Maintenance Contracts Research Articles

보험업종사자의 전직(경업)금지와 영업비밀보호에 관한 소고

As the 4th Industrial Revolution was applied to the entire industry, many changes occurred in the financial industry, including the insurance industry. These changes can be examined through ① insurance product development·improvement and risk management through big data analysis, ② rapid and accurate insurance rate calculation and underwriting of insurance contract using A·I, ③ the simplification of insurance conclusion, insurance premium payment, and insurance payment procedures using block chain technology, ④ effective marketing and efficient contract maintenance and management tasks through chatbot. The pace of change in the insurance industry is increasingly accelerating due to numerous practical changes in a short period of time and normative changes such as the revision of related laws of insurance industry. With the rapid change of the insurance industry, phenomena such as ① diversification of the people working in the insurance industry, ② activation of job change of the people engaged in the insurance industry, and ③ advancement of technology or information required or used in the insurance industry are occurring. If the people engaged in the insurance industry changes their jobs frequently, the possibility of leakage of information or technology related to the insurance industry or infringement of trade secrets may occur. Since this can cause fatal damage to the insurer, it will be necessary to prepare a plan to prevent the leakage of such information and technology and to protect trade secrets. In this paper, in order to protect the interests of insurers, the validity of the contract for prohibition of job transfer, which is a pre-emptive remedy, not an ex-post remedy according to the Act on the Prevention of Unfair Competition and Trade Secret Protection, the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, etc. And we would like to examine the effectiveness of the contract for prohibition of job transfer and review its application to the people engaged in the insurance industry.

Concurrent 10. Presentation for: Honey, I shrunk the boat? Uncrewed subsea inspections leveraging remote operations technology

Presented on Wednesday 18 May: Session 10 Between May and November 2021, Woodside, in collaboration with Fugro, completed multiple, world-first, fully uncrewed inspection campaigns of trunklines and subsea infrastructure in the North West Shelf, all utilising a surface vessel and underwater robot (ROV), remotely operated via beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications architecture. Similar work is traditionally performed by a Multipurpose Support Vessel (MPSV) with >50 people onboard, consuming >20 m3/day fuel during transits. Transition to uncrewed remote operations technology has enabled the use of a much smaller (12 m) vessel, removing health and safety risk associated with offshore crew, and with <0.2 m3/day fuel consumption during transit. High-resolution hull and ROV-mounted multi-beam data, ROV-mounted laser point cloud data, ultra-high-definition images and videos and Cathodic Protection (CP) field gradient data were all successfully collected, and operations were completed from the busy Dampier Port with no incidents. Delivery of this landmark achievement was enabled by a multi-year staged technology plan in collaboration with Woodside’s subsea Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) contractor, Fugro, including establishment of a dedicated remote operations centre based at International Communications Facility. Extensive stakeholder engagement was performed internally and with external regulatory bodies to ensure that all risks were captured, understood and managed so that all parties were aligned on implementation of the novel approach. Application of this technology is forecast to transform the costs of IMR operations vs traditional methods, effectively eliminate carbon emissions and offshore personnel exposure hours, and create opportunities for a more diverse workforce in the sector. To access the presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here

Honey, I shrunk the boat? Uncrewed subsea inspections leveraging remote operations technology

Between May and November 2021, Woodside, in collaboration with Fugro, completed multiple, world-first, fully uncrewed inspection campaigns of trunklines and subsea infrastructure in the North West Shelf, all utilising a surface vessel and underwater robot (ROV), remotely operated via beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications architecture. Similar work is traditionally performed by a Multipurpose Support Vessel (MPSV) with >50 people onboard, consuming >20 m3/day fuel during transits. Transition to uncrewed remote operations technology has enabled the use of a much smaller (12 m) vessel, removing health and safety risk associated with offshore crew, and with <0.2 m3/day fuel consumption during transit. High-resolution hull and ROV-mounted multi-beam data, ROV-mounted laser point cloud data, ultra-high-definition images and videos and Cathodic Protection (CP) field gradient data were all successfully collected, and operations were completed from the busy Dampier Port with no incidents. Delivery of this landmark achievement was enabled by a multi-year staged technology plan in collaboration with Woodside’s subsea Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) contractor, Fugro, including establishment of a dedicated remote operations centre based at International Communications Facility. Extensive stakeholder engagement was performed internally and with external regulatory bodies to ensure that all risks were captured, understood and managed so that all parties were aligned on implementation of the novel approach. Application of this technology is forecast to transform the costs of IMR operations vs traditional methods, effectively eliminate carbon emissions and offshore personnel exposure hours, and create opportunities for a more diverse workforce in the sector.

