REUBEN NYIMBIRI BCET/17/SS/012 FINAL REPORT

MALAWI UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS AND APPLIED

SCIENCES

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENTS

REUBEN NYIMBIRI

BCET/17/SS/012
REUBEN NYIMBIRI BCET/17/SS/012 FINAL REPORT

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Abstract

The Industrial attachments exercise is done by every Engineering student in his/her second

semester of the fourth year of his/her engineering studies at the Malawi University of

Business and Applied Sciences. The exercise was included in the curriculum as a module

when the University of Malawi – The Polytechnic adopted the modular system in 2011. It

was set that any engineering student should grace the engineering industry before he/she

graduates from the University to savour the working environment.

I reported to work on 27th June 2022 and finished the Industrial attachments on 7th October

2022. The report gives a summary of the works, both office and field works, that I took part

in during my stay at the Roads Authority.

Acknowledgements

Firstly, I would like to thank God for the Love and blessings he has bestowed upon me during

this Industrial attachments period. I thank God for letting me through all the difficulties I

encountered during my Industrial Attachments period.

I would like to acknowledge and give my warmest thanks to my Industrial Supervisor, Eng.

Willard Kaunde and his technical team for the support they rendered to me during my stay at

the Roads Authority. They were very kind and friendly and they helped me grow socially,

intellectually.

I also would like to extend my warmest acknowledgements to my Academic supervisor, Eng.

Ashley Kanyoza for the support and guidance he gave me whenever I needed his help.

Lastly I would like to thank my family and friends who supported me in different ways

during this period and also my colleague, Felix Chawanda.

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Table of Contents
Declaration .................................................................................................................................i

Abstract ......................................................................................................................................ii

Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................ii

Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………..iii

Abbreviations and Terms...........................................................................................................v

List of Figures............................................................................................................................vi

1. Introduction ...........................................................................................................1

2. Activities …….........................................................................................................3

2.1 Procurement ………………………………………………………………………3

2.2 Site Handovers……………………………………………………………………5

2.3 Grading and Reshaping……………………………………………………………..6

2.3 Concrete pavement………………………………………………………………….8

2.5 French Drains……………………………………………………………………….9

2.6 Gabions……………………………………………………………………………10.

2.7 Culverts……………………………………………………………………………11

2.8 Bridges………………………………………………………………………………12

2.8.1 Chimenya Bridge……………………………………………………….13

2.8.2 Likanani Bridge…………………………………………………………15

2.8.3 Namchocho Bridge……………………………………………………..15

2.8.4 Chinyungunja Bridge……………………………………………………15

2.8.5 Likolongwe Bridge………………………………………………………16

2.8.6 Linthipe Bridge………………………………………………………….17

2.9 Assessments………………………………………………………………………..18

2.9.1 Bailey Bridges…………………………………………………………18

2.9.2 Timber bridges……………………………………………………….20

2.9.3 Grading and associated drainage works………………………………….21

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2.10 Preparation of Bills of Quantities………………………………………………21

2.11 Joint Measurements…………………………………………………………..21

2.12 Meetings……………………………………………………………………..23

3 Strengths ………………………………………………………………………………….26

4 Weaknesses………………………………………………………………………………..26

5 Opportunities………………………………………………………………………………27

6 Challenges…………………………………………………………………………………27

7 Observations ……………………………………………………………………………..28

8 Recommendations ……………………………………………………………………….28

9 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………….30

10 APPENDICES ..................................................................................................................31

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Abbreviations and meanings

Abbreviation Meaning

RA Roads Authority

RFA Roads Fund Administration

DODMA Department of Disaster Management Affairs

CEO Chief Executive Officer

RMS Regional Manager for South

ME Maintenance Engineer

RI Roads Inspector

SATCC Southern Africa Transportation Coordination

Conference.

LHS Left Hand Side

RHS Right Hand Side

NCIC National Construction Industry Council

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List of Figures

Figure 1: RA Organogram …………………………………………………………2

Figure 2: Reshaped Earth Road ………………………………………………………6

Figure 3: Graded Earth Road ………………………………………………………….7

Figure 4: Concrete Pavement …………………………………………………………9

Figure 5: French drains ………………………………………………………………10

Figure 6: Gabions ……………………………………………………………………11

Figure 7: Steel Fixing ……………………………………………………………….13

Figure 8: Concreting ………………………………………………………………….14

Figure 9: Reinforced Concrete Deck …………………………………………………14

Figure 10: Chinyungunja Bridge ……………………………………………………..16

Figure 11: Likolongwe Bridge ……………………………………………………….17

Figure 12: Linthipe Bridge …………………………………………………………..18

Figure 13: Mkando Bailey Bridge …………………………………………………..19

Figure 14: Pothole patching at Kachere …………………………………………….23

Figure 15: Nankhondo Bridge ………………………………………………………24

Figure 16 Malombe Bridge …………………………………………………………25

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1. INTRODUCTION
The Roads Authority is a Statutory Cooperation which was established by an Act of

Parliament in the year 2006. The role of the Roads Authority is to ensure that all

roads.

The National Road Network is under the Ministry of Transport and Public works. The

Roads Authority does construction of new road infrastructure and maintenance of the

existing road infrastructure.

The RA comes up with a list of all roads that need to be constructed or upgraded and

those that need maintenance annually. This is what constitutes he Annual Roads

Programme (ANRP) referred to in section 22 of the Roads Authority Act. From this

ANRP is where a list of road projects to be carried out in a particular year comes out

depending on the financial capabilities and prioritization. The projects that the Roads

Authority supervises are funded by different organisations like the Roads Fund

Administration (RFA), DODMA, etc

The Mission statement for the RA is to develop & maintain the public road network

infrastructure in a cost-effective manner with a view to providing an accessible,

reliable, efficient, safe, sustainable, economic and environmentally friendly transport

system in Malawi through a highly motivated and professional staff.

The core values for the RA is that while pursuing its mandate, RA will strive to create

an atmosphere that enhances; team work, respect for individual rights,

professionalism, ethical conduct, accountability and transparency

RA has a board like other parastatal organisations. But the Roads Authority is headed

by a Chief Executive officer and below him there are other positions for easy

administration. The organogram is shown in the figure below.

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Figure 1

For easy administration of Road projects and to easily respond to road emergencies, the

Roads Authority has offices in all the three regions in the country, the North, Centre and

South. Each office is responsible for the roads in every district in the region. The construction

department or the Major projects department is only at the head office in Lilongwe and the

regional office only has the maintenance department.

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I was assigned to be under the maintenance department at the Southern Region Office. The

southern Region office is headed by the RMS, Eng. Willard Kaunde. Below him under the

maintenance department there are three MEs: Brian Nyirongo (responsible for Blantyre,

Mwanza, Nneno, Chikwawa and Nsanje), Sydney Phiri (responsible for Mulanje, Thyolo,

Chiradzulu, Phalombe and Zomba) and Neddie Nansongole (responsible for Balaka,

Machinga and Mangochi) and one Maintenance Planning Engineer Elnas Chimdima. Under

the Maintenance Engineers there are Roads Inspectors: Kajitani Kholomana, Hastings

Zakeyo, Basil Chilongosi, Gilbert Chirwa and Dickson Kainga.

The role of the maintenance department is to keep all road infrastructures in good shape so

that all roads are passable at all times. I took part in evaluating bids for 2022/23 contracts,

site meetings, inspection of grading and reshaping of roads, inspection of construction of road

structures like culverts and bridges, joint measurements for grass cutting and pothole

patching works, Assessment of road infrastructure and preparation of bills of quantities for

some maintenance works.

2. ACTIVITIES
During my Industrial Attachments period at the RA, I took part in both office and

field works. I travelled to almost every district within the Southern Region where I

took part in different works.

