Abstract

Public infrastructure is essential to a region’s economic stability and quality of life, especially its rural infrastructure where most consumable and essential goods derive from. Given the high capital investment required for infrastructure development and maintenance, asset management plans (IAM) are critical. Even though academic research exists on the problems rural infrastructure management face, little is known about the actual state, barriers and causes for the challenges IAM faces in rural Utah. This study examines the current challenges and barriers in IAM among rural communities in Utah. Employing a grounded theory approach, data was collected through a two-phase methodology: phase 1 being an electronic survey, and phase 2 being follow-up in-person interviews. The study identiﬁed several key challenges such as funding problems that lead to deferred maintenance, and reliance on bonds or loans, and staﬀ shortages which further exacerbate these issues. We found problems with political agendas, data acquisition and management especially of older infrastructure, integration between diﬀerent IAM software systems, and a prevalence of reactive maintenance strategies. Although Utah’s infrastructure performs above the national average, signiﬁcant improvements are needed to ensure sustainability and eﬃciency in asset management. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on rural infrastructure management and highlights actionable insights that could help policymakers and professionals develop more eﬀective strategies. By addressing these challenges, rural communities in Utah can enhance their infrastructure resilience and improve the quality of life for residents. Several areas for future research were identiﬁed, including the examining of low accountability in asset status reporting, evaluating the eﬀectiveness of artiﬁcial intelligence (AI) tools in road infrastructure assessments, and developing case studies on preventive maintenance implementation in rural municipalities. Additionally, research into software interoperability solutions, such as API development for better data integration across diﬀerent IAM platforms, could address a major operational challenge.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rights

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