Large-scale Infrastructure Projects Research Articles

Durability of alkali-activated fly ash-slag concrete- state of art

India ranks among the foremost global producers and consumers of cement, and the cement industry contributes significantly to carbon emissions. Alkali-activated materials have gained significant attention as a sustainable alternative to Portland cement, offering the potential to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions and promote effective recycling of waste materials. Fly ash (FA) and Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) are preferred raw materials for Alkali-activated concrete (AAC) owing to their effective repurposing of waste, widespread accessibility, advantageous chemical composition, and performance attributes. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state-of-the-art on the durability aspects of fly ash/slag-based AAC. The paper explores the unique characteristics of FA/GGBS-based AAC, emphasizing their potential to enhance the durability of concrete structures. Insights into the material behaviour under various environmental exposures, including aggressive chemical environments and freeze–thaw cycles, are presented. Furthermore, the article addresses both the obstacles and prospects associated with implementing fly ash/slag-based AAC as a potential construction material suitable for large-scale infrastructure projects. This overview is designed to direct future research efforts and provide practitioners with insights into the potential of FA/GGBS-based AAC for ensuring the prolonged durability of concrete structures.

Contestation, negotiation, and experimentation: The liminality of land administration platforms in Kenya

This paper examines diverse infrastructural interventions in the making of Ardhisasa, the Kenyan state’s digital land information management platform, as a space of contestation, negotiation, and experimentation. We analyse the platformisation of governance through theories on liminality to explain the agency of various actors in shaping the digital state. We particularly zoom into the influence of two actors: the private actors in the land sector and the civil society organisations representing informalised residents, and how they exercise agency in the development of Ardhisasa. Drawing on interviews with state and non-state actors, secondary literature, and extensive experience within Kenya’s land administration system, we trace the overt and covert exercise of power in the platformisation of land administration of Nairobi. Our central thesis is that, despite its progressive development, Ardhisasa follows the tradition of a long line of large-scale infrastructural or developmental projects that rarely deliver on their promise for improvement but rather further entrench marginalised groups due to its exclusion of the already existing, albeit informalised, land administration and transaction practices that meet the needs of the urban poor. We argue that Ardhisasa’s perpetual state of becoming leads to the spatialisation of liminality itself.

Toward a Better Understanding of the Construction Impacts of a Light Rail System in Montréal, Canada

Large-scale transport infrastructure projects generate long-lasting changes in the built environment and alter the lives of nearby residents. It is crucial to understand public perceptions of public-transit projects and associated construction impacts, as they influence the social acceptance and eventual success of such projects. To characterize the construction-phase experiences of a new light rail in Montréal, Canada—the Réseau express métropolitain (REM)—we analyzed data from 1,236 respondents from the Greater Montréal region who self-reported ongoing construction activities near their homes. This study employs an exploratory factor and k-means cluster analysis to group residents by their different experiences and perceptions of the REM and its associated construction impacts. The analysis returned five clusters with distinct construction experiences: construction-concerned travelers, REM-critical respondents, neutral travelers, REM enthusiasts, and rerouted travelers. Subsequently, the acceptability of the impacts during the construction phase on each cluster is assessed by comparing perceptions of the impact of neighborhood change on their quality of life and their intention to use the REM. Finally, we derive targeted policy recommendations to help promote increased social acceptability of light-rail transit (LRT) projects, including mitigating disruptions in construction zones, public information campaigns, and inclusive decision-making processes. Findings from this study can benefit policymakers and transport planners as they aim to reduce the disruptions associated with the construction of LRT systems and promote increased social acceptability.

Pandemic risks in PPPs: comparative analysis within developing countries

Globally, Public-private partnerships (PPPs) become a widely adopted method for advancing large-scale infrastructure projects. However, the inherent uncertainties and risks associated with these projects represent a significant managerial challenge, particularly when confronted with unforeseen events such as those triggered by COVID-19. This paper aims to identify and assess risk associated with the pandemic in PPPs in developing nations through a specific form of mixed-methods research, an embedded multiple-case study, involving the PPP programs in two developing countries in Central Asia and Latin America. Through a comprehensive analysis of risk assessment (including probability, severity, and impact) and applying Kendall’s concordance and Cronbach’s alpha tests with the SPSS 26 tool, a comparative examination of these risks between the two countries is conducted. Complementary, the embedded cases were analyzed through the triangulation of project reports, governmental websites, SPV’s websites, and interviews. The findings reveal variations in risk perception and priorities, with less mature PPP programs displaying higher risk aversion and concerns regarding project disruptions; and more developed programs seeking to address short-term liquidity challenges. Risk management strategies are proposed for PPP decision-makers to face unforeseen events more effectively.

