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Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: research study was about finding the right sourcing strategy that would work effectively for the South African Police Service (SAPS) garages. Its purpose was to help the SAPS garages deal strategically and effectively with their work load while repairing the SAPS vehicles, as the current evidence indicated that the garages might not have sufficient capacity to cope with the volume of repairs they were receiving. The research was structured as a case study design, in which personal interviews were held with SAPS garage managers, SAPS strategy drivers (Head Office) and executive managers at the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Provincial Government Fleet, and Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). To follow up on these initial one-on-one interviews, a further questionnaire comprising similar, information-gathering questions was sent out to various SAPS garage managers to elicit more detailed information on the circumstances of their individual garages. A literature review, which formed the basis of the study, explains the sourcing strategy, and explores different sourcing options including how to make the best sourcing decision. In this study, three models of sourcing strategy were considered, and were supported by the case study of the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Provincial fleet management, and PRASA. This study has proved that what the different authors have written and recommended about in-sourcing and outsourcing can still be considered in conjunction with the current legislative and policy framework. The cost analysis was conducted in order to be able to assess which option would be the more expensive between in-sourcing and outsourcing. The fundamental finding of this research was that the SAPS garages could not handle all the work they were receiving, as they did not have the capacity, for various reasons, to deal with the volume of vehicle repairs that were coming in, and that the variety of sourcing strategies at the different garages were not effectively reducing the backlog. There was no clear sourcing strategy in place from the National office to guide the garages. From these findings, the recommendation is that the big garages should handle all the services and minor repairs including some major repairs, with the majority of the major repairs being outsourced to service providers, while the smaller garages should focus on services and minor repairs only, and outsource all major repairs. The vehicles that are not within a 30km radius of the SAPS garages must be directly outsourced to providers using the RT46 contract, or similar arrangement. Further research studies are needed regarding the demographic structure of the garages, and also regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of the actual running of the garages. A balance then needed to be found between in-sourcing and outsourcing, whilst ensuring that the garages were operating efficiently and outsourcing responsibly. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsingstudie is gedoen om die effektiefste en geskikste verkrygingstrategie vir die voertuigwerkswinkels van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD) te bepaal. Die doel was om die werkswinkels te help om strategies en effektief te werk gegewe hulle werkslading, aangesien huidige bewyse getoon het dat hulle nie voldoende kapasiteit daarvoor het nie. Die navorsing is gestruktureer as ’n gevallestudie, waartydens persoonlike onderhoude met SAPD-werkswinkelbestuurders, SAPD- strategiese drywers (Hoofkantoor), en uitvoerende bestuurders van die Stad Kaapstad, die Wes-Kaapse Provinsiale Regering-vloot en die passasier-spooragentskap van Suid-Afrika (PRASA) gevoer is. Ter opvolging van die oorspronklike individuele onderhoude is ’n verdere vraelys gebruik waarin soortgelyke vrae aan SAPD-werkswinkelbestuurders gestel is om meer inligting aangaande die toestand van hulle werkswinkels te bekom. ’n Literatuuroorsig, wat die basis gevorm het van die studie, verduidelik die verkrygingstrategie en ondersoek verskillende verkrygingsopsies, asook hoe om die beste verkrygingsbesluite te neem. In hierdie studie is drie verkrygingstrategiemodelle oorweeg, wat ondersteun is deur die gevallestudie van die Stad Kaapstad, die Wes-Kaapse Provinsiale Regering-vlootbestuur en PRASA. Die studie het bewys dat dít wat die onderskeie outeurs oor in- en uitkontraktering bevind en aanbeveel het, steeds oorweeg behoort te word, aangevul deur die bestaande wetgewing en beleidsraamwerk. Die kosteontleding is gedoen om te bevestig watter in- of uitkontrakteringsopsies die effektiefste