terms of Reference (ToR)
For
Maintenance of 25 kms Secondary Road
From
Chenarto to Chaka Joy Village in Uruzgan Province
1. Introduction
The road transport network of any country plays a vital role in its economy, and the
physical condition of its infrastructure is critical. Without adequate and timely
maintenance, highways and rural roads alike inexorably deteriorate, leading to higher
vehicle operating costs, increased numbers of accidents, and reduced reliability of
transport services. When repair work can no longer be delayed it will often involve
extensive rehabilitation, and even reconstruction, costing many times more than simpler
maintenance treatment carried out earlier. The need to protect the existing network and
keep it in good condition is paramount, often taking precedence over new investment.
Gravel roads are generally the lowest service provided to the traveling public and are
usually considered greatly inferior to paved roads. Yet, in many rural regions, the
volume of traffic is so low that paving and maintaining a paved road is not economically
feasible. In many cases, gravel roads exist to provide a means of getting agricultural
products in and out of farm fields, timber out of forests, or as access to remote areas.
Many gravel roads serve rural residents as well. Many of these roads will remain
unpaved due to very low traffic volume and/or lack of funds to adequately improve the
subgrade and base before applying pavement layer(s).In some countries, economic
constraints mean gravel roads are the only type that can be provided.
Good gravel road maintenance or rehabilitation depends on two basic principles: proper
use of a motor grader (or other grading device) and use of good surface gravel. The use
of the grader to properly shape the road is obvious to almost everyone, but the quality
and volume of gravel needed is not as well understood. It seems that most gravel
maintenance/rehabilitation problems are blamed on the grader operator when the actual
problem is often material related. This is particularly true when dealing with the problem
of corrugation or “wash boarding.” The problem is often perceived as being caused by
the grader but is primarily caused by the material itself.
Another important matter to consider is the dramatic change in the vehicles and
equipment using low volume roads. Trucks and agricultural equipment are increasing in
size and horsepower. The trend is toward even larger machinery. The effect of larger
and heavier vehicles on our paved roads is well understood. There is a definite need to
build stronger bases and pavements. But the effect on gravel roads is just as serious
and often is not recognized. The strength of the subgrade and depth of the material
needed to carry today’s heavy loads must be considered. Proper drainage is also
important.
Road maintenance requires a range of organizational and technical skills and the work
on roads in use by traffic makes the work potentially hazardous to both the workmen
and road users.
It is therefore essential that appropriate formal and on the-job training is given to each
category of personnel involved in road maintenance activities to achieve efficient and
safe operations.
Roads are an enormous national investment and require maintenance to keep them in a
satisfactory condition and ensure safe passage at an appropriate speed and with low
road user costs.
Late or insufficient maintenance will increase the ultimate repair costs and rise road
user costs and inconvenience, and reduce safety.
Road maintenance is therefore an essential function and should be carried out on a
timely basis. There is a diversity of maintenance activities, the class and type of the
road, the cross section to be maintained, the defects recognized, and the resources
available.
25 km secondary road from Chenarto to Chakajoy Village is a part of Trinkot-Khass
Uruzgan main road. Since the road was built it has not been properly maintained. The
road has the base in most places but is generally in a very poor condition. There is an
urgent requirement to undertake the road maintenance works to ensure it can be kept in
a satisfactory condition to provide for the needs of local communities all the year round
and especially during snow/rainfall and flood seasons. Trinkot-Khass Uruzgan road
serves as a link connecting Trinket, the center of Uruzgan province, to some Uruzgan
districts and neighboring provinces of Ghazni, Zabul and Bamyan.
2. Goals and Objectives
The goal of the Uruzgan Rural Access Program (URAP) is to enable the people of rural
Uruzgan to derive social and economic benefits from improved road access by
increasing the connectivity in the Districts and providing all weather mobility to a greater
fraction of the rural population. This will be achieved through planning, constructing,
managing and maintaining the rural road network - using labour based methods as
appropriate and enhancing local institutional capacity to sustain the benefits.
