TMH18 & COTO / ROAD DATA SERVICES
Road network information, condition assessments and survey measurements, prepared for TMH18 delivery and the engineering decisions that follow.
Road registers, imagery, measurements and the requirements that define the job.
Explore the inputs ↗01 / WHY TMH18 MATTERS
TMH18 sets out how road asset data is organised for electronic exchange. It gives road authorities, consultants and survey teams a common way to deliver network information, road condition and instrument measurements.
For an engineer, the benefit is practical: survey results can be related to the right road, direction, lane and distance along the network, then carried into the road asset management system without losing their meaning.
We agree the TMH18 edition, COTO-related requirements and any authority-specific delivery instructions at the start. The chosen outputs depend on the available survey data and the scope of your appointment.
02 / WHAT YOU SUPPLY
You do not need to reorganise an entire survey before speaking to us. A representative sample and the authority’s delivery requirements are the best starting point. We review what is available and identify anything needed to complete the work.
Your road register, complete work-order shapefiles, road names and numbers, start and end distances, directions and lanes. Include recent network changes and approved exclusions.
Typical inputs: road schedules, spreadsheets and GIS road lines.The road imagery together with the survey date, location information, distance records and any notes explaining gaps or interruptions.
Typical inputs: survey photographs, forward-view video and location records.Existing flexible, concrete, block or unpaved road assessments. Include the assessment method, road sections, survey dates and the original observations.
Typical inputs: assessment forms, logger exports and condition spreadsheets.Available roughness, rutting, texture and pavement deflection measurements, together with the original survey files and relevant equipment information.
Typical inputs: profiler files, falling weight deflectometer files and survey summaries.Available traffic counts, previous surveys, surface information, calibration and control checks, field notes and known problem areas.
These help explain differences and support engineering review.The authority’s specification, required file types, delivery deadline and receiving system. Tell us whether this is a once-off submission or an ongoing survey programme.
A previously accepted sample is useful when one is available.A spreadsheet, map or video is a source input; the final delivery format is agreed separately. We identify missing information before confirming what can be produced.
03 / GIS, SHAPEFILES & SURVEY WORK ORDERS
A complete road shapefile is the starting point for a controlled survey. It is the mapped work order: which roads must be surveyed, where each section starts and ends, the direction and lanes required, and what information must be collected.
Every road section in the commissioned scope should appear in the work-order shapefile. Missing links, duplicate roads and unexplained gaps are resolved before the survey is issued. Survey completion is then measured against this agreed baseline.
Existing shapefiles or GIS road lines, the road register, road names and identifiers, section distances, lanes and directions, boundaries and the survey requirements. Include recent road changes and any approved exclusions.
Check the road lines against the register; repair broken or duplicate geometry; confirm the map’s coordinate system; and reconcile road names, section limits and lengths. Organise the agreed survey tasks by road and section.
Compare returned imagery, survey tracks and test locations with the work order. Show completed sections, missed lengths, repeated runs and access issues so the team can plan follow-up work.
A checked shapefile package, road and section schedule, field descriptions, and maps or schedules of completed and outstanding work. Link the final condition and measurement records back to the same network.
We package the road shapes, their information table and the map-reference files together, so your GIS team can open and use the delivery. A typical package includes .shp, .shx, .dbf and .prj files.
“100% accounted for” means every commissioned section has a recorded status. Unsurveyed or inaccessible lengths stay visible as outstanding work or agreed exclusions; they are never presented as completed survey.
04 / WHAT WE DO
Review the source material, confirm the road coverage and agree the required TMH18 outputs. Identify gaps, assumptions and any decisions needed from the project engineer.
Relate survey observations to the correct road, lane, direction and distance. Check the location records against the road register and maps.
Organise the supplied assessments and measurements into the agreed road sections. Keep the original survey context and distinguish missing information from a measured or assessed result.
Check the data, refer unresolved items for review and produce the agreed exchange files with a clear record of coverage and outstanding issues.
05 / FWD DATA PROCESSING
A Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) applies a load to the road and records how the pavement deflects. ScienceWare processes the survey records so the test location, load, temperature and measured response remain connected and ready for engineering review.
Start with the instrument files, test-point locations, road and lane references, survey dates, applied loads, sensor positions, temperatures, calibration records and field notes. Include the work-order map and the authority’s required output.
Match tests to the correct road and distance. Check for missing readings, repeated tests, inconsistent units and unusual responses. Identify points needing review and reconcile the tested locations with the commissioned survey.
