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ABOUT US

YOUR NATIONAL TRANSPORT RESEARCH ORGANISATION

The Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) is transitioning into the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO) – expanding its work across all modes of transport – road, rail, ports and airports.

At the heart of our business is integrated mobility – innovative, impactful mobility solutions that benefit all Australians and New Zealanders.

We collaborate with all levels of government - including Councils and transport agencies – consultants and contractors, and private sector organisations on any aspect of transport and mobility.

ARRB has delivered more than 60 years’ continuous service to the roads and transport sectors of Australia and New Zealand.

We deliver transport solutions that are safer, more sustainable, value-for-money and provide demonstrable return on investment.

NTRO Annual Report 2022-23 Image

Annual Report 2022-23

Our Annual Report provides information on ARRB Group Ltd's activities and performance during 2022-23 as NTRO. It outlines how we are creating value through our strategy, operating environment, governance, financial and non-financial activities.

OUR CEO AND BOARD

The Australian Road Research Board is governed by a Board of Directors, who all have vast experience in the transport industry and provide invaluable insight into helping shape the future of transport.

Executive Leaders

The Australian Road Research Board has strong, experienced, diverse leadership.

Our chiefs, executive directors, State and business group leaders have vast knowledge of the transport industry. They can provide your organisation with the right solutions to your transport challenges across public and private sectors in road, rail, ports and airports.

Michael Caltabiano-06.23 3
Michael Caltabiano Chief Executive Officer
Mike Shackleton-06.23
Dr Mike Shackleton Chief Research Officer
Richard Yeo 2-06.23
Dr Richard Yeo Chief Operating Officer
Mark Steidle-06.23
Mark Steidle Chief Commercial Officer
Jeff Doyle BW
Jeff Doyle Executive Director Roads
Natalie Loughborough 07.23
Natalie Loughborough Executive Director Rail
Jason Sprott-27.6
Jason Sprott Executive Director Ports & Airports
Rahila David-2
Rahila David Executive Director (CCAT)

OUR EXPERTS

ARRB has a wide range of internationally renowned experts across all fields and modes of transport who can help add value to your organisation and its operations.

Data Intelligence

 

Coming soon

Coming soon.

 

Asset Investigations and Management

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Cassandra Simpson

Cassandra completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) and Master of Engineering in Pavements in 2012.

Cassandra has transport industry expertise managing routine maintenance/rehabilitation/resurfacing contracts, development of asset management programs including field assessment of road conditions, providing technical advice for pavements and bituminous surfaces, field inspections of bituminous surfaces in urban and rural environments to create resurfacing programs, writing and review of specifications, research into field performance of bituminous surfaces, review and advice on skid resistance issues, pavement asset management using pavement management systems (DTIMS).

At ARRB, she is responsible for bid/tender preparation, coordination, project management and business development of pavement asset management projects and research, asset management modelling, service level determination of assets, specialist surfacing treatment selection and advice.

Network Sustainability and Resilience

Clarissa Han

Dr Clarissa Han

Clarissa leads our Sustainability and Materials Performance Business Group, delivering high profile research on the use of recycled or alternative materials for sustainable roads, assessment and development of resilient infrastructure, climate change adaptation, environmental impact assessment and advisory, life cycle assessment and economic evaluations of transport options, and sustainable future mobility solutions. She is also the ARRB Chief Technology Leader of Network Sustainability and Resilience.

Clarissa has 25 years of engineering and research experience in transport management and operations, infrastructure sustainability and resilience, traffic studies and analysis, congestion cost estimation, and emerging ITS technologies, tools and performance benchmarking. Clarissa has been a major contributor to various national guidelines, standards and specifications in transport management and operations.

She is the current Australian member of the PIARC Mobility Strategic Theme TC2.4 Road Network Operations/ITS (2020-24).

Clarissa is also a board member of the International Road Federation (IRF). She is a regular speaker at various international conferences or forums such as the TRB Annual Meetings, PIARC Conferences, and the ITS World Congress.

Transport Futures

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Dr Charles Karl

Charles is Chief Technology Leader in ARRB's Mobility Futures team. He is a member of Standards Australia IT-023 and an Australian delegate at ISO TC204 on Intelligent Transport Systems. 

Charles is directly involved with research and development into congestion, ITS assets, safety, road user charging, compliance and enforcement, urban freight, freight data, autonomous vehicles, field testing, trials and pilots.

Charles's doctoral thesis in 2003 investigated the response of drivers to a dynamic traveller information system which he had co-developed through a business he founded earlier. 

