Typical infrastructure assets include roads, bridges, sewers, water treatment plants, water pipes, power plants, internet and telecommunication networks, railways, or mainstream infrastructures that support our modern-day living and economic activities.
Applying infrastructure asset management ensures that these assets are maintained regularly and operating smoothly to avoid service disruptions.
But when it comes to specialty assets – heritage and iconic structures, their maintenance is quite different to mainstream assets and their service level requirements.
Vocal media lists down 30 examples of iconic structures worldwide. Among them are:
- Dubai’s stunning Burj Khalifa tower,
- London’s Tower Bridge,
- Dublin’s Samuel Beckett Bridge,
- Singapore’s Cloud Forest,
- Prague’s The Dancing House building,
- India’s Taj Mahal, and
- many other awe-inspiring architectural designs.
The article “Unique Architecture Around the World” also lists 55 unique infrastructures. Some of them are:
- Denmark’s Cykelslangen, a bridge completed in 2014 designed solely for cyclists;
- Germany’s Longkamp Highway Ecoduct, a green bridge that is designed for both human and wildlife crossing;
- Tokyo’s Y-shaped highway interchange;
- Thailand’s Bhumibol Bridge, an eye-catching construction that contains cable-stayed spans held by two-diamond-shaped structures;
- Tasmania’s Gordon Dam for its unique curving architecture, which earned praises from engineering organizations, and
- Netherland’s Veluwemeer Aqueduct, where a 10 feet deep water bridge sits atop the road.
These unique and iconic infrastructures no doubt require specialty infrastructure management to meet the service demands of their customers.
Levels of service refer to a customer’s expectations regarding their reliability and safety considerations for these assets.
Knowing the levels of service customers and clients expect for these unique or special infrastructures will determine how often they will be maintained and when assets will be replaced or rehabilitated.
Customers’ expectations are detailed in the service level agreements (SLA).
According to IPWEA, an SLA is “the agreement between management and its customers needs to be based on a common understanding of relationships, responsibilities, performance measurement and the process for resolving disputes. The agreement provides clear definitions of responsibility and guidelines to follow when performance requirements are not met.”
“The SLA aims to create a partnership between the parties focusing on agreed actions to deliver the required level of service to operational departments. An SLA will increase accountability and improve customer service and service delivery.”
The development and implementation of SLAs help organizations develop clarity around the service being delivered and the costs associated with that service delivery.
IMAGE CREDIT: Netherland’s Veluwemeer Aqueduct
[…] it is envisioned that this infrastructure-infused development will be crucial for lowering delivery costs, facilitating physical mobility for both people and […]