Invisible landscapes. Historical research and groundwater

Groundwater is an essential part of the planet's water reserves. In modern times, this resource has become increasingly important in determining production methods, modernisation processes and urban settlement patterns, often with contradictory connotations: sometimes a complementary factor, other times a completely alternative resource to the large-scale water infrastructure projects promoted by the state and hydraulic technocracies. Yet, Italian and international historiography has so far paid little attention to groundwater as an object of study in its own right. From a methodological point of view, this requires a close dialogue with other scientific disciplines, involving categories such as the Anthropocene, the hydrosocial cycle and shadow waters, as well as a focus on international historiography, looking in particular at the national or subcontinental contexts that have had to deal with the presence of large underground aquifers.

Wellbeing Impact Study of High-Speed 2 (WISH2): Protocol for a mixed-methods examination of the impact of major transport infrastructure development on mental health and wellbeing.

Although research has demonstrated that transport infrastructure development can have positive and negative health-related impacts, most of this research has not considered mental health and wellbeing separately from physical health. There is also limited understanding of whether and how any effects might be experienced differently across population groups, whether this differs according to the stage of development (e.g. planning, construction), and how changes to planned infrastructure may affect mental health and wellbeing. This paper presents a protocol for the Wellbeing Impact Study of HS2 (WISH2), which seeks to address these questions using a high-speed rail development in the UK as an applied example. WISH2 is a 10-year, integrated, longitudinal, mixed-methods project using general practices (primary medical care providers in the UK) as an avenue for participant recruitment and for providing a geographically defined population for which aggregated data on mental health indicators are available. The research comprises: (i) a combined longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional cohort study involving multiple waves of survey data collection and data from medical records; (ii) longitudinal, semi-structured interviews and focus groups with residents and community stakeholders from exposed areas; (iii) analysis of administrative data aggregated at the general practice population level; and (iv) health economic analysis of mental health and wellbeing impacts. The study findings will support the development of strategies to reduce negative impacts and/or enhance positive mental health and wellbeing impacts of high-speed rail developments and other large-scale infrastructure projects.

Significant risks that trigger cost overruns and delays in urban rail projects: a typical case study of Vietnam

PurposeUrban rail projects are typically large-scale transport infrastructure projects (megaprojects) which have many potential risks that can influence the strategic goals of owners. However, there is a paucity of studies which explore the impact of risks on both “urban rail” project time and cost together considering quantitative assessments. Therefore, this paper focuses on investigating critical risks and quantifying such risk impacts on urban railway project schedule and cost in practice.Design/methodology/approachA combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods comprising semi-interviews with five experts and a questionnaire survey of 132 professional respondents is used. The data were modeled using Monte Carlo Simulation to predict the probability of project schedule and cost.FindingsThe results show that 30 risk variables are categorized into seven main groups which have significant impacts on both project time and cost. Outstanding five risk variables were highlighted as follows: (1) project site clearance and land compensation; (2) design changes; (3) physical project resources; (4) contractors’ competencies and (5) project finance. Such findings were supported by Monte Carlo simulation which predicted in the worst case that the project may suffer 11.03 months’ delays and have cost overrun with a contingency of US$287.68 million.Originality/valueThis study expands our knowledge about time and cost contingency of urban metro railway implementation across developing economies and particularly within the context of Vietnam. Policymakers will not only gain an understanding about risk structure but will also recognize the significant impacts of critical risk through risk impact modeling and simulation. Such an approach provides insights into risk treatment priorities for planners so that they can proactively establish suitable strategies for risk mitigation in practice.

Trends in the development of foreign economic relations of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area

The expansion of international contacts contributes to improving the image of the region, ensuring its investment attractiveness, acting, along with this, as a primary task of forming targets for the socio-economic well-being of the territory. The priority directions for the development of foreign economic relations of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area are based on economic potential of the region: the fuel and energy sector with accompanying large-scale infrastructure projects and traditional economic sectors of the indigenous peoples of the North. Taking into account the sanctions, the promising directions for the development of foreign economic relations is of particular relevance. The subject of the study is the prerequisites for the formation of foreign economic relations in the Arctic region, trends in the development of foreign trade activities, and features of customs support for export and import operations of foreign trade participants in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area in conditions of economic and political instability. Special attention is paid to the study of prerequisites and trends in the development of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area in order to identify problems and prospects for deepening foreign economic relations in the region. The research method and methodology is based on the use of the following general scientific and private scientific methods of cognition, namely: the method of system analysis, logical and comparative methods, the method of document analysis. The scientific novelty of the study lies in an integrated approach to identifying the prerequisites, specifics of foreign economic activity in the Arctic region, trends and promising areas for expanding foreign economic relations of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area in conditions of economic and political instability. The article presents an assessment of foreign economic relations of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area in modern conditions, identifies the specifics of foreign economic activity in the Arctic region, examines the features of customs support for export-import operations, analyzes statistical data on foreign trade exchange of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, identifies problematic issues, develops an algorithm for increasing exports of products and develops promising directions for the development of foreign economic relations of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area. For the development of the region's economy, it is necessary to modernize the sphere of production of fuel and energy sector and expand the commodity exports of the agricultural sector of traditional activities of the indigenous peoples of the North.

