December 2025 Brings Key Updates to Civil Engineering Pavement

The civil engineering sector saw pivotal advances in pavement standards this December 2025, with the publication of two significant European documents that shape future practices for road and airfield surfaces. As transportation infrastructure faces increasing demands for durability, noise abatement, and quality assurance, these standards equip authorities, consultants, and contractors with up-to-date protocols for both acoustic performance and layer adhesion. For professionals managing road networks or procurement, staying current with these benchmarks is essential for compliance and long-term asset integrity.

Overview / Introduction

Civil engineering forms the backbone of modern transport infrastructure, and standards in this domain are crucial drivers for quality, safety, and innovation. With roads, highways, and airfields exposed to heavy and varied loads, rigorous testing and quantification of surface properties ensure optimal performance and compliance with national and EU directives.

This article highlights two newly published standards from December 2025:

CEN/TS 18194:2025: Providing Europe’s first unified method for acoustically characterizing road surfaces, supporting low-noise design and regulatory frameworks.
EN 12697-48:2021+A1:2025: Delivering robust laboratory and field methods for determining the bond strength between asphalt layers—critical for pavement longevity and user safety.

Readers will gain clear insights into each standard’s scope, core requirements, testing methodologies, and implementation strategies—vital for civil engineering practitioners committed to best practices and statutory compliance.

Detailed Standards Coverage

CEN/TS 18194:2025 – Road and Airfield Surface Characteristics: Characterisation of the Acoustic Properties of Road Surfaces

Road and airfield surface characteristics – Characterisation of the acoustic properties of road surfaces

CEN/TS 18194:2025 offers a landmark, harmonized assessment procedure for evaluating how various pavement types influence road traffic noise emissions. Intended for use across public procurement, production conformity, and lifecycle monitoring, this technical specification standardizes the measurement of the acoustic performance of road surface types, leveraging the ISO 11819-2 Close-Proximity (CPX) method.

Key requirements and scope:

Application of CPX method: Mandates the use of the ISO 11819-2:2017 close-proximity measurement technique with specified procedures for test vehicle, tyres, and instrumentation calibration.
Road speed category reference: Acoustic measurements are standardized for three speed categories—urban (50 km/h), rural (80 km/h), and motorway (110 km/h), supporting broad applicability.
Acoustic labelling: Surfaces evaluated receive a Road Surface Noise Label (RSNL), quantifying initial and in-use acoustic properties for diverse procurement and legislative needs.
Conformity of production (COP): Ensures newly laid pavements conform to acoustic specifications and helps regulate surface homogeneity.
Monitoring over lifecycle: Establishes protocols for longitudinal monitoring, enabling authorities and asset managers to track surface degradation and inform maintenance/replacement strategies.

Who should comply: The standard is vital for road authorities, infrastructure contractors, maintenance organizations, and surface product manufacturers across Europe. It enables procurement agencies and urban planners to make informed, compliant choices regarding low-noise pavements.

Practical implications:

Acoustic property benchmarks: Enables apples-to-apples comparison of proprietary and generic road surfacing products.
Regulatory alignment: Supports requirements of the European Noise Directive and the CNOSSOS-EU noise mapping method.
Contractual precision: Facilitates clear contracts by specifying acceptable acoustic performance for both construction and maintenance.

Notable changes/introduction:

Absolute performance reporting: Moves away from country-specific reference surfaces, ensuring pan-European comparability.
Lifecycle focus: Mandates repeated, long-term measurements to inform asset management.

Key highlights:

Europe-wide harmonization for acoustic characterization of pavements
Detailed sampling and test protocols for new surfaces and ongoing monitoring
Clear reporting and statistical evaluation requirements

Access the full standard: View CEN/TS 18194:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 12697-48:2021+A1:2025 – Bituminous Mixtures: Test Methods – Part 48: Interlayer Bonding

Bituminous mixtures – Test methods – Part 48: Interlayer bonding

EN 12697-48:2021+A1:2025 introduces comprehensive laboratory and in-situ test methods to evaluate the bond strength between asphalt layers in road and airfield construction. Robust interlayer bonding is critical to pavement performance, affecting resistance to rutting, fatigue, and reflective cracking under heavy traffic loads.

Key requirements and scope:

Test methods covered:
- Torque Bond Test (TBT): Assesses horizontal shear strength, suitable for any thickness and in situ or lab environments.
- Shear Bond Test (SBT): Measures bond strength where layer thickness exceeds 15 mm, ideal for base and binder layers.
- Tensile Adhesion Test (TAT): Focused on thin layers (≤15 mm), evaluates perpendicular (tensile) bond strength.
Specimen preparation: Detailed requirements for core dimensions, specimen storage, and adhesive selection.
Failure mode assessment: Mandates classification of cohesion, adhesion, and mixed failures, informing root-cause analysis of premature pavement distress.
Result calculation: Clear formulas and data recording for shear stress, displacement, stiffness modulus, and failure analysis.
Precision and reporting: Comprehensive report templates ensure traceability and repeatability across testing agencies.

