Infrastructure Projects In Australia Research Articles

Challenges in predicting and managing construction noise impacts in urban environments. Case studies from Sydney, Australia

Approval of major infrastructure projects in Australia is contingent on a vigorous environmental assessment process demonstrating that the impacts from such proposals are acceptable and can be satisfactorily managed. As part of this process, an assessment of construction noise is undertaken by predicting the level and duration of impact. Given the scale, complexity and programs for delivery of major infrastructure projects such as the Sydney Metro, the approach to assessment of environmental impacts is typically undertaken based on early concept designs, and assumptions which enable potential worst-case impacts to be considered. Ongoing design development and construction methodologies continue to occur, and are finalised by the contractor responsible for delivering the package of works for the project. Layers of conservatism could therefore be built into the process to ensure that environmental impacts are understood, and appropriate mitigation measures are considered. Moreover, common predictive noise modelling tools are believed to under-estimate the level of barrier insertion loss provided by residential buildings in urban scenarios, further exacerbating the over-prediction of construction noise impacts. By use of case studies, the present paper examines the challenges of assessing and managing construction noise associated with a major infrastructure project in Sydney, Australia.

Comparison of predictions from web-based construction noise tool with operator-attended field measurements

Web-based noise prediction tools are increasingly being used to assist infrastructure projects in Australia with managing construction noise impacts. Typically, these noise tools use a pre-calculated set of noise predictions from a detailed 3-D computer noise model, with the web app providing an interface for the user to select (manually or automatically) the most appropriate reference source and adjusting the result to align with the desired sound power level. Verification noise monitoring is often prescribed as a management measure, particularly when the noise predictions exceed the nominated target at one or more noise-sensitive receivers. These noise measurements are then used to determine if corrective actions are necessary. An analysis of predicted levels generated using Gatewave and subsequent verification noise measurements has been conducted, with consideration given to key parameters such as plant/equipment and measurement locations and equipment sound power levels. Identification of key causes for deviations between predicted and measured levels is also discussed.

Simplified rating tool to evaluate sustainable practices of small-scale infrastructure projects in Australia – a comparative review

PurposeThe present study aims to inform the requirements for developing a sustainable rating tool for small-scale infrastructure projects (SSIPs) through research findings.Design/methodology/approachA review-based comparative study of existing infrastructure sustainability (IS) rating tools for assessment of SSIPs is presented. Key stakeholder participants of the existing IS rating tools, are interviewed to identify existing barriers and requirements for sustainability rating. The study further presents possible rating tool options to optimise the sustainable performance evaluation of SSIPs.FindingsFindings of this study indicated that prevalent IS rating tools are majorly applied to large-scale infrastructure projects and sustainability of SSIPs are seldom assessed. Based on a literature review and series of interviews, it was found that user friendliness, efficient structure, training and technical support, cost effectiveness and stakeholder recognition are the five key requirements of a sustainability rating tool for SSIPs. Additionally, six sustainability assessment options were proposed for SSIPs which range from pathways for existing tools through to new, customisable tools. Upon comparison, a new modified tool with verification process and revised tool with defined grouping of sustainable criteria was more effective for evaluation of SSIPs.Research limitations/implicationsUse of case specific information for validation and framework development may lack generalisation. However, methodology can be used for future decision-making by making necessary adjustments to suit different local regional requirements.Originality/valueDespite lack of generalisation, the findings can lead to future general studies on sustainability of SSIPs. Findings of the study provide foundation knowledge and awareness for sustainability evaluation of SSIPs.

Lessons learnt from stakeholder engagement in public infrastructure projects in Australia

Lessons learnt from stakeholder engagement in public infrastructure projects in Australia

Lessons learnt from stakeholder engagement in public infrastructure projects in Australia

Lessons learnt from stakeholder engagement in public infrastructure projects in Australia

A case study of construction and demolition waste management process flow in mega infrastructure projects in Australia

The rapid growth of population and associated urbanization and economic development calls for increased demand for infrastructure development to meet ongoing and future demands. A better understanding of the waste management (WM) processes would help to manage large volumes of waste effectively at construction sites, maximise the value of resources and improve environmental and economic performances. This research aims to investigate the WM processes associated with different types of construction and demolition (C&D) waste generated by a mega infrastructure project through a case study approach, combining expert interviews and project-specific document reviews. The case studied project demonstrated high environmental and economic sustainability outcomes and exceeded the C&D WM targets, signifying more than 90% landfill diversion rates for both spoil and construction waste generated during the construction stage. As such, the infrastructure projects have a great potential to maximise the reuse of high-value waste through waste exchange across projects and gain economic and environmental benefits, while leading to paving a path to greener Australia in near future. The outcome of this case study is a WM process flow diagram (PFD) that maps out the WM processes, waste fates and associated waste flows involved with the diverse range of C&D waste throughout its life cycle. The PFD developed in this study serves as an operational tool to develop effective WM plans for construction projects of similar nature and thus helps to achieve higher landfill diversion rates. The outcome of this study can also contribute to the development of a generic WM PFD for the C&D waste stream.

