Learning from Dhaka Bypass: LGED eyes wider use of Chinese road technology

A delegation of senior officials from the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) visited the Dhaka Bypass Expressway project on Sunday to examine Chinese road construction technologies, quality-control systems and sustainable construction materials, with a view to exploring their wider application in Bangladesh’s infrastructure development.

The visit focused on understanding how modern construction techniques, particularly semi-rigid pavement technology and polymer-modified bitumen (PMB), could be adapted for use in other road projects undertaken by LGED.

Discussions also centred on reducing dependence on imported construction materials, developing local testing facilities and strengthening technical cooperation between Bangladeshi engineers and the Chinese project partners.

The delegation visited the project site at K-46+300 near the Modanpur-Araihazar road, where officials observed construction activities and received demonstrations of cement-stabilised base construction, pavement laying, compaction, curing and quality-control arrangements.

They also examined asphalt production and paving operations, including the storage, mixing, temperature control and application of polymer-modified bitumen.
The team subsequently visited the asphalt plant, concrete plant and cement-stabilised material mixing plant at K-30 before inspecting the project’s central command and monitoring centre at K-27 to learn about its operational and monitoring arrangements.

The field visits were followed by a series of technical presentations at the joint venture office of Sichuan Road and Bridge Group (SRBG), Shamim Enterprise Limited (SEL) and UDC Construction Limited in Dorjibari, Kaliganj, Gazipur.

The presentations covered the overall progress of the 48-kilometre expressway, its pavement structure, construction planning, quality assurance mechanisms and the application of modern Chinese engineering technologies.

Explaining the rationale behind the visit, Md Wahiduzzaman, Additional Chief Engineer (Road and Bridge Maintenance) at LGED, said the technologies being introduced through the project could offer an alternative to conventional road construction practices in Bangladesh.

“The new Chinese technologies, particularly in road construction, will create a different construction environment compared with the traditional technologies we have been using in our country,” he said.

He highlighted the economic potential of replacing imported stone chips with locally available construction materials, saying that wider adoption of such techniques could reduce import dependence and bring long-term benefits to the national economy.

Wahiduzzaman also pointed to the potential benefits of polymer-modified bitumen, noting that although its initial cost was relatively higher, it could prove more economical over the entire construction and maintenance lifecycle.

He said the material was also environmentally friendly and could improve the long-term performance of roads under Bangladesh’s climatic conditions and heavy traffic loads.
Referring to the government’s decision to discontinue the use of brick chips in construction, he said Bangladesh was increasingly moving towards stone chips as an alternative. However, the use of specially processed materials made from local sand, as demonstrated during the visit, could create another opportunity to reduce reliance on imported aggregates.

“The main objective of today’s visit was to understand the technologies being used here and examine how they could be applied within our department,” he said.
He added that LGED wanted to explore ways of connecting its engineers with the institutions involved in the project and the Chinese technological expertise behind it.
Wahiduzzaman also encouraged young Bangladeshi engineers to learn from China’s advances in engineering and technological innovation.

“China has progressed considerably in technology and is developing new patents. Our young engineers should learn from them. If they have opportunities to pursue higher education or postgraduate studies in China and bring those technologies back home, it will be very beneficial for our economy,” he said.
During the technical sessions, project Head Assistant Ou Guanglian explained the rationale behind adopting semi-rigid pavement technology, drawing comparisons between the climatic conditions of Bangladesh, Guangzhou in China and Miami in the United States.

He said the similarities in geographical and climatic conditions had been considered when selecting the pavement technology for the Dhaka Bypass Expressway.
“Taking these factors into consideration, we have adopted modern semi-rigid pavement technology for the Dhaka Bypass Expressway. This technology is suitable for Bangladesh’s weather and environmental conditions,” he said.

The presentation outlined the pavement’s structural composition, the use of cement-stabilised materials and the engineering considerations involved in designing roads capable of withstanding heavy vehicle movements.

