Quality Assurance for Bridge Projects

Guidelines for ToR to be used during the Preparation of Detailed

Technical Design for Bridges

Revision: V0

June 2021
 LODA

CONTENTS
1 INFORMATION SHEET ................................................................................................................. 1
2 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Description of the project .................................................................................................. 4
2.2 Objective of the services .................................................................................................... 4
2.3 Scopes of services............................................................................................................... 4
2.4 Expected outputs,............................................................................................................... 5
3 FEASIBILITY STUDY & PRELIMINARY DESIGN STAGE .................................................................. 6
3.1 Technical Dimension .......................................................................................................... 6
3.1.1 Inception report ......................................................................................................... 6
3.1.2 Bridge Feasibility study ................................................................................................ 6
3.1.3. Bridge location and surveying map................................................................................... 6
3.1.4. River hydraulics ............................................................................................................... 7
3.1.5. Soil investigation ............................................................................................................. 7
3.1.6. Bridge structural design .................................................................................................. 8
3.1.7. Design of Substructures and foundations ...................................................................... 8
3.1.8. Concrete superstructures ................................................................................................. 9
3.1.9.Culverts ........................................................................................................................... 11
3.1.10. Erosion control............................................................................................................. 12
3.1.11. Location and alignment ............................................................................................... 13
3.1.12.Headwalls ..................................................................................................................... 14
3.1.14.Reinforced concrete box culverts.................................................................................. 14
3.1.15. Environmental and Social Impact assessment (ESIA) ................................................... 18
3.1.16.Bridge building materials .............................................................................................. 15
3.1.16.1.Concrete ..................................................................................................................... 15
3.1.16.2. Steel reinforcements ................................................................................................. 16
3.1.16.3. Structural timber ..................................................................................................... 16
3.1.16.4. Required minimum laboratory tests on Building materials ...................................... 17
4. Detailed technical Design (Final report) ....................................................................................... 19
4.1. Minimum content of final report: ......................................................................................... 19
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4.3. Minimum Key staff for bridge design and construction........................................................ 20

4.4. Bridge loading test ..................................................................................................................... 21
5. Main References........................................................................................................................... 22

MODIFICATION HISTORY

Version Date Authors Summary of Changes

V0 25/07/2021 Joseph Désiré TWUBAHIMANA Original version

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ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation Description

BoQ Bill of Quantity

EIA Environmental Impact Assessment

KfW KfW Development Bank

LODA Local Administrative Entities Development Agency

PPE Personal Protection Equipment

RDB Rwanda Development Board

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1 Introduction to the Guidelines

Providing safety for the public by having adequate strength for constructed facilities has been the
cornerstone of the framework used by engineers for bridge design.
Bridges in Rwanda Districts are generally stream crossings. It was observed especially during rainy
seasons the rainy water overflowing bridges destruction of road drainage structures in different
districts. This is in general due to poor design of the bridges.
These guidelines on the elaboration of terms of reference for bridge projects will enable LODA and
District engineers to elaborate appropriate ToRs to be used in recruitment of consultants to conduct
DTD for bridge projects and to validate design reports.
These guidelines cover the entire bridge design process, from the inception stage through site
investigations and materials analysis, hydraulic design and structural design, to the final
preparation of drawings and detailed specifications.
Wherever you need to complete or update, this is characterised by a “to do” marked in green.
Furthermore, there are explanatory part that are marked in light green and are starting with
“Explanation” as shown in the example below.

Explanation: This is for further explanation and should be deleted once the document is finalized

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2 Information Sheet

Explanation: Please fill the information sheet at the end, when having completed the other
sections of the document

1 Country Rwanda

2 Consultancy To do: Describe the service in summarized form

services

3 Road Name To do: Insert District Name

4 Location of the To do: Insert location map

Bridge

5 Recipient To do: Insert District Name

6 Executing To do: Fill the information below

Agency
Insert District Name
P.o. Box:
E-mail:
Tel :

7 Funding Agency To do: Fill the information below

Insert Name
P.o. Box:
E-mail:
Tel :

8 Project The Government of the Republic of Rwanda, represented by the (insert the
Description name of the District) is recruiting a consultant who will conduct consultancy
services to conduct Feasibility and Detailed technical study of (To do: Insert
bridge name).
The services include reconnaissance of the bridge project, the traffic study
and estimation, the topographic survey, the geotechnical study of the bridge
site, structural design, Technical drawings, and hydrological study of the area,
the study of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and preparation of

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the Bill of quantities and tender documents for the execution of works of the
above mentioned project.
The services will be reported in three report:
a) Inception report shall contain the preliminary observations with the
points that can affect the design of the bridge project, detailed work
program, brief description of the working methods / methodology of the
consultant in accordance with the Terms of Reference and identify any
major issues/constraints and the staff mobilization plan.

b) The Feasibility study shall contain the preliminary findings in topographic

survey, the geotechnical investigations, the traffic survey, hydrology and
the preliminary designs for at least two alternatives including their costs.
The report shall include any possible alternatives and the environmental,
socio-economic profile assessment of the project. The report shall include
the comparison of the alternatives and argue recommendations for
choosing the appropriate alternative. The findings from this report shall
lead to the development of the details design and detailed Bill of
Quantities and ESIA.

c) The final report shall contains the details designs of the bridge, the
retaining and hydraulic structures, safety features and the Tender
Documents and ESIA.

