Educate. Innovate. Inspire.

Bridges to Prosperity
Volume 1: Community Development

2nd Edition
2011
Innovate. Educate. Inspire
Dedication
Bridges to Prosperity Bridge Manual

This manual is dedicated to the following organization who made this possible:

• Flatiron Construction Company

• The Rotary Foundation
• McNary Bergeron & Associates
• Parsons Brinckerhoff
• Scott Cook & Signe Ostby
• Bancker Williams Foundation
• Debley Foundation
• Sweetgrass Foundation
• Roger and Ruth MacFarlane Foundation

Volume 1: Community Development

Foreword
Bridges to Prosperity Bridge Manual

Dear User:

The creation of this manual has been over 32 years in the making. In 1977 Engineer Robert Groeli made
an official trip to the Baglung District in Nepal to view the incredible chain suspended bridges being built
by the locals there. His report that followed launched a program operated by the Nepalese Government
and supported by Helvetas of Zurich, Switzerland to enhance and replicate this amazing technology
elsewhere in Nepal. By the late 1990’s, the BBLL (Building Bridges at the Local Level) had become one of
the most successful development infrastructure programs in the world. Their early success was followed
by publishing the “Suspended Short Span Trail Bridge Standard Technical Handbook and Drawings” in
2002 which was followed by the completion of 2,500 bridge in Nepal by 2008.

The publishing of this manual coincided with Helvetas agreeing to train our first in-country managers in
2003: Zoe Pacciani and Chris Rollins. As we expanded the Helvetas community footbridge program into
Africa and Latin American, it became apparent that the original Helvetas drawings needed to be placed
into AutoCAD, and the manuals converted into a visual format. These changes are effective not only for
ease of training, but also to allow the manuals and drawings to be easily adapted to each new country,
allowing for changes in topography, available resources, and culture. Like Helvetas found, one cannot
publish a manual like this overnight. Even with the generous jumpstart training received from Helvetas
Nepal, it took us 8 years to gain the experience necessary to do so. As any textbook, these manuals will
always be a work in progress, leading to annual review and revision.

The volunteer, donors, and sponsors that made this all possible are too many to name. But, I would like
to specifically thank Helvatas for use of their sketches, Parsons Brinckerhoff for converting the Claris
Draw documents into AutoCAD, and the volunteers on the Bridges to Prosperity Technical Advisory
Board who made this possible.

In the same spirit that allowed Helvats to freely distribute their manuals, we hereby do the same. This
manual is a gift and can be freely copied and distributed. We would ask that any changes made to the
manual are shared with Bridges to Prosperity, so that we can make updates, and share such changes with
all.

Lets build some bridges!

Kenneth R. Frantz
Founder, Bridges to Prosperity, Inc.
5007 C-126 Victory Blvd.
Yorktown, VA 23693
www.bridgestoprosperity.org
Introduction

Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) aimed at assisting communities

with the design and implementation of pedestrian footbridge projects. The primary objective of the
footbridge program is to create institutional memory of the technology such that the greatest number
of communities may benefit from future bridge projects. As such, Bridges to Prosperity works with
local organizations and governmental agencies, but relies on community participation for each bridge.
If the community in which you live or work is interested in a pedestrian bridge, community participation
will be required. Volume 1 will describe the roles, responsibilities, and commitment required for a
successful bridge project. Volume 2 should be used to evaluate the social and technical feasibility of
a project and provide guidance in identifying key design componets for your project. Volume 3 is a
design and construction guide for cable-suspended bridges and Volume 4 is a design and construction
guide for cable-suspension bridges.

