Project Development Phase Research Articles

Improving ecological performance of industrialized building systems in Malaysia

For construction stakeholders to fully embrace sustainability, its long-term benefits and associated risks need to be identified through holistic approaches. Consensus among key stakeholders is very important to the improvement of the ecological performance of industrialized building systems (IBS), a building construction method gaining momentum in Malaysia. A questionnaire survey examines the relative significance of 16 potentially important sustainability factors for IBS applications. To present possible solutions, semi-structured interviews solicit views from experienced IBS practitioners, representing the professions involved. Three most critical factors agreed by key stakeholders are material consumption, waste generation and waste disposal. Using SWOT analysis, the positive and negative aspects of these factors are investigated, with action plans formulated for IBS design practitioners. The SWOT analysis based guidelines have the potential to become part of IBS design briefing documents against which sustainability solutions are contemplated, selected and implemented. Existing knowledge on ecological performance issues is extended by considering the unique characteristics of IBS and identifying not only the benefits, but also the potential risks and challenges of pursuing sustainability. This is largely missing in previous research efforts. Findings to date focus on providing much-needed assistance to IBS designers, who are at the forefront of decision-making with a significant level of project influence. Ongoing work will be directed towards other project development phases and consider the inherent linkage between design decisions and subsequent sustainability deliverables in the project life cycle.

Exploring the Client–AEC Interface in Building Lifecycle Integration

The creation and management of buildings over their lifecycle involves the cooperation of many organizations, which broadly fall into a client domain and AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) domain. While this mix of expertise is essential, the ineffective management of the boundaries between these organizations can undermine building lifecycle performance. This paper explores client–AEC interactions at the project development and handover stages, with a view to discovering insights into client–AEC interface management for effective building lifecycle integration (BLI). The concept of boundary objects provided the theoretical framework to discuss findings from two case studies on the project development phase of a private finance initiative project, and the asset development process in a repeat client organization. The findings suggest that there are different emphases in boundary crossing activities at different stages, with boundary roles that relate to decision-making and authority to commit resources being more relevant at the project development stage, whereas the need to explain meanings appear to be more relevant at the handover stage. AEC professionals in client organizations play a crucial role in bridging knowledge boundaries about buildings, but this professional/functional strand to BLI needs to be effectively managed alongside the organizational boundaries, since the authority to resource BLI efforts resides within organizations.

Albacora Subsea Raw-Water Injection

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper OTC 24167, ’Albacora Subsea Raw-Water-Injection Systems,’ by L. Buk Jr., C.A. Andrade, J.B. Azevedo, E.J.J. Coelho, O.C. Costa, C. Kuchpil, A.G. Siqueira, and A.L.S. Souza, Petrobras, prepared for the 2013 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 6-9 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed. To increase the oil recovery in the Albacora field, significant water injection is required that was not considered in the initial project-development phases. Technical and economic constraints do not allow the use of conventional seawater-injection plants because current production units have no area available to implement a conventional water-injection system. Application of subsea raw-water-injection (SRWI) systems in the field involved challenges that required a detailed and systematic analysis to evaluate the technical feasibility and establish requirements for implementation. This alternative enabled seawater to be injected into the reservoir with minimum treatment by use of equipment installed on the seabed. Introduction In some offshore fields, mainly mature fields, the addition of conventional technologies to topside facilities can constrain the use of seawater injection. Conventional systems require the installation of too many pieces of equipment at the production units, which requires large areas that sometimes are not available. Other restrictions include swivel constraints on floating production, storage, and offloading vessels (FPSOs) and load limitations. One alternative is SRWI technology in which most of the system is installed at the seabed and seawater is injected with minimum treatment. This system has minimal effect on the topside- facilities footprint. The SRWI alternative involves technical challenges that include seawater compatibility with the reservoir rock and fluids, microbiological control, corrosion, water properties, reliability of the subsea equipment, and power, which limit the use of this technology in some scenarios. Petrobras established a project to evaluate and develop this technology, involving technical-feasibility studies and evaluation of various scenarios and preliminary specifications. During this project, Albacora-field reservoir studies indicated the need for large amounts of water injection, and SRWI became the only economically feasible alternative identified to address this demand. Albacora Field Albacora is a giant field in the Campos basin, approximately 100 km offshore Brazil, covering an area of approximately 235 km2, with water depths of 250 to 1100 m. The field was discovered in September 1984 and has an estimated oil-in-place volume of 4.4 billion bbl. Pilot-phase production started in 1987 with the FPSO P.P. Moraes. In 1993, a second development phase started with the semisubmersible P-24, which was replaced later by the definitive production system with two production units: the semisubmersible P-25 and the FPSO P-31, installed in 1996 and 1998, respectively. Field oil production peaked in 1999.

