Infrastructure asset management is the process of managing physical assets such as buildings, roads, and bridges. It includes activities such as planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
Infrastructure asset management is a critical part of overall asset management practices. It helps organizations keep track of their assets and ensure that they are being used in the most efficient way possible. By properly managing infrastructure assets, organizations can save money, improve operations, and reduce risks.
What Does Proper Infrastructure Asset Management Look Like?
The first goal of infrastructure asset management is to ensure that assets are managed in a way that maximizes their value and performance. This includes making sure that assets are properly maintained and repaired, and that they are used in an efficient and effective manner.
Another, often overlooked goal of proper infrastructure asset management is to have all of the records be organized in one centralized location and easily accessible. Endless companies depend on a myriad of resources to maintain their infrastructure records, some of whom no longer even work with or have associations with the business. It is vital to keep all of the records in one place, saving valuable time, money, and other resources.
Some of the different types of infrastructure assets that can be managed with sitemap.com include:
– Buildings: office buildings, retail stores, warehouses, factories, etc.
– Roads: highways, streets, roads, bridges, tunnels, etc.
– Public transportation: buses, trains, subways, airports, etc.
– Utilities: water treatment plants, power plants, gas pipelines
Infrastructure mapping wouldn’t be complete without actual as-built specifications on sewer, gas, water, and electrical lines. While the original plans may have specified locations for each utility, the end result may be different, and your team must account for those changes to avoid safety hazards. Proper infrastructure asset management can ascertain not only where these structures are, but also how they have evolved over time.
What Happens When Infrastructure Assets are Mismanaged
Improper infrastructure management can lead to a number of risks, including downtime, safety issues, and financial losses. Without a proper understanding of your infrastructure, including above-ground components (i.e., floor plans, utility layouts, electrical plans) and underground components (underground storage tanks, pipe inspection), many aspects of your infrastructure management become more difficult.
For instance, costly change orders can occur when unknown structures like electrical wiring are unexpectedly encountered during a build. Similarly, clash detection and water loss can also occur if infrastructure is not properly understood. When a utility map is up to date, your team can have confidence when digging for renovation or new construction projects on your campus. Risks of not using updated utility maps include misrepresented or incomplete survey data, design changes due to relying on incorrect as-builts, and conflict with utilities. There can also be more serious consequences, such as rupturing a gas line, puncturing an underground fuel tank, or an engineer being shocked by an unexpected electrical line.
Interactive maps allow you to zoom and pinpoint specific buildings and coordinates of your facility or campus, isolating only the area of focus. With SiteMap® technology, the visualization becomes even clearer, offering calculation of distance and area.
An interactive map can also help you to see across your facilities, and with the underground visibility provided by SiteMap®, you can view electrical and gas lines, water and sewer pipes, underground storage tanks (USTs), concrete features, and other ground conditions. Without a map of these features, the invisible may turn hazardous in the course of daily operations or construction projects: your team risks tapping into a UST, accidentally running into an electrical line, building on concrete with underground structural issues, and so on. Visibility in an interactive map allows you to keep track of these features, as well as their positioning in relation to each other, thus keeping those within your facility safe.
It can be difficult to plan proper construction projects, coring, or even saw cutting. Sitemap.com allows you to visualize all of these structures, enabling you to create actionable plans with a full understanding of where key structures are.
Why SiteMap?
Sitemap.com is an example of a website that can be used to manage infrastructure assets. Sitemap.com allows users to create and share maps of their assets, as well as track and manage asset data. Sitemap.com can be used for both small and large scale infrastructure asset management projects.
When it comes to infrastructure asset management, Sitemap.com is a valuable tool that can help organizations save time and money.