Welcome to our monthly Austroads RoadWatch: Roundup for April
RoadWatch: Roundup
April 2024
Welcome to our monthly Austroads RoadWatch: Roundup for April. Discover our latest news, published reports, Guide updates, webinars and events.
12th Austroads Bridge Conference to be held in Brisbane
The 12th Austroads Bridge Conference will be held in Brisbane, Queensland from 25 – 27 June 2025.
Held regularly since 1991, the conference brings together industry experts, bridge practitioners, material scientists and structural engineers from across Australasia. The conference offers industry the chance to share research, network and recognise practitioners who have delivered exemplary bridge structures at the Austroads Bridge Awards.
Geoff Allan, Austroads Chief Executive, noted the importance of industry connection. “Bridges and structures need to support the movement of increasingly diverse road users and increasingly heavy loads in an increasingly volatile natural environment. Sharing innovative approaches, research and knowledge is an integral part of responding to those challenges.” The call to submit a technical abstract for the conference will be opening soon.
“Austroads looks forward to celebrating excellence at the Austroads Bridge Awards; a chance to recognise the individuals and organisations that have delivered exceptional structures across Australasia. We are eager to gather with industry once again to collaborate, connect and celebrate industry achievements in 2025.”
Austroads Project Pipeline 2024-25
Are you looking for an opportunity to work with Austroads to help Australian and New Zealand transport agencies deliver efficient, reliable, and safe mobility to their customers?
Austroads will hold a webinar on Wednesday 19 June 2024 to introduce new projects lined up for the 2024-25 financial year. The webinar will be most beneficial to consultants who may be interested in tendering for Austroads projects.
Austroads is the collective of Australasian transport agencies and provides high-quality, practical and impartial advice, information, tools and services to help its members to deliver efficient, reliable and safe mobility to their customers. Austroads projects lead to the development of guides, guidelines, research reports and national or Australasian services.
In the 2024-25 financial year, Austroads anticipates dozens of new projects across road safety, environment, network, and freight. Upcoming projects will focus on improved resilience and sustainability of road assets, security of intelligent transport systems and services, safe transport networks and mobility, road design and management.
Webinar attendees will hear about Austroads tendering process and meet Austroads program managers. The session will be moderated by Paul Davies, Austroads General Manager Programs.
No charge but registration is essential. Register for the webinar.
Austroads seeks partners for customer management system enhancement
Austroads is seeking expressions of interest from experienced service providers to collaborate on a significant project which aims to enhance customer service management as part of our journey towards a single view of customer.
The primary objectives of this initiative are to implement a tailored customer management system for the NEVDIS Administration Unit, streamline customer management workflows, improve response times and service level agreements, centralise communication channels, provide comprehensive reporting capabilities, and unify support channels.
This partnership opportunity allows service providers to contribute their expertise to modernise Austroads' operational infrastructure and enhance customer service delivery.
Interested parties are invited to submit expressions of interest outlining their capabilities and proposed strategies.
Austroads is committed to promoting best practices in road transport and traffic management across Australasia. Through collaborative partnerships and innovative initiatives, we strive to deliver excellence in service and drive positive outcomes for our stakeholders and the wider community.
For more information and details on how to submit expressions of interest click here
Austroads guidance on bridge maintenance and management updated
Austroads has released an update to the Guide to Bridge Technology Part 7: Management and Maintenance of Existing Bridges. The update focuses on section three of the Guide which encompasses essential aspects of bridge inspections, testing, monitoring, and reporting.
“This update will ensure the guide continues to stay relevant and be a useful tool for practitioners,” Ross Guppy, Austroads Transport Infrastructure Program Manager.
The update includes a revamp of the inspection process, offering a versatile framework for engineers to enhance and tailor their own inspection procedures.
The significant updates and enhancements to the Guide include:
- introducing a spectrum between condition rating and defect mapping, offering users flexibility in their approach
- establishing consistent definitions for bridges and culverts
- providing a ‘Rosetta Stone’ of bridge componentisation that describes the nuances found between the different jurisdictions
- standardising descriptors for component ratings
- clarifying and fine-tuning inspection levels and frequencies
- implementing measures for audit, quality control and inspector training.
“Austroads is committed to regularly updating its Guides to ensure they continue to be be a reliable resource for practitioners and students alike,” Ross said.
Learn more | Download Update to the Guide to Bridge Technology Part 7: Maintenance and Management of Existing Bridges
New technical report revises mix design procedure in light of laboratory compaction equipment changes
In a significant development for the Australian and New Zealand road construction industries, Austroads has updated its mix design procedure for asphalt compaction. Austroads has shared their findings in a new and comprehensive study, highlighting critical considerations and potential adjustments to ensure a seamless transition away from the now discontinued Gyropac to Superpave compaction settings (to align with AASHTO T312). This brings an end to a period of more than 25 years in which the Gyropac was a standard compaction device in several Australian jurisdictions.
The report aims to understand how different compaction machines affect mix design. While there are differences between the now discontinued machines and the new machines, the new compactors can be offset to achieve similar results and so ensure a smoother transition between different compaction devices.
“Following the discontinuation of the Gyropac compaction devices, Austroads has had to find a replacement method of compaction for asphalt mix design,” said Ross Guppy, manager of the Transport Infrastructure program at Austroads. “This report revises the mix design procedure and identifies suitable replacement gyratory compactor devices for the design of asphalt in Australia and New Zealand.”
