Austroads Technical Specifications
The Austroads Technical Specifications are a comprehensive suite of specifications for the construction of Roads and Bridges.
The specifications specify requirements for the supply of materials, treatments and infrastructure.
They are published in a numerical sequence relating to their subject matter:
- ATS-1120 Quality Management Requirements – Date: 30/08/2024
- ATS-1140 Environment Management Systems – Date: 21/03/2025
- ATS-1160 Safety Management Systems – Date: 30/10/2023
- ATS-1210 Temporary Traffic Management – Date: 1/06/2026
- ATS-1215 Supply and Use of Temporarily Trafficked Steel Plates – Date: 1/06/2026
- ATS-1330 Management of Utilities on Site – Date: 22/10/2025
- ATS-2135 Management of Acid Sulfate Soils – Date: 9/12/2025
- ATS-2160 Geotextiles (Separation and Filtration) – Date: 6/08/2024
- ATS-2170 Geosynthetic Reinforcement – Date: 9/12/2025
- ATS-2180 Dry Deep Soil Mixing – Date: 9/12/2025
- ATS-2185 Concrete Injected Columns – Date: 9/12/2025
- ATS-2235 Supply of Box Culverts – Date: 21/03/2025
- ATS-2240 Construction of Stormwater Infrastructure – Date: 9/12/2025
- ATS-2245 Kerb and Channel – Date: 24/01/2025
- ATS-2255 Subsoil Drainage – Date: 24/01/2025
- ATS-2260 Vertical Wick Drains – Date: 16/05/2025
- ATS-2280 Horizontal Drains – Date: 30/10/2023
- ATS-2285 Supply of Strip Filter and Subsurface Drainage Pipe – Date: 30/10/2023
- ATS-3050 Supply of Recycled Crushed Glass Sand – Date: 14/12/2023
- ATS-3110 Supply of Polymer Modified Binders – Date: 4/06/2026
- ATS-3120 Supply of Aggregate for Sprayed Seals – Date: 3/12/2021
- ATS-3125 Fillers for Asphalt – Date: 10/11/2023
- ATS-3130 Supply of Aggregate for Asphalt – Date: 11/02/2025
- ATS-3135 Supply of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Material – Date: 10/11/2023
- ATS-3145 Supply of Binders for Earthworks and Pavements – Date: 07/04/2026
- ATS-3310 Construction of Unbound Granular Pavements – Date: 23/09/2025
- ATS-3320 Plant Mix Pavement Stabilisation Using Cement or Cementitious Blends – Date: 23/09/2025
- ATS-3330 In Situ Pavement Stabilisation Using Cement or Cementitious Blends – Date: 17/09/2025
- ATS-3340 Plant Mix Pavement Stabilisation Using Foamed Bitumen – Date: 17/09/2025
- ATS-3350 In Situ Pavement Stabilisation Using Foamed Bitumen – Date: 17/09/2025
- ATS-3410 Asphalt Pavements – Date: 19/02/2025
- ATS-3445 Cold Milling of Road Pavement – Date: 11/04/2025
- ATS-3450 Microsurfacing – Date: 25/01/2023
- ATS-3460 Sprayed Bituminous Surfacing – Date: 10/06/2022
- ATS-3465 Coloured Surface Treatment – Date: 20/02/2025
- ATS-3466 High Friction Surface Treatment – Date: 19/06/2025
- ATS-3471 Supply of Hot Poured Elastomeric Sealants For Pavements – Date: 10/06/2025
- ATS-3472 Sealing of Cracks in Flexible Pavements – Date: 10/06/2025
- ATS-3480 Bituminous Surface Retexturing – Date: 11/05/2020
- ATS-3505 Preformed Joint Fillers for Concrete Road Pavements and Structures – Date: 7/02/2025
- ATS-3510 No-fines Concrete Subbase – Date: 9/12/2025
- ATS-3520 Lean Mix Concrete Subbase – Date: 5/03/2025
- ATS-3530 Concrete Pavement Base – Date: 22/08/2025
- ATS-3535 Supply of Roller Compacted Concrete – Date: 14/02/2025
- ATS-3540 Construction of Roller Compacted Concrete Subbase – Date: 14/02/2025
- ATS-3545 Concrete Pavement Base (Minor Works) – Date: 30/09/2025
- ATS-3550 Diamond Grinding of Concrete Pavement – Date: 21/02/2025
- ATS-4110 Longitudinal Pavement Marking – Date: 12/05/2021
- ATS-4210 Steel Beam Safety Barrier – Date: 08/05/2026
