Reports from the MWBPP Working Groups

Author: Lorella Angelini, Angelini Consulting Services, LLC

At the recent TSP2 Midwest Bridge Preservation Partnership (MWBPP) meeting that took place in Minneapolis, the Working Groups met to discuss the status of their activity and outline future developments.  I asked the leaders of the Working Group meetings in Minneapolis if they could write a summary for the Blog.

Preservation Matrix: Dave Juntunen, Michigan DOT

Dave Juntunen with Michigan DOT

The working group concurred that the preservation matrix is still desired and the working group should be continued. New members volunteer.

The current deliverable of the working group is an Excel spreadsheet showing what preservation activities the partner states do by contract and state maintenance forces. Unfortunately few people ever see the matrix or even know of its existence. The group would like to update the matrix and make it available to the bridge preservation community by placing it on the on the TSP2 MWBPP website. The matrix should be updated to include links to training and state specifications. Analysis of the matrix can be done to show trends in preservation and a blog written to introduce the website and provide outreach to partner states and local agencies.

Systematic Preventive Maintenance (SPM): Scott Stotlemeyer (chair), Missouri DOT

Scott Stotlemeyer with Missouri DOT

25 attendees met to discuss the current and future scope and deliverables of the MWBPP’s Systematic Preventive Maintenance (SPM) working group.   The working group serves to collect information regarding member states’ status in having an FHWA-approved SPM program.  The working group delivers a synthesis of member states’ participation in a program and any SPM-related information (e.g., contacts, agreements, guidelines, etc.) they are willing to provide on a triennial basis.  The last of which was released in November 2016 and is available through a link on the “MWBPP Working Group” page of the TSP2 Bridge Preservation website.

Those in attendance agreed the working group’s scope and deliverable were still relevant, as some member states were still working on developing or improving their SPM program and the information provided was of benefit to them.  In addition, attendees expressed their interest in a list of potentially eligible SPM activities – possibly ones preapproved by FHWA for inclusion in an SPM program.

Additional discussion within the group involved guidelines, processes, and equipment used to perform SPM activities with in-house forces and specifications for performing SPM activities through contract under an SPM program.

Deterioration Modeling: Fouad Jaber (chair), Nebraska DOR

Fouad Jaber with Nebraska DOR

12 people attend the working session.  The discussion went in the direction of continuing this effort.  Fouad will contact member states to find out their practices and needs for deterioration models.  We may create a pooled fund to address MWBPP State needs and bridge the gap between BrM and states practice. A survey will help focus the effort to what is needed.  The National efforts (BRM and LTBP) as well as individual state tools will be considered.  Hooman (Rutgers) from the LTBP will help with access to the LTBP Portal.   The survey will also identify the appropriate person in each state that we should coordinate with.  We may use pooled fund to reduce the data.  There will be a conference call in near future with Working Group to set up the survey

 

LINKAGE:

https://tsp2bridge.pavementpreservation.org/midwest-mwbpp/action-committees/

Emphasis on Case Studies at the MWBPP Meeting in Early November

Author: Lorella Angelini, Angelini Consulting Services, LLC

Bridge preservation case studies will be featured at the 2017 Midwest Bridge Preservation Partnership (MWBPP) meeting held at the Marriott City Center in Minneapolis, MN on November 6-8. The meeting will also focus on actions for deck and joint preservation and emergency response procedures for exceptional events, such as flooding, bridge hits and fire.

Bridge preservation practitioners attending the meeting represent the States that are part of the Midwest TSP2 Partnership region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin. At the meeting preservation practitioners from DOTs and other owners will be interacting with contractors, consultants, academia and manufacturers that have a stake in bridge preservation in the Midwest region. Manufacturers will also have an opportunity for showcasing their products and technologies.

As with all TSP2 Bridge Preservation Partnership meetings, time will be dedicated to round tables where owners, consultants, academia, manufacturers and contractors can exchange information related to their experience with bridge preservation, underscoring challenges and solutions for extending the service life of concrete and steel bridges.

MWBPP mission is to provide a platform for bridge preservation practitioners to exchange, promote and advance best practices, new technologies and innovation in the areas of highway bridge management, inspections, preservation and maintenance.

For information please contact Darlene Lane at 517-432-8220 and email hidden; JavaScript is required

LINKAGE

2017 MWBPP Annual Meeting

Is the Practice of Bridge Preservation Heroic?

Author: Lorella Angelini, Angelini Consulting Services, LLC

A recent article published in The New Yorker magazine draws a parallel between the practice of incremental care in medicine and the preservation of bridges and infrastructures.   

