Australian best practice guides the way

One of the largest guides to road and traffic practice ever produced was launched in Australia on 1 July 2009

The preparation of the 10 guides, consisting of 96 parts, was funded by Austroads which is the association of Australian and New Zealand road transport and traffic authorities, while ARRB Group was commissioned to research and write the guides. The guides are the culmination of over five years of collaborative effort between Austroads, Australian and New Zealand road authorities (at federal, state and local government levels), industry and ARRB. More than 90 technical experts were involved in development of the guides as primary and contributing authors.
    
The guides cover issues that are at the centre of Austroads member responsibilities – the design, construction, maintenance, operation and safety of Australian and New Zealand road networks. They consist of the following subject areas: Asset management; bridge technology; pavement technology; project delivery; project evaluation; road design; road safety; road transport planning; traffic management; road tunnels.
    
The guides have been developed to update methods and processes that have been previously documented, as well as to encompass new technologies and procedures.
    
Alan Tesch, Austroads Chairman, ARRB Board member and Associate Director General of Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, said: ”The importance of these guides for the management of road authority networks cannot be overestimated. Not only is the content of the guides based on the latest research, a valuable outcome in itself, the guides represent another important step in the standardisation of common processes across road agencies. This will contribute directly to the greater efficiency and effectiveness of road agency work practices. As a result, the Australian and New Zealand motoring public will get greater value for the money spent on road infrastructure and its management.”

The guides
Guide to Asset Management – addresses asset management issues for practitioners involved in managing physical road infrastructure (e.g. community and stakeholder requirements, asset strategies, programme development and implementation, pavement and bridge performance).
    
Guide to Bridge Technology – provides guidance on technology related issues relevant to bridge ownership, design procurement, vehicle and pedestrian accessibility and bridge maintenance and management practices.
    
Guide to Pavement Technology – reviews pavement technologies and techniques, including issues relating to design, construction, maintenance, drainage, and sealed and unsealed roads.
    
Guide to Project Delivery – covers project delivery issues, including planning and control, contract management and construction management.
    
Guide to Project Evaluation – includes methodology, models and procedures, unit values and evaluation.
    
Guide to Road Design – provides guidance on safe, economical and efficient design across the range of road categories, from major roads to local roads (e.g. geometric and drainage design, roadside design, intersections and crossings, safety and barriers).
    
Guide to Road Safety – addresses road safety issues for practitioners involved in traffic engineering, road design and road safety (e.g. road safety strategy and evaluation, speed limits and speed management, local government and community road safety, rural and remote areas, road safety audit, road network crash risk assessment and management, treatment of crash locations and roadside hazard management).
    
Guide to Road Transport Planning – identifies the critical elements necessary for good transport planning and examines road transport planning processes and guidelines, existing challenges and trends. It also sets out the concepts of road route and link planning.
    
Guide to Traffic Management – covers traffic management for practitioners involved in traffic engineering, road design and road safety (e.g. traffic theory, traffic studies and analysis, network and road management, intersections, interchanges and crossings, traffic management in activity centres, local area traffic management, traffic operations, traffic control and communication devices, parking, traffic impacts of developments and road environment safety).
    
Guide to Road Tunnels – will provide guidance on the planning, design, implementation, operation and maintenance of road tunnels (including tunnels for bus ways). This Guide is due for completion in 2010.
    
Glossary of Austroads Terms – covers terms and definitions used in pavement and materials technology, bridge and tunnel technology, asset management, heavy vehicle operation, road design, road safety, traffic management, traffic engineering, and transport planning and economics.

The guides are available on the Austroads publications website. www.onlinepublications.austroads.com.au

For more information
Please go to the Austroads website www.austroads.com.au or e-mail austroads@austroads.com.au