This August edition of Austroads News has a run down on the latest Austroads reports and upcoming seminars and conferences.

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Austroads has released an updated Glossary of Terms providing an A-Z list of more than 2,500 road transport terms with definitions.

The Glossary of Terms was developed to bring consistency to the use of terms and definitions by Austroads members and other stakeholders in the road and transport industry. It also helps users of Austroads publications by providing supporting information for the terms used in the Austroads body of work.

This 2014 edition of the Glossary of Terms includes new terms and revised definitions to reflect the Austroads work undertaken from 2010-2013.

This report provides a detailed outlook for road construction and maintenance activity, and its implications for workforce capability, for road agencies in Australia and New Zealand.

The report provides an analysis of the capability of the Australian and New Zealand roads workforce to meet infrastructure development requirements over the subsequent decade in the areas of engineering skill, particularly road and bridge design, construction and maintenance, traffic management, project delivery and project management, and road safety. 

BIS Shrapnel’s modelling suggests that over the next decade, both Australia and New Zealand will generally be in positions of surplus capability.

Austroads has published an assessment of 11 new technologies that could be useful for road asset managers.

Each technology is described in terms of its concepts, physical principles, and potential use and limitations. The technologies are mapped to different asset management aspects. This mapping shows the type of data that is collected, which information is obtained and for which asset management aspect this information is used.

Additionally, conclusions are drawn on how to deploy each technology based on the potential use in asset management, market readiness, the quality of the provided data and the costs and business case considerations. In particular, LiDAR technology was assessed to have a significant potential for road asset management. Potential applications and issues have been discussed in dialogue between road agencies and LiDAR industry stakeholders. This resulted in a separate discussion paper describing best practice for mobile LiDAR survey requirements. 

Australian and New Zealand road agencies, as well as transport agencies in the United States have indicated that there is a strong desire for standardised accuracy reporting methods, data interoperability and management, control or check requirements and procedures for mobile LiDAR surveys.

This document provides examples of mobile LiDAR survey requirements from several road agencies. It addresses requirements for positioning accuracy, point density, multiple passes, control & validation points and deliverables and documentation.

The intention is to provide a useful guide in specifying mobile LiDAR procurement documents and serve as a starting point for a future Austroads guide for mobile LiDAR scanning.

Austroads Test Methods, Specifications and Work Tips are now available on the Austroads publications website. This should make it easier for practitioners to locate these technical documents and search their contents.

Asset Management Specifications
These five specifications provide the minimum equipment, calibration, validation and survey method requirements for pavement testing.

Asset Management Test Methods
These 16 documents define the procedures for a range of pavement test methods.

Pavement Work Tips
The Pavement Work Tips are produced jointly by the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA) and the Austroads Asphalt Research Reference Group. There are more than 50 Work Tips available and a PDF index of the publications can be downloaded here.

Pavement Technical Notes
These 13 technical notes provide advice related to specifying, constructing and testing pavements.

Pavement Test Methods
These 55 test methods primarily relate to bituminous materials and applications.

The Australian Bicycle Council has published Implementation Report 2013 which outlines the progress made on the National Cycling Strategy.

In this third year of the National Cycling Strategy 2011-16:

• Australian states and territories invested $112.8 million in cycling related infrastructure, education and promotion.
• Bicycles outsold cars for the 14th year running with almost 1.4 million bicycles sold.
• National cycling participation rates decreased slightly from 2011.
• Cycling is being integrated in broader transport planning and land use planning.
• 20-Minute Neighbourhoods" are being developed to increase short trips and improve liveability.
• Bicycle facilities are increasingly being designed with separation from motor vehicles.
• Street design and speed limits are being used to facilitate street purpose.
• A "Safe Systems" approach is being adopted to improve bicycle safety.

The Austroads Board met on 26 June 2014 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Meeting Communique includes:

• Review of Austroads
• 2013-14 Research Work Program
• 2014-15 Research Work Program
• Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment
• Austroads Chief Engineers’ Group
• Publications
• 2015 World Road Congress
• Cooperative ITS Study Tour
• Austroads Awards
• Austroads Chief Executive
• Future Meetings

Link: Austroads Communique

The World Road Association and Austroads are looking to recognise the best papers submitted for the 25th World Road Congress. 

The authors of the best papers will be provided with airfares, accommodation and attendance fees to the Congress in Seoul.

The Austroads package will be awarded to a young professional from an Austroads member organisation - a road agency or local council. 

Read more about it by downloading this PDF.

Abstracts are due 30 September 2014. 

New University of Sydney - Emerging Issues in Parking Policy
12 August 2014, Sydney, Australia, no charge but registration essential

AITPM National Traffic and Transport Conference
12-15 August 2014, Adelaide Australia

ARRB TIPES–Independent Technical Evaluation of Innovative Road Construction Products
14 August 2014, Online Webinar, no charge but registrations essential

Laboratory Services and Current Research being Investigated at ARRB
26 August 2014, Online Webinar, no charge but registrations essential

2014 Transport and Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum
9-11 September 2014, Brisbane, Australia

Trafinz Transport Connections for Liveable Cities
14-17 September 2014, Auckland, New Zealand

26th ARRB Conference 
19-22 October 2014, Sydney Australia

Austroads Bridge Conference 
22-24 October 2014, Sydney, Australia

NEW Walk 21
21-23 October 2014, Sydney, Australia

10th International Conference on Transport Survey Methods
16-21 November 2014, Leura, Australia

Engineers Australia Convention 2014
24-28 November 2014, Melbourne, Australia 

5th International Symposium on Highway Geometric Design
22-24 June 2015, Vancouver, Canada

 XXVth World Road Congress Call for papers
2-6 November 2015, Seoul, Korea