nchrp research report 903

The rights-of-way of the national highway system includes an estimated 3.4 million acres of unpaved land as the interface between highways and natural and human landscapes . There are unexplored opportunities to include roadside landscape in highway asset management, including the application of geospatial information, data collection tools and technology, and data management systems. By having a system to plan roadside projects, tracking completion, and documenting results over time, an increased understanding of the evolving processes of roadside vegetation growth and resulting maintenance treatments could result in improved life-cycle management practices and increased system resiliency.

Because roadside management integrates many topics, including safety, ecosystem services, social equity, sustainability, and climate resiliency, there are overlapping research efforts and interests from different sectors of the transportation community. Research on roadside management has been and currently is being conducted around the United States, and many state departments of transportation (DOTs) have developed and published management practices on this topic. Identification and implementation of beneficial practices is an ongoing challenge for DOTs and relevant stakeholders. Asset based vegetation management practices developed for transmission power line corridors may also provide insights helpful for management of roadside landscape assets.

Concerns over impacts to endangered species, pollinator declines, roadside fires, climate change, invasive species, and other pressures on native ecosystems are intensifying the focus on inventory and assessment of roadside landscape assets. At the same time, rapid developments in mapping and data analysis technologies and new tools and innovative data management systems offer new opportunities to understand and manage these assets. NCHRP Research Report 903: G eotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies provides an example of the type of tools and methods that would be useful to develop for roadside landscape assets.  

Research is needed to provide up-to-date tools and technologies for roadside landscape assets that can be used in a performance-based management system.

The objective of this research is to develop a guidebook for the use of performance-based management strategies for highway roadside landscape asset management. The guidebook should cover the tools and technology currently available for planning and decision-making, including estimation and benefits optimization, and enhancing maintenance operations efficiency and effectiveness.

Accomplishment of the project objective will require at least the following tasks.

Task 1 . Conduct a literature review including both national and international sources, which should include peer-reviewed material and grey literature. This literature review is intended to aid in developing case studies for Task 2. The review will cover but not be limited to the following topics:

·       Types and definitions of roadside landscape assets used in existing systems for asset inventory.

·       How roadside landscape assets are currently integrated with existing inventory systems.

Task 2 . Develop four to eight representative case studies of public and private entities that document and synthesize examples from different geographic regions of the United States as well as   DOTs with different organizational structures, levels of maturity of the asset management process, and performance perspectives.

Task 3. Prepare a detailed work plan to develop a guidebook to implement roadside landscape asset management.

Task 4. Submit a technical memorandum documenting the findings of Tasks 1 - 3 with a summary of practices for roadside landscape asset management for review by the NCHRP.   Present the technical memorandum at a meeting with the NCHRP project panel. The technical memorandum should include:

·       The framework that integrates roadside landscape asset management practices with established transportation asset management practices.

·       A taxonomy and definition of roadside landscape assets with recommendations on standard data collection procedures, analytical tools, and maintenance operations logistics.

·       A detailed work plan to develop a guidebook for transportation agencies to implement roadside landscape asset management.

Task 5. Prepare a draft guidebook that includes the framework of roadside landscape asset management, which addresses the implementation of asset management objectives and measures, inventory and condition, performance gap identification, maintenance operations logistics, cost tracking, roadside landscape asset management/maintenance planning, and life cycle performance. These findings should be presented in a format easily accessible to the design, construction, and maintenance communities.

Task 6. Submit an interim report. The report shall document the outcomes of Task 4 and be presented at a meeting with the NCHRP project panel.

Task 7. Prepare the final guidebook and the conduct of research report.

Task 8. Submit final deliverables including the guidebook, a conduct of research report documenting the project activities, project results implementation plan, and a slide-based (PowerPoint) presentation with speaker notes.

STATUS: Research in progress.

Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies, Volume 1: Research Overview (NCHRP Report 903)

This report provides an introduction and scalable guidance for state transportation agencies on how to implement risk-based geotechnical asset management into current asset management plans. Volume 1, Research Overview, details the scope, process, and findings of the study.

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External link, related sites, october cpbm risk management subcommittee meeting, december cpbm risk management subcommittee meeting.

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Implementation of Geotechnical Asset Management

While bridge and pavement conditions receive much of the media attention and legislative directives for transportation agencies, the value and performance of other assets are also important to the life-cycle operation of the transportation system. Geotechnical assets represent one such category. These assets include walls, slopes, embankments, and subgrades that contribute to the ability of a transportation agency to perform the strategic mission. In this latest publication in our series of articles from the GAP 2019 transportation engineering conference proceedings, Mark Vessely, P.E. shares geotechnical asset management insight rooted in international examples and his own experiences from private practice and public agency work. ABOUT THE FEATURE IMAGE: A reinforced soil wall along an infrastructure project. Photo by NAUE . These structures create enormous value for their owners. If managed as geotechnical assets, they can yield even greater value for an infrastructure in the long term, Vessely writes.

1. INTRODUCTION TO GEOTECHNICAL ASSET MANAGEMENT

Above all, asset management is a business process for asset owners to maximize the value of their assets and make risk informed decisions that align with the objectives and goals of the organization.  Thus, through asset management private and public organizations can demonstrate both financial stewardship to investors or the enabling taxpayers and increase the likelihood services provided to customers and users of the system are acceptable over time. Legislative authorization or regulations do not need to be the primary initiator of asset management as evidenced by the British Standards Institute (BSI) work on standardization of asset management, which was first published in 2004 with more than 50 public and private entities spanning 10 countries and 15 sectors contributing to development (BSI, 2008). The BSI work was later adopted and superseded by the International Standards Organization (ISO), leading to the current ISO 55000 series on asset management.

According to the Federal Highway Administration (2018), “transportation asset management plans are an essential management tool which bring together all related business processes and stakeholders, internal and external, to achieve a common understanding and commitment to improve performance.”  The current obligatory requirements of Federal highway authorization require the continued management of bridge and pavement assets and encourage inclusion of other assets into asset management plans.  One such asset class that can be considered are geotechnical assets.

Geotechnical asset are the retaining walls, embankments, slopes, and constructed subgrades within a transportation system right-of-way (ROW) or easement.  Like other asset categories, geotechnical assets are features that are designed, constructed, and maintained by a transportation agency and their performance – good or poor – contributes to the continuous operation of a transportation network.  Geotechnical assets are also subject to deterioration and exposed to natural hazards similar to other assets.

MORE FROM GAP: Unsaturated Analysis of Water Flow in Granular Layers of Inundated Pavements

Implementing asset management practices for geotechnical assets enables an agency to measure and manage the life-cycle investment considering performance expectations and tolerance for risk.  The reasons for geotechnical asset management (GAM) are comparable to any other business practice that is directed at making smart investments with limited funds. Without geotechnical asset management, transportation owners are accepting unknown levels of risk to objectives related to safety, service, and economic vitality, and may also be making unfavorable life-cycle investments.

The value of geotechnical asset management was realized by the Transportation Research Board and National Highway Cooperative Research (NCHRP) program through the commissioning of NCHRP Study 24-26: “Development of an Implementation Manual for Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies.” The outcome of this study, NCHRP Research Report 903 includes an implementation manual with supporting software tools for transportation executives, asset managers, and geotechnical practitioners to initiate asset management for walls, slopes, and embankments.

2. DEFINING GEOTECHNICAL ASSETS

The ISO 55000 definition of an asset states: an item, thing or entity that has potential or actual value to an organization; value can be tangible or intangible, financial or non-financial, and includes consideration of risks and liabilities (ISO, 2018) .

Separately, the AASHTO transportation asset management guide: a focus on implementation (2011) defines an “asset” as the physical transportation infrastructure (e.g., travel way, structures, other features and appurtenances, operations systems, and major elements thereof); more generally, can include the full range of resources capable of producing value-added for an agency: e.g., human resources, financial capacity, real estate, corporate information, equipment and materials, etc.; an individual, separately-managed component of the infrastructure, e.g., bridge deck, road section, streetlight .  Thus, in both definitions transportation assets consist of the many physical assets that add value to the transportation system and can impact the ability of the organization to satisfy executive level performance objectives,

One such category of assets is those comprised of earth (soil and rock), or a geotechnical asset, with the adjective ‘geotechnical’ describing constructed earth materials. Examples of geotechnical assets include the retaining walls, embankments, slopes, or constructed subgrades that contribute to the performance of a transportation system and are located within the right-of-way or boundary. Geotechnical assets also contribute to the performance of the culverts, stormwater drainage systems, and utilities that are often contained within the asset.

The presented definition of geotechnical assets is not unique to the U.S., as slopes and embankments are defined as geotechnical assets for highway and railway systems in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and have been managed as part of asset management programs for over a decade. Additionally, there often are situations where multiple geotechnical assets exist the same unit length of road or railway, such as a retaining wall on the downslope side of a corridor and slopes on the uphill side.  Thus, agencies can have substantial inventories of geotechnical assets, and in many cases may have more retaining walls than bridges.

Additional discussion on the definition of geotechnical assets is presented in the following subsections.

2.1 Retaining Walls

Retaining walls, or earth retaining structures, are structures that hold back soil and/or rock materials to prevent sliding of material onto a transportation corridor or retain material that supports other transportation assets. Retaining walls can include many types of walls, including gravity walls, soil nail walls, concrete cantilever structures, or mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls. Retaining walls generally have vertical or near vertical faces. The recommended height for incorporation into an asset management inventory is 4 feet, which is similar to the height that defines a retaining wall in the engineering design process.  Photographs of retaining wall assets are shown in Figure 1.

In many cases, a retaining wall is associated with a bridge structure or approach to a bridge. If a wall is also a bridge abutment that is integral to the bridge structure, the wall likely will be incorporated into a separate bridge inspection and asset management program. However, all other walls associated with the bridge approaches should be incorporated into a geotechnical asset management program if not already managed in an asset management program, which is often the situation.

2.2 Embankments

An embankment asset consists of a constructed fill comprised of rock, soil, or other engineered materials that enables a roadway, railway, or other transportation facility to maintain a required design elevation above lower lying ground. A threshold embankment height of 10 feet (3 m) is recommended as delineation between a minor earthwork and an embankment asset, unless there are site conditions or criticality may merit a lower height. The 10-foot recommended height for an embankment is based the implementation experience for 240,000 geotechnical assets on highways and railways throughout the United Kingdom (NASEM, 2019).  A schematic of embankment assets is provided in Figure 2.