The language of the reports is English or French

9 Estimated Total duration of the services: (to do: Fill months of study
Duration implementation)……….Months

10 Consultancy The Procurement of Consultancy Services will be carried out in accordance

Services with the Procurement Law of Rwanda. Consultancy services for carrying out
Required and the bridge studies will be determined on the basis of Short-listing. The
Phase of selection procedure to determine the short-listed firms for implementing the
Selection study shall be based on technical quality with price consideration (QCBS:
Quality Cost Based Selection).

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3 Introduction

Providing safety for the public by having adequate strength for constructed facilities has been the
cornerstone of the framework used by engineers for bridge design.
Bridges in Rwanda Districts are generally stream crossings. It was observed especially during rainy
seasons the rainy water overflowing bridges destruction of road drainage structures in different
districts. This is in general due to poor design of the bridges.

Description of the Project

The District of (to do: insert the name of district) intends to carry out the Consultancy services for
the design of (to do: insert name of the bridge) located on (insert the name of the road) road in (to
do: insert the name of district) District.

(to do: insert the name of bridge) bridge is located on (to do: insert the name of road) road in (to
do: insert the name of district) district. The road connects (to do: insert connected locations). The
existing bridge has been damaged by (to do: specify reason e.g. flooding). This old bridge should
be replaced with a new bridge than can withstand the traffic loadings safely and taking into
consideration of the climate change effects.

Objective of the Services

The main objective of the services is the complete study and preparation of tender documents
which will lead to the construction of the (to do: insert the name of the bridge) and the access
ramps connecting the existing road.

Scopes of Services
The consultant shall provide and guarantee the highest quality of detailed engineering for civil woks
design, topographic survey, geotechnical investigation, detailed engineering design, technical
specifications, unit prices analysis and cost estimates, construction drawings, environmental and
social impact assessments.
The consultant shall carry out but not limited to:
a) Topographic survey for the project including the following to prepare the topographic map and
all other necessary data for the detailed engineering design
 Establishment of horizontal and vertical control points (benchmarks)
 Topographic profile survey covering the crossing area with contour lines
 Surface water runoff survey

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b) Carry out subsoil investigation including boring and laboratory tests and other necessary tests,
provide sub-soil investigation maps. The consultant shall make detailed soil investigation with
disturbed / undisturbed samples to be taken at intervals and frequency as determined by the
standards and such other places considered necessary to determine changes in soil type,
c) Carry out hydrological survey by collecting available historical data from relevant authority. The
catchment areas, run-off coefficient depending on the terrain type, existing vegetation, land
use and geological type, hydraulic slope and design flood discharge for appropriate return
periods shall be determined for the proposed structure and the corresponding water level
established. The flood return period(s) utilized for the design of drainage system shall be
selected to determine the optimum period from hydrographic data pertinent to the topography
and terrain through which the crossing sections is located,
d) Identify existing public utilities (if any) and propose possible relocation site with the utility
relocation maps. Also provide cost estimates for relocation of utilities,
e) Carry out the environmental and social impact assessment according to existing and current
regulatory framework i.e. policies, lows, regulations and guidelines as published by REMA, RDB
and other relevant legal and institutional framework,
f) Carry out detailed designs including detailed plans and construction drawings, detailed cost
estimates, associated contract documentation to include detailed specifications, bill of qualities
(BoQ) with detailed breakdown and description of unit rates, and implementation schedule for
project,
g) Elaborate the tender documents for the execution works,
h) Present the maintenance plan of the proposed bridge.

Expected Outputs
The expected output of the study are:
a) Assessment and recommendation of the required intervention for the design of the
infrastructure of good quality, safety, environmental protection, erosion control and bridge
protection
b) Detailed Engineering Study for the bridge construction works
c) Cost estimates of the project and the BoQ
d) Updated environmental and social economic impact;
e) Development of Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP);
f) Preparation of Resettlement Action Plan (RAP)
g) Preparation of tender documents.

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4 Feasibility Study and Preliminary Design

Explanation: For the Feasibility Study please also refer to LODA’s feasibility study guidelines
of 2020

Technical Dimension
4.1.1 Inception Report

This report shall provide the preliminary observations with the points that can affect the design of the
bridge project: detailed work program; brief description of the updated working methods;
methodology of the consultant in accordance with the Terms of Reference and identify any major
issues; constraints and the staff mobilization plan.