Clinical Factors Associated with Serum Magnesium Concentration in Patients Undergoing Peritoneal Dialysis: A Single-Center Observational Study.

PurposeMagnesium (Mg) is an essential element that is associated with various physiological functions, such as maintenance of blood pressure, muscle contraction, and nerve function. In patients undergoing hemodialysis, hypomagnesemia is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. However, in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD), clinical factors associated with Mg have not been fully investigated.Patients and MethodsClinical factors including anthropometric data, comorbidities, laboratory data, medications, and dialysis methods were collected from the medical records of patients undergoing PD. The associations of these factors with the serum Mg concentration were investigated by univariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsSixty patients undergoing PD were investigated. The univariate analysis showed that the serum Mg concentration was significantly associated with treatment by hybrid PD (daily PD + once-weekly hemodialysis) (β = 0.264, P = 0.04), administration of phosphate binders (β = 0.294, P = 0.02), the serum C-reactive protein concentration (β = −0.318, P = 0.01), the serum potassium (K) concentration (β = 0.451, P < 0.01), and the serum intact parathormone concentration (β = −0.333, P = 0.01). The multivariate analysis using these factors showed an independent association between the serum Mg and K concentrations (β = 0.333, P = 0.01).ConclusionThe serum Mg concentration was independently associated with the serum K concentration in patients undergoing PD.

E-Commerce Website

Abstract: E-commerce is the buying and selling of good or services via the internet, and the transfer of money and data to complete the sales. It is also known as electronic commerce or internet commerce. There are thousands of e-commerce websites on internet. We have developed the website which sells IT equipment like computer, laptop, printer, scanner, CCTV and all other IT peripherals and also provides so many features like renting and servicing of that product to user so it is very comfortable and easy to purchase to user from our website. Our website sells not only new products but also old/used products, refurbished products. We have given AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) option to user where user can select the range of years of servicing as he/she wants at very nominal cost

Construction of a simulation model for substantiating the parameters of long-term road maintenance contracts

This paper reports a study into the main parameters of long-term contracts for the maintenance of roads. Weaknesses in existing methods and models of substantiation of the initial characteristics of contracts have been identified. It is established that the main reason for the transition to long-term contacts in the road sector is the need to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of road asset management. This determines the main goal to maintain the operational condition of all components of roads at a level that ensures the satisfaction of user requirements and contributes to the preservation of assets. A simulation model for substantiating the parameters of long-term contracts for road maintenance has been built, which makes it possible to simulate forecast assessments of the characteristics of contracts. Underlying this study is the Monte Carlo method, as well as the triangular law of distribution, models of deterioration and restoration of the condition of road elements. Taking into consideration these models, it was established that the error in justifying the parameters of long-term contracts according to the devised method is up to 10 %. The devised model was tested by applying the developed original LTCsimula program using an example of the section of a motorway with a length of 87.3 km with an average level of requirements. According to the results of the test, the assessment of the laws of distribution of value, as well as the amount of deductions and profits of a long-term contract, was carried out. The calculation results demonstrated the model’s capability to determine the strategies for the maintenance of roads, taking into consideration the risk of implementing a contract with an error of up to 3.9 %. The practical use of the devised simulation model makes it possible to improve the efficiency of operational maintenance of roads, as well as to save from 10 % to 40 % of the cost of road maintenance

Study on Customer Demand Forecasting Models, Stock Management, Classification and Policies for Automobile Parts Manufacturing Company N.A.C.C. (An Advance on Classical Models)

The primary intent of the current research is to provide insights regarding the management of spare parts within the supply chain, in conjunction with offering some methods for enhancing forecasting and inventory management. In particular, to use classical forecasting methods, the use of weak and unstable demand is not recommended. Furthermore, statistical performance measures are not involved in this particular context. Furthermore, it is expected that maintenance contracts will be aligned with different levels. In addition to the examination of some literature reviews, some tools will guide us through this process. The article proposes new performance analysis methods that will help integrate inventory management and statistical performance while considering decision maker priorities through the use of different methodologies and parts age segmentation. The study will also identify critical level policies by comparing different types of spenders according to the inventory management model, also with separate and common inventory policies. Each process of the study is combined with a comparative analysis of different forecasting methods and inventory management models based on N.A.C.C. parts supply chain data, allowing us to identify a set of methodologies and parameter recommendations based on parts segmentation and supply chain prioritization.

