The use of jigilin gravel as road material in North Nigeria

Abstract

This paper presents the rationalization of jigilin soil as pavement layer material in Northern Nigeria, where quality laterite and stone aggregates are either in short supply or unavailable. The regions are covered mostly by sandy soils, extending over the semi-arid zones of West Africa. Haulage of quality materials over long distances increases construction cost, causing delay in materials delivery and leading to greenhouse gas emissions. The potentials of a naturally occurring soil material, locally known as Jigilin, and commonly found in the region, were evaluated for suitability as pavement layers construction. The performance characteristics of the jigilin material under traffic loading was carried out, while the cost of constructing pavement layers with jigilin and lateritic soils were estimated. Results show that jigilin soil satisfies the density criterion and specifications for pavement subbase and base courses. In addition, the cost of producing a kilometer long and 7.3 m width of pavement using jigilin and lateritic materials were N56,910,000.00 and N63,042,000.00, respectively, resulting in cost saving of 9.727% when jigilin is used as the material for the pavement layers. Jigilin soil is, hence technically and financially feasible, and therefore, recommended for use as pavement layer material in Northern Nigeria. Keywords: Pavement material, Jigilin soil, Pavement layers, Traffic loading, Cost analysis