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The Idiots' Guide to Highways Maintenance
Copyright © 2000/10, CJ.Summers

THIS IS A GUIDE TO WHAT REPORTS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE CSS FORMERLY THE COUNTY SURVEYORS SOCIETY, 
RELATING TO ROAD PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE, GIVING AN INDICATION AS TO WHAT THE REPORTS CONTAIN
 
List of Reports produced, mainly by the "original" County Surveyors Society, with some later reports from the CSS

INTRODUCTION

It is important to be aware that this "organisation", is undergoing a major restructuring /rebranding exercise, once again I might add, it has been happening in one form or another since the mid 1990's.
It has recently chosen the name "ADEPT" to represent the Association of Directors for Environment, Planning and Transportation. I suggest that you access the current website www.cssnet.org to obtain the most up to date information on the situation.

I believe this restructuring could herald a further, and more significant, change in the nature of this organisation.
Major changes in the nature of the organisation already having taken place, over many years, to the original purpose of the "society", i.e. representing those who where in charge of local (county) authority highway networks.
Perhaps this is an opportunity to allow this sector of the organisation to be reborn with its original purpose, as it is my belief there is real need for such an organisation to secure strong and unhindered representation for those maintaining local authority highway networks.

The frequent use of the term "formerly the County Surveyors Society", in my opinion, being an attempt to bring the respect that was held for the original society to the then new organisation CSS.
In fact for a short time the name was changed back to County Surveyors Society, from CSS, even though there were no County Surveyors remaining in the UK.
I will not try and convey all the details of the saga, but you can see the organisation has been in a state of flux for some considerable time, and in my opinion has strayed from the path for which it was originally intended.

In view of what I have just written some of the following comments may be "out of date" but at this time I leave them on the page as useful reference information.

 CSS - FORMERLY THE COUNTY SURVEYORS SOCIETY

The County Surveyors Society was formed in 1885, and was a society made up of county surveyors.
In 1997/98 it changed its title to just CSS, nothing else, just CSS.

It is now a body which represents the Directors of :-
Strategic Planning, Transportation, Environment, Waste Management and Economic Development throughout the U.K..
CSS membership is primarily the Chief Officers of the local county highway authorities in England and Wales and the Department of the Environment (Northern Island) Roads Service.
However there are now within the organisation many prominent members who represent global highway engineering companies and central government.

These officers are not necessarily of a civil/road engineering background, and not necessarily directly employed by local government.
The objectives of the CSS are stated as to, promote the acquisition and exchange of knowledge and experience in management and in the science and technology of highway engineering, transportation, the environment, waste disposal and related activities.

Unfortunately the choice of new name of the society has caused a great deal of confusion, many people thinking CSS is just a short form of saying County Surveyors Society, this is not so, the format of the body has changed. 

The CSS has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Highways Agency which acts as the Highway Authority for Motorways and Trunk Roads in the UK, to formally set out how they co-ordinate work on local and trunk road management.
Also, an "accord" has been agreed by TAG ( Local Government, Technical Advisors Group) and CSS.

HAPAS - Highway Authorities Product Approval Scheme

This is a recently introduced scheme to "approve / certificate" new products for use in highway maintenance and construction, so that individual authorities do not need to undertake their own trials.
It has been set up by the Highways Agency, CSS and the British Board of Agrement (BBA).
It would be sensible to wait and see what form the trials take and how thorough they are in determining how fit for purpose the various products will be.
The development of HAPAS is administered by the British Board of Agrement (BBA), closely advised by the Highways Technical Advisory Committee (HiTAC), certificates are issued by the BBA acting on recommendations from HiTAC.
Specialist groups are created for each product type put forward for consideration, and the group will report back its findings to HiTAC.

THE LIST OF REPORTS

 The reports in this list, although carrying the CSS suffix, are predominantly reports commissioned when the County Surveyors Society was the County Surveyors Society (i.e. a society of actual Local Authority, County Surveyors) and not the CSS.

Many of the reports could be classed as out of date, but the actual information on the subjects they refer to is still relevant and they are all excellent reading.

