home > themes > Whole-life infrastructure asset management
Assets are usually referred to as fixed or moveable (e.g. railway rolling-stock) with both being necessary for any economy to function effectively. The development of infrastructure requires large initial capital investment, but the economies of scale on the whole-life cycle of the assets can be significant.
Effective and efficient asset management and whole life costing is becoming increasingly important in any infrastructure owner's investment decisions. With an escalating infrastructure maintenance bill, UK asset owners are recognising the benefits of managing assets along whole life costing principles. Getting the most out of assets also has implications for sustainability. By improving maintenance management schemes, the effective service life of assets can be extended and thereby the need to build new assets is reduced.
This project was conceived and developed by CIRIA through the Construction Process Advisory Panel following discussions with major owners of transport and linear assets who identified the need for good practice guidance on asset management that takes account of whole-life principles building on the information within PAS 55. The project was divided into two phases:
• Phase 1 (completed in May 2006) was concerned with data gathering
on current practices in asset management used by the major asset owners involved
in the project to allow benchmarking between them.
• Phase 2 (beginning in June 2006) will take the information gathered
in Phase 1 and use it to produce a guidance document containing generic good
practice advice on the development of an asset management strategy for the
major transport and linear asset owners.
This project will promote cross-industry learning by benchmarking and reviewing current practices, documenting asset management practices and lessons learnt from different industries. It will provide comprehensive practical guidance on whole-life asset management strategies, methodologies, processes, plans, techniques, best-practices applicable to different industry contexts, with case-studies. The project is of direct interest to policy makers, regulation managers, asset managers, maintenance managers, facilities managers, finance managers and project managers.
The final draft of the report is currently being reviewed by the project steering group. The research contractor is preparing a project synopsis and summary powerpoint presentation. The report is scheduled for publication in spring 2008. Key findings will be presented at a CIRIA event on 23 March 2008, in London.
CIRIA Core members, Highways Agency, London Underground, United Utilities, Network Rail, RCS - Balfour Beatty, Severn Trent Water, Office of Rail Regulation
Scott Wilson
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