The program of assistance is consistent with the overall objectives and framework
specified in the National Rural Access Program (NRAP) adopted by the Government of
the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) and supported by various development
partners.
A combination of labor –based method and light machineries proposed to be used for
maintenance of the 25 km Chenarto to Chakajoy Village road.
This is a gravel road that is in need of implementing periodic and routine maintenance
works. However because of a lack of villages along 20 km of the road, the routine
maintenance is almost impossible. In many locations the road is very narrow having just
2-3 m wide carriageway with no shoulders, side drains and/or properly shaped
embankment slopes. So there is a need for widening the road to allow two way traffic.
Thus the prospective contractor is required to undertake periodic maintenance works on
the 25 km gravel road section to bring it into the original condition and ensure the road
can be safely used for at least 6 months without a need of undertaking the next cycle of
periodic maintenance works.
3. Gravel Roads Maintenance
The goal of maintenance is to preserve the asset, not to upgrade it. Unlike major road
works, maintenance must be done regularly. Road maintenance comprises “activities to
keep pavement, shoulders, slopes, drainage facilities and all other structures and
property within the road margins as near as possible to their as-constructed or renewed
condition”. It includes minor repairs and improvements to eliminate the cause of defects
and to avoid excessive repetition of maintenance efforts. For management and
operational convenience, road maintenance is categorized as routine, periodic, and
urgent. For maintenance of 25 km secondary road from Chenarto to Chakajoy Village is
needed only periodic maintenance 2 times per year (after each 6 months).
3.1.
Periodic maintenance
Periodic maintenance comprises scope of works conducted by contractor two times per
year (after each 6 months), aims “to ensure the daily pass ability and safety of existing
roads in the short-run and to prevent premature deterioration of the roads”. Typical
activities include roadside verge clearing and grass cutting, cleaning of silted ditches
and culverts, patching, and pothole repair. For this 25 km road the maintenance works
also include widening of the road to allow two way traffic and restoration of the road
base where and as necessary as well as grading of the road top surface every six
months.
3.1.1. Scope of Works
The maintenance of 25 km secondary road from Chenarto to Chakajoy Village shall be
done jointly by a small or medium sized contractor possessing necessary road
maintenance machinery and with involvement of local community labor.
The Contractor shall provide the following services to UNOPS/MoPW:
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Grading – to restore a good camber on the road to enable water to drain off
quickly. This is best achieved by regular grading. On gravel roads, grading is
needed to restore gravel from the shoulders which has been lost from the road
surface, to fill pot-holes and corrugations. Grading should also be used to restore
the shape of shoulders, ditches and turnouts.
Before work starts, warning signs must be placed at each end of the work area to
ensure the safety of the road users, the personnel and plant to be deployed on
the site. Signs must be placed at the approaches to the work area and at the end
of the work area.
To correct the defects such as loss of shape, ruts, potholes, corrugations,
erosion gullies, silted or blocked ditches
Rollers should be used to compact the road after grading whenever possible as
this will improve the initial quality of the reshaped surface. When compaction
plant is being used, it must follow close up behind the grader, but only on
sections where grading has been completed. About eight passes of roller will be
needed to achieve full compaction, working towards the centre of the road.
To develop a proper crown on the road. The road should be cambered to fall
away from the crown at a rate of about 6 to 7 cm for each metre from the centre
of the road before compaction. This should achieve a cross fall of about 4 to 6
cm per metre (4 to 6%) after compaction.
Camber should be checked with a camber board at about 100 metre intervals
along the road.
On bends the surface must be straight (at 4-6%) from shoulder to shoulder with
the outer shoulder higher (super elevation). Any crown on a bend can be very
dangerous to traffic.
The shape of the road must be maintained over culverts to avoid a hump. If
necessary material should be brought in from either side of the culvert to
maintain a cover to the top of the culvert of at least ¾ culvert diameter.