2.1 PROCUREMENT

The Roads Authority carries out its core functions of road maintenance,

rehabilitation, upgrading and construction using private sector firms; through

competitive bidding. Procurement in relation to Construction is the process of

sourcing goods and services to carry out a construction project. The process

starts when a problem is reported, say by a local or political leader or has been

observed by RA officials. RA officials prioritize infrastructures depending on

Land use. The list of infrastructures proposed to be maintained nationwide

constitutes the ANRP. From this ANRP a list of infrastructures to be worked

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on in a particular year comes out depending on budget. The RA then comes up

with BOQs and advertises tenders mostly using newspapers. Contractors that

take themselves eligible to carry out specific maintenance works purchase the

tender documents for specific contractors and use them to come up with their

bid documents and submit at the Roads Authority to be evaluated. After

checking the administrative compliance, technical examination and financial

examination, the contract is awarded to the least evaluated bidder. The

procurement process ensures that the right bidder is hired to conduct the

maintenance works within the optimum period, within the organisation’s

budget without compromising quality.

I took part in the tender opening process at the office for the first phase of

2022-23 year. The exercise is done to make sure there is transparency in the

procurement process. All contractors that submitted their bids are required to

attend the process. The bids submitted together with the contract sum charged

by the contractor are verified and we were also checking the bid submission

forms and bid declaration forms and also checking if the contractor had

provided a soft copy of the bid.

I had a chance to be part of the evaluation panel during the evaluations of bids

for second phase contracts for 2021-22 year. The panel was grouped into three

and our group evaluated: 17 bid documents for contract RA/MAI/2022-

23/T/RM/NR/KA/09 (The Construction of Lwezga Amco Culverts with

precast box culverts on Chilumba jetty T/off-Chitimba River (M001) Road in

Karonga District), 13 bidding documents for contract RA/MAI/2022-

2/T/RM/NR/MZ/15 (Embankment formation on Perekezi-Embangweni-

Mqocha-Jenda (M20) Road in Mzimba District, 21 bidding documents for

contract RA/MAI/2022-23/T/RM/NR/NB/17 (Construction of concrete pads

spot gravelling and Associated drainage works on Choma Usisya (S018) Road

in Nkhata Bay District, 18 bidding documents for contract RA/MAI/2022-

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2/TUDE/RM/NR//NR/18 (Emergency and urgent works in the Northern

Region – Lot 1.

2.2 SITE HANDOVERS

Site handovers are done together with the consultant and the contractor to after

the contract has been awarded and the works are required to commence.

I took part in handing over of the following projects.

Date Consultant Contractor Scope of Works

08/08/2022 BMM HEMA School block and two toilets at

Construction Thekelani Primary School.

company During the construction of the S151

road, one toilet was demolished and

the foundation of one school block

was exposed. These two structures

were supposed to be replaced and

this is how the Roads Authority got

involved

11/08/2022 BMM Rositta Reshaping of Chimwaza – Youth

Construction Centre UD Road 5km reshaping

Company project in Thyolo Thava

Constituency

11/08/2022 BMM Rositta Reshaping of Maula –

Construction Msambanyenje UD Road 5km

Company reshaping project in Thyolo South-

West Constituency

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11/08/2022 BMM Rositta Reshaping of Thekelani –

Construction Namiwawa UD Road 5km

Company reshaping project in Thyolo South

Constituency

2.3 INSPECTION OF GRADING AND RESHAPING WORKS

These are works done to maintain the carriage way and drainage system of a

road that has no pavement. Grading uses machinery (Grader) while reshaping

uses manual labour (hoes). The contractor is required to work on a trial section

first and when the client is convinced with the work he is doing, he is advised

to continue the works. During inspection of grading and reshaping projects,

we check if the contractor is continuing to follow the specifications when

working on the rest of the sections. We check if the camber is okay, the levels

of the carriage way and back and fore slopes of drainages.

Figure 2

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Figure 3

I took part in the inspection of the following grading and reshaping projects.

 3km - Nosa to Mvalo road in Chiradzulu South Constituency by B&M

construction
 2.7 km - Namitambo in Chiradzulu South Constituency by B&M
construction
 1.2km reshaping of Ntambanyama to Jalasi UD road and 2.1km bush
clearing by B&M construction
 2.7 km from Mbalame to PIM in Chiradzulu central constituency by
B&M construction
 2.7km - Somile to Mwanankhu via Mwela UD road in Phalombe
North East Constituency by GBK Construction company.
 2.5km - Maone to Molande UD Road in Mauzi ward GBK
Construction Company.
 3.4km - Chizunga to Kholowiko via Vokhiwa UD road in Swang’oma
ward GBK Construction Company.
 2.8km – Migowi to Natchewu primary school in Phalombe Central
Constituency GBK Construction Company.
 1.4km - Wendewende to Sitolo UD road in Mulanje West
Constituency by Kell & E Construction Company.
 Chisutu to Mwenekasi in Mulanje South West Constituency by Kell &
E Construction Company.

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 Maluwa to Nang’ombe in Mulanje Central Constituency by Kell & E –

2.5km
 Ndalapa to Mulasa in Mulanje Bale Constituency by Kell & E – 2.8km
 Mitawa to Nkumbiza in Mulanje Bale Constituency by Kell & E
Construction Company 2.5km
 Supuni to Makupiza in Mulanje South constituency by Kell & E
Construction Company – 2.7km
 Mwazambo to Zembisi in Milonde ward by Kell & E Construction
Company – 0.7km
 T417 (Bvumbwe – Thunga) Road in Thyolo West by chief
construction.
 T418 (Thunga – Didi – Mkhate) Road in Thyolo West by chief
construction.
 Bvumbwe – Namachira UD Road in Thyolo North
 Bvumbwe – Boyd UD Road in Thylo North
 Henz – Nansadi District Road in Thyolo East.
 Mwazambo to Zembetsani UD Road in Milonde ward
 Mulanje South-East Constituency by GBK Contractors – 2.6km. The
contractor had finished the works.

2.4 CONCRETE PAVEMENT

This is a concrete surfacing of a road installed on sections that are too steep or

on bends where friction between tyres and the road is high. Concrete pads are

ideal as they because they require little maintenance after installation due to

their high durability. They have a gap on the centre line to provide room for

expansion and contraction. Concrete pads have some disadvantages also. They

are costly and also due to their colour, concrete pads do not store natural heat,

they reflect it causing rise in temperatures of surrounding areas. I took part in

the inspection of construction of concrete pads along the T418 road in Thyolo

District.

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Figure 4

2.5 FRENCH DRAINS

The greatest enemy of road layers is water. Water logged sections fail even if

right material is used and the layers are thoroughly compacted. In such

sections, it is I deal to use French drains to drain the water and allow the water

to flow through. French drains are made of masonry or concrete and have

perforated piped to drain the water by gravity. A section along the M2

between Chonde and Mangunda in Thyolo is water logged and the road was

not in good condition. We went to inspect the construction of French drains

and carriage way maintenance on the section.

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Figure 5

The contractor claimed to have finished the works but when we went on site,

we found that the French drains were properly done but on the maintenance of

the carriage way and the shoulders, the work done was substandard. The

pavement had already developed cracks and the levels were not okay. The

contractor was advised to re-do the work.

2.6 GABIONS

These flexible galvanised steel-wire mesh cages packed with rock used as

retaining walls and also used to slow down velocity of concentrated run-off.

We inspected Gabions installation at one of the culverts on S144 at Jali.

They were installed in two layers. The bottom layer had 47 gabions and the

top layer had 34.5 gabions. The gabions were coated with textile on the sides

they were in contact with soil.

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Figure 5

2.7 CULVERTS

A culvert according to SATCC is defined as a structure other than a bridge,

which provides an opening under the carriageway or median for drainage or

other purposes.

I was involved in the inspection of construction of a number of culverts during

my time at RA.

