Abstract
Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is a decision-making tool that allows governing agencies the ability to assess several long-term alternative investment options. This paper presents a LCCA analysis process which integrates the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) program, RealCost (a road user cost calculation program), the FHWA-endorsed Construction Analysis for Pavement Rehabilitation Strategies (CA4PRS) and Caltrans specific design tools (CalFP and CalAC), into the existing Caltrans LCCA process (a modified version of the FHWA LCCA process). In using tools backed by the FHWA and validated through previous agency use, the presented process has a potential to be replicated on urban corridor improvement projects across the US while aiding agencies in achieving economical sustainability throughout the infrastructure maintenance phases. This paper also fills the gap identified by Ozbay et al. in 2004, incorporating road user cost calculations into the LCCA process. Validation was achieved through the execution of the recently completed $1.4 B US California SR-91 Corridor Improvement Project. The SR-91 team used the presented tool to choose one of the two alternatives (maintain HOV SR-91 lane and add I-15 HOV lane using long-life Portland Cement Concrete Pavement or add Express Lane to SR-91 and I-15 using long-life Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement and Asphalt Concrete Pavement), equating to an estimated life-cost savings of $32 M.
Highlights
The American Society of Civil Engineers have estimated a $825 billion backlog of highway and bridge capital needs for the US infrastructure [1]
Through a case study of the Riverside, California SR-91 Corridor Improvement Project (SR-91 CIP) widening and rehabilitation project, the following paper presents the use of the Construction Analysis for Pavement Rehabilitation Strategies (CA4PRS) program to incorporate road user and agency costs into a modified US Federal Highway
Road user costs refer to the dollar values assigned to three user cost components: (1) user delay costs, (2) vehicle operating costs (VOC) and (3) crash costs incurred to highway users resulting from lane closure in work zones for construction, maintenance, or rehabilitation
Summary
The American Society of Civil Engineers have estimated a $825 billion backlog of highway and bridge capital needs for the US infrastructure [1] With this backlog, it is important for state agencies to maximize value gained by making decisions that result in efficiently spending present and future taxpayer dollars. It is important for state agencies to maximize value gained by making decisions that result in efficiently spending present and future taxpayer dollars One such process used by agencies that ensures efficient, long-term government spending is the Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA). Road user costs are the estimated daily costs to the traveling public resulting from construction work being performed (primarily referring to the costs associated with the added road user travel time) These costs were identified as one of the major gaps between identified best practices and agencies’ actual practices [2]. In incorporating the presented model into existing processes and validating its effectiveness through SR-91 CIP industry implementation, this paper’s findings can be replicated by transportation agencies across the US and other urban regions with potentially similar cost savings
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