Material from the ditch should not normally be graded onto the running surface.
In certain circumstances the engineer may instruct the recovery and mixing of the
ditch material were the running surface lacks suitable fines present in the ditch.
To organise using mobile units of 2-3 grading machines with arrangements for
temporary overnight accommodation. This reduces travelling time between base
and worksites and supplies and mechanical support problems. The number and
types of grading machine, rollers, watering equipment, and mobile
accommodation depend on the road condition (light or heavy grading), moisture
conditions,
compaction
requirements,
organisational
requirements,
accommodation arrangements and resources available.
The Periodic Maintenance Works will be carried out by contractor two times per year.
The contractor should implement the maintenance works in such a way so that upon
completion of the works the traffic could safely move along the road with a speed of at
least 50 km/hour.
3.1.2. Execution and Completion of the Works.
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The Periodic Maintenance works shall be completed in accordance with the Bill
of Quantities, Activity List and within the validity period of the Contract.
The works shall be executed and completed under the supervision of the
UNOPS/MOPW engineers based in TK. They will mark the daily achieved
activities of contractor for monitoring purposes.
The contractor shall strictly adhere to the instructions and directions of
UNOPS/MoPW site engineers.
3.1.3. List of Activities:
Following activities (as applicable to gravel roads) are to be undertaken during periodic
maintenance but will not be limited to:
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Filling of potholes, rat holes, rutting and depressions
Reshaping and cambering of the roadway and repairing rut depths including
watering and compaction using hand tools
Repairing of surface corrugations and windrows Improving of shoulders,
including repairing eroded sections and filling potholes
Cleaning of structures’ openings and outlets, culverts, vented causeways and
small bridges
Removing of bush/grass in drains and roadside (within 1.5 meters from outer
edge of drain or embankment on each side), keeping the environmental issues in
mind
Grow grass on slopes (where applicable), water trees along Right-Of-Way edge
within 0.5km of township boundaries and replant where needed (applicable to the
identified villages/townships).
Clearing the lateral drains, mitre drains and scour checks and other ditches for
surface drainage.
Clearing of light landslides and rock falls from road surface to keep the road
passable
Filling of road side borrow pits if any
Minor repair of road Structures ( Bridge, Culvert, wash, Retaining wall)
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Keep clean, structurally sound, visible to road users, and in good condition, all
road furniture and safety features, including road signs, guard rails, etc.
Any other activities recommended by UNOPS/MoPW Engineers.
3.1.4. Measurements for payments:
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All the measurements shall be based on the performance of periodic
maintenance.
The field records shall be managed by the UNOPS/MoPW Engineers as the
performance of periodic maintenance for the purpose of payments.
The contractor’s invoices for payments shall be certified jointly by the
UNOPS/MoPW Engineers.
The final road condition and evaluation shall be inspected by the UNOS/MoPW
Engineers and as required. No final payment to the contractor can be made
without the authorized MoPW/UNOPS representatives confirming the acceptance
of quality of road maintenance works completed by the contractor.
3.1.5. Joint Initial Site visit and setting out of the works
Prior to submitting their bids prospective contractors are encouraged to visit the site and
do their own assessments of the maintenance scope of work. Immediately after signing
the Contract, the selected contractor jointly with UNOPS/ MoPW Engineers will
undertake an initial site visit for setting out the works and to understand and agree on
the scope of works.
3.1.6. Presence on site and Monitoring:
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The contractor shall provide a Maintenance Assistant to the works site, who shall
be present full-time on site until the completion of the work.
The UNOPS/MoPW Engineers shall be responsible to undertake regular
technical site inspection and supervisory visits, and shall be acting as a filed
project manager and point of communication.
The regional manager of URAP/UNOPS shall be responsible for overall
management of the road maintenance.
3.1.7. Joint Inspection, Monitoring and Performance Indicators
After completion of each period of Periodic Maintenance, the following key performance
indicators will be assessed by UNOPS/MoPW Engineers and Contractor.
