How to specify coloured surface treatment (CST)

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Learning how to specify Coloured Surface Treatments goes a long way to determining whether a compliant, durable, coloured safety surface is achieved.

In the case of Coloured Surface Treatments, also known as CST’s, they must conform to the following:

In Victoria, the Department of Transport’s Standard Section 431
In Queensland, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) Specification MRTS110 (which  only allows TIPES Certified products to be used)
In New South Wales, Transport for NSW’s QA Specification R110.

Awareness of the State requirements and then including them in the project specification is important. The specifications state what is allowed in each State and Territory.

How to specify Coloured Surface Treatment

It all starts with the designers noting on their plans that they require a specific product, known to be compliant, and/or the specification that the product must conform to.

It is important that the specification and any additional compliance requirements, such as on-site NATA accredited laboratory tests, are detailed in both the contract documentation and on the drawings. That’s because contractors seeking quotes typically only send the drawings to sub-contractors – they often don’t send the relevant contract documents.

In Queensland, the requirement for TIPES Certification requires project managers to check the TIPES register to determine whether a product is actually certified, and at what level. We’ve explained the levels of TIPES certification, and what they mean to head contractors and road managers in terms of certainty and risk, in this article.

In Victoria, it is also a misconception that coloured surface treatment is covered by DOT Standard Section 721, the linemarking specification, when in fact, being a specialist surfacing solution, it is covered in the separate DOT Standard Section 431 for Coloured Surface Treatments. Coloured Surface Treatments are a surface, not a painted line or painted surface.

With Standard Section 431 requiring evidence of five years application on roads with heavy traffic before being used as a CST, which is the same as that required for Level 3 TIPES Certification in Queensland, Victorian project managers should also check the Queensland TIPES register as part of their due diligence.

Aerial view of a street with a white car, green bike lanes, and tree shadows. A person walks on the sidewalk.

What not to do!

Leaving out a specification for Coloured Surface Treatment, particularly from your drawings, increases the chance that you’ll get a short-lived product in a high-risk location in your project.  Without a specification, the project team has no way to assess what is acceptable, nor any basis to argue satisfactory performance should the surface fail or wear out prematurely.

Unfortunately, some in the industry still accept contractor’s self-declarations of compliance, rather than independent sources of data demonstrating compliance.  Examples of independent sources of data are recent test results for skid resistance from a NATA accredited laboratory, which can be compared to the requirements of the specification, and also TIPES Certification by the Australian Road Research Board. Clients can, and should, also commission their own NATA accredited testing of a CST at any time to verify the contractor’s claims.

Summary

The following are important when you specify Coloured Surface Treatment in a project;

Ensure you specify the relevant State based specification in your contract documents and in your project’s drawings
Ensure you understand and follow the requirements of the specification, including checking that the chosen CST has a 5-year history and independent testing demonstrating compliance after 5-years
In New SoDon’t accept ‘Certificates of Compliance’ from the company selling it – typically a statement of compliance printed on the sub-contractors or paint company’s letterhead. Of course they’ll claim their product meets your requirements!uth Wales, Transport for NSW’s QA Specification R110.
Have the necessary tests for compliance included in the pricing for the Coloured Surface Treatment in your project, so you have NATA test results showing compliance, in the event of future claims.

You want the best. You deserve the best. Make sure you get the best.

OmniGrip Direct is Australia’s leading provider of resin-bound Australian recycled-glass surfaces for safety on roads, paths and in buildings. OmniGrip Direct is part of the SmarterLite Group of companies.

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