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Graduate Research Award program Application: 2010_2011 Page 2 of 11
Applicant's name: Datef/tTlo
A completed application checklist and application package cover sheet
Personal information of applicant
Qual ifications of applicant
Research project proposal
Reference letter #1
Reference letter #2
Research advísor form
official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
Please list all institutions from which official transcripts have been requested. Transcripts may beincluded in the submission packet if properly sealed from the registrar.
lf official transcripts will be sent separately, please indicate that they have been ordered andinclude an unofficial copy of each of your transcripts in the application package.
Writing Sample
(The writing sample should be submitted with the application. An appropriate writingsample.might be a previous publication, a paper writien for a class assignment, a -research project report, or similar example of professional writing. lf paþers rérà
"o-authored, the role of the applicant must be clearly described. Wiiting såmples may notbe longer than 25 pages.)
Graduate Research Award program Application: 2010-2011 Page 3 of 11
Administered By:Airport Cooperative Research ProgramTransportation Research Board, National Academies
APPLICATION FORM
GRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAM ON PUBLIC-SECTOR AVIATION ISSUES
Sponsored By:Federal Aviation Adm inistrationU.S. Department of Transportation
PART I- PERSONAL INFORMATION OF APPLICANT
(Please Type)
'l. Full legal name:Mohammadsaied
Last First
2. Date of birth: 06/19/83
3. Citizenship: IRANIAN
4. Gender: [J ] Male [ ] Femate
5. Ethnicity (optional) :
Middle Former name (if any)
Place of birth: IRAN
6.7.B.
9.10.
I American lndian or Alaskan Native: origin in any of the original peoples of North AmericaI Black: origin in any of the black racial groupsI Hispanic: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Central or South America, or other Spanish culture or origin,
regardless of raceI Asian or Pacific lslander: origin in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia,
or the pacific lslands. lncludes China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine lslands, Samoa, and thelndian Subcontinent
J I White: origin in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East
Mailing address: 327 Charles St, Blacksburg, VA, 24060Permanent address: 327 Charles St, Blacksburg, VA, 2406ATelephone numbers - Mailing: Permanent: 540-B0B-8347Email address: [email protected]
9"oLl"gg or University currently enrolled at: Virginia Polytechnic lnstitute and State UniversityMajor Field: Civil and Environmental Engineering (Transportation Asset Management)Degree objective: [ ] Master's [J] DoctorateExpected month and year of graduation: January 2013
Names of two people from whom you are requesting reference letters.
a. Hanif. D. Sheralib. Gerardo Flintsch
Name and title of faculty research advisor for this project:
Gerardo FlintschDirector, Center for Sustainable Transportation lnfrastructure, VTTIAssociate Professor of civil and Environmental Engíneering, Virginia Tech3500 Transportation Research Plaza, Blacksburg, VA 2406j
11.
12.
Graduate Research Award program Application: 201O_2011 Page 4 of 11
PART II- QUALIFICATIONS OF APPLICANT
(Please Type)
13' Education: ln reverse chronologicalorder, list colleges or universities attended.
ptease explain any interruption(s
ii:11,t:":l::"j'jl:t:::]î': s^ouflr Arrica ¡n zoõ4, ,Åo ÀrJ å very orier research experience w¡h prorAlex Visser and pror. Morris De Beer, studyins south Africa" t";;ü;; ; ,"o,6ä,ff'åi:'ïJJï t
worked for a short time (about a month) ¡n zooa for BEHSAZEH construction company in lran, whichwas licensed by Genesis, a Canadian light steelframe company.
14' Professional Experience. ln reverse chronological order, list professional experience, includingsummer and term-time work.
15' Awards, honors, and publicatíons: List fellowships, scholarships, and other academic and/orprofessionar posítions, herd since entering coilege br un¡uéisäv.
College / University Location MajorField
DatesAttended GPA Degree
Date degreeawarded/expect
ed/irginia Tech /irginia \sset Mgt. rAN 2009- ).94t4 rh.D.¿012
iharif Univ of Technology ehran/lran Iransport )_005-2007 6.04t20 ú.Sc. )-ao7Jniversity of Tehran ehran/lran ivil ¿001-2005 15.53t20 l.Sc. z00s
Nerng of Employer Location f)afce Nature of WorkConsln,^li^^ noo;lIìTehran 2008 h month)
Award, Honor, or publication Date(s) DescriptionLesearch F'ellow anuary 20 I 0-3uest lecturer t- / 1 5 / 20 1 0. McBricle/V]' Presentatiou on global ethicsiuest lecturer
) / I 4 / 2049, McBricle/VT PI'esenfatiorl on crrltrrr-ol ãifRB paper revicwcr Ausust 2008.2009 \ot reviewed fbr 2009)ehghan ancl Vaziri January 2008 008 TRR åntrrel rncer)ehghan anclVaziri ¿008Jenghanl,,þ lrntsch and Meclina lanuary 2010 ¿0101'RB annual meeting pa¡rer
Graduate Research Award Program Application: 2010-2011 Page 5 of 11
16. Describe your career goals and how this research will contribute to achieving those goals (you
may add page(s) if necessary):
I arn rvliting this letter in response to the lec¡uest fbr pro¡rosal of "Grutltr(LÍe Reseorch Au,ru'tl Progrurn orr
Pultlic ,Scclor ,4tiution Lv,s'ue,s " sponsored by ACIì.f. I arn a PhD student fiocusir-rg on trans¡rortationinfì'astrncture asset rnan¿ìgenrent in thc Depafturent of Civil ancl Environmental Engineering at Virginiti'fech. My current resealrh f-ocr¡s is on cleveloping a multiobjective cross-asset marìageurent fl'alnewolkfbr roaclway systerns. This frainework will allor,v eugineers and decisìon makers to iucorporalc rnultipletypes ol'roaciway assets (briclge, 1:avenrent, cuh,el'ts, signai etc.) into one clecision-supporl environrncutand to optimize and coorcliuate the decision making processes (selecting a preservation scerrario,allocating resource, etc.) across all assets u,hile consiclering objectives and goals f'or each type of asset.'lhis l't'aurer,vork u,ill be s¡recilìcally uselul lor rnunicipal and statc agencies that manage sevel'al types olt'oachvay assets. I-lolvever, othel transportatiou asscts such as airllorts are critical inlì'astructures that alsorec¡uire enliancecl rranagelnelìt ¿urcl maintenance systems. Various RFPs in airpclrt ancl aviation systernsponsorecl by ACRP rcveals tlie neecl lor rnore research in this area.'fherefbre, I really \Ä'ant to take thisexccptional rcsearch opporlunity to extencl my stucly area to airporl assets ancl urake contribution to myf irlrrrc goir[s iultl acaclcrnic carecr.
Go¡r,sI rvill continue rny career as a postcloctoral researcher ancl a faculty rnemtrer. I rvill continue uly researchstudies tn"ct¡t¡tl.t;irtg.firutnce unrl o¡terution,y rcscurch.fbr nrunugittg trun,s¡trtrtution u,ç,çeÍs." Mycoursewot'k plan in fiuance and operations research r.vill help me to meet my goals as a PhD student ancl
as a postdoctoral ancl faculty resealrher in the future. I will urajor in trut,s¡xtrlutirnt usset m(ut(tgenxetttancl rnitror in opcraÍions rcsaorch ancl.financc wllich rvill make a brighter lirtr"lre l'or my acaclemic caffier.I have plannecl to cor-rtinuc my postdoctoral stuclies in operations rcsearch division o1'transpofiationengineering school at a highly regarcled Uuivelsity, such as MIT.
