Help & Support

• The Standards for Highways website contains the published Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) and Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW) standards documents for motorways and all-purpose trunk roads on behalf of the Overseeing Organisations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
• Requirements may be applied to other roads with the approval of the specific highway or local authority acting as the Overseeing Organisation.
• Users may also access archived copies of standards documents including Interim Advice Notes. Please search for the standards document you want to see via the main search box and use the additional date filters going back to February 2001 on the left-hand side of the search page. You will then see any related archived copies of that standards document. 
• Alternatively click on the document title of the document you have searched for and it will show you any related documents. See the related/archived documents help article below.
• If you can't find the standards document you need, please see the ‘Information about searching’ help article for tips.

• You may find more relevant results when a space is used between the letters and the numbers when searching e.g. BD 78 instead of BD78. 
• For DMRB documents with a number below '10', include the 0 in your search e.g. BD 01, GD 02.
• For MCHW documents please use a ‘0’ for any series below 1000, e.g. Series 0100 or Series 0800. 
• For Interim Advice Notes with a number below 10, include '00' in the search e.g. IAN 001, and for a number above 10 but below 100, include '0' in the search e.g. IAN 069.
• If you only want to see precise results rather than related documents, please tick the box ‘show only exact matches’ which is below the date field boxes on the left-hand side of the search results page. 

• The ‘My account’ feature allows you to bookmark standards documents of interest and opt into receiving email notifications about when your ‘saved’ standards are updated or when any update is made to a standard. 
• To sign up, all you need to do is click ‘sign in’ in the top right-hand corner and create an account by entering your name, email address and choosing a password. 
• Please go into the ’Your details' section and opt into your contact preferences. 
  Once logged in you can ‘bookmark’ standards of interest by pressing the bookmark icon.
• This appears in your ‘saved documents’ in the my account area and can be removed at any time. 

• The download standards feature within the ‘My account’ area allows you to pick a date from 1st April 2020 and download a zip file of standards documents, a .csv file of standards documents, or both files.

Zip file of standards documents

• To download a zip file of all standards documents that were published on your chosen date, select the 'Standards' (.zip) option.

• Please note this may take a few minutes to generate and will send you an email link.

• It will also be available within the download standards section of your account area.

CSV file of standards documents

• A new feature as of June 2023 is the ability to download a .csv file of standards published on a chosen date from 1st April 2020 onwards.
• If you select ‘List of standards (.csv)’, a file will be generated in your downloads.

• To download both the .zip file and .csv file together, simply select ‘both files’ from the options.
• For any standards documents published before 1st April 2020, you can go the main search page and enter a date from February 2001 onwards in the date filters on the left-hand side of the page to download the standards documents on an individual basis.

If you want to download a .csv file overview of your search results, simply press ‘search’ from the home page, select your filters or document of interest on the left hand side of the search results page and then press ‘download list to csv’ using the icon in the top right. The .csv file will appear in your downloads. 

• Clicking on the document reference/title within a search result will display additional information about the document.
• Along with core details, you will be presented with a list of related documents where these exist.
  Related documents will either be previous revisions of the same document, e. g. CD 116 Geometric design of roundabouts revision 0 where you have searched for CD 116 Geometric design of roundabouts revision 1; or previously published documents that were withdrawn, or partially withdrawn, when the successor document was published, e. g. TD 70/08 Design of Wide Single 2+1 Roads and TD 50/04 The Geometric Layout of Signal-Controlled Junctions and Signalised Roundabouts.
• Related documents were defined as part of the archive development and are identified through publications. The archive starts at 2001 for individual documents as this is the earliest date where we have complete records. If you spot any issues or would like to request a copy of a standards document dated before 2001, please use our feedback form. 

• Document reviews of published standards are undertaken on a periodic basis to check if the whole document is up to date and to identify what clauses need to be changed to bring the document up to date. 
• A check is made against a list of drivers and opportunities for change. If you have any feedback against a published standard, please use our feedback form.

• If your question is not answered here, please use our feedback form.

• Text is automatically added to the left-hand side of the front page of any standards PDFs that are downloaded from the Standards for Highways website to act as a watermark. 
• The watermark gives details of the date you made the download, as well as some information about the document code, the version and the date it was published. This is to give users confidence in the integrity of the PDF that has been downloaded. 

