Transportation agencies in the United Statesand worldwide are adopting transportationasset management (TAM) to focus strate-gically on the long-term management of

government-owned assets (1, 2). As TAM conceptsand tools have developed, however, they have notaddressed all classes of assets—in particular, geotech-nical assets such as retaining walls, embankments,rock slopes, rockfall protection barriers, rock andground anchors, soil nail walls, material sites, tun-nels, and geotechnical instrumentation and data.

Some state agencies have attempted to press for-ward in applying asset management principles togeotechnical assets, but the efforts have been iso-lated and limited. Many have not applied the gamutof the TAM process, starting from asset inventoriesand moving on to condition assessment and service-life estimates, performance modeling, alternativeevaluation with life-cycle-based decision making,project selection, and performance monitoring (seeFigure 1, page 19).

Most geotechnical asset management (GAM)efforts have halted at inventorying and conductingcondition surveys, without progressing along theTAM spectrum. For example, agencies are unlikelyto have specific performance standards for their geo -technical assets, and information about determiningor estimating the service life of geotechnical assets issparse. Nonetheless, much has been accomplished inthe areas of assessing the corrosion and degradationof buried metal reinforcements in retaining walls andin estimating their remaining service life (3–5).

Promoting the PrinciplesRecent efforts have begun to promote GAM. Forexample, the TRB Engineering Geology Committeeformed a Geotechnical Asset Management Subcom-mittee to address research needs in this area. Thesubcommittee held its first formal meeting at theJanuary 2011 TRB Annual Meeting.

In addition, efforts are under way to incorporateGAM principles into ongoing research and manage-ment programs:

u National Cooperative Highway Research Pro-gram (NCHRP) Project 24-35 is developing guide-lines for the certification and management of flexiblerockfall protection mechanisms that will includedevelopment of an asset management plan, long-

ASSET MANAGEMENT IN A

WORLD OFDIRTEmergence of an UnderdevelopedSector of Transportation AssetManagementD A V I D A . S T A N L E Y

The author is Chief Engineering Geologist for theAlaska Department of Transportation and PublicFacilities, Anchorage, and chairs the TRBEngineering Geology Committee’s GeotechnicalAsset Management Subcommittee.

The application ofasset managementtechniques togeotechnical assetssuch as flexiblerockfall protectionsystems has so farbeen mostlyunexplored bytransportationagencies.

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term performance and condition measures, life-cyclecost estimating, and cost–benefit analyses for main-tenance, repair, and replacement decisions.

u The Alaska Department of Transportation andPublic Facilities (DOT&PF) is conducting researchfor a program that will apply asset management prin-ciples to the management of unstable slopes.

u Wyoming DOT has created a geology databaseto track and manage geologic maps, aggregatesources, and project information.

u The National Park Service has developed aRetaining Wall Inventory and Condition AssessmentProgram.

u Ohio DOT has a Retaining Wall Asset Man-agement Program.

These efforts and others are starting points, butmost are not integrated into a larger TAM program.Most states do not have geotechnical policies, goals,or performance measures. For the geotechnical assetprograms that are in place, therefore, the nexus toagency goals remains tenuous.

In a World of DirtTRB sponsored a symposium, Asset Management ina World of Dirt, in Oklahoma City in August 2010in conjunction with the annual Highway GeologySymposium. The purpose of the TRB symposium,cosponsored by the TRB Engineering Geology and

the Exploration and Classification of Earth MaterialsCommittees, was to help practitioners address geo -technical assets in TAM initiatives. The symposiumfeatured a keynote speech by Erik Loehr of the Uni-versity of Missouri–Columbia, an early proponent ofGAM and coauthor of key GAM publications (6, 7).Loehr reviewed the basics of asset management andaddressed several GAM problem areas and researchneeds.

The six main speakers provided an overview ofasset management principles and a perspective onGAM and its role. Other presentations addressed theissues associated with creating databases for con-ducting asset inventory and condition surveys andhow GAM can provide a framework for managingthe problem of the early degradation of buried struc-tural components in retaining walls. Another pre-sentation described the National Park Service’sretaining wall inventory and the lessons learned inimplementing the project. Two presentations werepublished as papers in the proceedings of the 61stHighway Geology Symposium (8, 9).

