Marlborough District Council Roading Assets - Activity Management Plan 2015 - 2018 SECTION 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The likely continued high cost of moving freight from remote areas in Marlborough will ensure that the unsealed road network continues to come under significant pressure well into the future and that managing the condition of the pavement will be a critical element in the asset life. The subdivision of larger rural blocks nearer population centres into lifestyle properties has placed user demands on the unsealed roads. The roads so impacted are often the weakest and least serviced in terms of pavement strength, width and drainage. Purchasers of lifestyle properties appear to commute or to use their road more than the original, traditional farmer of that land and together with the increased population many of these unsealed roads attract harsh criticism from the users who continually seek a higher level of service. The growth and demand factors will require careful ongoing analysis if the expectations of the users and the quality of the outcome are to be achieved within the present financial and specification norms. 1.6.2.5 Life Cycle Management The maintenance of unsealed pavements falls into two categories as follows: Reactive Maintenance (Routine Maintenance): reactive works to maintain level of service (e.g. grading, patch metalling, repair of potholes etc). Proactive Maintenance (Renewals): inspection and maintenance programmed to prevent asset failure (e.g. application of maintenance metal). Currently lifecycle management is achieved through the application of a maintenance contract specification which requires the maintenance contractor to have: an intervention strategy to repair potholes and other pavement structural failures; a grading regime to maintain the cross-sectional shape of the pavement and to eliminate corrugations; a patch metalling regime to address localised wearing course loss; and a programme for the application of a specified (underpinned) quantity of maintenance metal to predetermined locations where pavement depth has been reduced or is inadequate for intended loadings. The maintenance metal programme shall also include pre-works required to reinstate drainage channels, width (flanking) and shape (cross-fall) The underpinned quantity of maintenance metal is specified in the contract documents and is based on historical knowledge of likely aggregate loss and the experience of the Marlborough Roads Network Manager. The proposed location for the maintenance metalling is determined by the contractor in consultation with the network consultant and the Marlborough Roads Network Manager. The final annual maintenance metal programme is agreed and confirmed by the 01 st Sep each year. The current quantum of maintenance metal appears adequate and there is no evidence of significant asset deterioration. Variable pavement depths and subsequent adjustments, insufficient age data and changes in traffic loading make the life cycle analysis of unsealed pavements inaccurate or impossible. Further work could be done in this area and a predictive model of some degree established to aid programming, however the current level of maintenance metal applied to the network to maintain the asset for the existing usage appears to be about correct. There would be no added value in attempting to predict in more detail. Council does need to carefully monitor the potential for increased usage of the unsealed network from development and commercial pressures. Where possible Council requires developers to pay for any upgrade to a road which is required to accommodate significant additional traffic. 1.6.2.6 Cost / Financial / FWP A summary of the financial Forward Works Programme (FWP) for unsealed pavements is located at the end of this Section. The FWP is based on tendered contract rates for current maintenance contracts in 2013 dollars. The current maintenance contract (NOC 01) was converted from the previous individual North and South contracts in 2013, as discussed in detail in Section 10 on Delivery and Procurement. The contract has a 5 yrs contract period and will be retendered in early 2018, the new contract will commence for the 18/19 financial year. The funding request has been based on the current tendered rates and is considered adequate maintain the unsealed road in its current condition. Unsealed pavements are generally cheap to maintain provided the input of the repair or maintenance effort is targeted and timely. As the unsealed pavement is not waterproof most of maintenance and repair activities are weather dependent and are therefore seasonal. The planning and financing of works within the unsealed 30 September 2014 Page 54 of Section 1