Coronavirus uncertainty, stimulus spending, climate change… The year ahead for public works engineers promises to be eventful, to say the least.
In these tumultuous times, IPWEA remains committed to providing relevant and authoritative information for our members. That’s why we’ve recently released the sixth edition of our globally acclaimed International Infrastructure Management Manual (IIMM), featuring significant updates that directly address issues those in our field may face in 2021.
In response to last summer’s horrendous bushfires and more recent flooding events along Australia’s east coast, the new manual includes expanded coverage of climate change risk and resilience, including all-new case studies. Whether you’re building, upgrading or managing infrastructure assets this year, we believe it is crucial to consider the effects climate change may have throughout each asset’s life. The new IIMM also features a discussion box on the carbon neutral imperative for infrastructure – an emerging issue that is likely to become more pressing as governments ramp up their efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
In response to the release of new and upgraded software in 2020, the manual’s coverage of data management has grown significantly. The sixth edition includes new case studies on the use of business intelligence tools in strategic asset management and examples of user acceptance testing when implementing an asset software system. We also take a deep dive into AMIS system implementation and reporting requirements.
Despite the challenges facing Australia and the world in 2021, we believe public works engineers have good reason to be optimistic this year. In particular, there is an array of new and emerging technology that promises to make asset management more precise and effective. The updated IIMM provides detailed information on these advances.
One such fast-developing area is asset tracking, i.e. using GIS and GPS to better manage fleet usage. As detailed in the new manual, asset tracking can help managers gain a more detailed and nuanced understanding of how their fleets are being used for work and non-work purposes. Those learnings can then be used to improve efficiency and financial outcomes.
Also noteworthy is the increasing use of ‘widgets’ – small sensors that can be physically incorporated into pieces of infrastructure such as bridges and roads during the build phase to monitor their condition post-build. Widgets are set to revolutionise maintenance, making asset monitoring less labour-intensive and providing public works engineers with stress data and other relevant measurements in real time.
In addition, the new manual incorporates updates to the ISO 55000 Asset Management Standards. Recognising that the ISO Standards are very much the “What to do”, the IIMM provides the “How to do it” in terms of applying the standards to infrastructure asset management. There’s also additional detail on assessing your asset management maturity and developing a strategic approach to asset management.
By overhauling the IIMM, we hope to provide readers with all the tools they need to excel in 2021. The future may be uncertain, but our manual remains the go-to source of knowledge for asset managers worldwide.
Visit out website to find out more about the IIMM.