• The links to the Asset Data Management Manual (ADMM), Network Management Manual (NMM), Routine Winter Service Code (RWSC) and Technology Management and Maintenance Manual (TMMM) documents can now be found on the National Highways corporate website: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/suppliers/design-standards-and-specifications/admm-and-other-management-and-maintenance-guides/

Information updated August 2023

The risk-based Road Restraint Systems standard does not follow the traditional standard format.  The Standard has two parts that must be used together:

• The written Standard CD 377 Requirement for Road Restraint Systems, which contains some mandatory requirements and;
• the 'Road Restraint Risk Assessment Process (RRRAP)', which enables the Designer for each site/scheme to establish the need for a vehicle restraint and, if so, minimum performance requirements.

The RRRAP provides the designer with a tool to assist in the provision of a safe road design for hazards that are sited adjacent to the carriageway. v3.0 onwards are cloud hosted tools.

The RRRAP tool provides the client with an auditable record of the roadside in the form of a list of roadside furniture, structures, water hazards, roads, railways, and other features which pose a hazard to errant vehicles that have left the carriageway. It also provides a record of the minimum road restraint provision which the designer will then optimise through the process of hazard design, moving or removing hazards, specifying setback – working width/vehicle intrusion combinations, and benefit cost analysis, for installation specification and future maintenance.

It applies site specific data to each hazard allowing the risk of impact and likelihood of occupant injury to be assessed for any hazard with multiple complex factors being applied which may influence the risk of injury to occupants of an errant vehicle. Factors such as offset from the running lane, topography of the ground in advance of the hazard, the aggressiveness of the hazard itself and other factors such as accident history, traffic volume, vehicle type, and any effects on third parties.

The formulae within the RRRAP reproduce research findings which reflect risk factors found in a number of research reports undertaken in the UK and Worldwide. These are summarised in the Errant Vehicle report which is available to download here. 

The outputs of RRRAP were benchmarked against IRRRS and TD19/85 and have been developed through the continuous improvement process leading to the release of RRRAP v3. The RRRAP outputs provide a good basis for hazard mitigation solutions whether that is removal of the hazard, installation of passively safe furniture or protection with vehicle restraint systems. The provision of solutions meeting or exceeding current standards are subject to agreement with the client and the provision of solutions not meeting current standards require agreement with the overseeing organisation through the departure from standards process.

RRRAP ACCOUNT APPLICATION PROCESS – for schemes in Wales

Where risk assessment Option 1 has been selected from CD 377 WNAA clause W/2.3, the RRRAPfW assessment should be undertaken utilising the Wales organisation area within WebRRRAP which can be found at:

https://rrrap.nationalhighways.co.uk/rrrap/login/login.htm

To access the WG area of WebRRRAP the user should send an email request to: 

RRRAP@gov.wales with the following details: -

• User Name

• Organisation Name

• Email Address

• Contact Number

• Regional Area (SWTRA / NMWTRA)

NOTE: RRRAPfW is not a storage system, records should be downloaded / backed up on a frequent basis. It is required that once the design has reached the print off appendix 4-1 stage, the record is removed (or downloaded by csv file) to free up record slots.

For any RRRAPfW / risk assessment to be completed, all records declarations need to be completed and signed off. Once the declaration is signed and the entry is final the output csv file is to be submitted to RRRAP@gov.wales where the record will be retained on the WG asset management system for future needs.

RRRAP ACCOUNT APPLICATION PROCESS – For all other users

Each organisation will request a username and password for their organisation by means of a nominated super-user who will administer access to their allocation of record slots to other designers within their organisation. All slots / records are accessible ONLY to the organisation to which they are allocated.

The organisation's super-user will need to demonstrate current and future scheme records or justify the issue of an account for other reasons (education, training or research purposes).

The number of slots allocated to each organisation will be made based on workload / expected users.

Super-users will be notified of their account details by email together with the location of the login page. Super-users can create accounts for other users within their organisation from the account administration section within the RRRAP.

PLEASE NOTE: RRRAP is not a storage system, records should be downloaded / backed up on a frequent basis. It is required that once the design been concluded to output the reports and the record removed by exporting it to free up record slots. Exported records can be imported back into RRRAP at a later date if required.