Charles led development of an International Standard for regulatory telematics (ISO 15638, Framework for Co-operative Telematics Applications for Regulated Commercial Freight Vehicles). He was the Technical Lead for the Volvo XC90 driverless vehicle demonstration in Adelaide in 2015, Eastlink AV trials, Yarra Trams C-ITS Priority trials and La Trobe University Autonobus bus trial.

Pavements and Asset Management

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Brendan Leader

Brendan is responsible for managing the operation of significant functional areas and projects of strategic importance.

He provides specialist advice to senior client stakeholders and applies innovative problem-solving skills to meet end client needs.

Brendan has over 20 years’ experience in the roads and highways sector across a wide variety of engineering projects throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Africa.

His strengths lie in business development, project management and directorship,
team management and technical design.

Brendan was previously a Technical Principal at SMEC, whom he worked with for 11 years prior to joining ARRB. In this role he
provided administrative and technical leadership to a core team of high performing pavement engineers He has
led major multi-billion dollar infrastructure design projects as a Pavement Team Leader.

In addition to providing technical leadership, Brendan was also a key team member
within the Roads and Highways group in providing business development. He has also served as a Subject Matter Expert in the review of TfNSW business cases for the
funding of multimillion dollar projects, and in this role he was responsible for assessing the business needs and benefits, value
for money, governance and cost management of TfNSW projects seeking funding.Brendan is also an experienced design Project Director of multimillion dollar design projects.

Safe Transport Systems

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David McTiernan

David is a civil engineer with 25+ years experience in the industry. Working in local government, he worked in a diverse range of projects at metropolitan and rural councils at both project and senior management levels.

David has applied his knowledge and expertise across road safety research, policy review and technical advice for the preparation of guidelines, delivering workshops, and road safety audits including for the mining industry.

David has been involved in road safety projects for Austroads and ARRB across Australia and overseas in Abu Dhabi, Canada, Chile, Dubai, New Zealand, Peru, and Samoa, undertaking crash site assessments, incident investigations, road safety audits and review. His most memorable project to date was assisting the Samoan Government to prepare a risk assessment and safety gap analysis of preparations for their road switch on 7 September 2009.

He holds a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering (Hons), Grad. Dip Technology Management, and Grad. Dip. In Transport and Traffic. 

NetRisk2 Safety Investment Strategies

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Emily McLean

Emily is a Principal Professional in the Transport Safety team.

She is responsible for co-ordinating ARRB’s road infrastructure risk projects, including the Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP) and the Australian National Road Assessment Model (ANRAM), as well as leading ARRB’s contribution as an International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) Centre of Excellence.

Emily is also lead on ARRB's NetRisk2 road safety tool - innovative road safety technology which combines AusRAP and ANRAM assessments in a single web-based interface.

Emily has been involved in AusRAP since its inception in 2005, including participation at an international level through iRAP’s Global Technical Committee.

Her most memorable project to date was helping to establish iRAP in Vietnam.

Emily has more than 17 years’ experience in transport research, policy development and advocacy in member-based organisations including Roads Australia and RACV.

She has led a wide range of technical and policy programs, and associated communications activities, with a particular focus on road safety and road rules.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) from Monash University.

Pavement Design and Specification Development

Geoff Jameson

Dr Geoff Jameson

Geoff is a world renowned expert in pavement design and specification development. 

Geoff has worked on a variety of projects addressing issues associated with pavement design and performance, specifications and materials characterisation, including Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF) trials of unbound granular materials, asphalt, cemented materials, recycled materials and rigid pavements.

Prior to joining ARRB, he worked for VicRoads on various aspects of road construction materials, including seven years as the manager of the Pavement Design Section, which was responsible for standards of pavement design and rehabilitation of all freeways, highways, tourist and main roads in the State of Victoria. Geoff was also involved with the development of Pavement Management Systems in Hong Kong and the Philippines.

In 2011 he was appointed as the inaugural Director of the Western Australian Pavement Asset Research Centre.

Geoff is a member of the Austroads Pavements Structures Working Group and Austroads Foamed Stabilisation Working Group

Road Design and Community Safety

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Karen Cogo

Karen has more than 25 years’ experience in designing a wide range of road infrastructure projects in local, arterial and freeway environments for all road users.

Karen has gained valuable experience in the transport sector in public (local and state) and private organisations and has designed and contributed to many projects.

Karen has diverse skills in day-to-day transport management and operation and has extensive experience in road safety and congestion projects, intersection design and long route improvements across a broad range of transport infrastructure treatments for all road users.

