The Implication of Weather on Road Construction in Nigeria

Abstract

Weather affects all aspects of human endeavour both directly and indirectly. To a greater extent, weather dictates what man does in a place at a particular time, especially in the developing countries including Nigeria where modern technology is still poorly developed. The aim of this paper was to examine the different stages of road construction and the effect of rainfall and dryness on it so as to suggest when best to carry out each stage. For the purpose of this study, Nigeria was divided into three (3) based on vegetation and rainfall. Primary data which included stages of road construction, road construction / implementation and weather as well as the percentage (%) of road construction achievable during the seasons in Nigeria were used. Tables were used to present data, while percentage was used to analyze table 3. In table 3, the total percentage (%) of each stage gives the total %, while the total % was divided by the number of tasks in the table (that is, 6) to obtain the average percentage. Discussion of the results was closely followed with suggestion on when best to carry out each stage in order to minimize hazard, labour and cost. It was suggested that the dry season is the best for road construction in Nigeria.