Organise the readings by test point and load. Where specified, apply the agreed load adjustments or temperature treatment and record the method used. Preserve the original measurements and the reasons for excluding any readings.
The agreed package can include checked deflection records, test-point shapefiles, load and temperature schedules, plots of pavement response, a coverage and exceptions summary, and the required TMH18 deflection exchange files.
The handover gives your pavement engineer the evidence needed to investigate weak or variable sections and plan further assessment. Any interpretation, layer-stiffness calculation or rehabilitation design is scoped separately with the project engineer.
06 / WHAT YOU RECEIVE
Your delivery package contains the outputs commissioned for your project, prepared to the agreed TMH18 and receiving-authority requirements. Browse the main output families below.
11 OUTPUT FAMILIES
You supply: the road register, identifiers, start and end distances, road history and available network information.
You receive: a structured network file defining the roads to which the survey and condition data relates. This gives the receiving system a consistent road reference.
Engineering use: establish the network being assessed, reconcile survey coverage and connect subsequent results to the correct roads.
TMH18 output: network definition · typically .netYou supply: available road lines, survey location records and the agreed road register.
You receive: road geometry matched to the network, in the mapping format required by the authority, with all supporting files. Where commissioned, this includes the complete survey work-order shapefiles and a mapped reconciliation of planned and completed coverage.
Engineering use: view survey coverage, locate condition observations and check that mapped roads agree with their recorded distances.
TMH18 output: road geometry · GML or Shapefile for the CD5.0 format; older editions differYou supply: road class, surface type, road width, lane information and other available section attributes.
You receive: a classification file describing the relevant road sections and their characteristics.
Engineering use: group similar roads, relate assessments to the correct pavement type and provide context for maintenance planning.
TMH18 output: road classification · typically .rclYou supply: the lane arrangement, survey direction, widths and shoulder information.
You receive: a lane definition file describing the lanes and shoulders associated with each road section.
Engineering use: distinguish carriageways and lanes, compare repeat surveys correctly and avoid combining measurements from different positions.
TMH18 output: lane definition · typically .lanYou supply: available traffic counts, count dates, vehicle groupings and the roads or sections represented.
You receive: traffic-link volume information related to the road network.
Engineering use: add traffic context to road condition, prioritisation and asset management. Detailed traffic survey records may require a separate TMH14 delivery.
TMH18 output: traffic-link volumes · typically .adtYou supply: the flexible-pavement visual assessment, section limits, survey dates and supporting imagery where available.
You receive: pavement-specific condition records containing the supplied distress ratings and required condition summaries or indices, where available or included in the scope.
Engineering use: review cracking, deformation, surface defects and repairs, and support maintenance and rehabilitation assessment.
TMH18 CD5.0 output: .flx · visual assessment context: TMH9 Part BYou supply: concrete pavement type and condition assessments, with the relevant road sections and dates.
You receive: concrete condition records in the required exchange layout, retaining the observations applicable to the concrete pavement assessed.
Engineering use: review slab, joint and other concrete pavement defects without forcing them into a flexible-pavement assessment structure.
TMH18 CD5.0 output: .con · visual assessment context: TMH9 Part CYou supply: block-pavement condition assessments, road references and survey details.
You receive: block-pavement condition records, prepared using the assessment fields required for this pavement type.
Engineering use: retain the meaning of block paving observations and make the results available for section review and maintenance planning.
TMH18 CD5.0 output: .blc · visual assessment context: TMH9 Part DYou supply: unpaved-road assessments, road and material information, moisture observations and drainage or other field notes.
You receive: unpaved condition records containing the relevant road characteristics and supplied condition observations.
Engineering use: support review of gravel quality, surface condition, drainage and maintenance needs across the unpaved network.
TMH18 CD5.0 output: .vgi · visual assessment context: TMH9 Part EYou supply: profiler measurements of ride quality, wheel-path rut depth and surface texture, with road, lane, distance and survey-time information.
You receive: a combined instrument data file, with the required measurement summaries linked to the agreed road intervals. Measurements are matched to a common survey location and time before being combined.
Engineering use: compare ride quality and surface performance across the network, investigate local concerns and prepare information for pavement management.
TMH18 output: combined instrument data · typically .cidYou supply: the original falling weight deflectometer survey files, test locations, applied loads, temperatures and relevant equipment details.