sou wees. Die fundamentele bevinding van hierdie navorsing is dat die SAPD se voertuigwerkswinkels tans nie al die werk wat hulle ontvang, kan hanteer nie, omdat hulle om verskeie redes nie die nodige kapasiteit het om die groot aantal voertuie wat inkom, te herstel nie. Die uiteenlopende strategieë wat die onderskeie werkswinkels volg sover dit uitkontraktering betref, verminder ook nie die agterstand nie. Daar is nie ’n duidelike verkrygingstrategie van die nasionale kantoor wat riglyne aan die werkswinkels verskaf nie. Die aanbeveling na aanleiding van hierdie bevindinge is dat die groot werkswinkels al die versienings en kleiner herstelwerk, met inbegrip van sekere groot herstelwerk, moet hanteer, terwyl die kleiner werkswinkels moet fokus op versienings en kleiner herstelwerk, en alle groot herstelwerk moet uitkontrakteer. Indien voertuie buite ’n 30 km-radius van ’n SAPD-werkswinkel is, moet sodanige herstelwerk uitgekontrakteer word deur gebruik te maak van die RT46-kontrak, of ’n soortgelyke reëling. Verdere navorsingstudies is nodig oor die demografiese struktuur van die werkswinkels, asook die doelmatigheid en effektiwiteit betreffende die werklike bedryf van die werkswinkels. ’n Balans moet gevind word tussen in- en uitkontraktering, terwyl daar verseker moet word dat die werkswinkels effektief bedryf word en uitkontraktering op ’n verantwoordelike wyse geskied.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Safety culture is of paramount importance in high risk industries such as railway maintenance, nuclear, offshore industries and aviation industry, resulting in the assessment of safety culture in these industries. The purpose of this study is to assess the safety culture amongst maintenance engineers at a leading airline in South Africa. The approach to the study was twofold. Firstly, an intensive literature study was conducted, followed by an empirical study. The literature study clarified and zoned in on the importance safety management system and the pivotal role of human factors in aviation maintenance and its contribution to safety culture. The Airways Technical Safety Culture Survey (ATSCS) was distributed to all the maintenance engineers employed at a major South African airline. The subsequent data, received from 113 respondents, was interpreted and then analysed using the SPSS statistical software package. Firstly, the responses to the seven scales of the ATSCS were examined to determine whether the data was suitable for factor analysis. The data was analysed using the SPSS statistical package. A principal axis factor analysis, with a Varimax rotation was performed on the data in order to determine which factors cluster together. Scale reliability was determined by making use of Chronbach’s coefficient alpha. The average mean of the corrected correlations between each scale item was also calculated to examine the internal homogeneity and unidimensionality of the different scales. Next, the items were subjected to item analysis. The mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis were calculated for the sample scores of the ATSCS. The influence and effect of the biographical variables on the maintenance engineers’ attitudes towards safety were determined by comparing the responses of various employee subsets with one another by means of t-tests and ANOVA. The results of the t-tests revealed that ethnicity had a statistically significant effect on the safety attitude with regard to management’s attitude towards safety and safety training. The effect sizes were calculated to determine the strength of the relationship, and this was found to be of medium effect. The ANOVA results indicated that education, geographical location and fleet qualification have no effect on the safety attitude of the population. However, an ANOVA of work area revealed that the major maintenance work area differs significantly from the other two groups in five areas of the Safety Culture Survey. Finally, the overall responses of the majority of participants in this study were very positive with regard to the seven core factors related to attitudes toward safety. It is suggested that future studies of this nature should incorporate a larger sample consisting of cross-cultural carriers in the global industry. This will confirm the external validity of the present study and support the transfer of findings to other maintenance engineers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Talle studies is onderneem om die veiligheidskultuur in hoë-risiko industrieë soos die spoorweginstandhoudingsbedryf, kernbedryf en olieboorbedryf te definieer en te assesseer terwyl daar slegs ’n paar gedokumenteerde pogings in die lugvaartbedryf bestaan. