TRL to acquire Appia Infrastructure Solutions (Appia UK)

Date: 6/3/2013

TRL and Appia Infrastructure Solutions (Appia UK) are delighted to announce an agreement for TRL to acquire the full shareholding in Appia UK.

This agreement strengthens the existing excellent working relationship that the two organisations have developed in recent years, combining TRL's acknowledged position as world-leading transport research and consultancy experts with Appia's expertise as a leading highway and pavement management consultancy, and their innovative asset management software “Scheme Engineer”.

TRL Appia will specialise in the delivery of advanced asset management tools and services and will develop their Scheme Engineer asset management software into a new suite of asset management solutions – iRoads.

Staff from both Appia and TRL will work together to combine skills and experience so that new asset management software tools and services are established to enable better management of roads and transportation infrastructure. The existing Appia UK Doncaster office will be retained and staff will also work out of TRL’s Berkshire HQ.

Dr Sue Sharland, Chief Executive TRL says: "This important and exciting acquisition will provide a platform for innovation, development and growth within the asset management market. The strength of TRL’s infrastructure research and consultancy experience and the specialist software expertise of Appia will combine to develop a suite of powerful asset management tools and services that can be presented to a wider group of customers – particularly Highways Authorities and International Transport Organisations.”

Appia UK Director, Peter Davidson, comments: “Full integration with TRL is the next natural step and I am delighted that this move will mean further investment in the development of our asset management software and will enable us to build the iRoads suite of asset management tools. This new suite will provide Highways Engineers and Planners around the world with a fresh range of effective tools to help derive maximum value from their infrastructure assets.”

At the same time Appia will have access to TRL's considerable research expertise and knowledge to support further development of custom and bespoke modelling packages and services that are focussed upon better infrastructure management.

Notes to Editors

About Appia UK

Appia UK provides consultancy services and software to support the management of highways and other infrastructure assets, and comprise a team of experienced professionals that includes specialists in highways and asset management, software development, data management and materials and pavement engineering.

About TRL Appia

TRL Appia will specialise in helping local authorities, Highways Operators and International Transport Organisations to be more effective in their highways, pavement and asset management and offer a range of services and software to organisations looking to get best value from their highways asset management data and plans. Data management experience includes pavement condition data (SCANNER, SCRIM, UKPMS, FWD, Deflectograph, GPR and FNS), asset inventory data, construction data and spatial data.

About Scheme Engineer® and iRoads

Scheme Engineer® is Appia's core software product and can be used as a stand-alone Pavement Management System or can be operated alongside an existing PMS system, providing a range of extended functionality that includes:

• Identifying Scheme Locations and Treatment Types
• Scheme costs (budgeting)
• Value Management & Whole Life Costing
• Condition Projection and Forward Works Programming
• Asset Valuation (GRC and DRC)
• Skid Policy management
• Performance reporting and service levels

In addition to the core Scheme Engineer® product there are a number of related products that can be operated as stand-alone installations or alternatively, integrated within Scheme Engineer®:
 
SE® Data is a powerful asset data management system allowing asset information and survey data to be loaded, managed and exported in a range of standard formats. It allows asset data to be displayed and interacted with on a map background, including the production of "RAG" (red-amber-green) maps. 
 
SE® Survey is handheld computer software for carrying out visual surveys including UKPMS Visual Inspections, routine safety inspections and bespoke engineering surveys. 
 
SE® Video allows digital video surveys to be displayed, for asset inventory data to be extracted, and for the video data to be displayed alongside the related asset data within Scheme Engineer®.

Issued by TRL's Communications Team

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