Cost-Effective Asset Management Solutions
In an effort to take a proactive, asset-management approach to maintain its culverts and bridges, the Town of Sudbury called on our multi-disciplinary team to assist with the following:
- Inventorying known and likely locations of culverts and bridges throughout the Town
- Preparing a risk-based prioritized program for replacement and repairs, including a 5-year Capital Improvement Plan
- Developing a strategy for ongoing monitoring and maintenance
Our approach to the project centered on cost-effective solutions for Sudbury. Using ESRI ArcGIS®, the team was able to easily build off the Town’s drainage system mapping to locate culverts and bridges, including likely locations that may equalize wetlands areas. Inventory protocol pulled from nationally and regionally recognized sources and was customized to Sudbury to reflect local conditions and capture data needed for funding applications.
Following a training, the Department of Public Works staff completed the town-wide field inventory of the 160 road crossings, reducing the overall cost and promoting a sense of ownership of the infrastructure. Our GIS team assessed the information collected, examining both the probability of failure and the consequence of failure for each bridge and culvert.
Our structural team observed almost 30 locations to confirm conditions and identified needed repairs and replacements and gather information to develop opinions of probable cost. Our wetlands scientists reviewed the proposed plan to consider permitting needs and habitat resources.
The project team compiled this information into a program for repairs, replacement, and maintenance, which allowed the town to get a complete and prioritized picture of necessary capital improvements for bridges and culverts. Based on our recommendations, the DPW has been able to defend the overall program and associated costs to elected officials, residents, local businesses, and other stakeholders.
Services Snapshot
Tighe & Bond provided structural assessment, Capital Improvement Plan with prioritization of culvert replacement projects, and GIS services to the Town of Sudbury as part of the Town’s bridge and culvert asset management program.
This project was featured in the Winter 2019 edition of the NEWEA Journal: “Tips and Tricks for Establishing a Thrifty Culvert Management Program”.