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die veiligheidskultuur by instandhoudingsingenieurs in een van die vernaamste lugrederye in Suid-Afrika te assesseer. ’n Literatuurstudie en ’n empiriese studie is uitgevoer. Die literatuurstudie is gerig op die aspekte van veiligheidsbestuur en die rol van menslike faktore in lugvaartinstandhouding en die bydrae daarvan tot ’n veiligheidskultuur. Die Lugvaart Tegniese Veiligheidskultuuropname (ATSCS – Airways Technical Safety Culture Survey) is aan al die instandhoudingsingenieurs by ’n groot Suid-Afrikaanse lugredery versprei. Die data wat van 113 respondente ontvang is, is geïnterpreteer en toe ontleed met behulp van die SPSS statistiese sagtewarepakket. Eerstens is die response op die sewe skale van die ATSCS ondersoek om te bepaal of die data vir faktorontleding geskik is. Hoofasfaktorontleding is met behulp van SPSS op die data toegepas, met ’n Varimax-rotasie om vas te stel watter faktore saambondel. Die betroubaarheid van die skale is bepaal deur Chronbach se koëffisiënt alfa te gebruik. Die gemiddelde van gemiddeldes van die gekorrigeerde korrelasies tussen die items van elke skaal is ook bereken om die interne homogeniteit en uni-dimensionaliteit van die verskillende skale te ondersoek. Daarna is die items aan itemontleding onderwerp. Die gemiddelde, standaard afwyking, skeefheid en kurtosis is vir die steekproeftellings van die ATSCS bereken. Die invloed en effek van die biografiese veranderlikes op die instandhoudingsingenieurs se ingesteldheid teenoor veiligheid is bepaal deur die response van verskillende werknemerondergroepe met mekaar te vergelyk met behulp van t-toetse en ANOVA. Die resultate van die t-toetse het aan die lig gebring dat etnisiteit ’n statisties beduidende uitwerking op die veiligheidsingesteldheid het ten opsigte van die bestuur se ingesteldheid teenoor veiligheid en veiligheidsopleiding. Die effek se groottes is bereken om die krag van die verwantskap te bepaal, en daar is bevind dat dit ’n medium effek het. Die ANOVA-resultate dui aan dat opleiding, geografiese ligging en vlootkwalifikasie geen uitwerking op die veiligheidsingesteldheid van die universum het nie. ’n ANOVA van die werkarea het egter aan die lig gebring dat die belangrikste instandhoudingswerkarea beduidend van die ander twee groepe verskil ten opsigte van vyf areas van die Veiligheidskultuuropname (ATSCS). Laastens was die oorkoepelende response van die meerderheid deelnemers aan hierdie studie baie positief ten opsigte van die sewe kernfaktore wat met ingesteldheid teenoor veiligheid verband hou. Daar word voorgestel dat toekomstige ondersoeke van hierdie aard ’n groter steekproef van kruis-kulturele lugrederye in die globale bedryf inkorporeer. Dit sal die eksterne geldigheid van die huidige studie bevestig en die oordrag van bevindinge aan ander instandhoudingsingenieurs ondersteun.

Dissertation (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Municipal water distribution maintenance is very important for sustainable urban development. Water pipe breaks result not only in a disruption in service but also in significant loss of water, which otherwise could have been sold to the consumer. In countries where water is scarce, such as South Africa, water losses can be detrimental to the living standard of people. Water pipe breaks can furthermore cause extensive damage to nearby lower-lying properties. Existing decision support systems available in the field of water distribution system maintenance are mainly focused on leak detection and pipe rehabilitation/replacement strategy. These existing systems, however, do not address the actual causes of pipe breaks and pipe break impact is also not supported. The aim of this research is to develop a spatial decision support system (SDSS) for pipe break susceptibility analysis and impact assessment. The engineer (or public works administrator) can apply the SDSS to model the complex pipe break phenomena in the municipal water distribution system. The SDSS can identify pipes susceptible to breaking and pipes with potentially high break impact as far as water loss and damage caused to nearby property are concerned. This combined pipe break susceptibility analysis and potential impact assessment should promote more informed decision-making on preventative maintenance measures to be taken and their prioritisation. The dissertation consists offive parts. In the first part (Chapters 1-4) theories on information systems, fuzzy logic, object-oriented modelling, Unified Modelling Language (UML) and pipe break causes are presented. This literature review provides a basis on which the SDSS for pipe break susceptibility analysis and impact assessment can be developed. In the second part (Chapter 5) the general