Marlborough District Council Roading Assets - Activity Management Plan 2015 - 2018 SECTION 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY is generally only for ‘cosmetic’ reasons and can have a much longer response time). There are increased costs as response times reduce. Fig 6.1.6a illustrates this optimisation Balance of Proactive and Reactive Costs Figure 6.1.6a 1.6.1.6.1 Maintenance Activities The maintenance strategies used on the network are focused on undertaking the maintenance work necessary to ensure the various levels of service are met, minimise life-cycle costs, preserve the integrity of the road asset and maintain safety for road users. Pavement maintenance is programmed and prioritised by the Network Maintenance Contractor and is generally carried out in accordance with the maintenance intervention levels specified for the network in the Safety Management System and in conjunction with the periodic renewal works on the network. They are also carried out when required in other situations to ensure the safety of road users and the integrity of the road pavement. A key factor in the prioritising of work is the road hierarchy with higher standards being applied to the more heavily used roads. The carrying out of regular resealing is essential to keep the road pavement waterproof and to maintain adequate skid resistance. In situations where the existing pavement is weak or the loading is high, the reseal cycles will be more frequent. The rehabilitation of existing road pavements is carried out when they reach the end of their service life. This is the time at which the ongoing cost of maintenance exceeds the capital cost of carrying out a renewal. At this point a holding strategy is applied until such time as the pavement is rehabilitated. Attention to drainage is an important part of the maintenance strategy particularly on roads with weak pavements and moisture sensitive subgrade. Maintenance Costs Trends: a check of RAMM maintenance cost data did not identify any specific trends. The RAMM data does show a significant increase in 2007/08 but it is considered likely that this is related to the introduction of electronic collection system (pocket RAMM) rather than an actual increase in the quantum of maintenance works. There are likely to be significant gaps in RAMM maintenance data prior to 2007. Also the lump sum NOC type contracts make tracking of actual maintenance costs within the lump sum difficult. 1.6.1.6.2 Renewal Activities The pavement deteriorates under traffic loading with time. Appropriate and timely renewal work extends the pavement life by retarding the effects of traffic, weathering and ageing before significant amounts of distress occur. Council has been using the RAMM (Road Assessment and Maintenance Management) system since 1990 for roading data storage and maintenance planning. The RAMM database is hosted under the CJN server (Vendor of the RAMM software). 30 September 2014 Page 39 of Section 1