Infrastructure under pressure: Water management and state-making in southern Iraq

Water infrastructure is an active element of state-making in southern Iraq, although major failings in water governance have in recent years triggered violent protests. Informed by scholarship on state clientelism and the political ecology of infrastructure, I examine the conflict-affected trajectories affecting public water management in Basra governorate. The degraded water treatment network manifests a post-2003 political system structured by embedded clientelism and politically sanctioned corruption. However, broad categorisations of clientelism can miss context-laden political effects produced by the spatial and technological configurations of infrastructure. I consider the state effects of water infrastructure practices in Basra governorate–how water supply networks and treatment technologies project state (in)capacity by means of volumetric and qualitative control over water flows. The empirical focus is on compact water treatment units (CWTUs), which are the main technology of public water supply in Basra governorate. I undertake an analysis of the deployment and management of CWTUs, as experienced by local actors responsible for, or politically contesting, the workings of water infrastructure in Basra city. Clientelist practices targeting public procurement and maintenance contracts have disrupted and delayed the upgrading of water infrastructure; yet these practices were enabled by neoliberal state-building that promoted the privatisation of public resources. Shortfalls in state capacity to provide clean drinking water in Basra are compounded by the growing hydro-climatic unpredictability of water flows.

Empirical risk assessment of maintenance costs under full-service contracts

We provide a data-driven framework to conduct a risk assessment, including data pre-processing, exploration, and statistical modeling, on a portfolio of full-service maintenance contracts. These contracts cover all maintenance-related costs for a fixed, upfront fee during a predetermined horizon. Charging each contract a price proportional to its risk prevents adverse selection by incentivizing low risk (i.e., maintenance-light) profiles to not renege on their agreements. We borrow techniques from non-life insurance pricing and tailor them to the setting of maintenance contracts to assess the risk and estimate the expected maintenance costs under a full-service contract. We apply the framework on a portfolio of about 5000 full-service contracts of industrial equipment and show how a data-driven analysis based on contract and machine characteristics, or risk factors, supports a differentiated, risk-based break-even tariff plan. We employ generalized additive models (GAMs) to predict the risk factors’ impact on the frequency (number of) and severity (cost) of maintenance interventions. GAMs are interpretable yet flexible statistical models that capture the effect of both continuous and categorical risk factors. Our predictive models quantify the impact of the contract and machine type, service history, and machine running hours on the contract cost. We additionally utilize the predictive cost distributions of our models to augment the break-even price with the appropriate risk margins to further protect against the inherently stochastic nature of the maintenance costs. The framework shows how maintenance intervention data can set up a differentiated tariff plan.

An Audit of Computed Tomography Services in Zambia

Background: In Zambia, Computed Tomography (CT) has been available since 1994 as part of the healthcare delivery pathway. Radiographers undertake CT examinations of the body to diagnose diseases, injuries and to plan for radiotherapy.&#x0D; Objective: The aim of this study was to audit CT services in Zambia.&#x0D; Methodology: The study used a convergent parallel design in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently using an online questionnaire. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, whilst qualitative data were analysed by themes.&#x0D; Results: Out of the 23 facilities, a total of 22 responded. Results indicated that Western and Central provinces did not have CT scanners. Most CT facilities are in the Lusaka province. 59% (N=13) and 41% (N=9) were from the public and private sectors, respectively. In public hospitals, 46% (N=6) of CT scanners were functional with service contracts and 89% (N=8) were functional in the private hospitals with service contracts. 61.5 % (N=8) of public hospitals had maintenance schedules while 89% (N=8) of private hospitals had maintenance schedules. A total of 7 facilities reported having radiographers with a qualification in CT. 12 out of 22 facilities indicated having a radiologist with average patient waiting times for CT reports being 76 hours and 24 hours in public and private facilities, respectively.&#x0D; Conclusion: This audit revealed an unequal distribution of CT scanners characterised by poor maintenance and lack of service contracts, especially in public hospitals. The audit also revealed longer waiting times for CT reports in public than in private hospitals.

