Welcome to our monthly Austroads RoadWatch: Roundup for July
RoadWatch: Roundup
July 2024
Welcome to our monthly Austroads RoadWatch: Roundup for July. Discover our latest news, published reports, Guide updates, webinars and events.
Austroads Publishes Interactive Map of Updated Pavement Temperature Data
Austroads has published an interactive map of the latest Weighted Mean Annual Pavement Temperature (WMAPT) data for Australia and New Zealand. This resource is designed to aid the design of asphalt pavements, reflecting the most recent changes in local temperatures due to climate change.
The performance of asphalt pavements, including aspects such as stiffness, rutting resistance, and fatigue life, is dependent on temperature. An accurate understanding of the temperatures that asphalt materials are subjected to in the field is essential for effective pavement design. Austroads’ Guide to Pavement Technology Part 2: Pavement Structural Design uses WMAPT data to estimate asphalt moduli at in-service temperatures, a factor in ensuring the durability and effectiveness of pavement structures.
“The integration of updated WMAPT data is a crucial step in adapting our pavement design practices to the realities of a changing climate. The map not only provides a comprehensive visual representation of current pavement temperatures but also underscores our commitment to incorporating climate change considerations into our infrastructure planning,” said Austroads Environment and Sustainability Program Manager, Joanne Vanselow.
Looking ahead, Austroads is launching a new project aimed at estimating long-term projections of WMAPT. Once completed, these projections will be incorporated into the interactive map, providing an even more robust tool for future-proofing pavement design against the impacts of climate change.
“By anticipating future temperature trends, we can better prepare our infrastructure for the conditions it will face in the years to come,” Joanne Vanselow added. “This forward-thinking approach is essential for the sustainability and resilience of our transport networks.”
The updated WMAPT map is now available on the Austroads website, offering a valuable resource for industry professionals engaged in the planning, design, and maintenance of asphalt pavements.
Austroads Guide to Road Safety receives two major new updates
Austroads has published two major and three minor updates to the Guide to Road Safety (AGRS). Major revisions have been published of Guide to Road Safety Part 2: Safe Roads and Part 7: Road Safety Strategy and Management. Minor updates have been made to Parts 3, 4 and 5.
“The Austroads Guide to Road Safety is an important resource for road safety practitioners across Australia and New Zealand,” said Michael Nieuwesteeg Austroads Road Safety & Design Program Manager. “The Road Safety Task Force identifies projects each year to help ensure the content of the Guide is up-to-date and incorporates the latest findings and knowledge."
“The Guide provides road safety practitioners with the knowledge and techniques to enable the application of Safe System principles.”
Michael noted that these new changes make the guide more accessible and relevant to a broader audience. "It's not only road safety practitioners," he said. "Decision-makers, planners, elected officials and other stakeholders will find benefit in the updated Guides."
A short report accompanies these two major updates. The report offers succinct and in-depth details about the changes to the guide. It also details where the changes have been made and how they differ from the previous edition.
ABC25 Call for Abstracts closes 2 August 2024
Calling all bridge practitioners, material scientists and structural engineers! Don't miss the chance to submit a paper or poster abstract for the 2025 Austroads Bridge Conference! The call for abstracts closes on 2 August 2024.
Austroads is seeking evidence-based fresh perspectives across bridge design, construction, and maintenance. Submissions are open for an oral presentation on the full paper and/or a poster presentation.
Austroads is dedicated to promoting knowledge sharing and industry collaboration within the transport industry. Austroads Bridge Conference 2025 is an exceptional platform to showcase your latest work, share insights and collaborate with experts and practitioners from across Australasia.
For additional submission guidelines and to access the submission portal, please visit the ABC25 Conference website. If you require assistance with your submission, please contact us at abc2025@nectarcc.com.au
Inspections of sprayed seal trial reveals long-term performance insights
The latest inspection of sprayed seal trial sites in Coober Pedy indicate polymer modified binders (PMBs) are aging better than unmodified bitumen.
The Austroads sprayed seal trial site at Coober Pedy was established in 2011 to evaluate the relative performance of seals constructed with different grades of binders over time. One of the main aims of the trial was to compare the ability of different PMB grades to resist reflective cracking. Austroads has shared the results from the 11-year inspection, combined with data from previous assessments, in a new technical report.
The report provides a comprehensive view of the trial sections' behaviour and includes details of the site, binder sample collection, and visual assessments, surface texture measurements, and binder analysis. The data revealed that while all binders were becoming harder and progressively more oxidised over time, PMBs demonstrated superior resistance to aging compared to unmodified bitumen.
‘This research provides valuable information for road managers and industry, into the long-term performance of different binder grades,’ said Ross Guppy, manager of the Transport Infrastructure program at Austroads. ‘The findings help build evidence to guide decisions on pavement design and maintenance to ensure safe and durable road networks across Australia.’
‘We found that ageing appeared to improve binder fatigue cracking performance at low peak strain levels but reduce performance at high peak strain levels,’ said Ross. ‘These insights allow us to better understand how our infrastructure will respond to changing traffic patterns over time and will help us develop future specifications and deterioration models for asset management.’