 Amcor culverts at Nkhulambe bridge in Chilinga, Phalombe. The bottom part

was washed away and the contractor maintained the culverts with concrete.

 Ring culvert in Mulanje Limbuli. The contractor had done substandard work.

The fill on the culvert was not enough, the culvert was not well aligned with

the road and the footing had already started wearing off dur to scouring.

 Masonry Box culverts on S152 in Nsanje District. Masonry box culverts have

masonry walls, concrete top slab and a concrete footing below. They do not

have beams on the top slab that is what makes them different from a bridge.

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2.8 BRIDGES

A bridge is structure erected over a depression, river, watercourse, railway

line, road or other obstacle for carrying motor, railway, pedestrian or other

traffic or services and having a length of 6 m or more, measured between the

abutment faces along the centre line of the road at girder-bed level, except that

road-over-rail or rail-over-road structures are always classed as bridges

(SATCC 1100-1). Bridges are of different spans. I was involved in the

inspection of single span bridges, two-span bridges and bridges with three

spans.

A bridge has abutments on each ends. Abutments are used at the ends of

bridges to retain the embankment and carry the vertical and horizontal loads

from the superstructure to the foundation (WisDot Bridge Manual,3).

Abutments have cantilever wing walls on both sides of the abutments. The

wing walls are used to retain the fill that supports the roadway and provides

protection against erosion. Some bridges we dealt with during my stay at RA

have masonry abutments and others had concrete abutments. In abutment back

holes there are weep holes that are placed to provide drainage of the previous

backfill. The length of these weep holes depend on the thickness of the

abutment.

Bridges with more than one span have piers between the abutments. Piers are

intermediate supports that support the bridge superstructure and transfers the

loads to the foundation. They are constructed in such a way that they do not

hinder water flow.

The other part of a bridge is the deck. A deck is the surface of a bridge. They

are made of different materials some are made of reinforced concrete, some

are made of timber. A bridge reinforce concrete deck is made of main beams,

trimmer beams and a slab.

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I took part in the inspection of construction of a number of bridges when I was

attached at RA.

2.8.1 CHIMENYA BRIDGE

The two-span bridge has concrete abutments, pier and deck.

The contractor was Wasi Civil Engineerig Contractors and the

Consultant was Pamodzi Consulting Limited (PCL)

I first visited the site when the contractor had just done the abutments,

pier and one deck. The contractor used piles when constructing the

abutments and pier because they did find a hard rock after excavating.

We just went to check the progress of the works on site and the

contractor was about to start making shutters for the deck for the

second span.

We went again when the contractor had started fixing steel for the

deck.

Figure 6

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I had a chance to learn a lot about steel fixing. We interpreted the

drawings and the Inspector I was with, Gilbert Chirwa taught me a lot

about steel designs. The next day we inspected the concreting of the

deck. It took the contractor a day to finish the concreting because he

was only using only one concrete mixer. But the contractor’s men

were well organised. They had leaders at the mixer and on the deck

where there were pockers for compacting.

Figure 7

Figure 8

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We went again after some weeks to check the progress of the works

on the bridge as the contractor was remaining with wing walls and

backfilling. We found that the contractor had stopped the works due

to rising costs of materials and was negotiating for increase of rates.

2.8.2 LIKANANI BRIDGE

Likanani Bridge is along the T415 road in Phalombe. The bridge was

washed away by rains the previous rainy season. One abutment was

demolished and the other was intact. The contractor was required to

construct demolish and construct one abutment and also do the

concrete deck and also construct wing walls and do the back filling.

When we went there first time for inspection of the works, the

contractor was fixing steel for the abutment cup.

We went again to see the progress of the works and we found that the

contractor had completed the deck and was installing gabions as wing

walls.

2.8.3 NAMCHOCHO BRIDGE

The single span bridge is also along the T415 in Phalombe District.

The bridge was washed away and the contractor was yet to do the

mobilization and start works of maintaining the bridge.

2.8.4 CHINYUNGUNJA BRIDGE

The contractor had almost completed the works on the single-span

bridge in Machinga District. The abutments and the deck were done

he was just remaining with one wing wall to complete the works. We

went there together with the engineer for the consultant (PCL).

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It was observed that the works done by the contractor on the bridge

was not pleasing. The finishing for the masonry abutments was

poorly done and the contractor was advise to re-do the finishing. One

could easily see the coarse aggregates on the sides of the deck. This is

an indication of a weakness probably because the contractor did not

compact the concrete enough.

Figure 9

We also verified the measurements of the abutments, deck, wing

walls and marker posts. The rest of the dimensions were okay except

for the marker posts.

2.8.5 LIKOLONGWE BRIDGE

The double-span bridge is in Zomba. The contractor was only

required to maintain the abutments and a pier from dowel level and

do the reinforced concrete deck. The contractor had finished the

abutments and had started doing shutters for the deck. We verified the

measurements and counted the number weep holes. They were all

okay. The contractor was advised to use stronger supports for the

deck to reduce the risk of the deck falling during concreting.

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Figure 10

2.8.6 LINTHIPE BRIDGE

The three-span Bridge is in Chingale, Zomba. It has masonry

abutments and two masonry piers. Settlement occurred on one of the

piers causing the two decks supported by that pier to sag. The

contractor demolished the two decks and also demolished the pier to

dowel level and replaced the 20mm diameter dowels with 32mm

diameter dowels and constructed the top part of the pier when we

went there for inspection.

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Figure 11

There was also an issue that the bottom part of one abutment had

worn out due to scouring. The contractor was advised to pump out the

water and repair the abutment using concrete.

2.9 ASSESSMENTS

Assessments are done to check the condition of road infrastructure. This is

done when the RA or the councils want to do maintenance works on the

infrastructure. When doing assessments, you go to the site and take

measurements of the infrastructure that needs maintenance. These

measurements are the ones used when preparing Bills of Quantities.

I was involved in assessment exercise of the following infrastructure.

2.9.1 BAILEY BRIDGES

A bailey bridge is a portable prefabricated truss bridge made of steel and

timber used especially during emergencies.

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During the assessment of bailey bridges we were assessing the condition of the

timber and the steel and we would count the numbers of chases, runners,

rebands and panels.

I took part in the assessment of Mphendegwe bailey. It has 94 chases of 3.7m

each, 17 runners of 19.5m each, 3 rebands and 8.5 panels.

I also took part in assessment of Mkando Bailey Bridge in Mulanje. The

bridge has 86 chases of 3.7m each, 12 runners of 19.5m each, 2 rebands and

6.5 panels.

Figure 12

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2.9.2 TIMBER BRIDGES

For timber bridges, we were checking the conditions of the abutments, piers

and timber decks. We were taking measurements for the span length and

width, the depth and length of approaches that need fill. We were also

measuring dimensions for abutments, wing walls and piers. These

measurements are what are used when making Bills of quantities.

I was involved in the assessment of Chingwalungwalu bridge in Nambazo,

Phalombe. The bridge has two spans and the proposal is that the pier be

demolished and a concrete deck constructed to make the bridge single-span.

One abutment has a big crack and that will also be demolished but the other

abutment will be maintained. There is also a big gully on one side of the

approach from Nambazo Trading Centre to the bridge. We took measurements

of this gully as well to be filled and a retaining masonry wall to be constructed

on that side to hold the fill material and protect the road from erosion. Check

dams will also be constructed to control the flow of water.

We also escorted an official from Mulanje District Council to do the

assessment of Makazombo Bridge on Milonde to Misyoni School in Mulanje

District together with an officer from Mulanje District Council. The area gets

flooded during rainy season because the water channel has been blocked by

villagers who do their farming in the river channel. The proposal was to clear

the river channel and replace the bridge with a masonry box culvert which will

be raised to a good height to allow proper flow of water and easy crossing of

the river. The approaches are also supposed to be filled with selected material

to raise the levels of the road.