Improved reliability in planning large-scale infrastructure project delivery through Alliancing

PurposePrice reliability for complex and highly complicated infrastructure projects is problematic. Traditional project delivery approaches generally fail in achieving targeted end cost reliability. However, integrated project delivery (and particularly Alliancing), develop a far more reliable and robust project delivery plan and outturn time-cost targets. This paper aims to explore why this may be the case.Design/methodology/approachThis case study investigated the project design, planning, cost/time estimation approach and how risk/uncertainty was dealt with. Five senior project delivery experts from an organisation that delivers multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects in Australia were interviewed. These five experts collectively had 100+ cross-disciplinary experience years delivering complex infrastructure projects.FindingsAlliancing adopts a radically different approach to project design, time/cost planning and risk assessment and management to traditional project delivery approaches. Key findings explain how the project alliance agreement designs-in processes that maximises team integration and collaboration. Analysis concludes that design thinking is used to craft and shape collaborative behaviours and project governance. Additionally, including project owner and facilities operator representatives in the project team adds valuable insights, expertise and knowledge contributing to planning reliability.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is exploratory and focussed on complex infrastructure projects so findings cannot be generalised.Practical implicationsWe unpack Alliancing processes that develop the target outturn cost plan, comprising a holistic and realistic plan to design a project to meet expected project outcomes. This case study may serve as an exemplar for complex project delivery.Social implicationsThis paper illustrates how Alliancing more effectively delivers best value than traditional procurement approaches through its TOC-TAE processes.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the scant existing academic literature analysing these processes. Its novel contribution is explaining how Alliancing treats unexpected events that in traditional delivery forms trigger expensive and time-energy-wasting disputation. This case study may serve as an exemplar for complex project delivery.

Investigating risks in the delivery of water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Australia

Investigating risks in the delivery of water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Australia

Investigating risks in the delivery of water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Australia

Investigating risks in the delivery of water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Australia

Risk factors affecting the ability for earned value management to accurately assess the performance of infrastructure projects in Australia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate a set of risk-related factors influencing the earned value management (EVM) concept as an assessment technique in evaluating the progress of modern sustainable infrastructure construction projects.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research approach has been adopted for identifying risk-related factors influencing EVM concept from a literature review and through interviewing industry personnel, followed by an inductive process to form sets of key factors and their measuring items.FindingsEVM is a common method for assessing project performance. A weakness of this approach is that EVM assessment in its current form does not measure the impact of a number of project performance factors that result from the complexity of modern infrastructure construction projects, and thus does not accurately assess their impact in this performance. This paper discusses and explains a range of potential risk factors to evaluating project performance such as sustainability, stakeholder requirements, communication, procurement strategy, weather, experience of staff, site condition, design issues, financial risk, subcontractor, government requirements and material. In addition, their measuring items were identified.Practical implicationsThis research assists projects managers to improve the evaluation process of infrastructure construction performance by incorporating a range of factors likely to impact on that performance and which are not included in current EVM calculations.Originality/valueThis research addresses the need to include in the EVM calculation a range of risk factors affecting the performance of infrastructure projects in Australia and therefore makes this calculation a more reliable tool for assessing project performance.

Decision making under crisis: Lessons from the Millennium Drought in Australia

A number of cities worldwide, such as Cape Town, have recently experienced severe water stress situations. Many commentators have urged these cities to learn from the early 2000s Australian Millennium Drought and the country's drought response measures. Despite Australia's overall success, not all decisions made under crisis have been hailed by scholars, practitioners and the community alike.To inform the global debate on water stress under climate change, crisis management and decision making under uncertainty, this study used two specific water infrastructure projects in Australia—launched during the Millennium Drought and widely perceived as unsuccessful—as case studies to empirically investigate how decision making was undertaken in practice. These include the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme, in South East Queensland, and the Desalination Plant in Victoria. Both projects were large-scale water infrastructure projects, which raised concerns in the community, strongly questioning their pertinence.The research used the knowledge of water professionals via interviews, as well as a desktop study of policy and planning documents, to draw a situational analysis of both projects. This analysis highlighted flaws in the decision-making process. These include fragmented institutional settings, strong political influence on the projects, a predictive approach to dealing with uncertainty, and unpreparedness for crisis.

