Making the Grade: US Infrastructure Assessment

Our nation is at a crossroads. Deteriorating American infrastructure is impeding our ability to compete in the global economy. Improvements are necessary to ensure our country is built for the future. 

While we have made some progress, reversing the trajectory after decades of underinvestment in our infrastructure requires transformative action from Congress, states, infrastructure owners, and the American people.

That’s why, every four years, America’s civil engineers provide a comprehensive infrastructure assessment of the nation’s 17 major categories in ASCE’s Infrastructure Report Card. Using a simple A to F school report card format, it examines current infrastructure conditions and needs, assigning grades, and making recommendations to improve them.

Report Card
History

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What Makes a Grade?

The ASCE Committee on America’s Infrastructure, made up of 32 dedicated civil engineers from across the country with decades of expertise in all categories, volunteers its time to work with ASCE Infrastructure Initiatives staff and prepare the Infrastructure Report Card and the US infrastructure grade scale. The Committee assesses all relevant data and reports, consults with technical and industry experts, and assigns grades using the following key criteria:

• Capacity: Does the infrastructure’s capacity meet current and future demands?
• Condition: What is the infrastructure’s existing and near-future physical condition?
• Funding: What is the current level of funding from all levels of government for the infrastructure category as compared to the estimated funding need?
• Future Need: What is the cost to improve the infrastructure? Will future funding prospects address the need?
• Operation and Maintenance: What is the owner’s ability to operate and maintain the infrastructure properly? Is the infrastructure in compliance with government regulations?
• Public Safety: To what extent is the public’s safety jeopardized by the condition of the infrastructure and what could be the consequences of failure?
• Resilience: What is the infrastructure system’s capability to prevent or protect against significant multi-hazard threats and incidents? How able is it to quickly recover and reconstitute critical services with minimum consequences for public safety and health, the economy, and national security?
• Innovation: What new and innovative techniques, materials, technologies, and delivery methods are being implemented to improve the infrastructure?

Infrastructure Report Card
Grading Scale