Proposal for NCHRP 08-36 Research
Performance Measures for Infrastructure Preservation
Background
There are numerous efforts underway to measure the condition and performance of the
transportation system. Research is also ongoing to develop performance based planning and
programming process. Most of the traditional measures of infrastructure health focus on the
condition of the highways and bridges, measuring end conditions such as percentage of
structurally deficient bridges and percentage of smooth pavement.
As states more fully implement asset management strategies on an increasingly aging
infrastructure with constrained resources, a greater share of investments are targeted to
system preservation activities. Preservation activities are intended to preserve assets that are
already in good condition before they deteriorate to a state where significantly greater
investment is required. These preservation activities cost-effectively maintain these assets in
good condition for as long as possible, implementing the proper treatment at the end of the
window of opportunity before conditions decline and treatments become more expensive.
However, by devoting resources to this preservation strategy, less funding is available for the
more costly projects that replace or reconstruct more deteriorated bridges and pavements, and
as a result, typical measures of infrastructure end conditions may decline while the overall
useful life of highway system improves or remains at an acceptable level.
With an increasing focus on preservation activities given the funding constraints at all levels of
government, asset owners would benefit from a set of performance measures that can clearly
show the results and benefits of investing in a preservation strategy to decision-makers and the
public.
Proposed Research
The proposed research will develop a small set of recommended performance measures that
can be commonly used by states and MPOs to show the results and benefits of a highway and
bridge infrastructure preservation program. The measures should show how lower cost
preservation investments result in prolonging or increasing acceptable conditions of a portion
of the highway and bridge system, or the overall system. The measures should be easy to
calculate and understandable to policy makers and the public.
Current infrastructure performance measures are largely focused on measuring infrastructure
end conditions, and not on measuring the specific benefits from a preservation investment
strategy. The recommended research will add to the existing body of knowledge on measuring
the condition and performance of the highway system.
Research activities include:
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Review of relevant research on measuring results of preservation activities, including
current efforts by FHWA’s Office of Performance Management
Short survey of states, MPOs and other highway and bridge asset owners on currently
used preservation performance measures
Assessment of current practice and identification of areas which lack existing measures
of preservation performance
Development of a list of recommended measures that can be used by states, MPOs and
asset owners to describe the results of a preservation strategy on an improved highway
and bridge system
Definition of any data and condition modeling needs of recommended measures
Preparation of a Final Report describing the results of the research, compilation of
relevant performance measures and any recommendations for future research.
Potential measures could include such measures as increase in percentage of pavements or
bridges in good condition, number of years of useful life added to the asset, or reduction in
backlogged needs. Other measures being used by states or MPOs, or under study should also
be reviewed and any new measures presented.
The result of this research would be a small set of recommended performance measures that
clearly show the change in condition of, or the otherwise investment benefits to, the highway
and bridge system from a preservation first strategy.
Funding and Schedule
The recommended research should be completed in 9 months at a cost of $100,000.
Submitted by: NYSDOT
Lynn Weiskopf
518-457-2320
lweiskopf@dot.state.ny.us