This innovative technology has just been used for the first time in C2D sites, particularly in Bafoussam.
Users who use the road between the first and second crossroads of the bishopric in Bafoussam, in the department of Mifi, Western region, discover an unusual layer of concrete laid on the pavement: compacted roller concrete (BCR). This material made largely of cement has recently been laid on the pavement with a compaction train and dump trucks.
In early March 2019, Razel, the company in charge of the work on the Bafoussam component of the "Capitales régionales" programme financed by the C2D, had already carried out some tests to see if this material adhered well to the pavement before its final installation. According to information from the local C2D cell, this material will be installed on most of the road works to be carried out under the C2D in Bafoussam, Garoua and Bertoua. Indeed, as part of the C2D-Capitals Regional Programme, nearly 55 kilometres of roads will be paved with this new technology, which makes it possible to optimise the life of pavements in comparison with the technology commonly used to build pavements.
According to Christian Audibert, road expert in the Louis Berger team who provides assistance to the project owner (Minduh-Cellule de coordination et de suivi du projet Capitales régionales), this technology is an innovation in Cameroon and allows a longer road life. "BCR is a dry concrete that contains very low water content. When implemented, it behaves like a cement gave. But instead of being dosed with 4 or 5% cement, it is dosed with 300 kg or even 350 kg of cement to make a real concrete", says the expert. Originally, this material was invented to build dams. The Canadian government adopted it in the late 1960s to address the road problem it was facing. According to the expert, a bituminous concrete (BB) road is built to last 15 years and must be maintained every three to five years. And after 15 years, the BB is removed and a new coat is applied. However, BCR behaves like a stone over time and has a minimum life span of 30 years. "When we do the economic study, with the BCR, we have a pavement that costs three times less than when we go to do a BB," Christian Audibert concludes.
