Two local cement companies have agreed to provide Harare City Council with support and technical assistance in its quest to introduce concrete roads.
Council intends to shift from traditional asphalt roads.
It argues cement roads are durable.
In a report to council’s Environment Management Committee, the city’s works director Engineer Philip Pfukwa said Lafarge Cement and PPC pledged to second engineers and to offer technical expertise.
“Discussions have been held with Lafarge and PPC at both policy and technical levels. They both have expressed willingness to provide technical assistance, support and exposure with their experienced engineers,” reads the report.
“There are a number of locally available equipment for use in handling the operations in cement-concrete roads.”
Eng Pfukwa said the first documented concrete road was made in Ohio, United States of America, in 1891 and one hundred years later sections of the road were still in use.
He said asphalt, a product of the coal cooking process and fractional distillation of crude oil, is wholly imported in Zimbabwe while cement was locally available.
Asphalt has not been locally produced since the decommissioning of coke ovens at Hwange Colliery Company. – state media
Wise idea on paper. come to implementation. I tell you, within a week of cementing the road, they will be just exposed spikes and steel scattered all over the roads after just some small showers of rain, Lafarge will have supplied us with cement dust at the price of cement the chefs pocketing and sharing the money. mark my words.
What a wise idea start with Borrowdale road.
AMERICANS
THE AMERICANAVARA USE CEMENT FOR THEIR ROADS! NOTHING NEW!