PST Flashcards
1
Q
What is the definition of Instrastructure?
A
- System of public facilities, both publicly and privately funded
- Provide the essential services and a sustained standard of living
- Interdependent, yet self-contained, set of structures provides for mobility, shelter, services, and utilities
2
Q
What is Infrastructure?
A
• Group of physical systems or facilities that provide essential public services, such as:
o Transportation
o Utilities
o Energy
o Telecommunication and wireless communications
o Information technology and online social media
o Parklands, landmarks, and theme parks
o Sports complexes and recreational buildings
o Hospitals, public housing, rental housing, and education buildings
o Industrial, manufacturing, and commercial facilities
o Supply chain infrastructure assets
Infrastructure can include management and human resources associated with providing a physical facility.
3
Q
Why do we need systematic infrastructure asset management?
A
- Scale
- Scope of works
- Interrelated infrastructure elements
Definition of Asset Management:
• “… systematic, coordinated planning and programming of investments or expenditures, design, construction, maintenance, operation, and in-service evaluation of physical infrastructures and associated facilities.”
• Additional key terms:
o Acceptable service level, rehabilitation, replacement…
4
Q
What are the five key elements?
A
- Providing a defined level of service and monitoring of performance;
- Managing the impact of demand changes both in growth and in decline, using demand management and infrastructure investment;
- A lifecycle approach to developing cost effective management strategies for the long term that will meet the defined level of service;
- Identifying, assessing and controlling risks; and
- Having a long-term financial plan which identifies the required expenditure and how it will be funded.
5
Q
What are issues in asset management?
A
• Aging infrastructure
– Development vs infrastructure spending
– Exposure to nature, extended use, disasters
• Lack of planning in maintenance and rehabilitation
– Ad-hoc and reactive maintenance and rehabilitation
• Funding
– Lack of awareness and understanding the role of infrastructure
6
Q
What is the systems approach to IAM
A
Khisty et al.: “…a broad-based, systematic approach for problem solving and particularly geared toward solving complex problems that involve systems. A system is a set of interrelated parts that perform a certain functions to achieve common goals.”
• Systems Approach is a holistic approach to solve complex real world problems.
• Holistic vs. piecemeal analyses.
Ossenbruggen: “… a coordinated set of procedures that can be used address issues of project planning, engineering design, and management.”
• Systems Approach is a decision-making tool to optimize the efficiency of resource utilization for achieving goals/objectives.
Chang: “… an attempt to allocate resources in an efficient manner.”
7
Q
What are systems approach tools?
A
• Cost-Benefit models/Engineering economics • Optimization models – Exact vs heuristic solutions • Simulation models – Monte Carlo Simulation • Forecasting models – Regression, neural networks etc.
8
Q
What is involved in a simulation for outcomes?
A
The technique consists of repeated, independent and random sampling from range estimates that represent parameter/variable values within a system and evaluating performance functions of interest for each set of sampled values.
• Each set of sampled random variable values is considered to be one possible (simulated) state for a physical system or process of interest.
• A certain number of repeated simulations are carried out to obtain a probabilistic outcome for the process of interest.
9
Q
What is LCA?
A
LCA is a “cradle-to-grave” approach for industrial systems that begins with the gathering of raw materials from the Earth to create the product and ends at the point when all materials are returned to Earth. It enables the estimation of the cumulative environmental impacts resulting from all stages in the product life cycle.
10
Q
What are system boundaries (4 points)?
A
- Cradle to gate
- Gate to grave
- Cradle to cradle
- Gate to gate
11
Q
What are objectives and constraints of IAM?
A
- Maximise all utilities or profits
- Minimise amount of resources
- The amount to be minimised or maximised is call an objective
- Restricting a given amount of resource is a constraint
12
Q
A Structural Engineer is asked to design a new bridge connecting the city to South Brisbane. What could be the objective and constraints?
