“If a job is worth doing,  it is worth doing right!”

Road Surface Management System (RSMS 98) is part of the Public Works Software (PWS) developed by the New Hampshire Technology Transfer Center at the University of New Hampshire.  PWS consists of a collection of software programs designed to support ISTEA requirements for management systems.  The major objective of developing these programs was to provide effective but easy-to-use management support tools for local governmental agencies.  The PWS currently incorporates five modules:
 

RSMS 98 - Road Surface Management (DOS Version)
MEMS - Maintenance Equipment Management System
SIMS - Sign Inventory Management System
DIMS - Drain Inventory Management System
GICS - Graphic Information Collection System

RSMS 98 and SIMS 98 are currently available for distribution from the DelDOT T2 Center.  Hopefully, MEMS will be available by the end of this year.  DIMS and GICS will be available sometime next year.  Look for more information about these software programs in Kercher Engineering, Inc’s Public Works Institute.
 

WHAT IS RSMS 98 ?

RSMS 98 is a software program that is used to store data, analyze the data and generate reports.  The three categories of data used for the program are:

1) Road Inventory

These files contain information for each road in the municipality (referred to as the “network”).  This data includes such information as the starting and stopping points, width, length and surface type for each road segment. This information typically can be taken from existing records.  Any missing information can be obtained from the field.

A condition survey is performed to determine the condition of each road segment in the network.  Commonly observed distresses in asphalt pavements include fatigue (alligator) cracking, environmental cracking, potholes, failed patches, and rutting.  It is essential that trained personnel perform the survey in order to ensure accurate, consistent results.  This data is gathered in the field.

3) Maintenance Repair Strategies and Associated Data

These files include each repair strategy and the different types of repair alternatives for each strategy.  Included in this data are the unit costs and expected life of the repair alternatives. Although the program is distributed with preset generic data in the files, this information should be reviewed and modified as necessary to meet the needs of the municipality.  Kercher Engineering, Inc. will be glad to provide assistance to ensure that these modifications are done correctly.

WHY RSMS 98

The forefather of RSMS 98 was the original version of RSMS developed in the 1980’s by the New Hampshire Technology Transfer Center.  The original RSMS has been used by more than 300 municipalities in at least 10 states (the exact number of users is not known since distribution has not been controlled by a single source).  It was very popular because it was easy to use and produced consistent, logical results.  However, as with most things that are relatively simple, the simplicity of the original RSMS created some limitations.  For example, several of the limitations are listed below:
 

1.  Set Report Format

RSMS generated quite a few reports that contained large amounts of information and the format of the reports was fixed.  Some people thought there was too much information which could be overwhelming for local officials.  Also, some users wanted the flexibility of choosing what information was to be printed in each report.

2.  Limited Modifications to the Program

In order to have an easy-to-use program, much of the information contained in the various database files was fixed.  For example, RSMS contained 6 types of pavement distresses.

• Fatigue (Alligator) Cracking
• Longitudinal/Transverse Cracking
• Edge Cracking
• Potholes/Patches
• Roughness
• Rutting

However, if oxidizing/ raveling was a concern (i.e. - in warmer climates - this is typically not a major problem in New Hampshire), the program manager’s only option was to “fake out” the program by using one of the pre-set distresses (i.e. - roughness) as raveling/oxidizing.  This “fake out” method required the decision trees to be modified.  One problem with this “modification” is when a certain combination of distresses exists, the program does not select the proper maintenance alternative. Although these specific combinations of distresses rarely occur, the error must be identified and corrected.  Also, the reports state that certain pavement sections had a roughness problem instead of oxidizing/raveling.  This was not a big problem if everyone reading the report was aware of this  “modification.”

3.  Budget Report

The budget report simply lists the streets in a prioritized order that could be maintained for a specified budget (i.e. $100,000 budget).  Although, it is very easy to generate such a report, the original RSMS program does not allow any flexibility in selecting maintenance alternatives.  It will simply select the best maintenance alternative based on the prioritization scheme selected by the user.  However, certain situations such as utility problems or localized subbase problems may dictate additional work that would not be reflected in the report.  

Please note that even with the above-mentioned limitations, the original RSMS program is still an excellent planning tool for developing a maintenance program and network level budget.  This is especially true, for local agencies that are just starting to implement a PMS.  However, there are municipalities that are now ready for a more versatile PMS that will provide these users with the flexibility they desire.  
 

FLEXIBILITY OF RSMS 98

RSMS 98 was developed to include more versatility in the program in order to address the lack of flexibility that existed in the original version of RSMS.  Probably the best feature of this more complex program is that it has been designed so that it can still be used by novices, but also contains advanced features for experienced users.  

The reason why novices are able to use this program is that it is distributed with certain database files preset with necessary information.  When utilizing the preset information, the user will find that RSMS 98 is about as easy to use as the original version. 

For users that want flexibility in the program to add additional distress types or modify decision trees, this can be done.  However, it must be noted that the user must be knowledgeable enough to correctly make all necessary changes.  Since this program is a relational database that uses many different database files, one change can greatly affect the accuracy of results.  As such, only experienced users should be making major modifications to the preset information.  It is strongly recommended that all users attend a T2 Center training session prior to using this program.

REPORTS

RSMS98 generates a series of reports which includes:

1. Inventory of Roads - is a tabular report that lists each road segment in the network along
      with the physical characteristics of each segment.  The characteristics include the length, 
      width of pavement, type of pavement, type of shoulder, starting and stopping points, and 
      volume of traffic. 

2.  Summary of Road Condition Survey - lists the results of the distress survey.  The road 
       segments can be sorted by such categories as maintenance (or political) division, or by 
       pavement type.  The report also contains a chart that shows the percentage of the 
       network (based on mileage) that requires each type of repair.  This provides a snapshot 
       of the overall condition of the network.

3.  Summary of Repair Strategies - this report provides a list of possible repair alternatives
      for each road segment and the associated cost of each repair alternative.  The listing is 
      prioritized based on the prioritization scheme used by RSMS 96.

4.  Budget Work  - is a prioritized listing of the road segments that can be repaired for a 
      specified budget amount.  Different from the original version, RSMS 98 requires the 
      user to the select the repair alternative for each road segment.  Although this manual 
      selection process requires more time, it requires the user to put some thought into the 
      selection process that results in a more useable budget report.

If anyone is interested in seeing a sample of the different reports, please contact Kercher Engineering, Inc. for a complimentary sample report.
 

USING RSMS 98

RSMS 98 is based on the Windows operating system for desktop Personal Computers (PC). Figure 2 shows the window that appears on the screen first.  Figure 3 shows the window if the first pulldown menu is selected. The RSMS user interface is graphical and uses symbols and mouse actions that are standard for Windows programs.  All interactions (such as selecting one of the pulldown menus) with the program can be made using a mouse or the keyboard.
 

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

Realizing that many public works departments receive hand-me-down computers from other departments, RSMS 98 has been designed to run on very basic computers.  The minimum operating system and hardware requirements are:

• Windows 3.1 operating system 
• 486 Processor or higher
• 4 MB of memory (it’s really fast with 16 MB)