RoadWatch: Roundup
May 2022
Welcome to our monthly Austroads RoadWatch: Roundup for May. Discover our latest news, published reports, Guide updates, webinars and events.
New national skill sets for traffic workers and an operational framework for registered training organisations
As part of the project to harmonise temporary traffic management practice in Australia, Austroads has approved eight new skill sets to enhance theoretical and practical training for traffic workers and developed an operational framework for registered training organisations seeking to become approved training providers.
“The safety of road workers and road users at and around road worksites is a key area of concern for the Austroads member agencies and industry. We have conducted significant consultation with industry, including both the training and traffic control sectors, and state and territory transport departments to approve eight new skill sets for the three core temporary traffic management roles – Traffic Controller, Traffic Management Implementer and Traffic Management Designer,” said Austroads Chief Executive Geoff Allan.
To ensure consistency in training provision, a Registered Training Organisation Operational Framework for Temporary Traffic Management has been developed. The framework includes the arrangements for the application, prerequisite conditions, and mutually recognised processes for companies that provide training on the Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management.
Updated driver medical standards from 22 June 2022
A new edition of the national driver medical standards Assessing Fitness to Drive will be effective and available from the Austroads website from 22 June 2022. The standards have been updated by the National Transport Commission and approved by Infrastructure and Transport Ministers.
Driver health and fitness to drive is an important factor in supporting the safety of Australians who use the roads. “The updated medical standards will support health professionals to assess their patients’ health status and ability to drive safely,” said Michael Nieuwesteeg, Austroads Road Safety and Design Program Manager. “Austroads and the National Transport Commission will work closely with driver licensing authorities and other stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the standards and to communicate changes to health professionals.”
A summary of changes in the new edition is now available on the Austroads website to support health professionals and other stakeholders in preparing for the 22 June release date.
Read more | Download the National Transport Commission 2022 AFTD Review Report
Innovative performance assessment of roads constructed with recycled plastic waste
Austroads has published new testing frameworks that measure the potential environmental impacts of road materials designed with recycled plastic waste.
“This report is the third of a series of reports for a pioneering project initiated by Austroads and led by RMIT University in response to a growing interest in the use of waste materials in road infrastructure,” said Ross Guppy, Austroads Transport Infrastructure Program Manager.
“If the performance of asphalt containing recycled plastics is comparable to the performance of the bitumen or modified binder intended to be substituted, the use of plastic in bitumen may represent a feasible alternative to virgin material,” said Ross.
The report includes a testing pathway to assess both the performance and environmental impacts, in terms of microplastics and emissions, of any plastic-modified asphalt regardless of the type and content of plastics used in the mix.
Read more | Download the report
Thursday, 19 May 2022, 1-2.30 pm AEST
Join us for a 90-minute webinar with authors Andrew Papacostas from Department of Transport Victoria, Associate Professor Filippo Giustozzi from RMIT University and his team, including Dr Marie Enfrin, Yeong Jia Boom, and Dr Dai Xuan Lu.
Literature review assessed current research on incorporation of recycled materials in pavements
Austroads has released a review of Australian and New Zealand research on the incorporation of recycled materials in pavements to inform the update to the Guide to Pavement Technology Part 4E: Recycled Materials.
Focusing on performance impacts, potential environmental health and safety risks, economics and societal impacts, the literature review assessed the currently available research, specifications, and standards for reclaimed asphalt pavements, industrial slag, recycled crushed glass, construction and demolition waste concrete and masonry, coal combustion products, plastics, and crumb rubber used in pavement construction.
“The research presented in the report will be reflected in the Guide to Pavement Technology for a better understanding of suitable applications, restraints, and impacts of recycled materials on infrastructure, sustainability, and society,” said Ross Guppy, Austroads Transport Infrastructure Program Manager.
Read more | Download the report
Austroads calls on transport professionals to share digital engineering case studies
In response to government and industry needs, Austroads has commissioned development of a Guide to Digital Engineering (DE) for road and transport projects. The guide will be available in early 2023. To help communicate the value of DE we are seeking exemplar case studies of applying DE on road and transport projects to include in the guide.
The case studies will provide a unique opportunity to showcase your projects and DE capability.
We are specifically seeking case studies that:
- quantify DE value and benefits to make the case of DE for road and transport projects
- present a business case for DE
- demonstrate how DE has improved planning, design, construction or operation/ asset management
- provide examples of the inclusion of DE in contracts and procurement
- showcase cultural change and DE training.
If you are keen to help shape this important guide, please get in touch with maria.chiozzi@pcsg-australia.com.au by Friday 3 June.
National Road Safety Week 2022
National Road Safety Week, held from 16 to 22 May 2022, is an initiative created to honour those who have lost their lives or been injured on Australia’s roads.
Every year, approximately 1200 people are killed and another 44,000 are seriously injured on Australian roads. Traffic injury is the biggest killer of Australian children under 15 and the second-biggest killer of all Australians aged between 15 and 24.
Initiated by the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group in partnership with road safety organisations and the Australian Government, the Week highlights the impact of road trauma and campaigns to reduce the number of crashes due to unsafe roads and driving.
Transport Certification Australia awarded for spatial enablement
Transport Certification Australia (TCA) together with Geoplex and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications is one of the winners of the 2021 Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards.
TCA contributed to the development of the National Freight Data Hub (NFDH) prototype website, which features interactive insights and uses cutting-edge geospatial visualisation tools for industry and governments to gain a national picture of Australia’s freight movements. The website, custom-developed by Geoplex, showcases how to make better use of current data to answer enduring industry questions such as what freight is being moved, when, and where. The website contains time-enabled maps and graphs, and is the first publicly searchable freight data directory for Australia.
Register for Austroads Bridge Conference 2022
Registrations are now open for the 11th Austroads Bridge Conference to be held on 15-18 November 2022 in Adelaide.
The conference will bring together bridge practitioners, structural engineers and material scientists from across Australia and New Zealand to share knowledge on a variety of subjects, including bridge analysis, design and assessment, technology, asset management, sustainability and life cycle cost.
Super Early Bird Registrations close on Monday 13 June 2022.
To register, please visit the conference website.
For more details, please contact conference@aomevents.com.
XXVIIth World Road Congress call for papers
PIARC is calling for individual contributions for the XXVIIth World Road Congress, which will be held in Prague from 2 to 6 October 2023 under the theme “Prague 2023 – Together on the road again”.
The papers are required to present case studies, research results and/or practical experiences on a variety of topics covering future transport, mobility of people and goods, sustainability in road infrastructure, resilience and climate change and others. The abstracts will be evaluated on the originality of the content, the technical interest and the applicability and transferability of the results.
By submitting a paper every participant will automatically enter in the PIARC Prizes competition. The prize for the best paper in each category will be awarded by an international jury.
Download the detailed description of the topics of the call.
Submit your abstract by 26 August 2022.
PIARC Performance of Road and Transport Administrations committee meeting
Performance of Road and Transport Administration Technical Committee 1.1 held its fifth meeting over the period 24 to 29 April 2022.
The committee identifies best practices for establishing a framework for measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of transport administrations, with a particular focus on overall customer experience and communication of performance information.
