Living Lab M4 London

The AM4INFRA project is building a common framework for a European life-cycle based asset management approach for transport infrastructure. To embed and verify elements of the framework approach into real life scenarios and practices and to learn from this reality over time, the Living Labs concept has been chosen.

Living lab M4 London
AM4INFRA – A common language for whole life cycle costing and risk based models

Description of activities

The London Living Lab took place in Old Windsor, close to London’s Heathrow airport on 8-9 March 2018. The living lab was organized as a two-day session back-to-back to the CEDR Executive Board meeting. The executives joined the Living Lab.The London Living Lab took place in Old Windsor, close to London’s Heathrow airport on 8-9 March 2018. The living lab was organized as a two-day session back-to-back to the CEDR Executive Board meeting. The executives joined the Living Lab.

Description of the real life context

M4 motorway is the main strategic route between London, the South West of England, and Wales. It connects directly to the M25 motorway and Heathrow Airport.
Key issues in place are:
• Heavy congestion (traffic) on the Strategic Road Network resulting in poor journey reliability,
• Regular maintenance works planned along the route,
• Construction of a Smart Motorway scheme (hard shoulder becomes a running lane and bridge/lane widening where required).
• Endeavouring to meet transport network users needs

Wider context of the London Living Lab

Results

The results of the London Living Lab have been defined by the participants including the attending CEDR executive board attendees. These results have been shared through a webinar which was open for a wider audience (in English). The results are a reflection of responses of the key stakeholders and the dialogues held in 6 groups covering a wider set of themes. In summary the London Living lab delivered the following results:

Key responses from Stakeholders
There were three key themes covered in the workshop, i.e.
(i) Transport for London (TfL): Surface Transport uses a risk based approach to compare and prioritise investment across a diverse range of assets.
(ii) M25 DBFO PPP project: Contract terms for asset management (AM) and the payment mechanism help drive the good approaches to AM investment and whole lifecycle thinking (WLC; lane availability, road condition, route performance, exceptional circumstances and critical incident adjustments).
(iii) Project 13*: BIM and asset management maturity: Project 13 has focus to deliver a step change in the way projects are managed so that the focus is

General conclusions Living Lab London
• The Lab provided a good opportunity to discuss detailed topics and learn from each other
• Helped understanding of the practical links between the 6 building blocks (data, systems/tools, organisations and WLC and managing risk)
• Management level / strategic systems are important influence on the effectiveness of asset management, not just operational and tactical levels.