RRRAP ACCOUNT APPLICATION REQUESTS 

Send email request to: RRRAP@nationalhighways.co.uk

State ORGANISATION REGISTRATION REQUEST in the subject line.

The email shall contain the following details : -

• Organisation Name / Division / Address / contact details.
• An Organisational or Corporate Logo in gif format (100kB max) for the printing of reports.
• Statement of reason for RRRAP access request.
• Name and contact details for nominated Super-User (first point of contact for organisations users i.e. new accounts / password resets / technical queries).
• Name and contact details for deputy (in case of illness) for switching super-user role on request.
• Estimated number of schemes in next year.
• Estimated number of users expected.

RRRAP Login Link

https://rrrap.nationalhighways.co.uk/rrrap/login/login.htm

RRRAP Introduction Videos

For Super-users.

https://youtu.be/511_x9Tu2aM

For Users.

https://youtu.be/f9xqkTctG2A

Written User Guide (in-tool guidance is updated frequently) 

• RRRAP v3.3. Desk guide
• RRRAP v3.0 Desk guide

Contained here are the GA drawings for NPSBS systems - TCB, OBB, RHSA, VCB and HVCB. These are for reference/information only.

For copies of the Non Proprietary Safety Barrier System (NPSBS) drawings, please email vrsenquiries@nationalhighways.co.uk

• Have you ever wondered why UK motorways have a consistent look and feel? Or, how is it that the UK roads and bridges are among the safest in the world? The answer to these questions and many more can be found in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), a suite of hundreds of documents that define the requirements for every aspect of our road infrastructure.

• The reference used for DMRB documents comprises five characters, of which the first two are based on the location of the document within the new structure (i.e. combination of discipline and asset lifecycle codes) and the final three are a unique number allocated by the policy group responsible for the discipline to which the document is allocated. 

The discipline structure and related codes are as follows: 

• General Principles & Scheme Governance ”G”; 
• Sustainability & Environment ”L”; 
• Civil Engineering ”C” (comprising road layout, pavement, structures and bridges, geotechnics and drainage); 
• Technology ”T” (comprising control & communications technology and road lighting). 

The asset lifecycle structure and related codes are as follows: 

• General Information ”G”
• Appraisal ”A”
• Design ”D”
• Contract preparation “P”
• Construction ”C”
• Maintenance & Operation ”M”
• Inspection & Assessment ”S”
• Disposal ”Z”

As an example: ‘GD 304 - Designing health and safety into maintenance’ 

• "G" indicates this document relates to the general principles and scheme governance discipline
• "D" indicates this document relates to the design asset lifecycle

• To assist users of the DMRB in understanding how the documents have changed since their refresh between 2018 - 2020, the following training materials have been made available. We will continue to add to these resources as new training material is developed, so please check here regularly for updates. 

Recorded webinars:

1. Introduction to the Digital DMRB – 30-minute recorded webinar 
2. DMRB awareness webinars (discipline-specific) 

DMRB briefing notes (discipline-specific):

1. Pavements - February 2020 
2. Structures - June 2020 
3. Road layout - July 2020 

• You will notice a change in language from the revision number to the version number and the introduction of a 3-point number for all published DMRB standards documents from March 2021 onwards. The change has been made alongside improvements to our governance process and how we categorise updates to standards.

To make it clearer about what type of change has been made, the standards documents will be versioned as follows:

• New documents/major revision/policy change - 1.0.0 (the first number 1.0.0 represents the first publication of a new document, a major revision to a standards document, or a change to policy)
• Changes to requirements clauses x.1.0 (the second number represents a change to requirements but not a wholesale update, and the first number stays the same as it was previously as this is not a major revision)
• Changes to advice clauses or notes/spelling mistakes x. X.1 (the third number represents a more minor change to the standards document and the first and second number stay the same as they were previously)\
   
• Details of the changes to a document will be provided in the release notes. Any DMRB standards document that is already published will remain in its current format e.g. revision 0, revision 2 until the next publication when it will change to having a version number in the format described above.

The Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW) is a standard suite of specification documents which are included within a construction contract and the Contractor is required to comply with its contents.  It is used in most cases when Overseeing Organisations employ a Contractor.

The current published MCHW is made up of the following volumes:

The Future Changes to the Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW) section has moved. You can now find all the information about the upcoming changes here.