A
• Objectives o Within budget o Within Timeframe o Fulfils purpose o Does not collapse o Safe • Constraints o Size o Local infrastructure to match o Surface levels
13
Q
What is Infrastructure Project Finance?
A
- A form of financing a capital-intensive project on non-resource or limited recourse basis through a special project vehicle
- What are the recourse for lenders?
- Attractive to sponsors – off-balancing sheet, not jeopardise the parent company to borrow funds
- More risky to lenders requiring limited contingent financial support and/or third-party guarantee
14
Q
What are the benefits of infrastructure?
A
• Additional taxes/income • User saving – Reduce delays – Reduce fuel costs – Reduce CO2 • How do these compare with costs?
15
Q
Why is it important to understand infrastructure financing?
A
- Money makes the world goes round?
- Large projects require both internal and external financing
- Subject to large financial risks in the form of changing interest rates on long term loan
- Project cash flow needs to be managed properly
- Lenders impose loan covenants as a condition of lending
16
Q
What is LCC
A
• Also known as whole of life, LCC is the approach to assessing the viability of infrastructure investment
• There are two levels of LCC:
– Among alternative assessment
– Within project benefit maximisation
- Focus in the unit using LCC to compare different infrastructure investment options
- The basic principle is to estimate the benefits (i.e. cash inflows) and costs (i.e. cash outflows) for different investment alternatives, and compare these figures for decision-making
17
Q
What are the basic principles of LCC?
A
- LCC is a comparative assessment that will assist in decision-making.
- The economic assessment is not related to project financing.
- Analysis should be considered for the same time period.
- Assessment should include agency, user and societal costs and benefits.
- Assessment should include as many options as possible within the practicality of the efforts required.
18
Q
What are costs associated with infrastructure?
A
Agency Costs: • Initial feasibility/development costs • Construction cost • Maintenance cost • Rehabilitation cost • End of life costs • Project administration cost Non-Agency Costs: • User costs – Delays – Service interruptions – Accidents, vehicle damage • Nonuser costs – Noise – Emission • Societal costs – Water pollution, deforestation
19
Q
What is a discount rate?
A
- This is the rate used to adjust for the time value of money
- Interest rate is the rate that money can be borrowed or invested
- Is discount rate and interest rate are the same thing?
- What is inflation?
20
Q
What is inflation?
A
• Inflation is ignored in LCC calculations
– LCC is meant to provide a comparative assessment among alternatives, not actual costs
– Inflation is difficult to estimate, which may negatively impact model accuracy
– All economic transactions will be impacted by inflation
21
Q
How can you value money?
A
• Net Present Value (NPV) • Equivalent Uniform Annual Cost (EUAC) • Internal Rate of Return (IRR) – Modified Internal Rate of Return • Benefit to Cost Ratio • Payback Period – Discounted Payback Period
22
Q
What is IRR
A
Internal rate of return
23
Q
What is the payback period?
A
• Time required for the total cash flow of a project to exceed the original investment.
• Discount payback period: same philosophy as the payback period with the discount adjustment applied to the cash flows.
– Is there a drawback to these analysis?
Which Option is Better
• Additional considerations?
– What if one alternative is significantly more expansive than the others?
– What if different alternatives have different useful lives?
– Can we easily justify higher upfront costs to be recuperated in long term?
24
Q
What are opportunity costs?
A
- What is an opportunity cost?
- Why does it matter or rather does it matter?
- If we are in a rather uncertain market, which option is better long term benefits of reduced initial capital investment?
- How can we measure opportunity costs?
25
What does infrastructure planning involve?
```
Involves future-related activities
• Concerns achieving desire goals
• Dealing with:
o Demand forecasting
o Site/corridor selection
o Financing
o Budgeting
o Policy issues
```
26
What are modern types of planning?
Modern Types of Planning
• Strategic Planning
• Tactical Planning
• Sustainability Planning
27
What is IAMS?
Infrastructure Asset Management System
28
What does an IAMS provide?
