Page 11 - Microsoft Word - 20120528 Unesco study
P. 11

1 Introduction








                  1.1   Background
                  Recent decades have seen more and more floods and such floods are in many cases turning
                  into disasters. The impact on the affected area or the whole country can be enormous.
                  However there are several ways to prevent a flood or reduce its impact.

                  PowerCem Technologies is a company which offers a technology for infrastructure whereby a
                  highly durable pavement construction will be achieved. Based on experiences, these pavement
                  constructions are highly resistant against water erosion. This makes PowerCem Technology
                  very useful in flood risk areas. The roads can be used directly after a flood to provide the
                  region with food and medical supplies. Also the maintenance costs of the roads, after a flood
                  will be reduced to a minimum.

                  In Tabasco, a State of Mexico, this technology has been used for 3 years now. During these
                  years some floods occurred and PowerCem Technology based road constructions were not
                  damaged. As such, many parties including governments, engineering companies and
                  contractors are interested in this technology. The economic value of this technology will be
                  emphasized with the aid of this study.






















                    Figure 1.1: Road construction based       Figure 1.2: Traditional road
                    on the PowerCem Technology                construction



                  The parts of the road that were built with traditional construction methods were eroded and
                  needed reconstruction. Some parts of the roads were constructed using the PowerCem
                  technology and were not damaged.






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