Appendix C: Ancillary Assets

Appendix C: Ancillary Assets

C1 Overview

The trunk road network includes not just carriageways and structures, but also footways, lighting, traffic signs, drainage networks and much else besides. In this version of the RAMP ancillary assets cover all trunk road asset types with the exception of the carriageway and road structures. This section describes the lifecycle plan for trunk road ancillary assets.

C2 Ancillary Assets

Table C.1 provides an overview of the trunk road ancillary assets, their definitions and quantities. The inventory records held for ancillary assets comply with the requirements set down in Transport Scotland’s Trunk Road Inventory Manual, and are held within the Routine Management and Maintenance Function of Transport Scotland’s Integrated Roads Information System.

Table C.1: Ancillary asset group and quantities

Asset Group	Asset Type	Definition	Quantity
Pedestrian & Cycle Facilities	Footway	A part of the road exclusively for the use of pedestrians or pedal cycles.	912 km
	Cycle Facility	A part of the road specifically for the use of pedal cycles.	66 km
Road Markings, Studs & Kerbs	Road Markings	Longitudinal lines, hatched lines, transverse lines and special lines and markings.	12,580 km
	Road Studs	Studs placed on the carriageway to guide traffic.	8577 km
	Kerbs	A border, usually upstanding at the edge of a carriageway or hard shoulder.	4,403 km
Technology Equipment	Variable Message Signs	A visual warning to inform road users of congestion, road works, speed limits, events or incidents.	586
	Cabinets and Pillars	A cabinet containing electronic and/or communications, traffic signal equipment or similar.	5,316
	Detector Loop	A wire loop embedded in the road surface to detect the presence or speed of a vehicle.	3,766
	Emergency Telephone	A telephone box and booth solely for use in an emergency.	485
	Weather Station	A remote electronic monitoring device to detect road surface and atmospheric conditions to give early warning of ice and frost.	103
Fences & Barriers	Fences and Barriers	A boundary fence, wall or barrier which runs alongside the carriageway for screening noise, headlight glare or to prevent access.	2,875 km
	Traffic Control Barriers	A moveable barrier or gate which can control the flow of traffic or close sections of the road in severe weather conditions.	47
	Safety Fence	A vehicle restraint system in the form of a continuous barrier erected alongside a carriageway or bridge.	1,975 km
	Pedestrian Guardrail	A protective fence usually on the edge of a footway intended to prevent pedestrians from stepping on to the carriageway.	44 km
Road Lighting	Lighting Point	A lighting installation usually consisting of a column, lantern housing and lamp.	20,263
	Road Traffic Signs (lit)	An illuminated sign, signal or other device for the purpose of regulating, warning, guiding or informing traffic.	7,365
	Bollards (lit)	An illuminated device placed on a refuge, traffic island or verge to warn drivers of obstructions or to prevent the passage of vehicles.	992
Drainage	Balancing Pond	A catchment area adjacent to a carriageway to collect surface water run-off following heavy rain.	33
	Counterfort Drain	A field drain filled with granular material such as gravel, which may be a laid over a porous or perforated pipe.	11 km
	Ditch	A trench adjacent to a carriageway for drainage, generally running parallel to the carriageway.	657 km
	Channel	A narrow longitudinal strip, generally near the edge of the carriageway, constructed to carry and lead away surface water.	197 km
	Filter Drain	A drain surrounded by granular material which remains visible (such as gravel), within which may be laid a porous or perforated pipe.	1498 km
	Grip	A shallow trench across the verge of a road to lead surface water away from the carriageway.	25,818
	Gully	A chamber at the side of the road connected to a drainage system to receive surface water and to trap debris.	86,387
Drainage	Culvert ≤3.0m	An enclosed channel or large pipe for conveying water under or alongside the trunk road.	6,471
	Drainage	A chamber provided in a drainage system with a sump or pit to collect silt or solid material and prevent it from blocking inaccessible parts of the drains.	1,451
	Manhole	A chamber constructed to give access to a drain, sewer or other underground service.	53,085
	Piped Grip	A piped conduit across the verge of a road to lead surface water away.	1,024
Geotechnical	Embankments & Cuttings	A cutting is an area where the carriageway is below existing ground level within an excavation. An embankment is an area where the carriageway has been raised above existing ground level.	2,054 km
Traffic Signs & Signals	Road Traffic Signs	A sign, signal or other device for the purpose of regulating, warning, guiding or informing traffic.	100,125
	Bollards	A device placed on a refuge, traffic island or verge to warn drivers of obstructions or to prevent the passage of vehicles.	3,141
	Reference Marker Point	Used to show the position of the start and end of sections on high speed roads.	6,187
Traffic Signs & Signals	Road Traffic Signals	A system of different coloured lights, including arrow-shaped lights, for stopping streams of traffic and permitting them to move.	1,833
	Pedestrian Crossing	A transverse strip of carriageway marked to indicate where pedestrians have priority to cross the road.	420
Landscaping	Tree	A perennial plant with a woody self-supported trunk and branches.	12,376
	Hedge	Distinct linear planting strips of single or mixed species, which are intended to be formally shaped and maintained.	300 km
	Verge	Part of the road outside the carriageway that may run through the middle.	7,625 km
	Grass, Bulbs & Wildflower Areas	A grassed area, an area of naturalised or planted bulbs, or an area of sown or naturalised herbaceous and/or flowering species of ecological or environmental value.	35,984 km2