Slopes are a type of geotechnical asset involving cut excavations that enable a roadway or railway to traverse through surrounding ground, as shown in Figure 3. Slopes also may include natural slopes adjacent to a roadway for some agencies. Slopes differ from embankments in that slopes are excavated into terrain rather than a constructed fill feature or may consist of a natural slope. Slopes can consist of soil, rock, and mixtures of soil and rock as illustrated in Figure 3. Similar to embankment assets, a 10-foot threshold for cut slope height is recommended, unless the asset is judged to create an unacceptable hazard to the safety of users and maintenance personnel.

2.4 Subgrades

Subgrade assets consist of earth materials below the engineered pavement or railway that creates a life-cycle management need. Examples of subgrade assets include constructed earthworks and ground improvements to address weak foundation soil, swelling, frozen or thawing ground, and collapsible soil or threats from karst (sinkholes) and underground mining. Examples of subgrade assets are illustrated in Figure 4.

2.5 Taxonomy for Geotechnical Assets

The taxonomy for geotechnical assets was introduced by Anderson et al. (2016) and further developed in the NCHRP Research Report 903 (NASEM, 2019).  The geotechnical asset taxonomy is based on common definitions used in professional geotechnical practice and with the intent of aligning with the state of practice with transportation asset management. This taxonomy is similar in structure to the general GAM taxonomy used by Highways England and Network Rail, allowing U.S. practice to connect with international practice. As noted by Anderson et al. (2016), the purpose of this taxonomy is to clarify language and ideas so that geotechnical engineers, other disciplines, and asset managers can communicate effectively within one organization and between different ones.

2.5.1 Role of Right-of-Way

Established transportation assets, such as bridges and pavements, are easily recognized as being within the ROW or easement boundaries of an organization and often with ample buffer space from boundaries. For these assets, the agency has control over how they are built, maintained, and managed, in addition to full access rights.  Geotechnical assets also exist within the agency boundaries and many geotechnical assets often extend right to the ROW boundary, or beyond. It is not uncommon that the limits of disturbed area associated with a slope or embankment asset will define the ROW or easement boundary for the agency and retaining walls often have the function of minimizing ROW disturbance and thus are constructed at the boundary. In such conditions, there is potential for adverse consequences to external property stakeholders beyond the ROW from an agency geotechnical asset, which is different performance threat when compared to a pavement asset.

MORE FROM GAP: Assessment of Historical Army Airfield Pavement Condition Data

There also can be geotechnical features outside of the right-of-way or boundary that are not owned by the agency.  These features often consist of location specific hazards associated with a natural slope that threatens other transportation assets or the agency performance. Examples of these features may include rockfall from geologic outcrops, landslides that originate beyond the boundary, or private retaining walls, often common in urban areas, that can impact agency assets. Historically, many agencies have assumed the responsibility for the response to events originating from geotechnical features beyond the ROW boundary.  However, the access and ownership constraints limit the ability of an agency to manage these sites using the same design, maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacement treatment concepts applied to geotechnical assets in the ROW.

Given this ownership distinction, the taxonomy for geotechnical assets uses a separate category for geotechnical features or natural hazard sites that are beyond the ROW. Through this taxonomy distinction, an agency can choose whether to include geotechnical features beyond the ROW in a geotechnical asset management program or to defer to other programs, such as enterprise wide risk and resilience strategies that address other external agency hazards such as flooding, earthquake, or terror events. In such an example, having an inventory of beyond the ROW geotechnical features can be beneficial.

2.5.2 Geotechnical Elements within other Assets

Bridges, tunnels, and pavements contain geotechnical visual elements or hidden components, such as foundations and ground reinforcements, that enable the function of that specific asset.  As indicated by Anderson et al. (2016), these other asset groups already have asset management practices to comply with Federal requirements and it is important to recognize the contribution of the geotechnical elements to these other assets, and to manage them through the existing platforms, and not create something new.

For the geotechnical elements and components of other structure assets (e.g., bridges and tunnels), those items can be identified as such, or using the exact terms already used within the given asset specific asset taxonomy. As an example, the foundations of a bridge comprise a portion of the bridge substructure component and are geotechnical items within an already managed asset.

2.5.3 Geotechnical Assets

Figure 5 presents the hierarchy used to classify embankments, slopes, retaining walls, and subgrades into the geotechnical asset class. For each of these assets, they have geotechnical composition and can be shown to measurably contribute to the value of an agency. Separately, there may be inventory and/or management systems that address one or a few of these geotechnical asset or feature types, particularly those identified as having progressed to an unstable condition. For example, the Rockfall Hazard Rating System (RHRS) was developed in the 1980s by the Oregon Department of Transportation with support from FHWA and other states (Pierson, 1991) to prioritize rockfall hazards from slopes within and beyond the ROW and has since been adopted or modified by transportation organizations with some including other unstable slope types. While slope and embankment assets can share characteristics those with in these legacy hazard management systems, it also is possible to integrate these sites into the broader geotechnical asset category and the risk-based asset management approach.

3. BENEFITS OF GEOTECHNICAL ASSET MANAGEMENT

When geotechnical assets are managed in a proactive, whole-life asset management approach, there can be benefits that include life-cycle cost savings; the capability to measure, communicate and manage risk; reduce operational disruptions; and fewer emergency stabilization projects that draw from contingency budgets. Based on outcomes from successful programs in transportation and other infrastructure systems, the benefits of performing asset management on walls, slopes, embankments, and subgrades can be summarized as follows.

• Financial savings across the life-cycle, with values estimated to be greater than 30% in studies by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE, 2013), and 60 to 80% per embankment in the United Kingdom (Perry and others, 2003)
• Measure and manage safety risk exposure across the asset class and with a comparison to other assets
• Lessens traveler delay and closure times
• Reduces adverse economic impacts to connected communities
• Optimize resources, improves sustainability, and reputations
• Enables data driven decisions that support agency and executive objectives
• Understand the risk exposure across objectives and the ability to manage those risks

3.1 Scaling Implementation to Realize Benefits

Asset management is an on-going process that relies on process improvements to direct advancement where the greatest value can occur. When implementing asset management, each organization can adapt the fundamental concepts to the needs and objectives of their agency. Per the AASHTO Transportation Asset Management Guide (ex summary 2011): “There is no “one-size-fits-all” TAM solution for an agency.”  Thus, geotechnical asset management does not need to be funded as a substantial new program, but rather can evolve to the needs and objectives of the organization.

When viewing the implementation history for bridge and pavement assets, each program has evolved from startup programs into more complex maturities that demonstrate measurable benefits. In the case of bridge and pavement asset management programs in the U.S., many municipal agencies have adopted the practices without being required because of the obvious benefits that result.  Additionally, the benefits of asset management can be realized before an inventory is complete as evidenced by several years of implementation experience for both Network Rail and Highways England in the United Kingdom (NASEM, 2019).  Through these examples, owners of geotechnical assets are encouraged to begin asset management as a complete process that locates early value gains, rather than focusing individually on each step in asset management.

Data collection for inventory and condition can become a time and cost intensive process and the investment in data collection should be compared against the required level of detail for decision support. As stated in the International Infrastructure Management Manual (IIMM) “a rule of thumb is often 80% of the data can be collected for half the cost of 100%. Seeking 100% coverage and accuracy may not be justified, except for the most critical assets” (IIMM, 2015). Following this guidance when starting geotechnical asset management, agencies can benefit from an approach that relies on different levels of detail and collection tools for inventory and condition data.

Per the IIMM (2015), a staged approach is the most practical process for data collection and begins with identification of minimum data for compliance and reporting requirements, next moves to data for prioritizing operations and maintenance decisions, and then concludes with optimizing life-cycle decisions. As discussed in Power et al. (2012), a similar progression to data collection occurred with geotechnical asset management for the U.K. Highway Agency. Within this staged data workflow, not all assets will necessary go to the final data collection level and reaching the most detailed data state occurs only where justified.

3.2 Measuring Performance in the Context of Asset Management

The goal of any asset management system is to logically align asset design, operation, maintenance, and upgrade decisions with agency goals and objectives. For asset management to succeed across an organization, the program should relate how asset performance affects customers and decisions by executives that are centered on agency goals and objectives. For this to occur, asset performance measures should relate to high-level agency objectives, such as common safety and system performance objectives.

The performance measurement for geotechnical assets can connect with objectives related to Federal Authorization and other common executive benchmarks found in agency mission and vision statements. Through such measurement, the geotechnical asset manager can track and communicate levels of risk, preservation need, or other factors that enable decision makers understand geotechnical assets in the context of agency specific goals. For communicating and measuring implementation benefits in a simple means, geotechnical asset performance measures should be generalized and high-level while still being effective at measuring performance relative to outward objectives and informing decisions.

Lessons learned from mature geotechnical asset management programs and input from agency executives indicates that successfully adopted performance measures are those that relate how the asset performance affects customers or executive decision making. As an example, Network Rail geotechnical asset are assessed with the following measures (Network Rail, 2017):

• train derailments,
• train delay minutes,
• temporary train speed reductions, and
• earthwork failures.

As presented in NASEM (2019), these approaches have been developed into a geotechnical asset level of risk (LOR) measure that connects to objectives related to asset condition, safety impacts, mobility, and economic consequences, which are common objectives across DOTs and means for connecting geotechnical asset performance to stakeholder goals and objectives.

3.3 Life-Cycle Planning and Return on Investment

Across assets types, asset management informs decisions throughout the life-cycle phases of design, construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. For this to occur, asset management decisions will assess the following:

• total cost of the asset over the life, or life-cycle cost,
• risk across the life-cycle, and
• Financial and investment plans for multiple assets over a life-cycle.

To evaluate the life-cycle cost and risk from geotechnical assets and complete financial planning steps, organizations will need to optimize treatments that should be performed on an asset following initial construction.  This optimization process should include the cost of each treatment, the appropriate timing for treatment, and what effect treatment has on the condition of asset. Basic treatments for geotechnical assets include:

• Do Minimum,
• Maintenance,
• Rehabilitation, and
• Renewal or Reconstruction.

