Estimating Life Expectancies of Highway Assets, Volume 2: Final Report (2012)

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229 A p p e n d i x F Inventory and Decision Support Systems for Non-Traditional Assets A number of state highway agencies have established inventory databases for non-traditional highway assets such as roadway signs, traffic signals and lighting, pavement markings, and guardrails. As more and more of these systems evolve towards decision preservation invest- ment support systems for these assets and for assessing their preservation program fiscal needs, there is greater need for reliable assessment of the lives of the assets. Reliable estimates of asset life help establish the future year of replacement and thus are useful for replacement planning, programming and budget development. This section describes efforts at a sample of states where inventory databases or decision support systems at various stages of development, have been established for non-traditional highway assets. Georgia’s Highway Sign Management System (HSMS) includes a database for all highway signs in the state (Roberts, 2002). The data include sign location (milepost, coordinates), posi- tion (right/overhead/left), type and purpose, dimensions (height and width), material type, and dates of fabrication and installation. It is envisaged that the system will evolve to one with a decision-making capability. For that to happen, data on costs and lives for the road signs, on the basis of their attributes, will be needed. North Dakota’s Roadway Sign Asset Management System (RSAMS) is an inventory and deci- sion support system that generates a priority list of signs to be replaced or reviewed (Kruse and Simmer, 2003). The sign attribute data is collected or updated using a handheld computer and GPS technology. Thus, the use of road sign life is implicit in the system. The system is intended to be integrated with management systems of other assets in the state highway inventory. Oregon DOT Region 2, over a decade ago, developed a Sign Management System (SMS) to track the inventory, location, and other attributes of road signs in Oregon (FHWA, 2005). The system provides a platform for planning, scheduling, executing, and management of individual maintenance programs for these assets, and to determine their maintenance budget on the basis of their expected life. The system also helps in protecting the agency against tort liability. Wisconsin’s Sign Inventory Management System (SIMS) revolves around a database on road sign location, jurisdiction, route, milepost, roadway position, sign direction, post type and length, sign code, size, base material, face material, age of sign, date of manufacture and installation, sign number and physical condition. The system facilitates sign replace- ment planning on the basis of the life of these assets (Wisconsin DOT, 2003). This is geared toward the optimal timing of the sign replacements by avoiding unduly delayed (deferred) or hastened (premature) replacements. SIMS is a useful tool for project contract preparation: by providing a list of signs slated for replacement, the system helps contractor to provide realistic bids. SIMS also assesses sign replacement needs and thus facilitates development of annual program.

230 estimating Life expectancies of Highway Assets Virginia’s Sign Inventory Management System (SIMS) stores data on road sign location, posi- tion and direction, post length type, sign code. The Web-based system facilitates planning for replacing signs and for developing program funding needs on an annual basis. There are six modules: random condition assessment, needs-based budget request module, planning and scheduling module, work order and accomplishment module, inventory module and analysis tools module (Larson and Skrypczuk, 2004). Estimations of the lives of these assets are critical in the planning and scheduling module. Minnesota’s Automated Facilities Management System (AFMS) for traffic signal and lighting tracks the electrical services section’s maintenance activities and coordinates requests for materials and work produced by the Minnesota DOT Metro Division and the eight districts traffic offices overseen by Minnesota DOT (FHWA, 2004). The system utilizes predictions of the asset lives of the electrical components in order to develop the maintenance schedules. Oregon’s Traffic Signal Information System (TSIS) includes data such as highway route and location, street name, direction of traffic flow, intersecting street name, nearest city, name of county, name of district, region number, name of company supplying power, meter number for location, mile point, date of activation, recent date of repair, months of inspection and maintenance, comments, and signal priority. Through its asset inventory, maintenance budget development, and established service life of each the asset categories, the system facilitates main- tenance and inventory tracking and thus enhances planning, scheduling, executing, and man- aging individual maintenance programs. The system is fully integrated throughout the DOT’s intranet (FHWA, 2004). Virginia’s Traffic Signal System Inventory (TSSI) system tracks and manages the signal infra- structure (Larson and Skrypczuk, 2004). The system is intended to ultimately contain asset- related and project-related data that will enhance decision-support for investments geared toward traffic signal repairs, rehabilitation, and replacement. Maryland State Highway Administration’s Traffic Structure Inventory Inspection and Main- tenance (TSIIM) system tracks maintenance and inspection activities (FHWA, 2005). The TSIIM is intended to provide historical data review, track the condition and performance of these assets, ascertain the future years at which they will need repair or replacement, establish annual funding needs for repair or replacement, and develop optimal funding allocations. Arizona’s Pavement Marking Management System (PMMS) includes a database of all signs and pavement markings, a method for tracking lifetime product performance and thus to deter- mine the asset life, and procedures and processes for monitoring, maintaining, and replacing these products (Arizona DOT, 2002). Iowa’s Pavement Marking Management System (PMMS) consists of two primary compo- nents: retroreflectivity-based performance curves for the pavement marking material and an application matrix tailored to the pavement marking products and roadway and environmental conditions in Iowa (Hawkins et al., 2006). The system is integrated into the agency’s pavement and safety management systems. Missouri DOT’s Pavement Marking Management System (PMMS) provides an automated system that is an inventory of pavement markings and also provides a tool for managing these assets on the basis of their performance, costs, and longevity. A major component of the system is the measurement of the life of these assets (Davidson, 2003). Virginia’s Marking Management System (MMS) was designed to identify years of marking replacement, develop annual physical and fiscal needs, and facilitate development of annual budget estimates for these assets (Cottrell and Hanson, 2001). The data items in the database include the marking color, type, product manufacturer, reflectivity, spotting distance, and roadway surface type.

