Bridges
- Publication no: ABC2017-008-17
- Published: 20 April 2017
- PDF (free) Download
The NZ Transport Agency (the Transport Agency) issued in May 2016 the first edition of theTransport Agencys Highway Structures Design Guide.
This new document is the Transport Agencys primary structures design document, and sets out theTransport Agencys design requirements for all permanent highway structures on the New Zealand statehighway network, including soil structures and earthworks.
The primary function of the Highway Structures Design Guide is to define design requirements that areconsistent with the Transport Agencys primary purpose of promoting an affordable, integrated, safe,responsive and sustainable land transport system.
The guide has secondary functions of (a) providing design guidelines for use by other New Zealand roadcontrolling authorities, (b) interpreting the New Zealand Building Act 2004 requirements for the design ofhighway structures and setting out the Transport Agencys intended means of compliance with the NewZealand Building Code, and (c) providing the Transport Agencys requirements for structures owned byothers that are present within the state highway road reserve.
In addition to comprehensive design requirements for new structures (including design philosophy andnon-structural requirements as well as structural requirements), the scope of the Highway StructuresDesign Guide includes design and construction process requirements, design, construction and handoverdocumentation requirements, a summary of Building Act 2004, Building Code and building consentrequirements and requirements for evaluation of and alterations to existing structures.
The guide references the Transport Agencys existing structures design manuals, guides andspecifications, but also contains new material developed where found to be necessary in order to providecomprehensive coverage of the Transport Agencys structures.
The paper, prepared by the working group that developed the Highway Structures Design Guide,describes the genesis and development of the guide, provides a section by section summary of thecontent and presents and discusses the new requirements that have been developed.