Intermediate Equipment Handbook
Intech Associates
All of this would be achieved with the essential outcome of the same, or
improved3, quality and durability of work for national, regional and local road
authorities.
The potential benefits for the various stakeholders can be summarised as:
Road works – lower unit works costs, greater logistical flexibility, lower capital
and operating costs
Market – provides complementary market opportunities between heavy
equipment and labour technologies for improved market flexibility and efficiency.
Opportunities for SMEs to enter market and provide sub-contracting and multi-
sector services
Rural Communities – improved accessibility, lower transport costs, employment
opportunities, better prices for crops, less crop wastage
National Economy – more serviceable roads at lower cost, SME development,
local equipment manufacturing capacity development and export potential,
imported equipment substitution, reduced importation of fuel and spares, rural
and urban employment increases in related works and industry, increased tax
base
Agricultural sector – improved roads, lower input and output costs,
development of rural sector agricultural services based on tractor technology for
increased tractor utilisation, farm income diversification, and lower cultivation
processing and transport costs
Environmental – Lower carbon footprint of tractor technology.
EXAMPLES OF INTERMEDIATE EQUIPMENT
A wide range of intermediate equipment exists suitable for roadworks and rural
services provision. Chart 1 sets out examples of Intermediate Equipment for
road works identified by a workshop of sector practitioners4.
Chart 2 shows how there can be a range of technology options for most road
works activities5. The Chart highlights how agricultural tractors can be used as
an alternative to heavy equipment or labour in just one example series of road
rehabilitation operations. Similar technology choices are available for most road
works operations. Chart 3 summarises the multi-sector applications and flexibility
of the simple agricultural tractor as a low-cost, mobile rural power source.
3 For example, due to the low cost and flexibility of wheeled tractor technology, it is
possible to water and compact earth and gravel roads when reshaping in the dry
season producing a more durable maintained surface and at lower cost.
4 MART Working Paper No 5, Workshop Report, Intermediate Equipment for
Labour-Based Roadworks, Accra, Ghana, 19 & 20 April 1996.
5 MART Working Paper No 7, Agricultural Tractors in Roadworks, Edition 2, 2000,
Robert Petts.
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