Maintenance field managers are often burdened with labourious reporting requirements to support the maintenance management system. Advances in technology provide opportunities to better serve the needs of maintenance field managers and maintenance management generally. More useful, accurate and timely information can be furnished the maintenance management system by using such technologies as laptops, hand held portable data entry terminals, bar coding, voice recognition, and location and navigation equipment, for example, distance measuring equipment and portable satellite global positioning system (GPS) receivers. Facsimile machines, cellular phones, and satellite links can aid transmission of maintenance data between the field and local or central offices. This research report includes a description of requirements for maintenance field data collection, assessment of alternative data acquisition technologies and procedures, and system designs for six areas of maintenance data collection: (1) daily reporting of accomplishments and labour, equipment and materials usage; (2) material and equipment inventory management and control; (3) roadway feature inventory updating; (4) inputs to short run scheduling; (5) bridge inspection and maintenance; and (6) monitoring of snow plow and blowing operations in remote and dangerous conditions. (A)
Abstract