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Road Design

Cover of Guide to Road Design Part 1: Objectives of Road Design
Guide to Road Design Part 1: Objectives of Road Design
  • Publication no: AGRD01-26
  • ISBN: 978-1-923617-37-7
  • Published: 25 June 2026
  • Edition: 5.3

Austroads Guide to Road Design Part 1 provides practitioners with a detailed description of the critical aspects of road design.

This Part includes the design objectives that apply to a road design project, design philosophy, context-sensitive design and the factors that influence the road design, including road design in the context of the Safe System approach, the design domain concept, design phases and processes, design considerations, design and legal liability, delivery considerations and emerging technology considerations.

Appendix A details processes and documentation and Appendix B offers guidance on geotechnical investigations and design.

Summary report

A summary of the changes in the current edition is outlined in the report Updates to Austroads Guide to Road Design: Parts 1, 3, 4, 4A, 6, 6A, 6B and 7 (AP-R766-26).

Edition 5.3 includes:

  • additional information about performance-based criteria, decision-making principles and deviation from common practice for context sensitive design
  • minor editorial changes and updates throughout.

Superseded editions:

Edition 5.2 published March 2025

Edition 5.1 published March 2021

Edition 5.0 published March 2021

Edition 4.0 published September 2015

Edition 3.0 published October 2010

Edition 2.0 published November 2009

Edition 1.0 published 2006

  • 1. Scope of the Guide to Road Design
    • 1.1 Introduction
    • 1.2 Purpose of the Guide to Road Design
    • 1.3 Application of the Guide to Road Design
    • 1.4 Parts of the Guide to Road Design
    • 1.5 Links to Other Guides
      • 1.5.1 Guide to Road Safety
      • 1.5.2 Guide to Traffic Management
      • 1.5.3 Terminology
    • 1.6 Jurisdictional Supplements
      • 1.6.1 Department of Transport and Planning (Transport Victoria), Victoria
      • 1.6.2 Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Queensland
      • 1.6.3 Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW), New South Wales
      • 1.6.4 Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA), Western Australia
      • 1.6.5 Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT), South Australia
      • 1.6.6 Department of State Growth (DSG), Tasmania
      • 1.6.7 City and Environment Directorate, Canberra
      • 1.6.8 Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Northern Territory
      • 1.6.9 NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, New Zealand
  • 2. Road Design Across the Transport Management System
    • 2.1 Road Management Phase Process
      • 2.1.1 Road Planning
    • 2.2 Network Considerations and Outcomes
      • 2.2.1 The Safe System Approach
      • 2.2.2 Design Considerations
      • 2.2.3 Designing for Safety
      • 2.2.4 Nature and Magnitude of Transport Demand
      • 2.2.5 Strategic Fit
    • 2.3 Multi-Modal Considerations
      • 2.3.1 Freight
      • 2.3.2 Public Transport
      • 2.3.3 Provision for Cyclists and Pedestrians
      • 2.3.4 Provision for Motorcyclists
  • 3. Principles and Objectives of Road Design
    • 3.1 Definition of Road Design
    • 3.2 Road Design Principles
    • 3.3 Objectives of Road Design
    • 3.4 Geometric Consistency
      • 3.4.1 General
      • 3.4.2 Cross-section and Network-wide Design
      • 3.4.3 Design Speed
      • 3.4.4 Driver Workload
    • 3.5 Future Technology Considerations
    • 3.6 Performance-based Design
    • 3.7 Community Expectations
  • 4. Road Design Application
    • 4.1 Road Characteristics and Use
      • 4.1.1 Functional Classification and Use
      • 4.1.2 Factors that Influence Design Standards
      • 4.1.3 Speed Parameters
    • 4.2 Phases of Design
      • 4.2.1 Phase 1 – Establish the Preferred Solution
      • 4.2.2 Phase 2 – Further Develop the Solution
      • 4.2.3 Phase 3 – Detailed Design: The Design for Construction
    • 4.3 Context-sensitive Design
      • 4.3.1 Performance-based Criteria
      • 4.3.2 Decision-making Principles
      • 4.3.3 Deviation from Common Practice
    • 4.4 Road Design Domains
      • 4.4.1 The Design Domain
      • 4.4.2 Application of the Design Domains
