Transport Certification Australia (TCA) has deemed its Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) Forum a success, with over 70 delegates in attendance.
“Attendees included road managers, policy makers, regulators, researchers, transport operators, WIM suppliers, On-Board (OBM) suppliers and telematics providers,” said TCA Chief Executive Officer and President of the International Society for Weigh-In-Motion (ISWIM), Chris Koniditsiotis.
The Forum explored how mass data is being collected from a variety of in-road and in-vehicle systems, the growing dependence on mass information for infrastructure management, maintenance and investment planning, and compliance management, and how WIM and OBM systems are being used to support productivity and safety reforms.
Speakers from Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland, New South Wales Roads and Maritime Services, VicRoads, Austroads, the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) and the National Transport Commission (NTC) delivered presentations, highlighting the diversity of the theme.
The common theme from the Forum was that mass data has multiple sources, and multiple uses, and how a standardised approach for the collection and exchange of data can further optimise road infrastructure utilisation and planning, TCA said.
The Forum also reportedly highlighted how On-Board Mass (OBM) Systems are driving improved productivity outcomes for heavy vehicle freight, following the recent release of the Australian Standard for Bridge Design Loads (AS 5100.2:2017).
“The bridge design standard specifically recognises how the use of OBM Systems, when used with the Intelligent Access Program (IAP), allows infrastructure managers to reduce load factors for bridges,” Koniditsiotis said.
“By having a better understanding of vehicle loads (through OBM Systems) and the number of vehicle movements (through the IAP), bridges are now effectively being ‘re-engineered’ for higher mass loads, without capital investment or maintenance expenditure.”
Forum participants developed a shortlist of initiatives to progress the use of WIM and OBM technologies, TCA said.
“A strong theme from the Forum was the need to have national standardisation of data and interoperability of mass data, to support the growing use of data for the compliance management functions by regulators and road managers, but also planners, pavements and bridge engineers, policy analysts, and transport operators – and more beyond,” Koniditsiotis said.
“A summary of actionable items will be published, and will form the basis of collaborative work programs to potential partner organisations, beneficiaries.”