Diagnose the Causes of Cost Deviation in Highway Construction Projects by Using Root Cause Analysis Techniques

Highway projects are one of the most important projects in this decade in Iraq. Highway projects suffer from corruption factors in the contractor selection phase. To succeed in transparency and best value contractor selection for awarding procedure for highway projects, the researcher used root cause analysis techniques to specify the main factors that lead to bad selection for the highway projects in Iraq. Many tools techniques used for the root cause analysis techniques like Fishbone, Pareto chart, and 5-Why. This study conducts the causes of bad contractor selection and analysis by root cause analysis techniques, Pareto chart conducted that internal relationships and administrative corruption are the main causes that covered near than 80% of the problem, and 5-Why conducted that the acceptance of the lowest price is the main cause for bad selection.

Purpose Extensive research towards identifying the attributable cost overrun factors globally has been conducted predominantly from a survey-oriented perspective, which disregard the contextual basis on which these triggers manifest. This study aims to explore the driving factors of cost overrun in highway projects, specific to the Nigerian context. Design/methodology/approach The research used a context-based approach to seek project stakeholders’ perspectives on the key drivers of cost overrun in highway projects in Nigerian. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with client, contractor and consultant organisations involved in the provision of highway infrastructure projects in Nigeria. The collected data was analysed using a developed coding framework grounded on a case study approach, principles of inductive thematic analysis and saliency analysis to identify the key drivers. Findings Findings from the analysis identified triggers from macroeconomic, societal, leadership and project management perspectives with synergistic relationships with each other based on prevalence and significance. Among the key triggers is a delay in work progress, political instability, adverse weather, social issues, delay in progress payment to contractors and modification of project scope. In conclusion, the triggers of cost overrun in highway projects are contextually driven by the complex nature of the project management, societal, macroeconomic and leadership triggers specific to the Nigerian context. Research limitations/implications The research was limited to only highway infrastructure projects in Nigeria. Furthermore, the findings are based on a small sample size, and thus, caution must be taken before applying the outcome of this study in a generalised way to other contexts. Practical implications Practically, the stakeholders i.e. client, contractors and consultants should acknowledge the contextual circumstances in which each of the triggers takes place, which will aid in developing pragmatic measures and make the right decisions towards addressing these triggers during any highway construction project in Nigeria and enhance the chances of project success. Originality/value The context-based approach applied in this study is expected to provide a new insight in understanding the triggers of cost overruns, especially in highway projects in Nigeria and indeed other developing countries with similar governance characteristics

A (Very) Brief Note on Some Quality Tools

This article aims to establish and evaluate standards for critical equipment and materials in highway projects in Iraq. Delphi technique has been used to analyze, explore, and discover the main criteria and sub-criteria that affect equipment and materials in highway construction projects in Iraq. To determine the correct response to the criteria presented in this study, a program (IBM, SPSS/V25) was used to assess the main criteria and sub-criteria using the mean score (MS) and standard deviation (SD) technique, as well as to check reliability using Cronbach's alpha factor (α). The experts' qualifications and the extent to which the person is ready to commit are both important factors in panel selection. The design of a questionnaire, which is also identified as questions or repetitions, is based on a clear identification of study objectives, a literature review, and other primary research activities. By applying the Delphi technique steps and procedures, this research reveals fifteen (15) successful criteria in equipment and materials in highway construction projects in Iraq.

<p indent="0mm">Since the proposition of the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s overseas highway projects have developed rapidly. As the leading carrier for the construction of other projects, highway construction is vital to the construction of other supporting facilities, and at the same time it can stimulate economic growth in the regions along the Belt and Road and narrow the development gap between them. However, presently there are few statistics on China’s overseas highway projects, and there is a lack of datasets on overseas highway projects. This dataset uses web crawler technology, various corporate official website consultation reports, OSM (open street map) and DIVA-GIS road data sources to collect information on 99 highway projects in 51 countries, including 14 items of basic information such as the project location and construction of highway projects, start time, route length, construction unit and cooperation mode. The collection of road information not only is conducive to enterprises to strengthen communication, formulate more international norms, rationally carry out investment in overseas highway projects, but also has positive significance for the overall planning and layout of China’s overseas highway engineering projects.