Explanation: The inception report should be presented to District staff in a meeting and
open issues should be discussed and decided on

4.1.2 Bridge Feasibility Study

The Feasibility study shall contain the preliminary findings in bridge location and surveying operation,
river hydraulics, soil investigation, socio-economical assessment, environmental impact assessment,
preliminary bridge structural design, technical documents and bills of quantities.

The report shall include any possible alternatives and include the economic analysis and comparison
of the alternatives and argue recommendations for choosing the appropriate alternative.

Explanation: The feasibility study is the Avant-Project Sommaire (APS) and shows the
advantages and disadvantages, analysis possible environmental and social risk
to be mitigated later, shows technical options for the bridge and provides a
first rough cost estimate for each option

4.1.3 Bridge Location and Surveying Map

In selecting the location for a bridge, the consultant often has to reach a compromise between the
easiest river crossing and the shortest road alignment. The choice of location then becomes an
economic decision. The cheapest bridge site and the one that has potentially the longest service
life is a location that:
 Is on a straight reach of the river;

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 Is beyond the disturbing influence of larger tributaries;

 Has well defined banks;
 Has reasonably straight approach roads;
 Permits as square a crossing as possible;
 Has good foundation conditions.
The site should allow the maximum gradient of the approach roads to be appropriate to the types
of vehicle likely to travel on the road as well as offering vertical curves and sight distances suitable
for the maximum speed of vehicles using the bridge.
The consultant will prepare the topographic map, sections and all other necessary data for the
detailed engineering design.

4.1.4 River Hydraulics

The required design hydraulic data are as follows:

 Design flood level
 Flow volume and velocity
 Maximum flood level
 Bed characteristics - particle size
 Channel shape and flood plain width
 Scour depth
 Clearance of floating debris.

The general order of hydraulic design is:

 Establish the height of the superstructure, i.e. clearance above the DFL (Design Flood Level)
 Establish trial positions for the abutments according to the bed shape at the proposed
crossing
 Make a provisional decision regarding the number of piers that will result in the lowest
overall cost of superstructure, piers and abutments
 Calculate the general scour and the local scour due to abutments and piers, and draw the
worst case profiles on the cross sections
 Check that the backwater caused by the restriction to flow does not cause damage to
surrounding land upstream of the bridge or affect the height set for the superstructure
 Prepare preliminary designs of abutments and piers.

4.1.5 Soil Investigation

The weight of the traffic, superstructure, abutments and piers will all be carried by the soils
supporting the abutment and pier foundations. In order to design appropriate foundations the
consultant has to determine the nature and location of the different soil types occurring at the site
of the bridge and its approaches, to depths containing strata sufficiently strong to support the
bridge and embankments without significant deformation.

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This information is obtained by analysing samples taken from a grid of bore-holes or test pits
covering the whole of the proposed site, and by testing the samples for density, shear strength,
plasticity and penetration, in order to provide quantitative data for foundation design.
The level and nature of the ground water also affect the foundation design and the engineer must
take into account the impact of bridge construction on the ground water and hence the stability of
nearby works and slopes.

Field soil tests:

 Density measurements
 Shear vane tests
 Penetration strength tests
 Dynamic cone penetrometer soundings
 Plate bearing tests.

Laboratory soil tests:

 Liquid limit
 Plastic limit
 Density.
Sieve analyses carried out on coarse-grained, non-cohesive soils also assist in their identification
and classification.

4.1.6 Bridge Structural Design

Structural design is the methodical investigation of the stability, strength and rigidity of structures.
The basic objective in bridge structural analysis and design will be to produce a structure capable
of resisting all applied loads without failure during its intended life.

4.1.7 Design of Substructures and Foundations

These are the elements of a bridge that support the superstructure, i.e. abutments, piers and their
foundations. The designs are conservative and take account of all the external forces from live and
dead loads that substructures are normally expected to sustain.

Abutments
In addition to supporting the dead load of the superstructure, the abutments of a bridge must:
 Resist the vertical and horizontal live loads placed on them by vehicles and the elements
 Retain the approach embankments and the live loads applied to them
 Provide a smooth transition from the road surface to the deck running surface.

The abutment essential features should be:

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 A foundation slab, which transmits the weight of the abutment and a proportion of the
superstructure directly to the supporting soil, or which forms a capping slab to a system of
load-bearing piles
 A front wall with bearing shelf that supports the superstructure and usually retains the soil
of the embankment
 Wing walls or retaining walls may be separate from the abutments or, if they are short, may
be built integrally with them. These walls retain the road embankment or river bank
adjacent to the abutment and are usually built so as to bisect the angle between the road
and the river bank, though they can be set at any angle to the abutments and may be built
parallel to the road or perpendicular to it.