The UK Motorways and all-purpose trunk roads are managed using a set of central design standards and specifications, including:

• Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) - defines the requirements for every aspect of the road infrastructure, and
• Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW) - our standard suite of specification documents included within the construction contracts. 

The DMRB was relaunched in 2020 with a new, consistent, and digitalised format.

During 2025 the MCHW will be similarly relaunched. We will make a further announcement about the precise launch date once this is finalised. This is likely to be late summer in 2025 and will be after the European Commission has had the opportunity to review the final draft of MCHW and any feedback received has been addressed.

The updating of the MCHW is all part of a digital framework for standards content that will support innovation in digital design, construction and operation of highways infrastructure.

The updated MCHW will deliver clear and unambiguous requirements and instructions, fully compatible with modern contract forms and future construction practices. 

The overarching MCHW document set will have a new structure, which is shown in the picture below.  There is also a picture showing a side-by-side comparison of new to old. Picking out a few key aspects:

1. One clause = one requirement. No more long paragraphs containing multiple requirements.
2. The new clauses will be consistent and unambiguous.
3. Notes for Guidance will be replaced by Instructions for Specifiers with specifier instructions (SI.X.X) in line with the relevant clause. 
4. National variations will also be in-line at the relevant location (denoted by prefixes of E, NI, S & W), rather than within separate national annexes. No more flicking between documents.
5. Works Specific Requirements (WSRs) will replace Contract Specific Appendices. 

All of this has been made possible by the digitalisation of the MCHW – you may have seen some of the behind-the-scenes insights on the digitalisations at recent conferences such as Highways UK & Roads Expo Scotland.

The DMRB documents will be updated at the same time as the MCHW. This is to ensure the MCHW and the DMRB work as a coherent document set. References to the MCHW in the DMRB will be updated as applicable and updates have been made to ensure the design outputs required by the DMRB are consistent with the specifier instructions contained in the updated MCHW. Finally, some DMRB documents have been updated to include design requirements that were previously found in the MCHW.

The existing Volume 4 will be split into individual Method of Measurement (MMHW) documents complementing the new Specification for Highways Works documents. This means you can use the relevant MMHW document(s) for your scheme.

The updated MCHW will be a set of specification documents fit for the digital world.

The current set of specification documents are in many cases out of date, inconsistent and occasionally ambiguous. The updated MCHW will be consistent, unambiguous and digitalised.

The updated MCHW will be published on the Standards for Highways website in 2025 and start to be used on new projects and schemes (subject to relevant contracts).

Existing contracts and frameworks are expected to be largely unaffected as they are likely to continue to use the version of the MCHW as stated in their contract. Your project teams should advise on a project-level basis.

This is a big change!

A communication & change programme is in place which will include post-implementation support. You may have seen some presentations on the future MCHW at Traffex, Highways UK or Roads Expo Scotland. If you would like us to present at an event you are arranging, please get in touch.

A short briefing video on the upcoming MCHW updates and the available support is provided here.

Access to draft documents in advance of publication can be requested by emailing standards_enquiries@nationalhighways.co.uk; please explain why you require advanced access.

Any questions? Please use the feedback form.

• Access is available for National Highways staff and its supply chain. 
• To gain access as a supplier to National Highways, please complete this form. National Highways staff automatically have access. 
• The library can be accessed here. 

• The Operational Technology Specifications library (OTS) forms a part of National Highways' documentation, defining the requirements for Operational Technology.  It is the replacement for TSS Plans Registry.  The documents are being updated as part of National Highways' upgrade to the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) and the Manual for Contract Documents for Highways Works (MCHW). To read more, please click here.

For those familiar with TSS Plans Registry:

• the search function is above under "Search this site".
• the index of current documentation, to the right, is almost exactly as found in TSS-PR.
• the buttons below are a filter of the whole specification library
• the legacy documents will be added shortly. If you require a legacy document, please email OTSL@nationalhighways.co.uk

• Interim Advice Notes (IANs) were issued by National Highways from 1995 - 2017 but are no longer produced. They contained specific guidance to be used in connection with works on motorways and trunk roads in England, subject to any specific implementation instructions contained within an IAN.
• While IANs must be read together with the DMRB and MCHW for the above works, and may incorporate amendments or additions to documents in these publications, they are not part of the DMRB or MCHW.