Abstract Manager

This case study conducted by the New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (NBDTI) combines five existing asset management condition ratings into an overall Transportation Asset Management (TAM) condition value called the Resilience Index (RI). The five asset management programs used were pavement, bridge, geotechnical, culvert and highway design. An RI value was calculated for each kilometer (km) of the 46 km case study area. The objective of the case study trail was to use TAM RI values to determine effective maintenance priorities. After calculating the RI values, a decision-making model was developed to determine which section should be chosen for maintenance. The decision matrix considered weighted values of condition, safety and value of the asset. NBDTI policy and design exemptions were considered as important factors. The case study model compares the effectiveness of standard design guidelines against resilience-based designs. The objective of the resilience-based designs is to increase the RI value to an acceptable level. This would be less than the desirable design level of a standard design but would cost significantly less. Resiliency-based design is currently not an accepted design option at NBDTI. In future spending decisions, this trial could be an example of the Department stating a plan to follow, that optimizes resiliency of the road network, and justification for a design exemption within a Performance Based Practical Design (PBPD) project. NBDTI is currently shaping policy for Performance Based Practical Design. The performance measures of the assets in this trial are resiliency index (RI) and how Effective Resources are Allocated (ERA).