Piers
Piers also perform a support function. They convey vertical and horizontal loads from the
superstructure via the bearing shelf, stem and foundation slab to the supporting soil. in many
instances, piers stand on saturated soils for most or all of the year: they do not retain soil
embankments but are designed to withstand hydraulic pressures and impact loads. Piers are
often more susceptible to scour damage than abutments and need to be orientated carefully with
respect to flow direction. Their foundations should be located well below maximum scour depth.

Determination of allowable bearing Pressure

Non-cohesive soils
The allowable bearing pressure under foundations in non-cohesive soils is governed by the
permissible settlement of the structure due to consolidation of the soils under the applied
loading.

Cohesive soils
Most cohesive soils at foundation level are saturated and have an angle of shearing resistance
equal to zero, provided that no water is expelled from the soil as the load is applied. This is
accepted as the basis for calculating the ultimate bearing capacity of foundations where the load
is applied relatively quickly.

4.1.8 Concrete Superstructures

Concrete will often be the natural choice of material for the bridges on roads where a long service
life and minimum maintenance are required.
Design details
Vertical profile over the bridge
The vertical profile of the road over the bridge can be determined once the high flood level,
floating debris or navigation clearance and slab depth are known. If the deck level is required to

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be higher than the adjacent

road, the superstructure will describe a hogging vertical curve over the bridge.
Bearings
The simplest form of bearing is made by casting the concrete slab onto the abutment bearing shelf,
with only a layer of bitumen felt separating the two concrete surfaces. This may be satisfactory for
very short spans, say up to 6m, but for longer spans there is a risk that thermal movement will
damage both the supporting structure and the slab.
These bearings consist of discrete strips of black natural rubber, extending over the full width of
the slab (or beam) soffit at the support point, with a maximum width of approximately 300mm and
a maximum thickness of approximately 25mm. At the free end of the span, the bridge deck locates
by friction between the rubber strip and the concrete deck, with no positive mechanical means to
develop resistance against transverse loadings. At the fixed end, dowel bars passing through the
pad at frequent intervals provide the necessary restraint, both longitudinally and transversely. To
allow rotations to occur and the deck to expand laterally, the dowel bars are usually fitted with
rubber caps where they pass into the concrete deck slab.

Expansion joints
An expansion joint is required at each end of each span. Though the fixed end moves less than the
free end, similar joints are usually installed at both.

Construction joints
Construction joints often provide paths for the seepage of water, leading to leaching of lime from
the concrete and corrosion of the reinforcement. For this reason, it is
preferable for the slab to be cast in one continuous pour. If the engineer knows that this will not
be possible because the batch volume required is too much for one day's working, it is better for
him to mark on the drawings a permissible location for construction
joints. If a joint is unavoidable, it should be parallel to the centre line and preferably located at the
high point of the transverse camber.

Slab reinforcement
The maximum length of reinforcing bar generally available is 12m. When a longer bar is needed,
eg for a 12m span, two bars must be lapped. As a general rule the lap length should be at least 40
times the diameter of the bar. The main bars should not be lapped near the centre of the span,
and laps should be staggered so that they do not cause a line of weakness across the slab.
The lapping of bars should be avoided whenever possible so as to ensure good continuity,
minimise congestion of reinforcement and so produce better compaction of concrete around the
steel.

Drainage

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If the bridge is single span with a hogging vertical curve and the joints between deck and abutments
are sealed, surface water can be allowed to run off the bridge into the road drainage channels and
no drains are required on the bridge superstructure. If the bridge is multi-span, or has a flat or
sagging profile with a low point on the bridge, drains must be installed on the deck. The simplest
way is to provide a 100mm diameter PVC pipe at the kerb line, dishing the concrete around it, and
setting a metal gully grating in the surfacing. The engineer must take care to see that the discharge
does not cause damage to services or sub-structures, and ensure that close attention is given to the
compaction of the deck concrete around the pipe.

Surfacing
The standard slabs are designed to be used with 75mm of asphalt surfacing. This provides some
degree of waterproofing and protection of the surface of the structural slab. In some countries it
is common practice to use the upper surface of the slab as a running surface. This is not
recommended, but should the engineer wish to avoid using asphalt, the minimum cover to
reinforcement in the top of the slab should be increased to 75mm and kerb joint and drainage
details have to be modified accordingly. Bridges serving gravel roads may need more than 75mm
cover to counteract the abrasive action of stones embedded in vehicle tyres.

Services carried on the bridge

It will sometimes be necessary to make provision for services and utilities such as electricity or
telephone cables to be carried on the bridge. These services can be readily accommodated in PVC
ducts cast into the verges behind the kerbs. The ducts cost very little and could be included even
if there were no immediate need. It steel pipes are attached to the deck, they must have
provision for expansion at the fixings.