This study aims to analyze the causes of delays in decision-making within the company. Managers can identify several constraints in decision-making by using analytical tools. In this study, the device used to analyze the problem is root cause analysis. Root cause analysis is used to determine the initial cause of the issues. The method used in the root cause analysis is a fishbone diagram where the fishbone diagram can identify some of the problems that underlie the constraints in decision making. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method by taking data from interviews and documentation. The results of this study can be seen in decision making four problems underlie the inhibition of decision making. The problem is the first decision-maker; namely, the company's management is not wholly a determinant in making decisions. The second problem is that the information presented as a guide for decision-making is inaccurate, not timely, and irrelevant. The third problem is the absence of software that processes data into information needed by company management. The last problem is the lack of integration between divisions, so the resulting information is out of sync. Root cause analysis and fishbone diagrams, that was possible to analyze in detail the causes of delays in decision making. In the end, management can find solutions to each of these problems. Management will search each problem for the root cause, and the answer that they will give will be right on target so that the hope to minimize the obstacles to decision making will be implemented.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to characterize the relationships between air pollutant emissions from heavy duty diesel equipment and highway construction project scope, schedule, and budget. Objectives included estimating total project emissions; developing a daily emissions profile; and developing new emissions estimating metrics based on project scope, schedule, and budget. Design/methodology/approach – The research approach involved collecting real-world data related to project scope, schedule, and budget from two highway case study projects. The data were used to establish an emissions inventory estimating methodology to calculate total emissions for each case study. The total emissions were normalized based on project size, duration, and cost in order to develop new emissions estimating metrics. Findings – The results proved that it is possible to characterize total equipment emissions based on project size, duration, and cost. The new emissions estimating metrics were quantitatively similar for both case studies. Research limitations/implications – The results were based on two case study projects. Additional data from more projects is needed to provide more highly refined numerical results. Practical implications – This approach enables project planners and managers to assess the environmental impacts of highway projects along with the financial and time impacts. Social implications – Construction equipment is a major contributor to the nation’s air pollution problem. Before pollutant emissions can be managed they must first be measured. Originality/value – The new emissions estimating metrics are a novel approach to comparing environmental impacts of two or more projects, as well as estimating total emissions for future highway construction projects.

Development of a novel methodology for root cause analysis and selection of maintenance strategy for a thermal power plant: A data exploration approach

A simulation-based method of using Incentives and Disincentives (I/D) contracting in highway construction projects is presented. Providing gu idance in a proper use of I/D contract methods, the present model improves the efficiency of I/D contracting in highway construction projects. Data analysis is performed for the application of I/D contracting to construction contracts. Using statistical an alysis, influencing factors in I/D contracting are identified. Monte Carlo simulation s are then performed in case studies for the purpose of model validation. The present model can serve as a tool for owners and managers to make a decision in use of I/D contract in highway construction projects.

Accurate owner budget estimates are critical to the initial decision-to-build process for highway construction projects. However, transportation projects have historically experienced significant construction cost overruns from the time the decision to build has been taken by the owner. This paper addresses the problem of why highway projects overrun their predicted costs. It identifies the owner risk variables that contribute to significant cost overrun and then uses factor analysis, expert elicitation, and the nominal group technique to establish groups of importance ranked owner risks. Stepwise multivariate regression analysis is also used to investigate any correlation of the percentage of cost overrun with risks, together with attributes such as highway project type, indexed cost, geographic location, and project delivery method. The research results indicate a correlation between the reciprocal of project budget size and percentage cost overrun. This can be useful for owners in determining more realistic decision-to-build highway budget estimates by taking into account the economies of scale associated with larger projects.

