A Life Cycle Cost Comparison of Flexible Versus Rigidpavements in Nigeria: Case Study of Papalanto - Sagamu Road

The condition of roads in Nigeria, most of which are made from asphalt, is generally considered unsatisfactory. This has led to calls for a blanket switch from asphalt pavements to concrete pavements for new road construction. This study examines the characteristics and relative advantages of the two pavement types; and carried out the design and life cycle cost comparison of a case study road with heavy traffic and poor subgrade conditions. The results indicate that, the initial cost of construction is actually less for the concrete pavement by 12% when compared with the asphalt alternative, while the life cycle cost analysis further yielded an advantage of 36% for the concrete pavement. The paper therefore recommends that major roads, particularly those on the national and international transit corridor, being of heavy traffic, should be reconstructed as the need arises, as concrete pavements. The paper however further recommends that, axle load control should be enforced through the introduction of weigh bridges and that routine maintenance should mandatorily be carried out, as even the best constructed concrete pavements have failed due to lack of routine maintenance like clearing the road verges of weed and road sand and desilting of drainage structures