Document Library

This manual contains the following major chapter headings: 1. Introduction, 2. Bridge Files (Records), 3. Bridge Management Systems, 4. Inspection, 5. Material Testing, 6. Load Rating, 7. Fatigue Evaluation of Steel Bridges, 8. Nondestructive Load Testing, Appendix A. Illustrative Examples. The manual serves as a standard and provides uniformity in the procedures and policies for determining the physical condition, maintenance needs, and load capacity of the nation's highway bridges.

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.

Case study: Asset Inventories - SF Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco Municipal Railway

This report presents a practical process for determining an agency's full costs associated with performing highway maintenance. The process can be applied to any specific maintenance activity and ensures that the resulting full cost incorporates a fair share of both maintenance program and enterprise support costs. In addition, the report documents the application of the full cost determination process for a number of state departments of transportation and different maintenance activities to demonstrate the types of options, exceptions, and decisions that would be needed in order to perform the full cost calculation. The material contained in the report should be of immediate interest to state maintenance engineers and others involved in the maintenance of highway infrastructure.

This guide provides considerable background information about Transportation Asset Management (TAM), the advantages of using TAM, and an approach that agencies can use to identify where they are now and where they should focus their asset management efforts. The guide aims to stimulate transportation agencies in addressing strategic questions as they confront the task of managing and overhauling America's surface transportation system, such as: 1. What do we want to accomplish and why? 2. What Alternatives are available for changing the current business model to achieve these objections? 3. What resources are available to succeed in this mission? 4. How do we measure success? The guide is presented in 3 major parts: Part 1 focuses on organizing and leading TAM. This would be of most interest to executive management. Part 2 focuses on processes, tools, systems, and data. This part would be of most interest to practitioners. Appendices include examples of assess management plans and four in-depth case studies of local and international agencies' experiences in implementing TAM.
The executive summary can be downloaded directly at: http://www.tam-portal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/TAMGFI-ES-whole.pdf.
The complete guide can be purchased from the AASHTO Bookstore at https://bookstore.transportation.org/collection_detail.aspx?ID=100.

The Rangitikei Council's 2011 TAMP includes descriptions of the strategic environment, activity management practices, asset management practices, asset management plan assumptions, and improvement to asset management planning. These second part of the plan provides a detailed review of transportation asset types with an overview, description of levels of service, a routine maintenance plan, and a renewal/replacement plan. Risk management is considered for pavement and bridge assets.

The New Zealand Transport Agency's 2011 Asset Management Plan (AMP) includes a framework for the document that depicts each section and the relationship to other sections and to the plan as a whole. The AMP also includes a statement of intent, covering a list of desired impacts, with key progress indicators and targets for the agency.

Case study of UTA's asset management, a risk-based approach.

Developing a Transit Inventory/Database - RTA's Practices and Plans, presented at the Third State of Good Repair Roundtable.

An article which addresses the underdevelopment of tools and practices for the geotechnical sector of the transportation asset management world.

A guide to leading an asset management program with a strong infrastructure.

A report documenting the development of a biobjective optimization model for planning maintenance and renewal decisions related to track geometry.