Maximum security and safety of critical lifeline infrastructure assets to safeguard against natural/manmade disasters
• Minimum adverse impacts on environment
• Reduction in energy consumptions where feasible and use new raw/recycle/reuse materials
• Sustainability performance
• Consideration of other sustainability dimensions
29
What activities are involved in modelling?
* Use of physical observation or measurements
* Statement of mathematical models
* Development of a system for prescribed behaviour using the mathematical model
* Physical realization of the system
30
What is demand forecasting?
Accurate prediction of future demand
• Selection of an appropriate alternative for new construction or M, R&R (Maintenance, Rehabilitation & renovation, Replacement & Reconstruction) actions
• Required historical data or data for a similar situation/location or simulated data
• Plotting historical data to show trend
31
What are three steps in model development?
• Preliminary model based on historical data
• Model verification using another set of data
• Model calibration using alternate data collected using different conditions
Once a predictive equation is verified and calibrated, predict demand in future year
32
What are Environmental Impact Studies and Sustainability Concerns (5 points)
* Pollution factors
* Ecological and biodiversity factors
* Sustainability factors
* Social factors
* Engineering factors
33
What is important for safety and security?
Important considerations for planning,
designing, and operating infrastructure
facilities
• Security is needed to:
• Prevent losses by theft, vandalism, arson
• Minimise risk of possible safety hazard to occupants and users of facilities
• Enforce measure for compliance with applicable laws to avoid liability claims
• Prevent vehicle entry to overcrowded space
34
What is SAM
Stress absorbing membrane
35
What do you have to assess in infrastructure for a federal funded highway program?
* Safety
* Infrastructure condition
* Congestion reduction
* System reliability
* Freight movement and economic vitality
* Environmental sustainability
* Reduce project deliver delays
36
What are performance indicators for infrastructure?
1. Service and user perception
2. Safety and sufficiency
3. Physical condition
4. Structural integrity/load-carrying capacity
5. Sustainability related to the “triple bottom line” of environment, social, and economic responsibility
37
What happens in a performance evaluation?
* Assess the service quality and functionality of the facility related to the materials and construction methods used
* Predict the rate of deterioration and possible failure of the facility
* Verify performance predictions and improve prediction models
* Measure the effectiveness of M, R&R strategies and the value of extended life
* Update and improve life-cycle cost-and-benefit analysis methodologies
* Schedule M, R&R strategies and future inservice inspections and evaluations
* Plan M, R&R budgets for short- and long-term work programs and update network improvement programs
38
What methods can be used in performance modelling?
Expert system incorporating a knowledge base of empirical experience
• Regression analysis and time series analysis
• Markov-transition probabilities
• Artificial neural-network analysis
• Bayesian methods
• Econometrics methods
• Geospatial methods
39
M, R&R Intervention Performance Modelling
Do-nothing policy or deferring M, R&R action beyond the minimum-acceptable level until the expected time of replacement
• Corrective maintenance to keep the condition at the minimum-acceptable level
• Repair, rehabilitation, restoration to improve the condition and extend the life at or before the minimum acceptable level is reached
• Replacement and reconstruction
40
What is failure analysis?
Do-nothing policy or deferring M, R&R action beyond the minimum-acceptable level until the expected time of replacement
• Corrective maintenance to keep the condition at the minimum-acceptable level
• Repair, rehabilitation, restoration to improve the condition and extend the life at or before the minimum acceptable level is reached
• Replacement and reconstruction
41
What is failure analysis?
* Way to examine failed facilities or components
* Determine the possible reason of a failure
* Lessons learnt from failure
* Improve design and construction methodologies from catastrophic failures
42
What is infrastructure?
Group of physical systems or facilities that provide essential public services, such as:
• Transportation – Bridges and roads
• Utilities
• Energy
• Telecommunication and wireless communications
• Information technology and online social media
• Parklands, landmarks, and theme parks
• Sports complexes and recreational buildings
Group of physical systems or facilities that provide essential public services, such as: (continued)
• Hospitals, public housing, rental housing, and education buildings
• Industrial, manufacturing, and commercial facilities
• Supply chain infrastructure assets
• Infrastructure can include management and human resources associated with providing a physical facility
43
What is asset management?
