New guidance on the service life for road surface treatments will help highway authorities undertake proper asset management by providing a recognised standard for lifecycle planning and asset valuation.
The guidelines have been developed by ADEPT, representing local authorities chief officers, and RSTA, the Road Surface Treatments Association.
They provide an agreed service life for surface dressing, microsurfacing, slurry surfacing and high friction surfacing.
Service Life of Surface Treatments has been published just as local authorities need to produce lifecycle plans for their assets and report their annual depreciation in the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) which from 2012/13 will be formally audited and scrutinised.
A key part of establishing a lifecycle plan for roads is understanding the range of potential surface treatment options available and how long that they should typically last.
George Batten, ADEPT President, said: “In order to depreciate the road network it is essential that authorities, at the outset, have a nationally agreed baseline for how long surface treatments should be expected to last.
“I am delighted that ADEPT and RSTA have joined together in this initiative to establish the service life of various surface treatments.”
Howard Robinson, RSTA Chief Executive (pictured), said: “These guidelines will provide invaluable information for any asset manager dealing with highway maintenance.
"They have been produced by industry experts and should be regarded as being the definitive view of the durability road surfaces that have been properly specified, designed and executed."
Copies of the guidelines Surface Life of Surface Treatments can be downloaded from either the ADEPT website: www.adeptnet.org.uk or the RSTA website: www.rsta-uk.org
