Brief Report of the Project Formulation Survey Teamforthe “Ayeyarwady-Delta Region, Human Resources
Development Project of the Labour-intensive-type Road
Improvement Works (Road Surface Treatment)in order to increase the job opportunities”

November, 2010

Japan Infrastructure Partners (JIP)

10. Data
0-1.

Abbreviations

JICA:

Japan International Cooperation Agency

JIP:

Japan Infrastructure Partners

PES:

Myanmar Engineering Society

PW:

Public Works, Ministry of Construction, Myanmar

RCSU:

Road Construction Special Unit, PW

0-2.

Team Members

Akira KOMURO, President, JIP
Koji KAMIAGA, JIP
0-3.

Schedule

October 2010Sat, 2

11:00/15:30 Tokyo/Bangkok
17:50/18:45 Bangkok/YangonSun, 3

visited the memorial to the victims of Myanmar and Japanese bridge engineers
due to the 1978 aircraft accident,
visited Road Research Laboratory in Yangon,
inspected the Thuwanna bridge.

Mon, 4 paid a courtesy call on; Japanese embassy and JICA office,held a discussion with MES and Road Research Laboratory of PW on the Project.
Tue, 5held a discussion with MES and Road Research Laboratory of PW on the Project.

Wed, 6 & Thu 7: inspected the Project site in Ayeyawardy region.
Fri, 8:held a discussion with MES and Road Research Laboratory of PW on the Project,visited Japanese embassy and JICA officeSat, 9:0-4.

9:50/11:45 Yangon/BangkokPeople met by the Teami) MES
U Han Zawii)

President, Myanmar Engineering SocietyRoad Research Laboratory of PW

U Aung Myint,
U Soe Tint
Daw Hla Hla Thwe

Consultant of Road Research Laboratories
Deputy Chief Engineer
Deputy Superintending Engineer
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U Soe Tun Naing,
Executive Engineer
Daw Htar Zin Thin Zaw Assistant Engineer
Daw Zin Zin HtikeAssistant Engineer
Daw Hnin Yu AungJunior Engineer (4)U Tin Htut

Laboratory Enineer

U Zaw Win

Assistant Engineeriii) Japanese Embassy
Mitsuji SUZUKA

Counselor

Hiroshi NOMURA

Second Secretaryiv) JICA Myanmar Office
Hideo MIYAMOTO

Chief Representative

Katsuyoshi SAITO

Senior Representative

Hajime MATSUMOTO

Representativev) JFE Engineering Corporation Yangon Office
Masayuki SeikeGeneral Manager3

1.

Photos of Meetings

Photo-1: The Team paid a floral tribute to
the memorial of Myanmar and Japanesebridge engineers. U Han Zaw kindly attendedit.

Photo-2: The Team visited Japanese
embassy in Yangon.

Photo-3: The Team held discussion at JICA

Photo-4: The Team was listening tothe presentation of PW.

office.

Photo-6: Discussion at Road ResearchLaboratory.

Photo-5: Discussion with PW as well as
U Han Zaw.

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2. Background
Ayeyawardy-Delta region is badly lagging behind in the development of its basic
infrastructure including its road network in particular, and consequently the agriculturalindustry there still remains in the subsistence farming level due to the lack of accessibility
to the markets of urban areas. Without cash income, poor people in the region are facing
more difficulties in education, healthcare and access to water supply and electricity. To
make the situation worse, Cyclone Nargis hit the region in 2008, resulting in
140,000-death or missing, 2.4 million sufferers, and catastrophic damage of its
infrastructure. It is now, therefore, essential for this region to provide people with more
job opportunities, in addition to a more stable road network.
Taking the situation into account, Myanmarese government decided to start in2008 the urgent road improvement project in this region, comprising an 840 km lengthof eleven roads.
However, such rush construction works are not being implemented out properlyin the absence of an engineering manual focusing on “labour-intensive-type road
improvement works in order to increase job opportunities”. This grass-root Project
intends to support Myanmarese engineers to establish labour-intensive-type roadpavement method, provide people with job opportunities, and consequently reducepoverty in the region.

Photo-7 & 8: People of Mawlamyinegyn pointed out the flooding level during the attackof Cyclone Nargis.

Photo-9: Village of refugees of Nargis.

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3. Inspection of the Project site
3-1.

No.1 Maubin-Yelagale-Shwedaungmaw-KyaikpiMawlamyinegyun Road(70.2km)

Photo-11: Surface of Metaled road is notvery smooth, consequently vehicles canrun only at speed of around 20km/h or so.

Photo-10: Metalled road near Maubin
along Road No.1.