- ATS-4220 Wire Rope Safety Barrier – Date: 14/01/2026
- ATS-4230 Construction of Concrete Safety Barriers – Date: 22/01/2025
- ATS-4310 Supply of Road Signs – Date: 22/04/2026
- ATS-4320 Installation of Road Signs – Date: 27/05/2026
- ATS-4410 Supply and Installation of Steel or Plastic Guide Posts – Date: 30/03/2026
- ATS-4420 Supply and Installation of Timber Guide Posts – Date: 30/03/2026
- ATS-4450 Plastic Noise Walls – Date: 25/05/2023
- ATS-4505 Design of Lighting Poles – Date: 15/04/2026
- ATS-4510 Supply of Lighting Poles – Date: 15/04/2026
- ATS-4520 Supply of Luminaires – Date: 15/04/2026
- ATS-4530 Installation of Lighting Infrastructure – Date: 15/04/2026
- ATS-4540 Horizontal Directional Drilling – Date: 02/09/2025
- ATS-4541 Microtunnelling and Auger Boring – Date: 04/06/2026
- ATS-4550 Supply of Pits and Covers for Cabling – Date: 09/12/2025
- ATS-4560 Installation of Conduits and Pits – Date: 09/12/2025
- ATS-4610 Light Duty Concrete Pavements – Date: 26/11/2025
- ATS-5110 Earthworks for Bridgeworks – Date: 01/12/2025
- ATS-5120 Construction of Reinforced Soil Structures – Date: 14/03/2023
- ATS-5130 Soil Nails – Date: 24/01/2025
- ATS-5140 Post-Tensioned Ground Anchors – Date: 24/06/2026
- ATS-5150 Construction of Gabions and Rock Mattresses – Date: 02/10/2025
- ATS-5230 Installation of Driven Piles – Date: 07/04/2026
- ATS-5240 Construction of Cast in Place Piles – Date: 22/08/2025
- ATS-5260 Construction of Continuous Flight Auger Piles – Date: 17/02/2025
- ATS-5280 High Strain Dynamic Pile Testing – Date: 10/07/2025
- ATS-5305 Formwork for Concrete – Date: 01/05/2023
- ATS-5306 Supply and Installation of Void Formers – Date: 30/10/2023
- ATS-5310 Supply and Placement of Steel for the Reinforcement of Concrete – Date: 07/04/2026
- ATS-5315 Supply of Special Class Concrete – Date: 17/05/2023
- ATS-5316 Cementitious Mortar and Grout – Date: 30/08/2024
- ATS-5317 Coring of Hardened Concrete – Date: 04/05/2023
- ATS-5320 Placement of Concrete – Date: 05/05/2023
- ATS-5321 Estimating Concrete Strength by the Maturity Method – Date: 10/07/2025
- ATS-5325 Precast Concrete Members – Date: 26/05/2023
- ATS-5326 Pretensioned Concrete Members – Date: 16/12/2025
- ATS-5327 Post Tensioning of Concrete – Date: 30/10/2023
- ATS-5328 Sprayed Concrete – Date: 24/01/2025
- ATS-5330 Supply of Geopolymer Concrete – Date: 20/01/2020
- ATS-5335 Normal Class Concrete – Date: 30/10/2023
- ATS-5336 Fibre Reinforced Concrete – Date: 24/01/2025
- ATS-5337 No-fines Concrete – Date: 22/01/2025
- ATS-5338 Supply of Controlled Low Strength Material (Flowable Fill) – Date: 22/01/2025
- ATS-5340 Cementitious Patch Repair of Concrete – Date: 10/07/2025
- ATS-5341 Repair of Concrete Cracks – Date: 10/07/2025
- ATS-5343 Coating of Concrete – Date: 20/01/2020
- ATS-5350 Waterproofing of Concrete Bridge Decks – Date: 19/06/2020
- ATS-5380 Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composite Strengthening of Concrete Structures – Date: 22/08/2025
- ATS-5390 Cathodic Protection of Concrete Structures – Date: 19/06/2020
- ATS-5410 Structural Steelwork – Fabrication and Erection – Date: 22/08/2025
- ATS-5420 Supply of Steel Fasteners – Date: 10/07/2025
- ATS-5430 Fabrication of Aluminium Components – Date: 18/11/2025
- ATS-5440 Fabrication of Stainless Steel Components – Date: 11/07/2025
- ATS-5450 Protection of Steelwork by the Use of Paint Coatings – Date: 01/12/2025
- ATS-5451 Supply of Paint for Steelwork – Date: 20/06/2025
- ATS-5452 Hot Dipped Galvanizing – Date: 27/05/2026
- ATS-5453 Painting of Steel Bridges – Site Management – Date: 22/08/2025