C3 Ancillary Asset Standards

Transport Scotland adheres to a number of standards related to the management and maintenance of trunk road ancillary assets, such as those provided below:

• TD 25/01 Inspection and Maintenance of Traffic Signs on Motorway and All-Purpose Trunk Roads, Volume 8 Section 2 Part 2.
• TD 26/07 Inspection and Maintenance of Road Markings and Road Studs on Motorways and All-Purpose Trunk Roads, Volume 8 Section 2 Part 2.
• TD 23/99 Trunk Roads and Trunk Road Motorways Inspection and Maintenance of Road Lighting, Volume 8 Section 3 Part 2.
• TD 24/97 All-Purpose Trunk Roads Inspection and Maintenance of Traffic Signals and Associated Equipment, Volume 8 Section 1 Part 2.
• Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, Geotechnics and Drainage, Volume 4 Section 1 and 2.
• HA108/04 The Landscape Management Handbook, Volume 10 Section 3.
• HD40/01 Footway Maintenance, Volume 7 Section 4 Part 3 Chapter 2.
• Electrical Maintenance Guidelines for Roadside Electrical Apparatus lighting and Power Supplies: Document No. LDS8023_09.

C4 Inspections and Surveys

In addition to the surveys described in Section 5.2, our Operating Companies are required to undertake the following inspections:

Specialist Road Markings Surveys includes retro-reflectivity testing to ensure that markings of the line can reflect light from the vehicle back to the driver during the hours of darkness and skid resistance testing to ensure that markings are providing a specified level of surface grip. 

Specialist Road Stud Testing is undertaken to ensure that road studs (often referred to as cats’ eyes), are reflecting light from vehicle headlights during the hours of darkness.

Specialist Drainage Inspections are generally undertaken using specialist surveying techniques to investigate a potential problem identified through safety or detailed inspections, such as flooding or blockages. 

Landscape Opportunities Inspections are undertaken by the Landscape Architect at intervals not exceeding 12 months in order to identify potential opportunities to improve the landscape associated with the trunk road network. Specialist Woodland inspections of hedges and trees are also required at set intervals.

C5 Routine and Cyclic Maintenance of Ancillary Assets

Full details of the routine and cyclic maintenance requirements for ancillary assets are provided in Schedule 7: Part 1 and Part 2 of our Operating Company contracts. Routine and cyclic maintenance activities undertaken for ancillary assets typically include:

Reactive maintenance – unplanned work normally identified through the inspections described in Section 5.2 or reports from members of the public. The requirements for defect repairs for all categories of defects are described in Section 5.3.

Cyclic Maintenance – day-to-day servicing, rather than repair, of assets to keep them operating. Examples include weed control (on footways, cycle lanes, kerbs etc.), pressure jetting of slot drains and kerb block drains, checking tensioning devises on relevant road restraint systems and bulk lamp changes.

