Incorporating Bridge Preservation Objectives into asset management plans

1. Incorporating Bridge Preservation Objectives into asset management plans Michael B. Johnson P.E. Nancy Bruton P.E. California Department of Transportation National Bridge Preservation Conference - Orlando April 2014

2. background Map-21 requires transportation agencies to develop risk based asset management plans for all National Highway System (NHS) Bridges regardless of owner. The NHS was expanded to include local agency bridges Bridges on the NHS compete for funds with other assets.

3. background Caltrans has an established bridge preservation program for state owned bridges • Qualified preservation actions institutional in nature • Performance is measured by the time from recommendation to completion of the work. Preservation funding for local bridges available but it competes with rehabilitation and replacement needs.

4. The challenges • How can we effectively incorporate bridge preservation into asset management for all bridge owners? • How can we ensure that preservation projects are being done at the appropriate time? • How can we identify the bridges that meet our desired preservation criteria?

5. The challenges • Expansion of the NHS to include local bridges necessitated • Defining a formal preservation goal • Associated preservation performance measure • Funding eligibility criteria

6. The challenges • Wanted to encourage a three pronged approach to bridge management for all bridges that included: • Preservation • Vulnerability Mitigation • Seismic and Scour initially • Rehabilitation and Replacement • Replacement driven by life cycle cost analysis

7. Establishing a preservation goal • We wanted to encourage timely bridge preservation • We wanted to limit preservation funding to projects that could delay future rehabilitation or replacement • We needed a preservation program structure that fostered good bridge management behavior • We needed a program that was objective and transparent to all bridge owners

8. the bridge preservation index • Caltrans developed the “Bridge Preservation Index (BPI)” to evaluate bridge preservation • Looks for bridges that have poorer condition preservation elements • Considers only bridges that are in good to fair overall condition

9. the bridge preservation index • Uses AASHTO 2013 Bridge Element Inspection Manual • Considers the condition of the following elements and protection systems: • Deck Condition • Wearing Surfaces • Steel Protective Coatings • Joint Seal Condition

10. Element condition indices • The condition of any component of a bridge can be calculated by combining the condition of the related elements. • Concept first published in TRNews in 2000. • Quantity of element in each condition state is weighted as follows:

11. Condition index calculation example

12. the bridge preservation index (BPI) BPI = WD*DCI + WP*PCI + WJ*JCI DCI = Deck Condition Index PCI = Paint Condition Index JCI = Joint Condition Index W = Component weighting factors

13. the bridge preservation index (BPI) Weights

14. the bridge preservation index

15. The bridge preservation index High Rehabilitation Preservation Low Med Bridge Preservation Index High Priority Preservation Low Overall Bridge Condition High

16. Conclusions • Caltrans believes that good asset management should include a preservation element. • The Bridge Preservation Index provides a way to incorporate preservation into asset management plans. • The BPI can be used to identify good preservation candidates and monitor performance. • The BPI can be used to establish preservation funding eligibility.