Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies, Volume 1: Research Overview

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Research Report 903: Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies provides an introduction and scalable guidance for state transportation agencies on how to implement risk-based geotechnical asset management into current asset management plans. Volume 1, Research Overview, details the scope, process, and findings of the study.

The management of bridge and pavement assets has for many years garnered significant attention by state transportation agencies while the management of geotechnical assets—such as walls, slopes, embankments, and subgrades—has been elusive. Traditionally, geotechnical assets have been treated as unpredictable hazard sites with significant potential liability because failure of any geotechnical asset may lead to traveler delay, damage to other assets, or impact safety. Geotechnical assets are, however, vital to the successful operation of transportation systems and present an opportunity for system owners and operators to realize new economic benefits through risk-based asset management.

Appendices A & B to Volume 1 are available for download in a single file. Appendix A summarizes the literature review prepared during the research, and Appendix B presents the outline used for the case study interviews.

Volume 2, Implementation Manual, assembles the research results into guidance that should be of immediate use to those who maintain geotechnical assets including walls, slopes, embankments, and subgrades.