ABSTRACT
Road asset management is a task of great responsibility, since it involves vital assets to the community. An efficient transportation network is essential for the modern society from the economic, societal and environmental point of view. Today, it is a challenge for operators to manage road infrastructures under their responsibility in an efficient way, meeting the present and future needs of the community they serve.
For this purpose, the authorities need to produce an asset management plan, which should not only define the goals to be achieved by exploiting the roadway bridge network, but that should also identify the investment needs and priorities based on a life cycle cost criteria. In addition, a proper condition assessment of these assets must be conducted to support the decision-making process regarding their preservation.
In Europe, as all over the world, the need to manage roadway bridges in an efficient way led to the development of different management systems. Hence, nowadays, many countries have their own system. Although they present a similar architectural framework, several differences can be appointed, for example, with regard to the condition assessment procedure. These differences constitute a divergent mechanism that may conduct to different decisions on maintenance actions.
Within the roadway bridge management process, the identification of maintenance needs is more effective when developed in a uniform and repeatable manner. This process can be accomplished by the evaluation of performance indicators, improving the planning of maintenance strategies. Therefore, a discussion at a European networking level, seeking to achieve a standardized approach in this subject, will bring significant benefits. Accordingly, a COST Action recently started in Europe with the aim of standardizing the establishment of quality control plans for roadway bridges (European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research – COST 2014). More information about this Action can be consulted in www.tu1406.eu.
In this context, a first step would be the establishment of specific recommendations for the assessment of roadway bridges, namely, used methods for the quantification of performance indicators. A set of reference time periods for these assessment actions should be also presented. A second step would be the definition of standardized performance goals. Finally, a guideline for the establishment of quality control plans in roadway bridges would be developed. In these plans, it is emphasized the importance of advanced deterioration prediction models. Moreover, the concept of sustainable roadway bridge management, involving the evaluation of environmental, economic and social performance indicators during the whole life cycle, is also highlighted.
By developing new approaches to quantify and assess bridge performance, as well as quality specifications to assure an expected performance level, bridge management strategies will be significantly improved, enhancing asset management of ageing structures in Europe.
