Improving the Harmonisation of Austroads Technical Specifications for Pavements
Tender ID: 610744
Tender Details
Tender Description
Purpose:
The purpose of this project is to support the development of Austroads Technical Specifications (ATS) for pavements by addressing areas where progress is dependent on targeted research. Specifically, it will investigate differences in materials and source aggregate properties for unbound granular materials that currently hinder the establishment of harmonised national requirements for these properties.
Scope:
Achieving national harmonisation of pavement specifications requires targeted research to allow transport agencies to benchmark existing requirements against proposed Austroads Technical Specifications (ATSs) and facilitate convergence on one set of requirements for aggerate properties. This will help identify necessary adjustments while maintaining satisfactory performance outcomes.
This initial project will focus on investigating the properties of source rock aggregates used in unbound granular (gravel) pavement materials. The project itself will not produce an Austroads Technical Specification and is not aimed at developing test methods.
The scope of the project includes:
• reviewing all current Austroads member’s unbound granular pavement specifications, etc. to confirm the current properties, test methods and limits specified.
• completing a literature review targeted at comparing the test methods identified for the various test properties and any correlations between them (e.g. any relationships, offsets or shift factors).
• where more than one test method is specified for the same property, reviewing the ‘competing’ test methods and consulting Austroads members with the aim of identifying a single test method to be adopted for each source rock property.
• engaging with Austroads members to confirm the findings and the preferred sources from each state to be included in the testing – the target will be four sources from different geological groups from eight Austroads members (e.g. one from ‘Acid Igneous’, ‘Basic Igneous’, ‘Intermediate Igneous and Metamorphic’ and ‘Sedimentary and Duricrust’ geological groupings).
• documenting a common sampling methodology to be adopted for all sources to be tested.
• developing a draft, prioritised testing program for confirmation through the Pavements Task Force.
HOLD POINT – confirmation of testing program
• liaising with suppliers/sources to obtain enough sample material from each source to complete the testing program plus a contingency amount – sampling, transport and storage costs are to be included in the consultant’s fees.
• arranging for testing of all samples using a facility that is NATA accredited for each test – as far as practicable all testing is to be done through one NATA accredited laboratory. Information about the proposed laboratory’s quality systems, capability and competence in the required tests is to be included in the offer.)
• for cases where there is more than one test method for the same or a similar material property, analysing the results and comparing/correlating results and comparing the outcomes with findings from the literature review.
• engaging with the testing and quarry industry in each jurisdiction about the impacts of making a change to testing/test methods and indicative timeframes needed to make such changes
• delivering a webinar for Austroads to outline the project and outcomes.
• providing a detailed technical report documenting the investigations, testing and analysis completed as well as:
o the recommended test method to be adopted for each source rock property
o recommended correlations/adjustments between the various test methods currently employed for the same or similar source rock property
• providing recommendations for any further research necessary to develop an Austroads Technical Specification for unbound granular material supply.
This project will produce the following final deliverables:
• Technical report
• A webinar
• Project data with populated metadata spreadsheet.
Also included as part of this tender are the following documents:
Master Services Agreement outlining our Terms and Conditions.
All submissions that are research project based must adhere to the Austroads style requirements and the Australian Government Style Manual
Summary of Austroads Publication Requirements for Research Reports:
Consultants engaged to deliver research reports for Austroads are required to use a standard report template designed to ensure clarity, consistency, and accessibility across all published outputs. While the full template will be provided upon contract commencement, the following outlines the key requirements tenderers should be aware of:
General Formatting and Style
• Reports must follow the Australian Government Style Manual, particularly in relation to:
• Inclusive and accessible language
• Grammar, punctuation, and capitalisation (e.g. sentence case for most headings)
• Referencing and attribution
• Use pre-defined Austroads styles for all headings, body text, tables, figures, and captions. Manual formatting (e.g. changing fonts or colours directly) is not permitted.
• The Table of Contents must be auto-generated and kept updated.
• The report should be:
• Logically structured: Each section must contribute to the report's purpose.
• Consistent: No conflicting information or contradictions.
• Thorough: All aspects of the agreed scope must be fully addressed and justified.
Content Development Guidelines
• The Summary and Section 1 (Introduction) are mandatory for all reports.
• Reports must include appropriate referencing for external sources, data, and studies.
• Any copyrighted material used must have documented permission and be properly acknowledged.
• A qualified editor must review the report before submission to ensure correct grammar, spelling, and readability.
Figures and Tables
• All figures and tables must:
• Be sequentially numbered
• Include a clear caption inserted using the Microsoft Word Insert Caption tool
• Images and diagrams must be clear, relevant, and referred to in the text.
Technical Details
• Specific instructions are included for each section within the template (e.g. expected content, structure, and formatting).
• Reports must avoid "style corruption" often caused by copying and pasting formatted text—authors must verify styles remain consistent with Austroads' format.
• Reports should be reviewed to ensure there is no duplication, ambiguity, or omission of scope elements.
All submissions are to be submitted as a PDF at a maximum size of 10MB.
All submissions are to include a completed Tender Proposal Coversheet.
The naming convention for submissions is: [your Company name] – [Project No.] – [any internal reference numbers].
Location
New South Wales : Central West : Far North Coast : Far West : Hunter : Illawarra : Mid North Coast : Murray : New England : Orana : Riverina : Southern Highlands : Sydney
Queensland : Cairns & Far North Queensland : Gladstone : Mackay Whitsunday Region : Mount Isa & North West Region : Rockhampton : South East Queensland : South West & Darling Downs : The Central West : Townsville : Wide Bay Burnett
Victoria : Barwon South West : Gippsland : Grampians : Hume : Loddon Mallee : Melbourne
South Australia : Adelaide : Eyre & Western : Far North : Fleurieu & Kangaroo Island : Limestone Coast : Murray & Mallee : York & Mid North
Northern Territory : Barkly : Big Rivers : Central Australia : East Arnhem : Greater Darwin : Top End
Australian Capital Territory
Tasmania
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