This study aims to determine the root causes of waste in the reactor washing process and blending tank in the Department Production 2 PT. Pardic Jaya Chemicals which causes excessive costs or expenses if it is not identified what is the main cause of the problem. The research method used is root cause analysis (RCA) with Cause and EffectAnalysis or Fishbone Diagram. The results of the root cause research found several main factors, including differences in perception, limited tools, contaminated air and the character of the resin that was too solid. Proposed improvements to overcome this problem are by refreshing the work instructions, replacing the washing solvent with ethyl acetate by using distilled ethyl acetate (ETAC Ex-Dist) and adding N2 gas (Nitrogen) into the washing solvent. Keywords: Waste, Root Cause Analysis, Fishbone Diagram, proposed improvement plan, solvent

The State of Minnesota frequently receives requests from outside sources regarding the acceptance of waste materials for reuse in highway construction and maintenance projects. These waste materials can include glass, roofing shingle tabs, shredded tires, coal ash, railroad ties, and taconite tailings. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) recently established a policy requiring the use of such materials if they have both short- and long-term public benefits. MnDOT sought a framework to assess these benefits. A decision framework and decision-support tool—in the form of an electronic spreadsheet—were developed, tested, and refined through the application of three case studies. The framework and the spreadsheet decision-support tool are described, and results are presented from one of the case studies. This information illustrates the types of input the spreadsheet requires and the output it produces. The spreadsheet is a flexible tool that accounts for a variety of materials and their placement in highways. It compares ( a) the discounted present value over a 20-year period of incremental increases in highway construction and maintenance costs as a result of using broken glass in roads with ( b) the avoidable costs of disposal by transporting the waste and landfilling it or disposing of it at the source—that is, where the waste material is generated.

Background/PurposeMental health (MH) problems are prevalent in adolescents with childhood-onset lupus (cSLE), with cross-sectional studies estimating prevalences of 20-60% for depression symptoms and 20-40% for anxiety symptoms. Despite this, MH...

Because of the need to address challenges of global climate change, a project-based framework was developed and implemented for life-cycle assessment (LCA) that could be used to estimate the carbon footprint for typical construction work items in highway reconstruction and rehabilitation projects. The proposed framework considers the life-cycle emissions of products and processes involved in the raw material acquisition and manufacturing phase as well as the pavement construction phase. The framework also accounts for emissions from vehicular use and maintenance operations during the service life of the pavement. The framework introduces methods based on LCA to develop inventories of project emissions for highway construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance projects as well as to analyze inventories for the calculation of project-level construction metrics for estimating emissions. Fourteen highway construction and rehabilitation projects in Michigan were used to implement the method and validate the approach. In addition, the project emissions estimator (PE-2), a web-based tool that can be used to estimate and benchmark the carbon dioxide footprint of highway construction projects, is introduced. Results further the understanding of LCA methods for pavements while providing an emission estimation tool that can be used by decision makers to monitor and assess project emissions.

This paper describes an approach to root cause analysis and fault correlation that addresses the problems inherent in wireless military networks.1 Root cause analysis concerns itself with identifying and correcting problems in a network. The ultimate goal of root cause analysis is to diagnose the cause for network anomalies, towards the ultimate goal of ensuring that adequate communication functionality is maintained to support the requirements of the network users. In a wired network, the diagnosis of faults is easier due to the existence of a fixed, wired topology and fixed, wired links. In the wireless networks at the tactical edge of military networks, there is no hardwired connectivity, yet there are also expectations on the network from the end users which place constraints on the operation of the network. Fault diagnosis in such networks is fundamentally different from that in wired networks. The performance of the network must be managed explicitly with respect to its user expectations, even though the network connectivity is dynamic, the network monitoring traffic must traverse the (possibly failing) network itself, and the “correct” behavior of the network against which current network state needs to be compared evolves over time. The novel features of our solution that distinguish it from existing root cause analysis techniques are (a) a dynamic model of fault, performance and security problem propagation in the network that can evolve as the definition of network correctness changes, (b) a method for distributing reasoning over this model throughout the network into independent Correlators that share information through a set of Clearinghouses to provide a global root cause correlation capability, and (c) the ability for the Correlator and Clearinghouse reasoning to adapt gracefully when network problems prevent full exchange of information required for root cause analysis.