Who should comply:

Road construction companies, materials laboratories, highway authorities, and airport operators are primary stakeholders. Adoption is also crucial for quality managers and material suppliers involved in asphalt layer design and inspection.

Practical implications:

Quality assurance: Enables verification of bond coat performance and construction practices.
Long-term durability: Reduces the risk of premature layer separation, rutting, or moisture ingress.
Specification compliance: Tests align with major European road construction contracts and performance-related specifications.

Notable changes (with amendment A1:2025):

Expanded normative and informative annexes with alternative and advanced test options
Updated reporting and equipment specifications for greater consistency

Key highlights:

Multi-method approach enables testing across thicknesses and bond types
Standardizes laboratory and in-situ sampling, storage, and data collection
Visual failure assessments enhance diagnostic capabilities

Access the full standard: View EN 12697-48:2021+A1:2025 on iTeh Standards

Industry Impact & Compliance

The release of these updated standards significantly affects civil engineering organizations involved in the design, construction, and maintenance of transport infrastructure:

Compliance strategies: With measurable acoustic benchmarks and robust bond strength criteria now standardized, organizations must review procurement specifications, QA/QC protocols, and construction methods to align with the new requirements. Internal training and laboratory updates may be necessary.
Timeline: Both standards apply to all new projects and major resurfacing activities initiated after their respective publication dates. Authorities are advised to phase out superseded standards by June 2026.
Business benefits: Compliance reduces overall liability (by lowering the chance of noise complaints or structural failures), supports sustainability objectives, and enhances an organization's market reputation as a leader in quality and regulatory alignment.
Risks of non-compliance: Adherence is vital for avoiding project delays, contractual penalties, and legal disputes. Non-compliant pavements may face costly remediation or rejection in public projects, especially where acoustic or durability demands are contractually specified.

Technical Insights

Common Technical Themes

Measurement Protocols: Both standards demand rigorous test procedures, instrument calibration, and adherence to referenced ISO/EN methods.
Documentation: Comprehensive test reports, including material descriptions, testing parameters, and failure observations, are mandatory for traceability.
Sampling: Emphasis on representative sampling, either through multiple test sections (acoustic) or cores (bond tests), to ensure reliable asset characterization.

Best Practices for Implementation

Training: Ensure that in-house and contract testing laboratories are trained and certified for the specified methods—particularly regarding the correct use of test tyres, shear apparatus, and data collection systems.
Equipment Updates: Invest in up-to-date measurement equipment (CPX systems, torque meters, shear frames) as per the latest standard versions and calibration schedules.
Design Integration: For new pavements, incorporate acoustic and bond strength requirements in tender documentation and enforce them through routine QA audits.
Lifecycle Management: Routinely monitor both acoustic and bond performance at intervals aligned with the asset maintenance schedule, leveraging the data to inform timely surfacing and rehabilitation decisions.

Testing & Certification

CPX Acoustic Measurement: Requires appropriately maintained CPX trailers, certified reference tyres, and test vehicles calibrated to ISO 11819-2 standards.
Torque and Shear Testing: Core samples must be conditionally stored, tested at controlled temperatures, and documented with both raw data and calculations for audit purposes.
Further Validation: Where advanced testing (e.g., alternative shear tests) is desired, utilize the informative annexes and ensure results are recorded in alignment with the main test protocols.

Conclusion / Next Steps

December 2025’s new civil engineering standards reinforce the sector’s focus on sustainability, durability, and community impact. By adopting CEN/TS 18194:2025 and EN 12697-48:2021+A1:2025, organizations can:

Deliver quieter, longer-lasting roads and airfields compliant with the latest regulatory and contract specifications
Mitigate risks associated with non-compliance through robust testing and documentation
Empower quality management programs with actionable measurement and monitoring data

Recommendations:

Review project specifications and update them to reference these standards where applicable
Train staff and update laboratory protocols to ensure accurate, repeatable test results
Visit iTeh Standards to access the full text of each standard and stay informed of future revisions

Civil engineering professionals seeking to remain at the forefront of best practice and compliance are encouraged to explore the detailed procedures and supporting resources available. Early adoption will minimize transition risks and position your organization for ongoing success.

December 2025 Brings Key Updates to Civil Engineering Pavement Standards