PREPRINT

Duplication of this preprint for publication or sale 

is strictly prohibited without prior written permission 

of VMS, Inc.
 

 

Privatized Highway Asset Management

Management of Subcontract Maintenance

Presentation to theInternational Road Federation

Symposium

Hanoi, Vietnam

September 29 – October 1, 1999
 

By

Kent O. Lande, P.E. Asset Manager 

VMS, Inc. Richmond, VA

VMS, Inc. of Richmond, VA, USA, entered into a 5 ½ year lump sum contract with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) on December 19, 1996 to perform Highway Asset Management services on approximately 2,000 lane km (1,250 lane miles) of interstate highway. The Asset Management contract was developed on the basis of performance criteria whereby all of the roadway features are maintained to a set of pre-established outcomes.

Performance and Outcomes

·         Manage Asset Groups – A set of seven (7) major asset groups were established jointly by VMS and the VDOT:

1.       Pavement Maintenance

2.       Roadside Maintenance

3.       Drainage Maintenance

4.       Vegetation & Aesthetics

5.       Traffic Services

6.       Snow & Ice Control

7.       Bridge Maintenance

Within each of these Asset Groups are a series of functional activities which relate to work within the group. For example, within the Pavement Maintenance Group are activities including but not limited to Pothole Patching, Base Repair, Pressure Grouting, Asphalt Resurfacing and PCC Resurfacing. Other groups have from six (6) to fifteen (15) discrete activities assigned.

·         Manage Outcomes – VMS, Inc. guarantees services to meet agreed upon standards and established performance measures and backs this guarantee with performance bonds. These outcomes were developed jointly with VDOT personnel during the negotiation of the contract and provide written, measurable standards that are monitored on a quarterly basis for compliance.

·         Manage Tolerances and Criteria – Each asset has been assigned a tolerance level of acceptance which VMS, Inc. is expected to meet or exceed. As an example, potholes are not acceptable if more than 75mm x 100mm (3” x 4”) and more than 25mm (1”) deep. Likewise, snow must be plowed to bare pavement within 24 hours after the cessation of a snowstorm. The following table specifies the Outcomes and Performance Criteria as well as the Tolerances and Criteria for some of the specific Assets within the Traffic Group. Similar tables are contained within the Agreement for Drainage, Roadside, Pavements, Bridges, Services and Snow & Ice Control.
 

Exhibit A: Asset Management Project Deliverables

 

 

·         Manage Performance

It was necessary to determine the overall condition of the assets at the time VMS assumed responsibility for them so that the efforts required to meet the performance targets could be planned. To ensure the integrity of the data, VMS engaged outside contractors to conduct an impartial assessment of the condition of the assets on I-95 in August 1997. The contractors evaluated all assets in both the northbound and the southbound lanes at 75 randomly selected one-tenth mile sections. These assessments showed that the maintenance rating (MRP) of the entire I-95 corridor was 85.1, compared to the VDOT requirement of 92.8.

A large number of culverts and drop inlets in the drainage asset group were deficient. Many of the signs and pavement markings in the traffic services group were also found to be deficient. The most significant deficiency in this asset group, however, was that many roadway lighting units were inoperative.

After the initial findings were analyzed, plans were developed to concentrate maintenance efforts on these deficiencies. Additional contracts were prepared and awarded to clean drainage structures and to map the highway lighting circuitry throughout the corridor. VMS employees checked all regulatory signs and replaced those that were missing or in an unacceptable condition. Additionally, a contract to analyze the level of sign retroreflectivity was completed.

VMS recognized that up-to-date information about the state of maintenance provides an excellent management tool. Accordingly, additional evaluations were planned and, to ensure consistency, the same contractors performed them. The second assessment was completed in December 1997.The data showed that the overall maintenance rating increased to 91.5, and that a significant improvement had occurred in the drainage and traffic asset groups. The third maintenance rating was performed in April 1998.Again, the overall rating improved, to 92.8. The July 1998 rating of 95.4 showed that further improvement had been made. Future ratings will be conducted on a quarterly basis so that VMS can continue to collect the data necessary for proper planning as well as to evaluate its performance.

The first assessment of the assets associated with the Interstate 77, 81, and 381 corridors was done in April 1998.The rating for these corridors, combined, was 79.4.

The table below reflects the MRP achieved for the Traffic Group through four ratings taken between September 1997 and March 1999.Similar tables have been developed for Drainage, Roadside, and Pavements and their respective Asset elements