Through geotechnical asset management, owners of geotechnical assets can make risk-informed treatment plans for their assets that have the benefit of minimizing life-cycle costs and managing risk to levels that are acceptable to the organization.  Additionally, treatment decisions should consider the return on investment using benefit-cost analyses to estimate parameters such as net present value (NPV) or benefit cost ratio (BCR), The recently released Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies, Volume 2: Implementation Manual (NASEM, 2019) provides guidance and includes tools for organizations to evaluate life-cycle costs and optimize treatment planning decisions for their geotechnical assets.

4. IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE TOOLS

To assist transportation organizations with geotechnical asset management, the Transportation Research Board commissioned NCHRP Study 24-46 which developed the recently released NCHRP Research Report 903: Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies (NCHRP Report 903).  NCHRP Report 903 provides an introduction to geotechnical asset management and adaptable guidance for to implementing risk-based geotechnical asset management into the broader practice of asset management.  Volume 2 of the report contains an implementation manual with recommended processes and Microsoft Excel spreadsheet tools that can be of immediate use.

The geotechnical asset management process in NCHRP Report 903 aligns with established transportation asset management practices, including the following steps

• Objectives and Measures
• Inventory and Condition
• Performance Gap Identification
• Life-Cycle Cost and Risk Management Analysis
• Financial Plan
• Investment Strategies

To facilitate implementation, the processes and tools are purposely simple and can be used by engineering or asset management staff, or other agency professionals such as maintenance managers and bridge inspectors.  As part of starting geotechnical asset management in a resource limited organization, agencies are encouraged to use and adapt data from existing inventories and begin with desktop approaches for an inexpensive inventory development.  These data can be input into an inventory and assessment spreadsheet that accompanies NCHRP Report 903 and will provide initial recommendations for asset treatment types, enabling an agency to evaluate 10-year financial planning horizons.

Similar to existing asset management programs for pavements and bridges, the estimated program level investment needs for geotechnical assets across an agency will likely exceed the available funds.  Therefore, the implementation manual contains additional processes for considering risk management, risk prioritization, and life-cycle cost investment prioritization approaches at the asset level.  These different prioritization approaches are intended to address critical investment needs while also being flexible to the range in objectives that exist among executive and planning staff in different organizations.

5. CONCLUSION

Owners of geotechnical assets – the retaining walls, embankments, slopes, and subgrades that support or protect other transportation assets – are encouraged to incorporate these assets into the broader agency wide asset management planning strategy. Evidence from other industries and countries suggests sustaining benefits are possible based on information from organizations that have been performing geotechnical asset management for well over a decade.  When the examples of life-cycle and risk management improvements are extrapolated nationwide to all state DOTs, railway and transit organizations, and local jurisdictions, the benefits from geotechnical asset management can be measurable and substantial. As there is a cost to delaying implementation, simply beginning asset management for a few geotechnical assets can be beneficial and is recommended over postponing implementation because of the absence of legislative or regulatory requirements.

To address the need and enable transportation organizations recognize the potential value, NCHRP Report 903 provides implementation guidance and tools that can be used now by organizations to manage geotechnical assets in a flexible and adaptable process.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Vessely, P.E., is a Principal Engineer with BGC Engineering, Inc. , in the company’s Golden, Colorado, USA office.

AASHTO. 2011. AASHTO Transportation Asset Management Guide: A Focus on Implementation. American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, D.C.

Anderson, S. A., V. R. Schaefer, and S. C. Nichols. 2016. “Taxonomy for Geotechnical Assets, Elements, and Features.” In: Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting: Compendium of Papers. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C.

British Standards Institution (BSI). (2008). PAS 55-1:2008: Asset Management, Part 1: Specification for the Optimized Management of Physical Assets. BSI: London, England.

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). 2018. Transportation Asset Management Plans. FHWA website: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/asset/plans.cfm (accessed January 15, 2018).

Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia. 2015. International Infrastructure Management Manual, 5th ed. National Asset Management Steering (NAMS) Group, Wellington, NZ.

International Standards Organization (ISO). 2018. ISO 55000:2014(en). Asset Management—Overview, Principles, and Terminology. ISO website https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:55000:ed-1:v2:en:term:3.2.1 (accessed January 15, 2018).

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2019. Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies, Volume 2: Implementation Manual. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25364

Network Rail, 2017. Earthworks Asset Policy (March 2017). Network Rail Infrastructure Limited.

Pierson, L. A. 1991. The Rockfall Hazard Rating System. Oregon Department of Transportation, Salem, OR.

Power, C., D. Patterson, D. Rudrum, D. Wright. 2012. “Geotechnical Asset Management for the UK Highways Agency.” In: Radford, T. A. (ed.). Earthworks in Europe. Geological Society, Engineering Geology Special Publication 26, London, United Kingdom. DOI: 10.1002/gj.2667.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). 2013. Best Practices in Asset Management. Report 2013-R-08. Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alexandria, VA.

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Tools and Technology for Roadside Landscape Asset Management

The rights-of-way of the national highway system includes an estimated 3.4 million acres of unpaved land as the interface between highways and natural and human landscapes. There are unexplored opportunities to include roadside landscape in highway asset management, including the application of geospatial information, data collection tools and technology, and data management systems. By having a system to plan roadside projects, tracking completion, and documenting results over time, an increased understanding of the evolving processes of roadside vegetation growth and resulting maintenance treatments could result in improved life-cycle management practices and increased system resiliency. Because roadside management integrates many topics, including safety, ecosystem services, social equity, sustainability, and climate resiliency, there are overlapping research efforts and interests from different sectors of the transportation community. Research on roadside management has been and currently is being conducted around the United States, and many state departments of transportation (DOTs) have developed and published management practices on this topic. Identification and implementation of beneficial practices is an ongoing challenge for DOTs and relevant stakeholders. Asset based vegetation management practices developed for transmission power line corridors may also provide insights helpful for management of roadside landscape assets. Concerns over impacts to endangered species, pollinator declines, roadside fires, climate change, invasive species, and other pressures on native ecosystems are intensifying the focus on inventory and assessment of roadside landscape assets. At the same time, rapid developments in mapping and data analysis technologies and new tools and innovative data management systems offer new opportunities to understand and manage these assets. NCHRP Research Report 903: Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies provides an example of the type of tools and methods that would be useful to develop for roadside landscape assets. Research is needed to provide up-to-date tools and technologies for roadside landscape assets that can be used in a performance-based management system. The objective of this research is to develop a guidebook for the use of performance-based management strategies for highway roadside landscape asset management. The guidebook should cover the tools and technology currently available for planning and decision-making, including estimation and benefits optimization, and enhancing maintenance operations efficiency and effectiveness.

• Record URL: http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5148
• Status: Active
• Funding: $350000

Project 14-47

National Cooperative Highway Research Program

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

Federal Highway Administration

McKenney, Christopher

Davey Resource Group

Daniels, Cheryl

• Start Date: 20221114
• Expected Completion Date: 20241114
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asset management ; Best practices ; Landscape maintenance ; Roadside ; State departments of transportation ; State of the practice
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01773413
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 14-47
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 27 2021 7:33PM

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Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies, Volume 1: Research Overview (NCHRP Report 903)

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Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies, Volume 2: Implementation Manual (NCHRP Report 903)

This report presents a manual that can be used to implement Geotechnical Asset Management (GAM) planning. There are several downloadable files that accompany Volume 2.

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Collection: NCHRP Reports

Description.

NCHRP Reports are the main product of NCHRP research projects and are often written as guidebooks or manuals. This collection features all of the NCHRP Reports posted on the TAM Portal to date.

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To search the resources by state either click on the state from the map or select a state from the dropdown under search filters.

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Provide site feedback, displaying 102 results, connected and autonomous vehicle technology: determining the impact on state dot maintenance programs (nchrp research report 1084) | document.

The operation of connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technology is expected to impact various components such as traffic control devices, markings, signals, guardrails, computing systems, and communication infrastructure, both on a permanent and temporary basis. It is crucial for state transportation departments to pinpoint deficiencies in understanding and expertise, and to ready themselves for the hurdles of deploying CAV technologies while ensuring that the current road network continues to function at a satisfactory service level.

Publisher: NAS

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Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Technology: Determining the Impact on State DOT Maintenance Programs (NCHRP R…

Risk assessment techniques for transportation asset management: conduct of research (nchrp research report 1066) | research report.

NCHRP Research Report 1066 discusses how to assess risks and summarizes 12 studies that demonstrate how to enhance the measurement of risks, quantify risks, and better link risk management processes with the appropriate tools. It provides transportation asset management staff with a primer on the mathematical and statistical concepts underlying quantitative risk assessment; case study applications; and a set of tools and techniques for identifying and evaluating enterprise-, network-, and program-level asset-management-related risks. The report and its appendices build on the AASHTO Guide for Enterprise Risk Management to provide users with practical tools and guidance on implementing them and will be of immediate interest to departments of transportation (DOTs) seeking comprehensive and easily implementable strategies and tools to improve the condition and performance of transportation assets at the national, state, and local levels.

Supplemental to the report are a presentation and a NCHRP Web-Only Document 366: Risk Assessment Techniques for Transportation Asset Management: Appendices .

Publisher: TRB

A Guide for Incorporating Maintenance Costs into a Transportation Asset Management Plan (NCHRP Research Report 1076) | Document

"A Guide for Incorporating Maintenance Costs into a Transportation Asset Management Plan" offers transportation agencies a comprehensive approach to include maintenance costs in a risk-based TAMP. This guide provides methodologies for data collection and management, showcases life-cycle planning tools for assessing cost-effectiveness, details strategies for optimizing 10-year investments using benefit-cost analyses, and designs a financial plan blueprint detailing anticipated revenues and investments in capital and maintenance costs on a 10-year horizon.

NOTE: Web-Only NCHRP Document 372 is an accompanying research product of NCHRP 23-08.

Publisher: TRB/NAS

Business Case and Communications Strategies for State DOT Resilience Efforts | Document

Business case and communications strategies for state dot resilience efforts, guidelines for applications of rfid and wireless technologies in highway construction and asset management | document, guidelines for applications of rfid and wireless technologies in highway construction and asset management, effective methods for setting transportation performance targets | document, effective methods for setting transportation performance targets, resource guide for improving diversity and inclusion programs for the public transportation industry (2021) | research report.

This knowledge explores initiatives undertaken by transit agencies across the country to improve diversity and inclusion within the industry. The report documents how these programs have evolved over the last 20 years and how they have been successful. In addition to the research report, this document also includes a toolkit and guidance for implementing diversity programs as well as a series of additional resources.