Provision for pedestrians and cyclists

Wherever there is likely to be significant movement of pedestrians and cyclists across the bridge,
a segregated pathway is recommended. This pathway can be provided by an addition cantilevered
out from the bridge superstructure; but such additions tend to be less robust than the main
structure and there is a possibility of critical asymmetric overloading of the deck, should a large
number of people congregate on the pathway.

4.1.9 Culverts

There are many similarities between bridges and culverts, and they perform similar tasks. Bridges,
however, usually accommodate longer spans: they consist of free standing abutments and a
separate articulated superstructure which carries the traffic.
Culverts are often made of pre-fabricated pipes or boxes, or are cast in one or two pieces: they
are usually set low in an embankment and less often bear the direct
weight of traffic.

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Where the waterway opening is less than about 15m2, and particularly where the road crosses the
waterway on a relatively high embankment, a culvert will usually be cheaper than a bridge.
Culverts may be constructed using a variety of materials from vitreous clay to glass reinforced
plastics,
but the most common and cheapest forms of construction are:
 Precast concrete jointed pipes
 Corrugated steel pipes made of prefabricated panels
 Single or multi-cell reinforced concrete boxes, prefabricated or built in situ.
Single precast concrete pipe culverts are commonly used for small openings up to 2m2 while
multiple concrete pipes with common headwalls or corrugated steel pipes cater for larger areas.
In general alternatively, reinforced concrete box culverts are used with internal box sizes up to 4m
x 3.5m. Twin or multiple boxes may be required for larger waterway openings.
In difficult ground conditions a flexible steel pipe has an advantage over a rigid concrete culvert
through its ability to accommodate a certain amount of differential settlement over the length of
the culvert without overstressing the material. A culvert made of rigid concrete sections will not be
tolerant to differential settlement unless it is specifically designed for such conditions either by
increasing its structural strength or by segmenting the culvert along its length to allow it to flex. In
theory such a solution may appear to be satisfactory, but the provision of watertight joints to permit
flexing to occur can be costly and the satisfactory performance of the joints cannot always be
guaranteed. Leakage from culverts, particularly those carrying embankments, can have serious
consequences, since weakening of the embankment material may lead to an embankment failure.
If properly constructed, a reinforced concrete culvert is likely to have a service life in excess of 60
years and will almost certainly be more durable and require less maintenance than a steel pipe. By
comparison, a corrugated steel pipe culvert, well protected against corrosion by plating and
bitumen coating, can be expected to have a working life in the order of 30 to 40years in a non-
aggressive environment. It is usual to design culverts to last the life of the highway. Despite the
best efforts of the engineer, it must be expected that some culverts will become silted or obstructed
by debris. For this reason, pipes of internal diameter less than 0.6m are not recommended since
they are difficult to clean.

4.1.10 Erosion Control

The construction of a road and associated drainage structures may have the effect of taking
general water run-off from a slope and channelling it. This concentration of flow is almost certain
to cause erosion damage to many types of soil.
Before or at the entrance to culverts it is important to control the flow velocity, particularly since
an abrupt change in direction of flow may occur at these points making erosion damage more
likely. Control may be achieved by reducing the gradient, installing check drains or by building a
drop inlet.
It is also important to control the velocity of flow at the outlet, because erosion damage to the road
embankment or surrounding farmland occurs more frequently at the discharge end.

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A curtain wall is often necessary at the outlet of a culvert carrying more than a minimal flow, in
order to prevent scour undermining the structure.
A concrete or rip rap apron may be required to dissipate the energy of the discharge, or it may be
necessary to contain the flow in a paved channel until the natural gradient becomes small enough
not to induce fast flows with consequential deepening of the channel.

