Research for technical standardisation in Hungary.

Technical standards and specifications are applied voluntarily in the road sector as a consequence of the EU membership. Adapting more recent solutions coming from the technical improvement requires continuous renewal of standards based on research and development. A new system of technical specifications has been introduced in the fields of design, construction, maintenance and management of national public roads recently. An applied research program ensures the basis of the new regulation. This road-related research program has practical orientation aiming the development of new technologies and methods. The research items are categorised into 8 thematic groups according to the OECD proposal. Tendering, assessment, monitoring and promotion of results is strictly regulated. The emphasis is on the utilisation of results therefore an experimental construction program has been initiated. The outcomes of research and experiments provide a well-established basis for elaborating new technical standards. Within the process of standardisation the CEN activities are closely monitored and are taken into account. In case of technical standards and specifications the circle of users is narrower than in case of the national standard. The user organizations are in general construction companies, consultants, societies or associations of individuals with a definable specialty. The finished technical specifications are usually called technical directives, technical prescriptions etc. The technical standards can also be referred to in contracts, other standards and legal proceedings. Although the technical specification is basically a document applicable on a voluntary basis, the public road services are obliged to obey it both as a purchaser and in their own operation as the ministry responsible for the national public roads makes it obligatory by a contract reference. However, the operators of local roads owned by the municipal authorities are not obliged to follow the technical specification, it serves as a recommendation to them (A). For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD E212343.