Attracting, Retaining, and Developing the 2030 Transportation Workforce: Design, Construction, and Maintenance (Research Report 1008) | Guide/Manual

This guide is intended to help agencies develop and maintain a transportation workforce in the areas of design, construction, and maintenance, including processes for analyzing an agency's unique workforce needs.

Implementation of Life-Cycle Planning Analysis in a Transportation Asset Management Framework | Document

Implementation of life-cycle planning analysis in a transportation asset management framework, using bridge element data in asset management decision making | document, using bridge element data in asset management decision making, emerging issues: impact of new disruptive technologies on the performance of dots | document.

The objective of this research is to develop a guide for state DOTs and other transportation planning agencies to understand, predict, plan for, and adapt to the potential impacts of emerging disruptive technologies. In preparing this guide, the research should identify issues, effects, and opportunities at the intersection of disruptive transportation technologies and organizational performance for senior managers at state DOTs and other transportation planning agencies.

Emerging Issues: Impact of New Disruptive Technologies on the Performance of DOTs

Managing performance to enhance decision-making: making targets matter (2022) | research report.

"When targets matter, they drive transportation agency decisions and actions."

The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Research Report 993, titled "Managing Performance to Enhance Decision-Making: Making Targets Matter," presents various feedback enhancement strategies. It includes case studies demonstrating how agencies successfully integrate feedback based on data and people into their decision-making processes. These processes span long-term strategic planning, medium-term program development, and daily operations.

Performance Management Implementation Concerns, Issues and Challenges | Document

The objectives of this project are to (a) document (beyond anecdotal discussions alone) concerns, issues and challenges DOTs and other government agencies have encountered in implementing federal transportation performance management (TPM) regulations; and (b) provide a framework for more systematic assessment of the costs associated with implementation. The research should build on previous research by NCHRP and others to characterize at least the following components of these concerns, issues and challenges:

• Prioritized list of concerns, issues and challenges encountered • Explanation and discussion of each concern, issue, or challenge • Specific examples of each concern, issue, or challenge as experienced by DOTs, MPOs, or others • Realistic proposals of how concerns, issues and challenges may be addressed, ameliorated, or eliminated, for example through staff training, provision of guidance or other technical resources, or revisions to regulations • Proposed framework for data collection and analysis that agencies may use to develop estimates of their implementation levels of effort • Possible next steps and action items to be undertaken by various stakeholders to address concerns, issues and challenges.

Performance Management Implementation Concerns, Issues and Challenges

Highway infrastructure inspection practices for the digital age (synthesis 582) | document, highway infrastructure inspection practices for the digital age (synthesis 582), guide for the formulation of long-range plans and budgets for replacement of highway operations equipment | document, guide for the formulation of long-range plans and budgets for replacement of highway operations equipment, highway infrastructure inspection practices for the digital age (2022) | research report.

This report details the deployment of state-of-the-art technology for the inspection of highway infrastructure during construction and maintenance activities.

Publisher: NCHRP

Scoping Study to Develop the Basis for a Highway Standard to Conduct an All-Hazards Risk and Resilience Analysis | Document

Scoping study to develop the basis for a highway standard to conduct an all-hazards risk and resilience analys…, a guide to computation and use of system level valuation of transportation assets | document.

State transportation agencies are stewards for public infrastructure assets that are essential to economic vitality, public safety, and quality of life. Accurate, relevant, and reliable asset valuation is crucial for decision-making to ensure the effective, efficient, and economical management of these public assets.

The Guide to Computation and Use of System Level Valuation of Transportation Assets provides guidance on how to calculate asset value, including three different perspectives each suited to different purposes, and a simple, 6-step approach to conduct the computation. It should be noted that though this guide is consistent with the standard practices, it is not an official accounting or financial standard.

Web resources available at https://www.assetvalueguide.com

The web guide is a product of NCHRP Project 23-06 presented in an easy-to-navigate digital version. The guide aids TAM practitioners in calculating and communicating asset value for an array of different perspectives and incorporating asset value into their decision-making processes. It is applicable to both highway and transit modes, and it provides advice for the best methods to value various different assets and asset classes.

Implementation of the AASHTO Guide for Enterprise Risk Management (Research Report 986) | Research Report

This report presents pilots with three different agencies as they applied the strategies and practices identified in the AASHTO Guide for Enterprise Risk Management and smaller case studies from several more agencies. Many agencies mitigate risk on a daily basis without realizing or formalizing the process. This study seeks to raise awareness for systematic risk management across the agency including a risk community of practice, peer exchanges, webinars, and outreach. Checkout the report to learn more about the process of risk management and how it helped out these agencies. Alongside the report, the researchers also produced a presentation, a risk assessment tool, a budget template and a webinar video, all available from the external link.

Implementation of the AASHTO Guide for Enterprise Risk Management (Research Report 986)

Methods for state dots to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector | research report.

This WebResource describes methods State DOTs may implement to assess and reduce their GHG emissions. The resource includes self-assessment tools, an overview of climate change issues, a framework for addressing GHG emissions, and numerous resources and links. The report organizes around nine functional areas of the agency, with cross-cutting topics to pull it all together. Through the discussions, tools, and resources in each section, the report provides support for reducing emissions across all stages of a project, from policy and planning to construction and maintenance. It also reviews stakeholder communication, partnerships with other agencies, and federal or state requirements. Readers may use this guide and its flexible presentation for addressing specific areas within an agency or to adopt an agency-wide approach.

More GHG NPRM Resources

Methods for State DOTs to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Transportation Sector

Guide to pedestrian analysis (research report 992) | research report.

The NCHRP Research Report 992: Guide to Pedestrian Analysis spells out several methods for conducting pedestrian traffic analyses. The report identifies analyses based on volume, safety, operations, and service quality. All of these analyses form a broader picture focused on improving active transportation and multimodal transportation in cities and regions around the country. The report presents evaluation methods which align with the Highway Capacity Manual. In addition to the report content, the researchers also developed and identified supplemental resources including presentations from a peer exchange workshop, computational engines, and an additional report on HCM pedestrian methods for sustainable and safe communities.

Integrating Effective Transportation Performance, Risk, and Asset Management Practices (NCHRP Research Report 985) | Research Report

NCHRP Research Report 985 presents a flexible process framework for fully integrating the performance, asset, and risk management across an agency. The process outlined in the report may be uniquely adapted to each agency's current and future needs. It includes five key areas for management integration: approach to integration, data and software needs, personnel and skills, policy and agency structure, and resource requirements.

Collaborative Practices for Performance-Based Asset Management between State Transportation Agencies and Metropolitan Planning Organizations | Document

The objective of this synthesis is to document DOT collaboration with MPOs relative to target setting, investment decisions, and performance monitoring of pavement and bridge assets for performance-based planning and programming. The synthesis will focus on DOT practices to initiate and facilitate collaboration with MPOs.

Attracting, Retaining, and Developing the Transportation Workforce: Transportation Planners | Guide/Manual

This NCHRP report presents an assessment of the current and emerging forces shaping transportation planning practice and the transportation planning workforce. The objectives of this research were to (1) identify the knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and experience (KSAEEs) required for plan making and talent profiles for state, regional, and local transportation planners that are aligned with existing and emerging agency needs; and (2) provide guidance on how agencies can attract, develop, manage, and retain planning talent.

Understanding and Communicating Reliability of Crash Prediction Models (NCHRP Research Report 983) | Research Report

This research report supports the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual by establishing the methods for ensuring reliable results in crash prediction models.

Guidelines for the Development and Application of Crash Modification Factors (NCHRP Research Report 991) | Research Report

This research report outlines a procedure for using crash modification factors (CMFs) to understand and quantify the effect of a transportation investment on the system. The report dives into great detail on how to select and adjust CMFs for different pavement and bridge assets, how to apply the CMFs in investment decisions, and how to develop new CMFs that account for important factors relating to the location and asset type.

Guidelines for the Development and Application of Crash Modification Factors (NCHRP Research Report 991)

Rural transportation issues: research roadmap | research report.

This research roadmap for rural transportation identifies a series of research needs statements and projects encapsulated within a long-term research vision. Their studies reflect the opinions of a number of different rural transportation stakeholders and communities, and the topics include everything from aviation & marine transportation to transportation administration & management to intercity transit & active transportation. The purpose of this research is to support policy-driven investment and improve the safety and efficiency of the US rural transportation network.

Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap

Transportation system resilience: research roadmap and white papers (research report 975) | research report.

This research report, published in 2021, highlights the knowledge gaps within the transportation industry pertaining to transportation system resilience strategies and plans. The report outlines a five-year research plan to address these shortcomings and presents the critical resilience-related issues facing practitioners today.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development | Research Report

This research report develops a toolkit for transportation practitioners to measure the effectiveness of an agency's public involvement. A score is developed based on a couple different indicators and the agency's own perceptions. The toolkit may be used to compare different public involvement strategies and track an agency's performance over time.

Minutes Matter: A Bus Transit Service Reliability Guidebook (TCRP Research Report 215) | Guide/Manual

Reliability is an increasingly important measure for transit performance as transit must compete with other mobility service providers. In this guide, public transit agencies and and other stakeholders are instructed on the value of measuring reliability and how to address the reliability issues for several different environments. The guide examples focus on fixed-route bus service, as it is the most common mode of transit in the US and globally, but the methodology may be applied to other modes as well. It presents the three key components of reliability: short wait times, on-time arrivals, and consistent travel times. Three perspectives are also addressed in the guide; these are customer, agency, and operator perspectives.

Resilience Primer for Transportation Executives (NCHRP Research Report 976) | Research Report

Transportation resilience comes in many forms, including natural disasters, unexpected infrastructure failures, and cyber attacks. Transportation agencies and the executives who lead them must be prepared to act quickly and efficiently to restore service to the system when adverse events occur. This brief report covers how CEOs can improve the resiliency of their organization through operational and strategic planning and strong understanding of the technical and policy factors.

Deploying Transportation Resilience Practices in State DOTs | Research Report

This guide contains a self-assessment tool for gauging the status of transportation system resilience by incorporating resilience concepts into the decision-making framework.

NCHRP Report 956 – Guidebook for Data and Information Systems for TAM | Guide/Manual

The objective of this research is to develop a guidebook presenting principles, organizational strategies, governance mechanisms, and practical examples for improving management of the processes for collecting data, developing useful information, and providing that information for decision making about management of the transportation system assets. The guide comprises a pre-assessment, a guided self-assessment, an evaluation of the results, and implementation support. Additionally it includes a glossary of key terms and case studies highlighting different parts of the process.