4.1.11 Location and Alignment

The proper location of each culvert is important because it affects the drainage pattern and hence
the strength of the surrounding soils, the area of waterway, ditch and culvert maintenance, and
erosion damage.
There are four rules which, though obvious to experienced engineers, are worth listing here:
 Where a road crosses a valley, the lowest point requires a vent, whether there is an
established stream or not.
 Where there is an established stream, the culvert should follow the existing alignment,
unless the alignment can be improved.
 The gradient of the culvert should be the same as the gradient of the stream.
 Measures may be necessary to ensure that the watercourse does not move. This could
cause severe damage and the consequent change of location of the culvert would be
expensive.
As well as venting at the lowest point, it is good practice to install culverts for cross drainage at
regular intervals down a long grade. This avoids the necessity of building a large culvert at the
bottom of the grade and may also provide the opportunity for safer dispersal of water in smaller
mitre drains on the lower slope. The appropriate frequency of these cross drains is best decided on
the basis of local experience and depends on gradient, soil characteristics, intensity of rainfall and
related factors. As a general rule, there should be at least one culvert every 300m, unless the road
follows a ridge.
The gradient of the culvert is important because it affects future maintenance. If it is too steep, it
will encourage erosion at the outlet. If it is less steep than the stream, there is likely to be a
sediment problem. A gradient of 2 to 4 per cent is advisable where silts are
carried in the flow; a minimum of 0.5 per cent is recommended for clear water.
It is also important to set the culvert invert at the same level as the natural stream bed. Culverts
are frequently set low to avoid humps in the road above, which results in silting and a consequent
reduction in the waterway. Where the road embankment is not high enough to provide adequate
clearance above the pipe, the ditch has to be lowered on both sides of the road or the embankment
raised. This may necessitate widening the side slopes and demonstrates the importance of detailing
drainage structures early in the design of a road.
Where an established stream is met at an angle to the road alignment, it is usually better to follow
the line of the stream with a skewed culvert, even though the construction cost will be increased
by the greater length. An abrupt change in the direction of flow at the inlet and outlet of a square
crossing may be accommodated without problem for most of the year, but when heavy rains cause
maximum flow the change of direction can result in severe erosion or wash-out.

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4.1.12 Headwalls

Headwalls must be provided to retain and protect the embankment at the ends of a culvert and
help to counteract the dislocation of jointed pipes due to the spreading forces at the base of large
embankments. They also divert debris from falling into the waterway, reduce seepage of water into
the embankment and prevent small animals from burrowing alongside the pipe. Where conditions
favour erosion, headwalls should incorporate deep curtain walls and side slope protection in the
form of gabions or hand-pitched stone.
Since large headwalls are expensive to build, it is advisable initially to make the culvert pipe long
enough to reach the toe of the embankment and to monitor the effects for a year: a small headwall
may be adequate, provided that side slopes are shallow enough not to need retaining,
embankments are relatively low or one-piece pipes are employed, and there is no build-up of water.
Headwalls are usually made of masonry or concrete.

4.1.13 Concrete Pipe Culverts

On rural access earth roads, sections of concrete pipe are butted together and the embankment
material is compacted around them. This is not the most permanent construction, but is cheap
and often serves adequately for several years. A far better quality culvert is obtained by
surrounding the pipe with concrete. The concrete cladding resists the tensile forces that open the
pipe joints and strengthens the pipe against bending. If the subgrade is likely to settle under the
weight of the embankment, the concrete surround should be reinforced no matter what the
depth of cover between pipe and road surface.

4.1.14 Reinforced Concrete Box Culverts

Reinforced concrete box culverts may be constructed either as a monolithic box or as a U section
with a simply supported top slab propping the side walls. Twin or multiple cell box culverts are
used where the horizontal opening is more than about 4m. These too may be constructed with
monolithic top slab and walls or with a separately cast lid.
Culverts with separately constructed top slabs are simpler to construct because they require less
complicated steel reinforcement and, though containing more material, they generally offer a more
economical form of construction. For this reason monolithic boxes are not considered further.
The side walls of the culverts detailed in this chapter are constructed monolithically with the base
slab and are propped at the top by the simply supported roof slab. Owing to the reversal of the
bending moment in the walls and bottom slab, reinforcement to both faces of these elements is
required but the top slab of a single cell culvert requires only bottom reinforcement.
For a twin box culvert with a separately cast top slab, the outer walls are again propped apart and
the centre wall may be positively located to the top slab by the provision of dowel bars. The top
slab of a twin box culvert is designed as a two span continuous beam spanning over the central wall
and requires top reinforcement in the region of the central wall.

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Bridge Building Materials

It is assumed that the consultant is familiar with the structural use of steel, concrete and timber.
The notes on building materials are intended only to:
 Specify properties of building materials to be used for bridge construction
 Clarify certain aspects of their use
 Draw attention to potential problems
 Provide a consolidated list of the numerous references.

