Abstract
Our ideal asset management is one that is comprehensible to the citizens yet cost-effective. The aim of this study was to introduce a new viewpoint through a new evaluation system that will aid with asset management by the government, with bridges as significant road facilities being the subject matter.
The bridges that were the subjects of this study were chosen from the urban, residential, and rural areas of an ordinancedesignated city, Fukuoka City. In calculating their asset values, emphasis was made on the idea that a bridge has various assets. Evaluations were not restricted to the material values of the bridges themselves, but to other assets, such as the fact that they mitigate traffic congestion and thereby providing valuable service to the citizens and improving the environment. Furthermore, bridge asset values were expressed in monetary value to be more comprehensible for the citizens.
The asset values of the bridges calculated in this study were found to be higher in urban areas, where there were more citizens and road users who are affected by traffic volume and the environmental impacts of it.
However, in rural areas, the asset values of essential bridges located on roads used in emergencies were nevertheless found to be lower. Hence, this study gives some suggestions on the possible ways of utilizing these asset values, while reflecting upon the roles the bridges play in disasters, and the opinions of the local residents.
