Recent Updates
Updates to the Guide to Computation and Use of System Level Valuation of Transportation Assets Through NCHRP Project 20-44(46).
New Case Studies
A total of nine case studies were added to Chapter 9 of the guidance. The new case studies, listed in the table below, illustrate the application of different approaches described in the asset valuation guidance, including different perspectives on what value represents, different approaches for calculating initial value, and different approaches for calculating depreciation.
Case Studies Added Under NCHRP Project 20-44(46)
| Section | Topic | Assets |
|---|---|---|
| 9.4 | Calculating Asset Value for Pavement Base and Surface in a Midwestern Agency | Pavement |
| 9.5 | Comparing Pavement Valuation Based on Condition vs. Age in a Southwestern Agency | Pavement |
| 9.6 | Calculating Asset Value for Assets with Varying Levels of Data Availability in a Western Agency | Multiple asset types |
| 9.7 | Comparing Bridge Valuation Using Three Depreciation Approaches in a Northwestern Agency | Bridge |
| 9.8 | Using FHWA BIP Tool Data to Develop Bridge Deterioration Curves | Bridge |
| 9.9 | Valuing a Bridge Using the Economic Perspective in an Eastern Agency | Bridge |
| 9.10 | Valuing Pavement Based on Condition in a Metropolitan Agency | Pavement |
| 9.11 | Calculating Vehicle Asset Value Using the Market Perspective | Cutaway Bus |
| 9.12 | Valuing Highway Assets Using the Economic Perspective in a Western Agency | Pavement |
Where are they located?
- All fourteen case studies are listed in the revision of Chapter 9: Case Studies.
Asset Value Calculation Templates
The research team developed asset value calculation templates for bridges and for ancillary assets. These templates were added as downloadable files to the Guidebook Downloads page. These tools supplement the written guidance within the new case studies and allow readers to use them as resources for doing their own asset valuation calculations.
Bridge Asset Value Calculation Template
An Excel spreadsheet for calculating bridge asset value using bridge inventory and condition data and parameters defined by the calculating agency. In addition to calculating replacement value, the template calculates remaining (or current) asset value using two approaches: composite rating and age-based. The template also yields costs to maintain value and asset consumption ratios for each of the three approaches.
- Download the Bridge Value Calculation Template.
Ancillary Asset Value Calculation Template
An Excel spreadsheet for calculating ancillary asset value using inventory and age data and parameters defined by the calculating agency. This template is intended to be used with assets with limited available data. In addition to calculating replacement value, the template calculates remaining (or current) asset value, cost to maintain value and asset consumption ratio.
- Download the Ancillary Asset Calculation Template.
Note that Section 3.3 Establish the Asset Hierarchy discusses different considerations in establishing what asses classes to consider when performing the asset valuation calculation, and discusses different asset classes. The following additional resources discuss asset management strategies related to ancillary assets such as: signs, signals, guardrail, culverts, lighting, pavement markings, retaining walls, curb ramps, and noise walls.
- Allen, B.; Ram, P.; Koonce, J.; Raj, D.; Burns, S.; Zimmerman, K.; Smadi, O.; and Mugabe, K. Handbook for Including Ancillary Assets Transportation Asset Management Programs. FHWA, Report FHWA-HIF-19-068, 2019. Available at the following URL accessed September 17, 2025: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/19068/19068.pdf.
- FHWA. Transportation Asset Management Plans: Case Study 7 – Managing Assets Beyond Pavements and Bridges. FHWA, Report FHWA-HIF-20-092, 2020. Available at the following URL accessed September 17, 2025: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/asset/pubs/hif20092.pdf.
- Spy Pond Partners, LLC; Applied Pavement Technology, Inc.; and WSP. AASHTO Transportation Asset Management Guide: A Focus on Implementation, Second Edition. AASHTO, 2020.
- Sturgill, R.; Harper, C.; Tran, D.; and Smadi, S. Management Practices for Ancillary Transportation Assets: A Synthesis of Highway Practice. NAS, NCHRP Synthesis 647, 2025. Available at the following URL accessed September 17, 2025: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/29059/management-practices-for-ancillary-transportation-assets.
Audio Version of the Digital Asset Value Guide
To improve the accessibility and usefulness of the Asset Value Guide, an audio version of the site was added. This audio version of the guidance covers the nine chapters of the site, as well as the two appendices.
These audio files were recorded using Voicemaker, a platform for converting text files to computer-generated narration.
Where are they located?
- These audio files were then embedded at the beginning of each chapter and section.
- The MP3 files can also be downloaded from the Guidebook Downloads page.
Glossary of Key Terms
The Asset Value Guide is intended to be a resource for transportation industry workers of all backgrounds and experience levels. To improve the guide’s accessibility for readers with little experience with economic analysis or any form of asset valuation, a glossary of key terms was added as a subsection under the “Support Materials” dropdown menu in the banner at the top of each webpage. This glossary includes an alphabetized list of dozens of terms pulled from each of the nine primary chapters of the guide, with a brief definition.
Where is it located?
- The Glossary can be found in the “Support Materials” dropdown menu at the top of every page.
Improved Navigation Menus
To enhance the digital guide’s accessibility, the navigation menus were redesigned to include layers of dropdown menus. This new design allows readers to jump directly to the sections and supplemental materials they are looking for, rather than needing to navigate through multiple pages. This redesign also improves accessibility for pages that were unintuitive to find and were often skipped by readers, such as the appendices.
Where are they located?
- Under the “Chapters” section in the banner at the top of every page.
New Color Theming
To improve the reader’s experience, new color themes were added to each of the nine main chapters of the guide. These color themes add variation the white, blue, and black format of the original version of the Asset Value Guide and help readers associate the different topics of the chapters with different colors or themes.
Where are they located?
- Each of the nine chapters has a new color theme applied automatically.
Revamped Search Functionality
The revamped search feature includes results from different sections of the guide, not only the main nine chapters. This new system includes guidance from the “Calculation Steps” and the digital appendices. The new search also provides a preview of the key terms appearing within those pages, allowing readers to better assess which sections of the guide are worth exploring in more depth and limit the time wasted searching for the most relevant pages.
Where are they located?
- The search feature can be accessed by typing a keyword or phrase in the search box located in the top right corner of each page.