To access the online version of this report, please click here .

NCHRP Report 956 – Guidebook for Data and Information Systems for TAM

Risk assessment techniques for transportation asset management | document, risk assessment techniques for transportation asset management, performance metrics for public–private partnerships (nchrp synthesis 563) | research report.

Public-private partnerships (P3) offer transportation agencies a method for designing, building, operating, and maintaining their assets without having to wait for government funding. To ensure contract compliance and performance, agencies use a variety of different metrics to monitor their P3 contracts. Metrics usually fall into two main categories: quantifying asset performance and project implementation. This report presents such metrics used by DOTs. Data was sourced from a survey of 26 DOTs and interviews with DOT personnel on six P3 projects.

An Emergency Management Playbook for State Transportation Agencies (NCHRP Research Report 963/TCRP Research Report 225) | Research Report

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this research report covers the impact of pandemics on transportation agencies of all sizes and how best to approach the challenges created. The guide identifies several challenges including public fear and loss of confidence in safety, morale and trust issues with employees, loss of team building and team interactions, stress and other psychological impacts, funding and increased expenses, and other unintended consequences of response actions. It highlights a series of key questions to ask when developing a response to pandemic events, and it runs through emergency management plays for a slew of different areas.

Use of Vehicle Probe and Cellular GPS Data by State Departments of Transportation | Case Study/Practice Example, Research Report

This NCHRP Synthesis report presents nineteen case examples from a range of different agencies exploring the application of vehicle probe and cellular GPS data in transportation applications. Commonly used for planning, monitoring, and real-time information, these new technologies have many barriers and benefits which are covered in this research document.

The synthesis report is divided into three sections. First is a literature review over the history, technology, and use of probe and cellular GPS data. In the second section, the literature results are combined with the expertise of panel members and a survey distributed to 51 DOTs. The final section contains the findings of follow-up interviews with selected agencies and documents specific case studies.

Attracting, Retaining, and Developing the Transportation Workforce: Transportation Planners (Research Report 980) | Document

Attracting, retaining, and developing the transportation workforce: transportation planners (research report 9…, lessons learned and impacts to date of state dot implementation of new federal transit asset management and public transportation agency safety requirements | research report.

The objectives of this research are to document (1) the state of practice within state DOTs as they implement these new requirements and (2) the impacts of implementation to date on asset condition, safety performance and the investment of federal transit funds. This research will provide states with information that will help them evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts to date and refine or adjust their implementation.

Lessons Learned and Impacts to Date of State DOT Implementation of New Federal Transit Asset Management and Pu…

Maintenance planning for rail asset management | case study/practice example, research report.

This TCRP Synthesis report presents an analysis of the current practices in rail asset management from the industry at large. The findings are based on the results of a survey of 28 heavy- and light-rail transit agencies across the US and three selected case studies. Specifically, this study looks at the rate of occurrence of rail defects, broken rails, and broken rail derailments and how that corresponds to the use of ultrasonic testing by agencies of different sizes and levels of transit system use.

Guidebook for Managing Data from Emerging Technologies for Transportation | Research Report

As new technologies are developed in the field of transportation, agencies have the opportunity to collect more data than ever before. In this report, agencies are introduced to an eight step framework for managing this new big data and incorporating it into asset management. The eight steps start with gaining an understanding of big data, then walk through the process for piloting a big data test environment. The steps end with demonstrating the value of the data to other business units and executives and set up a formal storage environment. Supporting this report are several additional tools, including a data management capability self-assessment, a catalog tool, and more information on data governance. The web-only framework document is available from the TRB website .

Collecting and Sharing of Operations and Safety Data (ACRP Research Report 222) | Research Report

This report presents an essential component of an airport's risk management data process: collecting and sharing operations and safety data. Such data helps airports monitor their performance and benchmark against the industry. To aid airports in this endeavor, this report identifies best practices and data sources for collecting such data. It also explains some of the challenges associated with the process and outlines a plan for a future national database.

Emerging Challenges to Priced Managed Lanes (NCHRP Synthesis 559) | Research Report

A comprehensive review of the challenges of implementing managed lanes from the perspective of state DOTs is presented in this research report. The review covers much of the available literature (60 publications and over 700 media articles), a survey sent to 50 state DOTs, and six relevant case studies. With an often highly dubious public, there is quite a wide gap between the goals of DOTs' managed lanes and the public's assumptions. This research seeks to understand that gap and present best practices for overcoming the challenges facing tolling or pricing on managed lanes.

Planning and Implementing Multimodal, Integrated Corridor Management: Guidebook | Guide/Manual

This guidebook presents Integrated Corridor Management (ICM), which is a multimodal and multi-agency method for coordinating the operations of a corridor, including highways, arterial roads, and transit systems. Through the use of technology, data, and multi-agency institutional frameworks, ICM helps mitigate the challenges of congestion along key corridors. This guide highlights why agencies should use ICM and walks through the process for applying it.

Planning and Implementing Multimodal, Integrated Corridor Management: Guidebook

Update of security 101: a physical security and cybersecurity primer for transportation agencies (nchrp research report 930) | research report.

NCHRP Research Report 930 provides an update to the Security 101 report released in 2009. The update includes current advancements in transportation security and the constantly evolving threats facing transportation agencies, specifically cyber-attacks. The seven chapters of this guidebook cover fundamental parts of strategies, management tactics and planning for physical and cyber security. Chapter 1 covers risk management and assessment. Chapter 2 provides the components of a security plan. Chapters 3 and 4 cover countermeasures and the specifics of cybersecurity, respectively. Chapter 5 presents trainings and exercises for preparing the agency workforce, and chapter 6 discusses the protection of infrastructure with an increased focus on resilience. Lastly, chapter 7 reviews laws and directives from the federal government.

Equity Analysis in Regional Transportation Planning Processes, Volume 1: Guide | Guide/Manual

This guide helps agencies to incorporate equity into their transportation plans through a five-step framework for conducting equity analyses. The five steps are: identifying populations for analysis, identifying needs and concerns, measure impacts of proposed agency activity, determine if impacts are disparate or have adverse effects, and develop strategies to avoid and mitigate inequities. Though intended for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), this guide is also applicable to transit agencies, state DOTs, and other transportation agencies that seek to address equity in their plans, programs, and policies.

Leading Practices in Modifying Agency Organization and Management to Accommodate Changing Transportation System Technologies | Research Report

This report focuses on organizational structures and management approaches which engender collaboration and communication within DOTs and result in the adoption of new technologies and innovative programs. The scan team interviewed various aspects of leadership, culture and organization at Utah, Maryland, Washington State, Tennessee, Iowa, and Minnesota DOTs to uncover their methods for success. The results of the interviews are organized into: leadership and cultural traits; peoples' knowledge, skills, and abilities; organizational structures; business process improvements; performance management; and collaboration.

A Guide to Emergency Management at State Transportation Agencies (NCHRP Research Report 931) | Research Report

This guide provides an update to the 2010 guidebook (NCHRP Report 525: Surface Transportation Security, Volume 16) to include new federal guidance and advancements in practices. It assists executive management and emergency response planners in completing all aspects of the planning, preparation, and delivery of their agency's emergency management tasks. The guide complies with NIMS, covers all levels of hazards and all modes of travel, and focuses on the safety of system users and disaster responders.

Broadening Integrated Corridor Management Stakeholders (NCHRP Research Report 899) | Guide/Manual

Through its coordinated approach, Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) optimizes the use of assets and flow of traffic along a corridor. This guide presents a more inclusive, systematic approach to ICM, accounting for the stakeholders often left behind in traditional ICM: freight, transit, incident response, and non-motorized transportation users. The new methods are based on the feedback and lessons learned of agencies that have implemented ICM.

BIM Beyond Design Guidebook (ACRP Research Report 214) | Guide/Manual

This guide to building information modeling (BIM) applications for airports was published in 2020. It presents guidance for evaluating the business case of applying and implementing BIM.

Publisher: ACRP

Asset Management Approaches to Identifying and Evaluating Assets Damaged Due to Emergency Events | Research Report

NCHRP Synthesis 556 summarizes state DOT practices used to identify pavement and bridge asset locations repeatedly damaged by emergency events and to mitigate the risk of recurring damage in those locations. The synthesis focuses particularly on mitigation practices that concurrently advance TAM and TPM objectives. Information for this synthesis was gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected agencies.

Use of Weigh-in-Motion Data for Pavement, Bridge, Weight Enforcement, and Freight Logistics Application | Research Report

This synthesis report presents the use of weigh-in-motion (WIM) data to better design and maintain pavement and bridge assets. The report relies on a survey of state DOTs, a literature review, and five detailed case studies from California, Minnesota, Florida, Maryland, and Tennessee to demonstrate the value in applying this data to asset management.

Case Studies in Cross-Asset, Multi-Objective Resource Allocation (NCHRP Report 921) | Guide/Manual, Research Report

This report extends and implements the results of NCHRP Report 806: Cross-Asset Resource Allocation and the Impact on System Performance. Case studies were used to illustrate key issues in implementing a cross-asset resource allocation approach, and the lessons learned were then used to improve the guidance and tools developed in NCHRP Report 806.

Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming (NCHRP Report 917) | Research Report

This report provides a guideline for identifying right-sizing opportunities where greater social and economic value can be realized by repurposing, reusing, or fundamentally resizing existing transportation system assets. In addition to Report 917 , supplementary products are available, including:

• Web-Only Document 263: White Papers for Right-Sizing Transportation Investments
• A Powerpoint presentation for decision-makers
• Spreadsheet model
• Spreadsheet model example
• A technical appendix

Transit Security Preparedness (TCRP Synthesis 146) | Case Study/Practice Example

Transit Security Preparedness identifies practices transit agencies can use to improve their security to reduce their security risks, with a specific emphasis on practices related to new technologies. The report presents common themes in the approaches to security preparedness to aid transit agencies as they develop a process that fits their needs.

Current Practices in the Use of Onboard Technologies to Avoid Transit Bus Incidents and Accidents (TCRP Synthesis 145) | Case Study/Practice Example, Research Report

TCRP Synthesis 145 gathers and analyzes many of the best current practices for preventing incidents and accidents on transit buses. Their study identifies the most common and most effective technologies including a number of collision avoidance technologies such as forward collision warning, emergency braking, lane departure warnings. and electronic stability control.

