Changes to Austroads’ Guide to Road Tunnels includes guidance on how to achieve more sustainable outcomes at each stage throughout the life cycle of tunnels.
Austroads Transport Infrastructure Program Manager, Ross Guppy, said, “Every state and territory in Australia, as well as New Zealand, has committed to net zero emissions by 2050.
“In this context, responsible organisations have an obligation to reduce the sustainability impacts of delivering and operating road tunnels whose asset life is expected to extend beyond 2050.
“The new information in the Guide will provide operators, designers and those constructing tunnels with contemporary advice on how they can address issues related to the social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainability.”
A significant upgrade was made to Part 1 of the Guide focusing on introducing sustainable practices to improve the quality of the environment and life for future generations.
The new Part 1 defines sustainability, states its importance in the development of a tunnel and provides a general approach to its implementation. Parts 2, 3 and 4 provide specific guidance on the achievement of sustainability in the various stages from concept development to operation and maintenance of tunnels with cross-references to the introductory material in Part 1.
The technical report Sustainability in Road Tunnels: Updating the Guide to Road Tunnels details the basis of the changes to the Guides.
The updated guide can be found here.
