Port of Los Angeles - Asset Management Program

Abstract: The Port of Los Angeles, comprised of 7,500 acres and 43 miles of waterfront, is one of the busiest US ports. Along the waterfront, the Port has cargo terminals for container, breakbulk, dry and liquid bulk, and automobile terminals. Other uses at the Port include commercial fishing, ship repair facilities, commercial retail, open space and cultural destinations.

As with most port authorities, the Port of Los Angeles is a capital-intensive enterprise with numerous capital investment projects annually. In order to support its various lines of business and strategic goals the Port has invested in a wide range of facilities and infrastructure, including docks and wharves, buildings, open storage, roadways, railroads, bridges, electrical and mechanical systems among others. The Port constructs, maintains, upgrades, repairs, repurposes or replaces in order to sustain and improve the Port’s operational and financial objectives.

The Port of Los Angeles Asset Management (POLA AM) has been developed to identify, assess, and monitor the Port’s assets and to utilize the information to prioritize the Port’s capital investment strategies. The program was developed from the ground up as there are no known or published programs to reference in the development of the POLA’s program with the end goal to provide a systemic approach to assess and maintain the Port’s facilities and pertinent information. The POLA AM identifies the program-level and infrastructure-level information requirements by recognizing varying attributes necessary for each specific infrastructure type and establishing respective rating systems which are reconciled to provide a unified and consistent overview of the information.

The program’s goals are to 1) maintain infrastructure that promote growth and optimize maintenance to extend infrastructure life and utility, and 2) make proper investments in the life and utility of the Port’s infrastructure that would result in long-term utilization and cost savings for POLA and its customers. The program’s primary objectives are to 1) maintain a uniform system to aggregate the infrastructure information on the existing condition, 2) compile, update, and maintain infrastructure information to be used to for prioritization of the infrastructure maintenance work, and 3) prioritize infrastructure maintenance work plans.

The program considerations are sustainability, agility, and scalability; 1) Sustainability of the program in terms of resource availability and required level efforts, 2) Ability to expand and contract with the changes in resources availability, 3) Ability to modify the program based on the various assets.

The development and progress of the AM has had its challenges. Assets range from bridges, various utilities, and wharf structures. The biggest challenge has been coordinating the different assets with its respective condition rating and consolidating into a uniform asset management program level rating system.

This paper will discuss the development of the Port of L.A.’s AM in terms of the current status of inventory and assessment with recommendations on how to improve the program. In addition, this paper will discuss how the information is collected through inventory and assessment in order to deliver reports that will help Port staff in prioritizing repairs.

How does this project / topic contribute to the advancement of the industry and profession?: With the rising costs to construct new facilities, asset management is the most efficient way to extend the useful life of a facility and lower operational costs. The Port of Los Angeles’ Asset Management Program will demonstrate the importance and benefits of having an active asset management program.

Does the project / topic implement new and innovative techniques, materials, technologies, and delivery methods?: The Port of Los Angeles has implemented the use of geographical information system (GIS) to document and locate the various assets in centralized location. A GIS database provides a platform in which information is readily available for managers to see information and for inspectors to update information from the field.

What was the most challenging aspect of your project / topic and how did you handle it to ensure success?: The most challenging aspect is the varying types of assets with their respective inspection requirements and condition rating guidelines. Each asset type is given a condition rating per their respective rating system. We have a POLA AM specific rating system to correlate each asset to a uniform program rating.

Who is the target audience for this paper?: This paper is targeted to seaports, facility owners and engineers who are tasked with developing an asset management program.