Karen’s well-rounded experience ensures designs are cost-effective, constructible, and user-friendly. Karen has led major project teams and was the lead verifier for the transport component of the Western Roads
Upgrade Project in Melbourne where she was responsible for the design and modelling of 45 traffic signal designs, which fulfilled the design requirements across the eight arterial road projects in the western suburbs.

Karen also led dynamic project teams to develop projects under many road safety programs including the Federal, State, Motorcycle, Grey Spot, Strip Shopping Centre Programs and Safer Roads Infrastructure Programs.

Asset Management

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Madeleine Bekavac

Madeleine is ARRB's South Australian State Business Leader.

Madeleine has more than 15 years’ engineering and leadership experience in both State and Local Government and excels in building stakeholder and client relationships.

Madeleine is the SA Department of Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) Client Account Manager, working collaboratively to support DIT in its Technical Services Division, as well as managing various Local Government and industry projects.

Madeleine is experienced in traffic engineering, network planning, road safety and program management, and previously managed the infrastructure assets team at the City of Adelaide.

Structure, Construction and Asset Management

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Nigel Powers

Nigel is a leader within the bridge and structures industry - renowned internationally for his expertise.

Nigel commenced with ARRB in as National Infrastructure Strategist and Chief Technology Leader – Asset Management in 2019. He has more than 18 years experience in the Victorian public service including VicRoads/DoT and Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV). During this time Nigel reached Director level and has worked across numerous aspects of road assets including the planning, design, construction, maintenance and management of bridges, structures, pavements and related road assets.

Nigel has practical experience in program delivery, project management and asset management of road assets.

His technical focus is bridges and other road structures with experience throughout the lifecycle of a structure and is acknowledged nationally and internationally for this work.

His experience includes design, inspection, assessment, asset management, network management, construction, maintenance and operation.

He was responsible for the maintenance, management and operation of the West Gate Bridge for five years, bridge asset network development and delivery across Victoria and has developed and delivered numerous technical documents, training and standards including AS5100 – Bridge Design Code.     

Nigel led securing the hosting rights, and then chaired, the Austroads Bridge Conference 2017 and the 9th International Conference on Bridge Maintenance, Safety and Management (IABMAS 2018). He has been a nominated representative with Austroads and Standards Australia and is currently the President of IABMAS Australia.

Hydrogen and Mobility Futures

Renata Berglas

Renata Berglas

Renata is a senior executive and policy professional with extensive experience in industry development, with a particular focus on hydrogen and zero emission vehicles, strategy, policy, and planning.

She has qualifications in economics, finance, and company director governance.

Renata is currently the Independent Transport Member of the Hon Mick De Brenni’s Minister for Hydrogen and Public Works Hydrogen Taskforce, and chair of H2Q Queensland Hydrogen Industry Cluster.

Renata started with ARRB as Queensland State Business Leader, before taking on the role of leading ARRB’s Mobility Futures team.

Prior to commencing work at ARRB, Renata was the CEO of Queensland Transport and Logistics Council where she worked with freight industry participants across all sectors - road, rail, sea and air - and government to develop projects that improved freight network utilisation and efficiency.

Renata also has experience in agricultural industry development, primarily beef industry development and land use planning, working both at AgForce Queensland and in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Infrastructure and Condition Measurement

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Richard Wix

Richard is an internationally recognised expert in the proper measurement and management of road networks.

Richard joined the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) in 1990 and presently holds the position of Discipline Leader – Infrastructure Measurement, where he is responsible for overseeing ARRB’s needs in relation to infrastructure measurement.

During his time at ARRB, Richard has had a strong focus on the collection and analysis of functional and structural pavement condition data for road managers in Australia and New Zealand, and played a key role in establishing, managing and building ARRB’s data collection service into a profitable business. He has also been integral in introducing new technologies such as the intelligent pavement assessment vehicle (iPAVe), to help road agencies improve the management of their road networks.

Richard has worked closely with each of Australia’s road agencies as well as many international transport organisations and research laboratories. He is the author of numerous technical papers and is a regular presenter at international conferences and an active member of several international groups that help him keep up to date with the latest developments in infrastructure measurement and automated pavement condition data collection technologies from around the world.

Richard is keen to share his knowledge and has guest lectured at tertiary institutions and supervised PhD graduates. Prior to working for ARRB he was a research scientist for CSR-Humes where he provided technical leadership.

Richard has an Engineering degree from Monash University and has applied the basic engineering principles he learned in each of the many roles he has had at ARRB over the past 30 years.

Bituminous Materials

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Dr Robert Urquhart

Robert is one of the foremost experts in bituminous binders and bituminous surfacings.

