System for analyzing transportation infrastructure and minimizing repair costs

• US 20060241917A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rafie Hamidpour
• Original Assignee: Rafie Hamidpour
• Inventors: Hamidpour, Rafie
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40

Abstract

A system, method, and software product analyzes transportation infrastructure that includes roadways and bridges. Condition indicators are associated with each roadway and bridge, and costs involved with first repairing each bridge and roadway at different points in time considering the condition indicators are determined and compared. Costs involved with maintaining the bridges and roadways are determined and compared. Priority values are associated with each roadway and bridge. Predetermined condition parameters and secondary predetermined condition parameters associated with the priority values are compared to the condition indicators to determine if the roadways and bridges are in need of repair or in definite need of repair. Aggregate costs are determined and compared to current and projected budgets.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating transportation infrastructure that includes roadways and bridges, said method comprising:

associating a respective plurality of condition indicators with each respective bridge and each respective roadway;

determining respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at a first point in time considering the associated condition indicators;

determining respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over a time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said first point in time;

determining respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at a second point in time considering the associated condition indicators;

determining respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over said time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said second point in time;

comparing said respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at said first point in time to said respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at said second point in time;

comparing said respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over said time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said first point in time to said respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over said time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said second point in time; and

determining when to repair the respective bridges and roadways to minimize said costs involved with maintaining the respective bridges and roadways over said time interval.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein said condition indicators are observed condition indicators.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein said respective condition indicators comprise:

a respective asphalt ride quality indicator;

a respective asphalt alligator cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt bleeding indicator;

a respective asphalt block cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt bump/sag indicator;

a respective asphalt corrugation indicator;

a respective asphalt depression indicator;

a respective asphalt edge cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt joint reflection cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt lane/shoulder drop off indicator;

a respective asphalt longitudinal and transverse cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt patching and utility cut patching indicator;

a respective asphalt pothole indicator;

a respective asphalt railroad crossing indicator;

a respective asphalt rutting indicator;

a respective asphalt shoving indicator;

a respective asphalt slippage cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt swell indicator;

a respective asphalt weathering and raveling indicator;

a respective concrete buckling indicator;

a respective concrete divided slab indicator;

a respective concrete durability cracking indicator;

a respective concrete faulting indicator;

a respective concrete joint seal damage indicator;

a respective concrete lane/shoulder drop off indicator;

a respective concrete linear cracking indicator;

a respective concrete large patching indicator;

a respective concrete small patching indicator;

a respective concrete punchout indicator;

a respective concrete railroad crossing indicator;

a respective concrete scaling/crazing indicator;

a respective concrete corner spalling indicator; and

a respective concrete joint spalling indicator.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

associating a respective priority value with each respective bridge and each respective roadway, each said priority value corresponding to a respective set of predetermined condition parameters;

comparing said predetermined condition parameters associated with each respective bridge and each respective roadway to said condition indicators associated with each respective bridge and each respective roadway; and

determining that respective bridges and roadways having said associated condition indicators beyond said associated predetermined condition parameters are in need of repair.

5. The method as in claim 4, further comprising:

determining the aggregate cost of repairing all respective bridges and roadways in need of repair; and

comparing said aggregate cost to a budget.

6. The method as in claim 5, further comprising:

associating a respective set of secondary predetermined condition parameters with each respective priority value;

comparing said respective secondary predetermined condition parameters associated with each respective bridge and each respective roadway to said respective condition indicators associated with each respective bridge and each respective roadway;

determining that respective bridges and roadways having said associated condition indicators beyond said associated secondary predetermined condition parameters are in definite need of repair;

determining an aggregate cost of repairing all respective bridges and roadways in definite need of repair; and

comparing said aggregate cost of repairing all respective bridges and roadways in definite need of repair to said budget.

7. A software product comprising instructions, stored on computer-readable media, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, perform steps for evaluating transportation infrastructure that includes roadways and bridges, said software product comprising:

instructions for associating a respective plurality of condition indicators with each respective bridge and each respective roadway;

instructions for determining respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at a first point in time considering the associated condition indicators;

instructions for determining respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over a time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said first point in time;

instructions for determining respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at a second point in time considering the associated condition indicators;

instructions for determining respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over said time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said second point in time;

instructions for comparing said respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at said first point in time to said respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at said second point in time;

instructions for comparing said respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over said time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said first point in time to said respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over said time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said second point in time; and

instructions for determining when to repair the respective bridges and roadways to minimize said costs involved with maintaining the respective bridges and roadways over said time interval.