Analysis of Recent Public Transit Ridership Trend (TCRP Research Report 209) | Research Report

This research report presents a snapshot of the trends facing public transportation and tested strategies for counteracting transit ridership decreases. The research method includes a literature review, analysis of current transit ridership levels, and ten case studies.

Performance Management Reporting Peer Exchange Final Report – NCHRP Project 20-24 Task 124 | Research Report

The NCHRP 20-24 Task 124 Performance Management Reporting Peer Exchange was held on Tuesday October 16th and Wednesday October 17th, 2018 at the Hall of States in Washington D.C. Representatives from 18 state DOTS, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) attended. Participants were subject matter experts in performance management, pavement management and communications. The goal of the Peer Exchange was to help DOTs develop a toolkit and strategies for communicating the difference between state and Federal pavement performance in a consistent narrative. While this Peer Exchange focused on pavement performance, the process can be used as a framework to develop strategies to help states communicate other performance measures. A toolkit and summary are available in addition to the final report .

Performance Management Reporting Peer Exchange Final Report – NCHRP Project 20-24 Task 124

A guide to developing financial plans and performance measures for transportation asset management (nchrp report 898) | research report.

This report presents guidance for state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other agencies conducting financial analyses and developing financial plans to support efficient and effective management of the agency’s transportation assets.

Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies, Volume 1: Research Overview (NCHRP Report 903) | Research Report

This report provides an introduction and scalable guidance for state transportation agencies on how to implement risk-based geotechnical asset management into current asset management plans. Volume 1, Research Overview, details the scope, process, and findings of the study.

Automated Pavement Condition Surveys (NCHRP Synthesis 531) | Research Report

This synthesis report documents agency practices, challenges, and successes in conducting automated pavement condition surveys. The report also includes three case examples that provide additional information on agency practices for conducting automated pavement surveys.

Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies, Volume 2: Implementation Manual (NCHRP Report 903) | Research Report

This report presents a manual that can be used to implement Geotechnical Asset Management (GAM) planning. There are several downloadable files that accompany Volume 2.

http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_903_appendices.pdf

http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_903_gamtool.xlsm

http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_903_template.xlsx

http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_903_presentation.pptx

Implementing the U.S. DOT Reasonable Modification Rule | Case Study/Practice Example

This synthesis report assembles and shares the current state of practice for the implementation of the 1990 ADA regulation in transit systems. It documents examples from six transit systems as they make modifications to support individuals with disabilities and meet the expectations of the legislation. It also mentions future research needs in this area.

Performance Measures in Snow and Ice Control Operations | Research Report

This report outlines approaches for monitoring performance for snow and ice control activities, and suggests a set of performance measures that should be used in the monitoring process.

Benchmarking and Comparative Measurement for Effective Performance Management by Transportation Agencies | Research Report

This report presents guidance and examples for selection of peer groups to ensure that benchmarking is effectively applied to enhance transportation system performance. The report includes practical guidance on how transportation agencies can undertake benchmarking to improve system performance management practices and highlights applications of the guidance in two specific components of system performance, for active (that is, non-motorized) transportation and environmental impact.

Benchmarking and Comparative Measurement for Effective Performance Management by Transportation Agencies

Management and use of data for transportation performance management: guide for practitioners | research report.

This report provides practical guidance to transportation agencies to help improve their use of data for performance management. Recent federal legislation has highlighted the importance of data utilization in performance management. The guidance focuses on six areas of the data life-cycle allowing for analysis on decisions and to identify opportunities for improvement. The purpose of this report is to allow for agencies to enhance their insight into their performance and to boost results.

Management and Use of Data for Transportation Performance Management: Guide for Practitioners

Guidelines to incorporate the costs and benefits of adaptation measures in preparation for extreme weather events and climate change (nchrp report 938) | guide/manual, research report.

The purpose of NCHRP Project 20-101: Guidelines to Incorporate the Costs and Benefits of Adaptation Measures in Preparation for Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change is to provide guidance that enables transportation decision-makers to integrate analysis of the costs and benefits of adaptation measures in preparation for extreme weather events and climate change.

Resilience in Transportation Planning, Engineering, Management, Policy, and Administration (NCHRP Synthesis 527) | Research Report

This synthesis report explores how agencies are incorporating resilience practices through project development, policy, and design. The information gathered details the motivations behind the policies that promote highway resilience, definitions of risk and resilience, and the relationship between these two fields.

Resilience in Transportation Planning, Engineering, Management, Policy, and Administration (NCHRP Synthesis 52…

Investment prioritization methods for low-volume roads (nchrp synthesis 521) | research report.

This report documents current practices used by transportation agencies to make investment decisions about low-volume roads. Current transportation asset management practices for low-volume roads typically use asset condition, traffic, and safety metrics to prioritize investment decisions for preservation, maintenance, repair, and replacement projects. However, these metrics do not fully measure the significant value for the wider economy and society that low-volume roads can provide.

Investment Prioritization Methods for Low-Volume Roads (NCHRP Synthesis 521)

Tam knowledge portal (nchrp 08-36 task 125a) | research report, website.

The AASHTO TAM Portal is a transportation asset management knowledge portal: a searchable database of links to a wide range of resources related to transportation asset management. The interactive portal is designed to provide transportation asset management practitioners with the ability to search and access relevant documents and/or web links to information from multiple sources. The report documents the results of the activities carried out under the continuation of NCHRP Project 08-36(125).

TAM Knowledge Portal (NCHRP 08-36 Task 125A)

Return on investment in asset management systems and practices | document.

This report presents guidelines to transportation agencies for the management of their assets related to return on investment. The details in the report rely upon the work conducted by the research team and their experiences. It is published alongside a spreadsheet tool which helps agencies evaluate their simulations of return on investment for TAM.

Guide for Optimal Replacement Cycles of Highway Operations Equipment (NCHRP 13-04) | Guide/Manual, Research Report

The objective of this research, NCHRP 13-04, was to develop a Guide for Optimal Replacement Cycles of Highway Operations Equipment. The guide included processes and tools for consideration in making decisions regarding the optimal replacement cycles of on- and off-road highway operations equipment used by state highway agencies. The study’s report, Research Report 879: Optimal Replacement Cycles of Highway Operations Equipment, acts as a handbook on equipment replacement concepts and an instruction manual for making cost-effective replacement decisions. The research report presents a process for determining replacement needs for highway operations equipment, identifying candidate equipment units for replacement, and preparing an annual equipment replacement program. The products include a guidance document and an Excel-based replacement optimization tool to support the equipment replacement process and facilitate its implementation.

Guide for Optimal Replacement Cycles of Highway Operations Equipment (NCHRP 13-04)

Consequences of delayed maintenance of highway assets (nchrp 14-20a) | research report.

The objective of this research, NCHRP Project 14-20A Consequences of Delayed Maintenance of Highway Assets, was to develop processes for quantifying the consequences of the delayed application of maintenance treatments on highway pavements, bridges, and other physical assets. The research expressed consequences in terms of performance indicators (e.g., distress and level of service), costs to owners and road users, and other relevant factors and defined delayed maintenance applications by (1) the inability to meet the agency-defined application schedule or (2) the available budget relative to an unconstrained budget (i.e., availability of the funds required to perform all needed maintenance). 

Consequences of Delayed Maintenance of Highway Assets (NCHRP 14-20A)

Data visualization methods for transportation agencies (nchrp 08-36 task 128) | research report.

The objective of TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 08-36(Task 128) was to evaluate Design Visualization Methods and their applicability to transportation planning and analysis. The report, Web-Only Document 226: Data Visualization Methods for Transportation Agencies, provides techniques for planners who have various levels of experience with displaying and reporting information in a visual format. It includes practices for developing visualization skills, enhancing transportation analysis, and improving public engagement. 

Data Visualization Methods for Transportation Agencies (NCHRP 08-36 Task 128)

Data management and governance practices (nchrp synthesis 508) | research report.

This report develops a collection of transportation agency data management practices and experiences. The report demonstrates how agencies currently access, manage, use, and share data.

NCHRP Synthesis 494: Life-Cycle Cost Analysis for Management of Highway Assets | Research Report

This 2016 synthesis report presents a comprehensive scan of current methods and approaches to life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) within highway agencies. The report features a literature review and individual case studies. It also includes the results of an agency survey.

NCHRP Synthesis 494: Life-Cycle Cost Analysis for Management of Highway Assets

Assessing risk for bridge management (nchrp 20-07 (378)) | guide/manual, research report.

The objective of this research is to develop proposed AASHTO guidelines for a data-driven risk assessment at the bridge and structure level. The guidelines considered risks from natural and man-made hazards and aimed to be useful in a bridge management system.

Assessing Risk for Bridge Management (NCHRP 20-07 (378))

Development of a risk register spreadsheet tool | document.

This document provides an explanation of the steps taken to develop the risk register tool. The research team conducted a survey of current practices for risk management across state DOTs, international agencies, and non-transportation organizations. Then they built a draft tool and received user feedback before finalizing the tool.

NCHRP Synthesis 408 - Pavement Marking Warranty Specifications | Research Report

This final synthesis was published under NCHRP project 20-05(39-13) as NCHRP Synthesis 408. The synthesis outlines the history and current findings on pavement marking warranty specifications, and may be viewed here .

NCHRP Synthesis 408 - Pavement Marking Warranty Specifications

Decision making for outsourcing and privatization of vehicle and equipment fleet maintenance | research report.

This NCHRP research project, conducted between 2007 and 2009, explores a process by which state DOTs can make decisions regarding fleet management. The research highlights the outsourcing and privatization of maintenance, and culminated in the creation of NCHRP Report 692, produced under project 13-03A. To view the report, click here .

Decision Making for Outsourcing and Privatization of Vehicle and Equipment Fleet Maintenance

Use of transportation asset management principles in state highway agencies | research report.

This NCHRP Synthesis was designed to observe the impact of asset management in state highway agencies. The use of a self-assessment survey, followed by a second survey focused on state of practice and the agency's future, helped to evaluate the current influence of asset management and allowed for identification of future needs. http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=3211 http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/168489.aspx

Use of Transportation Asset Management Principles in State Highway Agencies

Estimating life expectancies of highway assets | research report.