Co¡qlnlnu'rloN or,' Ttlrs nESBAncItThis proposed pro-ject will improve my experience in air transportatiou inlrastructures and ptrves the loacltbr rny future studies in this area ancl will significantly contribute to achieving a urore successlìrlacadcnlic cart:er. I am really keen to extencl my research area into airport lnaníìgcmclìt systerns. I l'racl
bceninvolveclinlrreparingalxolrosalassocìateclrvithairporlassetrlanagement(ACRP01-16). Ibelievethat operations rcsearch is uot only benefìcial to airport opcration planning (l'leet assignment, aircraftrouting. crew schecluling) but also to enltancing the rnarrager.ncnt, maintcnancc and decisìon makingprocess fbr the inlì'astructr.rlc assets ol airports.In addition to supporting my future acaclerlic c¿ìrcer, this research opporlnnity will undeniably have agrcat contribution to rny cru'rclrt Ph[) research as it u,ill expancl lny currerlt research alea fl-om roach,vay
¿rssets to airports asse{s. The fbllorving figule summarizes the rnethodology that I arn proposing f'ordeveloping the roadrvay cross-asset marlagemelìt fiamervork to cleate tlie version for the airport. Theoutcomc of'this project rvill be integrated into my PhD clisserlation ancl rvill help me cleveiop a flexibleasset managernent fiameu,ork r.vhich is aclaptable to various types of infrastlucture assets (roachvay,airport, etc.) ancl is applicable fbr a wide range of infi'astmcture agencies. I willtrenefit fì'our clistinguishedanrl outstancling supen isors that are also rny research committee mernbers ancl ale very well-knou'n inoperatious research, asset managenlent, ancl infì'astr¡.rcture manageurent fiuance that rvill assist rne withthe pro.f ect accomplishnrent.'Iilìs rcsearclt proglaln is au outstancling opportunity ibr rne . It is celtainly impoflant f'or rny current PhDstudies ancl rny fìrtule acaclemic c¿ìreel'. I an"r really looking lbrrvalcl to taking this great researchoplrortunity. Pleasc Ièel liee to contact me il'you have any questious.
Sincerely,
Mohamm¿rdsai ed Dchghani sanijResearch FellowVirginia f'ech Transportation histitr.rte3500'Iransportatioll Research Plarza, Blacksburg, VA 24061
Graduate Research Award Program Application: 2010-2011 Page 6 of 11
RoadwayGross-assetFramework
AirportFramework
Current Assets
Conditions F;"ill F""l r""'.*'q
I affirm that the information p.p"r{in this application is true and complete to the best of my knowledge'
sisnature of the Apptic ^n,.#A. Þ--.h \,*.; Date..04ll/ tD
'l
scenæios based
il p-r"mmc ves,es rPMl I ii,'ii.i
Revising scenarios bæed
on feedbacks
Comparing the
outcomes with goals
ûø69õ8ë5.9oE
(L
co-gJ.EU)
INOTE: Thís apptìcation ìs not coínplete without a signature.]
Graduate Research Award Program Appl¡cation: 2010-2011 Page 7 of 11
APPLIGATION FORM
GRADUATE RESEARCH AWARD PROGRAM ON PUBLIC-SECTOR AVIATTON ISSUES
Sponsored BY: Administered BY:
fäOeralAviaúon Administration Airport Cooperative Research Program
U.S. Department of Transportation Trånsportation Research Board, National Academies
PART III -RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL
(Please Type)
Name: Dehghanisanij Mohammadsaied Date May 17 ' 2010
Last First Middle
Title of Research Project:
Mur,rr-osJEcrtvE Fn.¡nanwoRK FoR Mnir¡,rctxc AlnpoRr INrR¿.s'rnucruRE AssB'rs
ln 500 words or less, describe the proposed research project' lnclude project objectives'
methodology, and expected outcomes. Also indicate how this research work could benefit the
aviation community, and contribute to your career goals'
[Please attach additional sheets as needed']
On¡ncrrynThe objective of this proposed research is to develop a decision support framework to enhance
management, p."rr*ãtion and funding processes across airports infrastructure assets in a
multiile-objectìve/multi-constraint, .rrui-ro*ent. Airports consist of a large and varied number
of infrastructure assets or components. Each of these assets has its own characteristics, which
require a different set of knowlãdge-base and expertise. The processes and decision-support tools
used for managing the various asset class", oft"n use different definitions, metrics, valuation
upprouch"s, unã ñfor*ation managernent methods. Tlpically, airports have to adopt one or
more engineering management systems for individual assets. Examples of such systems include
pavement Managementiystems (PMS), which are commonly used in medium to large airports'
Howover, we believe that manag"*.ni frameworks for resource allocation within individual
asset classes do not optimally address the overall airport strategic plls' A cross-asset
management framework ìot onþ optimizes the resource allocation across airport infrastructure
assets but also enhances the decision making process for management and preservation of assets
at strategic and Planning levels.
MnrHoDoLocYWe will use a methodology similar to "roadway asset management fram-ework" proposed for my
phD research study to develop a management framework for airport infrastructure assets. First,
we will identiff best practi"". fro- alrports collecting information on airports policies /goals,
p"rfor-*"" rr,ät i", used for various asset types, resource allocation practices and tools, and the
management system mechanism in each uióàrt. We will also collect data on performangg and
maintenance history for different assets. Applying our proposed framework, for different
preservation/maintenance scenarios the probabiiisticiist¡bution of the outcomes (in terms of
performance measures) will be generated-in a simulation environment for each type of asset with
regard to differeni oújectives/ónstraints. we will then determine the overall "asset value"
which represents the overall condition of each asset type. The asset value will be used in a
feedback mechanism to modify the resource allocation process. This means that if the
management system and the flow of resources result in low condition (value) for one asset tlpe
relative to others, the system will recommend to modiff the budget allocation and the
preservation altematives so that the condition of all assets and thus, the asset values will be
upgraded consistently. For this purpose, the framework will utilize optimization and soft
cäírputing techniques to determitr" itr" optimal distribution of resource across different asset
types. The resouåe allocated to each assèt category is then distributed within each asset class
for a network and project level management. we will implement the framework in a case study
for the Roanoke "i^tp"tt.
The results õill enable us to calibrate and modiff the framework to be
applicable by airport management agencies based on their constraints (data availability and
budgeting limitations).
CONTNIBUTTON
This research proposal will provide an exceptional opportunity to implement the management
framework on a different infrastructure system (roadwayà airport) and to expand my current
research area to airport infrastructure assets. Adoption of the developed framework will also
facilitate the communication among roadway and airport agencies.
Graduate Research Award Program Application: 2010-2011
APPLICATION FORM
GRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAM ON PUBLIC-SECTOR AVIATION ISSUES
Sponsored By:Federal Aviation Adm inistrationU.S. Department of Transportation
Page I of 11
Administered By:Airport Cooperative Research ProgramTransportation Research Board, National Academies
PART IV - REFERENCE LETTER ON APPLICANT
(Please Type)
This section to be comoleted bv Aoplicant:
NameofApplicant:Dehghanisanij Mohammadsaied Date May 17,2O1OLast First Middle
Applicant's major field of study : Civil Engineering (Transportation Asset Management)
Title of Proposed Research Project:
Mulrr-oSJECTrvE FnnlvrnwoRK FoR MaNacr¡¡c AlRponr INnnasrnuc'I'uRB AssRrs
This section to be comÞleted bv reference respondent:
NOTE: This appticant has named you as one of two people who know hidher academic and professional
experience and ability. Your views will help us evaluate this applicant's qualifications for receiving anaward for conducting research on the above proiect.
Please complete this form, make another copy, and place each copy in a separate envelope. Sealboth envelopes, sþn each across úhe seal, and return BOTH envelopes to the applicant forinclusion with the applÍcation to be submitted to the Transportation Researcå Board.
Name of Reference Respondent:
Ti¡e: Arççr>.¿ü-<-6e^..rús Ftl*1s",1"
Organization:
Mailing address:
Emailaddress:
ln what capacity do you know the applicant? f\.:o,)ev,*ù c frduìs, rHow long have you known the applicanlu I ' 6 ?<,*'rE
Phone: 5to -11t 'qzz'l
Graduate Research Award Program Application: 2010-2011 Page 9 of 11
PART lV: Page 2
1. Please evaluate the applicant in the following areas as compared with other individuals of
comparable training, age and experience'
necessary.