Renewals – programmed maintenance on ancillary assets is typically of a lesser nature than those undertaken on carriageways and structures, typically comprising the replacement of faulty or worn out equipment, for example:

• Patching and maintenance of footways and cycle lanes.
• Replacing road side kerbs.
• Road lighting and electrical work.
• Repair and/or replacement of safety fences.
• Repainting of road markings and replacement of road studs.
• Repair and remedial works to earthworks, embankments and cuttings.

Our Operating Companies are required to log all Category 2 Defects found during Detailed Inspections in our Integrated Roads Information System. They are then required to produce short to medium-term work programmes by prioritising, preparing and submitting programmes and bids for the repair of these defects while at the same time taking account of service life and lifecycle requirements. Where appropriate, renewals of ancillary assets are undertaken as part of programmed carriageway or structure maintenance schemes as this will reduce disruption to the road user and provide good value for money.

C6 Monitoring Performance

Transport Scotland measures and monitors the performance of trunk road carriageways by undertaking annual inspections and condition surveys and road user satisfaction surveys. This helps us to understand and prioritise the needs of our network.

Ancillary Asset Condition

The collection of condition data for ancillary assets will enable us to compare the performance of assets across the trunk road network and assess how they are performing over time. The assets are categorised by the severity of their defects according to five levels of service or condition categories. These condition categories are excellent, good, fair, poor and very poor. The condition categories developed for footway and cycle facilities and road markings are shown as examples in Table C.2 and Table C.3.

Table C.2: Footway and cycle facilities condition categories

Condition Categories	Description	Photographs
Excellent	New or nearly new condition with no obvious visual defects. May have obvious signs of disturbance in the surrounding grassed areas indicating recent works.
Good	An even and comfortable surface, free from defects and with few visible signs of surface deterioration. Showing no signs of the original construction works and all surrounding grassed areas returned to vegetation.
Fair	Free from safety defects but poor visual aesthetics. Evidence of initial deterioration, minor cracking, crazing and fretting. Minor isolated spot defects. Poor quality reinstatements including minor differences in level with original surface. Minor settlement/unevenness or filler loss on block paved areas.
Poor	Extensive cracking, failed patching, potholes, standing water (>10mm deep), small areas of depression (>25mm) or slab trips (>20mm). Extensive missing filler and/or loose blocks. Extensive wearing of screed for cycle facilities.
Very Poor	Requires replacement/rehabilitation, life expired. Effects include extensive and severe surface failure, cracking, distortion or slab trips. Complete loss of screed for cycle facilities.

Table C.3: Road markings condition categories

Condition Categories	Description	Photographs
Excellent	New or nearly new condition. Score of 5/5 on the visual assessment of 'Wear' (TD26/07).
Good	No visual defects and with few visible signs of deterioration. Good night time conspicuity and very little wear, score of 4/5 on the visual assessment of 'Wear' (TD26/07). >100mcd/m²/lux retroreflectivity.
Fair	Some initial visible wear and/or fair night time conspicuity characteristics score of 3/5 on the visual assessment of 'Wear' (TD26/07). 80-100 mcd/m²/lux retroreflectivity.
Poor	Visible but has bare spots and poor night time conspicuity, score of 2/5 on the visual assessment of 'Wear' (TD26/07). <80 mcd/m²/lux retroreflectivity. Skidding resistance results close to threshold.
Very Poor	Barely visible, score 0 or 1/5 on the visual assessment of 'Wear' (TD26/07). Below any threshold levels on critical road areas (e.g. Give Way or Stop lines). Below threshold skidding resistance levels detailed in BS EN 1436. <80 mcd/m²/lux retroreflectivity on unlit single carriageway. Life expired asset.

Our Operating Companies have been contracted to collect ancillary asset condition data annually from 2013/14. In the absence of full network coverage, condition data collected to date can be considered indicative of network condition. The condition of trunk road ancillary assets, aggregated under eight asset groups is presented in Figure C.1. Approximately 41% of ancillary assets are categorised as excellent or good condition. Approximately 18% of ancillary assets are categorised as poor or very poor condition (15% and 3% respectively).

