Everyone knows that the road issues, the road quality in the country leaves much to be desired, and in most cases the criticism is fair. According to experts, the reason for increasing criticism from consumers is the fact that scientists in this field do not deal with this problem directly. On this occasion, we invited the president of the “Kazakhstan Road Research Institute” Arman Alibayeva for a conversation and conducted an interview.

-You mentioned that the regulatory framework has been thoroughly revised in two years. What impact can these changes bring to the industry?

-Yes, indeed, we have thoroughly discussed, reviewed and filtrated the regulatory framework. It has also changed a lot over time. If we add to a couple of areas, we will have to improve another area. Every year the industry is updated with new equipment and technology. New methods and techniques emerge. We are able to follow foreign news and utilize it effectively. A number of useful technologies have been developed by our staff.

There are standards created by the AASHTO Association in the United States. It is used in 120 countries. To use these standards in our country, we need to adapt the local material. Because the type, color and composition of local material is different. The geology is also different. In addition, the climate is changing rapidly. Especially, since our land area is large. In the western region, there is a lot of salt in the soil. This causes the bitumen to crumble and disintegrate quickly. It leads to a deterioration in the quality of the roads.

We are now conducting research on how to implement these US “AASHTO” standards in our country. We need to adapt them to the road material in each region of the country. Is the bitumen compatible with the composition of the earth or not? Is it compatible with the inert material of the earth? To comprehensively address all these issues, we have developed a special map. The map will fully show the specific features of each region. Depending on the special features, the local climate will be taken into account and the bitumen will be produced accordingly. This year we will release 3 standards according to “AASHTO”. We have presented it to the committee. If approved by the committee, it will come into action. Actually preparing standards is only one aspect of the work. Will factories, road workers, quarries and contracting companies introducing new products be able to meet these requirements? Because in order to introduce a new standard, technology must be updated and modernized to meet the requirements.

Asphalt concrete plants (ACPs) in particular need to modernize their equipment. A new technology is called “Superpave”. According to the technology, a special mixture known as polymer is added to each bitumen, depending on the climate of the region. The amount of polymer is determined based on the location and climate, as well as the composition of the material. The quality of stone and sand in each region is likely to be different. In order to use it, a geological survey is first conducted, then the analysis is checked in the laboratory, and many important works are carried out before construction even begins. In addition, each factory and company preparing road material must confirm the composition of the material according to the standard.

-How prepared are material manufacturing plants and road laying companies to work to meet these requirements?

-This year, we visited asphalt concrete plants and quarries in the country and did a full inspection of their work, according to the committee's inquiry. At the moment, there are about 400 asphalt plants. 50% of them are ready to operate in accordance with international requirements. Every year, as per the needs of the time, the equipment is updated and modernized. This is no small achievement. That is why we decided to approve 3 new standards this year. And next year we are ready to launch the first pilot project with plants ready to meet the new requirements. Unfortunately, there are plants that still work with old Soviet-era equipment. Some don't even have a laboratory. It is not only the contractor and the managing organization, but also the plants and quarries that must be fully prepared for new actions. Otherwise they will have to withdraw from this market. All of this is being done to improve the quality of roads.

-What are some other new materials or new technologies used to improve the quality of roads in the country?

-The Institute's scientists are conducting research in every direction, and they have invented a new domestic road material. It is a polymer used as an additive to bitumen. It is a 100% domestic product. We have obtained a domestic patent for the new material. The newly invented road material in every country must pass two-stage testing. This is a requirement in developed countries. First they go to the laboratory and then to field tests. Thus, monitoring is done over a period of two years.

Two-year testing cannot be done just anywhere. Each region has its own climate and biological differences. For example, if a material performs well in the cold weather in the north, where temperatures drop to 40-50 degrees, it is very likely that it will show a different result in the heat of the south, rising to 50-60 degrees. That is why we carefully study each new technology and analyze every aspect individually. Only after that we give permission for its use in a particular region. Our bitumen additive, a polymer invented by domestic scientists, is also undergoing the same tests.

-Why have these actions not been implemented over the last 20-30 years?

-Interestingly enough, until this year the national road standards were developed by RMC “KazStandard”. As of this year, “KazdorNII” started to prepare a number of national standards due to the effective work of road builders. This is due to the fact that any innovation and changes should be implemented after careful examination conducted by scientists. At the same time, one of the pressing issues is the construction of roads by contracting companies according to the standards. In some places the quality of the road is unsatisfactory due to violation of these norms.

-How is the education and training of road specialists carried out? Is the cadre of teachers, lecturers and scholars in colleges and higher education institutions satisfactory?

-This question brings a smile to our faces. In previous years, transport building did not have a separate curriculum. And in the last 15 years, no state grants have been allocated at all to Ph.D.s in the field. During these years, only 2 PhDs have graduated. They paid for their studies.

There are 8 higher educational institutions of the country that train road engineers. We visited them and familiarized ourselves with the situation and their capabilities. Then we went to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. We met with the head of the higher and post graduate education committee. We made a proposal to expand the scope of training of road specialists. “We will give 800 grants. Is there a prepared material and educational base?” - he asked. We said we have an educational program. Prior to this, no grants were properly allocated to students. Also, due to the shortage of scientists in the field, this field was almost non-existent. Until now, a bachelor's degree in transport building has been overlooked in the field of architecture. Almost everyone who studies there chooses architecture. Because they think that this opportunity is only available there. They would rather sit in an office, than work in the field or on the road.

Now the work has started on changes in education. There are 800 grants allocated to train road professionals. That's really great for the first year. At the same time, the master's program has also received attention. For the first time, a separate grant has been allocated for doctoral studies. The labors of scientists who have worked hard over the years will be continued by their students. Promotion and advertising work in this direction continues.