Pt.*:,r t.< \e c;o wt vn e*n-roU\, sr^
available to the
2.
3.
please comment on the ability of the applicant to carry out the proposed research in a timely
manner. , r \ , \C.[*ld$.\.,v.^ orrstt €€'\d \s tî **f,u-.- t'- q aor4n,ttcd tt
b. c.bL \o .Ð*¿^,J .\^s u
*uou.i,. '[þt''-"'-'l,"\'please add any other comments that you .on.ìd"r to be pdrÌinent to the evaluation of the
applicant and that "r"
nãt covered aOäquatãi' Oy you. otirer answers. Attach additional sheet(s) if
CONFIDENTIALITY: The information contained in this
ãpplicant or otherwise publicly disclosed except as rec
Signature of Reference Respondent:
)utstandinçAbove
averageAverage
Belowaverage
lnsufficientopportunitY to
observe
ftowledge of major field
lesearch skills)roblem solving skills
SreativitY
-eadershiPA/ritten communication
r'Jral communication
letter shall not be
Gerardo W, Flintschõ'it""tot, C
"nter for Sustai nable Transportation I nf rastruc{ ure
Ë;;i;ãùiessor of Givil and Environmental Engineering
3500 Transportation Research Plaza, Blacksburg' VA' 24061-0536
540-231-9748E-ma¡l : fl ¡ntsch(Ovt.edu
Fax: 540-231 -1 555
www.vtti.vt.edu
May 17,2010
Io: ACRP Graduate Research Award Program selection committee
From: Gerardo FlintsctU
Associate professor, The Via Department of Civil and Environment Engineering
Director, center for sustainable Transportation Infr astructure
Ref:MohammadsaiedDehghanisanijAwardNomination
It is a pleasure to recommend Mohammadsaied Dehghanisanij for the AcRP graduate research
award program. I have been Mohammadsaied's research advisor for almost two years at
virginia Tech. His outstanding research skills have made him capable of working on wide
spectrum of projects ,o"t * "Sllash and Spray Assessment Tools" and "Cross-asset Resource
Allocation Optimization." Móhammadsaied is an outstanding student and has exemplary
capability for analyzing different t.t.."tt p*blems, leading tasks, and providing right-to-the-
point comments. â""írr." of his u"u¿"-i, abilities and intellectual curiosity' he has not only
contributed to on-going research p-¡"ctr, urrt he has also cooperated with us in preparing various
proposals (including one in response to nCnp 01-16), which is rather unique for a graduate
student. Mohammadsaied has also been selected to receive one of our Prestigious SAIC
Fellowship based on his exemplary performance and grades in the first year'
I think that it is important to mention his extraordinary enthusiasm during the preparation of this
application. He tras tra¿ several *".ffi *ittt *. a$ gther colleagues to prepare a research
team (including proß. Sherali utd frurriiãnd request f-eedback and input' Mohammadsaied has
outstanding abilities for defining probláms, solrring thoge ptobl"Tl and providing solutions'
The courses that te tras taken ,o-A, have áade hiri well qualifred for research in airport asset
management and r am strongly confident that, given his organization and academic abilities' he
will aãcomplish this project within the timeline'
Therefore, I have no hesitation recoÍrmending Mohammadsaied Dehghanisanij for this Research
Award. He is one of our most creative and tafented student, and I believe that he has a brilliant
future in the academic field. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you had any questions'
I,Çardo Flintsch, Ph.D.
sociateProfessorofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineeringrector, Center for Sustainable Transportation Infr astructure
0-231-9748Fax:540-231-1555E-mail:flintsch@'vt'edu
lnvent the Future
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITYAn equal opportunity' aff irmative action institution
Graduate Research Award Program Application: 2010-2011
APPLICATION FORM
GRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAM ON PUBLIC-SECTOR AVIATION ISSUES
Page 7 of 10
Sponsored BY:
Federal Aviation Adm inistrationU.S. Department of Transportation
Administered By:Airport Cooperative Research ProgramTransportation Research Board, National Academies
PART IV - REFERENCE LETTER ON APPLICANT
(Please Type)
This section to be comoleted bv Aoplicant:
Name of Applicant: DehghanisanijLast
MohammadsaiedFirst Middle
Date 10 May 2010
Applicant's major field of study: Civil Engineering (lnfrastructure Asset Management)
Title of Proposed Research Project:
MULTI-OBJECTIvE Fn¡*rcWORK Í'oR Mlx¡,CrxC ArnrOnr INrn¡,SrnUcTURE AssnrS
This section to be comoleted bv reference respondent:
NOTE: This appticant has named you as one of two peopte who know his/her academic and professional
eiper¡ence ,rA "øitity.
your views witt hetp us evaluate this appticant's qualifications for receiving an
award for conducting research on the above proiect'
Please complete this form, make another copy, and ntage- 919h copy in a separate envelope' Seal
both envelopes, sign each across fhe seal, ànd return BOTH envelopes to the applicantfor
inclusion with the apii¡cat¡on to be submitted to the Transpoñation Research Board'
Name of Reference ResPondent: htraTitle: [i3.SOrganization: V ìr--qttrrìc\: I e*c Y\
Maitins address: ;f -S Ci .Tt ur !,n* l\., \ ) - 0 I ttir",
"oor"rr, ffi . .' ,\ u phone: 5 +o .13 1 5 {.1#
Vln what capacity do you know the applicant?
-As a research committee memberJ-
How long have you known the applicant?
-One
yearj-
Graduate Research Award Program Application: 2010-2011 Page 8 of 10
PART lV: Page 2
1. please evaluate the applicant in the following areas as compared with other individuals of
comparable training, age and experience'
Aboveaverage
AverageBelow
average
lnsufficientopportunitY to
observeJt¡tùtal lwl¡ l\
(nowledge of major field X
ìesearch skillsx
rroblem solving skillsx
)reativity x
-eadershipx
Â/ritten com m u nication x
)ral communication X
2. please comment on the ability of the applicant to carry out the proposed research in a timely
manner.
Mr. Dehghanisanij is a hard working and diligent student who is very likely to carry out the
proposed research in a timely fashion'
3. please add any other comments that you consider to be.pertinent to the evaluation of the
appticant ano thãt are not covered áàåõr"t"lv by your otirer answers. Attach additional sheet(s) if
necessary.
Please see attached letter.
CONFIDENTIALITy: The information contained in this reference letter shall not be available to the
ãppficant or otherwise publicly disclosed except as required by law.
Signature of Reference Respondent:
¿t4 t A¿J Date: s/10/10
$VirgÍniaTêchCotlege of Engineering
May 10,2010
Evaluation CommitteeAirport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)
Re: Recommendation for Mohammadsaied Dehghani for ACRP award proglam
Dear Committee Members:
I am delighted to write this letter of recommendation for Mr. Mohammadsaied Dehghanisanij in support
of his application to the'oGraduate Research Award Program on Public Sector Aviation Issues"' Being
on his dissertation committee, I know Mr. Dehghanisanij-'s for about a year. our meetings and discussions
on his research progtess have shown the great potential he has for making notable contributions'
Mr. Dehghanisanij has performed admirably well in 1!: ._1*t9 ISE 5405: Optimization I in the
Department of fn¿ustriål and System Engineering (ISE). He plans on taking follow-on courses dealing
with nonlinear optimization, stochastic processes] ànd project evaluation in our department' which will be
.,n.ry "r"n
f for hìs ph¡ ,"r"ur.h and also for the overlãpping research he has proposed for your program'
I must also make note of Mr. Dehghanisanij's exceptioni uõu¿"rnic performance'-He is among the top
distinguished students with a nigh-cre, urra t .upàule of performing multiple tasks with favorable
results despite deadline pressures. His research is creative ãnd insightful, and I therefore strongly
recommen-d him for this research study opportunity'
If you have any further questions in this regard, please do not hesitate to contact me' Thank you for your
consideration.