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2.9.3 GRADING AND DRAINAGE WORKS

Together with the official from Mulanje District Council, we also did the

assessment of Khwalala to Chimbalanga UD road in Mulanje District. The

road is in bad shape and need to be graded and all drainage structures be

maintained. We measured chainages of the whole road, took measurements of

all culverts that need maintenance, measured areas of sections that need fill

and dimensions of proposed retaining walls and line drains.

2.10 PREPARATION OF BIILS OF QUANTITIES

A bill of quantities is a document prepared by someone with technical knowledge that

is used in the tendering process in construction industry. All the things: materials,

labour to be used during a construction project are itemized in the bill of quantities.

The bill of quantities enables the contractor to price the works he is bidding to carry

out.

During my Industrial attachments at RA, I took part in preparing a number of Bills of

Quantities. After doing assessments of different road infrastructure, we were sitting

down to prepare the BOQs for the works.

I took part in the preparation of BOQs for:

 Grading and associated drainage works of Khwalala to Chimbalanga UD road.

 Makazombo Box culvert

 Chingwalungwalu Bridge in Nambazo, Phalombe.

2.11 JOINT MEASUREMENTS

When the contractor claims to have finished the works before a payment certificate is

prepared, the client and the consultant together with the contractor go on site to verify

the quantities submitted by the contractor. This is what is referred to as Joint

measurements. This is done to make sure that the RA is paying for works that have

really been thoroughly done. I took part in the joint measurements of grass cutting

contracts. Grass cutting is the removal of grass and shrubs along the RRB. This is

done primarily for safety reasons of road users and to make it easy for road users to

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see road signs thereby reducing the risk of accidents. Grass cutting is in area and in

measured in m^2.

I also had a chance of being involved in pothole patching Joint measurements. A

pothole patch is deteriorated asphalt pavement used to restore the surface of a sealed

road. The pothole patches are measured in m^2.

I was involved in the following joint measurements:

Type Consultant Contractor Site

Grass Cutting PCL Mwapo Constr.  T411

 D342

 M3

 S146.

Grass Cutting PCL A & B Towers  M8 (Mangochi

turn-off to Balaka)

 Balaka to Khwisa

UD Road.

Pothole BMM & Infratech Fortune  M1 (Mpemba to

Patching Consulting Construction Chikanga Section)
Engineers

Pothole BMM & Infratech Mungo Civil  M03 road at

Kachere Trading
Patching Consulting Engineering Centre
 Tsiranana Road
Engineers.
 Hynde Road
 Tsiranana to

Nkolokoti road in

Machinjiri.

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Figure 13

2.12 MEETINGS

Progress meetings are held by all parties involved in a construction project, The

client, the consultant and the contractor. They are aimed at creating a platform for the

contractor to give an update on the works being carried out on site and also for all

matters affecting the project to be discussed by all parties involved so that solutions

can be found.

The meetings I attended were held in Machinga and Mangochi Districts. The

attendees were: DODMA Officials, RA, BMM & Infratech Consulting Engineers and

Dika Civil Engineering Contractors.

The first meeting was held on site at Nankhondo Bridge on T388 in Machinga

District.

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Figure 14

The contractor gave a briefing of the works happening on site. The contractor had

done mobilization and the works had commenced. An excavator was making a

diversion before the actual work had started to replace the timber deck with a concrete

deck. We also checked the measurements of the depression.

Then we had another meeting at Gmalina hotel in Liwonde, Machina. Here the

Contractor gave details of the progress done on contracts: Sectional periodic

maintenance on Chikupila – Likwenu (M03) Road in Machinga and Nankhondo

Bridge. The client and the Consultant asked the contractor some questions on the

progress and gave directives on certain matters. There were no many issues on these

two contracts.

The third meeting was held on site at Liwonde on S131 where the road was to be

maintained by Dika Civil Engineering Contractors. This meeting was done just to

check the condition of the road and for the client and the consultant to give directives

on how the works are supposed to be done.

I attended another site meeting at Malombe Bridge at Masanje river on T388

(Mbalula – Malombe – Masanje) in Mangochi.

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Figure 15

The contractor had also mobilized and made a diversion. The contractor had also

started excavations for abutment foundations and footing. He was advised to excavate

a little bit deeper for the levels to be lower than those downstream to reduce the risk

of scouring. He was also advised to redo the access to the site as it was too steep. The

contractor had also cut a pipe that supplies water to Mangochi town.

We continued to have another site meeting on T385 (Nankulukuti – Nsonde – Issa –

Mangochi Road). The contractor had started dumping selected fill on other sections of

the road and machines were processing another section and an excavator was making

drains.

I attended the final meeting at Johnstone hotel in Mangochi. The contractor gave a

detailed explanation on the progress of contracts: DODMA/WKS/2019/03, Lot 2 –

Spot repairs of Nankulukuti – Nsonde – Issa – Mangochi (T385) Road in Mangochi

District, Mbalula – Malombe – Masanje(T388) and Masanje River –

Mbonekera(T388) Road in Machinga District. Since there were two grievances: the

pipe that was cut and the contractor had piled excavated material on private land. He

was advised to form grievance handling committees.

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3 STRENGTHS

 Able to work in a team. Engineers most work in teams when operating to achieve

quality work. At RA, in many cases, for example, during evaluations and most

field works, we were doing in teams. I was able to integrate well into teams and

made sure I worked to my best to learn a lot from the people I was working with.

 Ask questions whenever I did not understand things. There were a lot of new

things that I met during my Industrial attachments. Whenever I come across

those new things, I was open to ask the engineers and Road Inspectors I was

assigned to, to understand the concepts very well. I was lucky that the whole

maintenance team at RA south was always willing to give explanations and made

sure I understood the things.

 Do researches on the new jargons and concepts I came across. Whenever I see

and learn a new thing, I made sure I go into books, find out the thing actually is

and how it is used in the engineering industry.

 Willing to work at odd hours. Sometimes we were required to work even after

working hours in order to meet targets. I was willing to work even at those hours

to make sure what was planned for the day was achieved before knocking off.

 Personal development. Since it is not always that we had tasks to do, I used those

spaces to develop some skills I need as a student engineer. I used to try to learn

more on pavement and bridge designs, steel drawings interpretation, I practiced

AutoCad and Sketchup and I also developed my knowledge on Microsoft

packages.

4 WEAKNESSES

 Lack of technical knowledge. The experience I had during my industrial

attachments was new. It took me some time to start understanding some of the

things we were doing when working both at the office and field works.

 I knew nothing concerning laws under the road act and it took me time to start

understanding how things in the construction industry work.

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 During meeting I always found it hard to speak even when I have something to

say. Since the meetings were attended by more experienced people in the

industry, I thought it is too early to speak and contribute during meetings.

5 OPPORTUNITIES

My stay at RA has been one of the best experiences as a student engineer. I got exposed

to a number of things that will surely help me make a good civil engineer in future.

 I got the opportunity to learn and understand more on road network in Malawi. I

now know the names of many roads in the country especially the southern

region.

 I learnt about the laws that govern the road construction industry in the country. I

now know what really happens for a new road to be constructed, for a road to be

upgraded, for road infrastructure to be maintained and many more.

 I got the opportunity to learn about procurement, a very important aspect in civil

engineering that we did not have the chance to learn in school.

 I had the chance to understand better the things we learnt in college. For

example, the experience I had during the construction of Chimenya Bridge in

Phalombe Central helped me understand more on steel designs, drawing

interpretation and concrete. I also understood better what BOQs are and why it is

important for me to understand quantities to make a better civil engineer.

 I have also been exposed to a lot of players in construction, different clients,

consultants and contractors. This exposure has helped me have an edge in the job

market.

6 CHALLENGES

 Despite all the good things, I also encountered a number of challenges during my

industrial attachments period.

