RAMM includes the following:

Network Description

RAMM allows you to describe your road network in both a linear mode and geospatially. Each road can be divided into any number of sections. In an urban situation this would normally be from intersection to intersection whilst a rural road would probably be split based on things like width and traffic volumes.

Additionally, long highways can be split by reference stations and established route positions which allow for a third hierarchical level of segmentation.

Road sections are categorised based on a number of standard groupings supplied with the system and a number of user defined categories.

Each road section can also record usage information such as traffic counts, traffic estimates, loading information (e.g. percentage heavies, ESA's etc.).

The network can also be split into security zones so that restrictions can be placed on access to certain parts of the network. These splits can be physical (e.g. suburb) or logical (e.g. urban or rural).

Asset Inventory

RAMM comes standard with many asset types that can be described on your network. Additionally you can also set up your own "User Defined Assets" if the standard set is insufficient. The standard set includes:

Surfacing and Pavement layer
Drainage (e.g. culverts, catchpits)
Surface Water Channels
Footpaths
Street Lights
Signs
Traffic Signals
Bridges
Trees
Vehicle crossings
Berms
Traffic Islands
Intersections
Railings
Retaining walls

Asset Condition

RAMM comes standard with many ways of determining and recording the condition of your network and assets. Additionally you can describe your own methods of assessing the condition of an asset.

The standard set includes:

Roughness (i.e. NAASRA and IRI)
Sealed and unsealed condition rating
Pavement strength - SNP
Skid Resistance (SCRIM)
High speed condition data for texture, rutting, deformation and geometry of the road
Grip tests
Test pits
Falling weight deflectometer
Footpath rating
Average vehicle speed

Asset Valuation

Local Government authorities are required to fund the depreciation of their
Infrastructure assets.

To do this, the current Replacement Cost (RC) must be determined for those assets.

Using this information, together with details of condition and methodologies for depreciation, the current and projected Depreciated Replacement Cost (DRC) can be determined. This Depreciated Replacement Cost can be used to determine the funding required.

Valuing assets also assists Local Government bodies with other planning activities, including:

Financial reporting.
Auditing.
Determination of equity.
Risk management.

Asset Valuation defines rules for valuation of the road network and calculation of replacement costs.

RAMM Assessment

RAMM Assessment has two main purposes:

To record the present Condition of road assets
To forecast the Likelihood of Failure and the Consequence of Failure, from which an overall Risk can be estimated.

Worksheets are created and then used for Assessment Inspections, and the results are then entered into the RAMM Assessment system. From here RAMM Assessment generates Inspection Schedules to keep track of this work, giving you Advance Warning of Assessments that are due.

By having this data in the system, you can calculate Weighting for Condition, Risk Likelihood or Risk Consequence.

The calculations conform to the NAMS Standard Condition Categories (for Condition) or the Standards New Zealand document Guidelines for Managing Risk HB 143:1999 (for Risk Likelihood and Risk Consequence).

For example, you may simply wish to know the Condition of a Bridge over a period of time, and you can build a Worksheet Template, create a Worksheet and perform regular Assessments to do just that.

On the other hand, you may like to know which Bridges in your road network are more likely to fail or have a high economic consequence when they do fail.

For this sort of Assessment you'd build a Worksheet Template for Risk Likelihood and / or Consequence and perform the Assessment accordingly.

The detailed picture of your roading network that emerges helps you plan for the future with greater accuracy and certainty.

RAMM Assessment is a complete assessment and rating system to define the condition of the road network.

Forecasting tools such as RAMM Forward Work Planning.

The primary purpose of the RAMM Forward Work Planning software is to help Asset Engineers while meeting Transit New Zealand's philosophies and expectations for the management of State Highway Assets, (this is described in the SHAMM "State Highway Asset Management Manual").

However Road Controlling Authorities will also find Forward Work Planning useful for effective road asset management.

The RAMM Forward Work programme is designed to store pavement treatment length information at project level for a period of up to 20 years, this is beneficial as it allows you to plan your budgets for the entire network on a yearly basis and provide costings for that period, while projecting costings for the up-and-coming years.

For example, you could plan to carry out a grade 3/5 two coat reseal on SH 3 RS 269 RP 0.100 - 2.540 in six years' time.

Below is an overview of the process for development of a robust Forward Work Programme (FWP):