An NCHRP report which offers guidance for understanding and predicting the life expectancy and condition of highway assets, in order to effectively implement asset management practices and better maintain an agency's highway assets. Click here for project information. Click here for Volume 1, the guidebook. Click here for Volume 2, the final report.

Estimating Life Expectancies of Highway Assets

Long-range strategic issues affecting preservation, maintenance, and renewal of highway infrastructure | research report.

Produced as part of the NCHRP Project 20-83 Series on Long-Range Strategic Issues, this research was conducted to facilitate development of highway infrastructure planning by exploring maintenance, preservation, and renewal issues and needs. http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=2630 http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP20-83(03)A_PhaseI-InterimReport.pdf http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP20-83(03)A_PhaseII-Task6Report.pdf

Long-Range Strategic Issues Affecting Preservation, Maintenance, and Renewal of Highway Infrastructure

Tam gap analysis tool (nchrp 08-90) | research report.

The objective of this research was to develop a TAM gap analysis tool for state DOT and local transportation practitioners to facilitate their implementation of TAM. The tool was formulated as a spreadsheet application based on the prototype presented in TAM, Volume 2 (developed through NCHRP and published by AASHTO), with refinements responsive to (a) requirements of MAP-21 and anticipated FHWA rulemaking and (b) institutional and technical characteristics of U.S. transportation system management practices.

TAM Gap Analysis Tool (NCHRP 08-90)

Performance measures for state infrastructure preservation (nchrp 08-36 task 118) | guide/manual, research report.

This Report, from NCHRP 08-36/Task 118, is on Performance Measures for State Infrastructure Preservation. It provides a roadmap with some guidance on the highest priorities for agencies to successfully apply performance-based preservation programming. The roadmap is broken into three tiers. Every transportation agency has a different level of maturity in data collection and analysis, asset management, performance management, target setting, and other activities which support performance-based preservation programming. The tiers are intended to provide guidance to those agencies with limited maturity, those with moderate maturity, and those with significant maturity in performance-based preservation programming.

Performance Measures for State Infrastructure Preservation (NCHRP 08-36 Task 118)

Nchrp report 806: guide to cross-asset resource allocation and the impact on transportation system performance | research report, website.

The objective of this research was to develop a guidebook and tool prototype that senior DOT managers may use to analyze and communicate the likely system performance impact of investment decisions across multiple types of transportation assets. The guidebook includes a framework incorporating (a) the several dimensions of system performance important to stakeholders (such as mobility, safety, and community livability); (b) the multiple measures an agency uses to describe condition and service of particular classes of transportation-system assets (such as pavements, signals, and drainage structures); and (c) the targets that an agency may set for the various dimensions of performance. The framework and tool prototype were developed under NCHRP Project 08-91 to reflect both technical best practices and transportation agency organizational and institutional needs.

Publisher: Transportation Research Board

NCHRP Report 806: Guide to Cross-Asset Resource Allocation and the Impact on Transportation System Performance

Nchrp report 748: guidelines for the use of mobile lidar in transportation applications | research report.

Mobile light detection and ranging (LIDAR) uses laser scanning equipment mounted on vehicles in combination with global positioning systems (GPS) and inertial measurement units (IMU) to rapidly and safely capture large datasets necessary to create highly accurate, high resolution digital representations of roadways and their surroundings. These virtual survey datasets can then be used in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of highways and structures as well as for numerous other functions as varied as emergency response and asset management. This report presents guidelines for the use of mobile LIDAR technology in transportation applications. The guidelines (1) are based on an analysis of current and emerging applications in areas such as project planning, project development, construction, operations, maintenance, safety, research, and asset management; (2) address data collection methods, formatting and management, storage requirements, quality assurance, and the translation and formatting of derived products; and (3) are based on and organized around performance criteria such as data precision, local (relative) accuracy, network (absolute) accuracy, and point density. The development of the guidelines comprised several major tasks. The research team first conducted an extensive review of the worldwide literature on the use of mobile LIDAR. Emphasis was placed on exploring current mobile LIDAR trends, including systems components and software, and identifying current and emerging applications of mobile LIDAR for transportation agencies. Of particular interest was an analysis of quality control procedures used to verify the accuracy of the data collected with mobile LIDAR. The literature review was supported by a questionnaire administered to the state departments of transportation, other transportation agencies, and industry. Finally, projects piloting mobile LIDAR technology on network and local levels were identified and evaluated in depth. This information provided a solid foundation for developing the actual guidelines. The guidelines are organized into two parts. Part 1: Management and Decision Making provides guidance on the use and integration of mobile LIDAR data for a wide range of transportation applications without requiring in-depth knowledge of the technology; Part 2: Technical Considerations provides the details needed to completely specify the project requirements and appropriate deliverables.

NCHRP Report 748: Guidelines for the Use of Mobile LIDAR in Transportation Applications

Improved right-of-way procedures and business practices | research report.

Several State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are considering revising their right-of-way business practices with the goal of simplifying and streamlining processes. Current right-of-way practice and procedure manuals are the products of 40 years of statutes, case law, regulations, management styles and best practices. The procedural manuals have chapters to cover elements such as: a) appraisal; b) appraisal review; c) relocation planning and assistance; d) relocation eligibility and supplemental payments; e) nonresidential relocations; f) acquisition and negotiations; g) legal settlements; h) eminent domain; i) titles and closing; j) property management; k) leasing; l) sale of excess property; m) mapping and geographic information systems (GIS); n) encroachments; o) contracting for services; and p) administrative costs. Procedures and guidelines are often an accumulation of historical practice or those adopted from other agencies. State procedures vary widely because of differences in State laws. Local agencies are required to follow State DOT procedural manuals when they use State or Federal funding. Questions arise as new staff try to understand the reason or underlying basis for requirements. Contractors and consultants face a wide array of requirements and forms among the various States. This research is in support of the AASHTO Highway Subcommittee Right-of-Way and Utility strategic plan to provide leadership and support to member agency right-of-way staff. This research will provide new direction and lead to immediate cost savings by reducing the hours required to accomplish certain functions. This research will result in streamlined business practices that are easier to maintain, cost effective and result in delivery of projects sooner. Research is needed to provide information to State DOTs and local agencies to rationally evaluate current right-of-way procedures and business practices; to determine what function is served by each procedure; to determine the need for each procedure, i.e. statute or practice; to document the benefits and operational logic for continuing a procedure, modifying, or eliminating it, evaluate the cost of maintaining current procedures and to quantify the benefits from them. This includes, but is not limited to, the current cost of agents, training new agents and administrative costs on a parcel or tract basis. Determine what processes are essential to providing a consistent product and comply with statutory requirements, such as the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (Uniform Act), as well as the most common elements of State eminent domain laws, identify institutional, political, and economic barriers to the adoption of procedures that will be easier to maintain for the next 20 years, and examine and compare several common types of existing FHWA approved right-of-way manuals used by State DOTs and local agencies and common State regulations. Agencies will be contacted and staff will be interviewed to ascertain what are the origins, purpose and authorities for the existing procedures; what criteria and procedures are needed, as a minimum, to protect owner and tenant rights; what procedures would work if the agency could start anew; how and/or whether procedures might be modified for local agency use, i.e., a stand alone manual for local agencies; what are the issues in administering procedures that need to be addressed to assure consistent application; and what are the institutional, political, and economic barriers to implementation? A major objective of the research will be to develop a rationale or basis for a new or modified approach. This will include an objective analysis of all key elements mentioned above, i.e., appraisal, appraisal review, relocation, etc. This research would culminate by analyzing the typical right-of-way business model for the four major elements of appraisal, acquisition, relocation, and property management, and developing a revised model that is less costly to maintain. It would outline a sample procedural manual with forms that could be used to administer a simplified and cost-effective right-of-way program that is responsive to national statutes and the Uniform Act. The resulting business model would be accompanied by a cost/benefit analysis and recommended roll-out implementation plan that could be readily adopted and applied by State DOTs and local agencies for national consistency. One of the initial goals of the Uniform Act was to create a fair and consistent process for the acquisition of real property by public agencies. This research would help us assure the continued uniformity of the process. This research will be a direct follow-on to the 2008 International Scan for ROW and Utilities called "Integrating & Streamlining Right of Way and Utility Processes with Planning, Environment, and Design." Ideas and strategies derived from the 2008 International Scan will feed directly into revised business practices. State DOTs who undertake pilot projects in 2009 will be able to use lessons learned and provide input to this research effort. The timing is beneficial for all parties in that this research product will bring about full implementation of the 2008 streamlining strategies. This research will provide new direction and lead to immediate cost savings by reducing the hours required to accomplish certain functions. This research will result in streamlined business practices that are easier to maintain, cost effective and result in delivery of projects sooner. The effort devoted to training new right-of-way agents, who may or may not stay with the agency, is becoming cost prohibitive and is time consuming. It is anticipated that there will be many institutional barriers to overcome. Many right-of-way agents have adapted to the current procedures and will be resistant to change. State DOT legal staff also may resist changes, thinking that revised procedures may affect property owner rights. In order to address these barriers, the final research report should contain an outline of a revised procedural manual that would be sufficient to meet Federal regulations and laws, allowing each State to augment this information with specifics to address that particular State's laws.

Improved Right-of-Way Procedures and Business Practices

Nchrp synthesis 431: practices to manage traffic sign retroreflectivity | research report.

Traffic sign retroreflectivity is a sign property which, during nighttime, causes light from a vehicle’s headlamps to be reflected back to the driver, giving the sign an illuminated appearance. The federal government has established guidance to ensure that agencies responsible for traffic signs will bring their signs up to an acceptable standard of retroreflectivity. The objective of this study is to provide examples of effective practices that illustrate how different types of agencies can meet the retroreflectivity requirements. Information was gathered through a literature review and telephone surveys. Case studies are included for four different agencies that participated in the survey.

NCHRP Synthesis 431: Practices to Manage Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity

Estimating the effects of pavement condition on vehicle operating costs (nchrp report 720) | research report.

This report presents models for estimating the effects of pavement condition on vehicle operating costs. These models address fuel consumption, tire wear, and repair and maintenance costs and are presented as computational software on the accompanying CD-ROM, CRP-CD-111, to facilitate use. The material contained in the report should be of immediate interest to state pavement, construction, and maintenance engineers; vehicle fleet managers; and those involved in pavement investment decision processes and financial aspects of highway transportation.

