New standard for road condition monitoring released
12/12/2024
A new standard for how highway condition data is collected and reported has been published by the British Standards Institution (BSI), establishing a new approach to road condition categories and a new era for highway inspections.
According to BSI, the long-awaited PAS 2161 specification for road condition monitoring (RCM) data specifies: “the processing and validation of road condition data, data quality checks and the formatting of the data for national reporting.”
It also outlines the use of technologies in delivering RCM data, opening up the market to new forms of digital inspection.
Under the new system, roads are categorised as follows with ‘potential maintenance treatment options’:
- Category 1 – No deterioration: pavement is not considered for maintenance;
- Category 2 – Minor (and/or aesthetic) deterioration: light maintenance, for example minor patching;
- Category 3 – Moderate deterioration: localised intervention or mid-life preventative maintenance;
- Category 4 – Moderate to severe deterioration: rehabilitative maintenance, perhaps full carriageway; and
- Category 5 – Severe deterioration: structural maintenance (full carriageway resurfacing or reconstruction).
Published by BSI in its capacity as a National Standards Body, with sponsorship from the Department for Transport (DfT), the specification introduces “a standardised way of capturing, categorising, classifying and reporting on RCM data by those undertaking RCM data collection, as part of the national reporting on road conditions”.
Once captured, RCM data is fed into England’s local authorities and the DfT as part of a national reporting requirement to help manage the condition of UK road networks and road assets.
Nick Fleming, Director of Transport and Mobility at BSI, said: “Robust data collection is the foundation of effective monitoring and maintaining our road network.
“This new standard responds to the progress seen in terms of advances in new techniques and technologies to capture road condition data. It is designed to deliver greater consistency and confidence in road condition data collection, reporting and its application to help improve the overall condition of our road network and ultimately ensure that drivers can use our roads with confidence.”
A spokesperson for the DfT said: “The Department for Transport has collaborated with the British Standards Institute, the Transport Research Laboratory, local highway authorities and the road condition monitoring sector to introduce this new data standard. The standard will bring innovation to road condition monitoring while retaining quality, supporting local highway authorities to optimise their maintenance of local roads, which are an essential national asset.”
PAS 2161:2024 specifies:
- The requirements for condition categories for reporting of road condition;
- The types of technology that can be used for reporting road condition categories;
- The requirements for processing, validating and fitting road condition category data;
- The network coverage requirements for national reporting of road condition categories;
- The frequency requirements for national reporting of road condition categories;
- The format for road condition category data, which is to be used for national reporting; and
- The requirements for demonstrating the capability of RCM technologies for national reporting of road condition categories.
RCM can be used to report on overall conditions, identify any urgent issues with road surfaces and help decide on the treatments required, such as patching, crack sealing or even resurfacing.
The specification is relevant to all providers, procurers and users of RCM data collection technologies, RCM data management systems and RCM data.