User costs in pavement construction and rehabilitation alternative evaluation

The decision-making processes used by many state transportation agencies in US and Canada for selecting a strategy for pavement rehabilitation primarily depend on initial construction and maintenance costs for identifying the most economically efficient pavement rehabilitation alternative. While this approach is appropriate for optimally allocating increasingly limited funds in the face of increasing investment backlog, it is not economically efficient because it does not account for user costs. Despite a significant body of research, the state transportation agencies are hesitant to include user costs in their pavement life-cycle cost analysis processes because of a lack of availability of standard method of calculating user costs. This article presents the results of a study conducted to review the pavement alternative selection processes used by the Ohio Department of Transportation and recommend ways to include user costs in the decision-making process. Incorporating user costs in the decision-making processes right from project-development phase will help transportation agencies stay focused on the customer and minimise overall impact of rehabilitation of the highway system.

An Effective Disaster Recovery Model for Construction Projects

This article studies disasters during the development phase of construction projects and seeks for effective recovery methods. Disasters can be based on various reasons -i.e., natural, technical etc.-, can be observed in many cases -i.e., the mountain sliding during the tunnel opening at Tempi, Greece; the explosion of the British Petroleum (BP) oil pumping platform in the Gulf of Mexico; and the San Esteban mine collapse in Chile- and question the risk estimation and analysis methods that had been performed before project's commencement, and the business readiness of the project organization. Moreover, disasters can cause significant delays and cost rises to a project, while they can lead to construction's cancellation in cases of extensive damages or of site's natural disasters. In this context, this paper aims to structure a generic model that consists of principles and processes, which can recover a construction project after a disaster effect. Various terms (i.e., hazard and risk analysis, safety planning and disaster) and the international project management standards are explored for the purposes of this paper and accurate existing disaster recovery frameworks and models are investigated. The outcomes of this analysis are used for the composition of the proposed model. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed model for a wide area of projects was tested via a survey, which was performed on a group of expert engineers in construction management. Experts’ perspectives and experiences were questioned regarding the proposed disaster recovery model and their answers used for the revision of the proposed model.

The Digital Integrated Stratigraphy Project (DISP) Development Phase II: On-site 3D access, analysis and integration of stratigraphic data using PCs and 3D Photorealistic Models

Development Phase II of the Digital Integrated Stratigraphy Project (DISP) includes the production of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) (DISP Tools) that allows users to access a previously produced 3D photorealistic model of an outcrop in order to log stratigraphic data directly onto the 3D model. The ability to interact with a 3D photorealistic model of an outcrop in the field or lab provides multiple opportunities for analysis of the stratigraphy being examined and provides long-term data archive capacity for stratigraphic information such as sample position, lithostratigraphic boundary picks, and field notes. The DISP Tools developed here enable the user to interact with the digital outcrop via a laptop or field PC and information added will, in the future, be able to be saved to a central DISP database. This report serves as a demonstration of the potential capacity of the end-user interface that will accompany the DISP, modeled on the Silurian stratigraphy of Measley Ridge, Ohio. A prototype of the GUI was field tested at the IGCP 591 2nd Annual Meeting and 1st Foreste Symposium in July 2012.

Comparing Public–Private Partnerships with Conventional Procurement

Value for money (VfM) analyses have been used in evaluating various approaches to highway projects to help government officials determine whether a public–private partnership (PPP) is likely to be preferable for financial reasons to conventional approaches. VfM is a tool that focuses primarily on the financial impacts of procurement models from the perspective of the agency sponsoring a project. Nonfinancial impacts, such as benefits to users or nonusers of a facility, are not generally considered or are relegated to a qualitative evaluation. Benefit–cost analysis (BCA) has been used by public agencies in planning and project development phases to determine whether an investment is worth making. BCA is a more comprehensive tool than VfM that is capable of quantifying and monetizing nonfinancial impacts, such as benefits to users or nonusers that may accrue from earlier delivery of a project. This paper discusses how BCA considerations may be incorporated into a more analytically comprehensive approach to comparing PPPs with conventional procurement. The approach uses some results from VfM analysis and adds new items that are consistent with a BCA approach. The paper illustrates the approach with a hypothetical project.

