Glossary
Infrastructure Capital Planning Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the capital planning, asset management, and funding terms that show up in infrastructure RFPs, audits, and multi-year capital plans.
Quick answer. This glossary defines the core terms of infrastructure capital planning — including CIP, TAMP, PCI, EAM, CMMS, deterioration modeling, state of good repair, condition-to-capital, GASB 34, AWIA, ACIP, and scenario budgeting — at the decision and software layer where public-sector owners and the AEC consultants who serve them actually work.
- ACIP — Airport Capital Improvement Plan
- An Airport Capital Improvement Plan (ACIP) is the multi-year program an airport sponsor — or the consultant who prepares it for them — submits to the FAA to schedule and justify capital projects and request Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants. Airports receiving AIP funding for pavement must also maintain an airport pavement management program. See ACIP software for airports.
- AWIA — America's Water Infrastructure Act
- America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018 requires every community water system serving more than 3,300 people to conduct risk and resilience assessments and develop an emergency response plan — and to consider asset management as part of preparedness, making a documented asset-management program common practice for compliant utilities. See capital planning for water & wastewater utilities.
- CIP — Capital Improvement Plan
- A Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is a multi-year schedule of an agency's planned capital projects and the funding sources to pay for them. The GFOA recommends a CIP cover at least three, and preferably five or more, years. It differs from a single-year capital budget, which appropriates money for the current year. Learn how to build a defensible CIP or compare a CIP vs. a capital budget.
- CMMS — Computerized Maintenance Management System
- A Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is operational software that runs day-to-day maintenance — work orders, preventive maintenance schedules, labor, and inventory. A CMMS answers "what needs fixing this week," not "what should we fund over the next ten years." Capital planning software sits above it. Compare EAM vs. CMMS vs. capital planning software.
- Condition-to-capital
- Condition-to-capital is the owner-side optimization process that turns measured asset condition into a prioritized, budget-constrained, multi-year capital plan — condition assessment, deterioration forecast, risk-based prioritization, and funding scenarios, in one model. It is the defensible wedge InfraMind occupies above EAM and GIS systems, distinct from construction program and project delivery. See the InfraMind platform.
- Deterioration modeling
- Deterioration modeling is the practice of forecasting how an asset's condition will decline over time, so an agency can schedule the right treatment before condition — and cost — falls off a cliff. Traditional models use static, straight-line curves; AI deterioration models fuse condition history, environment, and consequence for sharper forecasts. Read AI vs. traditional deterioration models.
- EAM — Enterprise Asset Management
- Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) is software that manages the full lifecycle of an organization's physical assets — acquisition, operation, maintenance, and disposal — often spanning GIS and work management. EAM is broader than a CMMS but still operations-centric; capital planning is the strategic, multi-year layer above it. Compare EAM, CMMS, and capital planning software.
- GASB 34 modified approach
- The GASB 34 modified approach is an accounting option under GASB Statement No. 34 that lets a government report eligible infrastructure based on its preserved condition — with assessments at least every three years and a documented target condition — instead of depreciating it. See GASB 34 reporting & the modified approach.
- PCI — Pavement Condition Index
- The Pavement Condition Index (PCI) is a numerical rating from 0 (failed) to 100 (excellent) that summarizes the surface condition of a pavement section, originally standardized as ASTM D6433. Agencies use PCI to track network health and trigger the right treatment at the right time. See AI pavement management software.
- Scenario budgeting
- Scenario budgeting is the practice of modeling how different funding levels and treatment strategies would change network condition and backlog over time — comparing, for example, a constrained budget against the unconstrained need — before an agency commits. It is how planners show leadership the consequence of each funding decision. Read scenario budgeting for capital plans.
- State of good repair
- State of good repair (SGR) is the condition at which an asset or network can serve its intended function reliably and safely. The gap between current condition and the SGR target is, in effect, the deferred maintenance backlog. Read about the state of good repair and the infrastructure gap and how to quantify the backlog.
- TAMP — Transportation Asset Management Plan
- A Transportation Asset Management Plan (TAMP) is the risk-based plan that state DOTs must develop and maintain under MAP-21 §1106 (FHWA, 23 CFR 515) to manage National Highway System pavement and bridges. It must include inventory and condition, performance gaps, life-cycle planning, risk management, a financial plan, and investment strategies. See TAMP & MAP-21 compliance.
From definitions to a defensible plan
See how InfraMind turns these concepts — condition, deterioration, prioritization, and scenarios — into a multi-year capital plan.