An Audit of Computed Tomography (CT) Services in Zambia

Background: In Zambia, Computed Tomography (CT) has been available since 1994 as part of the healthcare delivery pathway. Radiographers undertake CT examinations of the body to diagnose diseases, injuries and to plan for radiotherapy.&#x0D; Objective: The aim of this study was to audit CT services in Zambia.&#x0D; Methodology: The study used a convergent parallel design in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently using an online questionnaire. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, whilst qualitative data were analysed by themes.&#x0D; Results: Out of the 23 facilities, a total of 22 responded. Results indicated that Western and Central provinces did not have CT scanners. Most CT facilities are in the Lusaka province. 59% (N=13) and 41% (N=9) were from the public and private sectors, respectively. In public hospitals, 46% (N=6) of CT scanners were functional with service contracts and 89% (N=8) were functional in the private hospitals with service contracts. 61.5 % (N=8) of public hospitals had maintenance schedules while 89% (N=8) of private hospitals had maintenance schedules. A total of 7 facilities reported having radiographers with a qualification in CT. 12 out of 22 facilities indicated having a radiologist with average patient waiting times for CT reports being 76 hours and 24 hours in public and private facilities, respectively.&#x0D; Conclusion: This audit revealed an unequal distribution of CT scanners characterised by poor maintenance and lack of service contracts, especially in public hospitals. The audit also revealed longer waiting times for CT reports in public than in private hospitals.&#x0D;

The impact of engine standardization on the cost efficiency of airlines

Fleet standardization, which refers to the homogeneity and harmonization of the fleet in terms of the number of manufacturers and models, as a strategy has been deployed across many sectors, including airline operations. Given that engines are substantial aircraft components in terms of both capital and operating cost, representing nearly 50% of the aerospace aftermarket, we investigate whether – and to what extent – standardization strategies in the context of engines can improve cost efficiency of the airline industry. Using engine data of 12,305 aircraft and financial data of years with high (2013/14) and low (2016/17) fuel prices, we apply bootstrapped Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) followed by random effects panel regression analysis to 84 airlines across the globe. Our quantitative findings are validated by qualitative stakeholder interviews. Our results suggest that both airframe and engine commonality impact on airline cost efficiency, but that engine cost effects are significantly larger in magnitude than standard airframe cost effects. In contrast to current management practices focusing exclusively on airframe commonality and tactical activities (such as renegotiating supplier and maintenance contracts), we demonstrate that an engine standardization strategy (through procurement, storage, retirement, maintenance and spare part optimization) improves the cost competitiveness and efficiency of airlines in an OEM servitized world.

Non-intubated Thoracoscopic Surgery-Tips and Tricks From Anesthesiological Aspects: A Mini Review.

BackgroundIn the last few decades, surgical techniques have been developed in thoracic surgery, and minimally invasive strategies such as multi-and uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) have become more favorable even for major pulmonary resections. With this surgical evolution, the aesthetic approach has also changed, and a paradigm shift has occurred. The traditional conception of general anesthesia, muscle relaxation, and intubation has been re-evaluated, and spontaneous breathing plays a central role in our practice by performing non-intubated thoracoscopic surgeries (NITS-VATS).MethodsWe performed a computerized search of the medical literature (PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus) to identify relevant articles in non-intubated thoracoscopic surgery using the following terms [(non-intubated) OR (non-intubated) OR (awake) OR (tubeless) OR (regional anesthesia)] AND [(VATS) OR (NIVATS)], as well as their Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms.ResultsBased on the outcomes of the reviewed literature and our practice, it seems that pathophysiological concerns can be overcome by proper surgical and anesthetic management. All risks are compensated by the advantageous physiological changes that result in better patient outcomes. With the maintenance of spontaneous breathing, the incidence of potential adverse effects of mechanical ventilation, such as ventilator-induced lung injury and consequent postoperative pulmonary complications, can be reduced. The avoidance of muscle relaxants also results in the maintenance of contraction of the dependent hemidiaphragm and lower airway pressure levels, which may lead to better ventilation-perfusion matching. These techniques can be challenging for surgeons as well as for anesthetists; hence, a good knowledge of physiological and pathophysiological changes, clear inclusion and exclusion and intraoperative conversion criteria, and good communication between team members are essential.ConclusionNITS-VATS seems to be a feasible and safe method in selected patients with evolving importance as a part of the minimally invasive surgical and anesthetic conception and has a role in reducing perioperative complications, which is crucial in the thoracic surgical patient population.

