joto la jiwe Mbona unatumia akili kama kofia???
🙁🙁🙁 Je kuna Rift Valley China???
Chinese contractors working on the
Standard Gauge Railway Phase 2A
construction have stopped using sand harvested from Kenyan riverbanks upon adoption of a new process.
According to a report by
the Standard,
the contractor has figured out a way of making sand out of the volcanic rocks on the Rift Valley floor, instead of the common construction sand.
The manufactured product is called m-sand and it made by mincing rocks and quarry stones into the desired particles.
Officials from China Communication Construction Company (CCCC) confirmed that the sand would be used in all the civil works on the 120-kilometre line between Nairobi and Naivasha.
"We have almost eliminated river sand in our projects by switching to manufactured sand. The shift will not only address ecological issues but significantly improve project efficiency," CCCC Kenya Spokesman
Steve Zhao explained.
The official added that using m-sand will lower the overall cost while aiding project completing with less time. Costs are reduced in that, the rocks are mined near the construction sites reducing transportation costs.
Another advantage of using volcanic rocks are found all over the country in addition to containing silica, one of the key components that bonds well with cement during construction.
The consistent nature of m-sand gives it an upper hand over normal sand as it is free of silt and clay elements, and has denser particle packing.
The adoption of the new technology will have ecological benefits as riverine ecosystems will be spared from
sand mining which destroys riparian vegetation, affects the flow of water along the river, erodes the water holding capacity of the riverbed and damages ecosystems.
"Land used for quarrying rocks can be reclaimed for commercial or residential purposes or used for wetland restoration. Already, we have minded and reclaimed a few quarries around here as per our agreements with the locals," Zhao added.