Harrow Council Completes Highway Asset Surveys with Saber

Covering more than fifteen different highway asset types, including bollards, signs, gullies and cycle racks, the data is being used by Harrow Council to develop forward works programmes and for budget reporting and management. This information has also been vital for determining the scope of a Highways contract renewal. Saber also completed the annual Detailed Visual Inspection of the highway asset and condition for Harrow.

“The highway asset is about much more than just the road itself. Highway assets include pavements and other roadside features such as safety equipment, drainage features, lighting and signs,” commented Antony Durke, Team Leader, Highways and Asset Management at Harrow Council. “Asset management is a strategic tool that uses information to look at the whole road network rather than individual schemes. It is about collecting physical inventory and managing current conditions based on strategic goals and sound investments.”

“Having worked with Saber for many years, developing a suite of surveying services directly suited to our specific requirements, they were the natural choice for the new highway asset survey,” added Jamie Robson, Deputy Team Leader. “We knew the data would be captured to the highest standard and delivered ready to use in our existing asset management tools.”

Saber completed the capture of asset inventory and condition data earlier this year under challenging winter conditions. This was in addition to its annual DVI survey of Harrow’s highway network comprising of 1,615 roads of which all but two are classed as fully urban. Clocking up more than 1,500 kilometres of walked surveys Saber has delivered a number of datasets for use in Harrow’s UK Pavement Management System (UKPMS) software Symology.

The Saber captured data is being used by Harrow Council to create condition indices to drive capital replacement programmes and works planning. The ability to monitor the condition of the highway and assets year on year allows for planning of works based on the predicted depreciation of condition and value. The Saber data also informs pre-emptive maintenance to ensure best value is achieved from capital works within the Borough.

Saber survey data is also used to calculate CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) valuations and for funding bids to senior management to secure investment to maintain the highway and assets.

CONTACTS:
Steve Batchelor, Managing Director, +44 (0)1243 756183, [email protected]
www.saber-uk.com