 Lack of protective wear. When we had started doing field works, we were

provided any protective wear. Some of the works we were doing like pothole

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patching joint measurements and grass cutting joint measurements require you to

put on a reflector for the sake of safety.

 Despite being involved in office work like evaluations and preparing BOQs, I

was not much involved in office work. For example, I learnt very little on making

certificates.

 Little time on site. I travelled to many sites and took part in inspection and

quantities verification of a number of contracts. But the time on site was no

enough for me to grasp fully how the works are done.

7 OBSERVATIONS

 Most bidders did not abide by the rules when preparing their bid documents

 There is a lot of vandalism of Road Infrastructure in the region

 Most contractors do not know what is needed to come up with quality works

 Most consultants are not doing enough to make sure projects are finished within

the specified period and budget and to come up with an outcome of desired

quality.

 Most contractors do not follow labour laws.

 Most contractors do not provide their workers with protective gear.

 Most contractors do not have first aid boxes on site.

 There is a big gap between engineers and those general labourers on ground.

This is because the trainings offered by the NCIC are not enough to produce

technicians to solve the problem.

8 RECOMMENDATIONS

 From what I observed and the challenges I faced during my industrial

attachments at the Roads Authority, I can make the following recommendations

so that the construction industry in the country is improved.

 The communities should be sensitized on the dangers of vandalizing Road

Infrastructure. For example, Villagers remove road signs for unknown reasons

and others damage road infrastructure like kerbs to create access into a highway.

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The ministry of transport and public works in conjunction with RA and local

leaders should conduct sensitization meetings to sensibiliser villagers on the

negative impacts that can befall them when they destroy road infrastructure.

 The NCIC should set a policy that Construction companies should be owned by

technical people only. Most construction companies owned by non-technical

people fail to deliver good quality work. This is probably because the owners

know nothing on how the works are done and why they are done that way. You

would wonder a contractor has been offered to do reshaping works and he has

done work that is very substandard. This is probably because non-technical

people care very little about quality of the work they just focus on making

profits.

 The Consultants should be serious when supervising projects for the contractor

to come up with quality work and to ensure safety for the workers.

 Contractors should be given lectures on bidding. During evaluations, we met a

lot of challenges with contractors that seemed not to know what they are doing.

Some contractors looked as if they did not read the contract specifications before

preparing their bid documents.

 The faculty of engineering, RA, ministry of transport and public works should

take part in training technicians to bridge the gap that is there between engineers

and general labourers.

 The faculty of engineering should make sure the students have more time on site

starting from when they are enrolled to the school of engineering. Most students

get their first taste of the industry when they are in year four. It could be better if

students had more time on site since engineering is a hands-on profession.

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9 CONCLUSION

My Industrial attachments period at Roads Authority, Southern region office, has been

so educative and helpful. The experience I have acquired has helped me have a clear

view of what highway construction industry is like in the country.

The maintenance team at RA was very supportive and I learnt a lot from them both as a

student and as a human. They always made sure they involved me whenever they are

doing their respective duties.

A recap of the works I was involved in. I took part in Inspection of: maintenance of

bridges, grading and reshaping of earth roads, installation of gabions, construction of box

culverts and construction of concrete pavement. I was also involved in the assessment of

some road infrastructure and made BOQs of the proposed maintenance works. I again

took part in Grass cutting and pothole patching joint measurements.

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APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Amcor Culvert

Appendix 2: Box culvert

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Appendix 3: Broken bridge

Appendix 4: Ring culvert

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REFERENCES
Nyimbiri, R. (2022). Daily and Weekly Reports.

Services, S. o. (1991). Bridge Deck Construction Manual.

University of Malawi, T. P. (2013). Student's Attachment Hndbook fo the Faculty of Engineering.

Bailey bridge revised. Retrieved from http://www.web.mst.edu

Deck Construction manual. Retrieved from http://www.dot.ca.gov

WisDot Bridge Manual. Retrieved fron http://www.academia.edu

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ANNEX 2: MONTHLY REPORTS

STUDENT NAME: REUBEN NYIMBIRI (BCET/17/SS/012)

DEPARTMENT: CIVIL ENGINEERING (TRANSPORTATION)

ORGANISATION: ROADS AUTHORITY

PRIVATE BAG B346

LILONGWE 3.

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MONTHLY REPORT FOR JULY 2022

I. INTRODUCTION
I reported to work at the Roads Authority, regional office (South) in Limbe on 27th
June 2022. The people I found at the office are friendly and they made sure we made
ourselves at home during the first days. They were all wiling to teach and explain to
us everything whenever there was a need to do so. The experience and knowledge I
acquired in this first month is great.

II. ABSTRACT
This month, the work I did was basically office work. The main activity that was done
was the first phase of the evaluation process for maintenance contracts. The process
was done in three weeks.

III. WORK CARRIED OUT

When I reported to work on Monday 27th June, the Regional Manager and all the
maintenance engineers were in Salima for trainings. The maintenance Planning
engineer told me that I will be under the maintenance department and I will have to
wait for the Maintenance Engineers to come. Therefore, during this whole week I was
not assigned any tasks.

In the second week we got introduced to the procurement process, what happens for a
contract to be awarded a particular contractor/bidder.
Procurement in relation to construction is basically the process of sourcing goods
services to be used to carry out a project.

Bidding at the Roads Authority is categorized into two: National and International.
Some bids are open while others are restricted.

The procurement process at the Roads Authority starts when problems are reported,
let’s say a bridge or a road is not in good condition and need to be maintained. Then
comes the issue of prioritisation. This depends on the land use. Busier roads and
structures are prioritized when it comes to maintenance. Then the maintenance
department conducts inventories and comes up with BOQs for proposed maintenance

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projects. Tenders are advertised mostly using News Papers. Those who are willing to
carry out the works purchase the bid documents to use when preparing their bids.
After the bidders have submitted their bids and the submission deadline is reached,
the evaluation process starts. The contract is awarded to the least evaluated bidder.

The bid document has two volumes. The first volume comprises of sections 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6(A), 6(B) and 8. The second volume is made up of 6(C), 6(D), 7 and 9.

Bid evaluation is the process of examining and comparing bids to select the best offer
in an effort to acquire works and services to achieve the Organisation’s goals. The
evaluation Process started in the third week. On Wednesday we attended a meeting
where we were briefed on how this year’s evaluation process was to be conducted.
Then the bid evaluation panel was grouped into three and I was assigned under Elnas
Chimdima (Maintenance Planning Engineer, South), Blessing Sanogo (Research and
Development Engineer, Head office) and Gilbert Chirwa (Roads Inspector, South).
The swearing was done later that week.
We evaluated 17 bid documents for contract RA/MAI/2022-23/T/RM/NR/KA/09
(The Construction of Lwezga Amco Culverts with precast box culverts on Chilumba
jetty T/off-Chitimba River (M001) Road in Karonga District), 13 bidding documents
for contract RA/MAI/2022-2/T/RM/NR/MZ/15 (Embankment formation on Perekezi-
Embangweni-Mqocha-Jenda (M20) Road in Mzimba District, 21 bidding documents
for contract RA/MAI/2022-23/T/RM/NR/NB/17 (Construction of concrete pads spot
gravelling and Associated drainage works on Choma Usisya (S018) Road in Nkhata
Bay District, 18 bidding documents for contract RA/MAI/2022-
2/TUDE/RM/NR//NR/18 (Emergency and urgent works in the Northern Region – Lot
1.