Performance Standard/Indicator
Accessibility
Compliance Criteria
Ensure that the road is open to traffic and free of
interruptions at all times, and the traffic can move at a
speed of least 50 km per hour.
Performance Standard/Indicator
Lateral drains and scour checks
Cross drains and structures
(including culverts, vented
causeways, bridges)
Compliance Criteria
Lateral drains must be clean, free from debris and
obstructions, in proper shape and free flowing. Scour
checks in good condition and functional.
Repair culvert inlets, outlets, outfalls, wing walls,
erosion control works. All drainage structures should be
fully functional and free flowing. Minimum percent of
cross-section of drainage facility that must be
unobstructed:
80%
Cleanliness of the roadway surface The road surface must always be clean and free of soil,
including shoulders.
debris, trash and other objects.
Dirt, debris and obstacles must be removed:
(a) If they pose a danger to traffic safety, within:
4 hours
(b) If they do not pose any danger to traffic safety,
within:
3 days
Pothole patching
Surface camber and rut depth
Surface corrugation, windrow
Patch and compact all potholes on road carriageway.
Number of open potholes greater than 30 cm must not
exceed:
3 per 1.5 km
Restore camber to original cross-slope. Repair all ruts.
Maximum average permissible rut depth in any 100m of
road section: 1.0 cm
Repair corrugations. Recommend re-grading if
maximum average amplitude value in any 50m section
of road exceeds:
2.5 cm
Shoulders
Repair shoulders including potholes, edge breaks
deformations, erosion, etc., to achieve well-formed
intact shoulder.
Vegetation control
Clear vegetation in drains and roadside (within 1.5
meters from edge of drain or embankment on each
side)
Grow grass on slopes (where applicable), water trees
along ROW edge within 0.5km of township (> 500
population) boundaries and replant where needed.
Remove snow and material from minor landslides or
rock falls to make road passable.
Any given sign or safety feature has to be present,
complete, clean, legible and structurally sound; and
clearly visible at night.
Grassing and trees
Snow and minor landslides
Road signs, guard rails and other
road furniture
A joint inspection of the road will be undertaken by UNOPS/MoPW Representatives and
Contractor, to assess the achievement of the above performance indicators on
completion of each period of Periodic Maintenance.
Penalty for non-performance. Penalty for non-compliance of performance criteria shall
be applied to the contractor according to contract terms and conditions.
3.1.8. Locations of Services
In accordance with the above terms the contractor shall be responsible for the
maintenance of secondary road from Chenarto to Chaka Joy village. The road
location and length information is given in the table provided below:
Road Name
Chenarto-Chaka Joy village Road
Start point
Chenarto district city entry point
End point
Chaka Joy village entry point
Region
South-West
Province
Uruzgan
District
Chenarto
Total length
25 km
Traffic volume
Low
3.1.9. Bill of Quantities
The indicative BoQ for Periodic Maintenance of 25 km road (two times per year) is given in
the following table:
BOQ for Periodic Maintenance Work of 25 kms Road
No.
Item Description
Unit
Quantity
1
Slope/Embankment Repair
CM
2512
2
Reshaping Drainage
ditches
CM
1526
3
Surface Grading
SM
100000
4
Traffic Sign for Traffic
No
20
Unit Price
(Afghani)
Total Price
(AFS)
Remarks
Control
5
Natural Gravel
CM
15000
6
Concrete Pipe 60cm
LM
16
7
Concrete Pipe 100cm
LM
100
8
Concrete Pipe 150cm
LM
32
Sub Total
Prior to submitting their bids the prospective bidders are expected to visit the project site
to verify the work quantities and amend them as necessary to ensure completion of the
periodic maintenance works to the specified standards. The Contractor’s unit prices for
the road maintenance works shall be inclusive of all administrative, security and other
expenses incident to the project works.