LGOIMA Request Details

The MDC Road Maintenance Contract 1505 is for the roading network within ManawatÅ« District Council’s jurisdiction. This contract includes the maintenance, and renewal works on the local road network. The contractor provides all labour, plant and materials required to undertake and complete the works included in the accepted contract programmes in accordance with the contract documents or the instruction of the Engineer. 

The Road Maintenance Contract 1505 is 297 pages long, excluding Appendices. Most of the contract is not applicable to your questions so has not been supplied. You are however welcome to view the contract at our office if you so desire.

Payment is made per pothole for the identification, complete repair and recording of pothole repairs throughout the sealed road network, maintained in accordance with Maintenance Specification Section 6 Clause 5 (reproduced at the end of this response for your convenience).

The rate is an all-inclusive rate per pothole required for the identification, complete repair and recording of all potholes as defined by the level of service nominated in Maintenance Specification Section 6 Clause 5 within the sealed road network at all times during the period of the month.

The contractor tendered $2.41 in 2015, the contract has a cost fluctuation clause which allows for tendered rates to be adjusted in line with inflation (see Contract price adjustment for cost fluctuation: infrastructure contracts (nzta.govt.nz).  The average all-inclusive rate for each pothole repair carried out during the 2023-24 financial year was $6.63.

The Contractor is required to use RAMM Contractor and the RAMM database for contract management tasks such as (but not limited to) entering jobs, creating work programmes, prioritising work, entering claims, producing reports, monitoring job progress, asset detail updates, contract claim preparation, tracking service requests. It is required that the system is updated continuously through monthly claim periods, as work is completed, to allow for timely completion of claims and asset updates.

The Engineer interrogates the claim and audits the quality of data entered into RAMM and RAMM Contractor. If the data is found to be incomplete or erroneous, the Engineer will hold the associated claim line on the basis that the data is not acceptable, the claim line can be represented by the contractor once the data is correct. (See ASSET & WORK MANAGER | Simple management & maintenance (thinkproject.com).

Based on TNZ HM19:2006

This Section sets out the requirements for repairing potholes in sealed roads.

A hole in the Pavement, frequently round in shape, resulting from loss of Pavement material caused by the action of traffic. As a defect, potholes are defined as:

a) Where surface attrition has occurred in areas of Pavement, over an area greater than 100mm in diameter but not exceeding 1m2, and the underlying Pavement is exposed. (This does not include Scabbing and Stripping on a chip seal),

b) Where the defect exceeds 50mm depth in Asphaltic Concrete, including porous asphalt and/or surfacing layers.

All potholes shall be repaired within the response times set out in Appendix 1.4.

If an individual pothole exceeds 1m2 in area, the Contractor must:

a) within the response times, provide the most practical repair that is reasonably possible given the conditions of the surrounding pavement.

b) notify the Engineer in writing, within 24 hours of first observing and repairing the pothole, of the location of the area of pavement which is considered to have failed or is unsound, and the proposed method of permanent repair.

programme and complete the permanent repair of the area, as urgent work.

When, in the opinion of the Contractor, the pothole is due to underlying instability of the road pavement, the Contractor shall report such potholes after repair to the Engineer.

The immediate area surrounding the pothole shall be excavated to remove distressed material.

Ragged and/or proud edges shall not be permitted and vertical squaring up of the existing edge around the perimeter of the area to be treated is required. In unbound granular materials the sides of the excavation shall be trimmed to a battered slope.

The Contractor shall select the repair method most appropriate to correct the defect. The materials used shall comply with TNZ M/ 10 or any other mix approved by the Engineer.

When the weather is unsuitable for a permanent repair, the pothole will be filled with a suitable material to make the area safe until a permanent repair can be affected.

The finished running surface of the repair shall be waterproof, dense and stable and not move under the action of traffic.

The performance of the Contractor during the Contract period will be measured by the following criteria:

a) the safety of road users is not impaired due to potholes not being repaired

b) potholes are repaired within the response times required

c) the pothole repair remains intact

d) repaired potholes continue to remain waterproof and maintain a smooth riding surface

e) there is no flushing or bleeding of the surface of potholes

f) appropriate notification to the engineer within the response time required, of individual potholes exceeding 1m2 and/or where unstable 

g) the excavation of the repaired area is carried out in such a manner that the integrity of adjacent sections of pavement is not disturbed

h) The finished surface of the repair shall match the general profile of the adjacent surface have no sharp ridges and shall be such that it does not allow water to pond nor is higher than the adjacent pavement by more than 10mm when measured by a 2m straightedge.