Few agencies are adequately funded for the maintenance activities needed to keep the asset at lowest life cycle cost, particularly for ancillary assets. In addition to bridges and pavements, other assets need maintenance and preservation funding, but the needs of ancillary assets have not been investigated as thoroughly as bridges and pavements needs. Deferring appropriate preventative maintenance activities not only shortens the useful life of the asset and increases the life cycle cost, but also could lead to premature failure and potential safety and liability concerns. 

Establishing industry-wide tools will more comprehensively convey the benefits of investing in maintenance and preservation to budget decision-makers, including elected officials and senior management in agencies. These tools will not only enhance maintenance and preservation programs but also contribute to the prolonged service life of various asset classes. Research is needed to quantify and document additional funding requirements and provide information to effectively communicate these needs to decision-makers. 

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this research is to develop a practical tool to accurately estimate and justify funding requirements for asset maintenance and preservation. The tool is expected to be utilized and adapted by transportation agencies to incorporate existing and future asset classes and to facilitate communication of maintenance and preservation needs to technical and nontechnical audiences.

TASKS:

 PHASE I—Planning

Task 1: Literature Review

The research team shall conduct a comprehensive literature review targeting the state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice in transportation asset management planning with emphasis on the funding needs estimation process and the cost of delayed/deferred maintenance for a wide range of asset classes. The review shall include published and unpublished documentation and research conducted through the NCHRP; the Federal Highway Administration; and other national, state, and local agencies. It shall cover published research reports, guidelines, online platforms, regulations, and statutes from federal and state agencies as well as research articles in the following three categories: 1) General TAMP and maintenance management guides, 2) Guide documents to help manage ancillary assets, and 3) Guidelines to assist with estimating and integrating maintenance costs in TAMPs. 

Task 2: Scan of Current State DOT Practices

The research team shall scan the current state of practice to identify policies, resources, and strategies used for asset management for maintenance activities throughout the lifecycle as well as within different asset classes. This task includes identification of best practices nationwide that involves existing asset classes and additions to the transportation system. The review shall  cover state DOTs and local agencies when feasible. The review shall be two-tiered: desk review and practitioners’ outreach. The desk review will focus on published transportation agencies plans and reports, while the outreach will reveal the unpublished side of the story, since not all practices are published in asset maintenance field through a survey of state DOTs. The survey shall be disseminated among DOTs upon approval on NCHRP after receiving and addressing the feedback from the project panel. 

Task 3. Synthesize the Results of Tasks 1 and 2

The research team shall summarize and synthesize the results of the literature review and the current practice scan to identify knowledge gaps related to the research objective. The state-of-the-practice technical memorandum shall provide key insights derived from preliminary research, analysis, and practitioner outreach, focusing on both the successful ancillary assets maintenance practices and the knowledge and practice gaps shaping the strategic direction for subsequent research tasks. The research team shall provide a thorough list of gaps with an assessment of their importance to achieving the objective of this research project. The gaps should be addressed in the final product or the recommended future research.

Task 4. Propose the Research Plan

The research team shall propose a research plan (or road map), to be executed in Phase II, to achieve the research objective. The research plan shall include: 

• Identifying pertinent assets and relevant data;
• Defining the methodology that leads to the estimation tool;
• Developing the prototype of the tool, which will include variability and scalability to meet agencies needs and inform data driven decision-making, a balanced resource allocation for various asset classes based on financial constraints and system-level risks, scenario planning to evaluate and compare various maintenance strategies, and a visualized summary/report.
• Developing the user guide for the tool;
• Developing a pilot test to be conducted by selected state departments of transportation;
• Revising/updating the tool based on the results of the pilot testing; and
• Preparing the preliminary outline of the final report.

Task 5. Prepare Interim Report No. 1

The research team shall prepare Interim Report No. 1 which will documents Tasks 1 through 4 and provides an updated work plan for the remainder of the research no later than 7 months after the contract award. The updated plan must describe the process and rationale for the work proposed for Phases II and III. The research team shall present findings to NCHRP at an in-person interim meeting. NCHRP approval of the interim report and updated Research Plan is required before work on subsequent tasks may begin.

PHASE II—Execution

Task 6. Execute the Research Plan

The research team shall execute the research plan according to the approved Interim Report No 1. The research team shall conduct quality assurance of the proposed framework, and shall also conduct analysis of their compliance with established standards. This task shall be done in two parts as indicated in the Schedule of Deliverable document.

Task 7. Prepare Interim Report No. 2

The research team shall prepare Interim Report No. 2 which will documents Task 6 and provides an updated work plan for the remainder of the research. The updated work plan must describe the process and rationale for the work proposed for Phase III. The research team shall present findings to NCHRP at an in-person interim meeting. NCHRP approval of the interim report and updated Research Plan is required before work on subsequent tasks may begin.

PHASE III—Final Products

Task 8.  Revise the tool and its user guide

The team shall revise the Guide based on the initial Panel comments discussed in the Interim meeting on the Draft Guide including comments on the tool’s analytical capabilities, user interface, and overall efficacy in aligning with transportation agencies’ operational needs, as well as the structural and stylistic changes. The team shall also provide a detailed written response to Comments Memorandum that addresses all written comments and the major takeaways and direction from the Panel meeting. The response document shall clearly communicate a description of all changes made to the revised Guide.

The team shall execute targeted adjustments to optimize the tool’s performance, ensuring precision in maintenance cost forecasting and alignment with industry standards. The user guide revision shall be conducted in parallel, with the goal to articulate the tool’s functionalities, operational procedures, and application scenarios clearly.

Task 9.  Conduct a virtual workshop/webinar

The team shall conduct a virtual workshop/webinar aimed at showcasing the developed tool to stakeholders across state and jurisdictional boundaries. The team shall work with the Panel to identify the right participants for the virtual workshop, which could include asset management, maintenance, and planning staff. The workshop/webinar shall be methodically structured, featuring a technical presentation of the tool’s architecture, computational logic, and scenario analysis capabilities. It shall include a live demonstration to illustrate the tool’s operational workflow, data handling features, and the generation of maintenance cost projections under various scenarios. The team shall then develop webinar materials including a slide deck, presentation script, discussion guide, and a run-of-show plan that can be used to present the research findings and elicit participants’ responses to them. The team shall provide full logistical support for the workshop and provide the platform over which the workshop will take place (most likely Teams or Zoom) as well as facilitation of discussion to maximize participant engagement and feedback opportunities.

Task 10. Draft Final Deliverables

The research team shall submit the draft final deliverables including (1) a final report that documents the entire research effort, (2) the estimation tool, (3) the user guide, (4) a PowerPoint presentation of the research findings, and (5) a stand-alone technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products”.

In addition to the estimation tool and its user guide, the team shall summarize how the tool was developed by drafting a Conduct of Research Report and develop communication materials about the project, including an annotated set of slides, and a stand-alone technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products”. Based on the research findings, the team will outline ways to further communicate and implement the findings beyond the scope of the current research. 

STATUS: Research in progress.