Volume 1: Community Development

 Volume 1: Community Development
Table of Contents

Section 1: Community Participation

1.1 Your Bridge, Your Future
1.2 Community Participation

Section 2: Roles and Responsibilities

2.1 Bridge Committee
2.2 The Local Government
2.3 Partners and Organizations

Section 3: Measuring Impact

3.1 Introduction
3.2 Anticipated Traffic
3.3 Improvement to Livlihood
3.4 Sample Bridge Impact

Section 4: Sample Proposal and Agreement

4.1 Proposal Guidelines
4.2 Sample Proposal and Agreement

Volume 1: Community Development

Section 1:
Community Participation

1.1 Your Bridge, Your Future

The community is the key element in rural infrastructure. The community must express the need and
communicate that need to their local government and from there the project can slowly become a
reality. For any rural infrastructure project the community must take ownership. It is the community that
uses the bridge, plays on it, and watches it age and is responsible for making repairs when necessary.
Thus, community participation in the construction is an essential element to project completion.

Whether you are building a bridge as a contractor for a community or in cooperation with that
community, their involvement is essential. The project can proceed smoothly with them; the project
can face many obstacles without. But when the project is completed, the bridge is theirs to use. If
they are involved in the process they are better equipped not only with motivation but also with the
knowledge to maintain the bridge that their efforts have helped to become a reality.

Working together we can build not only a bridge but a future.

2.2 Community Participation

Community participation starts with the formation of a Bridge Committee (BC) comprised of 5 or more
community members. The bridge committee assists with communication between the community and
the partners. A detailed description of the Bridge Committee is outlined under Chapter 3.1.
It is generally accepted that the community needs to participate in the form of unskilled labor.

Unskilled labor includes:

aTransporting materials from the road head to the bridge site
aCollecting locally available materials including sand, gravel, stones and wood
aSite clearing and excavation
aLoading and unloading materials that are delivered

Volume 1: Community Development 6

Section 2:
Roles and Responsibilities

2.1 Bridge Committee

A Bridge Committee (BC) is a gender equal group of

persons appointed to attend and represent the affairs of
the beneficiary community. The committee, chosen by the
community and acting on their behalf, must accept and
assume responsibility for all activities and commitments
made by the community at large in regards to the
project, seeing it to its completion. Committee members
are expected to attend all meetings with partners to voice
interests and share in decision making. Thus the BC must
work together and function as a body and acknowledge
their duties as representatives of their community.

The BC should not make decisions on behalf of their community without the endorsement of the community
to whatever the commitment may be. Therefore, should the BC be requested to provide payment for
masons or the collection of additional materials, the BC has a responsibility to consult the community
before agreeing to these or any commitments which affect the community at large.

Once bridge construction is completed the Bridge Committee is given a simple Maintenance Manual
to ensure the upkeep and standard of safety of the bridge are withheld for the duration of the bridge
lifespan. A more complete maintenance checklist should be left with the local municipality engineering
office.

2.2 The Local Government

Depending on the country, region, and municipalty, the local government may play a significant role.
Their support can provide substantial assistance, as often within the local administration there are
existing sub-committees dedicated to the execution of such projects. Your local administration
should be involved, assuming their roles and responsibility hand-in-hand with the BC. It is the BC’s right
to demand their participation and support. Partnerships and goal-orientated projects are beneficial
to all parties and make a step forward towards good governance. For the overall success of the project,
the local municipality or province, and state/federal ministries should participate at some level.

2.3 Partners and Organizations

Good partnerships can contribute to the success of a project through financial assistance and community
mobilization and technical advice. Partners have the ability to maintain institutional memory of the
technology and once trained on a bridge may help other communities with bridge construction in the
future. Partners can include non-goverment organizations, corporations, universities, etc.

Volume 1: Community Development 7

Section 3:
Measuring Impact

3.1 Introduction

When a community is considering an infastructure project, specifically a pedestrian bridge, the

overall benefit and cost need to be considered. How many people will be impacted by the bridge?
The number of communities and the number of individual families that will be served by the project
should be determined. What are the benefits of building a bridge? The location of nearby markets,
schools, healthcare facilities, and larger towns or cities should all be determined. All of these factors,
including community support, help to determine and measure the impact of the bridge project.

