Harrow Council Completes Highway Asset Surveys with Saber

A team of Saber surveyors armed with GPS enabled devices has surveyed the streets of Harrow recording the location, type and condition of more than 200,000 individual assets. Covering more than fifteen different highway asset types, including bollards, signs, gullies and cycle racks, the data is being used by Harrow Council to develop forward works programmes and for budget reporting and management. This information has also been vital for determining the scope of a Highways contract renewal.

Saber is the new name for Highway Surveyors Ltd and the accredited inspectors also completed the annual Detailed Visual Inspection of the highway asset and condition for the Borough.

“The highway asset is about much more than just the road itself. Highway assets include pavements and other roadside features such as safety equipment, drainage features, lighting and signs,” commented Antony Durke, Team Leader, Highways and Asset Management at Harrow Council. “Asset management is a strategic tool that uses information to look at the whole road network rather than individual schemes. It is about collecting physical inventory and managing current conditions based on strategic goals and sound investments.”

Saber completed the capture of asset inventory and condition data earlier this year under challenging winter conditions. This was in addition to its annual DVI survey of Harrow’s highway network comprising of 1,615 roads of which all but two are classed as fully urban. Clocking up more than 1,500 kilometres of walked surveys Saber has delivered a number of datasets for use in Harrow’s UK Pavement Management System (UKPMS) software Symology.

The Saber captured data is being used by Harrow Council to create condition indices to drive capital replacement programmes and works planning. The ability to monitor the condition of the highway and assets year on year allows for planning of works based on the predicted depreciation of condition and value. The Saber data also informs pre-emptive maintenance to ensure best value is achieved from capital works within the Borough.

Saber survey data is also used to calculate CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) valuations and for funding bids to senior management to secure investment to maintain the highway and assets.