Austroads: Transport Research and Trends

Minimising the risk of roadside crashes is important in reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. The recently updated Part 6 of the Austroads Guide to Road Design includes a new method to determine the risk associated with roadside crashes and to identify where risk mitigation treatments are required on urban and rural road networks. The approach establishes a Network Roadside Risk Threshold (NRRIT) which consistently directs the locations for treatments within projects.

This webinar, presented by Peter Ellis and Rod Troutbeck on 6 October 2020, describes the procedure’s background in detail explaining the concepts and research behind it.

The presentation slides can be downloaded from the supporting documents tab after logging in.

This webinar, presented on 29 September by Graham Hobbs, Amy Naulls and James Smithers, focuses on the findings of Austroads’s report Optimising Project Delivery Performance that investigates the challenges and issues affecting the delivery of transport infrastructure projects and the consequential impacts on value for money, timeliness of delivery, agency and political reputation.

Report authors present insights from surveys and interviews conducted with 38 Australian and New Zealand industry experts who came from a range of organisations and roles and who have been involved in the delivery of transport infrastructure projects valued between $1m -$100m.

Presenters talks about the central themes that have emerged from the research and outline short, medium and long-term opportunities to be considered for improvement across the industry in Australia and New Zealand.

Minimising the risk of roadside crashes is important in reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. The recently updated Part 6 of the Austroads Guide to Road Design includes a new method to determine the risk associated with roadside crashes and to identify where risk mitigation treatments are required on urban and rural road networks. The approach establishes a Network Roadside Risk Threshold (NRRIT) which consistently directs the locations for treatments within projects.

This webinar is focused on user guidance, including the practical application of the new method. The webinar describes the new procedure for evaluating a rural road network, how policies will influence decisions and how the NRRIT can consistently delineate road sections where treatments are required.

The webinar also provides the basis of the procedure by using a simpler example so that participants can appreciate its broader application. The example demonstrates how risk graphs, based on contemporary knowledge, can be used to expedite the assessment procedure.

Presented by Peter Ellis and Rod Troutbeck.

Austroads commissioned a review of the heavy vehicle road access tools used in jurisdictions across Australia and New Zealand. Based on the review and a gap analysis, a decision making framework and resource repository have been proposed to help heavy vehicle operators and road asset owners make clear and consistent road access and compliance assessment decisions.

In this webinar, held on 20 August 2020, Drew Gaynor and Christina Chin present the key findings and recommendations of the review.

This webinar, presented by Richard Delplace and Thuan Nguyen on 18 August 2020, provides an overview of the Draft National Prequalification Scheme for Temporary Traffic Management (NPSTTM), which has been developed by Austroads in consultation with its member agencies represented on the Temporary Traffic Management Technical Reference Group (TTMTRG).

The NPSTTM document provides information on a proposed framework for companies wishing to become prequalified for temporary traffic management works. Prequalification is a mandatory requirement for all works managed by state and territory road authorities participating in the scheme. Local governments and other road infrastructure sector representatives may also adopt the scheme as part of their contracts.

Austroads is currently seeking comments on the NPSTTM and this webinar is an opportunity for industry representatives to learn more about the document before they submit their feedback on 28 August 2020.

This webinar, presented by Richard Delplace and Thuan Nguyen on 17 August 2020, provides an overview of the Draft National Training Framework for Temporary Traffic Management (NTFTTM), which has been developed by Austroads in consultation with its member agencies represented on the Temporary Traffic Management Technical Reference Group (TTMTRG).

The NTFTTM document sets out a proposed process and training requirements for practitioners responsible for design, control or implementation of temporary traffic management. The content of the framework will be incorporated in the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management (AGTTM) Part 8.

Austroads is currently seeking comments on the NTFTTM and this webinar is an opportunity for industry representatives to learn more about the document before they submit their feedback on 28 August 2020.

This webinar, held on 13 August 2020, presents the findings of Austroads’ recent research project that explores the many different ways in which place is being measured both locally and internationally, and how transport practitioners can practically and effectively classify, measure and value the place function of our streets.

Presenters Will Fooks and Ed Zhao talk about the experiences and challenges shared by more than 130 participants across Australia and New Zealand, navigate the subjectivities and complexities and establish a framework by which the benefits of place can be captured, communicated and, ultimately, inform transport planning, design and investment decision-making.

This webinar, presented by Robert Urquhart on 11 August 2020, gives an overview of an Austroads project which provided expert technical input into the update of four Australian standards which were revised by the Standards Australia Technical Committee CH-025 ‘Bitumen and related products for roadmaking’.

This webinar describes the main changes that have occurred during revision of the following standards:

• AS 2341.3 Determination of kinematic viscosity
• AS 2341.12 Determination of penetration
• AS 2341.18 Determination of softening point
• AS 3568 Oils for reducing the viscosity of bituminous binders for pavements.

This webinar, presented by Andrew Somers and John Wall on 6 August 2020, outlines the results of Austroads’ forecasts regarding penetration of automated, connected and electric vehicles technologies into new vehicles and vehicle fleets through to 2030. Each forecast focuses on a specific attribute, including:

• Active safety systems
• Capability for automated driving on motorways, in urban areas and in rural areas
• Connectivity via Cooperative ITS (C-ITS) or to the cloud via mobile data networks
• Battery Electric Vehicles
• Used for hire with a driver (as taxi, rideshare, etc).

These forecasts show the effects of a likely pattern of technology adoption and the proliferation of that technology through the fleet. As such, many of the forecasts show that only modest proportions of the fleet are equipped by 2030.

While outside of scope, considerations of the impacts of the technologies remain important and one role of this project was to provide forecasts on anticipated penetration to inform continued discussions on and planning for these impacts.

This webinar, presented by Adrian Bridge on 31 July 2020, provides an overview of a new procurement tool and its application to a road infrastructure project, the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing in Queensland.

The tool has been designed to significantly advance value for money in the delivery of infrastructure projects.