Quality management for design – Bid-build versus design-and-build contracts for infrastructure projects

AbstractSelecting the construction delivery method during the contracting period is one of the most important decisions determining the quality of large-scale infrastructure projects. Infrastructure projects have the most complex production processes in civil engineering. Infrastructure projects are among the most complex and resource-intensive endeavours in civil engineering due to their size, scope, multidisciplinary nature, regulatory requirements, financing challenges, environmental considerations, and the need for long-term planning and maintenance. Effective project management, collaboration, and a deep understanding of these challenges are crucial for the successful execution of infrastructure projects. Implementing such projects inevitably demands proper quality management throughout the project lifecycle. Two primary types of construction contracts are under implementation worldwide: Design-Bid-Build (DBB) and Design–and–Build (DB) contracts. In the Western Balkans region, both types of contracts are utilized for infrastructure projects, A noticeable trend is emerging toward transitioning from DBB to DB contracts. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of quality management within the context of construction contracts with a focus on the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders and how these factors affect the achievement of quality objectives while managing constraints related to cost and time. This research aims to improve construction practices by selecting an adequate type of contract for construction practices and ensuring successful project outcomes.

Large Scale infrastructural Projects and Climate Change in Kenya: An Assessment of Key Drivers of Climate Change in LAPSSET Project Area in Lamu

The paper argues that climate change has become a threat to human survival and life sustaining ecosystems. It argues that Large-scale infrastural projects’ activities accelerates drivers of climate change. Three major objectives were pursued; to identify drivers of climate change at LAPSSET project area; to assess how LAPSSET activities impact on critical ecologically significant Areas (CESA) and to determine possible adoption options by people affected by climate changes in LAPSSET areas. Both qualitative and quantitative frameworks are applied to assess the climatic risks and vulnerabilities. The paper finds that: 63% of the respondents cited high population increase and infrastural development at LAPSSET area as key drivers of climate change. Second ,70% of respondents thought that LAPSSET project was magnet of activities that had serious consequences on the environment and CESAs. While 80% of the respondents identified coral bleaching, clogging of creeks, shifting of fishing sites, changes in weather patterns, increased shoreline and draught as major climate related footprints. The paper recommends funding of environmental mitigating agenda pegged on law and on pre-determined percent of the resources allocated to any large-scale project. It recommends establishing a pool of climate change mitigation green army funded through a multi-agency approach. It also recommended that, all large-scale infrastructural projects operating in the Kenya should, by law be forced to re-green their area of operation and fight threats associated with climate change via legislation.

Broad-scale impacts of coastal mega-infrastructure project on obligatory inshore delphinids: A cautionary tale from Hong Kong

Inshore marine habitats experience considerable anthropogenic pressure, as this is where many adverse effects of human activities concentrate. In the rapidly-changing seascape of the Anthropocene, Hong Kong waters at the heart of world's fastest developing coastal region can serve as a preview-window into coastal seas of the future, with ever-growing anthropogenic footprint. Here, we quantify how large-scale coastal infrastructure projects can affect obligatory inshore cetaceans, bringing about population-level consequences that may compromise their long-term demographic viability. As a case in point, we look at the construction of world's longest sea crossing system and broad-scale demographic, social and spatial responses it has caused in a shallow-water delphinid, the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis). Soon after the infrastructure project began, dolphins markedly altered their home range near construction sites such that these waters no longer functioned as dolphin core areas despite the apparent presence of prey, indicating that anthropogenic impacts outweighed foraging benefits. The contraction of key habitats has in turn led individuals to interact over spatially more constricted area, reshaping their group dynamics and social network. Although there was no apparent decline in dolphin numbers that could be detected with mark-recapture estimates, adult survival rates decreased drastically from 0.960 to 0.904, the lowest estimate for these animals anywhere across the region to date, notably below the previously estimated demographic threshold of their long-term persistence (0.955). It is apparent that during an advanced stage of this coastal infrastructure project, dolphins were under a major anthropogenic pressure that, if sustained, could be detrimental to their long-term persistence as a viable demographic unit. As effective conservation of species and habitats depends on informed management decisions, this study offers a valuable lesson in environmental risk assessment, underscoring the implications of human-induced rapid environmental change on obligatory inshore delphinids—sentinels of coastal habitats that are increasingly degraded in fast-changing coastal seas.