When evaluating a bid we were first doing the preliminary examination-

administrative compliance which has five evaluation criteria. In the first place we
were verifying the copies of documents showing legal status and the NCIC Category,
completed and signed bid submission form, bid validity, agreement of all parties if it
is a Joint Adventure and the Power of attorney of signatory bid. Secondly, we were
examining the eligibility of the bids where we were checking the history of non-
performing contracts, Declaration by the employer or withdrawal of the bid validity

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and pending litigation history. Then the Bid security section just has a criterion which
is Bid securing declaration-signed form. The fourth criterion under administrative
compliance to be checked is the completeness of bid and under this we were checking
analysis of major unit rates, Initialled BOQs and not omitted series/important items.
Lastly, we were examining substantial responsiveness where we were checking if the
specifications and requirements are not changed. After this the bids were given to the
checkers to see if there are no mistakes made and if there is any corrections were
made.

The bids that have complied with all administrative criteria progressed to Technical
Examination. Under this the criteria, things to be examined are: Annual Average
Volume (AAV), past relevant experience, major items of equipment, Personnel (Site
Agent and Foreman) and liquid assets. We were checking if these criteria are met by
the bidders according to the requirements for a particular contract. After finishing all
the bids for a particular contract, they were sent for checking to make sure there are
no mistakes made. The bids that were okay progressed to Financial Examination.

Financial Examination is done in accordance to clause 27 of the instruction to

Bidders. First all arithmetic errors are corrected, then evaluation of tender totals, then
comparison of principal bid items prices and lastly ranking the bids from lowest to
highest. The contract is awarded to the lowest evaluated bidder.

The final stage was report writing which contains the findings of bids submitted.
Every contract has its own report which gives an overview of the evaluation process
for bids for a particular contract. It shows all stages examined and reasons why other
bids were rejected. It gives a list of all bidders, which progressed to the financial
examination, from the lowest to the highest bidder. It, at the very end, states the
bidder who has been awarded the contract and the amount charged.

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IV. OBSERVATIONS
The main observation during the evaluation process was that most bidders did not
adhere to the evaluation and qualification criteria. For example, most bidders were
rejected at the administrative examination because they did not attach some very vital
documents and others did not initial all pages of the BOQs. This is probably because
they did not read nor understand the evaluation and qualification criteria.

V. CHALLENGES FACED
In this month, the only challenged that I faced is that the evaluations took longer than
anticipated. This was because they were conducted in the regions and there were a lot
of disturbance as most of the evaluators were also attending to office work. This
contributed to us not having any site visits or any other works apart from the
evaluations for the whole month of July.

VI. RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the aforementioned observations and challenges, I would recommend that:
 The Roads Authority to mentor bidders on how to come up with a perfect bid
document. They should hold meetings with the contractors and help them
understand what is required of them when coming up with a bid document.
 The evaluation process should be conducted not within the office premises to
reduce inconveniences and disturbances.

VII. LESSONS
The month of July was one of the best experience as a Civil Engineering Student. I
grew up socially, academically and I acquired many useful skills that will help me as I
continue learning.
 I learnt how to evaluate bids
 I learnt how to make BOQs
 I improved on how work effectively and efficiently in a team.
 I also improved my skills in using Microsoft excel and word.

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VIII. CONCLUSION
The month of July was a nice experience. Though some days I was not assigned any
tasks and we only did one exercise the whole month, the knowledge I acquired is
exceptional and will help me make a good Civil Engineer in future.

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MONTHLY REORT FOR AUGUST 2022

I. INTRODUCTION
This report provides a comprehensive description of the works I did in the second

month of my industrial attachments at Roads Authority, South. Unlike in July, in

August the works I mostly took part in field works. The Roads Authority supervises

all projects under it to check the progress of the works and make sure the project is

finished within specified period and budget without compromising quality and also

make sure the project has no or minimal social and environmental negative impacts

II. ABSTRACT
In August I travelled through 7 districts: Phalombe, Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Thyolo,

Chikwawa, Nsanje, Zomba and Machinga where I took part in projects handovers,

Inspection of reshaping of undesignated roads, Inspection of Bridge construction

projects and joint measurements. It was a nice experience since I got more familiar

with how the maintenance department operates.

III. ACTIVITIES

A. EVALUATIONS
We wrapped up the evaluation process in the first week of August. We

finalized editing the reports for contracts RA/MAI/2022-23/T/RM/NR/NB/17

(Construction of concrete pads spot gravelling and Associated drainage works

on Choma Usisya (S018) Road in Nkhata Bay District and RA/MAI/2022-

2/TUDE/RM/NR//NR/18 (Emergency and urgent works in the Northern

Region – Lot 1.

B. SITE HANDOVER
Site handovers is an exercise done together with the consultant and the

contractor, after a contract has been awarded, for execution. During handovers

of reshaping projects, we were going to the site together with the consultant

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and the contractor and together measure the chainages the contractor is

required to do the work. Then the contractor was given a chance to ask

questions if there are any before he starts working on the road.

When I was assigned under Kajitani Kholomana (SRI), I took part in the

following handovers.

Date Consultant Contractor Scope of Works

08/08/2022 BMM HEMA School block and two toilets at

Construction Thekelani Primary School.

company During the construction of the S151

road, one toilet was demolished and

the foundation of one school block

was exposed. These two structures

were supposed to be replaced and

this is how the Roads Authority got

involved

11/08/2022 BMM Rositta Reshaping of Chimwaza – Youth

Construction Centre UD Road 5km reshaping

Company project in Thyolo Thava

Constituency

11/08/2022 BMM Rositta Reshaping of Maula –

Construction Msambanyenje UD Road 5km

Company reshaping project in Thyolo South-

West Constituency

11/08/2022 BMM Rositta Reshaping of Thekelani –

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Construction Namiwawa UD Road 5km

Company reshaping project in Thyolo South

Constituency

C. RESHAPING INSPECTION
When a road, especially community roads, has been washed away, developed

gullies and its drains filled, there is a need for it to be maintained. Reshaping

is when the contractor is using manual labour (hoes, pangas) to maintain the

road.

The things that are checked during inspection of road reshaping projects are

like:

 Drainage fore and back slopping

 Camber
 Levels

When I was assigned under Glbert Chirwa (RI), we inspected the following

road reshaping projects:

 3km - Nosa to Mvalo road in Chiradzulu South Constituency by B&M

construction
 2.7 km - Namitambo in Chiradzulu South Constituency by B&M
construction
 1.2km reshaping of Ntambanyama to Jalasi UD road and 2.1km bush
clearing by B&M construction
 2.7 km from Mbalame to PIM in Chiradzulu central constituency by
B&M construction
 2.7km - Somile to Mwanankhu via Mwela UD road in Phalombe
North East Constituency by GBK Construction company.
 2.5km - Maone to Molande UD Road in Mauzi ward GBK
Construction Company.
 3.4km - Chizunga to Kholowiko via Vokhiwa UD road in Swang’oma
ward GBK Construction Company.
 2.8km – Migowi to Natchewu primary school in Phalombe Central
Constituency GBK Construction Company.

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 1.4km - Wendewende to Sitolo UD road in Mulanje West

Constituency by Kell & E Construction Company.
 Chisutu to Mwenekasi in Mulanje South West Constituency by Kell &
E Construction Company.
 Maluwa to Nang’ombe in Mulanje Central Constituency by Kell & E –
2.5km
 Ndalapa to Mulasa in Mulanje Bale Constituency by Kell & E – 2.8km
 Mitawa to Nkumbiza in Mulanje Bale Constituency by Kell & E
Construction Company 2.5km
 Supuni to Makupiza in Mulanje South constituency by Kell & E
Construction Company – 2.7km
 Mwazambo to Zembisi in Milonde ward by Kell & E Construction
Company – 0.7km

When I was assigned under Kajitani Kholomana (SRI), we inspected the

following reshaping projects:

 T417 (Bvumbwe – Thunga) Road in Thyolo West by chief

construction.
 T418 (Thunga – Didi – Mkhate) Road in Thyolo West by chief
construction.
 Bvumbwe – Namachira UD Road in Thyolo North
 Bvumbwe – Boyd UD Road in Thylo North
 Henz – Nansadi District Road in Thyolo East

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D. GRASS CUTTING JOINT MEASUREMENTS

Any road maintenance projects that involves cutting grass and controlling

vegetation growth along the road falls under grass cutting. This helps to keep

road signs visible, reduces fire risks, keeps other road users visible to drivers

by keeping sidewalks and pedestrian paths clear, helps drainage systems to

function as designed and also helps reduce risk of vandalism.