- ATS-5510 Supply of Plain Elastomeric Bearings – Date: 13/03/2023
- ATS-5520 Supply of Laminated Elastomeric Bearings – Date: 13/03/2023
- ATS-5530 Supply of Pot Bearings – Date: 13/03/2023
- ATS-5540 Supply of Spherical Bearings – Date: 13/03/2023
- ATS-5570 Installation of Bridge Bearings – Date: 30/08/2024
- ATS-5610 Compression Seal Expansion Joints – Date: 12/10/2023
- ATS-5620 Cold Applied Sealant Joints – Date: 12/10/2023
- ATS-5630 Elastomeric Strip Seal Expansion Joints – Date: 30/08/2024
- ATS-5640 Modular Bridge Expansion Joints – Date: 14/11/2025
- ATS-5650 Bonded Metal‑Elastomer Expansion Joints – Date: 30/08/2024
- ATS-5670 Finger Type Expansion Joints – Date: 21/12/2022
- ATS-5820 Anti-Graffiti Coatings – Date: 30/08/2024
- ATS-5830 Incrementally Launched Prestressed Concrete Girders – Date: 30/08/2024
- ATS-5840 Supply and Installation of Bridge Barriers – Date: 30/10/2023
- ATS-5845 Installation of Gantries and High-Mast Structures – Date: 01/09/2025
- ATS-5850 Handling, Storage, Transportation and Erection of Structural Members – Date: 30/10/2023
- ATS-5860 Bonded Anchors – Date: 25/05/2023
- ATS-5880 Fibre Reinforced Polymer Bridge Members – Date: 19/06/2025
Why adopt the specifications?
Approximately 1,000 specification documents will be reduced to around 150.
A set of uniform technical specifications adopted by Australia and New Zealand will make contract and tendering processes easier for industry and government.
Most Australasian road transport agencies maintain a suite of technical specifications that support road and bridge construction and maintenance. The specifications form part of procurement contracts and refer to unique agency 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.
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
- encourage contemporary best-practice road and bridge construction
- reduce training and tendering costs for the road and bridge construction industry
- simplify contract preparation for government agencies
- 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 adopt new technology encourage sustainable levels of technical capability within road agencies to develop and maintain specifications for road infrastructure.
Frequently asked questions
The Austroads Technical Advisory Group, made up of a senior representative from each jurisdiction, is overseeing development of the specifications.
Austroads is consulting with industry and all jurisdictions as each specification is developed.
When a new technical specification is developed, existing documents are reviewed first. This includes agencies' specifications and ANZ Standards. Technical experts in government and private practice are then consulted to determine the best approach for each specification.
The webinar below, presented by Richard Edwards, takes participants through the technical specifications development process and provides an overview of the structure and layout adopted for the specifications.
The Austroads Technical Specifications will supplement or replace many of the existing road agency specifications. The specifications 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.
Each road agency maintains a suite of 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 and if appropriate, an Austroads test method will be developed. This will prevent duplication and inconsistencies. Austroads Test Methods can be found here.
The specifications and test methods are progressively being released as they are developed.
Updated 24 June 2026
