PROCEDIMIENTOS Y MÉTODOS DE INSPECCIÓN 7 REQUISITOS DE LOS PROCESOS

This chapter presents a dynamic BMP-selection tool that can be used by IDOT personnel to select BMPs and incentives to reduce utility-related delays and expedite utility-relocation projects. The dynamic BMP-selection tool is provided as a stand-alone Excel file that can run on any version of Excel 1997 or newer. The tool can be used by decision makers to rank the 60 compliant BMPs based on their overall performance in five main criteria: (1) implementation cost, (2) effectiveness, (3) impact on reducing the project duration, (4) utilization rate by other state DOTs, and (5)

implementation problems. The following three sections provide a concise description of the dynamic BMP-selection tool developed; and they focus on (1) its calculation and ranking procedure, (2) its dynamic and flexible capabilities, and (3) its potential use by decision makers.

7.1 CALCULATION AND RANKING PROCEDURE

The calculation and ranking procedure of the BMP-selection tool developed is performed in three main steps that are designed to

1. Calculate for each BMP i its normalized implementation cost (NCi), normalized effectiveness

rate (NEi), normalized impact on reducing the project duration (NDi), normalized utilization

rate (NUi), and normalized implementation problems (NPi). The normalized implementation

cost, normalized effectiveness rate, and normalized impact on reducing the project duration are calculated using Equation 1, Equation 3, and Equation 4, respectively, as described earlier. The normalized utilization rate (NUi) and normalized implementation problems (NPi) are

calculated using a similar procedure, as shown in Equation 6 and Equation 7, respectively. 2. Compute a weighted performance score (BPSi) for each BMP i that quantifies and aggregates

its overall performance in the aforementioned five main criteria of implementation cost, effectiveness rate, impact on reducing the project duration, utilization rate, and

implementation problems, as shown in Equation 8. The value of this calculated BMP

performance score (BPSi) can range from 0, which represents the worst-performing BMP, to

100, which represents the best-performing BMP. The performance score of each of the 60 compliant BMPs is precalculated and built into the BMP-selection tool.

3. Rank the 60 compliant BMPs based on their performance score (BPSi) calculated in the

previous step. 𝑁𝑈_𝑖 = (𝑈𝑖− 𝑈𝑚𝑖𝑛) (𝑈_𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝑈_𝑚𝑖𝑛)𝑥 100% Equation 6 𝑁𝑃𝑖 = [1 − (𝑃_𝑖 − 𝑃_𝑚𝑖𝑛) (𝑃_𝑚𝑎𝑥− 𝑃_𝑚𝑖𝑛)] 𝑥 100% Equation 7 𝐵𝑃𝑆_𝑖 = (𝑁𝐶_𝑖 𝑥 𝑊₁) + (𝑁𝐸_𝑖 𝑥 𝑊₂) + (𝑁𝐷_𝑖 𝑥 𝑊₃) + (𝑁𝑈_𝑖 𝑥 𝑊₄) + (𝑁𝑃_𝑖 𝑥 𝑊₅) Equation 8

Where

NUi: Normalized utilization rate of BMP i

Ui: Reported utilization rate of BMP i

Umin: Minimum utilization rate of all BMPs

Umax: Maximum utilization rate of all BMPs

NPi: Normalized implementation problems of BMP i

Pi: Reported implementation problems of BMP i

Pmin: Minimum implementation problems of all BMPs

Pmax: Maximum implementation problems of all BMPs

BPSi: Performance score of BMP i

NCi: Normalized implementation cost of BMP i

W1: Weight of BMP implementation cost

NEi: Normalized effectiveness rate of BMP i

W2: Weight of BMP effectiveness rate

NDi: Normalized impact of BMP i on reducing project duration

W3: Weight of impact of BMP on reducing project duration

W4: Weight of BMP utilization rate

W5: Weight of BMP implementation problems

7.2 DYNAMIC AND FLEXIBLE CAPABILITIES

The dynamic BMP-selection tool is designed to provide flexibility in accounting for the varying and unique requirements of different districts. This flexibility is achieved by enabling decision makers to specify (a) the categories of BMPs that can be implemented in their district and, accordingly, should be included in the ranking analysis; and (b) the relative-importance weights of the five

aforementioned criteria that represent the specific priorities and requirements of their district.

7.2.1 BMP Category-Selection Interface

The BMP selection tool provides the user the option to select “Yes” to include or “No” to exclude any of the four BMP categories (coordination practices, financial incentives, practices requiring cost, and no-cost practices), as shown in Figure 29. Selecting “No” prompts the BMP-selection tool to exclude the entire category of BMPs from the ranking analysis by converting their BMP performance scores to 0. These “excluded BMPs” still appear at the bottom of the overall rankings, with a BMP performance score of 0.

7.2.2 User-Specified Relative-Importance Weights

The BMP selection tool allows the decision maker to specify the relative-importance weight of each of the five categories (utilization rate, effectiveness rating, project-reduction percentage,

implementation cost, and problems and challenges) to represent the specific needs of their IDOT district. These weights directly affect the calculation of the BMP performance score. For each category, the decision maker needs to input a numerical weight from 0 to 100. The total weight of these five categories must add up to 100. Otherwise, a total weight that does not equal 100 causes a red error message to appear, as shown in Figure 30.

Figure 30. Screenshot of the user-assigned weight criteria.

7.3 APPLICATION EXAMPLE

A hypothetical example is analyzed to illustrate the use of the BMP-selection tool and demonstrate its capabilities. In this example, IDOT District X needs to identify a list of BMPs that have the highest potential to expedite utility-relocation projects. To generate this BMP list, the decision maker needs to specify the categories of BMPs that can be implemented in his/her district and the relative- importance weights of the five aforementioned criteria.

In this example, it is assumed that District X does not have funding available in its utility-relocation budget; and therefore it can consider only BMPs that do not require implementation costs.

Accordingly, the decision maker needs to exclude the “financial incentives” and “practices requiring cost” categories in the BMP-selection tool, as shown in Figure 31.

It is also assumed that the top three priorities of District X in this example are to (1) achieve on-time completion of utility-relocation projects, (2) implement the most effective BMPs, and (3) minimize the use of BMPs that are expected to encounter problems. Accordingly, the decision maker in this example specifies the relative-importance weights of the five categories (see Figure 30) as follows:

 Utilization Rate – 0  Effectiveness Rating – 30

 Impact on Reducing Project Duration – 40  Implementation Cost – 0

 Implementation Problems – 30

Based on this user-specified input data, the dynamic BMP-selection tool generated a set of 38 feasible BMPs and ranked them based on the specified criteria. The top 25 BMPs identified, their performance scores, and their corresponding categories are shown in Figure 31. Furthermore, the

results in this figure illustrate that the top five BMPs identified are (1) avoidance of utility relocation, (2) additional utility personnel, (3) simplified permit approvals for utilities, (4) utility work by highway contractors, and (5) right-of-way utility coordination.