Estimating the Effects of Pavement Condition on Vehicle Operating Costs (NCHRP Report 720)

Resource allocation logic framework to meet highway asset preservation (nchrp report 736) | research report.

This report presents a logic framework for allocating limited highway asset preservation funds among competing demands to achieve high levels of system performance. The report also presents a spreadsheet-based computational tool that implements the framework. The tool uses linear programming optimization to allocate resources across asset classes or geographic regions, subject to constraints that typically must be considered in such decisionmaking, to achieve target asset performance or condition levels. Prototypical application scenarios and case-study examples illustrate how transportation agency staff may use the framework to assist resource allocation decisionmaking.

Resource Allocation Logic Framework to Meet Highway Asset Preservation (NCHRP Report 736)

Uses of risk management and data management to support target-setting for performance-based resource allocation by transportation agencies | research report.

This report describes how risk management and data management may be used by transportation agencies to support management target-setting for performance-based resource allocation. As the final product of a second phase of NCHRP Project 08-70, Target-Setting Methods and Data Management to Support Performance-Based Resource Allocation by Transportation Agencies, this report supplements NCHRP Report 666, "Target-Setting Methods and Data Management to Support Performance-Based Resource Allocation by Transportation Agencies: Volume I: Research, Volume II: Guide for Target-Setting and Data Management," published in 2010. Transportation agencies at all levels of government are embracing performance measurement to improve agency efficiency and accountability. Setting performance targets generally entails balancing competing objectives and dealing with political implications in a context of uncertainties about economic conditions, fiscal constraints, climate conditions, customer demands, and more. Good data on the transportation system and its performance provides the information managers need to set targets, but good management depends on clear understanding of the risks that future conditions will differ significantly from what today's best information suggests. Performance targets and consequent resource-allocation decisions established with such understanding are more likely to ensure that the agency and the transportation system perform well. This report presents advice and illustrative case studies, in the form of primers, on using risk management and data management practices in support of performance-based resource allocation, and specifically performance-target setting. The information will be useful to senior agency managers seeking to develop and improve their performance-management practices.

Uses of Risk Management and Data Management to Support Target-Setting for Performance-Based Resource Allocatio…

Surface transportation security, volume 15: costing asset protection: an all hazards guide for transportation agencies (capta) | research report.

This fifteenth volume of NCHRP Report 525: "Surface Transportation Security" is a guide referred to as CAPTA, which stands for Costing Asset Protection: An All Hazards Guide for Transportation Agencies. CAPTA supports mainstreaming an integrated, high-level, all-hazards, National Incident Management System (NIMS)-responsive, multimodal, consequence-driven risk management process into transportation agency programs and activities by providing a convenient and robust planning tool for top-down estimation of both capital and operating budget implications of measures intended to reduce risks to locally acceptable levels. CAPTA is intended for use by senior managers whose jurisdiction extends over multiple modes of transportation, multiple asset classes, and many individual assets. The CAPTA methodology provides a means for moving across transportation assets to address system vulnerabilities that could result in significant losses given the threats and hazards of greatest concern. This guide was reviewed by many state and local agencies and was pilot tested by the Maryland Department of Transportation (DOT), the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), and the Virginia DOT.

Surface Transportation Security, Volume 15: Costing Asset Protection: An All Hazards Guide for Transportation …

Quality management of pavement condition data collection (nchrp synthesis 401) | research report.

Transportation agencies are developing procedures and guidelines for managing the quality of pavement data collected to ensure the data meet the needs of the pavement management process. This study reviews the quality management practices being employed by public highway agencies for automated, semi-automated, and manual pavement data collection and delivery. Information was gathered through literature review, surveys of U.S. state and Canadian province public agencies and private contractors, and selected interviews.

Quality Management of Pavement Condition Data Collection (NCHRP Synthesis 401)

Gasb 34—methods for condition assessment and preservation | research report.

This report updates the findings contained in NCHRP Report 522, "A Review of DOT Compliance with GASB 34 Requirements." NCHRP Report 522 provided a comprehensive look at approaches taken by AASHTO member departments to comply with the requirements of Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 34. NCHRP Report 608 provides a recommended practices guide that identifies effective methodologies that integrate infrastructure inventory, condition assessments, minimum acceptable condition levels, and funding decisions with GASB 34 reporting requirements and assesses the operational and financial impacts of reporting under GASB 34. This report will be helpful to professionals who work with state departments of transportation and local governments in the areas of finance, auditing, asset management, and policymaking.

GASB 34—Methods for Condition Assessment and Preservation

Ada compliance at transportation agencies | research report.

Transportation agencies nationwide must comply with provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To assess ADA compliance, agencies need to develop a comprehensive inventory of pedestrian facilities, identify non-compliant locations, and develop a program for remedial repairs in order to bring facilities into compliance. The purpose of NCHRP Project 20- 07, Task 249, Asset Management Approaches to ADA Compliance, was to gather information and develop a synthesis of practices, including best practices, on the various approaches transportation agencies use to address ADA compliance issues. The synthesis covered three main topics: asset data inventory, asset condition assessment, and programming of asset improvements. To make the project manageable, the focus was on pedestrian infrastructure on the public right-of-way, including elements such as sidewalks, curb ramps, pedestrian crossings, and obstructions. The analysis did not include buildings, facilities, or transit infrastructure. The synthesis also included the compilation of an extensive listing of asset inventory and condition data elements. The listing is intended as a preliminary menu that agencies could use as a foundation for the development of inventory programs that meet individual agency needs.

Publisher: Texas Transportation Institute

ADA Compliance at Transportation Agencies

Nchrp synthesis 371: managing selected transportation assets: signals, lighting, signs, pavement markings, culverts, and sidewalks | research report.

This synthesis was designed to gain a better understanding of the state of the practice for managing transportation infrastructure assets other than pavements and bridges, identify best practices, and document gaps in knowledge and areas for further study. It examines key aspects of asset management related to selected infrastructure assets (traffic signals, lighting, signs, pavement lane striping and other markings, drainage culverts and pipes, and sidewalks), including primary sources of technical guidance for management; basic approaches to budgeting for and conducting preservation, operation, and maintenance; organizational responsibilities for ongoing maintenance; measurement of asset condition and performance, including methods and frequencies of data collection; estimates of service lives (or deterioration models) for key components of the selected assets, accounting for the different materials used; information technology capabilities available to help agencies manage these selected assets; and perceptions of the transportation objectives that are served by maintaining selected assets in good condition.

NCHRP Synthesis 371: Managing Selected Transportation Assets: Signals, Lighting, Signs, Pavement Markings, Cul…

Nchrp web document 41: asset management framework | research report.

The objectives of this study were to gather information on asset management practices in the United States and overseas, develop a framework for transportation asset management, and apply this framework to produce the "Transportation Asset Management Guide." Phase I of the study encompassed information gathering, framework development, and recommendation of a research program. The products of Phase I have been issued in three separate volumes. This report constitutes the second volume, addressing a comprehensive transportation asset management framework. This framework defines transportation asset management within the context of this study, and establishes its basic concepts and elements. Its management approach is built on the idea that an agency's processes for resource allocation and utilization are at the core of asset management. Based on this concept, the report builds a framework for agency self-evaluation of its current and desired practices. This framework identifies key characteristics and criteria of transportation asset management in four basic areas relating to resource allocation and utilization: policy goals and objectives, planning and programming, program delivery, and information and analysis. State-of-the-art practices illustrate each of these characteristics and criteria to provide benchmarks by which agencies may establish targets for incremental improvement and gauge progress toward these targets. The report also discusses strategies for updating legacy management systems and data to better support asset management, and examines the relationship between transportation asset management and recently adopted standards for financial reporting of transportation infrastructure assets.

NCHRP Web Document 41: Asset Management Framework

Nchrp web document 41: synthesis of asset management practice | research report.

The objectives of this study were to gather information on asset management practices in the United States and overseas, develop a framework for transportation asset management, and apply this framework to produce the "Transportation Asset Management Guide." Phase I of the study encompassed information gathering, framework development, and recommendation of a research program. The products of Phase I have been issued in three separate volumes. This report constitutes the first volume, providing a synthesis of current information and practices in asset management.

NCHRP Web Document 41: Synthesis of Asset Management Practice

Asset management (nchrp 20-07 task 120) | research report.

For this NCHRP Project 20-07/Task 120 Asset Management, the consultant assisted the AASHTO Task Force on Transportation Asset Management by coordinating numerous on-going activities and by contributing to the development of the AASHTO Strategic Plan for Asset Management. The consultant coordinated the business of the Task Force with the FHWA, AASHTO members, and other public and private agencies regarding the operation, improvement, and preservation of transportation assets. The consultant helped coordinate and facilitate a workshop on asset management held in Scottsdale, Arizona, on December 1-3, 1999.

Asset Management (NCHRP 20-07 Task 120)

Role of highway maintenance in integrated management systems (nchrp 14-09(4)) | research report.

The objectives of this project, NCHRP 14-09(4) Role of Highway Maintenance in Integrated Management Systems, were to design an idealized Maintenance Management Information System (MMIS) based on data available from all transportation information systems and develop a guide to assist state transportation agencies in moving toward implementation.  The final report has been published as NCHRP Report 363, "Role of Highway Maintenance in Integrated Management Systems." This report outlines a framework for integrating maintenance management with other highway and administrative management functions. This framework considers the next generation of maintenance management systems, and how they must respond to the organizational, political, and technological trends that have emerged in recent years. The report can be found at http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_363.pdf

Role of Highway Maintenance in Integrated Management Systems (NCHRP 14-09(4))

Guidebook for effective policies and practices for managing surface transportation debt | research report.

Paying for capital transportation projects is a major challenge for many state agencies, made more complex by the passage of Dodd-Frank and the COVID-19 pandemic. This report guides practitioners through the process of debt-financing. It clearly describes the federal regulations, economics, federal institutions, and program needs that govern debt issuance and management, and it goes into great detail for each phase of the debt-financing process. The four phases are the decision process, individual transaction preparation & development, marketing & placement of individual transactions, and post-issuance compliance strategy. Three key challenges are also addressed in the guidebook: accessing complete information, planning for economic uncertainty, and adapting to technological advances.

Guidebook for Effective Policies and Practices for Managing Surface Transportation Debt

Aashto cpbm asset management subcommittee monthly meeting, tam webinar 71: strategy, planning & resource allocation.

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AASHTO TAM Portal

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