Sincerely,
¿t.'4 Ç A'uHanif D. Sherali
University Distinguished Professor, and
W. Thomas Rice Chaired Professor of Engineering
Grado Department of lndustrial and Systems Engineering
250 Durham Hall(0118)Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
540/231 -6656 F ax: 5401231-3322
E-mail: [email protected]
Invent the Future
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITYAn equal opportun¡ty, aftirmative act¡on ¡nstitution
Graduate Research Award Program Application: 2010-2011 Page 10 of 11
APPLICATION FORM
GRADUATE RESEARCH AWARD PROGRAM ON PUBLIC-SECTOR AVIATION ISSUES
Sponsored By:Federal Aviation AdministrationU,S. Department of Transportation
Administered BY:
Airport Cooperative Research ProgramTransportation Research Board, National Academies
To be completed bv the aoPlicant:
NOTE: ln order to enrich the educational experience gained from your proposed rese.arch proiect, it is
necessa(y for you to request a facutty membär from yõur univers.ity who is faltiliar with your resgqch .
project to act as a research advisor io you during the course of the proiect, Pleale nrgvide the following
informatian and ask the facutty member to comltete the form. You shoutd submit it with your application.
The research advisor may also be a reference respondent'
PART V - FACULTY RESEARCH ADVISOR
Applicant's Name: Dehghanisanij MohammadsaiedLast First Middle
Date May 13,2010
Title of Proposed Research Project:
MULTI.OBJE,CTIVE FR¡.NNTWORK FOR MAXICTNG ATRPORT INNN¿STNUCTURE ASSNTS
To be completed by the facultv research advisor
NoTE:Theresearch@recipientscanbeconsiderablyenhancedifafacultymember at the appticän(s university acts as an advisor to the applicant during the conduct of the
research. Thereiore, each appticait is required to designate such an advisor who will be available to
him/her throughout the couise of the research proiect lo providg advice as it progresses. When research
papers by award winners are published by the'Tránspoiation Research Board, the faculty member will be
identified as fhe research advisor.
Faculty Research Advisor's Name: Gerardo W. Flinstch
Title: AssociateProfessorDepartment: Civil and Environmental Enqineerinq
University: Virqinia TechMailing Addiess: 3500 Transportation Research Plaza -.Etail'- flinttch@ut."du Phone: 540-951-4783
1. Have you examined the applicant's proposed research plan? Yes -X-
No
2. Do you consider the applicant's research plan reasonable? Yes -X-
No
lf no, please comment.
Gerardo W. Flintschõ¡recto., Center for Sustainable Transportation lnfrastructure
AJ;;i"i; Èrof"""ot of c ivil a nd E nvironmental E ng i neeri n g
3500 Transportdion Research Plaza' Blacksburg' VA' 24061-0536
540-231-9748E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 540-231 -1 555www.vtti.vt.edu
May 17,2010
To: ACRP Graduate Research Award Program Selection Committee
From: GerardoFlintsct¡Associate Professor, The Via Department of Civil and Environment Engineering
Director, Center for Sustainable Transportation Infr astructure
Ref: Mohammadsaied Dehghanisanij AwardNomination
It is a pleasure to recommend Mohammadsaied Dehghanisanij for the ACRP graduate reseafch
awafd progfam. I have been Mohammadsaied's research advisor for almost two years at
virginia Tech. His outstanding research skills have made him capable of working on wide
speãtrum of projects such as "Sllash and Spray Assessment Tools" and "Cross-asset Resource
Allocation optimization.,, Móhammadsaied is an outstanding student and has exemplary
capability for analyzing different research problems, leading tasks, and providing rightto-the-
point comments. Becaluse of his academic abilities and intellectual curiosit¡ he has not only
contributed to on-going research projects, but he has also cooperated with us in preparing various
proposals (including one in response to ACRP 01-16), which is rather unique for a graduate
student. Mohammadsaied has also been selected to receive one of our Prestigious SAIC
Fellowship based on his exemplary performance and grades in the first year'
I think that it is important to mention his extraordinary enthusiasm during the preparation of this
application. He has had several meetings with me a1d gther colleagues to prepare a research
team (including Proß. Sherali and Traniiand request feedback and input' Mohammadsaied has
outstanding abilities for defining problåms, solving those problem1, and providing solutions'
The courses that he has taken so far have made him well qualified for research in airport asset
management and I am strongly confident that, given his organization and academic abilities' he
will aócomplish this project within the timeline'
Therefore, I have no hesitation recoûlmending Mohammadsaied Dehghanisanij for this Research_ l-^- ^ L-:11:^-+
is one of our most creative and talented student, and I believe that he has a brilliant
academic freld., Please do not hesitate to contact me if you had any questions'
fo FlintsctU Ph.D.iate professor of civil and Environmental Engineering
ctor, Center for Sustainable Transportation Infr astructure
231-9748 Fax: 540-231-1555 E-mail: flintsch@vt'edu
Award. Hefuture in the
Invent the Future
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITYAn equal opportunity, affirmative action ¡nstitut¡on
In The Name Of GodTra ipt of UniversiW Grades
Date: 09/0
ffi'ffi:iiË
UniversityTehran
1/2008 1of 3
Student No:810280097
First Name: MohammadSaied
Last Name: Dehghanisanij
ID. No:785
Date of e¡rth: 06/19/1983
G ra d uate D atet 09 I 22 I 2005
FacultY: ENGINEERING
Department: CIVIL ENGINEERING
Major: ç1y1¡ ENGINEERINc
Total Passed Units: 141of
GPA: 15.53
Level: Bachelor
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
B
8120025
8120098
8120071
8120115
8120053
8120121
8120106
8120012
Computer Programming
Islamic Knowledge IPersian Language IPhysics IEnglish Language I
Calculus IIndustrial Drawing IPhysics Lab. I
3
2
3
3
3
3
2
1
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
14,40
20.00
18,00
12.50
17.00
13.75
18.50
18.00
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
B
8120097
8102026
8720r22
BTO2ITT
8102020
8120021
8120116
B 120100
Differential Equations
Princi. of Arch. & Urban Planning
Calculus IIEngineering Geology
Statics
Islamic Revolution &Its Origin
Physics IIIslamic Knowledge II
3
2
3
2
3
2
2
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
15.75
15.50
13.75
16.00
12.00
17.50
17.40
20.00
1 8102409
2 BL0229L
3 8120017
4 BLO2LZB
s 8102277
6 8120095
7 8120096
B 8102323
Environmental Engineering
Strength of Materials IProbabilities & Statistics
Dynamics
