Austroads: Transport Research and Trends

Data to Support the Heavy Vehicle Road Reform

Austroads has recently published the final report for the three-year project Data to Support the Heavy Vehicle Road Reform, which has investigated a number of different aspects of the requirements, gaps, and opportunities for supplying infrastructure data suitable for supporting a future heavy vehicle cost recovery and investment process. It represents a total of seven years of work from 2013 to 2020.

The project explored issues related to the supply of data on freight routes required by the Heavy Vehicle Road Reform. This included: how to measure the level of service (LOS) of freight routes, mechanisms for obtaining nationally harmonised data about road assets, and providing insight into the nature, quality and consistency of road-related data across Australian jurisdictions.

This webinar, presented by Ulysses Ai, provides a summary of the project’s main activities and key learnings including:

• Development of the Heavy Vehicle Infrastructure Rating as a concise measure of LOS for freight routes.
• Development of the National Asset Register and learnings from processes seeking to obtain asset data from local governments.
• A study of candidates for a national base map for road-related data and guidance on subsequent processes for data-matching.
• An analysis of inconsistencies in traffic data.
• Investigation of practices across Australian jurisdictions for expenditure reporting data, pavement deterioration modelling, and maintenance data records.

Transport Modelling for Project Managers

This webinar, presented by Bryan Li on 9 July 2020, provides an overview of a resource designed to equip practitioners who may not have specific technical experience in transport modelling with clear and practical guidance to help make informed decisions when procuring modelling services or communicating the associated processes.

Introduction to the Materials Assessment Framework and its Application in Resource Assessment

This webinar, presented by Zia Rice and Phil Hunt on 2 June 2020, is the first one in a series of three online sessions to extend practitioners’ understanding of what influences material performance and how to balance it with budget optimisation and level‑of‑service requirements.

The session details the development of the materials assessment framework and how it can be used to undertake resource assessment.

Pedestrian Planning Concepts

This webinar, presented by Ann-Marie Head and Jeanette Ward on 27 May, explains how to better plan for high quality walking environments in our towns and cities. The webinar highlights the Guide to Traffic Management series which has recently been updated to incorporate international good practice pedestrian planning and design guidance.

 

Charting Changes in Austroads' Guide to Traffic Management

This webinar, presented by Richard Delplace and David Green on 19 May, provides an overview of changes to the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management. These changes follow the completion of Austroads project NTM6100: Translating research into practice – Advancing the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management. One of the aims of the project was to recommend and implement changes to the Guide to ensure that it is clearer and more useful to its users.

Education and Training for Drivers of Assisted and Automated Vehicles

This webinar, held on 13 May, identifies the skills, knowledge and behaviours drivers need, now and in the future, to safely operate cars and trucks equipped with higher levels of automation. It was presented by Professor Michael Regan, Dr Prasannah Prabhakharan, Phil Wallace and Mitch Cunningham.

Bridge Assessment Beyond the AS5100 Deterministic Methodology

This webinar, presented on 30 April, gives an overview of ways to assess the safety of existing bridges beyond the Rating Factor approach of AS5100. It was presented by Dr Colin Caprani, Dr Mayer M Melhem and Professor Mark G Stewart.

Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management Part 6: Field Staff: Implementation and Operation

This online presentation provides an overview of the Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management Part 6: Field Staff – Implementation and Operation.

Part 6 sets out the requirements of field staff in the process of installing, monitoring and dismantling traffic management on public roads.

Presented by Lee Vossen.

Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management Part 5: Short Term Low Impact Worksites

This online presentation provides an overview of the Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management Part 5: Short Term Low Impact Worksites.

Part 5 identifies and details preferred temporary traffic management design and operational practices to be applied for short term low impact works on or near roads.

Presented by Leah Kelly.

Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management Part 4: Mobile Works

This online presentation provides an overview of the Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management Part 4: Mobile Works.

Part 4 has been prepared to assist with mobile worksites, in accordance with Austroads best practice. It provides general information about the context and components of designing temporary traffic guidance schemes at mobile worksites.

Presented by Leah Kelly.