* Asset management is a systematic process to guide the planning, acquisition, operation and maintenance, renewal and disposal of assets. Its objective is to maximise asset service delivery potential and manage related risks and costs over their entire lives
* “the efficient and effective use of its resources in the interests of its district or region, including by planning effectively for the future management of its assets”
44
What are the environmental assessment components? (3 points)
Internal environment
External environment
Customer Environment
45
What are strategic factors to consider when designing infrastructure?
```
Population Growth / Decline
Population aging
Demand Management
Aging Infrastructure
Environmental Standards
Raw water availability
Natural Hazards
Climate Change
```
46
What is performance vs condition?
Performance
Performance relates to the ability of the asset to provide the required level of service to the customer Condition
Condition relates to the structural integrity of an asset
At present we tend to forecast long term renewals in based on asset condition not performance
47
What is risk vs resilience?
Risk
Assess failure risk through probability and consequence analysis of known hazards or events.
Consider multiple interdependencies and failure modes and how to manage them.
Prioritise responses to high risk exposure hazards and events.
Resilience
Minimise the consequences of failure no matter what the cause or extent or likelihood of the hazard or event may be.
Adapt to changing conditions, allowing controlled failure (‘safe-to-fail’) to reduce the possibility of broader loss.
Focus on measuring the attributes of resilient systems.
48
What are planning factors?
```
Site conditions
Constraints
Need v wants
Key drivers
Pollution factors
Ecological and biodiversity factors
Sustainability factors
Social factors
Engineering factors
Current situation?
Where do we want to be?
What do we need?
How will we get there?
Continuous improvement
```
49
What is demand forecasting 2?
Accurate prediction of future demand
Required historical data or data for a similar situation/location or simulated data
Understanding trends
50
What is involved in risk management?
```
Risk Identification
Risk Analysis
Risk Evaluation
Risk Treatment
Treatment Plan
```
51
What are performance indicators?
Service and user perception
Safety and sufficiency
Physical condition
Structural integrity/load-carrying capacity
Sustainability related to the “triple bottom line” of environment, social, and economic responsibility
52
How do you evaluate infrastructure?
Assess the service quality and functionality of the facility related to the materials and construction methods used
Predict the rate of deterioration and possible failure of the facility
Verify performance predictions and improve prediction models
53
What do you need to look for in infrastructure modelling?
Deterioration curve
Predicting failure
Continual improvements
You can’t predict surprises!!
54
What are maintenance considerations?
Reactive v Proactive
Scoping as a network rather than individuals
Investigate efficiencies
Priority linked to strategy
55
What are limitations for infrastructure projects? (5 points)
```
Budget
Time
Operational requirements
Political environment
Safety Risks
```
56
What is infrastructure?
```
Infrastructure is a term architects, engineers, and urban planners use to describe essential facilities, services, and organizational structures for cities and communities
Infrastructure can include:
Roads, tunnels, and bridges,
Mass-transit systems (e.g., trains and rails)
Air control towers
Telephone lines and cellphone towers
Dams and reservoirs
Hurricane barriers
Levees and pumping stations
Waterways, canals, and ports
Electrical power lines and connections
(i.e., the national power grid)
Fire stations and equipment
Hospitals, clinics, and emergency
response systems
Schools
Law enforcement and prisons
Sanitation and waste removal facilities
- solid waste, wastewater, and
hazardous waste
Post offices and mail delivery
Public parks
```
57
What is a Management Plan?
Asset management plans are developed so it can be used by asset owners and operators in order to effectively and adequately manage and maintain infrastructure
Typically the plan specifies lifecycle requirements for effective management, inspection and replacement of assets
The plan outlines critical components and strategies to ensure functionality of assets.
