This article discusses asset management, risk management, and earthworks failures as experienced by Network Rail (NR), the owner, operator, and asset manager of the majority of the rail network of Great Britain.
In recent years, a number of high profile landslide events have caused disruption, derailments or damage to railway infrastructure in Great Britain. A landslide susceptibility model of the entire railway network was created, designed to give a national overview of potential landslide hazard originating from Outside Party Slopes. The current assessment was compiled using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques and desktop modelling to apply a structured analysis of each buffered Earthwork Inspection 5 Chain ( c . 100 m; EI5C). Data analysed along the network included the BGS GeoSure instability model and newly updated national models for debris flow, earth flow and rock fall, supported by historical landslide data. In order to further focus the Outside Party Slope zone, a buffer of External Natural Geological Influence (BENGI) was created using a 5 m Digital Terrain Model. Landslide susceptibility for each EI5C was categorized using a ‘Classification of Hazards on Outside Party Slopes’ (CHOPS) score; representing the modelled potential for landslide hazard. The outputs were combined as a series of matrices to present the CHOPS and Network Rail Derailment Criticality Band interactions. This research will allow further focused analysis of the network, in order to prioritize and direct future investigation and policy decisions.
The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) has a strong commitment to preventative maintenance, rehabilitation, and repair of Maine's bridges. This article describes how the BRIDGIT bridge management software supports this goal. MDOT considers BRIDGIT an excellent decision support tool.
Network Rail (NR) is the owner, operator and asset manager of the majority of the rail network of Great Britain, an infrastructure network totalling approximately 32,000 kilometers of track. The challenge faced by Network Rail's earthworks asset managers is the aging infrastructure. Failures within the portfolio of nearly 200,000 earthwork assets that NR manage are relatively common, particularly in periods of adverse or extreme weather. As a regulated industry, NR are constantly challenged to demonstrate continuous improvement to their management processes through each of their five year Control Periods (CPs). For the current CP5 (2014-2019), NR undertook a series of activities to develop an evidence-based asset management policy, the key steps of which are summarised in this paper, including: The development of a risk-based prioritisation matrix for all earthwork assets and determination of quantitative likelihood of earthwork failure The determination of quantitative consequences of earthwork failure The development of a series of earthwork intervention types, and the determination of the impact of these on the likelihood of earthwork failure The development and use of a strategic Whole Life Cost Decision Support Tool (DST) to model and optimise the CP5 earthworks policy and determination of key inputs to the DST, such as the assessed rate of asset portfolio deterioration. DST outputs were used to inform work bank development and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the progress of the asset management policy through CP5 The paper briefly describes these activities and their results, and outlines how the policy has been embedded into the NR business. It describes how the policy has been used to secure funding for CP5, and how the work banks prepared against this funding have undergone assurance to determine alignment to the policy. Finally, the paper touches on future developments.
A conference was held at the Geological Society of London on the theme of ‘Ground-related Risk to Transportation Infrastructure’. This conference attracted nearly 200 delegates from around the world and, while there was a UK focus, presentations and posters of a very high quality were given on a wide range of topics illustrated by global examples. The thematic set of papers presented in this issue of the journal give a good indication of the range and quality of the subject matter presented to the conference. Transportation infrastructure is of vital strategic importance to countries, and is often referred to as the backbone of a modern economy. Risks arising from hazards in the ground, either natural or anthropogenic, pose a significant threat to the safety and performance of such transport networks and, hence, the subject of geotechnical asset management is of great importance. This set of papers covers examples drawn from the four themes of the conference: strategic geotechnical asset management; current and future resilience and monitoring; ground-related hazards; and operational response to hazards and events. It is hoped that the spirit of knowledge sharing and discussion engendered by the conference continues with future events and publications.
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