Le temps de la réalisation des projets urbains : une fabrique a posteriori des enjeux politiques de l’action collective

Cet article analyse les modalites de pilotage operationnel des grands projets d'amenagement urbain dans le cas francais, pour montrer qu'il s'agit de ce point de vue d'objets composites et fragmentes. Comment, dans ces conditions, les projets peuvent-ils contribuer a l’elaboration de strategies globales d’amenagement urbain, sur des pans entiers des grandes agglomerations ? Nous chercherons a depasser cette contradiction en montrant comment la fragmentation des instances de pilotage d’un projet structure en realite des formes de regulation politique d’ensemble de l’action collective, qui contribuent a organiser l’interface et la coordination entre les differents champs d’intervention sectoriels, entre les nombreuses institutions publiques impliquees et entre acteurs publics et prives. La phase de realisation operationnelle des projets est ainsi apprehendee comme un temps d’elaboration des significations politiques et des enjeux de l’action collective. Notre analyse organisationnelle repose sur une comparaison entre deux projets d’amenagement urbain : Paris Nord-Est, et le projet de l'Union dans la metropole lilloise.

Consistent Application of Risk Management for Selection of Engineering Design Options in Mega-Projects

Traditional application of project risk management is limited to identifying and addressing project risks and then developing cost along with schedule contingencies. This paper proposes a method to consistently utilize the project risk management methods during Front End Engineering Design (FEED) phase of project development to select engineering design options. This method was called for recently to make several key engineering design decisions in a mega-project (case study). It allows significantly accelerate decision making and successfully manage various types of bias through leveraging the structure and visualization it provides. The proposed method is also applicable for engineering change management in any phase including operations.

Preliminary Engineering Cost-Estimation Strategy Assessment for Roadway Projects

Preliminary engineering (PE) for a roadway project encompasses two efforts: planning to minimize the physical, social, and human environmental impacts of projects and engineering design to deliver the best alternative. State transportation agencies strive to manage these efforts efficiently, seeking to maximize the utilization of limited funding and workforce productivity. Managers need a feasible PE budget, considering both cost and time, early in project development. The results reported herein will provide engineers and managers with a comparative investigation evaluating different strategies for establishing a PE budget during the preconstruction phase of roadway project development. Cost data were obtained for 188 North Carolina roadway projects built between 1999 and 2009. An analysis of the North Carolina DOT data yielded an overall mean ratio of PE cost to estimated construction cost (the PE cost ratio) of 11.7%. The multiple linear regression model was used to develop prediction models to forecast the PE cost ratio of future roadway projects. It was found that while differing regression strategies could reduce prediction error, the improvement was small. In terms of simplicity, using the historical means applicable for widening projects (13.3%), rehabilitation/resurfacing projects (7.7%), and new location/interchange projects (16.5%) proved advantageous over regression modeling because a project manager would not have to estimate any project-specific values at the earliest stages of project development. The lowest of these historical means was significantly different than the two higher means (7.7% versus 13.3% and 16.5%); however, the difference between the two higher means (13.3% versus 16.5%) was not statistically significant. The study analyses also found a significant correlation between a project’s PE cost ratio and its PE duration, suggesting that further investigation into PE duration of transportation projects is warranted.

Characteristics of cost overruns for Dutch transport infrastructure projects and the importance of the decision to build and project phases

Using a methodology similar to that used the in the worldwide research, the cost performance of Dutch large-scale transport infrastructure projects is determined. In the Netherlands, cost overruns are as common as cost underruns but because cost overruns are larger than cost underruns projects on average have a cost overrun of 16.5%. The focus on one country further enabled to consider cost overruns during different project development phases. It turned out that in the Netherlands the majority of the cost overrun occurs in the pre-construction phase (the period between the formal decision to build and the start of construction). The frequency as well as the magnitude of pre-construction cost overrun is significantly higher than in the construction phase. The used methodology of calculating cost overruns does however not take lock-in into account. This phenomenon shows that the real decision to build was taken much earlier in the decision-making process. Since estimated costs are usually lower during these earlier stages, the cost overruns based on this real decision to build are likely to be much higher. Cost overruns presented in studies are therefore often underestimated and the problem of cost overruns is much larger than we think.

