Department of Transport

Status Report on Standard

Specifications and Codes of
Practice
RPF November 2004

CONTENT
1.
2.
3.
4.

INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
METHODOLOGY
ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT GUIDELINES,
STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS

1. INTRODUCTION

The development and maintenance of guidelines, standards and specifications is a

very important component of managing a good network of road infrastructure.

Over time, new industry practice, new technologies, the introduction of materials, a
shortage of materials are a few instances which necessitate an update, revision or
introduction of new guidelines, standards and specifications.

This study was conducted to determine the current state of the guidelines, standards
and specifications that are currently in use in the provision and maintenance of the
South African network of roads.

2. BACKGROUND

Road network development and maintenance has traditionally been a responsibility of roads
authorities across the various spheres of government.

In 1998 the Chief Directorate: Roads of the DoT became the South African National
Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL), which is now responsible for our primary road
network.

With this came an exodus of technical expertise within the DoT, which had a negative
impact on some of the core technical functions that were carried out by the department.

One such function was the area of infrastructure standards.

Custodianship for the development and maintenance of infrastructure standards has

traditionally been with the Committee of Land Transport Officials (COLTO) now
known as the Committee of Transport Officials.

The DoT has recently created a new Chief Directorate: Transport Infrastructure (now
Infrastructure Network Development) to work jointly with roads authorities and through
existing and new structures to provide strategic leadership and to address shortcomings
in areas such as infrastructure standards.

3. METHODOLOGY

The study was conducted through a detailed assessment of the content, quality and
relevance of each guideline.

Involved the preparation of a template that was used in interviews with specific
industry players.
Organizations and forums that were approached include:
- Roads Coordinating Committee (RCC) and its relevant sub-committees
- South African Bitumen and Tar Association (SABITA)
- CSIR
- Provincial Roads Authorities
- Road Pavements Forum
- SANRAL
- Cement and Concrete Institute (C&CI)
- SATCC TU

ASSESSMENT TEMPLATE
No

TRH1

Title

Prime coats and

bituminous curing
membranes

Status

Draft

Comments

Observation
Coal tar products effect on environment
should be taken into account

Recommendation
Assess, revise, amend to latest practice
and finalise

Priority
Medium
TRH2

Geotechnical and soil

engineering mapping
for roads and the
storage of materials
data

Final

Observation
Outdated
Recommendation
Update and revise to current practice

Priority
Medium

4. ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT
GUIDELINES, STANDARDS AND
SPECIFICATIONS
COTO TRH DOCUMENTS
HIGH PRIORITY
- TRH 4: Structural Design of Flexible Pavements for Interurban and
Rural Roads.
- TRH 7: Use of Bitumen Emulsions in the Construction and
Maintenance of Roads.
- TRH 11: Guidelines for the Conveyance of Abnormal Loads.
- TRH 12: Flexible Pavement Rehabilitation Investigation and Design.
- TRH 14: Guidelines for Road Construction Materials.
- TRH 17: Geometric Design of Rural Roads.
- TRH 20: Structural Design, Construction and Maintenance of Unpaved
Roads.
- TRH 22: Pavement Management Systems.

COTO TRH DOCUMENTS

DRAFTS
- TRH 1: Prime Coats and Bituminous Curing Membranes.
- TRH 3: Surfacing Seals for Rural and Urban Roads.
- TRH 4: Structural Design of Flexible Pavements for Interurban and
Rural Roads.
- TRH 7: Use of Bitumen Emulsions in the Construction and
Maintenance of Roads.
- TRH 12: Flexible Pavement Rehabilitation Investigation and Design.
- TRH 13: Cementitious Stabilizers in Road Construction.
- TRH 15: Subsurface Drainage for Roads.
- TRH 16: Traffic Loading for Pavement and Rehabilitation Design.
- TRH 19: Standard Nomenclature and Methods for Describing the
Condition of Jointed Concrete Pavements.
- TRH 20: Structural Design, Construction and Maintenance of Unpaved
Roads.
- TRH 21: Hot Mix Recycling.
- TRH 22: Pavement Management Systems.

COTO TMH DOCUMENTS

HIGH PRIORITY
- TMH 1: Standard Methods of Testing Road Construction Materials.
- TMH 5: Sampling Methods for Road Construction Materials.
- TMH 6: Special Methods for Testing Roads.
- TMH 7: Code of Practice for the design of Highway Bridges and
Culverts in SA, Parts 1 & 2.
- TMH 7: Code of Practice for the design of Highway Bridges and
Culverts in SA, Parts 3.
- TMH 9: Pavement Management Systems: Standard Visual Assessment
Manual for Flexible Pavements.
- TMH 11: Standard Survey Methods.
- TMH 12: Pavement Management Systems: Standard Visual
Assessment Manual for Unsealed Roads, Version 1.

COTO TMH DOCUMENTS

DRAFTS
- TMH 3: Traffic Axle Load Surveys for Pavement Design.
- TMH 6: Special Methods for Testing Roads.
- TMH 8: Verkeerstellings Presedures vir Buitestedelike Paaie.
- TMH 12: Pavement Management Systems: Standard Visual
Assessment Manual for Unsealed Roads, Version 1.

COTO UTG DOCUMENTS

HIGH PRIORITY
- UTG 1: Guidelines for the Geometric Design of Urban Arterial Roads.
- UTG 5: Geometric Design of Urban Collector Roads.
- UTG 7: Geometric Design of Urban Local Residential Streets.
- UTG 10: Guidelines for the Geometric Design of Commercial and
Industrial Local Streets.

COTO UTG DOCUMENTS

DRAFTS
- UTG 1: Guidelines for the Geometric Design of Urban Arterial Roads.
- UTG 2: Structural Design of Segmental Block Pavements for South
Africa.
- UTG 3: Structural Design of Urban Roads.
- UTG 5: Geometric Design of Urban Collector Roads.
- UTG 6: Guidelines on Maintenance Management for Large
Municipalities.
- UTG 7: Geometric Design of Urban Local Residential Streets.
- UTG 9: Guidelines for the Transportation System Management
Process.
- UTG 10: Guidelines for the Geometric Design of Commercial and
Industrial Local Streets.
- UTG 11: Guidelines for the Public Participation in Land Use/Transport
Planning.
- UTG 12: Pavement Management Systems: Standard Visual
Assessment Manual for Flexible Pavements in Urban Areas.

SPECIFICATIONS
HIGH PRIORITY
- COLTO Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Works for State
Road Authorities.
- COLTO General Conditions of Contract for Road and Bridge Works
for State Road Authorities.
- FIDIC General Conditions of Contract for Works of Civil Engineering
Construction (6th Edition).
- Design and Upgrade of Highway Bridges.

SATCC DOCUMENTS

South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique have had no significant problems, although
there is some confusion in South Africa on whether to use the SATCC documents,
SANRAL Geometric Design Manual or the TRH 17.

Namibia have had problems with loopholes for litigation.

Tanzania need a longer assessment period.

No feedback from the rest of the SADC countries.

RMC Priority List

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

TMH 1
TRH 20
TRH 12
TRH 14
TMH 8
TRH 4