One of the most overlooked facility assets of a corporation is its pavement.  Although these assets do not generate income, the lack of proper planning and maintenance can have a significant impact on the financial “bottom line” of the organization.  In addition to the aesthetics of a poorly maintained parking lot, the performance of operational vehicles can also be affected. These are just two reasons paving must be addressed and maintained to ensure the operation’s integrity.

 

In order to take a more proactive approach to pavement management, JM Smucker contracted StructureTec to develop a pavement program for their New Bethlehem, PA plant. The purpose of this program was to prioritize funding allocations for each pavement area on the site, aid in implementing cost reduction processes and procedures, and ensure the safety of the organization’s infrastructure and its employees.

 

Prioritization began by performing an evaluation of each pavement area. The process began with a two-staged approach.  First, a visual inspection was performed. Next, a geotechnical survey was conducted.

 

The process was performed under the governance of the StructureTec Pavement Management Group, which consists of a civil engineering team with extensive experience in pavement condition assessments and design. The site was evaluated as follows:

 

Review Preliminary Information

Review and confirm compliance with local regulations and construction codes.

 

Survey the Site

• Develop a site plan in CAD delineating “areas” or “sections” based on perimeter definitions and pavement construction types (gravel, concrete, asphalt).
• Survey and document pavement deficiencies, load and volume failures, storm and drainage failures and trench failures.
• Geotechnical soil borings were performed at strategic locations in order to determine existing soil composition.

 

After collecting the survey information for the site, the information was reviewed and analyzed with the objective of developing a prioritized program for capital, operating, and maintenance funding requests.

 

The analysis for the site was performed using advanced methods for reviewing existing pavement cross sections in order to determine proposed current and future needs based on axle weight loads and traffic volumes. The objective of the analysis process was to minimize the long-term cost of ownership for each site. Upon completion of the analysis, a pavement condition index (PCI) rating scale was used to rate each site based on the remaining service life of each pavement section.

 

The PCI rating scale uses a scale range from 0 to 100, where zero represents a complete failure and 100 represents the best of conditions. This rating system is instrumental for the development of a long-range pavement asset management program.  It allowed the facility management team to easily review the recommended sites to be addressed for each year’s funding requirements.

 

Budgets for capital improvements (pavement replacement) and for strategic repairs or deferred maintenance (pavement repairs) were developed based on regional pricing in order to ensure that budgets were realistic and achievable based on local markets.

 

Conclusion

 Using a three-pronged approach - prioritization, cost reduction and sustainability - to maximize the service life of this important asset helped JM Smucker in developing a sustainable long-range asset management program.