Technical Specifications

The Austroads Technical Specifications are a comprehensive suite of specifications for the construction of roads and bridges across Australia and New Zealand.

They cover requirements for the supply of materials, treatments and infrastructure, and are organised by subject area across five specification series.

The current Austroads Technical Specifications are listed below. Each specification includes its publication or latest update date.

Why adopt the specifications?

Approximately 1,000 specification documents will be reduced to around 150.

Most Australasian road transport agencies maintain their own suite of technical specifications that support road and bridge construction and maintenance. These documents form part of procurement contracts and often refer to agency-specific test methods and prequalification schemes.

Different requirements can make it difficult for companies tendering for projects to standardise construction techniques or management processes. This increases costs for contractors. Lack of consistency can also lead to requirements being overlooked or misunderstood, which can lead to disputes. Staff working across borders may need additional training to manage the increased risk for contractors.

A set of uniform technical specifications adopted by Australia and New Zealand will make contract and tendering processes easier for industry and government.

While jurisdictions may have specific local requirements, many standard technical requirements apply to all roadworks and bridgeworks regardless of the location.

Adopting the Austroads Technical Specifications will:

• save time and money in the long term by delivering efficiencies for industry
• simplify contract preparation for government agencies
• encourage contemporary best-practice road and bridge construction
• reduce training and tendering costs for the road and bridge construction industry
• provide consistent infrastructure quality
• improve industry compliance in the delivery of projects
• reduce the risk of project delivery disputes and encourage consistent skill development for contractors
• allow experts to focus on improvements and innovation
• encourage sustainable levels of technical capability within road agencies to develop and maintain specifications for road infrastructure.

How are the specifications being developed and implemented?

The Austroads Technical Advisory Group, made up of a senior representative from each jurisdiction, oversees the development of the specifications.

As each specification is developed, Austroads reviews existing documents. This includes reviewing road agency specifications, as well as Australia and New Zealand Standards. Technical experts from government and industry may then consulted to determine the best approach for each specification.

The Austroads Technical Specifications will supplement or replace many of the existing road agency specifications. They will still allow for agency-specific requirements where appropriate, based on the technical content of existing agency specifications.

All Australian and New Zealand jurisdictions will be responsible for implementing the Austroads Technical Specifications. Industry will be advised in advance of the implementation plans and phasing-in periods.

The webinar below provides an overview of the Austroads Technical Specifications and how they are developed. It outlines implementation strategies being adopted by some members of the Austroads Technical Advisory Group.

Are test methods affected?

Road agencies maintain test methods for use where there are no appropriate Australian, New Zealand or international standard test methods. As part of the development of the Austroads Technical Specifications, these test methods are reviewed to identify where an Austroads test method should be developed. This helps reduce duplication and improves consistency across jurisdiction.

The specifications and test methods are progressively being released as they are developed.

Updated 31 July 2026