UK infrastructure consists of approximately 350,000 km of roads. With more vehicles using this network every year, efficient operation of the network is essential in order to minimise disruption; this requires accurate and up-to-date knowledge of network condition to facilitate the development of effective maintenance strategies. There is therefore a need to gather and interpret condition data.

What Does TRL Do?

TRL has a large range of skills and facilities to develop solutions for local authorities, central government and private organisations, in measurement and interpretation of the condition of roads and footways.  

Our capabilities and services include:

• expertise and facilities for routine assessment
• skid resistance measurement devices including the Sideway-force Coefficient Routine Investigation Machine (SCRIM), the GripTester and the Pavement Friction Tester (PFT)
• structural measurement devices including the Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) and the Deflectograph
• visual assessment techniques such as visual condition surveys and coring
• developing and applying new technology for road condition assessment
• the Highways Agency Road Research Information System (HARRIS1 and HARRIS2)
• the Traffic Speed Deflectometer (TSD)
• novel approaches to condition assessment including intelligent transport systems
• expert analysis, interpretation and modelling of results
• development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for reporting network condition
• advice on UK standards and policy
• independent accreditation and quality assurance of equipment and processes.

How Can TRL Help?

TRL has unrivalled knowledge of condition assessment as a result of 75 years of research and development. We're at the forefront of new technologies for measuring road and footway condition. TRL leads the world in the development of skid resistance policy and traffic speed assessment of structural, surface and visual condition.

TRL has developed:

• SCRIM survey equipment and standards for maintaining skid resistance, now widely adopted throughout the world
• TRAffic-Speed Condition Surveys (TRACS) and SCANNER surveys covering the whole of the UK classified road network.

TRL is currently:

• Pioneering the introduction of the TSD for traffic-speed structural condition surveys
• Introducing measurement of white line and cat's eye condition to routine surveys
• The sole UK body for accreditation of SCRIM, Deflectograph, FWD, TRACS and SCANNER survey vehicles.

If you're interested in learning more about the topics covered in this section, or you can't find what you're looking for and would like to talk to someone in detail about a specific topic, please complete the enquiry form at the foot of this page - one of our experts will contact you as soon as possible.