Quantifying Unknown Unknowns in an Oil and Gas Capital Project

Projects continue to fail at a high rate despite the well-known risk benchmarks published decades ago. Risk assessment and contingency planning are needed in oil and gas (O&G) capital projects because of many ‘unknown unknowns.’ Uncertainty must be estimated for the project schedule as well as for investment costs. Quantitative estimates and diagramming tools can assist in understanding and communicating project risk levels. This paper outlines and applies a method for quantifying unknown unknowns in the O&G industry based on a case study. Four dimensions of unknown unknowns are discussed: novelty of a project, phase of project development, type of industry, and bias. Uncertainty is classified as unknown unknowns, bias, known unknowns, and corporate risks. Practical recommendations are made to quantify uncertainty using probabilistic risk models, and then to integrate these estimates into the budget and schedule.

Understanding the roles of business ecosystems in large public IT infrastructure project development: The case of M-Taipei

This case study examines how public–private business ecosystems play a critical role in pubic IT infrastructure project development. In studying the world's foremost wireless “cyber city,” the M-Taipei project, we argue that the symbiotic nature of relationships in business ecosystems is of critical importance in conducting the public IT project. Based on the case data, we differentiate three forms of business ecosystems – knowledge-oriented, resource-oriented, and business-oriented which emerged in the different phases of project development. We hope to provide a foundation for future discussions on this increasingly important view of research and practice.

JRMAD METHOD USES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECURITY / JRMAD METODO PANAUDOJIMAS TAIKANT INFORMACINIŲ TECHNOLOGIJŲ SAUGOS POLITIKĄ

Analyzing the flexible uses security problems in existing information technology systems. Looking for way to ensure the safety of the reaction time to smooth access to more projects in development. Review of projects undertaken. Codified in the project design and development components. Made of the findings of the methods used to discover, which exclude parts of the draft rule and resort to emergency planning in the early part of the project development phase. Analytical result: JRMAD mixed method, allowing simultaneous two of the project and the time to change the current system.

Promoting the facilities management profession in the project development phase of high-rise buildings in Sri Lanka

Purpose – The Facilities Management (FM) profession is now established in most developed countries and in few developing countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong. However, with rapid mushrooming of high rise buildings, which are known to be complex, the role of a facilities manager may require to be extended even up to the project briefing stage. This paper aims to highlight the importance of consulting a facilities manager during the project development phase of high rise buildings in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach – The methods of data collection used in this study were site observations and interviews. The data from site observations were collected from 67 high rise residential and commercial buildings. While doing the site observations or some on occasions after the site observations, the facilities managers or building managers and maintenance managers of these buildings were interviewed to gather further detailed information. Findings – This paper highlights 15 critical maintainability problems, which originated during the development phase. It was found 26 significant factors which would have been emphasized during the development phase by a facilities manager to reduce the occurrence of such problems during the phase of occupancy. Research limitations/implications – There were few qualified facilities managers involved during the data collection process due to lack of qualified facilities managers in Sri Lanka. Originality/value – The paper provides useful information to the facilities managers and clients/users on maintainability problems related to high rise buildings. It also emphasize the importance of the involvement of facilities managers at the development phase of high rise buildings in order to minimize their maintainability problems faced during the phase of occupancy. DOI: 10.4038/besl.v9i1-2.3063 Built - Environment - Sri Lanka - Vol. 09 - 10, Issue 01 - 02 : 2011 pp.37-44

Complex software project development: agile methods adoption

AbstractThe Agile Software Development paradigm has become increasingly popular in the last few years, since it claims lower costs, better productivity, better quality and better business satisfaction. Supply chain management (SCM) is a complex software development project. Owing to its scope and uncertain, complex and unstable requirements, it is not possible to develop it with predictable software development process models. Agile methodologies are targeted toward such kinds of problems that involve change and uncertainty, and are adaptive rather than predictive. How an agile process is introduced will significantly impact the implementation success of the process change. The objective of this paper is to analyze the agile development methodologies and management approach used in developing a complex software project. This further demonstrates how to overcome risks and barriers in each development phase of such complex inventive software projects. It also provides a set of guidelines regarding how the agile methodologies can be adopted, combined and used in these kinds of complex software projects. These findings have implications for software engineers and managers developing software by agile methods. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

