The Department for Transport has announced that they will develop a new data standard for road condition monitoring which should allow new and innovative ways of measuring road conditions hopefully leading to more accurate and useful data.
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
The review of current data standards has identified a need to remove the current prescriptions around road condition data and introduce a new data standard. This will give local highway authorities the flexibility to choose which surveying technology best supports their asset management strategies. The aim is to open the market and drive technological innovation, while still ensuring that data will be sufficiently comparable to maintain a national view of the condition of the highways network.
Currently, the Department for Transport prescribes that data must be collected using the Surface Condition Assessment for the National Network of Roads (SCANNER) vehicles. In recent years a number of alternative surveying technologies have entered the market and with this review, the Department for Transport recognises the value of these innovations.
The position paper announcing the review, released on 13/08/2021, references the Transport Select Committee's 2019 review of 'Local roads funding and maintenance: filling the gap' which CIHT gave evidence to. CIHT subsequently published Improving Local Highways, a report which amongst other things recommended the Department for Transport to:
The Department for Transport's plan is to introduce a data standard for use in the 2023 to 2024 data collection. It is expected that in 2025 DfT will be able to publish statistics under the new data standard.
The Road condition data and technology position paper is available here.
Alongside the announcement of a new data standard, funding for research into new and innovative technology, such as 3D printing and drones, to help find and fix potholes faster and more effectively was also announced.
You can read more about that here.
Realising savings from precise asset condition measurements - February 2021
This paper looks at how investing in accurate condition measurements of a highway network can lead to better decisions around procurement, reduce costs and ultimately improve surface quality.
>>> Access the technical article#StepForward
Propose a colleague who successfully becomes a CIHT member and you’ll be automatically be entered into our free monthly prize draw where one lucky winner will receive a £50 John Lewis Gift Card.
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
{{item.AuthorName}} {{item.AuthorName}} says on {{item.DateFormattedString}}: