The strategic, network and project-level decisions supported by transportation infrastructure asset management have many technical, economic, social and environmental impacts over the life-cycle of the transportation infrastructure. The assessment of these impacts over the whole life of the infrastructure systems is necessary for making informed decisions on how to define policies, allocate resources, select projects, and/or design and construct these projects in a sustainable manner. The paper proposes that the approach to evaluate potential transportation projects, programs and strategic plans on the basis of a combination of engineering and economic criteria is no longer sufficient if decision makers want to assure the long-term sustainability of transportation systems. To support sustainable development, transportation asset management decisions should be constructed over three pillars: economic development, ecological sustainability, and social desirability. The assessment of these three aspects has been placed under the umbrella of life-cycle management. Current practice typically includes the consideration of technical and economic issues through life cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Environmental aspects are increasingly being considered though life cycle assessment (LCA) and although the inclusion of social aspects is in its infancy, they should not be neglected. The consideration of environmental and social goals in conjunction with economic considerations promises to enhance transportation infrastructure asset management while promoting sustainable transportation infrastructure systems.
Abstract