WELCOME TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN

The South African Road Design System provides a comprehensive framework to facilitate the process of pavement design. The process is initiated with the registration of projects at the road authority for tender purpose. Projects listed for tender are open to view by accredited users and these projects are populated with available network level data. The SARDS portal provides convenient viewing capability for design engineers to gain insight into the design requirements of the project.

Once appointed for the design of a specific project, the design engineer is supported with an array of tools through the SARDS portal that incorporates the latest pavement engineering technology.

A data management system that allows for capturing, viewing and processing of vast volumes of data associated with the design investigation process. Data views are presented in a linear viewer format that is easy to navigate

State-of-the-art data analysis procedures including:

• Classification of visual condition data using the deduct point system
• Comprehensive deflection bowl analysis
• Dynamic homogenous section demarcation using automated change-point detection
• Point-by-point back-calculation of effective layer stiffness moduli using the latest multi-layer and numerical optimisation routines

A materials information system that:

• Allows for capturing materials test results from existing pavement layers as well as potential external material sources including borrow-pits and commercial sources
• Prepares the necessary materials related input for the performance simulation component of the SARDS

Combined simulation of structural and functional pavement deterioration using rational empirical and mechanistic-empirical techniques
The first pavement performance simulation package intended for routine pavement design that utilises material cross-anisotropy in the primary pavement response model
A world-leading unique formulation of damage models that is based on the Markov principle and eliminates the need for the iterative, strain-hardening approach to damage modelling that is normally employed in recursive performance simulation
Economic assessment of different pavement design alternatives with consideration of road authority and road user cost

• Quality assurance material test units based on TMH1 and the latest SANS 3001 test methods
• Quality assurance adjudication schemes based on COLTO 8200 and 8300
• Automated quality assurance and as-built reporting

Download the registration user manual HERE to get started