ROADS

Services Offered

Investment in highway construction and rehabilitation has seen significant growth in Zambia over the last 20 years and continues to play a vital role in Zambia’s transition from a land-locked to a land-linked country.

Rankin is a leader in the application of latest technology when providing design solutions for pavement design. Through its Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD)/ Heavy Weight Deflectometer (HWD) equipment and associated software as well as other field investigation and lab testing works, Rankin is able to efficiently engineer programs of pavement reconstruction, including rehabilitation of existing roads, airport pavement design and highway management data collection and interpretation.

Using Autodesk software our Engineers can quickly produce Digital Terrain Models from field survey data from which road alignments and drainage structures can be designed and relevant CAD drawings produced. Powerful visual displays of a proposal can be demonstrated by integrating the design with satellite imagery. We have the ability to provide accurate and fast calculations of cut/fill volumes as well as optimising/balancing the earthworks to reduce the design time and cost of a Roads project. Projects can be easily shared with and remotely viewed by the wider project team using BIM.

Hydraulic modelling of all significant structures including bridges is carried out using HEC-RAS and 2-dimensional models as needed. A particular challenge of such works in Zambia is the relatively few gauging stations, and limited reliability of rating curves. Rankin’s extensive experience in the use of ungauged models to predict stream flow has proven itself over time, using HEC-HMS for larger catchments as well.

Rankin has designed the rehabilitation of more than 1,300km of asphalt highways and supervised more than 1000km of reconstruction and rehabilitation works. In addition, the firm has rehabilitated feeder roads, undertaken access improvements and has been responsible for prominent works such as the dualization of the Kitwe-Chingola road, as well as one of the most complex road projects in Zambia – the Mongu-Kalabo road. Other challenging projects carried out include the design of the new access road to the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro project, which saw 45km of new pavement through challenging escarpment terrain.

In feeder and community road sector development, Rankin’s philosophy of integration and community consultation allows it to transfer the skills of the project to the local community ensuring effective long-term care and maintenance of the road system.