Applying lean construction principles in road maintenance planning and scheduling

Abstract

Lean construction (LC) targets the reduction and eventual removal of non-value adding activities (otherwise known as waste) in construction projects to increase value to stakeholders. The application of LC principles could lead to significant gains in road maintenance projects where the effect of delay in service is profound and the consequences are far-reaching for all project stakeholders. However, classical practices in the infrastructure asset management domain have less embraced lean thinking when planning for maintenance and rehabilitation. This paper presents a novel decision-making model to integrate LC principles in a classical formalized road maintenance planning and scheduling to facilitate the reduction of non-value adding activities. A case study is adopted to validate the proposed approach. Analysis of the case study revealed a reduction in the cost allocation for the selected highway with similar condition levels in comparison with the classical practices. The model could drop non-value activities, limit the gap on lead time variability, and reduce operational complexity as three main principles of lean thinking. Also, the presented approach could assist road agencies in minimizing delays, optimally assign project resources, and select qualified construction contractors more efficiently.