For main roads, grass cutting is supposed to be done up to 30m from the centre

line. For Secondary and tertiary roads, it’s supposed to be 18m from the centre

line.

Contracts under the maintenance department are admeasured not lump sum,

meaning payment to the contractor is subject to measurement of physical

quantities of the items by the client.

I took part in grass cutting measurements on T411, D342, M3, and S146. It

was supposed to be a joint measurement but the contractor and the consultant

did not show up we did it alone.

E. CONCRETE PADS
Concrete pads are made of concrete mix. They are durable as they are prone to

wear and tear defects therefore requiring little or no maintenance. They are

used on bends and where the road is too steep since friction is high between

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the tyres and the road. They are made with a gap at the centre line for

expansion.

When I travelled to Thyolo with SRI, Kajitani Kholomana, We inspected

concrete pads on T418 in Thyolo.

F. CULVERTS
A structure other than a bridge, which provides an opening under the

carriageway or median for drainage or other purposes (SATCC 1100-1)

Culverts are of different types. Some kinds of culverts that I appreciated

within the month of August are ring concrete culverts, box culverts and amcor

culverts. A ring concrete culvert is made of concrete and most of them have a

diameter of 900m. Box culverts are box shaped and are made of concrete.

Some are precast, others are insitu. Amcor culverts are made of steel and have

a good bearing capacity.

When I was under SRI, Kajitani Kholomana, We inspected the construction of

box culverts on S152.

I also inspected amcor culverts renovation at Nkhulambe bridge in Chilinga,

Phalombe.

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G. GABIONS
Generally gabions are flexible galvanised steel-wire mesh cages packed with

rock. Gabions usually come in 2m. They are used as retaining walls and they

are usually angled back towards the slope. They are also used to slow velocity

of concentrated run-off.

We inspected gabions at Jali on S144.

One side of the road was being washed away by heavy rains that is why they

suggested to use gabions to protects the road from run-off and also to support

that side of the road not to fall. The bottom layer has 47 gabions (94m) and the

top layer has 34.5 gabions (69m).

The gabions are covered with a textile on the side they are in contact with the

soil to prevent soil particles from entering the pore spaces of the gabions.

The finishing for the gabions was not yet done. The top of the gabions is

supposed to be covered with concrete that they should not just be exposed to

reduce the risk of vandalism.

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H. BRIDGES
A structure erected over a depression, river, watercourse, railway line, road or

other obstacle for carrying motor, railway, pedestrian or other traffic or

services and having a length of 6 m or more, measured between the abutment

faces along the centre line of the road at girder-bed level, except that road-

over-rail or rail-over-road structures are always classed as bridges (SATCC

1100-1).

I took part in the inspection of in….

When I was assigned under Gilbert Chirwa (RI) we inspected the construction

of the following bridges:

 Chimenya Bridge in Phalombe by Wasi Civil Engineering Contractors.

The bridge has two spans. The used piles as they did not find a hard
rock after excavation. We first went there in the first week of August.
Then, the first span of the bridge was done and the contractor was
about to start putting shutters for the deck on the second span. We went
again two weeks later when they were finishing fixing the steel and we
I had the privilege to take part in the inspection of the whole process
until the contractor had finished concreting. The deck is made up of
two main beams, two trimmer beams and a slab. The reinforcement
was okay as it concurred with the design drawing. Concreting started
on a Thursday evening and was finished the next day in the afternoon.
The main challenge here was that the contractor was using just one
concrete mixer and this delayed the work.

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 Chingwalungwalu Bridge at Nambazo, Phalombe. It is a two-span

bridge. The deck is made of timber. The Roads Authority is planning
to replace the timber with a concrete deck. The pier and one abutment
will be demolished and the other abutment will be maintained. We
measured dimensions of the abutments, marker posts, wing walls and a
pier and also measured the depth of the river at the bridge and length of
the span to be used when preparing the Bill of Quantities. The road
was washed away on one side due to run off when you are approaching
the bridge from Nambazo Trading Centre. The gully is big with a
volume of (10*4*2.3) m. The inspector proposed that the side of the
road should be protected by a retaining wall and that on the drains
check dams should be constructed to reduce the risk of erosion.
 Likanani Bridge on T415 deck was washed away and the contractor
had already started works to maintain the bridge that the people should
still be able to cross the river. The contactor demolished the abutment
cups and was reconstructing them. Steel was already fixed and shutters
done, the cups were ready for concreting. By this time, he had not yet
started works on the deck. But most workers did not put on the
protective wear and we advised the consultant to always make sure that
the contractor’s men are protected.
 Namchocho Bridge on T415. It is completely washed away that people
use a diversion to access services on projects the other side of the river.
 Mphendegwe bailey bridge. The bridge is not in good condition and
there is a need for timber replacement.
 Chinyungunja Bridge in Machinga. The contractor was almost done
with the work on the bridge he was just remaining with the inlet’s
south wing wall. The overall work that was done was not pleasing. The
abutments finishing was not properly done. The deck looked like it was
not properly compacted. The size of marker posts was bigger than
what was on the drawing. We also checked the measurements of the
dimensions of the deck, abutments, wing walls and marker posts.

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 Likolongwe Bridge on T407. The bridge has two spans. The contractor
had demolished and reconstructed the abutments from dowel level. He
had put shutters to start fixing steel for the deck. But the supports
looked weak and was advised to re-do the shutters. We also checked
dimensions of abutments, pier, wing walls and spans. Then we counted
the number of weep holes on the abutments and measured the depth of
the river as well. Each abutment has 33 weep holes.

IV. OBSERVATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS

 I observed that most workers on many construction sites did not put on
protective wear.
 Most construction sites did not have a first aid box.
 Some contractors claimed that they have finished the works but when
we go on site we were finding that what’s there is contrary to what the
contractor claimed.
 Some projects did not have an inspector for the consultant on site and
for some reshaping projects, the foremen had more than one sites to

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look for. This is one of the reasons why some works done were sub-
standard.
 I also observed that most contracts were being finished within contract
period though there some, but few, that didn’t finish within specified
time.
 Another thing is that some contracts went beyond their specified
budgets.
 It was also observed that there is a lot of vandalism on road signs on
many roads in the region.
V. CHALLENGES
 In the month of August I didn’t really meet any challenges.

VI. RECOMMENDATIONS
 The consultants should be serious when it comes to enforcing that all workers on a
construction site should be putting on protective gear and the first aid box should
always be on site in case accidents occur.
 The consultants should always be cautious not to overshoot the specified budget for
contracts
 Need for civic education. Communities should be taught of the dangers of vandalizing
road signs.

VII. LESSONS

 Learnt how to make BOQs

 Steel drawing interpretation. The experience I had during the inspection of Chimenya
Bridge deck construction helped learn how to interpret steel drawings.
 Learnt about maintenance of community roads (Grading and Reshaping and their
differences). What the contractor needs to do when maintaining a community roads to
come up with the desired output.

VIII. CONCLUSION
The month of August was another great month as I have added a vast experience to

my expanding capacity. In this month I got to fully understand how the maintenance

department at the Roads Authority executes its duties. The Roads Inspectors I was

assigned to were very supportive and always provided me with all the necessary

information.

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MONTHLY REORT FOR SEPTEMBER 2022

I. INTRODUCTION
This report provides a comprehensive description of the works I did in the month of

September during my industrial attachments at Roads Authority, South. By this month

I was well conversant with the position of a client in a road construction project.