Photo-12: Not only light vehicles but
heavy vehicles also use these unpavedroads.

Photo-13: Unpaved roads cannot bear theload of a heavy vehicle, as a result the roadsurface is easily damaged in a short term oftime.

Photo-14: Road Construction Special
Unit (RCSU) was maintaining roadsurfaces.

Photo-15:
Aggregates available
seemed not t be hard enough.

8therePhoto-16: The Team considered that acertain technical advice was needed formaintenance works to improve durability ofroad surface.

Photo-17: The site engineers of RCSU (4)and the Team members.

Photo-18: Aggregates for the Matelledsurfaces were hauled from a quarry of80km away of the site.

Photo-19: Some sections were paved with
bituminous treatment.

Photo-20: Road No. 5 branches off from Road
No.1 near Bogale. Its embankment wascompleted but not yet paved due to the problemof soft soil.

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Photo-21: The left photo shows the surface of embankment of Road No.2, which branches off fromRoad No.1 at Mawlamyinegyun. This section is one of the most problematic sections, where severe
settlement occurred. At this point, a settlement of 2 feet during one year was observed. But theembankment of Road No.1, which is locate at the same place, is quite stable without any settlement.
Therefore, the cause of the settlement does not seem to be the strength of ground, but the quality ofsoil material for embankment itself. In fact, the material of embankment appears to be “mud” rather
than “soil”.

Photo-22: The site office of RCSU(4) nearKyaikpi along Road No.1.

Photo-23: The section near the RCSU(4) site office wasin relatively stable condition. PW and the Teamtentatively agree that pilot works under the Projectwill be conducted in this section.

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3-2. Road from Pyapon to Bogale

Photo-24: Surface treatment works for roadwidening.

Photo-25: Aggregates were being spreadmanually. But the Team considered that thestrength of “embankment” or “subgrade”
should be checked.

Photo-26: Perhaps the quality of materials for embankment does not meet the standards.

Photo-27: Tires of a lorry were buried into the newly constructed portion of theembankment.

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4. Outline of the Project
The Team carried out close consultation with MES and the Road Research Laboratory ofPW on the proposed Project, and agreed the outline of the Project as indicated following
attachment papers.
Attachment -1 : Outline of the Project
Attachment -2: Schedule (Tentative)
Attachment –3: Role Sharing of Activities

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Attachment-1 : Outline of the ProjectI. Outline of the Proposed Project
1.Country

Myanmar2. Title of the Project

Ayeyarwady-Delta Region, the Human Resources Development

Projectof the Labour-Intensive-type Lightly-Trafficed Road Surface Treatment
Works, in order to increase the job opportunities for local people.
3. Background andIn Myanmar, overcoming the airplane accidents in 1978, by which

6Necessity of themembers of JICA team and 2 members of Public Works were killed, theProject

Bridge Engineering Training Center Project (BETC) was conductedsuccessfully from 1980 to 85. Based on the results Of this technicalcorporation, many bridges have been constructed in Myanmar by theengineers of Public Works.
However, the roads are still in poor conditions and they need improvement
all over the country. In particular, the roads were seriously damaged in the
Ayeyarwady-Delta Region, by Nargis Cyclone, and also by the heavy
vehicles carrying the emergency aid supplies.
On the other hand, people living there still continue to be poor, due to thedifficulty in finding jobs.
It is really needed to improve and maintain the road surfaces of the area
properly for the social & economic development as well as the increase of
the job opportunities.

4. Project Purpose

This Project aims at:i)increase of job opportunities in local areas, human resources
developemnt andii)

improvement

ofroadtransport

network

forsustainable

development in the Ayeyarwady-Delta Region,throughi)

establishment-intensive-type

andpromotion

roadsurface

of

the

methodtreatment

oflaboureworks

andcountermeasures against the road surface settlement,

5. Target Areaii)

development of human resources in local communities, andiii)

technical assistance to the engineers of Public Works.

The Roads in the Ayeyarwady-Delta Region（Trial Worksite will be selected13in the area of Maubin, etc.）
6. Target Group

Myanmar’s people-workers (total number around 100), road engineers(around 10), road-technicians (around 10), and some road-administrators

7. Activities and1. Establishment of Technical Advisory Committees.

Expected Outcomes

2. Making a Engineering Manual
3. Organizing Road Support and Disaster Prevention Communities
4. Pavement

works

includingnon-bituminous

treatment

andcountermeasures against road surface settlement
5. Seminar and Reporting
8. Project Duration
9. Amount of Estimate
10. Implementation

June 2010-December

2012

10,000,000yen
1. Japan Infrastructure Partners (JIP)