Construction Materials
Islamic Texts
Numerical Computation Methods
Surveying & Operations I
2
3
3
2
2
2
2
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
16.00
14.50
16.00
13.75
14,00
20.00
15.50
Incomplete
AC year 01 _ 02 lsr Semester
Semester Passed Unitr 20 Semester Units: 20 Semester GPA: 16.10
AC Year 01 - 02 2nd Semester
Semester Passed Unit: 20 Semester Units: 20 Semester GPAr 15.73
AC Year 02 - 03 1st Semester
Semester Passed Unit: 17 Semester Units: 19 Semester GPA: 15,51
Transcriot of Uni GradesDate: 09/0U2008 Page 2of 3
Student No: 810280097
First Name: MohammadSaiedLast Name: Dehghanisanij
craduate Date: 09 | 221 2005
Faculty: ENGINEERINGDepartment: CIVIL ENGINEERING
MaJOT: CIVIL ENGINEERING
Level: Bachelor
AC year 02 _ 03 2nd Semester Semester Status: Normal
Row Crs.No Crs.Title CR Crs.Mode Grade
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
B
8120028
8102105
8102323
8102094
8102369
8120027
8102300
8r02292
Physical Education IConcrete Technology
Surveying & Operations IStructural Analysis ISoil Mechanics
History of Islam
Fluid Mechanics
Strength of Materials II
1
2
2
J
3
2
3
2
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
20.00
13.75
15.50
i3.5018.00
17.50
16.50
11.00
Semester Passed Unit: 18 Semester Units: 18 Semester GPA: 15,53
AC Year 03 - 04 lst Semester SemesterStatus: Normal
Row Crs,No Crs,Title CR Crs.Mode Grade
1 8120003
2 8102349
3 8102195
4 8102189
5 8102169
6 8102339
7 8t02264
B 8102095
9 8102368
Islamic Education & Ethics IHydraulics
Steel Structures IReinforced Concrete struct IProfessional Language
Hydrology
Construc.Cost Estimate & Proj
Structural Analysis IIHighway Engineering
2
2
2
3
2
2
1
2
2
N
N
N
N
W
N
N
N
N
20.00
14.25
i4.9013.00
1s.00
Incomplete
12.50
11.50
Semester Passed Un¡Í 15 Semester Units: 18 Semester GPA: 14,35
AC Year 03 - 04 2nd Semester Semester Status: Normal
Row Crs.No Crs.Title CR Crs,Mode Grade
1 8102197
2 8102084
3 8102039
4 8102404
5 8102309
6 8102306
7 8102264
B 8102190
9 8102261
10 8120013
11 8102014
t2 8102078
13 8102069
Steel Structures IIFoundation Engineering
Loading
Modelling of Structures
Transpoftat¡on Engineering
Water & Sewage Engineering
Construc.Cost Estimate & Proj
Reinforced Concrete Struct IIConstruction Equipments
Physics Lab. IIGeology Lab
Water Supply & Sewage Project
Foundation Engineering Project
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
N
N
N
W
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
12.30
16.75
17.50
18.50
11.00
19.00
16.25
13.00
16.50
16.00
Incomplete
Incomplete
Semester Passed Unit: 17 Semester Units: 2l Semester GPA: 15.42
Transcriot of U Grades
Dater 09/01/2008 Page 3of 3
Student No: 810280097
First Name; MohammadSaiedLast Name: Dehghanisanij
Graduate Datet 09 I 2212005
Faculty: ENGINEERINGDepartment: CIVIL ENGINEERING
Majon CIVIL ENGINEERING
Level: Bachelor
AC year 04 - Os lst Semester Semester Status: lttormal
Row Crs.No Crs.Title CR Crs.Mode Grade
1 8102073
2 8102078
3 8i02069
4 BIO2L4B
5 8102418
6 8120123
7 8102060
B 8102169
9 8102027
i0 8120029
11 8102018
Reinforced Concrete struct. Pro
Water Supply & Sewage Project
Foundation Engineering Project
Pavement Engineering
Soil Improuement Technics
Population & Family Control
Hydraulic Structures
Professional Language
Engineering Economics
Physical Education IIHydraulics Lab
1
1
1
2
2
1
3
2
2
1
1
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
Incomplete
17.00
13.00
16.00
17.50
20.00
15.25
17.00
14.00
16.50
18.00
Semester Passed Unit: 16 Semester Units: 17 Semester GPA¡ 16.20
AC year 04 - Os 2nd Semester Semester Status: Normal
Row Crs.No Crs.T¡tle CR Crs.Mode Grade
r 8102449
2 8102091
3 8102109
4 8102311
5 8102155
6 8102023
7 8102073
B 8102074
9 8102070
10 8102017
11 8102013
72 8102015
SITE INVESTIGATION
Mechanical & Electrical Instal
Tunnel Engineering
Traffic Engineering
Construction Methods
Principles of Earthquake Eng.
Reinforced Concrete struct. Pro
Steel Structure Project
Highway Engineering Project
Soil Mechanics Lab
Pavement Lab
Construction Materials Lab
2
2
2
2
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
N
N
N
14.25
18.50
15.00
12.50
15.50
19.00
Incomplete
Incomplete
15.50
14.50
16.00
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
Semester Passed Unit! 16 Semester Units: 20 Semester GPA: 15,28
AC year 04 - 05 3rd Semester Semester Status: Graduate
Row Crs.No Crs.Title CR Crs.Mode Grade
1
2
3
8102070
8102074
870225r
Highway Engineering Project
Steel Structure Project
Training I
1 N
N
15.00
13.00
17.00
I2
Semester Passed Unit:2 Semester Units: 2 Semester GPA: 14,00
JALILf S¡i
D
END OF TRANSCRIPT
'P yå
\çoÁ"i,\ (--l! ryÐ
\;a. ,.'¡J ¿-tl tìj\---lreateDate: 2008/09/01
NOT VALID WITHOUT AND SEAL OF REGISTER
SHARIF UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
STUDENT NUMBER: 84203359
LAST NAME: DEHGHANI SANIJ
FIRST NAME: MOHAMMAD SAIED
B. C. NO.:785COURSE NO COURSE TITLE UNIT GRADE COURSE NO
3.0 16.4
3.0 15.2
3.0 14.3
9.0 15.30
9.0 15.30
3.0 15.2
3.0 15.7
3,0 15.0
3.0 13.8
1.0 18.5
13.0 15.2Q
22.0 15.24
r 5.0
19.0
DEPT:CIVIL ENG
PROGRAM: M.Sc. / ROAD & HIGHWAY
B. Y.:1983
Page: 1 of 1
ISSUED ON: 03-09-2008
UNIT GRADECOURSE TITLE
20-014 +20-551 +
20-558 =
20-553 +
20-583 +20-596 =20-895 +
20-929 +
20-581 +
20-91 0 +
FALL SEM 2005.2006ADV ENG MATH
ADV TRAFFIC ENG
ADV PAVEMENT DSGN
SEMESTER UNITS, AVERAGE
TOTAL UNITS GAINED,CUM AV
SPR|NG SEM 2005-2006BOADWAY DESIGN
RAILWAY DSGN ENG
PAVEMENT MNGMT
SPECIAL TOPICROAD & TRSP SEMINAR
SEMESTER UNITS, AVERAGE
TOTAL UNITS GAINED,CUM AV
FALL SEM 2006-2007
PUBLIC TRANSPOHT
MSC PROJECT
3.0
5.0
SEMESTER UNITS, AVERAGE
TOTAL UNITS GAINED,CUM AV
SPRING SEM 2006-2007
20-910 + MSC PROJECT
20-91 0 +
SEMESTER UNITS, AVERAGE
TOTAL UNITS GAINED,CUM AV
FALL SEM 2007-2008MSC PROJECT
8.0 17.50
30.0 ,l5.84
2.0 19.0
2.0 19.00
32.0 16.04
NC0.0
SEMESTER UNITS, AVERAGE O.O
TOTAL UNITS GAINED,CUM AV 32.0 16.04
COMPLETED REQ FOR M,SC. DEGREE
NO ENTRY BELOW THIS LINE
Abv: W: Withdraw J: ln Progress P_EX: Excelent CR: Credit Recieved
P: Pass l: lncomplete P_VG: VeryGood NC: No CrediVProject Complete
F: Fail N: Not Available P_GD: Good EP: Examination Postponed
D: Dishonesty \: Make Up Course P-FA: Fair =: B Sc./M.Sc. Course
X: Audlted +: M.Sc, NP: Not Passed &: Optional M.Sc./Ph.D. Course.: Ph.D. S: Satisfied O: Gourses of First Major Ø: Courses of Second Major
U: Unsatisfied WP: Withdraw (Passed State) WF: Withdraw (Failed State) R: Research in Progress
NOTES: 1- Numerical Grades Range from 0 to 20, Pass¡ng Grade is 12
2- Univ & Dept Avg. Based on Last Recorded Sem. are Respectively 16.2,15.87. Dept GPA for this class of students is 16.04.
