The Impacts of Poor Drainage on Road Performance in Khartoum

Author : Magdi M. E. Zumrawi, (Sudan)

Abstract                                                                           

This paper aims to study the various impacts of inadequate drainage on road pavement condition. Poor drainage causes early pavement distresses lead to driving problems and structural failures of road. To prevent or minimize premature pavement failures and to enhance the road performance, it is imperative to provide adequate drainage. As case study, two major roads in Khartoum state were selected for field survey of the existing condition of the provided drainage system and its subsequent impacts on pavement performance. As a result of this investigation, it was found that most roads in Khartoum state suffered from poor drainage which causes severe distresses and damages of pavement. Based on the previous experiences of design and construction of proper drainage, design guidelines are suggested to assist the highway engineers in designing proper drainage and will be helpful in increasing the service life of pavement. General conclusions are drawn with regard to design pavement integrated with efficient drainage.

Keywords: Impacts; road performance; poor drainage; premature failures; design guidelines.