Read more | Download Austroads Coober Pedy Sprayed Seal Trial: 11-year Inspection Findings.
There is no charge for our webinars, but registration is essential. If you can’t make the live session, register and we will send you a link to the recording.
Increasing Active Transport Mode Share | Register
(TODAY) Monday, 22 July 2024, 1 pm AEST
This webinar is part of a three-webinar series to present the outcomes of the Austroads project “Prioritising Active Transport”. A wide range of Australian government agencies have a goal to increase the mode share for walking and cycling. Yet much of the data shows that active transport levels have stagnated over the last 15 years. This webinar presents data on Australian and overseas best-practice measures that can be implemented to grow the contribution of walking and cycling to transport systems across Australasia. Participants will learn about the different categories of interventions that can be used to increase active transport mode share. They will also learn how a prioritisation framework can be used to select interventions that are the most impactful in boosting walking and cycling mode share, while also considering the cost and complexity of different interventions.
Infrastructure Interventions to Increase Active Transport – Most Effective Approaches | Register
Tuesday, 23 July 2024, 1 pm AEST
This is the second session in a three-part webinar series to present the outcomes of the Austroads project “Prioritising Active Transport”. This webinar builds on the first webinar by focusing on the types of infrastructure interventions that can be used to increase active transport mode share. Participants will gain an understanding of the effectiveness of these interventions and their suitability, depending on the geographical context (e.g. inner city, suburban, regional).
Policy and Other Non-Infrastructure Measures to Increase Active Transport Mode Share | Register
Wednesday, 24 July 2024, 1 pm AEST
This is the final webinar in the three-part webinar series to present the outcomes of the Austroads project “Prioritising Active Transport”. The session will focus on various policies and other non-infrastructure interventions that can be used to increase levels of active travel. These interventions include measures such as speed reduction, policies to integrate public transport with walking and cycling, pricing measures for motor vehicle use and parking and shared micromobility programs. The participants will learn how policy and other non-infrastructure interventions perform in terms of their impact on growing active transport mode share, in comparison to the cost and complexity of implementing these initiatives.
Standards Australia – Bitumen and Related Materials for Roads (2022-24) | Register
Tuesday, 20 August 2024, 1 pm AEST
In Australia and New Zealand, bituminous binders used in road construction are tested prior to use to ensure they will perform satisfactorily during road construction and maintenance. Australian Standards Committee CH-025 ‘Bitumen and related products for roadmaking’ is responsible for the revision of 4 national specification documents and 26 associated test methods which are used to characterise bituminous materials used in road construction. The webinar will provide an overview of an Austroads project which provided expert technical input into the revision of three Australian Standard test methods (AS 2341.4, AS 2341.15 and AS 2341.27) and three national specification documents (AS 2008, AS 2157, AS 1160) during the period between September 2022 and August 2024.
Driver Distraction Roadmap: Implementation Guide | Register
Thursday, 22 August 2024, 1 pm AEST
The implementation of the National Roadmap on Driver Distraction is a commitment under Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. Austroads has released a guide for this work and is preparing two research and development projects for delivery over the next financial year. The webinar will present the guide, the first projects being prepared, and encourage further discussion and ongoing engagement about this important road safety issue. This webinar will be presented by Matin Nabavi, Mike Regan and Martin Small. To stay informed on the progress of this project, sign up to our newsletter.
Austroads tenders and project opportunities
- SAG6417 Implementation of the National Driver Distraction Roadmap: Driver Distraction Data Collection Harmonisation. Closing 4pm AEST, Tuesday 23 July 2024.
- SRL6354 Longitudinal Evaluation of the Changes to National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework. Closing 4pm AEST, Friday 26 July 2024.
- SRL6354 Development of Detailed Architecture, Business and Technical Requirements – Online Verification, Learning and Assessment. Closing 4pm AEST, Friday 26 July 2024.
- SAG6507 Best Practice Guidance in Road Safety Management Expression of Interest. Closing 4pm AEST, Wednesday 31 July 2024.
Current vacancies
Austroads and Transport Certification Australia (TCA) employ staff across a range of specialised and technical disciplines. We pay attention to maintaining a safe and welcoming work environment, where all staff have equal access to opportunities. We encourage our staff to participate in external and internal training to make sure their skills and knowledge are continuously improved. We take inclusion and diversity seriously. We embrace difference and diversity of identity, experience and thought, and actively strive for inclusive behaviours across our company and our work.
We currently have open positions for:
Senior Technical Business Analyst
Project Coordinator – National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework
BITRE research
BITRE's monthly bulletin contains current counts and summaries of road crash deaths and fatal road crashes in Australia. Data are sourced from the road traffic or police authorities in each jurisdiction.
You can also view monthly updated road safety statistics and an Australian Road Deaths Database.
Upcoming industry events
Road Freight NSW Conference, 25 July, Sydney
3rd Australian Pavement Recycling and Stabilisation Conference, 7 August, Brisbane
TechDrive 2024, 7 August, Melbourne
AITPM National Conference, 12 - 14 August, Perth
ITS Australia Summit, 13 - 15 August, Sydney
Megatrans, 18 - 19 September, Melbourne