Structure of the Project The Advisory Committee will be organized in JIP, and its members will
carry out the activities under the Project.
2. Myanmar Engineering Society (MES)The Advisory Committee will be organized in MES, and its members will
carry out conduct the necessary activities.
II. Outline of the Proposing Organization
1. Name of theNPO, Japan Infrastructure Partners (JIP)

Organization
2. Main Activities

The Dispatch of the missions and Engineering Exchanges with theSouth-Asia countries in the Infrastructure field

3 Past Activities and JIP has sent the Highway Engineering Missions four times in recent years,Achievements in the and also conducted Engineering & Communication Exchanges withTarget Country

Myanmar’s Engineers.
And many members of JIP were the JICA experts sent to Myanmar for
BETC Project in 1980-85, and since then the friendship exchange with
Myanmar engineers has continued in various times. So JIP has good
relationship with Myanmar Engineers concerned with.

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5.

Answers to the Questionnaire from JICA

The Team carried a questionnaire from JICA, and discussed with MES, PW on it, andjointly made answers as follows.
1. JICA understands that the Project aims technical transfer of the “light trafficpavement” or “low cost pavement” constructed by “people-participating-type”
method, but JICA needs a little more detailed information on such pavement. Is suchpavement a high embankment type in order to protect it from floods, or not a highembankment but a re-usable type even after floods? And please inform JICA of thereason why such pavement type is selected.

PW has almost completed the embankments of planned some 660 km roads,
but due to the very soft ground in Ayeyawady area, it is very difficult to stop
their surface’s settling. Therefore, PW is now making efforts to keep heightsof road surface by filling up earth material and temporarily carrying out
gravel pavement instead of bituminous treatment. In order to overcome
these difficulties, a manual for labour-intensive-type surface treatment
works is much needed.
2. The Project’s objective is understood to be pavement technology transfer. If so, does
the Project site have to be the disaster area of the Cyclone?

People of Ayeyarwady area suffered from serious damages of cyclone andstill remain in poor situation. Therefore, it is quite urgent to provide this areawith stable roads. With this in mind, technical cooperation for road surface
treatment in this area seems appropriate.
3. JICA agrees that the “people-participating-type” method can mobilize the manpowerof regional communities’ people to increase their job opportunities, but do PW andPES have any experience of the methods of this kind? JICA thinks that people have tobe paid by cash, but is such payment possible in Myanmar?

In the case of this area, PW is carrying out directly construction works
instead of hiring private companies, which mean PW has to directly employ
local people. Therefore, PW has an experience to mobilize local people andcan pay them by cash.

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4. In relation to the points 2 & 3 above, does JIP, through the Project, want to:(i)transfer the technique of “light traffic pavement” or “low cost pavement” by
the “people-participating-type” method, or;(ii)

construct roads which people in disaster affected area can use?

Both.
5. What is the cost of road pavement works in Myanmar? And how much cost can be
reduced by the proposed “people-participating-type” method?

Generally speaking, the cost of labour-intensive type construction method ischeaper than that of machinery-oriented method. But we have not yetmeasure the actual amount of their difference.
6. What kind of manual is going to be made under the Project? Is it specialized to only
pavement, or to pavement, subgrade and so on? Or, does it also include themanagement of the “people-participating-type” method?

There is a model project conducted in Mongol. It is a comprehensive technicalmanual, covering from designing, construction including earthworks,embankment, quality control up to maintenance under the labour-intensive
concept. But circumstances including climate, soil condition in Myanmar arequite different from those in Mongolia. As of now, we are thinking to makethe Myanmar version of that Manual in this project, although we assume that
the Manual will be a kind of first draft only due to the limited Project budgetand time.
7. Which section of MES is the Project’s counterpart of Myanmar? Which section of PW
will be transferred the technology through the Project? How much discussion did PW,
MES and JIP actually have on the Project, particularly on cost sharing, type ofpavement, people-participating, and so on? Also, please provide JICA with present
situation of pavement works in Myanmar, road maintenance plan after theimplementation of the Project, budgeting perspective, and so on.

The Chairman of MES, U Han Zaw will be the official counterpart of theProject. Implementation organization for this Project will be RCSU or Road
Construction Special Unit of PW and Road Research Laboratory. The table of
Myanmar’ and Japan’ cost sharing on Project activities is attached hereto(see18bAttahment-3 of section 4.). Regarding the pavement type, as stated No.1
above, non-bituminous treatment is implemented because embankment isstill unstable, but after the stabilization of the embankment, road surface isgoing to be treated with bitumen. For other issues, please refer to the Reportof the Study Team.

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Pilot work site24

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