3.2 Anticipated Traffic

One of the most important factors in measuring the imapct of a bridge is determining how many
people, or how much traffic, the bridge will facilitate. Determine how many families are located
on each side of the bridge and what the reasons for crossing are. How often do families need
to cross? What types of facilities are on each side? Are there other crossing points up or down
stream that are not availble durring rainy or high water seasons? If so, will bridge traffic increase
during rainy season or when other crossing are not availble? The more people a single bridge can
positively effect, the more likely a project is to happen. The bridge committee should help facilitate
preliminary bridge traffic data collection and
include this information in the project proposal.

3.3 Improvement to Livlihood

Another important factor in measuring impact of

a bridge project is determing if and how peoples
lives will be improved. Determine the current
method for crossing. Whats the distance from
communities? Is it safe? Is it accesable all year?
Also, what will be availble once the bridge is in place that wasnt availble before? Schools, healthcare
facilities, markets, other towns or cities, possible jobs. Will the bridge bring more traffic into
the surrounding communities? If so, will there be trade or economic benefits from the increased
traffic? All of these examples can improve the livlihood of people surrounding the project, thereby
increasing the likelyhood of a project being completed. The bridge committee should help gather
preliminary community livlihood improvement data and include this information in the project
proposal.

Volume 1: Community Development 8

3.4 Sample Bridge Impact

The following is an impact study done after completion of the

Sebara Dildiy project in Ethiopia. The information provided
serves as an example for how to measure the impact of a
bridge.

Sebara Dildiy, Ethiopia

“Increase in Access
• School attendance & enrollment increases 12%
• Visits to health care facilities increases 18%
• Increase in traffic 100-500%
Increase in Commerce
• Number of retail businesses increases 15%
• Employment for women increases 24%
• Increases per capita income 10-20% in 2 years
• Trade increases by up to a factor of 10
• Specialized farming increases 8-16%
• Annual return on investment on a bridge is
between 25 and 300%”
“Two years after the repair of the Se-
bara Dildiy bridge in Ethiopia, we found
that the community, particularly in
Gonder, had increased sale of their prod-
ucts by three times. Now they are able to
sell their grain across the river in Gojjam
for more than they previously could in
Gonder and with the profits buy coffee to
sell in Gonder.”

The ability to measure the impact a bridge will have serves two purposes. Before a project, it helps
to secure required resources and funding by proving there is indeed a need for a project in your area.
After a project is complete, the positive impact its has had on your community will help to legitimize
the program and secure resources for future similiar projects all over the world.

Volume 1: Community Development 9

Section 4:
Sample Proposal and Agreement
4.1 Proposal Guidelines

A project proposal is recommended to improve the likelihood that your community’s site is
considered by Bridges to Prosperity and also will assist with securing funding for the project. The
following outlines the suggested content, followed by an example proposal.
• Photograph: Introduce the project with a photograph that shows clearly the issue described
in the proposal. Visual aids are vital to recieve donor funding.
• Introduction: This should include the main obstacles faced by the community.
• Who you are: It is important for the donor to understand a little about the applicant.
Inform the donor of the projects you have succesfully completed in the past; with whom
you have worked (NGOs, government departments, i.e Transport Department), and the
positive outcome of the completed projects.
• Describe your project: What purpose will a pedestrian bridge serve for your community.
Include why your idea is economically feasible.
• The area and the people: Describe the area in which the project is planned. Detailing
the beneficiary population and the projected number of direct users is important. Also
document the indirect beneficiary population including anyone that may benefit from the
increased traffic from the bridge. Also describe the economical benefit including types
of increased income generation from the project and or improved access to health care
facilities, markets and educational opportunities.
• Community participation: Describe why the project is so vital to the beneficiary
community and detail that they are willing to give time and/or money to see the project to
completion. A statement that the community has already raised enough money to cover
all skilled and unskilled labor and is willing to acquire all the locally available materials will
drastically improve the projects chances of being funded. Donors need to know that this is
a project for the community, and that the community is willing to contribute towards the
effort.
• Specific Request: Detail exactly what is needed and emphasize that relative to their
investment, the overall cost is far greater than the requested support. Donors like to know
that a large amount is going to be gained for their relatively low investment. Make it clear
that the project is financially viable because over the next ten years 10,000 students may
be able to reach higher education, etc.
The bottom line: “We need an investment of only [$8,000] to complete the financial support
required for the bridge project,” and “This bridge will change the lives of [10,000] people.”
• Budget: Include a detailed budget of anticipated costs. Following the completion of the
project, submit a report of actual expenses including receipts. This will give the donor
confidence in investing in you in the future. The following page includes an example budget
for the 60m suspended bridge. Please verify with B2P representative what a realistic budget
may be for your community’s bridge.
Remember, these are just suggestions. Please adapt these guidelines to fit your style and needs.
4.2 Sample Proposal and Agreement