Stapled Structures and Infrastructure Projects

The author considers the role played by stapled structures in infrastructure projects in Australia and the latest state of the law.

Procurement and Governance Choices for Collaborative Infrastructure Projects

Collaborative approaches to infrastructure procurement are increasingly popular around the world due to their potential to provide improved project performance compared with more traditional approaches. The problem is that project outcomes continue to be unpredictable. Previous research has shown that this is the case regardless of whether the chosen procurement approach is based on price or nonprice selection of the project team. This is a major choice that clients make, but the presented research shows that governance choices for project execution are more important. This is significant because clients tend to focus more on procurement choices and typically do not differentiate governance based on those choices. This needs to change, and the authors show that optimal governance configurations vary on the basis of the chosen type of team configuration. For example, three specific governance arrangements for workshops are highlighted for single teams, and two specific governance arrangements for risk/reward sharing are highlighted for multiple teams. This study identifies governance actions that are associated with superior time and cost outcomes on collaborative infrastructure projects in Australia run by experienced public-sector clients under the two procurement scenarios. Based on a survey of 320 senior managers, independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare the application of governance actions among three distinct groups of projects, based on type of team selection and type of project outcome. The study provides evidence of the most effective approaches to project governance in a country that is a world leader. The results provide much needed recommendations for improved project performance based on large-scale quantitative analysis, which before now has not existed. Overall, the study recommends more attention be paid to noncontractual governance under both approaches to team selection, although the specific actions recommended vary.

Evaluation of public–private partnerships: A life-cycle Performance Prism for ensuring value for money

Public–private partnerships have become an integral strategy to deliver infrastructure projects in Australia. Yet, public–private partnerships have been plagued with controversy due to recurrent time and cost overruns. The paucity of an approach to evaluate the performance of public–private partnerships throughout their life-cycle has hindered the ability of governments to manage their effective and efficient delivery. This paper examines the practice of evaluation for a hospital and prison that were delivered using public–private partnerships. The empirical evidence indicates that with public–private partnerships: (1) performance is typically measured during the construction and operation phases using time, cost and quality and a restricted number of key performance indicators; and (2) a process-based and stakeholder-oriented measurement approach would be better suited to evaluate performance. Building upon the extant literature and the findings emerging from ‘practice’ (i.e. actual activity, events or work), a Performance Prism for ameliorating the evaluation of public–private partnerships throughout their lifecycle is proposed. The research presented in this paper provides stakeholders of public–private partnerships, especially governments, with a robust framework for governing and future proofing their assets to ensure value for money.

FACTORS AFFECTING CONTRACTOR’S BIDDING SUCCESS FOR INTERNATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA

This paper examines the effects of different factors on the success or failure of bids for infrastructure projects in Australia. Logistic regression analysis was used to empirically determine which factors have the largest effect on bid­ding success. Data was collected from 123 bids submitted by several infrastructure companies with subsidiaries in Aus­tralia. The analysis found that having a competitive advantage and a local partner, and also not competing against a local company were the most important factors; as they significantly increase the chances of success. However, four other factors, having relevant expertise, resource availability, a previous relationship with the client, and a previous relation­ship with consortium members, are ‘essential’ to be able to compete; as the absence of any of these four factors results in bid failure, although having them is not a guarantee of success. Results of this paper provide valuable information for any company considering the opportunity of entering into Australia’s infrastructure market as well as for companies that are already present in that country and are considering whether to bid for a specific project.

PPP Social Infrastructure Procurement: Examining the Feasibility of a Lifecycle Performance Measurement Framework

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been extensively used to deliver an array of infrastructure projects in Australia; they have become an integral part of several state governments’ procurement strategies. Over the last decade, however, several major PPP projects have incurred significant cost and schedule overruns, which have marred their use as a mechanism for delivering much-needed infrastructure. The paucity of performance measurement frameworks has contributed to the difficulty of proactively managing the effective and efficient delivery of PPPs, particularly during operations and maintenance. With this in mind, a lifecycle and stakeholder-oriented performance measurement framework (PMF) is conceptualized within the context of social infrastructure PPPs. The opinions of 160 practitioners about the proposed measures and their core indicators were solicited using a questionnaire survey. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the significance of proposed measures and their relevant core indicators (CIs) for measuring the performance of PPP projects throughout their lifecycle. The analysis reveals that the proposed PMF is a reliable and robust tool that can be used to assist with ensuring that social infrastructure PPPs can be delivered successfully throughout each phase of their lifecycle. The developed PMF provides governments and private consortiums with a robust and practical tool to measure and control the performance of their future projects.

