Page 111 - RoadCem Manual - PCT BV

Figure 5.7 relationship between Capital and O&M Costs for a typical road.
In essence there are 4 factors:
1. Costs during the planning and design phases are relatively small compared with the total expenditure and are incurred during a relatively short period of the project’s life. However, their downstream level of influence is very large in terms of decisions and commitments made during the early phases of the project.
This emphasizes the importance of employing a broadly-based, holistic approach to the planning of roads with the main stakeholders being involved in the decision-making process. In addition, the designs employed (geometric and pavement) should be appropriate and relevant to the environment in which the road is being constructed.
2. The capital costs for construction are a fraction of the operating and maintenance costs associated with a pavement life-cycle. However, the decisions made during the construction phase, and the
methods of construction adopted, can have a great impact on the cost of maintaining the road. This emphasizes the importance of ensuring a high degree of quality control in the use of local materials and the adoption of construction methods that are appropriate to the multi-dimensional environment in which the road is being provided.
3. Maintenance occupies a significant number of years in the life of the project and the type and cost of maintenance required is influenced significantly by the preceding planning, design and construction phases.
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