A new standard has been proposed in E53 on asset management after discussions by the Executive Committee. The proposed guide would assist the user/infrastructure executive in the management of tangible and intangible assets. Approval was granted to start the development under sub-committee E53.07 on sustainable property management. Professionals agree that there needs to a consensus on what is the proper way of going about a process. On the issue of infrastructure, this process is not that clean. It's taken for granted that it's really big, really expensive, and very political. The goal is to establish transparency and accountability between municipal executives and the public.

Proposed Scope of new Guide on Infrastructure Management (WK63540)

Tangible assets are the non-human component of an infrastructure service. With human labor (intangible assets), physical infrastructure becomes assets with use value. Proper asset management requires a dialogue be developed between an infrastructure executive and the recipients of services rendered by asset provision. Within that dialogue, the executive becomes aware of performance outcomes that can inform an acceptable match between efforts and resources under their control to drive continuous improvement of those services.

The infrastructure executive is a chief officer of an organization obliged to satisfy the needs of individuals and communities. This executive may be a publicly elected official, a university/college president, a military base commander, or private sector organization head who has authority over personnel and the resources in the delivery of infrastructure asset services. As many cities and organizations use the guide, enterprises and the public will work together to choose where to produce, work, and live.

Asset services provided to infrastructure service recipients include:

  • Potable water supply (i.e., treatment and surface / ground water storage and distribution systems)
  • Food systems (i.e., purity, safety, hygiene, adulteration control)
  • Sewage and storm water systems (includes green infrastructure) (i.e., treatment and piping systems)
  • Buildings (i.e., codes, permits/enforcement, energy-efficient construction)
  • Healthcare (i.e., emergency medical, disease prevention, preventive care)
  • Security (i.e., police and fire protection, preventive controls, recidivism reduction)
  • Power (i.e., centralized and decentralized electrical generation, energy storage and distribution)
  • Communication (i.e., electronic media in terms of cellular phones, internet, and other information sharing devices that use the electromagnetic spectrum)
  • Transit and travel (i.e., roads, bridges, tunnels, transit, ports, harbors, airports, trains, buses)
  • Waste disposal (i.e., the burial, thermal destruction, and other means of isolating excess materials from the public)
  • Education (i.e., schools, colleges, training institutes)
  • Cultural heritage (i.e., monuments, historic buildings, structures, and places, and anthropocentrically significant architecture)
  • Recreation and entertainment (i.e., parks, theaters, bike paths, swimming pools, beaches, amusement venues)
  • Nature (i.e., waste reuse, recycling, material use reduction, ecosystem management, endangered habitats, resilient coastal shorelines, and clean land, air, and water)
  • Financial systems (i.e., means of allocating wealth to organizations that the executive finds most beneficial in the acceptable delivery of asset services)

ASTM has been around for over 100 years developing standards for manufacturing, testing, property assessments, and many other processes. To get involved, request to be added to the task group or the sub-committee to review and vote on the upcoming ballot. The draft will need input from different stakeholders and participation is encourage outside of E53. Please contact the E53 staff manager Katerina at [email protected] with any questions. Contact Marty to be added to the task group [email protected].