Suspended Pedestrian Trail Bridge

Project Proposal
Naupachaca, Cahuac District, Yarowilca, Huanuco

[Picture w/ people]

Introduction
Bridges increase access for those isolated from markets, schools, health facilities, and local administrative
and relief services. With the addition of pedestrian trail bridges in rural infrastructure, poverty can be
reduced, education and health levels improved. Approximately 30% of Peru’s population lives away
from vehicle roads, traveling by foot on narrow trails, which often cross rivers - small and large.
The geographic region between the Andes mountains and the Amazon rainforest are the most
inaccessible regions in the country. Combined with the low population density and the inherent
difficulties of building infrastructure in such terrain, there are immense challenges to infrastructure
development. More than five villages were affected by the loss of a bridge to high floods more than
five years ago. Through the Alcalde of Cahuac, those people have requested a bridge so that difficult
travel is no longer a challenge to development.
Bridges to Prosperity (Implementing Agency)
Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) is a non-profit organization based in the USA with operations in Africa,
South and Central America and Asia. B2P began in 2002 with two staff members being trained with
Helvetas Nepal in the pedestrian trail bridge program. B2P brought the technology to Ethiopia with
the objective to transfer the suspended bridge technology to Ethiopia. From 2003 to 2005, B2P, in
cooperation with beneficiary communities, local government, and partner organizations, built 8
suspended bridges totaling 450m of bridge in just 20 months.
B2P’s primary focus is in the transfer of technology. Bridges to Prosperity is an implementing
organization. Once a bridge site has been selected for construction, B2P provides: site assessment
and survey; social organizational support (community mobilization); a professionally engineered bridge
design; and construction management and practical training throughout bridge construction.
Bridges to Prosperity’s community based bridge building program requires a minimum contribution
from the beneficiary communities of local materials (sand, gravel, and stone) and labor. Bridge sites are
selected according to community participation and need. A bridge sponsor is required for the purchase
of cable, cement, decking and logistical assistance. B2P believes in strengthening the local government
in their commitment to the community and assisting in allocating donors, but B2P does not provide
direct funding.
The suspended pedestrian bridge is a low-cost alternative to the pedestrian bridges currently being
constructed in Peru. In order to transfer technology several steps must be taken: educational training
sessions and short-span demonstration bridge training followed by full bridge construction training
sites. Once an engineer or other trainee has completed the initial training course, they are invited
to participate in full-construction training. With trainees that complete both phases of training, B2P
will consider them or their organization for partnership bridges. These partnership bridges are led by
the trainee with support by B2P staff. If the secondary bridge is successful and the trainee or trained
organization is interested in further partnerships, B2P will consider further support for further bridges.
The Bridge
After thirty years building bridges in Nepal, Helvetas has fine-tuned its suspended bridge design so that
it is now internationally recognized. The suspended bridge is ideal for rural areas: Construction does
not require heavy machinery, but can be completed entirely by human effort. It is cost-effective at
around $200/m for all related costs and the structure requires very little maintenance, with a lifespan
of 30 years.
Naupachaca, Cahuac, Peru
The Marañon river separates five towns, with the municipal centre at Cahuac, from the provincial
capital of Chavinillo. The loss of the bridge more than five years ago means that the walking time for
villagers to clinic, school, market, etc., has more than tripled for some, at least doubled for many,
meaning at least a two-hour walk, when once it was only half an hour.
Huanuco is considered by the United Nations Development Program
survey as one of the poorest areas in the country. The majority of
the beneficiaries at Naupachaca are living at or below the level of
poverty, and the number of surrounding beneficiaries is estimated as
high as 10,000, with 5,000 being direct beneficiaries.
A bridge survey has been completed by a local contracting company
at the expense of the District of Cahuac. This survey was conducted
with the traditional suspension bridge in mind and has estimated a
budget of over 205,000 soles ($62,121 or $2824/m) for a 22 m bridge.
Bridges to Prosperity suggest raising the bridge foundations so that
a new bridge is not washed away. This would mean a bridge 50m to
60m in length. But at a cost as low as $350/m even the maximum of
60,000 soles ($18,180) may be an achievable target.