4.2.1 Concrete

In general the designs are based on the use of Class 30 concrete using 20mm coarse aggregate
(30/20 concrete), the ordinary structural concrete is produced using ordinary Portland cement,
Portland blast furnace cement, sulphate resisting Portland cement and Portland pulverised fuel ash
cement.
Aggregates used in making concrete should conform with RSB standards or other standards used in
Rwanda. Concrete for use with steel reinforcement is more likely to achieve the standard of
compaction required if the maximum aggregate size is limited to 20mm.
Where there are significant amounts of sulphates in the soil or ground water, it is prudent to take
precautions to prevent deterioration of the concrete, which is in contact with the ground.
Breakdown of the concrete mass can result from reaction between sulphate and hydrates. Concrete
made with less than 3.5 per cent tricalcium aluminate is considered resistant to sulphate attack.
The basic concept of making a dense, impermeable concrete with adequate cover to reinforcement
is still best defence against the penetration of pollutants which attack the concrete mass or the
steel reinforcement.
The total chloride content of the concrete mix should not exceed 0.3 per cent of the cement, or
cement plus pozzolan mixture, when steel reinforcement is used, or 0.2 per cent when using
sulphate resisting Portland cement in mass or reinforced concrete.
In order to avoid detrimental alkali-silica reaction, it is better to use aggregate known to be non-
reactive. The alternative is to restrict the total sodium oxide content of the cement to less than
3.0kg per cubic metre of concrete.
Besides ensuring that the materials are of adequate quality, the single most important factor
influencing both strength and durability of concrete is the water/cement ratio of the mix. When
specifying concrete, the maximum free-water/cement ratio by weight should generally be limited
to 0.5. In calculating the free water available in the concrete it is important that any moisture on
the surface of the aggregates is included. In marine situations or near the coast, the free-
water/cement ratio should be no more than 0.42 to avoid premature deterioration due to corrosion
of reinforcement or damage to mass concrete by salt scaling or sulphate attack. Careful mix design
is necessary to ensure ease of placing concrete without violating the maximum free-water/ cement
ratio.

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Cover to reinforcement and curing of concrete must also be carefully specified and supervised on
site if the structure is to have an adequate service life. The cover of 50mm shown to reinforcement
in the standard designs is intended as a minimum for a structure in a moderate environment. In a
severe environment, such as a marine situation in a hot climate, cover may need to be increased to
75mm or even 100mm to achieve the required lifespan. To ensure that the cover is as impermeable
as possible, the concrete must be moist cured with clean non-saline water as soon as surface
finishing is complete for exposed surfaces, or as soon as forms can be safely stripped from formed
faces (3days for side forms, 14 days for structural supports or as advised by local engineers). This
curing process should consist of covering the concrete with wet hessian and covering the hessian
with polythene sheeting, which must be sealed around the edges to stop the hessian from drying
out. The hessian and polythene should be kept in place until the concrete is at least 7 days old, if
possible 14 days.
Special measures are necessary for concreting in hot weather and when there are drying winds and
low humidity. Aggregates should be kept shaded, cool mix water should be used and the time
between mixing and placing should be kept to a minimum.

4.2.2 Steel Reinforcements

Steel reinforcement for concrete shall consist of steel bars or steel wire fabric, except where
otherwise shown. Steel bars shall consist of deformed and/or mild plain round steel bars in
accordance with BS 4449 or equivalent valid standard in Rwanda.
The basic mechanical properties of the most used steel reinforcements are given in the following
table:

Designation Nominal grade Characteristic Minimum elongation

strength, N/mm2

Mild steel 250 250 22

High yield steel 460 460 12

4.2.3 Structural Timber

The durability of a timber bridge will be conditioned by climate, biological factors and design. The
most important climatic factor is moisture, since large seasonal or daily variations in the moisture
content of the timber will cause it to shrink and swell, which may lead to cracking. The two most
important biological factors are wood-destroying fungi and insects.
Hardwoods are generally more durable than softwoods, especially against termite attack. A design
life ranging from 5 years for untreated softwood to 20 years or more for hardwood heart timber
can reasonably be assumed. Treatment with chemical preservatives to protect the timber against
insect attack and fungi decay can extend this design life considerably.

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The need for treatment is determined by the type of timber, the sizes of the timber sections, and
the design life required. A few species have a high natural resistance to insect attack and decay,
and their heartwood may be used without treatment.
Durability can be enhanced by good design. When detailing, the engineer should:
 provide for drainage of the timber superstructure to prevent retention of water;
 provide for drainage of the approaches to prevent water running onto the deck;
 keep the ends of logs, beams or trusses away from soil and water;
 avoid soil and debris from the deck being trapped in pockets or against the timber
superstructure;
 space timbers and design joints to accommodate movement from shrinkage or swelling.

Requirements for Timber Bridge and maximum vehicle load: 5 Tonnes

S/No Bridge span (m) Required minimum diameter of wooden beams (cm)

1 2 21

2 3 24

3 4 27

4 5 30

5 6 33

4.2.4 Required Minimum Laboratory tests on Building Materials

The minimum required laboratory tests to be provided on building materials are specified by
material in this section.
Concrete materials
Sand
 Sieve analysis
 Sand Equivalent
 The absorption of fine aggregates
 chlorides content
 Reactive alkali content
Gravel
 Los Angeles Test
 The absorption of coarse aggregates
 chlorides content
 Reactive alkali content
 Sieve analysis

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 The flakiness index

Cement
 Setting time
 Soundness
 fineness
Concrete
Fresh concrete
 Slump test
 Compacting factor
Hardened concrete
 Compression test
Steel reinforcements
 Steel reinforcement Tensile test
 Bending test
Soil
 Sieve analysis
 Soil Waterberg limits
 CBR Test
 Shear test
 Modified Proctor test
 Density
 Moisture content
 Drilling (If required )

