Mitigating schedule overruns in Pre-Stressed girder bridge Construction: Assessing risks and proposing mitigation strategies

Abstract

PurposeThe paper discusses the critical importance of understanding and managing risks associated with the construction of pre-stressed girder bridges. As a result, it aims to assess, analyze, and propose strategies to mitigate various risk factors contributing to delays and schedule overruns in bridge construction projects. MethodologyThese risk risks through literature review and interviews with stakeholders engaged in bridge projects in Pakistan, highlighting the need for activity-specific risk analysis rather than general assumptions. ResultsThe findings show that 74% of the identified risks can be effectively managed through suitable risk management strategies. Additionally, it was suggested that 17% of the risks should be transferred, while 9% of the identified risks must be retained without any mitigation measures. This survey not only confirmed risks already identified in existing literature but also brought to light new risks previously unnoticed. Moreover, the results highlighted significant differences in risk severity among various project activities. This underscores the necessity for conducting activity-specific risk analysis instead of depending on generalized assumptions for the entire bridge construction project. ConclusionsAmong all bridge construction activities, piling emerged as the most high-risk activity, while girder installation was deemed the least risky. Based on this assessment, a set of guidelines aim to mitigate these risks and serve as a reference for minimizing schedule overruns in bridge construction, providing valuable insights for bridge constructors to effectively manage risks.