It has proven possible to fit the requirements of all the parties in the road design process into a logical structure. In highway construction, a structure of this kind is a vital tool for allocating responsibilities and realizing the requirements for the different parties. Such a structure also makes it possible to show what the effects of maintenance measures will be on safety, accessibility and liveability. This different yet simple structure is described as the pyramid of requirements. In line with the structure what becomes clear is: the hierarchy of all requirements; the sequence of decisions; who is responsible for failures; the relationships between costs and benefits; the effect of maintenance measures; gaps in knowledge. The structure described is directly available, universal, expandable and software independent. The present project has mapped out a part of the requirements, which is representative of the system of requirements as a whole. Starting off with the functional requirements (What does the road user want?) relationships are described with technical requirements (How do you do that?). It would appear wise to establish more information in this way on the basis of costs and benefits. The structure is now available, but there is still a long way to go. For the covering abstract see ITRD E135448.
Abstract