BACKGROUND

The increasing frequency and severity of natural hazards attributed to climate change pose significant risks and vulnerabilities to transportation assets. These hazards include intense and frequent storms, water- and heat-related stressors, a rise in sea level, and other natural and human-generated risks. Additional risks and vulnerabilities include cybersecurity threats, connectivity issues, and dependencies on vulnerable assets, such as the electrical grid. These hazards accelerate the deterioration of transportation assets, affecting the performance of transportation systems and networks.

The recently adopted Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has emphasized the need to incorporate resiliency into all aspects of transportation management.  Specifically, the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) program provides formula and discretionary funds to improve surface transportation resilience to natural hazards, such as planning activities, resilience improvements, community resilience and evacuation routes, and at-risk coastal infrastructure. 

Despite advances in risk assessments and tools to support decision-making, state departments of transportation (DOTs) face challenges integrating these outcomes into asset management practices to prepare for and adapt to changing conditions. Research is needed to address these challenges by developing a comprehensive framework incorporating climate change and other risk and vulnerability assessments into asset management and thereby improving system-level resilience.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to develop an analytical decision support framework that integrates risk assessment with asset management and prioritization to improve system-level resilience. This framework shall incorporate information from climate change and other vulnerability and risk assessments into existing or developing asset management decision-making processes. The framework should apply to a wide range of risks that accelerate infrastructure deterioration in the near and long term. The framework should be accompanied by appropriate documentation to support implementation by practitioners.

TASKS

PHASE I

Task 1.  Conduct a literature review.

Conduct a literature review focused on recent publications, guidance, research, and tools published to support practice at the federal, state, regional, and local levels.

The literature review shall draw from state DOTs; local transportation providers; other agencies, such as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); and publications by agencies with similar functions, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, railroads, and emergency management agencies. 

The literature review shall consult active and recently published related research from the NCHRP, such as NCHRP Project 15-80, “Design Guide and Standards for Infrastructure Resilience,” and the FHWA 2023 publication, Addressing Resilience to Climate Change and Extreme Weather in Transportation Asset Management.

Task 2.  Conduct a scan of current practice.

Conduct a scan of current practice to identify methods in place to support the risk assessment of transportation assets as an input to (or step in) the asset management process. 

Interactive engagement of a diverse array of practitioners and agency leadership in forums such as peer exchanges, focus groups, or workshops is encouraged to complete this task. The proposal shall clearly articulate a strategy for the scan of practice and include targeted agencies and other groups, justification of the groups selected, methods of engagement, and sample areas of inquiry. 

Task 3.  Conduct a gap analysis.

Using the data collected in Tasks 1 and 2, develop a memorandum that identifies and prioritizes unmet gaps in state DOT resources and methods for integrating resilience into asset management, such as data, tools, and strategies that could be addressed by the products of this research.

Task 4. Develop an interim report with a framework outline.

The research team shall prepare an interim report that details the research process and results compiled to date and discusses the major lessons learned and how this information will be used to develop the framework. 

The research team shall describe and outline the framework and supplemental products proposed to facilitate the use of the framework in practice and communicate the value and availability of the research to a broad audience. 

Specifically, the framework should:

• Incorporate asset risk and vulnerability assessments into a state DOT’s inventory of assets in the asset management process; 
• Provide justification and methods to expand asset assessments beyond the usual pavement and bridge conditions into ancillary assets, such as geotechnical, culvert, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and retaining wall assets, to fully identify asset vulnerabilities to corridor performance;
• Provide a method (or methods) to integrate the risks of climate change and other factors into prioritizing asset management and investments; 
• Identify and assess qualitative and quantitative risks that should inform the prioritization of assets and/or the definition of priority routes;
• Include risk assessment of assets outside of the DOT’s control, such as utilities, dams, or levies;
• Facilitate discussion on desired system performance measures and outcomes to inform investment prioritization decisions; and
• Include practical, instructive material on how to use the framework and communication products to convey research results effectively to a broad audience.

These materials shall be provided for a minimum 30-day review. The NCHRP will convene an in-person panel meeting with the research team in Washington, DC, to discuss these materials and reach a consensus on the final deliverables and the next steps in completing the work. A final draft of the interim report and supplemental materials will be submitted in response to the comments received.

PHASE II     

Task 5. Develop a first draft framework for validation in Task 6.

Task 6. Validate and demonstrate the framework.

Complete and document three to five case studies that use real data to exemplify a range of contexts, risks, and geographies to test the draft framework in asset management decision-making. 

Task 7. Revise the draft framework, instructive material on how to use the framework, and communication products in response to lessons learned from the case studies.

Task 8. Submit all draft final deliverables for panel review and comment in anticipation of publication.

The draft deliverables will at a minimum include:

• An analytical decision support framework integrating risk assessment with asset management, along with supporting instructional material on its use;
• Communication products to promote the use of the framework in practice;
• A report documenting the conduct of research; and
• An implementation report documenting opportunities and potential methods for facilitating the implementation of the framework in practice.

STATUS: Proposals have been received in response to the RFP. The project panel will meet to select a contractor to perform the work.