Asset Management

Structures Management

Bridges and other civil structures are crucial asset elements of the infrastructure network. It is essential that their condition is monitored, and repairs are planned and completed in an efficient and timely manner. The systemic inspection, condition rating and monitoring of these assets are vital components to managing the lifecycle of these structures, as well as optimising their maintenance.

ARRB’s structures’ expertise comprises structural engineering, inspections and asset management for existing bridges and other structures. Our focus is on collaborative development of bespoke analysis, investigation and assessments to meet asset owners’ objectives.

ARRB provides specialist services in routine and event triggered structural and condition inspections, materials and behaviour investigations, and assists asset owners with asset management planning and forward works programming.

We provide innovative customer-focused solutions to support the asset maintainer or asset manager make informed decisions for the management of infrastructure, create strategies to extend the life of aging assets, and manage them effectively to fulfil obligations to the community while improving reliability and safety.

Our team also trains and accredits Level 1 & 2 Inspectors across Australia. We can also conduct Level 2 inspections, Level 3 investigations, and structural assessments (bridges) for you.

Asset Management

ARRB focuses on predictive and rational management to ensure long-term performance and sustainability.

We help clients shift from reactive asset management, where assets are fixed only when unusable or unsafe, to a predictive approach. This enables accurate forecasting of asset condition to inform future budget planning, capacity needs, and enhancement requirements to ensure asset longevity.

It’s all about using the right treatment at the right time to get best value from assets. We have extensive experience setting levels of service (LoS) with clients, exploring risk profiles, and turning data into information to create choices for asset managers.

We apply decision support and life cycle costing tools, including custom built and commercial pavement management and investment analysis systems. These help us investigate and provide long-term solutions with a focus on performance and cost savings.

Our approach supports critical decisions on management of road networks to ensure cost effective management that is aligned with the provision of LoS to the community.

We offer asset management solutions of varying levels and approaches tailored to our client needs such as:

• Data assessment
• Levels of service
• Network assessment
• Deterioration models
• Works programs
• Risk assessment
• Investment option analysis
• Life cycle cost analysis for projects
• Before/after assessments (dilapidation analysis)
• Deflection analysis and residual life analysis
• Remaining structural life
• Review of unsealed road materials and management
• Valuation of networks
• Road charging assessments

Asset Modelling

The accurate and reliable prediction of asset performance, and its impact on operational and investment costs, including preservation and replacement or renewal costs, plays a significant role in achieving asset management goals.

Asset performance also directly impacts the costs to the various transportation modes which utilise the system. This varies depending on the standards employed, and the condition and history of the assets, including their fitness to carry traffic, and therefore the capacity they can support.

Asset modelling is fundamental in strategic asset management and is required for the optimisation of asset and financial and economic performance by minimising whole-of-life-cycle costs.

Our experience and extensive evidence base include studies of arterial roads throughout Australia and New Zealand, and of local government roads, covering both sealed and unsealed roads, and account for traffic and environmental influences.

We develop and apply our models and experience within an integrated, adaptable asset management framework, to inform and assess the current level of performance and predict the future performance of assets in multiple transportation modes based on economic, financial, environmental, traffic or other scenarios.

Safer Asset Performance

Safer Asset Performance (SAP) focuses on the inclusion of predictive and proactive safety risk in all asset management activities. This follows the Safe System approach which recognises that drivers make mistakes and should not be penalised with a serious injury or loss of life.

SAP principles identify where the risk of an incident is greatest and assists in identifying the need for change or improvement such as:

• Applying existing solutions
• Identifying new methods of practice
• Developing and using innovative technologies to provide higher Customer Level of Service (CLOS) and Technical Level of Service (TLOS) targets.

SAP considers risk in a new way. We ensure that the minimal requirements as specified by Australian Standards or Road Authority intervention levels are met, whilst also working to identify what additional measures may be needed to provide a higher level of safety.

To help asset owners identify locations or develop a future program for targeted safety works, we can utilise a Safety Risk Score (SRS) and associated Network Intervention Score. An SRC can consider asset condition, historical crash rates, predicted crash rates, crash types, weather patterns, and individual road user groups and their requirements from the asset. It allows an asset manager to demonstrate due diligence in identifying risks and meeting duty of care responsibilities.

SAP principles and associated Safety Risk considerations can be used in parallel with established intervention levels to:

• Prioritise works when a majority of the asset is below the intervention level.
• Proactively identify and mitigate risk for all road and facility users.
• Proactively manage isolated high risks that may not be captured in intervention levels, including considerations for various weather conditions.
• Establish and identify interim low-cost treatments in maintenance programs. This may include measures for different road user groups.
• Combine all of the above to provide an initial investment to reduce the locations with the highest risk and change planning practice to improve safety across the network.

The adoption of Safer Asset Performance principles can be integrated into existing Asset Management policies, frameworks, plans, maintenance programs and future contracts.

Assurance Systems

Assurance modelling, alongside Performance Based Contracts (PBCs), is the next evolutionary step in transportation asset management. With ever-expanding road and asset networks, the public and private sectors are increasingly transitioning to PBCs to drive cost-effective, competitive and innovative solutions.

A task-specific, well-defined assurance system records auditable performance data at every step of a project, maintaining confidence that technical standards and performance requirements are being met.

An assurance system could be configured to predict a project’s success through implementing the correct systems at the appropriate time within a project’s life cycle. This is immensely significant as early identification of concerns is paramount to any project’s outcome.

Analysis of the auditable performance data enables this and the subsequent, related implementation of micro adjustments at any stage of a project, ensuring and compounding a successful result. The data collected throughout the lifecycle of a project can then be leveraged in the planning and implementation of future projects, allowing them to reach their full potential – all leading to an improved Australasian road network.

ARRB’s assurance system can be customised and scaled to suit any transport asset management team and the assets under their care.