The author, Atul Gawande, characterizes these two practices, incremental care and preservation, as “heroism of the incremental”. They are both based on the concept of implementing policies that focus on a steady flow of repetitive actions rather than reacting on short notice to specific and often dramatic problems. The incremental approach has been proven to be economical and effective, especially in providing long term benefits. The author points out that with today’s technology, incremental practices can take advantage of the latest available tools, especially in the areas of tracking, planning and communication. At the same time Gawande underscores the fact that incrementalism is chronically lacking of funds, which may be related to the fact that its approach is not considered “heroic”, meaning that it does not produce “immediate and visible success”.  

I cannot be more in agreement with the idea of incrementalism as it is described in the article. Incrementalism is based on a different mind-set than the reactive approach usually driven by an emergency. But it is still “heroic”. It only requires another type of hero, one far from the limelight, who works day after day to either provide care for people or maintenance to structures.    
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/23/the-heroism-of-incremental-care

TRB News Profiles – Larry Galehouse, National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP)

TR News, January – February 2015, Number 296

“Our highway infrastructure took decades and generations of Americans to build and is simply too valuable to be left to languish.”

An early champion for infrastructure preservation, Larry Galehouse managed maintenance programs at the Michigan Department of Transportation (DOT) long before starting the National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP).  In the 1990s he developed guidelines, specifications, and new processes for Michigan DOT’s Capital Preventive Maintenance Program, a model used for similar programs nationwide to extend highway pavement life.  He also worked on the original Lead States Team for Pavement Preservation designed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). “Every team member was personally committed to the success of pavement preservation and felt that we were blazing a new trail,” Galehouse comments.

“Our highway infrastructure took decades and generations of Americans to build and is simply too valuable to be left to languish,” Galehouse observes. “As with any valuable asset, we must work hard to preserve it by judicious and timely proactive maintenance.”

In 2003, Galehouse founded NCPP, a collaborative agreement between Michigan State University and FP2, Inc., to advance preservation through outreach, teaching, and research.  “Starting any new venture takes perseverance, but with the help of many people, we were successful,” he notes.

NCPP manages the Transportation System Preservation–Technical Services Program (TSP-2), created to disseminate information to AASHTO member agencies for preserving their highway infrastructure, particularly pavements and bridges. The program serves as a clearinghouse of comprehensive, up-to-date information on efficient and effective preservation measures.  NCPP also administers the AASHTO Equipment Management Technical Services Program (EMTSP), which supports successful governmental highway equipment fleet management. Under these programs, separate regional partnerships have been created for pavement preservation, bridge preservation, and equipment management, drawing professionals from federal, state, and local agencies; private industry; consulting firms; and academia.

“When you think about it, three of the largest assets of any highway agency are its pavements, bridges, and equipment fleet,” Galehouse observes. NCPP, TSP-2, and EMTSP each host an extensive website with a freely accessible library of technical and policy resources.

“Understanding the theory and practice of pavement and bridge preservation and equipment fleet management is critical for successful program implementation within highway agencies,” Galehouse notes, adding that these programs have helped coordinate and expand resource management efforts among agencies. “Many highway agency personnel now realize the positive benefits of these programs.”

For many years Galehouse and his staff have collected and reviewed baseline information for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on the pavement preservation activities of federal, state, and local agencies. This data collection has involved on-site appraisals with the agencies to discuss their programs and obstacles to implementing a preservation program. More than 40 agencies—state DOTs, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the FHWA Federal Lands Division, and several county highway departments—have been evaluated. The resulting information has helped develop national guidance on preservation and now resides in an accessible online database to help agencies set their own preservation benchmarks.

Galehouse also has facilitated pavement preservation technical transfers to highway agencies in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Caribbean Islands, and China, and he has negotiated and helped arrange engineering student exchanges between Michigan State University and the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, China.

“I am keenly aware of the necessity to train ever-changing highway agency and contract personnel in the application of new materials and the operation of sophisticated equipment,” Galehouse shares. “Training and certification can help ensure reliable and high-quality preservation.”

Galehouse affirms the value of both basic and applied research, which are vital to assessing innovative practices in the real world. “Basic research is needed to develop new materials and techniques; applied research is needed to incorporate advances and improvements into day-to-day operations,” he comments. “To do this successfully, we must recognize opportunities and make the case for innovation with officials who may have natural tendencies to resist change.”

Galehouse helped champion the formation of a TRB Standing Committee for Pavement Preservation. He became the first chair of the committee and worked to increase awareness of preserving the nation’s highway investment. Galehouse received bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering from Michigan State University and in surveying from Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. He served in the U.S. Navy Seabees during the Vietnam War.

TR NEWS 296 JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2015, Page 46