The Czech Highway Appraisal System

This paper discusses the implementation of a highway appraisal system for the Czech Republic, based on the HDM-4 software tool. Development of the Czech Highway Appraisal System (CHAS) started in October 2001 as part of the "Technical Assistance to programmes of Highway Construction and Reconstruction co-financed by the European Investment Bank". The objectives of the systems were to: provide a standardised economic appraisal methodology for road investment in the Czech Republic based on HDM-4 ; provide a simplified appraisal methodology for the cost-effective and quick appraisal of schemes when required. The system was developed by Mott MacDonald and the University of Birmingham in close co-operation with the Technical Division of the Roads and Motorways Directorate (RMD) of the Czech Republic. CHAS was designed to integrate with and complement the existing road planning system in the Czech Republic and in particular with the extensive Road Data Bank (RDB) system maintained by the Roads and Motorways Directorate in Ostrava. The principal elements of the system are the HDM-4 model and a software interface between the RDB and HDM-4 which significantly simplifies the task of performing appraisals on the Motorway and Class I road network using the extensive data collected by the road authorities. The interface, known as ADAPTOR, enables the user to easily create the required HDM-4 input files, reducing the probability of errors and reducing the time needed to undertake appraisals. In this future, this system could be developed into a full HDM-4 based Pavement System. The system also includes a Simplified Appraisal Methodology (SAM) which enables the user to conduct economic appraisals with limited scheme data and reasonable default values based on average network data. As HDM-4 does not model bridge rehabilitation projects an interim Bridge Appraisal Model (BAM) was developed. In parallel to the various CHAS software development activities, a Level 2 calibration of HDM-4 was conducted, including the road deterioration, road user effects, and work effects models (amongst others). For the covering abstract see ITRD E135448.

  • Authors:
    • CLARKE, A B
    • WIGHTMAN, D
    • CIHAK, M
  • Publication Date: 2004

Language

  • English

Media Info

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01087540
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Jan 29 2008 10:51AM