inventory and decision Support Systems for non-Traditional Assets 231 Idaho Transportation Department’s Geographic Roadway Application for Information Loca- tion (GRAIL) System stores data on GPS location, curvature and other attributes of guardrails and other highway assets on the state highway system (ITD, 2002). Kansas DOT’s integrated preventive maintenance program tracks all pavement markings according to the year of installation expected life of pavement, type of marking material used, and performance guarantees of the pavement markings, and thus predicts the life of the pavement marking. The pavement marking investment decision-making process includes a Brightness Benefit Factor (BBF), a benefit-to-cost ratio based on the material’s retroreflectivity, durability, and installed cost. The analysis takes account of traffic, expected life of the asset, and motorist delay (McGinnis, 2001). In the spring, maintenance crews are sent out to visually inspect specific pavement markings at night for retroreflectivity compliance. Information from the inspections is sent to the engineering department to update the list of roads that require new markings and/or warranty repairs. In addition, the list takes into consideration all planned maintenance activities, so that in selecting the optimal marking material to be used, the service life of the marking is eval- uated relative to the interval until the next pavement maintenance activity (Kansas DOT, 1999). North Dakota’s pavement marking investment decision-making process selects pavement markings on the basis of the pavement surface material, predicted pavement surface condition, the anticipated level of traffic, and marking position (e.g., center or edge) (Kruse and Simmer, 2003). The expected life of each material type is an implicit factor in the decision process. The pavement marking materials considered include conventional paint; inlaid, patterned, and pre- formed plastic; and grooved, patterned, and preformed plastic. The process includes a guide to determine the best pavement marking practices under a given set of field conditions.

Abbreviations and acronyms used without definitions in TRB publications: AAAE American Association of Airport Executives AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ACI–NA Airports Council International–North America ACRP Airport Cooperative Research Program ADA Americans with Disabilities Act APTA American Public Transportation Association ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials ATA American Trucking Associations CTAA Community Transportation Association of America CTBSSP Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program DHS Department of Homeland Security DOE Department of Energy EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration FHWA Federal Highway Administration FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FRA Federal Railroad Administration FTA Federal Transit Administration HMCRP Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ITE Institute of Transportation Engineers NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASAO National Association of State Aviation Officials NCFRP National Cooperative Freight Research Program NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NTSB National Transportation Safety Board PHMSA Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration RITA Research and Innovative Technology Administration SAE Society of Automotive Engineers SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (2005) TCRP Transit Cooperative Research Program TEA-21 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998) TRB Transportation Research Board TSA Transportation Security Administration U.S.DOT United States Department of Transportation