Application of new technologies to improve risk management

Austroads project AT1539 developed guidance for the use of new technologies that can improve the efficiency of road asset managers. This report is the second stage of the project and it assesses eleven new technologies that can be potentially useful for road asset managers. Each technology is described in terms of its concepts, physical principles, potential use in asset management and any limitations, case examples and, for level 1 and 2 priority technologies, standards and insights on the costs of the technology. The technologies are mapped to different asset management aspects. This mapping shows the type of data that is collected, which information is obtained and for which asset management aspect this information is used. Additionally, conclusions are drawn on how to deploy each technology based on the potential use in asset management, market readiness, the quality of the provided data and the costs and business case considerations. In particular, LiDAR technology was assessed to have a significant potential for road asset management. Potential applications and issues have been discussed in dialogue between road agencies and LiDAR industry stakeholders. This resulted in a separate discussion paper describing best practice for mobile LiDAR survey requirements.