user requirements and design of the SDSS are given. The general SDSS architecture, the general system functionality and the user interface are described and designed in this part of the dissertation. The third part (Chapter 6) provides the detailed user requirements and design of the subsystems of the SDSS. Specialised functionality for pipe break susceptibility analysis and impact assessment is added to the general design of the SDSS. Subsystems are designed for analysing the pipe break susceptibility due to age, air-pocket formation and tree-root attack. Pipe break impact assessment subsystems are also designed for assessing water loss and potential damage caused to nearby property. Finally, a combined analysis subsystem is designed for combined pipe break susceptibility analysis and impact assessment. In the fourth part (Chapter 7), the SDSS is applied to the water distribution system of the Paarl Municipality to identify pipes in the network that have both high break susceptibility and also high break impact. The pipe break susceptibility analysis model of the SDSS is also tested and calibrated by comparing the model results with actual pipe break occurrence data of the study area. The final chapter (Chapter 8) contains the summary and recommendations regarding the functionality of the newly developed SDSS. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die instandhouding van munisipale waterverspreidingstelsels is uiters belangrik vir volhoubare stedelike ontwikkeling. Waterpypbreuke lei nie alleenlik tot onderbreking in diensverskaffing nie, maar ook tot beduidende waterverlies en verlies aan inkomste uit waterverkope. In lande waar water skaars is, soos in Suid-Afrika, kan waterverliese die lewenstandaard van die bevolking nadelig beïnvloed. Waterpypbreuke kan ook groot skade aan naby-geleë laag-liggende eiendomme aanrig. Besluitnemingstelsels tans beskikbaar op die gebied van instandhouding van waterverspreidingstelsels is hoofsaaklik gerig op lekkasie-opsporing en pyprehabilitasie- en pypvervangingstrategieë. Hierdie bestaande stelsels spreek egter nie die eintlike oorsake van pypbreuke aan nie, daar word ook nie op die impak van pypbreuke ingegaan nie. Die doelwit van hierdie navorsing is om 'n ruimtelike besluitnemingstelsel (RBS) - vir pypbreuk-risiko-analise en impakberaming te ontwikkel. Die ingenieur (of stelselbestuurder) kan met behulp van die RBS die komplekse pypbreukverskynsel in 'n munisipale waterverspreidingstelsel modelleer. Die RBS kan pype met hoë breek-potensiaal identifiseer asook pype wat, indien dit breek, groot waterverlies of skade aan naby-geleë eiendomme sal veroorsaak. Hierdie gekombineerde pypbreuk-risiko-analise en impakberaming behoort meer oordeelkundige besluitneming te bevorder deur beter prioritisering van voorkomende instandhoudingsmaatreëls en die uitvoering daarvan. Die proefskrif bestaan uit vyf dele. In die eerste deel (Hoofstukke 1-4) word die teorieë oor inligtingstelsels, 'fuzzy logic', objek-georiënteerde modellering, 'unified modelling language (UML)' en die oorsake van pypbreuke behandel. Hierdie literatuurstudie skep die basis waaruit die RBS vir pypbreukrisikobepaling en impakberaming ontwikkel sal word. In die tweede deel (Hoofstuk 5) word die algemene gebruikersbehoeftes en die ontwerp van die RBS uiteengesit. Die algemene RBS struktuur en die gebruikerskoppelvlak word in hierdie deel van die proefskrif beskryf en ontwerp. In die derde deel (Hoofstuk 6) word die gedetailleerde gebruikersbehoeftes en die ontwerp van die substelsels van die RBS uiteengesit. Gespesialiseerde funksionaliteit vir pypbreuk-risikobepaling en impakberaming is tot die algemene ontwerp van die RBS bygevoeg. Substelsels is ontwerp vir die ontleding van pypbreuk-risiko as gevolg van ouderdom, lugblaas-vorming en boomwortelaanval. Substelsels vir impakberaming is ook ontwerp om waterverlies en potensiële skade aan eiendomme vas te stel. Ten slotte word 'n gekombineerde ontledingsubstelsel vir gekombineerde pypbreuk-risikobepaling en impakberaming opgestel. In die vierde deel (Hoofstuk 7) word die RBS toegepas op die waterverspreidingstelsel van die Paarlse munisipaliteit om pype uit te ken wat beide 'n hoë breuk-risiko en 'n hoë breuk-impak bevat. Die pypbreuk-analise model van die RBS is ook getoets en gekalibreer deur die resultate van die model te vergelyk met data van werklike pypbreuke in die studiegebied. Die laaste hoofstuk (Hoofstuk 8) bevat die samevatting en die aanbevelings rakende die funksionaliteit van die voorgestelde RBS.