The District of Cahuac has an engineer willing to manage the project

under Bridges to Prosperity supervision with the intention that he may
be able to replicate the technology in the future for other locations requiring a low-cost solution, thus
leading towards the goal of sustainability. The Alcalde of Cahuac (also the treasurer of the Association
of Municipalities of Peru) feels confident that he can pull together a further 20% in cash from the
beneficiary villages. The Rotary Club of Lince is willing to assist with supervision and logistical support.
All we need now is the remaining 60% in cash to realize a very important project for the people of
Cahuac and surrounding.

With only $10,000, a pedestrian bridge for safe crossing over the Marañon can become a reality.

Please contact:
Avery Bang
Bridges to Prosperity
Example Budget
Suspended Bridge
Central America Pricing

Item Unit Required Price Totals

Cable and clamps
Cable 26mm m 391.04 9.00 3519.36
Clamps 26mm piece 64.00 3.50 224.00
Estimated Sub-total for Cable $3,743.36
Construction Materials
Cement bags of 40kg 200.00 9.00 1800.00
Concrete Blocks = 40 x 20 x 15 (cm) unit 180.00 0.50 90.00
Rebar 10mm (3/8") (9m) 6.00 5.50 33.00
Rebar 16mm (5/8") (9m) 11.00 10.72 117.92
Rebar 20mm (3/4") (9m) 4.00 15.00 60.00

Handrail saddles unit 4.00 25.00 100.00

Walkway saddles - 2 cable unit 4.00 25.00 100.00
Tying wire kg 10.00 1.00 10.00
Plastic suction tube 3" mts 20.00 1.00 20.00
Roofing Tar gal 8.00 20.00 160.00
Estimated Sub-total for Construction Materials $2,490.92
Deck
Wood crossbeams - (10cm x 20cm) x 140cm piece 62.00 7.00 434.00
Wood platform - (5cm x 20cm) x 200cm piece 155.00 4.00 620.00
Screw - 8mm x 10cm(nailing panel to crossbeam) unit 62.00 1.00 62.00
Deck Screws - 4" x 6/deck unit 180.00 1.00 180.00
Smooth iron bar 10mm (3/8") (suspenders) (9m) 32.00 7.00 224.00
Anti-rust paint (suspenders) 0.5gal 0.50 10.00 5.00
Safety fencing = 1.5m in height mts 76.00 4.00 304.00
Tying wire kg 20.00 1.00 20.00
Estimated Sub-total for Decking $1,849.00
Local Materials (if not donated)
Sand m³ 40.00 20.00 800.00
Gravel m³ 10.00 40.00 400.00
River rock m³ 80.00 12.00 960.00
Dressed Stone m³ 40.00 20.00 800.00
Estimated Sub-total for Local Materials $2,960.00
Transportation
Transportation of materials per trip 2.00 100.00 200.00
Estimated Sub-total for Transport $200.00
Labor and Technical Support
Mason daily 180.00 10.00 1800.00
Estimated Sub-total for Labor $1,800.00
Total $13,043.28
Contingency 10% $1,304.33
Total with 10% Contingency $14,347.61