By Christian Delforge, P.Eng., Operations Director, Design – Bridges | EXP

It’s difficult to imagine how existing infrastructure, often constructed several decades ago, could be at the heart of major transformation. Organizations that are designing and executing a Master Asset Maintenance Plan (MAMP) are successfully rethinking their asset management practices to maximize the longevity of their infrastructure, reduce environmental, economic and societal impacts, and practice sound and responsible management.

What is a master asset maintenance plan?

A master asset maintenance plan is an integrated management tool for major infrastructure managers to optimize their activities throughout the entirety of a bridge’s life span. Bridge components must be regularly maintained and protected to prevent deterioration and a number of associated effects. Design and execution using this tool enables EXP to transition from reactive to proactive management. It provides clients with a clear, global and multidisciplinary vision of current and future needs as well as corrective measures.

An asset maintenance plan doesn’t just recommend corrective measures; it also helps to develop several cohesive scenarios that incorporate different factors that will affect decisions, such as environmental, economic and social impacts. Once different scenarios are established, infrastructure managers can select the best one and optimize their management and solutions according to their specific needs. Furthermore, a MAMP paints a picture of the situation and lists different possible maintenance scenarios.

A MAMP is a tool for infrastructure managers to:

  • Highlight and assess needs and corrective measures that will meet current and future operational needs.
  • Design maintenance scenarios by cohesively organizing solutions to support organizational goals and expectations.
  • Analyze needs, methods and scenarios to clarify issues, pros and cons to clients through a sustainability framework.

How to design a Master Asset Maintenance Plan

Designing a MAMP is a multi-step process. First, the experts must identify the needs and potential work to be done, based on current knowledge about the asset – particularly through previously conducted studies, projections regarding its condition, possible exposure to weather and the future use of its components. This step includes a complex analysis that must consider factors such as climate change and socio-economic issues.

Next, it’s crucial to work with the client to establish the operational and functional needs, the required level of performance and desired risk management. Once these parameters are defined, criteria and thresholds for corrective measures will make it possible to develop scenarios. These scenarios may vary depending on various factors related to the asset owner’s needs, such as the desired performance and type of labor, risk management, evolving operational needs and frequency of corrective measures.

The final step in designing a successful MAMP is comparing these scenarios in terms of sustainability parameters such as social, economic and environmental aspects.

What are the benefits of implementing a master asset maintenance plan?

Transitioning towards proactive management

Since the first step includes defining current and future maintenance needs, the MAMP helps the client effectively transition from a reactive asset management approach towards one that is proactive and preventative. The MAMP offers a global and multidisciplinary vision, so all the structural and operational needs of the asset are condensed into one single document. Clients can then identify problems, clearly define work stages and design adapted solutions.

Maximizing the life span of infrastructure

The most important benefit of a MAMP is that it facilitates the transition towards extending the life span of infrastructure. This is because proactive risk and needs planning extends the life span of infrastructure. This type of planning also provides several other economical and environmental benefits. In recent years, several major infrastructure systems in Quebec reached the end of their service life and needed to be replaced, which resulted in significant costs for managers. Despite the considerable investments towards maintaining this infrastructure until the end of its service life, the absence of preventative maintenance during its life span led to irreversible deterioration.

Savings and sustainability

The transition to proactive management presents a number of benefits in terms of savings and sustainability. Sound asset management reduces long-term maintenance costs, avoids unforeseen events and reduces environmental impacts. Planning corrective measures enables managers to incorporate sustainable practices, thereby reducing material consumption, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and prioritizing environmentally friendly construction practices. Simply extending the life span of major infrastructure helps to continue amortizing the environmental impacts associated with the original construction, while delaying impacts related to its demolition and reconstruction.

A transferable and exportable model

Sound asset management, particularly the design of a master asset maintenance plan, applies to all types of assets and infrastructure. The MAMP can be adapted and applied to multiple types of infrastructure that a manager is overseeing.

MAMP: A proactive management solution for the   Bridge

For two decades, our bridges teams have collaborated with Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI) to conduct studies and plan work for the Jacques Cartier Bridge. This bridge is an iconic piece of Quebec’s urban landscape, and is a major road link used by nearly 90,000 people on a daily basis.

As a major infrastructure manager, JCCBI wanted to develop an integrated management approach to make sure its infrastructure is sustainable, fully functional and inviting for residents. The Jacques Cartier Bridge is an example of one of the first MAMPs that was implemented through a proactive management lens.

One of the key elements that contributed to the success of this collaboration is the trusting relationship established with JCCBI throughout the years. EXP conducted various studies and acquired in-depth knowledge about the client’s infrastructure, thereby gaining a comprehensive understanding of specific issues, key factors and particular challenges. Trust made it possible to implement a master plan that was tailored to the structure’s current conditions.

The asset maintenance plan has been adapted to other JCCBI infrastructure including the Bonaventure Expressway, the Estacade, the Honoré Mercier Bridge and the Melocheville tunnel. Sound management of these assets through a MAMP highlights the innovative and universal nature of MAMPs, which could redefine the notion of infrastructure management.

Learn more about the project > Jacques Carter Bridge Inspection and Rehabilitation Program | EXP

Future possibilities

MAMPs can be used as an essential tool for responsible and sustainable management of major infrastructure. They represent a proactive, multidisciplinary and adaptive approach, which helps infrastructure managers plan for specific needs, maximize life spans and reduce long-term impacts. MAMPs refine the way major infrastructure is managed and could eventually contribute to reducing service interruptions and impacts on road network users.

Learn more about EXP’s bridge projects and services.