8. The software product as in claim 7, wherein said condition indicators are observed condition indicators.

9. The software product as in claim 7, wherein said condition indicators comprise:

a respective asphalt ride quality indicator;

a respective asphalt alligator cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt bleeding indicator;

a respective asphalt block cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt bump/sag indicator;

a respective asphalt corrugation indicator;

a respective asphalt depression indicator;

a respective asphalt edge cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt joint reflection cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt lane/shoulder drop off indicator;

a respective asphalt longitudinal and transverse cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt patching and utility cut patching indicator;

a respective asphalt pothole indicator;

a respective asphalt railroad crossing indicator;

a respective asphalt rutting indicator;

a respective asphalt shoving indicator;

a respective asphalt slippage cracking indicator;

a respective asphalt swell indicator;

a respective asphalt weathering and raveling indicator;

a respective concrete buckling indicator;

a respective concrete divided slab indicator;

a respective concrete durability cracking indicator;

a respective concrete faulting indicator;

a respective concrete joint seal damage indicator;

a respective concrete lane/shoulder drop off indicator;

a respective concrete linear cracking indicator;

a respective concrete large patching indicator;

a respective concrete small patching indicator;

a respective concrete punchout indicator;

a respective concrete railroad crossing indicator;

a respective concrete scaling/crazing indicator;

a respective concrete corner spalling indicator; and

a respective concrete joint spalling indicator.

10. The software product as in claim 7, further comprising:

instructions for associating a respective priority value with each respective bridge and each respective roadway, each said priority value corresponding to a respective set of predetermined condition parameters;

instructions for comparing said predetermined condition parameters associated with each respective bridge and each respective roadway to said condition indicators associated with each respective bridge and each respective roadway; and

instructions for determining that respective bridges and roadways having said associated condition indicators beyond said associated predetermined condition parameters are in need of repair.

11. The software product as in claim 10, further comprising:

instructions for determining the aggregate cost of repairing all respective bridges and roadways in need of repair; and

instructions for comparing said aggregate cost to a budget.

12. The software product as in claim 11, further comprising:

instructions for associating a respective set of secondary predetermined condition parameters with each respective priority value;

instructions for comparing said respective secondary predetermined condition parameters associated with each respective bridge and each respective roadway to said respective condition indicators associated with each respective bridge and each respective roadway;

instructions for determining that respective bridges and roadways having said associated condition indicators beyond said associated secondary predetermined condition parameters are in definite need of repair;

instructions for determining an aggregate cost of repairing all respective bridges and roadways in definite need of repair; and

instructions for comparing said aggregate cost of repairing all respective bridges and roadways in definite need of repair to said budget.

13. A method for evaluating transportation infrastructure that includes roadways and bridges, said method comprising:

associating a respective priority value with each respective bridge and each respective roadway, each said priority value corresponding to a set of predetermined condition parameters;

associating condition indicators with each respective bridge and each respective roadway;

comparing said respective condition indicators with said respective predetermined condition parameters for each respective roadway and bridge; and

determining that respective bridges and roadways having said condition indicators beyond said compared predetermined condition parameters are in need of repair.

14. The method as in claim 13, further comprising:

determining respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at a first point in time considering the associated condition indicators;

determining respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at a second point in time considering the associated condition indicators; and

comparing said respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at said first point in time to said respective costs involved with first repairing each respective bridge and each respective roadway at said second point in time.

15. The method as in claim 13, further comprising:

determining respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over a time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at a first point in time;

determining respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over said time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at a second point in time; and

comparing said respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over said time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said first point in time to said respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over said time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said second point in time.

16. The method as in claim 15, further comprising:

comparing said respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over said time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said first point in time to a projected budget for said time interval; and

comparing said respective costs involved with maintaining each respective bridge and each respective roadway over said time interval if the respective bridges and roadways are first repaired at said second point in time to said projected budget for said time interval.

17. The method as in claim 13, further comprising:

determining the aggregate cost of repairing all respective bridges and roadways in need of repair; and

comparing said aggregate cost to a budget.

18. The method as in claim 17, further comprising:

associating a respective set of secondary predetermined condition parameters with each respective priority value;

comparing said respective condition indicators with said respective secondary predetermined condition parameters for each respective roadway and bridge; and

determining that respective bridges and roadways having said condition indicators beyond said compared secondary predetermined condition parameters are in definite need of repair.

19. The method as in claim 17, further comprising:

determining an aggregate cost of repairing all respective bridges and roadways in definite need of repair; and

comparing said aggregate cost of repairing all respective bridges and roadways in definite need of repair to said budget.