The report identifies the Superpave Gyratory Compactor as a potential replacement. It offers an extensive literature review and detailed test results on the functionality of the potential new compaction device. “Our research has provided valuable insights into the dynamics between different compaction devices,” said Ross.
Learn more | Download Validation of Superpave™ Method of Asphalt Compaction for Australasia
Feasible alternatives to hydrated lime in asphalt mixes
In a bid to address concerns surrounding the sustainability of incorporating hydrated lime in asphalt mixes to reduce the risk of moisture damage occurring, Austroads has released a new research report that assesses the suitability of using anti-stripping additives as a potential alternative to hydrated lime.
Hydrated lime is used extensively throughout Australia. However, the local asphalt industry and some state transport agencies have raised concerns regarding the future sustainability of incorporating hydrated lime in asphalt, in particular the potential risks associated with the ongoing supply of hydrated lime to meet demand and its large carbon footprint compared to some alternative anti-stripping technologies.
“When given the opportunity to choose between hydrated lime and liquid anti-stripping additives, contractors often prefer the latter due to the ease in application and lower cost,” said Ross Guppy, manager of the Transport Infrastructure Program at Austroads. “In order to do so, a robust moisture susceptibility assessment protocol needs to be adopted to assess viable alternatives to hydrated lime.”
This report engaged in a literature review which determined the main benefits and disadvantages of using hydrated lime and liquid anti-stripping agents (LAAs) in asphalt mixes to reduce the risk of stripping. The project also developed an interim laboratory testing protocol to assess the effectiveness of different anti-stripping additives in asphalt. The protocol comprises standard materials and asphalt mix characterisation testing, followed by a suite of moisture susceptibility tests.
Learn more | Download Feasibility of Using Anti-Stripping Additives as an Alternative to Hydrated Lime
Gerard O’Neill of CivilEdge wins TMAA Traffic Management Trainer of the Year
Gerard O’Neill from CivilEdge has been nationally recognised for his achievements training the next generation of qualified traffic controllers, winning TMAA’s Traffic Management Trainer of the Year Award at the recent TMAA Excellence Awards.
The TMAA Traffic Management Trainer of the Year Award, sponsored by Austroads, is an annual award that recognises excellence in training and mentoring in the traffic management industry, acknowledging Australian trainers who have contributed to the training and development of traffic controllers.
Patsy Thomas, Temporary Traffic Management Operations Manager at Austroads, spoke glowingly of Gerard’s firm dedication to industry. “Austroads extends our congratulations to Gerard on this incredible achievement. During Gerard’s active involvement in the Austroads Train the Trainer program, I have been deeply impressed by his commitment to industry both on and off the clock.”
“While working to implement the Austroads Temporary Traffic Management Training Framework, Gerard has delivered training to over 280 trainers, ensuring that current and future generations of temporary traffic management workers can benefit from an improved training model and experience. Gerard’s positive attitude, dedication to industry and passion for mentoring and supporting students has contributed to the successful implementation of the Austroads Temporary Traffic Management Harmonisation project.”
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.
Strategic Review of Road Design Guidance | Register
Tuesday, 23 April 2024, 1 pm AEDT
For decades, Austroads Guide to Road Design (AGRD) has served as a critical resource for practitioners involved in road planning, design and engineering. Austroads recently completed a strategic review of road design guidance, identifying strategies to sustainably maintain the AGRD as the pre-eminent road design guide in Australia and New Zealand. Through an online survey and face-to-face interviews, the project team identified opinions and possible strategic actions from users of the AGRD, stakeholders in road design practice and international experts. This webinar aims to describe what the review learned, and the nature of actions proposed to realise identified opportunities.
Austroads Project Pipeline 2024-25 | Register
Wednesday, 19 June 2024, 1 pm AEDT
Are you looking for an opportunity to work with Austroads to help Australian and New Zealand transport agencies deliver efficient, reliable, and safe mobility to their customers?This webinar will introduce new projects lined up for the 2024-25 financial year. The session will be most beneficial to consultants who may be interested in tendering for Austroads projects. Participants will hear about Austroads tendering process and meet Austroads program managers. The webinar will be moderated by Paul Davies, Austroads General Manager Programs.
Recent webinar recordings
Austroads tenders and project opportunities
SRD6407 Expression of Interest to Submit for Pre-qualified Road Design Guidance Expert Panel, Closing 4pm AEST, Friday 3 May 2024.
Expressions of Interest (EOI) – Vendor and Service Provider Industry Reference Group for NEG6440 Classification Scheme Proof-of-Concept. Closing 4pm AEST, Friday 26 April 2024.
- NEG6444 Guidelines for Planning and Design of Bus Infrastructure on Roads. Closing 4pm AEST, Thursday 18 April 2024.
- Expressions of Interest (EOI) for ENT6493 Customer Management System (CMS) – NEVDIS. Closing 4pm AEST, Monday 15 April 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 Communications Officer – Stakeholder Engagement and Media
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
TechDrive 2024, Brisbane and Sydney, 11 April 2024 (Brisbane) and 17 April 2024 (Sydney)
ATA Trucking Conference, Canberra, 17-19 April 2024
IPWEA International Public Works Conference, Melbourne, 30 April - 3 May 2024
