The Guide to Road Design is one of a set of comprehensive Austroads Guides developed to provide a primary national reference for the development of safe, economical and efficient road design solutions. Comprised of 15 parts, practitioners are advised to visit the Austroads website (https://www.onlinepublications.austroads.com.au) to view the latest versions of the parts as well as other Guide series available. The Guide to Road Design seeks to capture the contemporary practice of member organisations in road design. Although local conditions and circumstances may sometimes require unique or innovative approaches to design, the bulk of works can be well accommodated by the approach outlined in the Guide to Road Design. However, it is recognised that member organisations may develop and publish supplementary guidelines and manuals to cover specific design situations. Each member organisation will determine whether any other documents, including its own supplementary guidelines, take precedence over Austroads Guides. The Guide to Road Design is aimed primarily at practitioners with responsibilities for the design of roads. The documentation is presented in the form of a number of parts covering specific aspects of the design process, with each part providing guidelines underpinned by commentaries and resource materials. The Guide deals with the geometric elements of the road, together with relevant drainage and roadside considerations. It is expected that, for the experienced engineer or practitioner, the guidelines will provide the necessary key information. Less experienced designers or students will find the commentaries and resource documents particularly useful. The Guide addresses design practice across the range of road categories, from major roads to local roads, but does not address urban local-access roads. It also recognises that the design of roads should be based on the capabilities and behaviour of all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists, and on the performance and characteristics of vehicles. The different traffic mix and volumes, access requirements, functions and abutting developments that are typical of local roads create a different set of challenges that must be addressed in their own right. Additional guidance on the specific requirements of low trafficked roads is available in AASHTO (2001) and Giummarra (2001). Guide to Road Design Part 1 provides an introduction to the road design process, defining its status, purpose and areas of application. It describes the functions and content of the 15 parts in the Guide to Road Design. The context of the road design process, its philosophy and principles are discussed. The use of each Part of the Guide and the relationship between them and the design process are covered. Part 1 of the Guide is particularly useful for designers who are new to road design or are using the Guide to Road Design for the first time. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting