STUDY AND COORDINATION OF DEFLECTION MEASUREMENTS IN WESTERN AFRICA

THE USE OF DEFLECTION MEASUREMENTS FOR THE NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING OF PAVEMENTS HAS BECOME MORE GENERAL IN AFRICA OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. IN THE SENEGAL SINCE 1964, FOUR SERIES OF MEASUREMENTS WERE CONDUCTED WITH A VIEW TO SOLVING STRENGTHENING PROBLEMS ALONG THE ROAD NETWORK. DEFLECTION MEASUREMENTS ARE ALSO USED ON CONSTRUCTED ROADS OR ROADS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND ON RAILWAY SLEEPERS TO STUDY STRESS DISTRIBUTION AND TO DETERMINE THE THICKNESS OF THE BALLAST. THE EQUIPMENT GENERALLY USED IN AFRICA ARE PLATES, THE OPTIC DEFLECTOMETER AND THE BENKELMAN BEAM TOGETHER WITH THE HIGH-OUTPUT LACROIX DEFLECTOGRAPH AND CEBTP CURVEMETER. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST AND PERFORMANCE OF ROADS, OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ROAD NETWORK OF EACH COUNTRY AND OF THE AFRICAN POLICY OF INCREASINGLY BUILDING INTERNATIONAL ROADS, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE FOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES TO HAVE A COMMON AGREEMENT REGARDING THE PURCHASE OF THESE TYPES OF EQUIPMENT SO AS TO REACH A COORDINATION POLICY AS REGARDS DEFLECTION MEASUREMENTS. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE, SEE IRRD ABSTRACT NO 104729.