Published: 2013
The Bridge manual sets out the criteria for the design and evaluation of bridges, culverts, stock underpasses and subways and the design of earthworks and retaining structures. The manual has been developed by the NZ Transport Agency for use on state highways or for the design of other new or replacement bridges proposed for funding from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF). Use of the manual on other highways, including private highways, may be considered appropriate with the agreement of the relevant road controlling authority, client or landowner.
Published: 2001
Guidelines for best practice bridge inspection and maintenance. It includes techniques, procedures and current technology.
Bridge inspection and maintenance manual
Published: 2009
This manual sets out the requirements for the provision, inspection, maintenance, testing and storage of Bailey bridging on behalf of the NZ Transport Agency. This manual shall be read in conjunction with the Bailey bridge and Uniflote handbook, which provides detailed information on Bailey bridging.
Not currently available for download. Copies available from bridgemanual@nzta.govt.nz.
Published: 1998
This manual sets out the required screening procedure to be used for the initial stage, which identifies and ranks those bridges that are considered by the screening consultant to justify subsequent detailed assessment of their earthquake resistance.
Published: 2010
Specification and guidance notes for pipe culverts including the construction of trenches, supply and placement of bedding, supply and laying of pipes, jointing of the pipes, construction of headwalls, wing-walls, aprons, drops, and intakes and outlet structures, the construction of connecting and outlet drains, as well as backfill of trenches and reinstatement. Consideration should be given in specifying in the specific contract documents the pipe installation in accordance with a relevant standard that will result in improved methods for construction, for example, NZS 4406: 1984.
Published: 2020
This policy document sets out the requirements for the inspection of bridges, geotechnical structures and other significant structures on the state highway network including the structural aspects of tunnels.
Bridges, geotechnical and other significant structures inspection policy
Published: 2016
The Highway structures design guide sets out the NZ Transport Agency’s design requirements for all permanent highway structures on the state highway network. It also sets out the Transport Agency’s design requirements for earthworks, including natural slopes, embankments and cuttings.
Highway structures design guide
Published: 2009
The Austroads Guide to bridge technology provides bridge owners and agencies with advice on bridge ownership, design procurement, vehicle and pedestrian accessibility and bridge maintenance and management practices.
The Guide to bridge technology has seven parts.
Austroads Guide to bridge technology (AGBT-09)(external link)
Published: 2006
The purpose of this guideline is to provide all users of the bridge data system (BDS) details of how to operate the application. It also defines the role each party plays in ensuring the database is kept up to date.
Bridge data system (BDS) descriptive guide part A
Published: 2002
This document is an amalgamation of the Ministry of Works and Development (MWD) Civil Division publications CDP 703/A: 1973 Bridge classification and deck grading for overweight permits and CDP 704/B: 1974 Assessment of posting weight limits for highway bridges. It also contains other relevant MWD Civil Division circulars and additional information that may still be useful for bridge rating and posting calculations.
Note: This document is in imperial units and does not necessarily reflect current policy or practice, and no attempt has been made to update it to current practice.
Bridge overweight rating and posting weight limits assessment (SP/M/018)
Published: 2016
The OPermit bridge structural data guide provides guidance for:
This document is intended for personnel providing bridge technical support to Permit Issuing Officers (PIOs) and for personnel who create and maintain OPermit structural data.
OPermit bridge structural data guide
Published: 2014
This document provides a summary of information to assist the bridge designer with the specification of a cost effective performance based corrosion protection system, taking into account future maintenance requirements, by using the net present value life cycle costing model. Guidance is also provided for the maintenance painting of existing steel bridges.
Protective coatings for steel bridges: A guide for bridge and maintenance engineers
Published: 2013
This memo provides requirements for the provision of services on existing state highway structures. These requirements are intended to assist utility operators to prepare suitable documentation for review by the NZ Transport Agency.
Provision of services on existing state highway structures (TM 4007)
Published: 2017
The purpose of this information pack is to ensure that road controlling authorities are aware of the actions required by them to implement the changes to the VDAM Rule and the support available to them to do this. This includes background, key contacts, bridge assessment guides and details of the specialist vehicle permitting process.
Road controlling authority - information pack for VDAM Rule 2016 [PDF, 355 KB]
Published: 2018
This report presents a summary of the outcomes of a follow-on project to a research project commissioned by the NZ Transport Agency that culminated in the publication of research report 553 The development of design guidance for bridges in New Zealand for liquefaction and lateral spreading effects.
This project has involved summarising the pseudo-static approach developed in the research project for the analysis of bridge foundations on sites prone to liquefaction and presents two examples of the evaluation of the liquefaction hazard and two examples of the analysis of piled bridges on sites prone to liquefaction. This report is intended for engineers who are familiar with geotechnical and structural design practice for static and seismic loading of bridges.
Analysis of piled bridges at sites prone to liquefaction and lateral spreading in New Zealand
Published: 2017
This Technical advice note outlines a proposed amendment to Bridge Manual clause 4.2.1 (f) and systems approved for use in the interim.
Published: 2017
The purpose of this Technical advice note is to define a consistent mandatory approach for the verification of steel materials on NZ Transport Agency projects. This is an interim measure until a full specification has been developed.
Verification testing of steel materials (TAN #17-09)
Historic heritage impact assessment guide for state highway projects
Published: 2015
This guide describes the processes to be used on NZ Transport Agency projects for assessing historic heritage effects and to determine appropriate mitigations.
Historic heritage impact assessment guide for state highway projects
For further information contact bridgemanual@nzta.govt.nz.