After completing his PhD degree in surfactant chemistry at the University of Melbourne, Robert was awarded a CSIRO Postdoctoral Research Fellowship which enabled him to work at the University of Minnesota in the USA for one year and use newly developed microscopic techniques to characterise the absorption of gold and proteins on surfaces.

Robert then spent five years at CSIRO – Division of Chemicals and Polymers where he conducted research into the optical, infra-red and chemical properties of semiconductor nanoparticles in thin surfactant (detergent) films. His work at CSIRO included short term projects at the IBM Aldamen Research Centre in the USA and Shizuoka University in Japan.

From 1997 to 2004 Robert worked as a Bituminous Products Technologist at BP Bitumen where he was responsible for the planning and co-ordination of laboratory R&D work, plant production trials and plant production support associated with BP’s paving grade bitumen, polymer modified bitumen and bitumen emulsion products. In 2004 he was promoted to the position of Bitumen Technical Manager.

This role included management of the national BP Bitumen Technical Team as well as responsibility for all BP Bitumen (Australia) R&D work, production support, technical marketing support, NATA accredited quality control testing and quality systems.

From 2010 to 2016 Robert worked as Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB). In 2016 he was appointed to the role of National Technical Leader – Surfacings and in 2018 he was appointed to the role of Principal Technology Leader.

In these roles he has been involved in contract and research projects associated with bituminous binder properties and the performance of binders in sprayed seals and asphalt. Projects have included investigations into bitumen alternative binders, studies of how polymer modified binder properties can be used to predict road performance, the effects of cutter levels on aggregate wetting in sprayed seals, improvements to the Austroads sprayed seal design method for low volume roads, and investigations into how cutter oil properties affect sprayed seal performance.

Future Transport Technologies

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Russell Gallagher

Russell is an engineering and management consulting professional with proven experience in product development, manufacturing, team leadership, research and development, innovation and process improvement.

Russell is a specialist in future transport technologies, bringing years of experience with autonomous vehicles in defence and robotics.

He has worked in a variety of industries including automotive and aerospace engineering, construction, defence, Government and IT on several high-profile projects including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Structural Engineering and Assessment

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Tatiana Sanchez Castano

Tatiana is a Civil Engineer with more than 17 years of experience.

She has diverse capabilities in rail infrastructure projects, asset management, design review and project management for maintenance/renewals projects, procedure implementation, and long-term strategy for future asset life cycles in public and private sectors.

Tatiana has skills in Level 1, 2 & 3 structures inspections, structures asset management and has technical expertise in maintenance, renewals and construction works for rail.

Asset Performance Modelling

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Dr Tim Martin

Tim has graduate and post-graduate qualifications in Civil Engineering and a PhD in predicting network-level pavement deterioration from Monash University.

Before joining Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) in 1990, Tim spent some 17 years in the investigation, planning, design, contract management and economic evaluation of major Australian and international engineering projects that included bridges, dams, river diversions and open cut mining works.

Tim's research at ARRB has involved leading a road track cost attribution study that underpins heavy vehicle charging.

Tim designed and implemented a major observational study using long-term pavement performance (LTPP) and long-term pavement maintenance (LTPPM) sites, experimental studies with accelerated load testing, resulting in the development of pavement deterioration and works effects models for arterial roads. These models are in-pavement life-cycle costing analyses and the estimation of marginal road wear costs.

This research extended to the development of deterioration models for unsealed and sealed local roads as part of a national study across all Australian states and the assessment of levels of service for heavy vehicles.

Asset Management Systems

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Tyrone Toole

Tyrone has 40 years' experience in a wide range of highway engineering and management projects, and in institutional development and training in over 20 countries.

He specialises in the management and delivery of multi-disciplinary projects, and has specific experience in institutional development and reform, and in research and the provision of advice in the management and design of low and high-volume roads in developed, developing and emerging countries.

Tyrone joined ARRB in 2001 following over 20 years with TRL’s Overseas Unit and continues to contribute as a leading international expert on the development of road asset management guidelines and implementing road planning and management systems and procedures in numerous countries.

He is ARRB’s Chief Adviser and National Discipline Leader in asset management and leads contribution to training and dissemination in road management and decision support tools worldwide, and in road asset management and performance for Australian road authorities and internationally.

He is the principal author of Austroads' overview document on asset management, and pavement performance modelling. He has also authored guides on pavement design and materials, low volume roads, investment planning and management for national and international organisations. His technical reports include the appropriate use of roadmaking materials, reseal programming, life cycle costing and investment analysis, Safe Systems and asset management, and road user costs.

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