TUNNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM : FHWA, FTA DEVELOP MANUALS AND SOFTWARE PROGRAM TO ASSESS PHYSICAL CONDITIONS

Two new manuals and a software program have been developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), providing guidelines for inspecting, maintaining and repairing highway and rail transit tunnels. The titles are the Highway and Rail Transit Tunnel Inspection Manual and Highway and Rail Transit Tunnel Maintenance and Rehabilitation Manual. The software program enables collection of data on tunnel components. This is the first nationwide tunnel management system. Numerous tunnels in the U.S. are now more than 50 years old and are starting to show signs of wear, especially from water. The inspection manual outlines the chief components and systems and lays out ways to design and carry out inspections. Conditions are ranked in terms of repair priority and it provides a classification system to define them in standardized terms. The maintenance manual provides specific recommendation on preventive maintenance and the structural repairs that best address specific problems, especially those related to water. The software gives point-and-click access to data that documents conditions of different tunnel components and systems. It is to be located on a site sponsored by the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials and should be available early in summer of 2003.