Research Idea Details

Research Idea Scope

According to the Federal Highway
Administration’s (FHWA) Office of Asset Management, a Transportation Asset
Management Plan (TAMP) can “act as a focal point for information” about state
DOT assets, their risk management strategies and business management processes,
and how well yet-to-be-realized risks are being incorporated.  Climate change and extreme weather has become
one of those unknown risks and should be included as part of the life cycle costing
and risk management framework development within a state DOT TAMP. 

Considering the balance between predictable
asset deterioration curves and the sudden and unpredictable nature of extreme
weather impacts can serve as an important risk management component.  FHWA already has multiple climate change and
extreme weather vulnerability assessment pilots underway focused on
transportation infrastructure, options for adapting and improving resiliency,
and contributing to a nationally recognized framework.  A component of some of these pilots considers
specific classes of asset vulnerability. 
Therefore, developing an additional individualized process that allows
for the consideration of climate change and extreme weather directly to a
state’s DOT TAMP development is appropriate and would contribute to the wider
FHWA asset management program.

Related/Developing Activities

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century
Act (MAP-21) asset management guidance

FHWA Climate Change and Extreme Weather
Vulnerability Assessment Pilots

FHWA Office of Asset Management

FHWA Transportation Asset Management Expert
Task Group (TAM ETG)

AASHTO Subcommittee on Asset Management

Tasks – Four (4):

Task 1: Identify current FHWA and ongoing
MAP-21 guidance related to state DOT TAMP development.

Task 2: Identify the climate change and
extreme weather characteristics that link to the TAMP process within the state
DOT asset management planning process. 

Task 3: Document this process and develop an
initial process development

Task 4: Issue a lessons learned synopsis and
design the concept for a training program module that focuses on climate change
/ extreme weather – TAMP integration   

Urgency and Payoff

Would contribute to the wider FHWA asset
management program and state DOT issue resolution landscape.  Specifically ties to ongoing MAP-21 asset
management Final Rule developments.