According to industry stalwart, Bob Woodward, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has a bridge access project, the Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP) in progress that has considerable potential for the many structures with unknown design and history.
It was stated that some 24,000 local government structures could be included in this project, where structures could be categorised into ‘bridge families’, such that several structures would be assessed and then all structures in that family would be considered accordingly. A lot of work, but seemingly a positive way forward.
When the bridge issues are resolved Access should be simple, there is good reason it could be like the smorgasbord at the local club, the menu having very different courses, and my proposed Access Smorgasbord menu has five (5) key options:
Length; Height; Swept Path Performance; Gradient; Bridges (axle spacing mass schedule).
- Length (intersection stacking etc), Pavements and Bridges, do not differentiate between PBS and other vehicles, so the first task, remove that mystery. Similarly, access should not be commodity limited (except maybe in disaster or emergency with specific cooperating conditions). Mass management in conjunction with telematics should be the precursor, non-compliance should be actioned appropriately, this will allow the Factor of Safety applied to structures to be reduced.
- Height – options including up to 4.3m and up to 4.6 metres
- Swept Path Performance – options, generally in accordance with PBS safety levels.
- Gradient – the maximum gradient on networks should be information held by the road owner/manager, if they do not know how can they appropriately assess and access application.
- Axle spacing, group mass and GCM – this is difficult. An axle spacing mass schedule has a place for not only bridge assessment by also for vehicle designers, noting that where short simple spans are involved and only two or maybe three axle groups can impose mass at once, GCM is rarely a factor.
By providing multi layered access maps the access smorgasbord would then provide the operator with a ready assessment of access and remove the unacceptable delays and incurred costs in considering access.
Road and access managers need to deliver a simple process for Access, remove the need for permits and Safety and Productivity will follow.
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