    • 4.5 Design Exceptions
    • 4.6 Departing from the Normal Design Domain
      • 4.6.1 The EDD/DE Process
      • 4.6.2 Risk Assessment
      • 4.6.3 Mitigation Strategies
      • 4.6.4 Innovative and Emerging Treatments
      • 4.6.5 Application of Guidelines
    • 4.7 Design and Legal Liability
      • 4.7.1 Legal Liability
    • 4.8 Coordination of Disciplines
    • 4.9 Delivery Considerations
      • 4.9.1 Mechanisms to Deliver Projects
      • 4.9.2 Workplace Health and Safety/Safe Design
      • 4.9.3 Constructability and Maintainability
  • 5. The Road Design Process
    • 5.1 General
    • 5.2 Design Report
      • 5.2.1 Design Report Content
  • References
  • Appendix A Process and Documentation
    • A.1 Preparation for Design
      • A.1.1 Overview
      • A.1.2 Design Control Process – the Relationship to ISO 9001
      • A.1.3 Use of Design Control Aids
      • A.1.4 Client and Designer Interaction
      • A.1.5 Scope of the Design
      • A.1.6 Design Development Inputs
      • A.1.7 Design Development Output
    • A.2 Design Development
      • A.2.1 Overview
      • A.2.2 Producing the Road Design
      • A.2.3 Matters Specific to Each Design Phase
      • A.2.4 Design Control
      • A.2.5 Design Self Checks
      • A.2.6 Design Interfaces
      • A.2.7 Workplace Health and Safety/Safe Design
      • A.2.8 Constructability and Maintainability
      • A.2.9 Quantities
    • A.3 Design Review, Verification and Validation
      • A.3.1 Overview
      • A.3.2 Independence in the Process
      • A.3.3 Design Review
      • A.3.4 Additional Aspects to the Review Process
      • A.3.5 Design Interface Review
      • A.3.6 Incorporating the Review Response
      • A.3.7 Dealing with Design Non-conformance/Departures
      • A.3.8 Dealing with Variations
      • A.3.9 Design Development Verification
      • A.3.10 Design Development Validation
    • A.4 Design Audit Process
      • A.4.1 Overview
      • A.4.2 Design Process Audit
      • A.4.3 Design Product Audit
    • A.5 Presentation of Outputs
      • A.5.1 Overview
      • A.5.2 Typical Sheet Contents
      • A.5.3 Organisation of CADD Data
      • A.5.4 Preparation of CADD Drawings
      • A.5.5 Phase 2 – Design Composition
      • A.5.6 Phase 3 – Design Composition
      • A.5.7 Standard Feature Labels for Data Groups
      • A.5.8 Standard Symbols
      • A.5.9 Supplementary Design Elements and Criteria
  • Appendix B Geotechnical Investigations and Design
    • B.1 Introduction
    • B.1.1 Purpose of Geotechnical Investigations
    • B.1.2 Scope of Guidance
    • B.1.3 Aims of a Geotechnical Investigation and Design
    • B.1.4 Safety During Investigations
    • B.1.5 Definitions
    • B.2 Overview of Geotechnical Investigations
      • B.2.1 Preliminary Investigation
      • B.2.2 Approvals for Site Investigations
      • B.2.3 Detailed Geotechnical Investigation
      • B.2.4 Design of Special Systems
      • B.2.5 Production of Geotechnical Reports
      • B.2.6 Emerging Technologies
    • B.3 Methods of Geotechnical Investigation
      • B.3.1 Seismic Surveys
      • B.3.2 Auger and Bore Holes
      • B.3.3 Penetrometer Testing
      • B.3.4 Standpipe Piezometers
      • B.3.5 Trenching
      • B.3.6 Sampling and Testing of Materials
    • B.4 Design Elements
      • B.4.1 General
      • B.4.2 Horizontal Alignment
      • B.4.3 Vertical Alignment
      • B.4.4 Cuttings
      • B.4.5 Embankments
      • B.4.6 Pavements
      • B.4.7 Subsurface Drainage Systems
      • B.4.8 Footings for Structures
      • B.4.9 Observational Method
    • B.5 Sustainable Design Practices
      • B.5.1 General
      • B.5.2 Materials Stewardship
      • B.5.3 Minimisation of Erosion
      • B.5.4 Water for Construction and Landscaping Purposes
      • B.5.5 Preservation of Topsoil
      • B.5.6 Use of Non-standard or Recycled Materials
    • B.6 Laboratory Tests
      • B.6.1 Tests Related to Engineering Properties
      • B.6.2 Physical or Empirical Properties
    • B.7 Special Geotechnical Design Systems
      • B.7.1 General
      • B.7.2 Slope Stability Treatments
      • B.7.3 Treatments for Soft or Swampy Ground beneath Embankments
      • B.7.4 Monitoring of Movement in Embankments
      • B.7.5 Erosion Protection
      • B.7.6 Contamination
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