BRRI

Background of the Institute

The Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI)is one of the 13 research Institutes of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Reserch (CSIR) , Ghana. The BRRI was established in 1952 as the West African Building Research Institute in Accra. With the attainment of political independence, (Nigeria in 1960 left), the Institute became known as Building Research Institute of the Ghana Academy of Sciences. In 1963 when the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) , Kumasi faced acute shortage of lecturers in architectural, engineering, planning, quantity surveying, etc., the then government of Ghana found it prudent to relocate the Institute to the KNUST campus.

This was to enable the Institute to offer its facilities and services of its research staff to support the University. In 1964 the Institute's mandate was expanded to include road research duties and hence its new name "THE BUILDING AND ROAD RESEARCH INSTITUTE, (BRRI). At the same time the BRRI was included in the KUMASI SCIENCE CITY DEVELOPMENT project under which all the then existing research Institutes in Kumasi namely, the BRRI, the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) and the Crops Research Institute (CRI) were to be relocated to the Science City Campus at Fumesua. In pursuance of this, the BRRI and for that matter, FORIG remained in temporary structures at KNUST campus, until January 1995 when the BRRI moved to its permanent offices at Fumesua.

Vision
To be a commercial-oriented research and development organisation in the construction industry.

Mission Statement of the Institute
To profitably provide Research and Development products, processes and services to the building and road sectors for the socio-economic development of Ghana.

• To undertake Research and Development of local building materials for shelter construction.
• To tailor research and development activities to national needs.
• To generate 30% of the institute's budgetary needs.
• To undertake public good research.
• To embark on profitable contract research with industries.
• To improve safety on roads in Ghana.
• To undertake research into all aspects of building and road design and construction with the view to ensuring efficiency, safety and economy.
• To develop construction materials from local source

• To undertake research into all aspects of building and road design and construction with the view to ensuring efficiency, safety and economy.
• To develop construction materials from local sources.

Research and Development Programmes
The research programmes of the Institute encompass the following:

1. Development of alternative building materials from local sources.
2. Strength and durability of building materials under Ghanaian climatic conditions.
3. Development of innovative designs to ensure cost-effectiveness in shelter construction.
4. Fast-track construction technologies.
5. Evaluation of local clay deposits for possible use in construction.
6. Technological properties of lesser-used timber species.
7. Studies on termite and fungal attack on timber structures and other building materials and their control.
8. Energy in the building industry and the built environment.
9. Development and Road construction material specifications to suit the local environment.
10. Road safety research comprising traffic surveys, accident black spot analysis, safety auditing of design buildings, and tests of road safety devices;
11. Basic data for road planning and design.
12. Modern pavement design and construction methods.
13. Construction of effective drainage structures using alternative local materials such as timber bridges.
14. Assessment and Management of Geological Hazards - Landslides and other Mass Movements, Slope Stability Analysis, Earthquake, etc.

The BRRI and the Institute of Mining and Mineral Engineering of the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, jointly constitute the International Centre for Material Science and Technology (icmst) . The Centre is a member of the Commission on Sciences and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (comsats) , which has its headquarters in Islamabad Pakistan. The aim of the Centre is to promote improved quality and increased use of indigenous materials by industry, and to attain a standard of expertise in frontier materials science that will be beneficial nationally and internationally.

Expertise
The Institute has scientists and technologists with a wealth of experience and skills to assist industry. The highly qualified work force includes foundation, civil, structural, geotechnical, ceramic, chemical, transportation and highway engineers as well as chemists, planners, architects, surveyors and information scientists.

Facilities
The Institute has a Materials Development Laboratory with test kilns, laboratory ovens and equipment for chemical and physical tests of building materials. Other facilities include pilot plant facilities for burnt brick and lime production, concrete testing facilities, and a tile press. The Geotechnical Engineering Division has laboratory equipment for soil classification tests, soil compaction, soil strength tests and rock tests. The Structures Division has miscellaneous equipment, including an Avery Compression Test machine.