Exploring Online Perceptions of Justice in Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects: Temporal Patterns, Sentiment Characteristics, and Topic Changes

Exploring Online Perceptions of Justice in Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects: Temporal Patterns, Sentiment Characteristics, and Topic Changes

Homo Heuristicus: From Risk Management to Managing Uncertainty in Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects

Large-scale infrastructure projects tend to experience variances between estimated and final costs. Governments, in response, have been using statistical methods (including probabilistic approaches) such as reference class forecasting to try and mitigate cost overruns. While helpful in accommodating risk, such statistical methods often fail to account for a project's cost uncertainty. To reduce cost variance under uncertainty, it is necessary to use heuristics when formulating an infrastructure project's cost contingency. This article argues a need to adopt a vision of human nature described as Homo heuristicus (heuristics-using-person). We provide awareness and rationale for developing an “adaptive toolbox” of heuristics for ecologically rational and contextually aligned cost contingency decision-making. However, the selection, recognition, and evaluation heuristics for determining cost uncertainty have yet to be examined. Thus, future research is required to cultivate the heuristics needed to address the uncertainty that surrounds the determination of a cost contingency.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Based Automated Path Generation of Rollers for Smart Construction

The construction industry is continuously evolving, seeking innovative solutions to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve safety. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, have emerged as a transformative technology in the construction sector, offering numerous advantages in data collection and site management. This paper presents a novel approach for utilizing UAVs to automate the path generation of rollers, a crucial element in the construction of roads and other large-scale infrastructure projects. A UAV was used to scan the target area to create a model; the next step was to generate the path for the rollers. Traditionally, the process of determining optimal roller paths is labor-intensive and reliant on manual surveys and engineering expertise. This study proposes a streamlined workflow that harnesses UAVs equipped with computer vision technology to capture high-resolution topographical data of construction sites. This data is then processed through an algorithm created by the authors that automatically generates optimized roller paths based on several factors.

Світовий досвід державно-приватного партнерства для фінансування соціального житла

In the current socio-economic environment, the issue of providing vulnerable population with affordable and accessible housing has become acute, requiring the public authorities to invest heavily in this area. This problem is relevant not only for Ukraine, where many residential buildings were destroyed as a result of military aggression, but also in other European countries, as quarantine restrictions have caused significant damage to their economies. Another reason for the growing demand for social housing is urbanization, migration, and growing social inequality. The solution to this problem is complicated by the fact that the growing demand for social housing increases the necessary costs for territorial communities, which they cannot always fully cover with budget revenues. On the other hand, private investors need a return on their investments, so they cannot finance social housing projects on their own. As a result, the public-private partnership model has become one of the ways to finance social housing. The purpose of the article is to analyze various public-private partnership mechanisms to provide financing for the construction and allocation of social housing. Since 1980s, public private partnership (PPP) is gaining global popularity as a viable alternative to public funding for building and financing infrastructure projects. PPP is a means to effectively deliver projects in the public sector because it emerges against the backdrop of financial constraints and management capacity in the public sector to support largescale infrastructure projects. PPP not merely means a way to accomplish financial problems by bringing private capital, but it also aims to bring private sector efficiency and best practices in delivering infrastructure. Although, focus of the current debates is primarily on economic infrastructure, but investment on social infrastructure has received surprisingly little attention and it is predicted to continue growing. Governments have a central role in policies and regulations to provide a transparent and fair 'investment field', as well as providing payments to private parties. In investing, the private sector actually requires stability, predictability and a framework that supports their investment in social infrastructure. Meanwhile, the private sector has a role to provide expertise in building social infrastructure efficiently and has added value in innovation. It is recommended to implement a modified PPP model in Ukraine to include international public and private partners as financial donors to compensate for lack of the national budget resources at the moment.