GAM GoalsThe goal of applying asset management principles togeotechnical assets is to reduce life-cycle costs (3).Agencies spend a significant portion of their funds ongeotechnical assets. Every transportation asset restson or is affected by a geotechnical asset—such as theground and embankments on which roads are builtand the rock slopes that adjoin roadways. Neverthe-less, the length of service provided by a well-builtembankment or an unseen bridge foundationreceives little consideration—geotechnical assetsoften are neglected until they fail.

When geotechnical assets deteriorate, most trans-portation agencies resort to a “worst first” approach

Goals and Policies

Asset Inventory

Condition Assessment andPerformance Modeling

Alternatives Evaluation andProgram Optimization

Budget and Allocations

Short- and Long-Range Plans(project selection)

Performance Monitoring

Program Implementation

FIGURE 1 Generic asset management system (1).

A tieback wall onRichardson Highway inAlaska. Research ongeotechnical assetmanagement (GAM) isunder way in Alaska,Wyoming, and Ohio.

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in determining whether to repair, rehabilitate, orreplace the asset and when. For example, rockfallinventory programs in many states rank rockfall sitesso that the most dangerous receive first attention(10). Expending limited funds on worst-case prob-lems, however, guarantees steadily declining condi-tions for transportation systems; asset managementprinciples dictate spending to gain the most long-term, positive effects.

Research NeedsAgencies implementing geotechnical measures inparallel with TAM efforts or integrated into thoseefforts face daunting hurdles. The possibilities for

research are ample, and several aspects of GAM needexplication. Although GAM practitioners have beenconducting inventories and condition surveys formany years (10), progress into other areas of assetmanagement for geotechnical assets has been slow.The following are critical needs:

u Devising performance standards and measuresand establishing minimum levels of service; and

u Understanding the expected performance ofgeotechnical assets.

Some preliminary efforts have sought to identifyperformance standards specifically for geotechnical

When a rockslide blockedthe eastbound lanes of I-84 near Rufus, Oregon,in December 2010 (left),crews had to wait untilmorning to clear thedebris and stabilize theslope (right). GAM allowstransportation agenciesto direct funds efficientlyand reduce life-cyclecosts.

Installation of soil nailsalong Alaska’s GlennHighway. An Augustsymposium sponsored byTRB focused onmanaging degradationof buried structuralcomponents in retainingwalls and othergeotechnical assets.

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assets, such as the unstable slope performance stan-dards for Alaska DOT&PF (11). Most state DOTs,however, are not likely to have identified specificGAM performance standards. Creating performancestandards may not necessarily be a complex task—logical standards can be derived from agency poli-cies, goals, and consumer expectations.

After establishing the standards for geotechnicalassets, the next step is to develop an understandingof the life cycle. Managers must be able to predict thecondition of an asset at a certain time in the future.For some asset classes, such as pavement, deteriora-tion curves can be created to chart the future life ofthe asset. The useful life of many geotechnical assets,however, cannot be charted on a neat curve.

One option for projecting the future condition ofgeotechnical assets is to start with a theoretical curveand then to perform a regression analysis to fit thecurve. This process, however, can take many years.Formulas are available to calculate the expected ser-vice life of some geotechnical assets, such as buriedretaining wall reinforcements and rock bolts (3–5).Considerable research is needed, however, to deter-mine theoretical and actual service life and asset per-formance over time.

Next StepsProgress is under way in identifying and resolvinginventory and condition survey issues for geotech-nical assets. Many agencies have one or more inven-tory programs for retaining walls and for rock slopes.Nonetheless, agencies nationwide do not yet have aclear understanding of the next steps after complet-ing a geotechnical asset inventory. GAM needs aframework and a roadmap to clarify how agencystrategic goals and performance measures can be metthrough the implementation of GAM programs andto outline the steps to implement these programs.

Some of the framework for GAM was put in placeseveral years ago (6), and the authors of the earlywork acknowledged the challenges, particularly inrelation to agency goals and analysis tools. Minimalfollow-up has built on these efforts to formulate ausable framework.

Research is needed to continue the developmentof GAM. The focus should extend beyond methodsof conducting inventories and condition surveys tocreating performance standards for geotechnicalassets and finding ways to link agency goals to GAMimplementation. Several research efforts are gettingunder way and show promise in integrating geo -technical concerns as key elements of TAM.