적정 건물 설계를 위한 Target Costing 개념 제안

사용되는 새로운 원가 관리 방안으로 시장 상황에 따라 제품의 가격을 고정하고, 고정된 제품가격에서 기업의 이익과 비용을 차감함으로써 산출하는 시장 지향적 원가산출 방법이다. 본 논문은 프로젝트 개발에서부터 원가 관리의 개념을 도입하는 Target Costing의 개념을 고찰함을 목적으로 한다. "낭비의 최소화, 가치의 최대화"는 프로젝트의 기획 단계에서 건물의 적정 설계 가이드라인을 설정함으로써 얻을 수 있다. 이러한 효과적 예산 관리 방법은 한국의 호화청사 건설 문제를 타개 방안이 될 수 있을 것이다. Target Costing is a modern cost management technique used in changeable market conditions. The target cost is set by subtracting the sum of production costs and profits from the market price. The purpose of this present study is to review Target Costing as a useful concept which integrates the project development process with cost management. "Minimum Waste, Maximum Value" could be achieved by setting up guidelines for optimal building design at the beginning of the project development phase. This effective budget management method will help rectify Korea's overspending problems in the area of government building construction projects.

Grasping project complexity in large engineering projects: The TOE (Technical, Organizational and Environmental) framework

This paper presents a framework for characterising project complexity in large engineering projects, which can be used to adapt the front–end development phase of engineering projects to the particular complexity. Recently, a large number of project complexity related papers were published, demonstrating the evident importance of “complexity” in current project management research. However, no generally accepted framework is available to support the characterising and understanding of project complexity that appreciates the richness of project complexity in large engineering projects. Therefore the TOE (Technical, Organizational, and Environmental) framework was developed, based on a literature survey building upon existing work and on new empirical work consisting of eighteen interviews about six projects in the process engineering industry. As a result of an inductive approach, this framework presents the elements that contribute to project complexity from a theoretical as well as a practical perspective. The framework can be used to assess the complexity of engineering projects, and subsequently adapt the front–end development phase of projects in order to better manage the complexity of the project.

Understanding stakeholders' perspective of cost estimation in project management

Cost overrun is a chronic problem across most projects. While a significant research have been published on this topic, the understanding of the root causes and a clear direction towards improvement remained unexplored. The focus of the past research is mainly on the factors directly or indirectly associated with the project environment and their relative impacts on overall cost performance in projects. In contrast to such traditional approach, this research aimed to establish a conceptual model by identifying the underlying issues associated mainly with the perceptions of the board stakeholders involved over entire lifecycle of projects. Based on a structured interview with a few selective organisations, data was collected and a few rich pictures were developed over every phase of project development. By employing the soft system methodology, the rich pictures were later trasformed into the concept models for potential establishment of a new body of knowledge in the field. Among the findings, it has been revealed that at the project inception stage, political and legislative factors play significant roles in the business case development. Statutory compliance and environmental issues are perceived to be critical in influencing cost performance in projects. The resulting concept model on cost overrun is expected to fill a significant knowledge gap in cost estimation practice across all industry sectors.

Planning-stage estimation of highway project duration on the basis of anticipated project cost, project type, and contract type

At the planning phase of project development, highway agencies seek to estimate the time duration of project implementation for purposes such as construction planning, contract administration, and workzone impact assessments. This paper investigates the estimation of highway project duration on the basis of variables known at the planning phase such as planned cost and project type, and contract type. Project types are pavement construction, rehabilitation, maintenance, traffic facility installation, and bridge construction. The contract types considered are fixed-duration and fixed-deadline contracts. Using a variety of model specifications, the paper presents mathematical relationships between highway project duration and the magnitude of the planned cost and project type, and contract type. The paper shows that all other factors remaining the same, the duration of fixed-date deadline contracts generally exceed that of fixed-duration contracts; and higher levels of planned cost translate non-linearly into greater project duration. The developed models can help project administrators provide improved estimates of project duration and thus could help reduce project time delays. Also, the models are useful in forecasting workzone durations, a key aspect of workzone user cost estimation.