Overview
This program is designed to be used by anyone involved in pavement management:
office staff, field staff, engineers, inspectors, and managers. In some
jurisdictions, one person may run all portions of the program; in others, one
person may enter data and another may perform budgeting functions. Some users
will be highly sophisticated in the use of microcomputers; others will be
novices. Some may use the program fluently and need this guide merely as a
reference; others may sit down at the computer with nothing but the guide to
assist them in learning the program. The varied nature of the audience for this
guide dictates certain compromises. It must be easy to understand, yet it must
contain enough technical information to point more advanced users in the right
direction. It must provide step-by-step instructions, yet incorporate ample
referencing, so that users can locate information quickly. This manual is
designed to support you in using the MTC StreetSaver effectively, as quickly as
possible.
Background and Purpose
The MTC StreetSaver was developed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
of the San Francisco Bay Area, with Professor Roger E. Smith, now with Texas A
& M University; and with the assistance of six Bay Area jurisdictions: Alameda
County, Santa Clara County, Solano County, Berkeley, San Leandro, and Portola
Valley. The current version of MTC StreetSaver is a network-level (as opposed to
project-level) tool that allows a local jurisdiction to quickly and
inexpensively assess the condition of its road network, define and adjust
maintenance treatments and costs, and examine the impact of specific
maintenance and rehabilitation budget allocation strategies through the use of
"what if" reports. The MTC StreetSaver program is intended to meet a number of
objectives. It is designed to be easy-to-use, even for those users who are not
familiar with database management, or who use the program infrequently. To
make it feasible for implementation by local jurisdictions, the program is also
relatively inexpensive.
Program Structure and Use
MTC StreetSaver manages a collection of related data organized for easy storage and
retrieval. The MTC StreetSaver program includes a database comprising several sets of
related data ("tables") that contain information about the road network in the
jurisdiction. This information includes pavement condition, the available
maintenance/rehabilitation treatments and their costs, and the history of the
network. Based on this information, budget analyses are performed. Budget
analyses allow you to project network maintenance and rehabilitation needs, and
costs and to evaluate the consequences of various budget allocation
alternatives. Alternatives can be evaluated in terms of maintenance and
rehabilitation that can actually be performed, future pavement condition, and
deferred costs. For some agencies, use of the MTC StreetSaver program is cyclical.
For others, pavement management is integrated into an ongoing effort to manage
their road networks. There are a number of steps involved in implementing a
StreetSaver. After a jurisdiction has established the initial description of its
street network, staff are responsible for completing a variety of tasks on a
periodic basis. These tasks include:
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1.
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Collect pavement condition and maintenance/rehabilitation data.
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2.
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Enter inspection unit data and/or applied maintenance and rehabilitation
information.
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3.
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Check/update maintenance treatment definitions and pavement category
definitions.
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4.
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Calculate pavement condition index (PCI).
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5.
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Run budget needs.
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6.
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Run alternative budget scenarios.
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7.
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Present StreetSaver outputs to funding bodies.
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8.
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Acquire funds and apply maintenance/rehabilitation treatments. This cycle is
illustrated in the flow charts.
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Click on one of the following example flow charts.
Run-time Concept
The convenience and low cost of this program is partially attributed to the
availability of "run-time" versions of other software products. A "run-time"
version of a program is a limited version of one program that enables you to
run another program. To run a program written in Visual Basic, for example,
you need the run-time version of Visual Basic. This allows you to run Visual
Basic programs but not to develop them yourself. Many development
applications, particularly database applications, require a run-time version to
execute. Software companies have different approaches to run-time versions.
Some allow you to distribute the run-time version freely, while others require
that you pay a license fee. A run-time version of Microsoft Desktop Engine Version
2000 (MSDE), the database engine for the StreetSaver software, is contained in the program,
relieving the user of the need to own or install another software product.
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