Road and airfield construction and maintenance materials and the way standards are developed and implemented is vital to the performance of UK’s transport networks. The range of issues and variety of standards is complex and the effective distribution of information to the CIHT membership and wider Industry is seen as of great importance.

The SASAG has been established to assist the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation to co-ordinate and promote the activities of CIHT in relation to advice for materials and pavement design for highways, airfields and industrial purposes.

SASAG will identify areas where standards are lacking and as necessary, in collaboration with other organizations involved, will provide guidance in a standard specification format and advice notes for implementation.

SASAG will provide input to CIHT Learned Society and Technical Strategy Board reporting through the Asset Management Panel.

CIHT has representation on several BSI and other specification committees and will utilise this representation to inform the wider membership of changes and updates to European and British Standards and opportunities to comment on relevant drafts and has the task to:

• Authorise members formally representing CIHT on industry committees and groups.
• Coordinate the activity of CIHT industry representatives and provide a mechanism for CIHT members to both receive updates from and provide input to their representatives.
  SASAG will begin by focusing on highway and airfield construction and maintenance. This is a starting point for SASAG and there may be further areas of transportation infrastructure to consider as SASAG becomes established.

SASAG will:

• Identify, develop and deliver specific work and projects.
  - The group will provide advice and support to members of the Institution.
• Signposting standards and advice to the CIHT membership - providing access to documents, case studies and presentations.
• Raise awareness, to roads authority engineers and airfield pavement engineers, of issues to do with construction and maintenance standards and specifications.
• To promote the wider understanding in CIHT of materials technology and standardisation process through the organisation of training events and contribution of technical papers to Transportation Professional.
• Collaborate with relevant bodies and organisations to establish new links and ways of working.