Infra designers, builders, LGUs to benefit from new road tech

Local government units (LGUs) and designers and builders of highways, flyovers, bridges, tollways and other infrastructure are expected to benefit immensely from new road engineering technologies that will soon define the global landscape.

This was announced by Jaime Pajara, Philippine chapter president of the Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia (REAAA), as he cited the world’s recent studies and experiences that have led to the emergence of new technologies for road construction projects, including those for LGUs.

"While most of these technologies are from REAAA’s 28 foreign chapters and other countries, many of them are also from the Philippines. At least 27 of the 300 technical papers that will be presented on Nov. 20-24 during the 12th REAA Conference at the PICC are from the Philippines," Pajara said.

Expected to benefit the infrastructure designers and builders are the technologies on building safe roads, use of soft limestone as an alternative road base, design consideration on liquefaction-induced ground flow, construction and instrumentation of geosynthetic reinforced soil structures, sustainable road transport system, and assessment of geological hazards for road planning and design, among others.

For LGUs, there are technical papers on guidelines for rehabilitation of concrete roads, conditions rating of rural roads and bridges for agrarian reform communities, performance of high-durability asphalt surfacing, e-bidding of construction projects, tropical solutions to unique tropical erosion problems, investigation of recycled demolished concrete as aggregate for asphalt mixture, and privatization of road maintenance, among others.

Such homegrown technologies will be presented by the Bureau of Research and Standards of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the transport and communications division of the Asian Development Bank, Engineering and Development Corp. Philippines, Polyfelt Asia, Katahira & Engineers International, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, Proconsult Inc., Everest International Consultants, A. Lazaro Associates, FEATI University, De La Salle University, Polytechnic University, Cocogreen, Easy Trip Services Corp., and Pacific Consultant International.

The rest of the 300 technical papers will be presented by various entities from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Australasia, Italy, Thailand, Taiwan, China, Pakistan, Dubai, Norway, United Kingdom, Spain, Singapore, New Zealand, Germany, Bangladesh, Finland, United States, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United States, Canada, United Arab Emirates, India, Indonesia, and Iran.

The participation of this huge foreign delegation presents a great opportunity for Philippine exhibitors to showcase their products, services and technologies at the expo that coincides with the conference, according to the Road Engineering Association of the Philippines (REAP), which is co-organizing the event with the REAAA-Philippine chapter and the DPWH.

Jesus Cammayo, REAP president and former DPWH assistant secretary, said the expo and conference are both open to contractors, developers, suppliers, service providers, financial institutions, project management firms, academe, engineering professionals, and all other road-related and allied sectors.

Inquiries or reservations for the conference and exhibit can be made with event manager Fiera de Manila Inc. (tel. no. +632-8960639, fax no. +632-8960637, e-mail [email protected], and websites www.reassconference.com.ph and www.fmi.com.ph).

An important aspect of the event is the 81st REAAA Governing Council Meeting, which will be presided over by its first-ever Filipino president, Salvador Pleyto.

Parallel to the conference is the 5th Heads of Road Authorities (HORA) meeting, where Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane will serve as head of the Philippine government panel and lead-host of this historic event.