Improved understanding is needed about changesin geotechnical assets over time, which could allowfor projections that can determine the optimum time

to repair, rehabilitate, or replace an asset. Determin-ing the characteristics of an asset’s life will take manyyears of research projects. Some projects have takenthe first steps, but more work is needed.

Down the RoadThe TRB subcommittee on GAM is formulatingresearch needs statements, focusing on how to moveGAM beyond the initial steps. Research will look forways to relate performance standards for geotechni-cal assets to the projected condition of the assets andwill look further to the availability of analysis toolsand their application to rational decision makingabout geotechnical assets, in accordance with assetmanagement principles. The goal is to provide agen-cies with the optimal course of action for geotechni-cal assets.

Continued development of asset management forgeotechnical assets is a critical part of the asset man-agement puzzle. As asset management in trans-portation practice continues to mature, GAM mustcontinue to make similar advances. When developed

Larry Pierson, LandslideTechnology, examinesNenana Canyon rockfallbarrier, Parks Highway,Alaska, near DenaliNational Park.

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Many states that haveinventory programs forretaining walls and rockslopes often may lack aframework forimplementing GAMprinciples to meetperformance measures.

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and implemented, GAM will offer a framework formonitoring performance to assure understanding ofthe current condition and to project the performanceof geotechnical assets.

GAM offers transportation agencies the ability tomake life-cycle cost–based choices about monitor-ing, rehabilitating, repairing, or replacing significantassets. As efforts continue to integrate geotechnicalassets into the broader TAM effort, opportunities willarise for researchers in the world of dirt.

References1. Transportation Asset Management Guide. American Asso-

ciation of State Highway and Transportation Officials,Washington, D.C., 2002. http://downloads.transportation.org/AMGuide.pdf.

2. AASHTO Transportation Asset Management Guide: A Focuson Implementation. American Association of State Highwayand Transportation Officials, Washington, D.C., 2011.

3. Fishman, K. L. Phase I: Condition Assessment and Evalua-

tion of Rock Reinforcement Along I-93. FHWA-NH-RD-13733L, Federal Highway Administration, 2004.

4. Elias, V., K. L. Fishman, B. R. Christopher, and R. R. Berg.Corrosion–Degradation of Soil Reinforcements for Mechan-ically Stabilized Earth Walls and Reinforced Soil Slopes.Course Manual, NHI Courses 132042 and 132043,National Highway Institute, Federal Highway Adminis-tration, 2009.

5. Fishman, K. L., R. A. Gladstone, and J. J. Wheeler. Condition Assessment of Earth Reinforcements for AssetManagement. Presented at 60th Highway Geology Sym-posium, 2009.

6. Sanford-Bernhardt, K. L., J. E. Loehr, and D. Huaco. AssetManagement Framework for Geotechnical Infrastructure.ASCE Journal of Infrastructure Systems, September 2003,pp. 107–116.

7. Loehr, J. E., K. L. Sanford-Bernhardt, and D. Huaco. Deci-sion Support for Slope Construction and Repair Activities: AnAsset Management Building Block. MoDOT RDT 04-006/RI00-014, Midwest Transportation Consortium andUniversity of Missouri–Columbia, February 2004.www.itrans.iastate.edu/reports/Loehr_decision_slope_2000.pdf.

8. Hansen, B., and M. Schulte. The Geology Program’s Con-tribution to the Wyoming Department of TransportationAsset Management Program. Presented at 61st HighwayGeology Symposium, 2010.

9. Thornley, J., R. Siddharthan, and D. A. Stanley. MSE WallCorrosion in Nevada—A Case Study in GeotechnicalAsset Management. Presented at 61st Highway GeologySymposium, 2010.

10. Pierson, L. A., and R. Van Vickle. Rockfall Hazard RatingSystem: Participant’s Manual. NHI Course 130220, FHWASA-93-057, National Highway Institute, Federal HighwayAdministration, 1993.

11. Stanley, D. A., and L. A. Pierson. Geotechnical Asset Man-agement Performance Measures for an Unstable SlopeManagement Program. Presented at 62nd Highway Geol-ogy Symposium, 2011.

A materials site in BrooksRange, Alaska. The goalof GAM is to offer aframework formonitoring andpredicting performance,enabling transportationagencies to make life-cycle cost–based decisionsabout geotechnicalassets.

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Installation of soil nailsand wire mesh inCalifornia.

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