Analysis Module

Analysis Overview

The Analysis module enables you to model potential maintenance schemes over a number of years. The information in the following section describes how to perform modelling using data within Horizons. Essentially the Analysis module enables you to decide the right Treatment, in the right place, at the right time

The Analysis module comprises three main parts that feed into the Works Program. Condition Parameters, Treatments, and Treatment Sets define the road conditions necessary to trigger Treatments on your Network. Analysis of these factors produces a list of all of the Treatments that are required on your Network. This list is comprehensive and no priorities are applied at this stage. With the input of local non-maintenance priorities and budget strategies, these potential Treatments are modelled into a set of multiple Works Plans based on multiple scenarios. These scenarios equip you to make decisions based on sound data calculations.

How Treatment Sets and Work Plans combine to enable your forward planning is illustrated below:

The following components combine to enable you to analyse your data, model future condition, and produce fully informed programmes of works:

Asset Groups

Assets in your network can be grouped into different categories (i.e. by road class, surface type, or traffic load). Condition Parameters and Treatments are configured for one or more Asset Groups.

Parameters

Condition Parameters are values used to measure the condition of a given asset or feature. Deterioration modelling enables accurate long term projections and analysis. Automatically calculate a deterioration model for each asset group from your historic data or use your own deterioration equations.

Treatments

Horizons can manage a library of possible Treatments for use in analysis. Each Treatment describes possible scheme lengths, costs, and effects. Each Treatment is related to another using a Treatment Set.

Treatment Sets

A Treatment Set defines a hierarchy of defined Treatments. The structure of the hierarchy plays a crucial role in Treatment selection. The Treatment Set also defines the intervention levels and trigger rules for each Treatment.

Priorities

Prioritise schemes based on local priorities. Import non-engineering spatially-referenced data such as collisions, flood risk areas, reactive works, schools and hospitals, and traffic volumes. Use this data to inform your strategies.

Strategies

Develop the optimal strategy, or business case to justify extra budget, by testing long term strategies based on differing budget profiles and service levels. The reports on strategies enable Engineering staff and non-technical budget holders to engage in meaningful discussion. Both groups have visibility of the impact of budget decisions on future Network condition. Horizons is a powerful tool for defending or growing budget.

Works Plans

Works Plans form the central part of the modelling capability of Horizons. A Works Plan is used to evaluate a number of scenarios to identify the right place and time for a Treatment to be applied.

The following list describes the stages involved in analysing data and generating a full Works Plan.

• Select Asset Groups

  • Select the Asset Group to be treated.

• Set Parameters - Parameters enable you to define the road conditions necessary to trigger Treatments on your Network. These can include:

  • The Parameter range
  • The deterioration model for each Condition Parameter for each asset group
  • The rating curve for each Condition Parameter

• Creating Treatments

  • Create and edit your own unique treatments and add them to your library.

• Creating Treatment Sets - A Treatment Set gives you control of the Treatment model to use when analysing the Network assets. You can define:

  • The parameters that trigger your Treatments
  • The threshold band values for each Condition Parameter for each asset group (e.g. Road Class)
  • The Treatments from the Treatment library to use in the analysis
  • The hierarchy of the Treatments
  • The trigger rules for each Treatment

• Creating Priorities - Optionally include non-Condition Parameters into the model by increasing the priority on Treatments in regions of the Network.

• Creating Strategies - You can access your library of targets and goals for a multi-year works plan. Each strategy can be one of three types; Budget Strategy, Network Strategy, or Local Strategy.

• Creating Works Plans - In a Works Plan you combine a Treatment Set, priorities, and strategies to create a multi-year works plan.

Access to the Analysis module may be limited by licence or Administrator designation. See Setting User Permissions.