Significant Achievements

• Production of pozzolana (a highly active cementitious material) from bauxite waste which is available in Ghana in great abundance. Pozzolana can replace 40% of Portland cement in sandcrete blocks and mortar for construction purposes
• Production of pedestrian and light traffic pavement bricks.
• Production of lime from limestone and clam shells for building construction and for stabilizing road base. A prototype vertical kiln has been constructed which has a capacity of 200kg hydrated lime per day. High-capacity kilns have also been designed.
• Development of labour-intensive, small and medium-scale brick factories which use hand-moulding techniques and wood-fired or oil-fired kilns. Roofing tiles have also been developed.
• Data have been assembled on the resistance of over 80 species of Ghanaian timber against attacks by termites and micro-organisms.
• Inspection, evaluation and treatment of new and existing building sites for termites infestation.
• Construction of prototype laminated timber bridge on River Subin at Kaase, Kumasi, from local timber species which are considered as not being of immediate export value. Species like Kusia, Dahoma and Afina have been identified as durable materials for bridge construction.
• Design and feasibility studies on brickmasonry arch bridges.
• Information and data on engineering, geological and geotechnical characteristics of Ghanaian soil for construction purposes.
• Preparation of a Ghana Building Code which is being extensively used in the country.
• Information is available from Axle Load Distribution studies on the main roads of the country.
• Construction of a pyrolytic converter which converts agricultural and timber waste into char, oil and gas.
• Road Safety management involving accident data collection, processing analyzing and identification of accident blackspots on the major road networks for improvement by the road agencies.
• Creation of national road traffic accident database at the CSIR-BRRI to support road safety education, campaigns, enforcement and research.
• Training of the Police and Highway/Traffic Engineers in Road Safety Applications.
• Documented accident statistics for use by the National Road Safety Commission, the police, researchers and NGOs.
• Consultancy services for major projects such as the Kumasi Roads Rehabilitation Project, the National Science and Technology Library and Informaton Centre, proposed SSNIT District Housing Scheme, and others.
• Design and supervision of the Primary Education Rehabilitation Project (PERP)
• Management Improvement Training for Artisans and Technicians on cost savings technologies.
• Management Improvement training for small-scale contractors to enhance their managerial abilities in construction.
• Improved earth construction technology to enhance service life of earth buildings.
• Development of construction price adjustment formulae for project cost fluctuations.
• Development and publication of monthly construction cost indices since 1994.
• Development of cost-saving buildings technologies eg, precast lintels, hydrofill substructure; the application of these yielded at least 20% saving in construction cost in comparison with conventional systems.
• Improved use of laterite building material; demonstration buildings have been constructed at Kokoben, Ashanti Region and Gambibigo (Upper Region).
• Contribution to university work through part-time lecturing and supervision of theses of both undergraduate and post-graduate students.
• Improved (new) laterite building material; prototype buildings is under construction at Fumesua near Ejisu (Ashanti Region).

Technologies Transferred to Industry or ready for transfer
These include Fast track, cost-saving building technologies; lime production for paint and as a road stabilizer; construction of laminated timber bridges with lesser-used species of local timber, assisting in the establishment of small and medium scale brick industries in some villages (Asokwa, Fumesua and Ankaful); production of timber building components; tile press fork making roofing tiles; production of clay-pozzolana cement blocks; and improved clamp firing method for burnt bricks and tiles.

Technical Services Offered
Services are offered in all areas of building construction and, in particular, architectural works; structural engineering; highway engineering, settlement planning and erosion control, quantity and physical surveying, geotechnical engineering. In addition, assistance is offered in:

1. Evaluation, planning, design and construction of low cost housing;
2. Evaluation of site plans and competitive design for low-cost houses;
3. Foundation engineering and structural analysis of multistorey and complex buildings;
4. Treatment of ground infested with termites;
5. Setting up of cottage brick industries;
6. Production of timber building components;
7. Timber building projects;
8. Training of brick-masons and brick-layers for the construction industry;
9. Special Courses for highway engineers on request;
10. Training on accident black spots for the police (Motor Traffic Unit), highway engineers, and planners;
11. Training in construction management for small-scale contractors.

• Materials
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Structures, Planning and Design
• Traffic and Transportation
• Construction
• Commercialisation & Information
• Administration

Some User Agencies/Clients

• 1. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.
  2. Ministry of Works and Housing.
  3. Ministry of Transport and Communications.
  4. Ghana Highway Authority.
  5. Department of Urban Roads.
  6. Tema Development Corporation.
  7. Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT)
  8. Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (Ghana Police Service)
  9. Ministry of Local Government; District Assemblies
  10. State Housing Company.
  11. Department of Rural Housing and Cottage Industries.
  12. Ghana Institution of Engineers.
  13. Ghana Institute of Surveyors.
  14. Ghana Institute of Architects.
  15. Social Investment Fund.
  16. Amalgamated Bank.
  17. JOEBank (Ghana) Limited.
  18. Ghana Private Road Transport Union of TUC.
  19. Ghana Education Service.
  20. Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.
  21. Bank for Housing and Construction.
  22. Ghana Standard Board.
  23. Architectural and Engineering Services Limited.