Woman’s nich in roading

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33933, 28 August 1975, Page 6

Woman ’s nich in roading

A 23-year-old graduate of the University of Canterbury is the only! woman working for (he National Roads Board’s research unit. -Joy Telford is following the oath of her famous an-i vestor. Thomas Telford, who is regarded as one of the fathers of modern road construction. Ms Telford is the only ' full-time member of thei, .unit. The 12 men fn it represent the counties, municipal-;, ities, universities, the Ministry of Works and Devel-i, opment. the Ministry of Transport, and the New Zealand Institute of Engineers. “Its a very stimulating job I tor a woman in what is ei-J sentially a man’s world," 1 Isays Joy Telford. She has been the unit’s! secretary since February,;, working in a warm, sunny: , office in the unit’s technical j library on the .ifth floor of], I the Ministry of Works and Development's head office in Wellington. Joy Telford finds her work; interesting and challenging.! She is the unit’s third! woman secretary. When the:; first secretary, Eric Swinboume. resigned in 1970, Marjorie McKie became sec-h retary from 1971-73 and| later Cecilv Duncan during |, 1974. ■■

A general interest in people, and in roading probi iems, is very necessary for ■the job, says Ms Telford. “I’ve learnt a lot since I started. There’s much more to a job like this than 1 had first imagined, and I've got 'much more to learn,” she Lsays. “Today road builders look lat all aspects when constructing roads. They consider people and the social and environmental effects of a new road. “Planners are more aware of these factors than before. And its hard not to be ‘aware of it — magazines, newspapers, everywhere point this trend out.” The Road Research Unit was established by the National Roads Board in 1962, and is responsible to the board for research work. It does not undertake research, but arranges this through] use of existing resources I and facilities, and aims at; encouraging research think-! jing among practising engin-! leers. RESEARCH GUIDE The unit meets in Welling-: I ton four times a year. Its : work covers main policy I I decisions and provides a guide to the areas for re-! ‘search in general. It also ali locates the budget to the required areas. To help in re- , search work, four technical i (committees were set up! seven years ago.

H The committees look into]] ■ | projects, finding the right , ■i people to do the work and | .determining the cost. Sub- • I missions are then put to the , I unit, which applies to the , National Roads Board for j ! final approval of funds. i' ; Joy Telford is responsible , jfor the quarterly Road Re- , i'search Unit, through which , . many of the research ; . findings are distributed. j She gathers all the mat- i • erial together, edits and lays i I: out a magazine which is dis- I utributed to a wide range of i people — contractors, engin- t

eering consultants, editors of various magazines and newsletters. libraries, local government offices and oil companies. ALL ASPECTS Automobile associations both overseas and in New Zealand receive the newsletter. National Roads Board members and engineers in the M.W.D. involved in roading are also on the mailing list. The R.R.U. newsletter often runs to 30 pages. “We try to cover all aspects of roading,” Ms Telford explains; She sees to the publication of final research project reports as Road Research Unit bulletins. There is a big demand, Joy Telford says, for the R.R.U. bulletins. Many roading engineers, who do not have time to do research, use the technical bulletins for reference. She also keeps up with a wide range of roading research projects throughout New Zealand. Every year she prepares statistics for the International Road Federation, which has offices in both the United States and 'Switzerland, for use in their index of research programmes. And, she keeps relevant road research unit files, and helps to co-ordi-nate all technical committees.