Innovation in infrastructure projects: an Australian perspective

Purpose Unlike manufacturing and research and developments, major infrastructure projects rarely emphasize or drive their objectives on the basis of innovation. This is in part because of a risk-averse culture, yet conceivably great benefits and opportunities are being lost because of this behavior. Design/methodology/approach The case for focusing on innovation in infrastructure projects is that the reasons driving innovation are not fully understood, and this impedes the effective implementation of lessons learned for the numerous innovative projects into practice more generally. The purpose of this study was to discover how innovation is produced and captured in major infrastructure projects in Australia and to understand how innovation may be replicated for future projects through refinement of design, project management, finance and procurement. Findings Engineering and project managers may find this paper helpful to better understand how innovation might happen in infrastructure projects and what different forms it can take. Originality/value The findings of this study demonstrate that people and culture drive consistent successful infrastructure outcomes more than simply the development of new products or processes.

The 2012 metamorphosis of the common law of compulsory acquisition valuation in Australia

Following over a century of development, Australian common law concerning the comparable sales method of valuation for land and property, within the context of compulsory acquisition and rating statutes, had evolved to provide a focus on individual elements within the method but did not provide a clear sequential process. However, three decisions of the NSW Land and Environment Court in 2012, which are described and critically analysed in this paper, formed a metamorphosis of the common law by clearly setting out the legal principles of the comparable sales method of valuation while leaving the valuation practice to expert witness valuers. With relatively little research undertaken into the legal aspects of the valuation of land and property, this paper forms an original contribution to the literature through the critical analysis and discussion of recent court decisions. Given the significant imminent development of major infrastructure projects in Australia, likely to necessitate the extensive compulsory acquisition of land and property, such metamorphosis is contended to be timely and potentially relevant to other common law jurisdictions having similar compulsory acquisition statutory regimes and land and property valuation practices.

The national broadband network: challenges and opportunities for telecommunications infrastructure planning

The National Broadband Network (NBN) is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Australia's history. NBN Co is currently rolling out the NBN network across Australia which includes a network of interconnected infrastructure such as optical fibre cables, street cabinets, exchange buildings, depots, wireless towers and satellite base stations. Some of this infrastructure is installed in accordance with the utilising NBN Co's powers under schedule 3 of the Telecommunication Act 1997 (Cth) (the Telco Act) in areas of environmental significance as defined in the Telco Act. In these areas NBN Co seeks exemptions or approvals under a range of federal, state and territory legislation. To assist in this process on a national scale NBN Co has developed a mapping tool that combines telecommunications infrastructure design, the location of construction activities and mapped areas of Heritage, Environmental and Cultural (HEC) considerations. This tool forms part of a systematic analysis of potential impacts enabling early identification of potential approval requirements. NBN Co also works with key approval authorities to identify opportunities to streamline approval requirements and identify possible exemptions. Further, the significant improvements and advances in telecommunications infrastructure and access arising from the NBN may be harnessed by the wider planning community in current and future development, plans and strategies as the NBN is expected to change how people live, learn and work.

EPCM contracting: clearing the minefield

The past year has seen a downturn in the number of new mining and infrastructure projects in Australia. Despite that, the authors are noticing a continuation of the trend towards a greater use of engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) style contracting. The increased use of EPCM contracts is in part due to projects becoming larger and more complex. As these projects can only be delivered by multiple contractors who all seek to limit their liability, the EPCM contract offers a useful framework for coordinating and managing those contractors, and maximising the owner’s recourse to them. This is particularly so in the oil and gas industry, with many projects using this form of project delivery. As there is no standard-form EPCM contract, however, and given the complex technical nature of these types of projects, negotiating an EPCM contract can be fraught with danger, especially for owners who may not have used this style of contract before. This paper discusses the unique characteristics of the EPCM contract (particularly in contrast to the engineering, procurement and construction style contract), the typical risk allocation, and the creative use of compensation and incentive regimes to drive optimum performance. The EPCM model is not suited to all projects, but if it is appropriately negotiated and drafted, and is well managed by an appropriately skilled and resourced owner’s team, it can provide a platform for excellence in project delivery.