And, as a retired Materials Engineer, I would bring your attention to two particular reports,
 CSS ENG/4-94 - The Provision of the Soils and Materials Engineers Service,
and,
 CSS ENG/6-95 - A Specification for the Provision of the Soils & Materials Engineering Service,
how times have changed, in my opinion not for the better.

NOTE : There have recently been some major changes in the way the "CSS" presents itself for access on the internet, please read the Summer 2007 Newsletter for further details.

There is reference to a wider range of reports on the CSS website than included here, and contact information is likely to be more up to date, as this changes form time to time between participating authorities.
However you may not now be able to purchase copies of these reports unless you are a member of "CSS".
In my opinion information important to the industry in general is becoming more and more restricted to "select" groups and thus is less able to be openly discussed/challenged by practicing highway engineers and engineering technicians.


CSS A Practical Guide to Haunching 

See also :- TRRL REPORT PA/SCR243

CSS ENG/1-94 : Use of Recycling for Road Pavement Construction and Maintenance

This is a fairly comprehensive study of materials, processes, specifications and testing that can be used in recycling.


CSS ENG/1 - 97 : Permanent cold lay bituminous materials

Copies used to be available from Gill Bowler, CSS Administrative Assistant, Derbyshire.

The report actually comes as four reports in one, reports one and two are a state of the art review at this time,
report three is related to environmental issues,
report four deals with specifications and procedures for approval of materials.
It includes appendices A10 and A11 from the Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways relating to the stiffness and thickness of laid PCSM's,
also HAUC Advice Note 3, relating to PCSM's, and the National Joint Utilities Group, (NJUG), Approval Verification Procedure for PCSM'S.


CSS ENG/2-94 - Materials for Construction and Maintenance
This report was put together for the CSS by the Soils, Materials, Design and Specification Group.

The report is a step towards providing a document which sets out a policy framework for organisations who need to procure "materials for construction and maintenance".

CSS ENG/2-97 : Sustainable road maintenance - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

This report is a collection of "papers" relating to "Sustainable Road Maintenance" which were presented at the CSS conference held at Leamington Spa on the 18th. of November 1997.
It is very informative and useful reading on the subject.
The report was put together for the CSS by the Soils, Materials, Design and Specification Group.

CSS ENG/3-94 - Polymer Modified Binders for Surface Dressing

The purpose of the report is to investigate the use and performance of polymer modified binders used in surface dressing.
It is an informative report and well worth reading.


CSS ENG/3-95 - The Achievement of Skidding Characteristics for Road Pavements : Volume 2 - PSV values for Aggregate in UK Roads
This report is Volume 2 of a fairly comprehensive discussion document on many aspects of skid resistance in relation to road surfaces.
The volume consists of a number of information sheets of PSV and other aggregate qualities of the main producers of high PSV aggregate in the UK.


CSS ENG/4-94 - The Provision of the Soils and Materials Engineers Service

The purpose of the publication is to consider the provision of services of a Soils and Materials Engineer, and how these services can best be arrived at.

CSS ENG/5-95 - NAMAS Accredited Laboratories and Tests 

This report consists of a number of lists displaying NAMAS accredited county laboratories and the tests they are able to perform.

CSS ENG/6-94 - Pavement Design Manual 

This manual has been produced for the County Surveyor's Society by their Soils and Materials, Design and Specification Group.
It is an excellent concise document containing useful direct information, and reference to other appropriate standards.
Some knowledge of the basics of pavement design is needed to obtain the full benefit of this manual,
in fact it does say, "it has been assumed the advice and expertise of a specialist materials engineer will be utilised".

CSS ENG/6-95 - A Specification for the Provision of the Soils & Materials Engineering Service

"The purpose of the publication is to consider the provision of the Soils and Materials Engineer's Services and to provide an outline specification for its provision."
This is an excellent report giving a good outline of what is required of a soils and materials service / laboratory, with lists of further useful reference works.
It also includes tables of of types of testing for particular materials and the frequency of testing required.