II. ABSTRACT
Most of the works I conducted in the month of September were field works. I was

involved in the inspections of road reshaping and grading projects, Joint

measurements together with consultants and contractors, meetings and other meetings

with consultants and contractors.

III. ACTIVITIES

A. CLEARING AND GRUBBING

This is the act of removing all unwanted material and debris from the road.

Sand and debris was being dumped in the shoulders and carriage way on a

section of about 10km on M3 road in Zomba district. The contractor was still

doing the works of removing the sand and the debris from the road.

B. MEETINGS
Meetings for a construction project are held by different stake holders to

discuss the progress of the project. They are very important as they facilitate

better communication and shared purpose for the successful completion of a

construction project.

When I travelled to Mangochi with Dickson Kainga I attended a number of

meetings. The parties present at the meetings were the client (DODMA and

the Roads Authority), the consultant (BMM Infratech) and the Contractor

(Dika Civil Engineering Contractors).

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The first meeting was held on site at Nankhondo bridge in Machinga on T388.

The contractor was done with mobilization and he had started making a

diversion before the actual work commenced.

We had another meeting at Gmalina hotel in Liwonde, Machinga. The

contractor gave a briefing on the progress of two contracts: Sectional periodic

maintenance on Chikupila – Likwenu (S131) Road in Machinga and

Nankhondo bridge. The client and the Consultant asked the contractor some

questions on the progress and gave directives on certain matters.

The third meeting was conducted on site at Liwonde on S131, Chikupila –

Likwenu section. The work had not yet started but the contractor explained

how he is going to recondition the shoulders and how he will do the

maintenance on the carriage way.

Then we had a site meeting at Malombe Bridge at Masanje river on T388

(Mbalula – Malombe – Masanje) in Mangochi. The contractor had already

demolished the bridge that was there and created a diversion so that those who

use the road should still be able to cross the river. The contractor was advised

to excavate a little deeper so that the abutments are deep enough and the

footing is lower that than downstream to prevent possible scouring on the

bridge. There was an issue as the contractor had piled some excavated material

on a private land and the land owner wanted to be compensated. There was

another issue that the contractor had cut a pipe that supplies water to

Mangochi town.

I also attended another site meeting in Mangochi on T385 (Nankulukuti –

Nsonde – Issa – Mangochi Road). The contractor was dumping selected fill on

one section, the excavator was making drains and graders and rollers were

processing other sections. We just checked the progress on the contract.

Later we had a monthly progress meeting at Johnstone hotel. The contractor

gave a briefing on progress on contracts: DODMA/WKS/2019/03, Lot 2 –

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Spot repairs of Nankulukuti – Nsonde – Issa – Mangochi (T385) Road in

Mangochi District, Mbalula – Malombe – Masanje(T388) and Masanje River

– Mbonekera(T388) Road in Machinga District. The consultant together with

the client advised the contractor to sort out all the grievances by forming

grievance committees for both the contractor’s employees, villagers and the

district council.

C. JOINT MEASUREMENTS
Joint measurements is a process carried out by the client, the consultant

together with the contractor to record details of extra works done by the

contractor after completion of the works on site to be used for billing and

permission for that work, and to measure and quantify the approved work in

place against the awarded contract agreement’s bill of quantities.

In the month of September, I took part in the following Joint Measurements:

 RA/MAI/2021-22/TD/RM/MH/86 (grading and associated drainage

works on selected Roads in Mangochi-Lot 1) together with the
consultant (PCL) and the Engineer for RPL/CLP Joint Venture.
The measurements were done on the following roads: Idrussi to Katuli

Road-20km, Namwela loop, Chipponde to Mozambique Boarder and

Masuku to Nyenyese.

We were verifying the chainages graded and lengths of miter drains.

 Pothole patching Joint measurements with BMM Infratech Consulting

Engineers on a section on M1 Road from Mpemba to Chikanga in
Blantyre District by Fortune Civil Engineering Contractors.
Then we also did pothole patching joint measurements with the

Consultant (BMM) and the Contractor (Mungo Civil Engineering) on

Masauko Chipembere Highway at Toyota T Junction, Tsirinana Road,

Hynde Road, Tsirinana – Nkolokoti Road in Machinjiri and M3 at

Kachere Trading Centre.

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During Pothole patching joint measurements we only verify the areas

of each patch on the section.

D. CULVERTS
I took part in the assessment of Makazombo Bridge on Milonde to Misyoni

School UD Road in Mulanje district. The bridge is made of masonry

abutments and a timber deck. We took measurements for the length and width

and depth of the depression and also the length, width and height of

approaches that need fill. The official from Mulanje district council proposed

that the bridge needs to be demolished and a box culvert constructed on the

depression. We used these measurements to come up with a bill of quantities

for the demolition of the bridge and construction of the proposed box culvert.

We also inspected the construction of a ring culvert in Mulanje Limbuli by

GBK contractors. The work that was done on this culvert was very poor. The

contractor did not provide enough fill on the culvert, the culvert was not

properly aligned with the road and there was scouring in the footing because

the contractor did not build a toe wall.

E. FRENCH DRAINS
French drains are trenches with perforated pipes used on problematic areas to

drain water using gravity thereby protecting a structure like a road.

I took part in the inspection of construction of 20m French drains by Grako

Civil Engineering Contractors on M2 road between Chonde and Mangunda in

Thyolo District. The section is water logged and the contractor had to

constructed the French drains on both sides and maintain the carriage way.

The French drains were properly done but the work the contractor did to

maintain the carriage way was substandard. The section had already developed

cracks and the levels of the maintained section were lower than those of the

existing pavement on both approaches.

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F. BRIDGES
In the Month of September I also took part in the assessments of a number of

bailey bridges.

A bailey bridge is made of timber (Chases and Runners) and panels. When

these are not in good condition there is a need of replacing them.

We assessed the condition of Mkando Bailey Bridge in Mulanje district.

We also did the assessment of Mphendegwe Bailey Bridge in Phalombe

District.

We also inspected works on Chimenya Bridge in Phalombe District. The

contractor (Wasi Civil Engineering) had stopped doing the works because he

wanted the rates of quantities to be revised due to rising of material prices. He

was remaining with the construction of wing walls and backfilling.

G. GRADING AND RESHAPING

Grading uses machinery while Reshaping uses manual labour.

I took part in the inspection of the following reshaping works:

 Mwazambo to Zembetsani UD Road in Milonde ward

 Mulanje South-East Constituency by GBK Contractors – 2.6km. The
contractor had finished the works.
We also did assessment and prepared BOQs for grading and associated

drainage works of Khwalala to Chimbalanga UD road. We measured the

chainages of the whole road and lengths, height and widths of retaining wails

and all measurements of box culverts.

IV. OBSERVATIONS

 Most contractors are finding it hard to finish their works due to increase in prices of
materials.

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 Many Contractors do not set grievance committees for the workers and the
community.
 Sometimes the consultants do not have inspectors on site. This is what causes work to
be substandard.
 The section from Zomba to Liwonde on M3 road is not in good condition. The
carriage way has so many potholes and the shoulders are finished.

V. CHALLENGES

I did not meet any challenges in the month of September

VI. RECOMMENDATIONS

 The Rates for the contracts which are underway should be revised so that the
contractors don’t make big losses.
 The consultants should always make sure they do their duty and inspect the works
enough to come up with commendable work.
 The contractors should always be advised to follow labour laws.

VII. LESSONS

 Practiced making BOQs

 Learnt about joint measurements
 Learnt how potholes are patched
 Learnt about french drains

VIII. CONCLUSION

The month of September was full of new experiences and new lessons. I always made sure I

executed the tasks I was being given within specified time. What I acquired in this month will

help me make a good civil engineer in future.

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