Development of Tunnel Asset Management (TAM) Program

Typical highway infrastructure systems include roadway pavement, drainage systems, tunneling, and other hardware components such as guardrails, traffic signs, and lighting. Tunnels in a highway system have provided significant advantages to overcoming various natural challenges including crossing underneath bodies of water or through mountainous areas. While only a few tunnel failure cases have been reported, the failure rate is likely to increase as these assets age and because agencies have not emphasized tunneling asset management. A tunnel system undergoes a deterioration life cycle pattern that is similar to other infrastructure systems. There are very few agencies in the United States implementing comprehensive tunnel asset management programs. While current tunnel asset management programs focus on inspection, maintenance, and operation safety, there is an increasing need for the development of a comprehensive life cycle tunnel asset management program. This paper describes a conceptual framework for a comprehensive tunnel asset management program. The framework consists of three basic phases including a strategic plan, a tactical plan, and an operational plan to provide better information to the decision makers. The strategic plan is a basic long term approach of tunnel asset management. The tactical plan determines specific objectives and the operational plan actually applies asset management objectives in practice. The information includes operational condition, structural condition, efficiency of the system, emergency response, and life cycle cost analysis for tunnel capital improvement project planning.