Single-Use vs. Reusable Digital Flexible Ureteroscope to Treat Upper Urinary Calculi: A Propensity-Score Matching Analysis.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to compare the treatment outcomes and costs of a single-use and reusable digital flexible ureteroscope for upper urinary calculi.Methods: Four hundred forty patients with reusable digital flexible ureteroscope and 151 patients with single-use flexible digital ureteroscope were included in this study. Through exclusion and inclusion criteria and 1:1 propensity-score matching analysis based on baseline characteristics, ultimately, 238 patients (119:119) were compared in terms of treatment outcomes. The cost analysis was based on the costs of purchase, repair, and reprocessing divided by the number of all procedures in each group (450 procedures with reusable digital flexible ureteroscope and 160 procedures with single-use digital flexible ureteroscope).Results: There was no statistical significance in mean operation time (P = 0.666). The single-use digital flexible ureteroscope group has a shorter mean length of hospital stay than the reusable digital flexible ureteroscope group (P = 0.026). And the two groups have a similar incidence of postoperative complications (P = 0.678). No significant difference was observed in the final stone-free rate (P = 0.599) and the probability of secondary lithotripsy (P = 0.811) between the two groups. After 275 procedures, the total costs of a single-use flexible ureteroscope would exceed the reusable flexible ureteroscope.Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that the single-use digital flexible ureteroscope is an alternative to reusable digital flexible ureteroscopy in terms of surgical efficacy and safety for upper urinary calculi. In terms of the economics of the two types of equipment, institutions should consider their financial situation, the number of FURS procedures, the volume of the patient's calculus, surgeon experience, and local dealerships' annual maintenance contract when making the choice.

Application of Psychological Contract Theory in Mental Health and Professional Development of University Teachers.

Mental health is an important element of human public health. To investigate the respective causes of and the relationship between effort-reward imbalance and psychological anxiety of university teachers, the author, after making a targeted survey of more than 2000 questionnaires and conducting statistics and analysis of the survey data, discovers that the effort-reward imbalance has a significant effect on the anxiety of university teachers and meanwhile, effort-reward imbalance will indirectly affect the anxiety of university teachers through the breach of psychological contracts and thus directly affect the mental health of university teachers. To solve this problem, the author takes advantage of the psychological contract theory and designs a mental health improvement system for university teachers, that is, to pay more attention to the feeling of effort-reward balance of young university teachers, to give more care and help to teachers who have imbalance feelings, to take the maintenance of psychological contracts as an important starting point of the ideological work of young teachers in universities, and so on. Through the implementation of relevant systems, colleges and universities have effectively strengthened their ability to fulfill contracts, established convenient and unobstructed communication channels, prevented breach of psychological contracts of teachers, and prevented teachers from working at high exhaustion at the cost of their physical and mental health, which can finally improve the job satisfaction and professional development of university teachers and enable them to be devoted to higher education in better health.

A Study of Optimal Utilization of Radio-diagnostics at Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, Wardha, India

Background: Radiology has its own role in day to day healthcare services especially in diagnosis, patient management and treatments. Current advances in technology allows for exploring every tissue, organ and problem in details. The radio diagnostic imaging modalities include ultrasonography, X-ray, CT, MRI etc. Diagnosis is influenced by proper utilization of imaging equipment and techniques. These modern amenities need a huge investment and maintenance cost. This study insisted on assessment of working condition, level of utilization, and barriers in the utilization of the radiological facilities in AVBRH, India.&#x0D; Methodology: This cross sectional study will be conducted at AVBRH, Wardha. A structured questionnaire will be used for data collection through interviews of selected professionals and health care workers. It will assess the utilization of radiodiagnostic equipment’s in radiology department of AVBRH, breakdown occurrences and cost of repair, turn-around time, repair and maintenance contract.&#x0D; Expected Results: Data on radio diagnostic equipment’s in radiology department of AVBRH, breakdown occurrences and cost of repair, turn-around time, repair and maintenance contract will be generated and gaps in service delivery will be outlined.&#x0D; Conclusion: Kay critical gaps in efficient equipment use and service delivery will be outlined.

Financial Feasibility Study and Maintenance Strategy of Articulated Dump Truck (A Case Study of PT. KLM)

Beyond 2021, the challenging difficulties would need coal mining firms, particularly PT.KLM, to increase operational efficiency. The author conducts a root cause analysis in order to determine one of the causes of the business's inefficiencies. At the time, one of PT. KLM's inefficiencies is a result of the articulated dump truck’s (ADT) performance, which fell short of the projected aim. The author provides two alternatives for ADT at PT. KLM, starting from Certified Rebuild Machine (CRM) then Full Maintenance Service (FMS) and CRM then Full Maintenance Contract (FMC). Feasibility studies are undertaken in order to determine the most viable alternative. Both sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulation is conducted to determine the input variable's influence on changes in NPV (Net Present Value) and to generate a variety of possible outcomes and probabilities of various situations. The author proposes scenario 2 as the optimal scenario with the highest NPV based on the study. Additionally, following the Monte Carlo simulation, the mean NPV + minimum NPV and mean NPV + maximum NPV values for scenario 2 are the highest in comparison to the other scenario.