You receive: the agreed deflection exchange output, retaining the test location and measurement context needed for engineering assessment. The required treatment of original instrument files and processed deflection results is confirmed at the start.
Engineering use: prepare pavement response data for structural evaluation and rehabilitation investigations. Engineering interpretation and design are agreed as separate scope items.
TMH18 output: deflection data · required FWD/F25 layout agreed with the authorityNo matching outputs. Try a different term or select All outputs.
Earlier TMH18 editions use different names and layouts for some outputs. We confirm what the receiving system expects before preparing or converting the delivery.
07 / QUALITY CHECKS
The checks are tailored to the data and the appointment. They address both the structure of the delivery and whether the results make sense in the context of the survey.
Correct road, direction, lane and distance; consistent road maps; no observations outside the agreed network.
Surveyed lengths reconciled to the required network, with missing sections, duplicates and overlaps identified.
Dates, ratings and measurement values reviewed for missing information, inconsistencies and items needing engineering attention.
Required files and supporting information assembled, with unresolved issues recorded for the receiving team.
Questionable measurements are flagged for review. Missing survey evidence is not replaced with an invented result.
08 / YOUR HANDOVER
A useful handover lets your team understand what was delivered, what was checked and what still needs a decision. The agreed package can include:
Where included in the appointment, a trial import and reconciliation can be carried out with the receiving team. Final acceptance follows the authority’s review and the requirements of the project.
09 / COMPLETE ROAD NETWORK HOSTING
ScienceWare provides complete road network hosting through Roadware, at roadware.cloud and roadware.co.za, with primary servers in South Africa and backup servers in London. Keep maps, survey evidence and engineering information together in a managed environment. Give your team a shared view of the network, with the detail behind each road section close at hand.
Your road network is hosted on Roadware’s primary servers in South Africa, with backup servers in London.
Host the road register, shapefiles, section references, lanes and associated asset locations. Keep the map aligned with the network used for survey work orders and subsequent delivery.
Bring together road photographs and video, road-sign and asset inventories, visual condition assessments, roughness and other measurements, and FWD results included in the project.
Agree who needs to view, review or manage the information. Set up the required team access and views so engineers, managers and appointed project partners can work with the relevant network records.
Plan how new survey deliveries, revised road sections and updated asset records are added. Agree how earlier surveys are retained and how the team receives exports and handover files.
Supply a sample of the network and survey data, approximate road length and imagery volume, expected users, update frequency and any existing system requirements. We agree the hosted content, access arrangements, backup and retention requirements, support and export arrangements before setup.
10 / DIGITAL VIDEO ASSESSMENT BY SCIENCEWARE
Developed by ScienceWare, DVA™ (Digital Video Assessment) helps engineers and assessors carry out visual pavement assessments in the office, using recorded survey imagery and location information.
The survey becomes a record your team can return to. Revisit a road section, examine visible defects and record their severity and extent using the agreed assessment method. The images give colleagues a shared basis for checking observations and discussing sections that need closer attention.
Pause and replay survey imagery to examine a section at your own pace. Use the location records to relate what you see to the road being assessed.
Record visible pavement distress, including its severity and extent, against the relevant road section. Build a condition record that can be checked alongside the imagery.
Return to the same images during engineering review or assessor training. Discuss differences in interpretation with the survey evidence in front of the team.
Start with: recorded road imagery, location and distance records, the road register and the required assessment method. We review a sample to confirm the coverage and suitability for the assessment.
Take forward: condition observations related to the road sections, with imagery available for review. ScienceWare can prepare these results for the TMH18 condition outputs agreed with your authority, as part of the project’s processing and handover.
11 / PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE. SHARED INSIGHT.
ScienceWare contributes practical experience and insights to TMH18, informed by work in South African road management, survey systems and data processing. Our previous project footprint spans eight provinces and all road types, from national routes to local surfaced and unpaved roads. KwaZulu-Natal is excluded from this previous provincial footprint. Previous client and project experience also includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Lesotho, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana and Eswatini.
Our focus is the connection between what is measured on the road and what an engineer needs to use afterwards: dependable road references, meaningful condition information and a delivery that fits the receiving system.
Explore our interactive Africa coverage map ↗12 / START YOUR PROJECT
Start with the authority’s requirements, a sample of your survey files, the approximate network length and your deadline. We will use those to discuss the processing scope, required outputs and any information still needed.
admin@roadware.cloud ↗