Long-Term Outlook on Innovations in Maintenance

Operations

AASHTO Committee on Maintenance

2020 Virtual Meeting

Industry Perspectives on Innovations in Maintenance

Operations

Jagannath Mallela, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President

WSP USA

A robust and increasingly resilient and

adaptive network of streets and highways,

including pavements, bridges, tunnels,

drainage systems, and other ancillary

components of highway infrastructure will

continue to be needed over the next half-

century under any plausible set of

circumstances, but . . .

Postulates

. . .the ways in which we preserve,

maintain, and renew highway

infrastructure will change in response to

inevitable changes in the level and

patterns of usage of the system;

innovations in materials, methods, and

technologies; the availability of resources

to invest in emerging practices; and

customer expectations.

Drivers of Change (Demand-side)

Presentation Overview

Preparing for Change and Achieving Success

Demand Response – Emerging Practices

Drivers of Change

Research

Drivers of change and plausible future

scenarios were explored in terms of

their implications for highway

construction needs and emerging

practices

Drivers of future change, plausible future

scenarios, and implications

► Demographics, Economics, & Transportation Demand

► Resilience & Security: Natural & Man-made Threats

► Stewardship: Natural Resources & Communities

► Financial Resources: Sources, Priorities & Effectiveness

► Technology – Materials & Methods

► Technology – Information & Analysis

► Vehicle Characteristics & Operations

► Institutional Changes & Choices

Drivers

Combine to disrupt the way in which we will construct/reconstruct, repair and maintain projects and outlay capital expenditures!!

Example Emerging

Construction

Innovation Areas/

Practices

Emerging Practices

Shortlist of Emerging Practices

Materials

Hyper-Performance Materials

Tools

Structural Health Monitoring

Machine Learning – Artificial Intelligence for Productivity

Increases

Integrated Building Information Modeling (iBIM)

Enterprise Information Systems – Construction Applications

Artificial Intelligence – Construction Traffic Management

Applications

Technologies

Construction Robotics

Remote Sensing Systems – Construction Applications

Approaches

Predictive-Proactive Maintenance Regime for Roadway

Asset Management

The Internet of Things (IoT) – Construction Applications

Self-Diagnosing/Reporting and Work Ordering

Automated Enforcement for Work Zones

Each innovation has a set of benefits as well as challenges

related to implementation

Emerging PMR PracticeMaintenance and Construction Equipment Preservation /

Maintenance Applications

Hyper-Performance Materials - Equipment designed to facilitate or utilize hyper-

performance materials (e.g. asphalt, cement, steel)

- Lesser demand for traditional paving and infrastructure

maintenance equipment due to longer-life of stronger,

more durable materials

PMR Materials

Emerging PMR PracticeMaintenance and Construction Equipment Preservation / Maintenance

Applications

Machine Learning - Artificial

Intelligence for Asset Management

- Incorporated into Construction Robotics

Integrated Building Information

Modeling (iBIM) for Highways

- Asset information, plans, and other data integrated, interoperable, and

communicated/connected in a manner sufficient to automate use of

equipment and machines during PMR to improve worksite safety,

efficiency, and quality

- Elimination of manual construction site preparation steps (e.g. flagging

and staking)

Enterprise Information Systems -

PMR Applications

- Improved business processes to deploy, track, and manage equipment,

including inventory, location, usage, and condition

CV Applications to Supply Real-time

Conditions Information

- Communication and connectivity among maintenance and construction

vehicles and machines to share real-time construction activity and

progress to optimize safety, efficiency, and quality

- Tracking and adjustment of jobsite progress based on informatization of

all equipment in use, along with workers and materials

PMR Tools

Emerging PMR Practice

Maintenance and Construction

Equipment Preservation /

Maintenance Applications

Maintenance and Construction

Equipment Renewal Applications

The “Internet of Things” (IoT) - PMR

Applications

- Seamless, interconnected

network of maintenance and

construction equipment to

optimize jobsite management

along with use of materials and

labor, enhancing efficiency, safety,

and quality

- Interconnected, optimized (and

automated) maintenance fleets

(e.g., snow plows)

- Seamless, interconnected

network of maintenance and

construction equipment to

optimize jobsite management

along with use of materials and

labor, enhancing efficiency, safety,

and quality

Perpetual/Long-Life Highway

Infrastructure

- Incorporated into Hyper-

Performance Materials

- Lesser demand for heavy

construction equipment

necessary to reconstruct

underlying pavement structure or

bridge foundations and

superstructure, reducing

associated environmental impacts

and operational costs

PMR Approaches

Emerging PMR Practice

Maintenance and Construction

Equipment Preservation /

Maintenance Applications

Maintenance and Construction

Equipment Renewal Applications

Advanced TSM&O Device and

Communications Systems

Maintenance

- Enables use of drone-based

evaluation and maintenance of

field devices

- Enables use of drone-based

replacement of field devices

V2I Technology Providing

Communications between Passing

Vehicles and Roadside Units

- Incorporated into CV Applications to Supply Real-time Conditions

Information

Automated Enforcement for Work

Zones

- Remotely operated or automated barrier and marking systems,

improving WZ flexibility and safety

PMR Approaches

Emerging PMR PracticeMaintenance and Construction Equipment Preservation /

Maintenance Applications

Construction Robotics - Wearable technology to enhance situational awareness,

increase strength, reduce fatigue, and avoid injury

- Semi-autonomous or autonomous PMR equipment

operations that reduce or eliminate jobsite workforce,

enhancing safety, efficiency, and quality

- Shift in equipment operator roles from active control to

oversight and emergency intervention

- Enables significantly greater application of automated

prefabrication, modular assembly, condition inspection

and assessment, and real-time decision-making and

execution of PMR actions in the field

PMR Technologies

Emerging PMR Practice

Maintenance and Construction

Equipment Preservation /

Maintenance Applications

Remote Sensing Systems - PMR

Applications

- Real-time condition inventory,

monitoring, and inspection of

assets (what can’t be discerned

with embedded sensors)

- Remote and automated

maintenance

- Reduction/elimination of field

inspection/repair crews

For example, through large use of drones.

PMR Technologies

Planning for the

Future of Construction

Innovation

Achieving Success

► PMR activities have in the past been dominated by tactical responses to

on the ground conditions that can’t wait

► Strategic thinking about activities has been enhanced by the movement

toward asset management and emphasis on performance

► Rapid advances in technologies (sensing, telecommunications,

information processing, artificial intelligence, robotics, etc.) have

presented opportunities and challenges to highway agencies

► Leaders to foster construction innovation, and practitioners to advocate

and implement emerging practices

The Case for Thinking Strategically about Emerging Construction Practices

Thank You

Questions???

Vol. 7 of NCHRP 750 (PROJECT 20-83(03)A):

Long-Range Strategic Issues Affecting Preservation, Maintenance, and Renewal

of Highway Infrastructure