Environmental and Social Impact assessment (ESIA)

ESIA to be submitted to RDB should include at least the following:
 A project brief of the project should be submitted to RDB for approval
 Descriptions of the institutional and legal framework, regulations and standards should be
considered
 Analysis of all stakeholders, public, private; if a concept was drafted on how to engage the
stakeholders (consultations, interviews, etc.).
 Definition describing geographical, climatic, social, economic, etc should be provided
 Primary & secondary users as well as beneficiaries of the project should be identified
 All environmental impacts (positive & negative) and risks related to the project should be
identified
 A respective plan should be provided on how to mitigate or minimise the environmental
impacts and risks identified
 All social impacts (positive & negative) and risks related to the project should be identified
such as loss of agricultural land/crops, employment, economic growth, quality of life, etc.

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 A respective plan should be provided on how to mitigate or minimise the social impacts
and if risks are identified (especially for resettlement, expropriation, compensation)
 An ESMP draft that reflects all identified impacts and risks should be provided
Sufficient meetings and consultations should be organised during preparation of the feasibility
study and ESIA.
The ESIA should be approved by RDB and the respective certificate for the project should be issued.

5 Detailed technical Design (Final report)

Minimum Content of Final Report

The minimum content of the final detailed technical design report must provide information and
data on the following points:
 A detailed record of the traffic intensity and distribution of vehicle classes
 Description of the bridge
 The report of the detailed hydraulic study
 A geotechnical report with location, nature and quantity of usable quarries' material, the
report will also consider transport distances of materials to the project road
 The bridge detailed structural design
 Detailed description of building materials and required laboratory tests to be carried out by
the contractor
 Detailed ESIA
 Description of construction technical measures and method
 The draft framework of the unit price schedule
 All bridge drawings, the cross sections, topographic surveys to establish the necessary plans
 The detailed bill of quantities to be performed
 Note on the organization of work (time, site water supply, construction operations,
programming time, etc.)
 The report for construction safety measures
 A confidential assessment which should include details of costs.

Bridge drawings
 Site plan
 Longitudinal sections
 Transversal sections
 Subsurface data
 General arrangement drawing
 Foundation layout
 Concrete drawing
 Reinforcement detail drawing
 Parapet drawing

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 Bearing detail drawing

 Miscellaneous detail drawing
 Bending schedules.


Documents Expected for the Preparation of Tenders

Explanation: In most cases the standard bidding documents for small works of RPPA will be
required for tendering. To prepare and allow Districts to fill in this template,
the following documents are required at minimum.

The following documents are required at minimum:

 The book of particular technical clauses,
 The works evaluation method,
 A quality assurance file,
 The framework of the unit price schedule,
 The sub-detail of unit prices,
 The bill of quantities framework,
 All the drawings resulting from the detailed design studies essential for the establishing of
execution plans,
 The geotechnical soil survey report for the structure’s foundations.

Implementation Schedule and Reporting

Explanation: Reporting is an important aspect of the consultant responsibilities towards the

Employer and shall allow the employer’s officials in charge of the studies to
closely follow and comment on the progress of the study.

To do: The maximum period for carrying out the study assignment should be indicated. This period
does not include the validation times of reports by the client which will not exceed two weeks at
each stage.
The schedule will clearly show:
 The duration of completion of all preliminary design studies,
 The duration of all detailed pre-project studies,
 As well as all the validation periods for the various studies by the client.

Minimum Key staff for Bridge Design and Construction

Explanation: The team composition might change with the project. For more complex
projects, you need more experienced staff and usually more positions. The

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minimum of years of experience is therefore an orientation that might be slightly

changed

N° Description Minimum years of experience

1 Team leader Road-Engineer /Structural 10

engineer

2 Geotechnical Engineer 10

3 Structural Engineer or Bridge Engineer 10

4 Hydrologist 5

5 Environmental Expert 5

6 Senior Surveyor 5

Bridge Loading Test

Explanation: This test is conducted after the end of bridge construction before the provisional
handover. The cost must be a separate item in the confidential Bill of Quantities

This test is conducted after the end of bridge construction before the provisional handover. The
cost should be taken into account as an item of BoQ.
Bridge Testing objectives:
 To assure the client that the delivered work is able to withstand the test loads
 To check that the mechanical operation of the structure is consistent with its calculation
modelling.
Standard : EN 1991-2.
Loading operation is in three phases:

 Loading of the supports

 Balanced symmetrical loading of beams
 The asymmetrical loading of the beams

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6 Main References

Explanation: Please familiarize yourself with the content of the documents listed below to
have a better background on the requirements of bridge design

 RTDA Bridge Design Manual December 2014

 DFID Design manual for small bridges, 2000

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