Research Report 508 Improvement of the performance of hotmix asphalt surfacings in New Zealand
Published: Apr 2013This research project had the objective of identifying areas where changes could be made in the use of thin layers of asphalt so that improvements in performance could be obtained. The project was not designed to investigate quality issues, but was to concentrate on materials and selection. The project was initiated because Transit New Zealand (now the NZ Transport Agency) had found that costs of...
Research Report 523 The effect of road roughness (and test speed) on GripTester measurements
Published: Apr 2013This research investigated the effect of road roughness, macrotexture and testing speed on GripTester measurements.
Field tests were conducted by the GripTester at various test speeds on sites with varying road roughness in South Auckland. The variables – road roughness, texture and test speeds – were measured and plotted against each other along with grip number (GN)...
Research Report 515 - The effect of rainfall and contaminants on road pavement skid resistance
Published: Apr 2013This research project, which was undertaken between 2003 and 2006, aimed to improve the understanding of the effect that environmental factors (eg rainfall and detritus) have on the variation of measured skid resistance, both in the short and longer term. Phase 1 of the research was a field study of seven sites in the Auckland and Northland regions over 2.5+ years, with regular skid resistance...
Active research projects
Published: Mar 2013Through its Research Programme, the NZTA invests in innovative and relevant research which plays a critical role in contributing to the government's goals for transport. The results of NZTA research must be readily applicable to interventions that can be cost effectively applied in New Zealand in the short-to-medium term for longer term impacts. This page lists all active NZTA Research...
Research Report 518 Econometric models for public transport forecasting
Published: Mar 2013This paper presents the findings from an econometric analysis of public transport patronage growth for a selection of New Zealand cities: Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Tauranga. The primary objective of the econometric analysis was to provide an explanation of historic growth patterns and, in doing so, provide up-to-date public transport elasticities for use by transport planners and...
Research Report 502 Assessing pre-tensioned reinforcement corrosion within the New Zealand concrete bridge stock
Published: Mar 2013Precast pre-tensioned concrete bridge construction became common in New Zealand in the 1950s and a large number of pre-tensioned concrete bridges were constructed between 1953 and 1980. These bridges do not meet today’s durability requirements and many are at risk of chloride-induced pre-tensioned reinforcement corrosion. This deterioration can be difficult to detect in visual inspections...
Research Report 522 Blueprint for a best practice measurement indicator set and benchmarking
Published: Mar 2013This report develops an indicator framework for measuring the contribution of land transport to the aggregate wellbeing of New Zealanders. The starting point is viewing transport as an input into the generation of wellbeing, reflecting the role of transport as a technology that enables human interaction, trade and other activities. Transport improves wellbeing if it better facilitates these...
Research Report 512 The New Zealand accessibility analysis methodology
Published: Mar 2013This research considers land use and transport accessibility drawing on international practice from the UK, Europe, USA and Australia. An objective of the research was to define accessibility and propose a methodology for how accessibility could be measured and quantified in New Zealand, both at a neighbourhood or a wider area such as a suburb, city or region.
The result of the...
Research Report 517 Use of roadside barriers versus clear zones
Published: Feb 2013This report summarises research carried out in 2011–12 to quantify the effects of roadside barriers and clear zones on mitigation of run-off-road crash numbers and crash severity for New Zealand road and roadside characteristics through statistical and computer simulation modelling. The purpose of the research was to provide practitioners with information that would allow them to make...
Research Report 511 Value capture mechanisms to fund transport infrastructure
Published: Feb 2013Throughout the world, transport infrastructure is increasingly being funded by charges that more closely target the direct beneficiaries of the infrastructure. One form these charges can take is a levy on land owners or developers – ie value capture mechanisms. In New Zealand there are a number of mechanisms that can be defined as value capture mechanisms: development contributions,...
Research Report 489 The costs of congestion reappraised
Published: Feb 2013The purpose of this research was to develop improved approaches to assessing the costs of urban traffic congestion and to make corresponding estimates of the costs of congestion in Auckland (New Zealand).
Various definitions of congestion were reviewed and it was found that the concept of congestion is surprisingly ill-defined. A definition commonly used by economists treats all...
Research Report 498 The design of stabilised pavements in New Zealand
Published: Feb 2013Areas of New Zealand are running out of premium aggregates that meet the demanding specifications used in unbound granular road construction. Stabilising aggregate provides a viable alternative to using premium aggregates.
The objective of this project was to improve the sustainability of New Zealand roads via a combination of Accelerated Pavement Tests at the Canterbury Accelerated...
Research Report 516 Detailed observations and validated modelling of the impact of traffic on the air quality of roadside communities
Published: Feb 2013Detailed observations of air quality and local meteorology were conducted on either side of a stretch of the Auckland southern motorway, and in the surrounding residential neighbourhood. The data revealed emissions from motorway traffic contributed, on average, to a 10% elevation in concentrations of particulate matter at a roadside site relative to a setback site (150m away or more) and to a...
Research Report 514 The contribution of public transport to economic productivity
Published: Jan 2013The objective of this research was to quantify the contribution of public transport to economic productivity. Based on our review of the literature we decided to extend and apply Venables’ microeconomic model of the productivity benefits of transport improvements, which considers the interplay between commuting costs and agglomeration economies. We extended Venables’ model in two...
Research Report 513 Impact of urban form on transport and economic outcomes
Published: Jan 2013Urban form describes the physical shape and settlement/land use patterns of cities and towns. This research addressed two key questions: 1) How urban form impacts on transport and economic outcomes and 2) How regional and local council planning policies can contribute to a more efficient and durable urban form. We found that urban form has modest impacts on transport outcomes, through...
Research Report 504 Seismic design of New Zealand highway bridges under spatially varying ground excitations
Published: Dec 2012Bridge damage, especially due to pounding and unseating at expansion joints has been observed in almost all major earthquakes. It is the result of large relative displacements of girders, in excess of the designed gap width and seating length. Research shows that relative displacements of neighbouring bridge segments depend on the fundamental frequencies of the adjacent structures, spatially...
Research Report 509 The next generation of rural road crash prediction models: final report
Published: Dec 2012The majority of fatal and serious crashes in New Zealand occur on rural two-lane roads. Data on historic crash patterns is not always sufficient to enable a suitable diagnosis of the safety deficiencies of various sections of this rural road network. It also cannot readily identify safety issues on low-volume roads and shorter sections of highway, where the relative scarcity of crashes may mask...
Research Report 510 Evaluation of the C-roundabout an improved multi-lane roundabout design for cyclists
Published: Dec 2012The C-roundabout (cyclist roundabout) is a new multi-lane roundabout design (developed as part of a 2006 Land Transport NZ research project Improved multi-lane roundabout designs for cyclists) that aims to improve the safety of cyclists at multi-lane roundabouts and make multi-lane roundabouts more cyclist-friendly.
A C-roundabout was installed at the Palomino Dr/Sturges Rd...
Research Report 503 A natural environment and cultural asset management system for New Zealands state highway network: towards a practical concept and application
Published: Nov 2012Internationally there is an increasing expectation for roadways to have a minimal environmental footprint, to express local environmental and cultural context, and to protect or respect natural, historical and landscape assets – in addition to being efficient and safe. New Zealand depends on the integrity of its clean green brand and the highways are the shop window of the nation and...
Research report 505 Economic evaluation of the impact of safe speeds: literature review
Published: Nov 2012The Safe System approach to road safety implies the goal of removing fatal and serious injury crashes from our road network.
This review addresses:
• alternative ways of classifying roads in relation to speed, across the road network, compatible with the Safe System approach
• how speed relates to crashes, fuel consumption and emissions
