RoadWatch: Roundup
March 2022
Welcome to our monthly Austroads RoadWatch: Roundup for March. Discover our latest news, published reports, Guide updates, webinars and events.
Evaluating safety treatments in road tunnels
An Austroads funded study conducted in a virtual reality driving simulator has evaluated a selection of treatments used to reduce crash risk in tunnels by improving driver speed behaviour, alertness and lane discipline.
“Based on all the information from both the literature review and the stakeholder consultation, we chose to investigate the effects of a striped wall pattern, rumble strips and pacemaker lighting in a tunnel environment,” said Ross Guppy Austroads’ Transport Infrastructure Program Manager.
Each treatment was evaluated by 102 participants in an immersive virtual reality experience that simulated the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. In the feedback from study, participants indicated that none of the PCMs compromised their safety, and that the tunnels treated with PCMs were perceived to be significantly more appealing than untreated tunnels.
Read more | Download the report
Tuesday, 29 March 2022, 1-2 pm AEDT
Join us for a detailed webinar with authors Professor Michael Regan, Julius Secadiningrat, Dr Prasannah Prabhakharan, and Mitchell Cunningham.
Assessing fatigue performance of foamed bitumen stabilised materials
Austroads has published a technical report presenting the findings of a pavement testing experiment that assessed the fatigue cracking characteristics of in situ FBS materials under simulated heavy vehicle trafficking.
“We have been using FBS treatments for more than 20 years, but the specifics regarding their applicability have not been fully determined which has created wide variations of approach between jurisdictions. The objective of this project was to obtain fatigue cracking performance data for FBS layers and evaluate whether we can incorporate high recycled material content, particularly on roads that cater for heavy vehicles,” said Ross Guppy Austroads’ Transport Infrastructure Program Manager.
Based on the findings of this project, a new definition for FBS design modulus is proposed. “It considers the specific fatigue behaviour of FBS materials and will contribute to the improvement of the fatigue performance relationships for the design of FBS stabilised layers to inhibit fatigue cracking.”
Read more | Download the report
National Women in Transport initiative
Austroads is proudly supporting National Women in Transport, a new initiative that brings government and industry together to increase the number of Australian women working in transport.
There is now a Speaker Bureau to showcase senior female leaders and the contributions they make to transport across Australia.
Read about these inspiring women.
The initiative is supported by the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and Infrastructure Australia, and coordinated by the National Transport Commission.
Courses on planning, design and construction of walking and cycling facilities
If you are interested in the planning, design and management of walking and cycling environments, enrol in the Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland’ new training programs:
Design of Pedestrian and Cyclist Bridges, 27 April 2022 | Enrol here
The program is designed to build knowledge and develop skills in the specialist field of bicycle and pedestrian bridges. It includes guidance and case studies with a strong focus on innovation and achieving value for money in bridge design and construction. Bridge visits (virtual), sharing of information, discussion of past experiences, classroom based activities, and redesign exercises form the basis of this program.
Walking Infrastructure Masterclass, June or May 2022 | Enrol here
The course has been developed to build knowledge and develop skills when planning and designing walkable environments and facilities. It offers participants the opportunity to see and experience best practice infrastructure treatments on foot.
Former Austroads Board Chairman Gary Liddle recognised by iRAP for extraordinary voluntary service
Austroads congratulates Gary Liddle who received recognition for his extraordinary voluntary service to iRAP.
During his time with iRAP, Gary Liddle made a significant contribution to improving road safety worldwide. “In my 9 years as a Trustee of the charity, iRAP’s impact has gone from 70 to 107 countries, 500,000km assessed to 1.3 million and 50 trained to 47,000. Importantly over US$80 billion of road investment has been made safer and thousands of lives have been saved.” Gary said.
Gary Liddle championed road safety programs and initiatives through his governance roles at VicRoads, Austroads, the Australian Road Research Board, the World Road Association (PIARC) and the Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia.
Upcoming Austroads webinars
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.
Benefits and Costs of Providing a Minimum Physical Infrastructure Standard for the Operation of Automated Driving | Register
Thursday, 17 March 2022, 1 pm AEDT
This webinar will provide a detailed overview of the advice that addresses which physical road infrastructure for automated driving should be prioritised for investment, as well as the timing and scale for that investment.
Proposed Signage for Low and Zero Emission Vehicles and Associated Infrastructure | Register
Tuesday, 22 March 2022, 1 pm AEDT
Register for an overview of a report that proposes a set of symbols for low and zero emission vehicles and associated charging or refuelling infrastructure for road signs and road marking in Australia and New Zealand.
Perceptual Countermeasure Treatments to Reduce Crash Risks in Tunnels | Register
Tuesday, 29 March 2022, 1 pm AEDT
Learn about the outcomes of a study that evaluated perceptual countermeasure treatments used to reduce crash risk in tunnels.
Guide to Project Delivery Parts 2 and 3 Update | Register
Thursday, 7 April 2022, 1 pm AEST
Tune in to hear about the updates to parts 2 and 3 of the Guide to Project Delivery. The updated guides focus on new industry best practice and techniques, including lean construction and digital engineering.
Recent webinar recordings
Inclusion of Recent Road Safety Research in the Guide to Road Design
BITRE research
Road Trauma Involving Heavy Vehicles – Annual Summaries report presents the latest available detailed information on serious road crashes involving heavy trucks or buses. The focus is on fatalities, with tabulations including by road user type, crash and vehicle type, geographic region, road type and posted speed zone.
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
Event organisers are carefully reviewing their arrangements to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Please be aware that details may change at short notice.
ARRB Symposium “Integrated Mobility Impacts 2022”, Melbourne, first half of 2022
TMAA 2022 Conference – Redefining Traffic Management, Melbourne, 24-25 March 2022
IPWEA International Public Works Conference, Adelaide, 1-5 May 2022
MEGATRANS: Reimagining the supply chain, Melbourne, 24-26 August 2022
2022 Australasian Road Safety Conference (ARSC 2022), Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand, 28-30 September 2022
Austroads Bridge Conference 2022, Adelaide, 15-18 November 2022