Operational Improvement in Infrastructure Department Contract Service Performance in Coal Mining Company

Infrastructure is defined as the physical facilities that provide the primary support for carrying out an organizational business process. Infrastructure includes all technical aspects and facilities required to keep an organization's operations or business processes running smoothly. Infrastructure facilities are considered to all facilities related to an office building, road, water treatment plant, water distribution, airport, building and office, drainage, reservoir, bunding, retaining wall, bridge, sewerage treatment plant, power distribution, power plant, telecommunication, fuel facilities, fuel distribution, housing, port and jetty, and other facilities that support the operational activities of an organization's business process. PT. Kaltim Prima Coal considers the service level in maintenance activities that are related to the compliance performance in quality service, lead time, and work completion performance. These are some of the performance indicators used to measure the Infrastructure Department's agreement for contract maintenance. An operational strategy improvement in infrastructure department contract service maintenance is expected to improve the service level, shorten the lead time and increase customer satisfaction in order to meet the performance indicators. Six-Sigma – DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) approach is implemented to overcome the service level compliance problem in infrastructure operational maintenance service. Six Sigma has proven to be effective in reducing quality defects, eliminating variation, and significantly increasing the organization performance. The major issue will be investigated using fish bone analysis to determine the root cause and optimize the operational maintenance activities and increase the service level performance from 84 percent average to 100 percent.

Mathematical Modeling of Integral Characteristics of Repair Process under Maintenance Contracts

The repair rate is a very important parameter for system maintainability and can be defined as a frequency of successfully performed repair actions on a failed component per unit of time. This paper analyzes the integral characteristics of a stochastic repair rate for corresponding values of availability in a system operating under maintenance contracts. The probability density function (PDF) of the repair rate has been studied extensively and it was concluded that it is not a symmetric function so its mean value does not correspond to its maximum. Based on that, the equation for the envelope line of the PDF maximums of the repair rate has been provided. Namely, instead of repair rate PDF equations, we can use envelope line parameters for certain calculations, which are expressed in a simpler mathematical form. That will reduce time required for calculations and prediction and enhance reactions in failure events. Further, for the analytical and numerical evaluation of a system performance, the annual repair rate PDFs are analyzed, such as particular solutions of corresponding differential equation, while the existence of a singular solution is considered and analyzed under different conditions. Moreover, we derived optimal values of availability for which the PDF maximums have been obtained. Finally, in order to generalize the behavior of the repair process, a partial differential equation, as a function of the repair rate process and availability parameter, has been formed.

Comparison Of Winter Maintenance Requirements (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)

Three Baltic states are located next to each other on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Similarly, to Finland, density of population in these countries is low. All three countries have large amount of state roads with low traffic intensity.Climatic differences are minimal. Milder climate is in coastal area but inland the weather conditions are more severe. The average air temperature in January in Estonia is from -2 to -7 degrees Celsius but in Lithuania from -1 to -5 degrees Celsius. The number of snowy days fluctuates from 50 to 120.All three countries have common contracts for summer and winter maintenance where the responsibility for maintenance activities lays on the contractors. Despite common history the methods of the assignment of road maintenance contracts are different in every country. Estonia awards contracts in open tenders and has performance-based contracts. Latvia has the contract awarded to the State Joint Stock Company «Latvijas autoceļu uzturētājs» (“Latvian Road Maintainer”) by law and the contract is unit price based. Lithuania has the contract awarded to the state-owned company « Kelių priežiūra» the contract is performance-based.The requirements for road conditions are quite similar in all three countries. They have three levels of maintenance.High service level means snow and ice-free surface of the road pavement during winter in constant weather conditions and quick response in case of worsening road conditions.Medium service level means that snow and ice is allowed on the surface, but activities must be undertaken to improve skid resistance. The lowest service level means that snow and ice is allowed on the surface and activities to improve skid resistance (mostly only snow cleaning) may be undertaken in some spots only.In Estonia the expenses for winter maintenance are lower than in the neighbouring countries but it does not have impact on traffic safety during winter.