Show Notes
This webinar presented the outcomes of Austroads Project NEG6439, which examined how fibre optic sensing technologies can be applied to support improved road agency services and functions. While fibre optic networks are widely deployed across Australian and New Zealand transport agencies for communications, their use as a sensing capability remains relatively underutilised. This project explored how technologies such as distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), distributed temperature sensing (DTS) and strain fibre sensing (SFS) can be leveraged across a broad range of operational use cases. The webinar outlines approximately 20 prioritised use cases across four key domains: traffic monitoring, anomaly detection, security and asset management. These include applications such as travel speed and volume monitoring, linear heat detection in tunnels, perimeter security, and structural health monitoring of bridges and tunnels. The session also presented an assessment of technology maturity, highlighting that several use cases are already at established to advanced levels (TRL 5–9), while others remain emerging or nascent and suited to targeted trials. Practical guidance was provided on how these technologies can be integrated into existing transport systems, including key considerations for deployment, operations, and data management, as well as insights into market trends and capability requirements. This webinar recording will be of interest to transport agencies, infrastructure operators, and practitioners involved in intelligent transport systems, asset management and network operations. This webinar was presented by Irene Horvat and Henry Wu with a live Q+A moderated by David Yee.
More from Austroads: Transport Research and Trends
Design, traffic management and road safety are critical to achieving safe, efficient and context-responsive transport. Road design, traffic management and road safety practitioners often work towards the same outcomes, but they see things differently. This webinar helps these practitioners contribute to an integrated and unified approach to transport facility planning, design, implementation and operation. The webinar draws on the Austroads Guides to Road Design (AGRD), Traffic Management (AGTM) and Road Safety (AGRS), and a new publication from Austroads (Coordinated Use of Austroads Guides to Support Safe and Efficient Road Networks) to demonstrate their interconnectedness. Most users are familiar with only one or two of these Guides; however, all three are mutually supportive and interdependent. The complementary disciplines should be involved from strategic planning through to operation and renewal, as illustrated by a staged framework. The webinar covers core concepts, including Movement and Place, Level of Service, the Safe System approach, safe mobility, Context-sensitive design and design domains. An understanding of these concepts among practitioners across the three disciplines will support integrated teams in using the 3 Austroads Guides (AGRD, AGTM, AGRS) together, rather than disciplines working in isolation and passing problems from one group to another. This will improve outcomes when designing, operating, and managing the transport system for the various user types and capabilities.
The Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management (https://austroads.gov.au/publications/temporary-traffic-management/agttm-set) (AGTTM) provides nationally consistent guidance for the planning, design, and implementation of safe and efficient temporary traffic management across Australia and New Zealand. Traffic Controllers (TCs) and Traffic Management Implementers (TMIs) play a vital role in the implementation of the temporary traffic management system. They are exposed to significant risks in their work to ensure the safety of road workers and the public. This webinar recording is aimed at TCs, TMIs and those involved in the on-site delivery of temporary traffic management, including team leaders and supervisors who oversee field implementation. The webinar was designed to improve understanding of the principles and requirements of the AGTTM and to summarise relevant recent updates and their application to TC and TMI. Rosie Toohey and Liam Dwyer from Point8 presented the session on behalf of Austroads.
Transport networks across Australia and New Zealand are increasingly experiencing disruption and damage from extreme weather, natural hazards and long-term climate change. While the transport sector’s preparedness for and response to these impacts is improving, organisations continue to face challenges in demonstrating the value of proactive investment in resilience. This webinar presented findings from a new Austroads research report showcasing:
Climate change is placing increasing pressure on transport infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand, creating growing challenges for asset owners and network managers. This webinar introduced the findings of an Austroads report, Identifying and Prioritising Climate Adaption Actions for Transport Assets, which addresses a key challenge for Austroads members: translating climate risk and resilience objectives into prioritised adaptation initiatives to support investment decision-making. The session showcased the new Adaptation Action Prioritisation Methodology (AAPM), developed to help Austroads member agencies:
Bituminous binders that are used to construct roads are tested prior to use to ensure they will perform satisfactorily during a road’s lifecycle. Standards Australia Committee CH-025 ‘Bitumen and related products for roadmaking’ is responsible for the revision of 4 national specification documents and 26 test methods which are used to characterise bituminous materials used in road construction. Austroads has also published 14 test methods that are used to characterise bituminous materials. This webinar presents the outcomes of Austroads Project APT6256 which provided expert technical input into the revision of 3 national specification documents (AS 2008, AS 2157 and AS 1160) and 1 Austroads test method (ATM 101). The webinar includes a description of the process used to update an Australian Standard and outlines the main changes to the 4 revised documents.