This unofficial transcript has been issued solely for the student information and possible use for
provisional admisslon to the graduate school. The official transcript will be provided upon written
request to: ACADEMIC VICE CHANCELLOR, SHARIF UNIVERSITY OF TECH., P.O. BOX 1 1155-8639 Tehran, lran
NOT VALID WITHOUT SIGNATURE AND EMBOSSED SEAL OF THE REGISTRAR
'¡ l.'".!¡-'
Virginia Tech fHE NAME OF THE UNIVERSIÍY IS PRINTED IN.MAROON ACROSS THE FACE OF fHÉ 11 X 81Æ TRANSCRIPT
BROWN STAIN ¡NÞIOATES UNAUTHOFIZED ALTERATIONS
A BLAOI( AND WHITE TR.ANSCÊIPT IS NOT OFFICIAL
THE WORO COPY APPÉANS WHÊN PHOTOCOPIEDOffice of the University Registrar . Blacksburg, VA 24061suudent, Name: Dehghani sanij, Mohanunad SaiedStudent ID: 905 40 3807Date of Birth: ,JUN 19, 1983 STUDENT'S RECORD
TILIe
Graduate Regular'Post Maste:1s
MjÀiIOR: Civil Engineering
Spring Semeeter 2009Infras.tr Con AssessÀdvanced Pavemen! DesignseminarSS : Ir¡frastructure Àsset MgÈResearch and Dlesertation
CEECEECEECEECEE
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FaIl Semester 2009Pav/Brdg Inf lfgt: SYsRegearch and DiEsertationOptlmization .
TERM GPÀ: 3.90Cum GFA: 3.90
CEE r 5754r 3cEE' '1994, . 6
fSE .: 5405 , 3
72
.A L2.0EO ,EQU CÀ 12.0
24.0905 40 3807 TERM GPÀ: 4.00
Cum GPÀ: 3.94
Iû Progress: Spring Semeeter 2010Research and Dissertation CEE 7gg4 L2Adv Engr.Reeearch uethods ENGE 6604 3 .Top.lcg, Interdíeciplinary Res GRÀD ' 5134 3 '* * * * * I * * * * * * * * *E¡td Of Graduate RêCOfd* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **End Of TfAf¡gCf ipt * * * ** * * * * * *-* * * * * ** * *: Printed: MAY 10,:2010 : ,
This offioial runiversitytranscript is pr¡nted onsecured paperand does not requirea raised seal.
tt//'*-4,-*¿V*Wanda Hankins DeanUniversity Registrar
TranscriPt Delivered
,llttxJlÈiitil¡.gel-of 1
i
tN ACCORDANCE WtrH USC 43S (6) (4) (8) (THE FAN4|Ly EDUCATTONAL Fì|GHTS AND pFìrVACy ACT OF 1974) YOU ARÊ HEREBY NOTIFIED THAÍ rHls lNFoÊMATloN
IS PROVIDÉD UPON THÊ CONDITION THAT YOU, YOUR AGENTS OR EMPLOYEES, WILL NOT PÊRMIÍ ANY OTHEH PARTY ACCESS TO THIS RECORD WTHOUT
CONSENT OF THE STUDENT. ALTERATION OF THIS TRANSCRIPT Ñ¡AY BE A CRII\¡INAL OFFENSE.
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l6t718
t9202l2223
24
A Fr-,nxrBLE Fn¡'unwoRK FoR
SUSTUNABLE MUT,TT.OBJECTTVN CNOSS-ASSET
INTN¡,STRUCTUNN M¿.NAGEMENT
Mohammadsaied Dehghanisanij I
Graduate Research ns.istarrt, Center for Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure, VTTI
Uir*i"i" Polytechnic lnstitute and State University, Blacksburg,V ^24061-0105
Email: mdehehan(ràvt. edu
Gerardo W. Flintsch, P.8., Ph.D'Associate professor,îia Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech
Director, Center for Sustainâble Transportation Infrastructure, VTTI
3500 Transportation Research Plaza,
virginia Poiytechnic lnstitute and state university, Blacksburg,v ^24061-0105phoîe : 6 40i 23 | _g7 4g, fax: (5 40) 23 | -7 532, email: fl intsch@ vt. edu
Alejandra Medina, M.S.E.President, FM Consultants,
402 Seminole Dr, Blacksburg, V ^
24060
Phone: (540) 951-4783,email: medinafl [email protected]
Number of words: 3160 (text) + 1000 (4 Figures):4160
Submitted for presentation and publication at 89ü Annual Meeting of the Transportation
Research Board
I Corresponding Author
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
TRB 2010 AnnualMeeting CD-ROM Paper revised from original submittal'
Dehghani, Flintsch, and Medina
36 ABSTRACT
37 The deterioration of infrastructure assets and systems that had been constructed over the past few
3g decades has become a significant challenge. Budget constraints and resource limitations along
39 with the attention to the concept of sustainable dwelopment in economical, environmental and
40 social terms have urged the use of more efficient and optimized approaches for managing and
4l operating assets. This has led engineers and decision makers to manage these infrastructures
42 .rrirrg -rrtti-objective and multilconstraint domain. On the other hand, interactions and
43 interdepend"rr"i., between different types of assets along with the structure of many agencies
44 coping with multiple assets has revealèd the need for further understanding of the conc-ept of
4s ,.cross-asset manalement." This paper reviews the literature and current practice in different
46 steps associated with the cross-asset management process. The research confirms the promising
47 poiential for developing a comprehensive framework for sustainable multi-objective cross-asset
48 management.
49 INTRODUCTION
50 The skeleton of any country is formed by its infrastructure systems, such as-roads and highways,
51 and electrical and water distribution systems. In the United States, most of these infrastructures
52 are aging, which results in structural deterioration and serviceability decline. A recent report by
53 the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), which evaluated different civil infrastructure
54 systems in the U.S., iated the conáition of roadways as D-, and that of wastewater and electrical
55 systems as D- and D+, respectively (1). In addition, financial limitations along with human
56 resource shortage and cost have made the management of infrastructures even more complicated
57 (2). Along witÈ technical and financial limiøtion scarce natural resources, growing population
5g ànd polluiion (3) have urged the politicians and decision makers to adopt objectives and goals
59 that account for sustainable develõpment in terms of environment, society and economy' As an
60 example, in 1993 an act was passed by the congress mandating federal agencies to adopt
6l quantihable performance goals to evaluate the outcomes of strategies (4)'
6263
6465
66676869707T
7273
7475
767778
As a result, infrastructure management in the context of multiple objectives and
constraints has been receiving significant ãttention. In the transportation sector in particular, the
application of soft computiig methods, multi-objective optimizations techniques, and cross-
asset fund allocation ptoó".t"t have revealed promising potentials (2, 5, 6, 7, 8)'
However,,the difficulty arises when an agency is developing multilevel programs across
asset categories', (9). Many ágencies have developed performance criteria for individual asset
types, ,rr"h u, a roughness indã* for roadways ot u health index for bridges' What seems to be
.i.rirrg is a unifiedãptimization framework for different types of assets (9). The need for such
managãment framewårk is especially critical in state and municipal agencies that control and
manage several assets.
Cross-asset management provides a unified approach for managing different types of assets in an
integrated p.o"rrr. Instead of considering inàividual asset types independently, several types of
urr"i u." simultaneously managed. Figure 1 shows a general scheme for cross-asset management'
Different assets are valuated rãgarding their condition and performance characteristics' Based on
the overall strategic level policLs anJ asset values, resources are allocated across different asset
types such u, ,oãd*uys, electrical facilities, water distribution facilities, etc' The resources
aliocated to each asset category are then distributed within each asset class.
TRB 2010 AnnualMeeting CD-ROM Paper revised from original submittal.
79
Dehghani, Flintsch, and Medina
Cross AssetManagêment
80
81
82
83
8485
86
87
88
89
90
9l9293
9495
96
9798
99100
FIGURE 1: Cross-asset management context
The importance of comprehensively looking at different infrastructure networks and systems and
their interdependencies can contribute to the achievement of sustainable development at nation-
scale. Cross-asset --u*g"1n"nt
provides a framework for developing and managing
infrastructure networks Ñ systems considering their interdependencies and their impacts on
various aspects of a society. Émerging research efforts are f'ocusing on developing a cross-asset
optimizatiãn framework, *ithin *tti"ñ several types of assets can be controlled, operated, and
managed simultaneouslY.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this paper is to present the preliminary findings of an ongoing research effort to
develop a framework for opìimiring cróss-asset decision-making, management' and funding
considåring a multiple objËctives alnd constraints. Therefore, it is necessary to understand
different elements that constitute this framework. This paper reviews the current practice and
research studies in different steps that form this cross-asset management framework'
NETWORK LEVEL ASSET MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Different asset types are typically managed using management systems developed based on
,p""ifr" asset attributes aná-the characteiistics oithe operating agency. At the strategic-level
however, "rorr-urrr,
n1unugrrn.rrt can be described as a process with the following four majol
steps: (1) setting strategiJpolicies and objectives, (2) evaluation of perfonnance measures and
Asset cond¡tion
TRB 2010 Annual Meeting CD-ROM Paper revised from original submittal.
