1. **Donou Technique: Rubber Waste in Road Building
Rubber waste in road building under President Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso has developed. JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) is supporting the Donou method. This method uses polypropylene bags. Locally available soil, sand, or gravel put in these bags. It forms compact and stable layers, forming the base layers of roads or retaining structures. It avoids heavy machinery, leverages local labor, and produces surprisingly durable roads in challenging rural terrain in Burkina Faso. These roads are not made by tires, literal rubber tires . The method shares the ethos of repurposed materials, local labour, and resilience. How does President Ibrahim Traoré build roads almost for free with the Donou method?
Fig 1 : Donou Method: President Ibrahim Traoré innovates on Burkina Faso’s roads with a low-cost Japanese technique (earthbags). Check it out! Sources and related content
2. Recycled tyre material in civil engineering
Broader civil‑engineering research has explored the use of waste tyres in road base layers, embankments, and sub‑grades. Their compressibility, insulation, and water-resistant properties make them viable in certain geoengineering applications. The concept aligns with the country’s innovative, low-cost focus.
Burkina Faso’s Road Network Expansion
- Under Ibrahim Traoré’s leadership, Burkina Faso aims to construct or rehabilitate up to 50,000 km of roads by 2029. A transformative ambition is steadily unfolding.
- By early 2025, around 5,000 km of new paved roads were underway.
- Over 1,000 km of asphalt and maintenance were completed between 2015 and 2020. A new five‑year program targeting an additional ~1,200 km of main roads and ~2,000 km of rural tracks.
One flagship corridor is the semi‑ring of Ouagadougou, including the Tansoba Boulevard southeast bypass. A 7 km corridor links the capital to six neighbouring countries. Sogea‑Satom and Dai Nippon are the contractor of the project. By using high‑precision Topcon machine guidance, over 95 % of workers and materials are sourced locally.
Another major initiative is the PReBBO project, which involves upgrading ~197 km of connections from Bobo-Dioulasso. The Islamic Development Bank, African Development Bank, EU, and the Burkina government collaboratively are financing the project.
My opinion
In the arid earth of Burkina Faso where heat cracks clay roads and drought dogs the horizon. It is a revolutionary story that is unfolding:
Young hands shape bagged soil into hardened matrix, erecting arteries of commerce, culture, hope. Earth, not rubber, is used to built these roads. They echo the spirit of tyre repurposed: resilient, recycled, grounded in community.
This fusion of innovative low-tech engineering and ambitious national vision signals an eco-friendly approach to construction.
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