CSS ENG/7-94 - Skidding Resistance of Roads - Effective PSV - AAV

The report is Vol.1 of a comprehensive discussion document on many aspects of skid resistance in relation to road surfaces.
The "new" term EFFECTIVE PSV is mentioned, i.e. modifying laboratory found PSV's by a plus or minus factor in view of on site SRV results.
It includes sections on aggregates, polished stone values (PSV), aggregate abrasion values (AAV), road surfacing materials including surface dressing and new "thin wearing courses".
It also discusses methods of testing for PSV of aggregate, and skid resistance value of road surfaces, ways of categorising road surface needs are suggested.


CSS ENV/5-93 - CODE OF PRACTICE FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL OF SURFACE DRESSING OPERATION
(This report has been updated.)

A comprehensive amount of information on the subject is contained in this report.
This code is produced by the COUNTY SURVEYOR'S SOCIETY, and you used to be able to obtain copies from :-
Dorset County Council,
Transportation & Engineering Dept.,
County Hall,
Dorchester,
Dorset,
DT1 1XJ


CSS REPORT NO.3/6-1988 - Nuclear Moisture / Surface Density Gauge : Code of Practice for Safe Use and Storage

It may be a little out of date but it is still a good guide to the intricacies of owning, storing, and using a piece of apparatus that has a radio-active source as part of its construction.

CSS REPORT NO.5/10-1988 - A Directory of Pavement Assessment Equipment

An extremely useful report, with pictures and explanations of all the main pavement assessment equipment.
This includes :-
Deflectograph, SCRIM, Falling Weight Deflectometer, High Speed Road Monitor, Ground Radar, High Speed Texture Meter, Bump Integrator, Portable Skid Resistance Tester, Rolling Straight Edge, Griptester, Road Surface Hardness / CBR Probe

CSS REPORT NO.5/14-1989 - Winter Maintenance Manual and Code of Practice

It may be a little out of date, but it is still an extremely useful source of information on most aspects relating to winter maintenance.

CSS ENG/3-2000 : RSDA / CSS Code of Practice for Signing at Surface Dressing Sites

This code is published jointly by the Road Surface Dressing Association and the CSS. 
It has been designed in accordance with the principles set out in Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual, 
but is not meant to supersede any part of Chapter 8.

Copies are available from :-
CSS, Derbyshire County Council, Environmental Services Department, County Hall, MATLOCK, Derbyshire, DE4 3AG
Tel. and Fax. Matlock, 01629 585730 (CSS office)
 

CSS ENG 4/2002 : RSDA / CSS Code of practice for signing at surface dressing sites

 This code is published jointly by the Road Surface Dressing Association and the CSS, and is an update of the previous report relating to surface dressing signing. This report was published in September 2002.

Copies are available from :-
CSS Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, Lincolnshire County Council, City Hall, LINCOLN, LN1 1DN
Tel. 01522 553098    Fax. 01522 512335
I believe the cost is £30:00, to members.

CSS Report ENG 1/2003  -  Advice Note for the Specification of Thin Surfacing

This Advice Note was published in July of 2003.
This is an excellent Advice Note and its content relates to the specifying of "Thin Surfacing Systems". 
I believe it is necessary reading if you are considering the use of any of the range of the proprietary bituminous mixtures now offered by the industry, these being known as "Thin Surfacing Systems".  

Copies are available from :-
CSS Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, Lincolnshire County Council, City Hall, LINCOLN, LN1 1DN
Tel. 01522 553098    Fax. 01522 512335

Cost is £5:00 to members and £10:00 to non-members 

However,
After the conference, "Highway Maintenance 2006" organised by the industry journal Surveyor on the 6th. of June at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, the document, 
"Best Practice Guidelines for Specification of modern Negative Textured Surfaces (NTS) on Local Authority Highways" 
has been published and is available to download as a .pdf file on the website,  www.roadscodes.org

I am still not happy about the explanation of what is a HAPAS approved system and how it relates to the production of individual proprietary bituminous mixtures, but I am very pleased that the published "Guidelines" include a revised copy of the CSS, 
"Advice Note for the Specification of Thin Surfacing", (Report Eng/2003).
If you do decide to purchase proprietary materials use this specification, all of it, but especially the sections "Declaration of Design", and "Cold Weather Working".


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