Infrastructure Management Flashcards

In a public works context, 'life-cycle cost analysis' (LCCA) is used to:

Answer: Compare total costs of infrastructure alternatives over their entire service life

LCCA evaluates all costs — construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, and disposal — over an asset's entire life to support better investment decisions.

A public works agency must comply with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) when managing infrastructure in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). This primarily means:

Answer: Development in the SFHA must meet local floodplain management ordinance requirements

NFIP participation requires communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances that regulate development in Special Flood Hazard Areas.

Which inspection method uses electromagnetic induction to assess the condition of reinforcing steel (rebar) in concrete bridge decks without destructive testing?

Answer: Half-cell potential testing

Half-cell potential testing measures electrochemical potential differences in concrete to detect the probability of active rebar corrosion non-destructively.

A public works manager is selecting a pavement preservation treatment for a road with PCI between 70-85. The MOST cost-effective treatment is typically:

Answer: Crack sealing and chip seal or microsurfacing

Roads in good condition (PCI 70-85) benefit most from cost-effective preservation treatments like crack sealing and chip seal that extend service life at low cost.

Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) is best described as:

Answer: The highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water delivered to users

The MCL is the legally enforceable maximum concentration of a contaminant allowed in public drinking water systems delivered to consumers.

A public works manager conducting a traffic impact study for a new development should primarily assess:

Answer: The change in intersection delay and level of service caused by new trips generated

Traffic impact studies measure how new development-generated trips will affect intersection operations, delay, and LOS compared to baseline conditions.

Which approach to asset management focuses on using real-time sensor data and monitoring to predict when maintenance is needed before failure occurs?

Answer: Predictive (condition-based) maintenance

Predictive maintenance uses sensor data and condition monitoring to intervene at the optimal point — before failure but without wasting resources on unnecessary servicing.