Project delivery and planning strategies for public owners

Abstract

Current trends show that as the demand for infrastructure renewal and replacement has increased, Federal, state, and local government funding for infrastructure projects has decreased. It has become clear that the government will need to examine the potential of and implement other delivery methods in addition to design-bid-build. In order for the government to effectively use project delivery as a variable, the role of government in the capital planning process will need to be redefined. This thesis examines the capital planning process used by public owners, i.e. the government. The identification of ideal project planning and management principles led to a new framework for capital planning, referred to as the Project Configuration Process. The proposed Project Configuration Process is based on the premise that a public owner can identify a realistic need, identify the objectives for the project, identify the project constraints or drivers, and select the most appropriate delivery strategy that aligns the project objectives with the advantages of the delivery strategy. Two case studies are included to examine current project configuration practices. The Central Artery/Tunnel Project in Boston, Massachusetts and Tren Urbano in San Juan, Puerto Rico identify common challenges to the delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects. The Central Artery/Tunnel Project will widen and depress the existing elevated Central Artery, add a Third Harbor Tunnel, and improve highway connections within and around Boston. The Central Artery/Tunnel Project is a useful case study for it facilitates the examination of a large-scale infrastructure project utilizing traditional design-bid build procurement methods in conjunction with a management consultant assisting the Department of Public Works. The Project's development history provides insight into the processes, challenges and limitations of the current project delivery process. Tren Urbano, an urban rapid transit project, is intended to reduce congestion in the San Juan Metropolitan Area. The objective of applying this research to Tren Urbano is to identify essential project management issues in a mixed delivery setting. Phase I of Tren Urbano posses a unique project management problem as it is divided geographically into seven alignment sections and contractually into a portfolio of contracts containing one designbuild- operate contract and six design-build contracts.