```
Includes:
Background
Maintenance requirements
Standard repairs
Costs
```
58
Why do we develop an asset management plan?
Governments around the world have realized that investing in and maintaining a healthy infrastructure is important
Australia's Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development claims that "It is an investment that has a multiplier effect throughout the economy, generating lasting economic, social and environmental benefits.“
Resilience and robustness
Infrastructure is critical
59
Who develops the asset management plan?
Asset Owners
Infrastructure Operators
Designers or deliverable during D&C Contract
60
How is an asset management plan developed
```
Refer to ISO 55000 – Asset management standard
What to do
Infrastructure Asset Management Manual
How to do it
Risk Management Plan:
Risk Identification
Risk Analysis
Risk Evaluation
Risk Treatment; and
Treatment Plan
```
61
How do you implement the asset management plan?
Maintenance activities should be programmed appropriately
Regular and focused inspections should be undertaken
All recorded stored including construction records, inspection reports and rehabilitation drawings
62
What is the difference between a freak event or reality of life?
The occurrence of natural disasters are part of life
Infrastructure is designed for appropriate disasters
Standards take into account design life, occurrence intervals, suitable design actions (IE forces or minimum requirements)
Critical infrastructure will be designed as more robust so it can be operational during natural disasters
63
Explain emergency response for infrastructure
Most infrastructure will have an emergency response plan, developed specifically for the site
Infrastructure may need to be inspected after a natural disaster to ensure no damage
All infrastructure has a purpose and use in society and therefore post disaster things must return to operation
64
What are methods of rehabilitation?
Short Term solution – Temporary or Emergency
Long term solution – Permanent
Learnings and improvements
65
What does a resilient structure mean?
Infrastructure that can withstand the test of appropriate design events
Has redundancy appropriate to its ecosystem
Future proofing the structure
Making it robust beyond basic requirements
66
What does a resilient structure mean?
Infrastructure that can withstand the test of appropriate design events
Has redundancy appropriate to its ecosystem
Future proofing the structure
Making it robust beyond basic requirements
67
How do you introduce resilience?
Economical and efficient design details to introduce robustness
Maintenance
Regular inspections
68
What types of field research are there?
Types of testing:
Material testing
Load testing
Trialling products
69
What are examples of material testing?
Concrete sampling
Steel testing
Paint testing
70
What is load testing?
Testing using a known load
Testing using unknown load
Structural model to calibrate data
71
What is are some simple ways to load test?
```
Pressure or load rating of structure
Equate to a Point Load
Convert to a mass and determine objects on site to test with
Water trucks
Crane weights
Cement bags
```
72
What is involved in trialling products?
Installing and testing innovative materials onsite to overcome defects or
issues
Durability
Strengthening
73
What is involved in research and development?
```
Non-destructive testing
Material testing
Destructive testing
• Lab testing
• Calibration
• Material testing
```
74
What are some ways to innovate infrastructure?
New products
Innovative strengthening methods
Innovative Rehabilitation
Consultation with industry and researchers
75
What is the function of a bridge?
Connecting communities
Road
Rail
Pedestrians
76
What materials are can a bridge be made from?
```
Stone
Iron
Concrete – reinforced and prestressed
Steel
Timber
```
77
What ensures Durability and Maintenance?
Massive challenge
$$$$$$$$
Quality controls during construction
Making money work for us
78
What is a heritage structure?
� Heritage structures are defined as notified structures of historical, architectural, or cultural significance
79
What is the function of a heritage structure?
```
� Aim is to always maintain functionality however safety is paramount
� Therefore level of service could be:
� Maintained
� Increased
� Decreased
```
80
What can be done to preserve a heritage structure?
```
Analysis – Modelling and testing
Integrating Materials – old with new
� Stone
� Iron
� Concrete – reinforced and prestressed
� Steel
� Timber
```
81
What things to do need to consider in repairing vs restoration?
� How much money do you spend?
� What is the significance of the structure?
� What is an appropriate level of service?
� How to undertake the works?