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa a large number of dams owned by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) need to be rehabilitated. This study investigated the decision process involved in the prioritisation of dams for rehabilitation. DWA developed a risk analysis methodology for defining the risks associated with dam safety, expressed as the combination of the probability and consequences of dam failure. These risks are evaluated usingmultiple acceptability criteria to assess risk to human life and the economic, social, socio-economic and environmental impacts of dam failure. In this study, the criteria used in the decision process to evaluate the acceptability of life safety risks were evaluated by comparing to international best practice methods, where the acceptability of risk to human life is commonly assessed as the expected number of fatalities against life safety criteria presented as FN-criteria on an FN-diagram. Damrehabilitation should reduce the probability of dam failure, thereby reducing the risk to society in terms of the expected lives lost. However, the rehabilitation works come at a cost and the level of these investments are usually large. In addition, the rehabilitation of South African government owned dams are financed by society and these financial resources are limited. Thus investments into dam rehabilitation works should be worthwhile for society. Society’s Willingness to Pay (SWTP) for safety was applied to South African dam safety to determine the acceptable level of expenditure into life safety that is required by society. Investments into improved safety levels are not always dictated by society, but could also be driven by the decision maker or owner requiring an economically optimal solution for the rehabilitation. Economic optimisation accounts for considerations additional to life safety, including economic motivations, damage costs of dam failure as well as compensation costs for lives lost. Often economic optimisation would govern the decision problem. Also, the DWA current evaluation does not take the cost of rehabilitation into account in any way. Thus, FN-criteria that primarily evaluates life safety, but also incorporates a measure of economic efficiency, were suggested in this study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid-Afrika moet ’n groot aantal dammewat deur dieDepartement vanWaterwese (DWA) besit word gerehabiliteer word. Hierdie studie het die besluitnemingsproses ondersoekwat toegepasword om damme te prioritiseer vir rehabilitasiewerke. DWA het ’n bestaande metodologie wat gebaseer is op risiko-analise. Die risikos wat verband hou met damveiligheid word deur die metode bepaal en word uitgedruk as die kombinasie van waarskynlikheid en die beraamde gevolge van damfaling. Hierdie risikosword geëvalueer teenoor verskeie kriteriawat die aanvaarbaarheid van risikos teenoor menselewens en die ekonomiese, sosiale, sosio-ekonomiese en omgewingsimpakte van damfalings assesseer. In hierdie studie word die kriteria wat gebruik word in die besluitnemingsproses om die aanvaarbaarheid van risikos teenoor menselewens te bepaal geëvalueer deur die kriteria te vergelyk met metodes wat internasionaal as beste praktyk beskou word. Internasionaal word die aanvaarbaarheid van risikos teenoor menselewens oor die algemeen as die verwagte aantal sterftes teenoor lewensveiligheidskriteria FN-kriteria op ’n FN-diagram geassesseer. Dam rehabilitasiewerke behoort die waarskynlikheid van damfaling te verminder, sodoende verminder die risiko teenoor die samelewing in terme van verwagte sterftes. Die rehabilitasiewerke vereis finansiële beleggings, en hierdie beleggings is gewoonlik groot. Verder word die rehabilitasie van Suid-Afrikaanse damme wat deur DWA besit word deur samelewing gefinansier en hierdie finasiële hulpbronne is beperk. Dus moet hierdie beleggings die moeite werd wees vir die samelewing. Die samelewing se bereidwilligheidomte betaal ("SWTP") vir veiligheid word toegepas in Suid- Afrikaanse damveiligheidomdie aanvaarbare vlak van beleggings vir ’n verbeterde veiligheid teenoor menselewens wat deur die samelewing vereis word te bepaal. Beleggings in verbeterde damveiligheidsvlakke word egter nie altyd bepaal deur die samelewing nie,maar kan ook gedryf word deur die besluitnemer of eienaar wat ’n ekonomies optimale oplossing vir die rehabilitatiesewerke vereis. Ekonomiese optimering neem oorwegings addisioneel tot lewensveiligheid in ag, insluitend ekonomiese motiverings, skade kostes as die dam faal, sowel as vergoedingskostes vir die verwagte sterftes. Ekonomiese optimering beheer dikwels die besluitnemingsprobleem. Verder neem die huidige DWA besluitnemingssproses in geen manier die kostes van rehabilitasie in ag nie. Dus word FN-kriteria wat hoofsaaklik veiligheid teenoor menselewens evalueer,maar wat ook ’n mate van ekonomiese doeltreffendheid insluit, voorgestel in hierdie studie.

