Author Description

Accurate and complete construction records and as-built data are the key prerequisites to the effective management of transportation infrastructure assets throughout their life cycle. The construction phase is the best time to collect such data. Assets such as underground drainage and culverts are visible and physically accessible only during construction. For assets such as guardrails, signals, and pavement, it is safer and more efficient to collect data during construction than after construction when the road segment is open to traffic. The purpose of this project was to conduct a synthesis study to (1) assess the current status at INDOT regarding the collection of asset data during the construction phase and the use of such data in the operation and maintenance (O&M) phase, and (2) develop a framework for INDOT to leverage the construction inspection and documentation process to collect data for assets. Data needs during O&M were identified through rounds of meetings with relevant INDOT business units. The current practice in construction documentation was investigated in detail. A survey of state highway agencies (SHAs) was conducted to assess the state-of-the-practice.A practical framework was developed to leverage the construction inspection and documentation practice to collect asset data that are needed in O&M. It is composed of (1) a data needs component for determining the information requirements from the O&M perspective, (2) a construction documentation module, and (3) a mapping mechanism to link data items to be collected during the construction documentation to data items in the asset management systems. The mapping mechanism was tested and validated using four priority asset classes--underdrains, guardrails, attenuators, and small culverts--from an INDOT construction project. The testing results show that the newly developed framework is viable and solid to collect asset data during the construction phase for O&M use in the future, without adding ext