Digital engineering for resilient road infrastructure outcomes: Evaluating critical asset information requirements

Savindi Caldera,Sherif Mostafa,Cheryl Desha,Sherif Mohamed

doi:10.13044/j.sdewes.d8.0357

Savindi Caldera, Sherif Mostafa + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.13044/j.sdewes.d8.0357

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Abstract

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9 on building resilient infrastructure highlights the urgent need for enabling evidence-based decision making for Infrastructure Asset Management supported by targeted platforms such as digital engineering and digital earth. In this paper the authors argue that an Asset Information Requirement matrix is an essential decision support tool for authorities and practitioners to evaluate right time, right place use of infrastructure data for resilient outcomes. The authors present an exploratory study that synthesizes the experiences of senior asset management decision-makers from road research institutes, state and local government bodies based in South East Queensland, Australia. The findings are discussed in relation to: digital engineering for managing complex data; current practice and outlook; key asset information requirements; and data structures, interactions and interdependencies. The authors present an ‘Asset Information Requirement Matrix’ that categorises 66 data requirements across four key infrastructure data types (including 13 information categories), and asserts the relevance of these data requirements for the six key phases of planning, design, construction, acquisition, operations and end-of-life treatment. The authors also present an ‘Asset Interaction Matrix’ which depicts the temporal, spatial and logical relationships between the 13 information categories. The authors conclude the importance of these asset matrices to leverage digital engineering for resilience infrastructure outcomes. The two matrices create a common language platform for engaging in digital engineering conversations, wherein authorities and practitioners can establish clear arrangements for measuring and monitoring road infrastructure through its life cycle.

Highlights

Global economic prosperity is dependent on strong infrastructure networks that safely and reliably connect people and places
Considering the benefits of digital engineering, this paper presents the first step in building a digital infrastructure asset management platform, by establishing a common language to discuss critical asset information requirements for road infrastructure and their interrelationships
Four emergent topics of discussion were distilled from the thematic analysis, namely: managing complex data; current practices and outlook; key asset information requirements; and, key interrelationships including data structures, interactions and interdependencies

Summary

Introduction

Global economic prosperity is dependent on strong infrastructure networks that safely and reliably connect people and places. Digital engineering can connect emerging data curating and processing technologies with existing structured data sets already in existence It can enable more collaborative and productive methods of project delivery and management of assets throughout an asset’s lifecycle. As phenomena such as real-time asset monitoring and ‘big data’ become prolific, digital engineering enables designers through to managers to gain a deeper understanding of asset performance including strengths and vulnerabilities, creating an evidence-base for cooperation and collaboration [3] For these reasons, digital engineering is widely considered a significant opportunity to improve resilient decision-making, addressing project delivery challenges, and allowing for more timely delivery with better outcomes [4]. There is emerging consensus on the critical role of digital engineering in resilient decision making [5] and Figure 1 illustrates how digital engineering and information technology contributes to resilient decision making (Figure 1)

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