Assessment of the state of fixed assets of enterprises and organizations in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation as a factor determining its sustainable development

The analysis of the state of fixed assets is important for determining the production capabilities of the organization and strategic prospects of its development. The value of fixed assets determines the production capacity of the company, timely renewal of fixed assets increases their productivity and operational efficiency, while reducing the probability of losses caused by equipment failure as a result of systemic depreciation. Decrease in the rate of fixed assets reproduction leads to decline in production capacity and productivity level, increase in repair costs, decrease in the quality and competitiveness of products, reduction of income. The condition and degree of efficiency of fixed assets use affect the final results of economic activity of organizations of all forms of ownership and organizational and legal forms. The aim of this study is to assess the condition of fixed assets of enterprises and organizations in the territories of the regions included in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, since it is their availability and quality that is the basis for sustainable development and determines the available economic and production potential. Economic and statistical and comparative analysis were chosen as research methods. According to the results of the analysis, it was found out that the state of fixed assets in the Russian Federation as a whole is deteriorating, the measures taken to stimulate entrepreneurs to modernize production facilities, although caused some positive changes, but the expected results have not been achieved. The described situation is typical for the whole territory of the country, but it is especially relevant for the Arctic zone, where the realization of large-scale production and infrastructure projects is planned in the near future. To solve this problem will require joint efforts and interest in the result not only from the state, but also from business.

Exploring potential political corruption in large-scale infrastructure projects in Nigeria

Political corruption is especially relevant for large-scale projects because of their popularity among politicians and citizens alike, as well as their inherent qualities. The goal of this study is to find out about the causes, methods, occurrences, and effects of political corruption in large-scale infrastructure projects in Nigeria. The investigation uses a case analysis of Lagos-Ibadan Highway and was divided into two stages: the 1999–2009 political era and the 2010–2019 political era. The information was gathered through document and report analysis. The symptomatic investigation of the political corruption of the Lagos-Ibadan Highway was guided by a conceptual model based on symptoms. Within-case and cross-case comparative theme analysis were performed on the dataset. The investigation indicated how the occurrence of patronage, influence peddling, embezzlement, and biased law enforcement can explain political corruption in the highway project. The investigation resulted in a better understanding of the reasons for the project's failure and abandonment. The knowledge can be used to prevent political corruption in public projects and to lay the groundwork for long-term infrastructure development. This study was limited because it was unable to provide unambiguous evidence to prove that political corruption occurred in the case study.

Mythical Infrastructuring

Abstract The very nature of large-scale infrastructure projects—long design and construction periods, high investment, and impact on social and natural spaces—makes them prone to socioecological and technical conflicts. These conflicts materialize in stories that become keystones in the making of infrastructure. In this article, we analyze the infrastructuring power of stories by drawing on the case of the Chacao Bridge on Chiloé Island in southern Chile, a controversial infrastructure project that has been in the making over the last six decades. We argue that the “absence” of the bridge creates a space for the production of stories on the island's inherited past and imagined future that keeps recurring and growing in the form of myths. Thus, we propose the concept of “mythical infrastructuring” to capture this process. We then conclude by arguing that the Chacao Bridge project develops its infrastructuring presence over landscape and culture in contradictory ways that cannot be solved technically or symbolically.

Greening the BRI countries through economic and political reforms.

Preserving the environment and promoting sustainable development are essential objectives for a state aimed at improving the standard of living for present and future generations. The depletion of natural resources and environmental degradation are serious concerns for policymakers worldwide. However, to fulfill its role effectively, a state must have strong institutional capacity. Studies have shown that inadequate governance and weak institutional quality are associated with environmental degradation, lower economic growth, unfavorable development outcomes, and increased inequality. Economic and political reforms are necessary to overcome these issues, while the concept of institutional reforms to save the environment is novel and hardly discussed in the earlier literature, especially in the context of BRI countries. So, this study explores the impact of economic and political reforms on the environment by applying a difference-in-differences approach to the data of 45 BRI economies from 2000 to 2022. The empirical findings reveal a negative relationship between economic and political reforms on ecological footprints, emphasizing the need for institutional reform to preserve the environment in the BRI region. Institutional reforms have a significant contribution to environmental sustainability by fostering better governance, political stability, and an environment conducive to reforms-driven decision-making. These reforms can help address the environmental challenges associated with large-scale infrastructure and economic development projects like the BRI, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable future.

A Legal History of Land Acquisition in India

Development-induced displacement (DID) significantly dominates the problem of internal displacement in India. It occurs when people are forced to leave their habitat to implement large-scale infrastructural projects. Some 10 million people worldwide are displaced or resettled every year due to development projects, with the largest share of displacement due to the construction of dams, urbanization and mining. It has been regarded as ‘the youngest type of involuntary migration.’
 In India, the problem of development-induced displacement is quite historical. However, it was only during the British period that the development-induced displacement started gaining attention. This paper seeks to discover the roots of development-induced displacement in India in its pre and post-independent periods. It also discusses the development of various acts of land appropriation since the Company Raj till the present day to understand the patterns and nature of land acquisition and displacement.