Dehghaní Ftinßeh, and Medina 4
101 indicators, (3) combining the indieators for each domain and developing and index for each
l0Z domaino and t4) optimizing the allocation o-f resources far ru-aximízing the achieveûrent of the
103 various goals within the available eonsfaints. The fïrstthree steps are sketched in Figure 2n and
104 the fourth step in Figure 3.
105
FIGURE 2. NetrvorkJevel .Asset Management Frame,work
FIGURE 3. Cross-asset regource allocation
E
HEIlElE__l106
107
108
109
110
TRB'2010 Annual Meeting CD-ROM Paper revised from original submittal.
Dehghøni, Flintsch, and Medina
I11 PERFORMANCE MEASURES
llZ The factors upon which an infrastructure is characterized and dehned reflect different concerning
113 aspects u*on! policy and decision makers. According to the NCHRP report 551 'oPerformance
ll4 ,nãurr.r", stroit,O be identified in response to goals and objectives, rather than the other way
115 around, and should be a part of policy formulation and its interaction with long-range planning.
l 16 performance measures cán help ln formulating policy and setting realistic objectives" (10)' This
ll7 also implies that perfonnance measures associated with different aspects are important means to
1 18 evaluatè the effectiveness and the efficiency ofdifferent policies'
119 Managers for different types of infrastructures systems set different policies and tendto
120 define and rionitor different pãrformance measures. A study in lndiana showed that the
l2I performance goals at a state highway agency are mainly based on system preservation' agency
LzZ and user costjmobility and safety and environment (,1/). For example, to include environmental
lZ3 aspects of an infrastructure polióy, a goal of keeping the COz emission or water pollutant at a
124 certain threshold level may be adópted. Performance measures associated with this goal are then
125 set to monitor its degree of achievement and the long term trend' In order to provide and
126 facilitate such proces{ performance measures should, therefore, have several characteristics that,
lZ7 in general, "un
b" described under the three categories shown in Figure 4. These characteristics
128 are described in the following sections'
Practical
- it ìr'
Performancemeasures
Monitoring ',
and feedback
Policy- andobjective-
based
t29
130
131
FIGURE 4 Typical performance measure characteristics
132 Policy- and objective-based
133 performance measures should be able to translate the decision makers' strategies and policies
134 and to be responsive to them (10 12). Policies and goals that are set for each infrastructure
135 reflect "on""*,
associated with environment (such as air pollution), economy (such as operation
136 and preservation cost) and society (such as user safety, mobility, access' and comfort), as well as
137 interests of agencies, stakeholder., ,rr"rr, etc. The performance measures defined to manage the
l3g infrastructure-assets and systems should be capable of assisting the decision makers monitor,
I3g track, and manage these goãls. The selected measures should be sensitive enough to objectives to
TRB 2010 AnnualMeeting CD-ROM Paper revised from original submittal.
Dehghani, Flintsch, and Medina
140 enable their tracking and evaluation, should convey meaningful information about the relevant
l4l system, and should be easily understood by politicians and the general public (10). The condition
l4Z of the assets and the status of the systems relative to the objectives can be evaluated in a
I43 comprehensive and reasonable way if the performance measures are appropriately defined.
144 Practical
145 ln theory, various performance measures can be defined for a system to provide comprehensive
146 informaiion about àifferent domains of that system, and to help evaluate how the goals are being
147 reached. However, in engineering prospective the feasibility of employing a perfoûnance
l4B measure depends on many "ottrt
áinitrg factors. These constraints may be due to the
I4g administrative and/or manágerial structure of the agency, inherent characteristics of the
150 performance measure, or both.
151 performance measures should be compatible with the agencies' technical and business
l5Z processes in terms of how they are incorporated into the management system and analytical tools
153 ãf trr" agency. performance measure should be defined considering the agencies structure and
154 policiesãnd whether such policies allow adopting a particular performance measure or not. In155 ãdditior,, performanc" *"ur,r., should be able to be expressed in mathematical forms to allow
156 aggregatiôn or rolling up wherever necessary, should convey relevant technical information' and
157 sñoulã be of use for the different organizational levels of the agency. Furthermore, depending on
l5g the characteristics of the defined performance measures, different tools and equipments are
159 required for the data collection proãedure and the availability of those instruments depends on
160 thé agencies capabilities. Such cônstraint relate to features of both performance measures and the
161 relevant ug"n"y. NCHRP Report 551, therefore, recommends that performance measures should
162 have practical data requirements (/0).
163 Monitoringandfeedback
164 performance measures defined for any type of infrastructure are means by which established
165 policies and goals are evaluated and traced. For this purposes performance measures should be
166 able to monitor infrastructure conditions in terms of concerned aspects and objectives and be
167 capable of representing the effect of application of different solutions and strategies (10). The
16g -.uror". stroul¿ havelhe capability to show how close the current condition is to the defined
169 policies. This may help decide to alter a policy, adopt a new one, or define other related
l7O performance measnres. Performance measures in different areas therefore should be able to be
l7I forecasted and represent the outcomes of the system.
I72 Current practice of choosing performance measures:
173 Although different infrastructure management systems may have their unique performance
174 measures, these measures in general share some common characteristics. Almost all
175 performance measures have the following features: (1) include or combine qualitative and
176 quantitative dimensions, (2) provide feedback mechanism to improve the system, and (3) reflect
177 ihe strategic goals and consider stakeholder and user concerns (10' l2)'
l7B The review of the literature suggests that road and highway assets managers are
t7g increasingly recognizing the need for performance-based management approaches. However,
1g0 due to lack of cõnsistent and sufficient historical data, many state DOTs still use traditional
lgl needs-based approaches, where performance and deterioration prediction models are not
TRB 2010 AnnualMeeting CD-ROM Paper revised from original submittal.
Dehghani, Flintsch, and Medina
l,g2 required. For example, within needs-based approach, the required pavement data is collected on
lg3 annual or biennial basis and in-need sections are then identified and prioritized based on
lg4 economical analysis until the budget is distributed over different sections. However, there are
l g5 disadvantages with this approach in that the agencies may tend to exaggerate their requirements.
1g6 Within such budget ailoóation the optimum results in terms of overall roadway condition
187 improvement at network level is not often achieved (6). There seems to be a significant
188 advantage with the application of performance-based approaches in long-term management
1g9 outcomes. However, 'lstatus reports indicate that there is a weak link between performance
190 measures, program plans and legislative appropriations" (4). Performance measures will not
191 play a significãnt rolè in legislative funding process until they are systematically connected (4).
192 Combiningperformancemeasures
193 For each type of asset there may be several performance measures defined for each aspect.
lg4 Monitoring ôverall condition of the infrastructure in each aspect seems to be complicated and
195 difficult if there are several measures to be monitored and evaluated. Combining different
196 measures in each area therefore, provides means by which the contribution of infrastructure to
lg7 each aspect can be evaluated and monitored more efficiently. This allows quantifying different
19g aspect ãf an infrastructure asset or system, enhances the comparison of outcomes with other
lgg agãncies or repartitions within an agency, and provides better (more comprehensive) overall
200 view of the infrastructure at the network and strategic levels (13).
201 There are few studies working on the combination of different performance indices. For
202 example, the European Union recently published a study report (13), for aproject that developed
203 performanc, -"u.or", for pavements in three levels: (1) single performance indices' (2)
204 ãombined performance indicès and (3) global performance indices. Single performance indjces
205 relate to individual measures associated with different aspects (environment, etc.) of an
206 infrastructure. Combined performance indices are developed by integrating single performance
207 indices in each aspect anã show the condition of the infrastructure with regard to that aspect.