Figure C.1: 2014/15 condition of trunk road network ancillary assets

Customer Satisfaction

Transport Scotland undertakes an annual customer survey which asks road users about their satisfaction with the condition of trunk road footways, cycleways, lighting, signs and road markings. This allows us to gauge current levels of satisfaction and compare and trend current and past levels of satisfaction in order to identify areas for improvement.

Views of trunk road lighting, road markings and signage were mainly positive in 2015. Respondents were most satisfied with the visibility of road signage (76%), the provision of signs giving directions (71%), lighting along roads (68%), followed by the provision of electronic message boards (67%), and the visibility of road markings (63%). With the exception of lighting (2% decrease), levels of satisfaction were higher than in 2014.

Figure C.2: Trends with lighting, markings and signage

C7 Investment Plan

Investing in Asset Management Activities

Our investment plan for trunk road ancillary assets outlines how we manage the assets in a safe and serviceable condition both now and into the future. This involves surveying and inspecting ancillary assets, undertaking routine repairs, cyclic maintenance and undertaking asset renewals. Figure C.3 provides a breakdown of the proportion of investment in these asset management activities for each ancillary asset group.

Figure C.3: Breakdown of 2014/15 Investment on Ancillary Assets

Ancillary Assets Historical Investment

The investment in ancillary asset renewals over a five-year period is shown in Figure C.4. Spend on renewing ancillary assets has ranged from £8m per annum to £13m per annum, with the lowest level of investment in 2013/14.

Figure C.4: Investment in ancillary assets renewals from 2010/11 to 2014/15

Ancillary Assets Future Investment and Indicative Work Plan

We are currently working with our Operating Companies to better understand the current condition of the ancillary assets that we manage. This will allow us to understand the impact of different funding scenarios over the next 5 to 10 years on the change in that condition. Transport Scotland’s ancillary assets model provides what-if scenarios for investment in trunk road ancillary assets. Details of the model and the scenarios considered can be found in Chapter 5. 

Our model predicts that a total maintenance budget of £540m (excluding inflation) is required to replace all ancillary assets that fall into the very poor condition band over the next 10 years. This is equivalent to an annualised average maintenance budget of £54m per year. The 2015/16 budget is approximately £11m.

Figure C.5: Ancillary assets 10-year maintenance expenditure

Assuming that funding will remain at 2015/16 levels (£11m per annum), our model estimates that approximately 33,400 individual point assets and 9,700 km of continuous assets will be replaced over the next 10 years.

Figure C.6: 10-year indicative work plan with £11m annual budget

C8 Future Management Strategy

In order to minimise the impact of reduced budgets we will continue to work with our supply chain to make best use of available resources. Key components of our strategy for managing ancillary assets are provided below.

Scheme Identification	Continue to collect condition data for ancillary assets and use it to identify renewals schemes and 3-year programmes. Continue our strategy of focusing on essential maintenance of ancillary assets in preference to improving their condition. Replacement of ancillary assets will be delayed where possible to achieve the maximum possible life. Renewal activities will be focused on low value activities that can achieve a wide network coverage, such as white lining.
Value Management	Ensure that all ancillary asset renewals schemes are fully assessed and represent value for money. Ensure that appropriate alternative options are developed and analysed through whole life cost analysis, where appropriate.  Develop bidding guidance, prioritisation processes and whole life cost tools for key assets to ensure that the most appropriate and deserving schemes are being targeted for maintenance, and reflect Transport Scotland’s objectives and priorities.
Works Programming	Consider bringing forward or delaying renewal of ancillary assets to align with schemes programmed on carriageway and structures assets at the same location. This will reduce disruption to the road user and reduce costs.
Innovation	Continue to investigate innovative treatment and assessment methods such as filter drain recycling, drainage condition assessments and GPS recording of maintenance activities. Continue to invest in schemes which improve efficiency and/or asset life, such as LED Street Lighting, which provides a longer life, lower energy consumption and cheaper maintenance costs.

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