| Conditions and Performance
Chapter Listing
Conditions and
Performance Home Page
Introduction
Current Practice
Assessment of Current Practices
Improving the Process
Strategies for Implementation
Conclusion
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Strategies for Implementation
(How Do We Get There?)
Recent Federal and State Initiatives
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and FHWA
have made Asset Management a national priority. AASHTO is providing national leadership
and guidance to States as they work to incorporate Asset Management principles and practices into
their business process. The goal is to supply generic Asset Management approaches to
organizational integration, performance-measure development, application of analytical tools, and
information management. These generic processes and tools may then be directly utilized ("as is") or be
applied after in-house and/or customized revisions. The potential advantage of adopting the generic
approach is cost effectiveness, as well as the opportunity to share technical expertise and experience with
other States.
Although the fundamental tenants of Asset Management will be visible in each State practicing
the discipline, the assumptions made, the tools employed, and the information used will vary from
State to State. Each State will bring its unique organizational strengths and perspective to the
implementation process. In addition, each State's Asset Management system will reflect its unique
decision-making process. One size will never "fit all" in State Asset Management.
AASHTO and FHWA jointly sponsored two major executive workshops in 1996 and 1997 to
explore and benchmark the application of Asset Management in transportation agencies. These
workshops introduced the Asset Management concept and provided information on private-sector activities
in this area. The first workshop emphasized the importance of a comprehensive approach to
managing the Nation's transportation system. Participants included high-level executives from
AASHTO, FHWA and State DOTs and leaders in Asset Management from non-transportation sectors that
shared Asset Management-related concerns with the transportation community.
During the second conference, participants were charged with evaluating current Asset
Management practices and techniques. As discussed earlier in this Appendix, the current approach to
managing assets is component-by-component. Participants also began to explore what an integrated,
comprehensive approach to managing assets might mean for their agencies. A major goal of the
workshop was to formulate a strategy for advancing Asset Management as a national initiative.
AASHTO responded to input from this conference with the establishment of an Asset Management Task
Force, development of a Strategic Plan, and sponsorship of an Asset Management Guide for
State Transportation Agencies.
The AASHTO, with technical assistance from FHWA, is sponsoring a National Cooperative
Highway Research Program (NCHRP) project to develop the Guide [NCHRP Project 20-24(11)]. The
objective of this project is to provide:
- A synthesis of current Asset Management practices and available tools;
- A framework for an Asset Management system;
- Recommended research for filling gaps in existing knowledge and developing tools for
the next generation of the Guide; and
- A first generation Asset Management Guide for use by AASHTO member agencies
which will (1) offer advice on how to effectively apply and/or enhance Asset Management
principles to their unique organizations; and (2) highlight case studies of best practices among the States.
This work will lay the foundation for defining initiatives to advance integration efforts within
State DOTs. Upon completion of the NCHRP activity in 2001, AASHTO, in consultation with FHWA,
will determine the appropriate next steps to continue to assist the States in advancing Asset Management.
The executive workshop series is recognized as a valuable forum for exchanging information and
was continued with a peer review seminar in December 1999 that focused on current State capabilities
in various aspects of Asset Management to include:
- Moving from a concept to an action plan
- Integrating maintenance management systems
- Integrating management systems
- Integrating data
- Assessing preservation and improvement trade-offs.
Details of State experience in these areas were shared as part of the peer exchange.
American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials Initiatives
AASHTO has traditionally set standards and provided guides for many different aspects of
transportation system design, construction, management and investment. This information provides a point
of reference and guidance for AASHTO member agencies as they develop their own
approaches; AASHTO standards and guides are intended to suggest and not to mandate.
In this context, AASHTO is assisting States in improving their business practices through
the advancement of Asset Management principles and practices. AASHTO has taken the lead in
bringing together States and facilitating knowledge sharing and resource pooling to enhance existing tools
and procedures and to develop new approaches and tools.
Task Force
On November 16, 1997, AASHTO created an Asset Management Task Force of nine experts
drawn from State DOTs. The Task Force's mission is to provide guidance for State Asset
Management activities and develop and distribute to member States innovative Asset Management
approaches, processes, and tools. Early work has included organizing the executive seminars which
were discussed earlier, developing a strategic plan (see below) and sponsoring the NCHRP Guide,
also discussed previously.
Strategic Plan
In November 1998, the AASHTO Board of Directors approved an Asset Management Strategic
Plan. The plan establishes AASHTO's vision, mission, goals and it recommends actions regarding
Asset Management. It also points the way toward work that will fill technological gaps.
The goals specified in the Strategic Plan are to (1) document the state-of-the practice; (2)
conduct major seminars and information sharing; (3) develop an Asset Management guide that will
document the state-of-the-practice and state-of-the-art and will bridge the gap between the two; and (4)
provide needed training.
Federal Highway Administration Initiatives
In conjunction with AASHTO efforts and as part of the Agency's reorganization, the FHWA
created an Office of Asset Management in February 1999. The Office affirms the Agency's commitment
to partnering with AASHTO to advance Asset Management principles. The Office's primary role is
to provide technical assistance by developing tools, techniques, training and consultative services to
the States, as they work to adopt a comprehensive, fully integrated Asset Management program.
The Federal government is uniquely suited to provide technical assistance in the area because all
50 States can benefit from a nationally coordinated technical program, rather than 50 disparate
efforts. Although the States own and operate the assets targeted by Asset Management, AASHTO has
asked FHWA to help with research and development, training and other technical areas because of
the expense and requirements for staff expertise associated with these activities.
The Office is composed of a multidisciplinary staff drawn from economics, engineering,
policy, planning, and technology assessment areas. Three teams make up the new Office:
- System Management and Monitoring;
- Construction and System Preservation; and
- Evaluation and Economic Investment.
The teams work together on overlapping activities.
The Construction and System Preservation Team is responsible for construction and
maintenance, technical support and outreach, quality management, pavement smoothness and system
preservation. FHWA has placed a special emphasis on preservation as the Agency's mission has shifted
from building the Interstate System to preservation of infrastructure assets. The National Qaulity
Initiative (NQI), a partnership effort among AASHTO, FHWA, and related industry associations, is
housed within this team. The NQI objective is to focus attention on continuous quality improvements
within the highway industry. New team initiatives include the establishment of a joint
AASHTO/Industry/FHWA agreement for optimizing highway performance.
The System Management and Monitoring Team is charged with refining and advancing pavement
and bridge management systems and with developing and promoting new systematic approaches
for assets where they presently do not exist, such as for tunnels and roadway hardware. The team
is partnering with States and FHWA field units to develop a toolbox for implementing the
new AASHTO pavement standards for the International Roughness Index, rutting, faulting, and
cracking that were issued in the summer of 1999. In a related area, the team initiated a pilot study with
selected States and with FHWA's Office of Pavement technology to analyze the real-life performance
of Superpave pavements through the use of PMS data as an "engineering analysis tool." This
project will also demonstrate how PMS data can be used as input to future pavement designs.
The Evaluation and Economic Investment Team's portfolio includes outreach activities designed
to explain and promote Asset Management. It also has the lead in developing, recommending
and advancing initiatives to facilitate Asset Management principle-centered strategic
investment decisions. Two primary tracks have been identified: (1) identification and development of
procedures to facilitate horizontal and vertical integration and (2) development and promotion of an array
of procedures for inclusion in an EEA toolbox, such as life-cycle cost analysis and benefit/cost analysis.
Essential to the FHWA Office of Asset Management are cooperative programs with AASHTO,
the Transportation Research Board, industry, and other Federal and State agencies to support and
advance Asset Management.
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