Project Quality Control Manager Md Abul Bashar explained the application of PG 76-10 grade polymer-modified bitumen, highlighting its suitability for Bangladesh’s temperature, humidity, weather conditions and heavy traffic pressure.

“Considering Bangladesh’s weather, temperature, humidity and heavy vehicle loads, we are using polymer-modified bitumen in the project. Compared with conventional bitumen, it will help increase the durability and performance of roads,” he said.

The technical discussions also addressed the characteristics of construction materials, their storage and handling, laboratory testing procedures, construction methods and mechanisms for maintaining quality standards.

A major focus of the discussions was the possibility of reducing dependence on imported stone chips through the use of cement-stabilised materials and locally available sand.
The project representatives explained that the technology could make greater use of local resources while reducing the environmental damage associated with conventional brick production.
They noted that traditional brick kilns consume topsoil and coal, while the crushing of burnt bricks to produce construction aggregates adds to environmental pressure.
The use of specially processed local sand and alternative aggregates could help address these concerns.

The project team also highlighted the use of recycled rubber powder obtained from discarded vehicle tyres in modified asphalt, turning waste materials into useful construction inputs.
Another important aspect was the potential for recycling existing road surfaces. Through reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) technology, old asphalt layers can be milled, processed and reused in new pavement layers, reducing the need for fresh construction materials.

Project representatives said the technology could allow up to 100 per cent recycling of recovered pavement materials after appropriate processing.
They also explained that pavement thickness and structural design could be customised according to the traffic load and heavy-vehicle requirements of individual road sections, rather than applying a uniform design to all roads.

Wahiduzzaman said such technologies deserved further consideration by LGED, particularly as the department looked for alternatives to imported construction materials and more sustainable approaches to road development.

The development of domestic testing facilities emerged as another important area of potential cooperation during the technical exchange.
Tao Changhe, Chief Engineer of the project, said Bangladesh faced limitations in specialised testing equipment and facilities, forcing construction companies to send certain samples abroad, including to Dubai and India, for performance assessments.

He proposed working with LGED and other relevant institutions to establish a national laboratory capable of testing raw construction materials, bridge components and pavement performance.
The proposed facility could serve as a central testing hub for establishing and assessing national technical standards.

Project representatives said some specialised tests involving modified bitumen, water resistance and road-marking durability could not currently be conducted locally to the required standard.
They cited dynamic bending resistance tests for modified bitumen and performance tests for road markings as examples of assessments that had previously required overseas facilities.
The project team expressed hope that these tests could be conducted in Bangladesh in the near future through improved laboratory facilities and technical cooperation.

Changhe said the company had already established communication with the relevant institutions and expressed its willingness to work with LGED towards setting up a laboratory in Bangladesh.
He also said that introducing improved construction technologies could reduce maintenance costs and simplify maintenance procedures.

The discussions also covered the long-term maintenance arrangements for the expressway under its public-private partnership (PPP) framework.
Project representatives said the company would operate the Dhaka Bypass Expressway under a 25-year concession and would conduct annual routine inspections alongside comprehensive road-performance assessments every five years.

According to the project team, such systematic inspections would help ensure that road performance was assessed and maintenance was carried out before serious deterioration occurred.
The representatives also said they were gradually introducing established Chinese technical standards while communicating with LGED to develop modified specifications suitable for local engineers and Bangladesh’s road construction requirements.

The project team said construction methods and pavement designs could be adapted to accommodate the different load-bearing requirements of LGED roads.
The discussions pointed to several possible areas of collaboration, including technical training, knowledge exchange, the development of local testing capacity, the adaptation of construction specifications and the wider application of sustainable road-building materials.

Stretching approximately 48 kilometres from Bhogra Bypass in Gazipur to Madanpur in Narayanganj, the expressway is intended to provide an alternative route around Dhaka for traffic moving between different parts of the country.