20g General performance indicator is a combination of single or combined indicators which
Z0g represents the pavement condition concerning different aspects. It can also describe the overall
210 infrastructure condition at network levels (/3).
2II RESOURCEALLOCATION
ZIZ One of the most important objectives in the asset management process is to appropriately
2I3 distribute available ."ìo.r."", (monetary, human service, etc.) in a sustainable manner. When
214 performance measures are charactenzed, identified, and measured for each aspect they can be
2I5 integrated and combined into combined performance indicators, which describe the status of that
216 partlcular infrastructure aspect. The resource allocation optimization process is then conducted
Zl7 io tw to bring the various ittdi"torr as close as possible to the defined objectives (or performance
2lg targets). Thñ section briefly discusses the various approaches that have been used or proposed
2Ig for multi-objective resource allocation optimization'
220 Both, soft computing and traditional operation research techniques have been employed
Z2l in road and highway management to enhance infrastructure management process and to improve
2ZZ project selectún, prioritirátion and resource allocation. Flintsch and Chen (2) conducted a
223 "ompt"h"nsive
review of the application of soft computing techniques in infrastructure
224 management. The review evaluated the application of different techniques for the different steps
TRB 2010 AnnualMeeting CD-ROM Paper revised from original submittal.
2ZS of decision making in an infrastructure management system. While neural' fuzzy logics and
226 neuro-fuzzy methods seem to be suitable techniques for enhancing condition assessment and
227 performance prediction, genetic algorithms and fizzy mathematical programming were found to
z2g te appropriate for optimúation. tie report concludèd that a combination of neural network and
2Zg fuzzy logic had strong potentials where expert knowledge and opinion is required as it is in the
230 resourceallocationoptimizationprocess.
Z3I Wu et al. (O applied operation research techniques to enhance the preservation of
232 pavements consideiig -uttipt" åbjectives and chance constraints by developing Pareto optimal
233 set of solutions. A nyãria rnotti-oUj""tive optimization model was employed to enhance regional
234 pavement preservatión. The optimization model considered two main objectives of minimizing
235 the total preservation cost and maximizing the total network gain of service life and was applied
236 to a short term pavement preservation budgeting for a state Dor with nine maintenance districts'
Z3j Chan and Fwa (8) employed genetic algorithm optimization technique to solve the budget
23g allocation problem in multidlstrict highway rnanug.ment structure. Multiple objectives included
23g the overall goal of central agency ãrong with ãbjectives of different districts and regional
240 agencies ,"híe umong constraints were manpower, equipment required and budget availability'
241 Fwa et al. (5) formulated a hypothetical network-level pavement problem and developed
242 optimal pavement repair program adopting Pareto optimal solution set, rank-based fitness
243 evaluation, and geneti" uìgotittt*s. The iesearchers solved the problem considering two
244 objectives (minimization of total maintenance cost and maximization of maintenance work
245 pråduction) and three objectives (adding maximization of network pavement condition) and
246 lound optimal solutions for different budget levels'
247 These studies have shown the potential of the various soft computing and operation
Z4g research applications for optimizing the ãllocation of resources, and proposed various approaches
24g that are flexible and capabie of deal-ing with several objectives and constraints simultaneously.
250 Multi-criteriaconsiderations
Z5l When different indicators of infrastructure perforïnance are defined they can be translated into
252 mathematical formulas and introduced intã the optimization system as either objectives or
253 constraints. There are two approaches to handle this process. The first approach considers
254 different indicators within different domains directly as objectives or constraints. This means
255 that if there are m domains (such as environmental, economical etc.) defined for an infrastructure
256 and n indicators exists for each domain then, there are totally mxn obiectives and constraints to
257 be considered.
2Sg The second approach might be to define n indicators relevant to each of m domains and
z5g then combine those indicators aslsociated with each domain as a domain index' This method will
260 result in rn domain indices that will be considered as either objective or constraint. There seem to
261 be no major differences between these methods as the total objectives and constraint that exist in
262 the problem remains the same in either case (mxn) and the only difference seems to be the
263 n r-b", of these objective and constrains that will be introduced into the optimization program'
264 Allocating resources across asset types
26s Theoretically, a truly optimized way of allocating resources to different infrastructure assets and
266 systems should consider ".o.r-ur.åt
trade-offs. The resource allocation can be viewed as a
Dehghani, Flintsch, and Medina
TRB 2010 Annual Meeting CD-ROM Paper revised from original submittal.
267 process of simultaneous operating, monitoring, and preserving different infrastructure asset or
26g systems in order to bring fh.i. p"iforrnunc" a. close as possible to the set objectives within the
269 given constraints. How&er, different infrastructure asset types (e.g., pavements and bridges) are
270 typically managed by different management systems. Although most agencies follow the same
271 big-picture philosophy of "preserviñg the infrastructure asset cost effectively and sustain it
Z7Z socially, economically and *uironmJntally", the measures, goals and criteria considered may
273 not be the same. A Ëey challenge is to oitimize the decision-making process across different
274 assets at the network (ãr strategic) level (9). Falls et al. (9) suggest that for supporting some
Z7S business processes, it ìs desired tá translate performance measures of different assets into one
276 index for optimization. Therefore, the effort to manage and operate different infrastructure
21,7 assets has become an important issue in recent years. This concept is expected to gain more
z7g attention as there are agencies, municipalities, and regional transportation planning authorities,
279 deal with more than one type of assets'
280 InterdePendencies
2gl Various infrastructure asset types, and their systems, are typically interdependent in several
ZgZ ways. Managing assets while tãn.iO".ittg their interdependencies and their impact on each other
Zg3 can enhance the achievement of the strãtegic goals and lead to more sustainable systems' To
zg4 maximize the achievement of the goals theinteidependencies between different domains within
zg5 an infrastructure type and among-various infrastructures must be considered. The former and
2g6 latter cases can be referred to as {nter-asset interdependency" and'ocross-asset interdependency"
287 respectively. For example, in economic domain, apolicy aimed at maximizing revenue can be
2gg obtained by raising taxes, which may have negative a social impact of user dissatisfaction' Thus,
2gg the decision-maker must balance thesJ conflicting potential _ impacts. Similarly,
2g0 underperformance of lightings in a roadway might affect the usage of the roadway because of
2gl decreased user safety, *frl"ft can be an e*ãmple of cross asset (electrical system and
Zg2 transportation) interdependency. The inclusion of these interdependencies in the asset
2g3 management process isã challenging issue that warrants further research'
294 CONCLUDINGR"EMARKS
2g5 Asset management in the context of multi-objective and multi-constraint domains is an emerging
296 paradigm that is getting more attention from both decision makers and engineers' The paper
2g7 reviewed current and imerging practices that are relevant to different steps in the asset
Zgg management process. Goals ãna pot"i"s are being increasingly linked to performance measures'
2gg Furthermore, the selection of appropriate performance measures with appropriate and relevant
300 characteristiós can help serve totir trre stakéholder and decision maker's interest. To simplify the
301 decision-mukirg pro"åss, different measures and indicators with different scales and associated
302 with different aãsàts, are increasingly merged into combined indices. Limitations in human, fund
303 and natural resources, the need ã-.onrid.t sustainability implications, and an increase trend
304 towards considering multiple objectives is reshaping asset management. Application of soft
305 computing and optimization tËchniques capable of simultaneously considering multiple
306 objectives and constraints has shown gieat potåntials to enhance the process. The integration of
307 more effective performance measures-and^multi-objective, cross-asset optimization techniques
30g should allow a more efficient use of the available resources, which in turn would help provide
309 more efficient and sustainable infrastructure systems.
Dehghani, Flintsch, and Medina
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Dehghani, Flintsch, and Medinø l0
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TRB 2010 Annual Meeting CD-ROMPaper revised from original submittal'