Research evidence indicates that hearing aids and auditory trainers worn by school children routinely malfunction. Ensuring properly functioning amplification is a preferred educational practice and is required by PL 94-142 regulations. Research was needed to determine if schools were complying with the regulations and recommended educational procedures. This study described and evaluated procedures used by educational agencies to monitor and maintain amplification units worn by hearing-impaired students. Two examiner-developed survey intruments were mailed to residential and public day school teachers and administrators to collect data and answer 11 research questions pertaining to: (1) monitoring and maintenance procedures, (2) relationships between demographic, personnel, and placement characteristics and preferred monitoring and maintenance practices, and (3) monitoring and maintenance practices compared with a model of preferred practice. Personnel were surveyed in one residential school for the deaf in each state and a stratified random sample of 200 public day schools. A total of 310 (63%) surveys were returned from 164 (65.6%) administrators and 146 (58.4%) teachers. Results indicated that the majority of programs had some system of monitoring and maintaining amplification units, but only 54.1% (73) performed daily checks of hearing aids and 58.3% (67) performed daily checks of auditory trainers. Teachers in 76.9% of the sample reported that electroacoustic analysis was available as one part of audiologic evaluation, but not usually scheduled on a routine basis. Teachers were responsible for monitoring activities in over 75% of programs, regardless of the educational model: self-contained, resource, or itinerant. Significant positive relationships were found between (1) program size and one preferred monitoring and maintenance variable, (2) full-time audiologist and three preferred variables, (3) residential school placement and four preferred variables, (4) inservice training and three preferred variables, (5) full-time audiologist and program size and (6) full-time audiologist and residential school placement. These and additional findings suggest that while some improvement in monitoring and maintenance practices has occurred since the implementation of PL 94-142, full compliance by employing preferred professional practices has not been achieved. Recommendations are made for improving personnel preparation, monitoring and maintenance practices, and research.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This thesis is concerned with the operational benefit of the Integrated Mechanical Diagnostics Health and Usage Management Systems (IMD HUMS) rotor track and balance (RTB) functionality. The questions addressed are whether there is a savings in flight hours expended on functional check flights (FCF's) when compared to present practices, if there will there be a reduction in directed maintenance man-hours (DMMH) spent on maintenance related to the rotor system, and the impact on Operational Availability. Experiments were conducted using a discrete event simulation model of squadron flight operations and organizational level maintenance. The simulation is generic and can be used in the analysis of other helicopters. Input parameters governing the distributions of maintenance action inter-arrival times were estimated from Naval Aviation Logistics Data Analysis (NALDA) databases and squadron experiences on such systems. The analysis suggests that flight hours spent in FCF are dependent upon vibration growth rate, an unknown quantity, and the maintenance policy for rotor smoothing. Directed maintenance man-hours decrease with increasing numbers of IMD HUMS configured aircraft and further gains are achieved with a maintenance policy suited to a continuous monitoring system. / Captain, United States Marine Corps

Aircraft maintenance training programs in the Air Force have evolved from an almost exclusively mechanical orientation to one that is largely electronic. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) with its four selector composites (Mechanical, Administration, General, and Electronic) has been in use for over 20 years. The mechanical (M) composite score is used to identify those who will be trained in aircraft maintenance.

The problem with which this investigation was concerned was that of determining the use of modern automotive tune-up equipment as used by the automotive garages in the Fort Worth area. The data for this study were provided by fifteen garages of the Fort Worth area. Of the Fort Worth garages using electronic equipment to perform a tune-up, few appear to have the adequate equipment and few appear to make more use of the equipment. In addition, a deficiency seems evident in the use of the electronic computer in performing tune-ups.

Thesis. (M. Tech. (Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering))--Vaal University of Technology, 2011 / In the past thirty years there has been a rapid deterioration of the road network in South Africa. As an attempt to address this challenge, a study was conducted on R34 between Vrede and Bothmas Pass Border. The aim of the study was to develop a pavement management system for road network maintenance to serve as a decision support tool to assist to improve the efficiency of making decisions, provide feedback as to the consequences of these decisions, ensure consistency of decisions made at different levels and improve the effectiveness of all decisions in terms of efficiency of results. The study focused on developing and testing pavement management system for road network maintenance. Consequently, visual condition inspections, non-destructive and semi-destructive tests were conducted on the field, data acquired, processed and analysed in accordance with guidelines stipulated in the Draft Technical Recommendations for Highways (TRH) 22 in order to draw conclusions. The data acquired included the surfacing assessments, structural assessments, functional assessments, traffic surveys, riding quality, falling weight deflectometer, mechanical rutting, material investigations and dynamic cone penetration. After analysis of the data, visual condition index was then calculated to be 40%. Visual condition index was then used to determine the action required towards rehabilitating the road. After consultation with guidelines contained in the TRH22, it was concluded that the pavement treatment needed for the road was Rehabilitation. It was then concluded that PMS developed would provide key performance indicators to assist with decision support system and that it is also suitable for road network applications ranging from national roads, provincial roads, regional or district arterial and collector / distributor networks in SA. The municipalities and other road maintenance agencies were then recommended to utilise the “easy to use” developed pavement management system as a decision support tool in their maintenance programmes.