Achieving Cost and Time Reduction by 50%

in rail track projects

Name : N. Narendra VasudevaStudent ID No: @00321140

Business case report for Crossrail Project

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Sections1 • Strategic Targets• Project Details

2• Repetitive production tasks • Off-site construction

3• How construction programmes can be accelerated• Planning tools/techniques adopted in the case study

4• Key challenges • Lessons learned from Lean deployments

5• Key issues - In the project hand-over • Smooth flow of data and asset life-cycle

6• Good or Bad project management practices • Technological, areas in light of recent developments

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Reduction in cost of projects by 50%

Reduction in project delivery time by 50%

1 Strategic Targets

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(Office of Rail and Road, 2014).(HM Treasury and Cabinet Office, 2016)

The rail track installation works in the Crossrail project.

The 1000 tonne pavement process improvement project

Highways England's project in Area 9, near Worcester,

1 Two Case Studies

5(Office of Rail and Road, 2014).(HM Treasury and Cabinet Office, 2016)

Rail passenger journey had increased by 50% during the past decade. In the year 2014 over 1.6 billion passengers had used the rail networks,

By the year 2019 the forecasted demand for the passenger transport and the freight will increase by 14% and 19% respectively.

The Crossrail project budget GBP 14.8 billion.

1 Need for the project Crossrail Project

Project Cost

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Project Location

Adopted Source: (Crossrail, 2016)

Figure 1 Proposed Crossrail Project

River Thames

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Repetitive production tasks

According Yang, (2001) When similar activities are found in the projects the application of repetitive production tasks is possible.

Source: (Crossrail, 2016)(Office of Rail and Road, 2014).

Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Rail Track installation

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Repetitive production tasks

Multipurpose gantry crane transports the rail tracks for installation onto position

Pre-fabricated rail tracks

Rail tracks ready for concrete

The traditional methods of rail track installation

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off-site rail ties manufacturing advantages

The precast pre-assembled railroad sections allows for the speedy construction works. Units are identical and pre assembled.

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According to Borchardt, (2010), “…production, placement and lifespan of

concrete ties produce as little as one-sixth of the greenhouse gas emissions as that is

associated with timber ties” .

The use of precast concrete ties manufactured offsite is green and advantages in construction projects.

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off-site rail ties manufacturing advantages

• The standardised design of modules will cost less than the traditional method of construction.Cost

• Modules are manufactured off-site thus monitoring of quality becomes easy.Quality

• Project delivery can be faster than the traditional construction.Fast

• with less to coordinate and standardised cost and time frame, the modules are produced with ease and less stress. Easy

• Fewer workers on site and short lead time mean reduced risk and accidentsSafety

• No weather delays.Weather

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Accelerated construction programmes 1000 tonne projectAccording to New Engineering Contract three (NEC 3) the term

acceleration means “…a formal shortening of the time”

Source : (Moore, 2015).(Eggleston, 2009).

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Productivity • Productivity - From the initial state of 240 tonnes of road

surfacing per shift, to 1024 tonne target was achieved in one of the shifts (327%)

Time • Reduced to 54 night from 72 nights of road closer (33.33%)

Resources• A 94% improvement in utilization of paving resource

Cost saving • £637,737

Key benefits in 1000 tonne project

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Planning tools/techniques

1.) Deming's cycle - Plan (P), Do (D), Check (C), & Act (A) PDCA tool.

2.) Last Planner (LP) or the Collaborative System (CS).

Source : (Moore, 2015).

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Implemented In the 1000 tonne project.

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Planning tools/techniques The six sigma is:"emphasises an intelligent blending of the wisdom of the organisation with proven statistical tools to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation in meeting customer needs“.

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(Breyfogle, et al., 2001).

• improvement stage and meeting key stakeholders.D – Define

• Data collection process.M – Measure

• Data analysis phase on the historical and current status. A – Analyse

• review the key finding with the stakeholders to identify the constraints and implement the new action plan.I – Improve

• the development of the processes are recorded to create standards for adoptions in the future schemes.C – Control

• transfer the lessons learnt across the industry for the adaptation.T - Transfer

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Key challenges

Key challenges in the Crossrail Project

Ground conditions below the city of London was different form location to location. The TBM, used in the project were designed based on the different soil conditions.

According to Bill Tucker (2014), the biggest engineering challenge on the Crossrail project was the management of interfaces.

Following were few other challenges noted in the Crossrail project;

The TBM machines were driven below the sensitive structures and buildings with

archaeological importance, special attention was taken to monitor the movement of

these buildings and to address if any settlement occur.

Regional dewatering had to be carried out to enable the construction works in some

deep shafts and tunnels, where high water pressure was observed along the River

Thames.

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Technical Assurance Plan (TAP) to overcome Challenges

To overcome the above challenges, Technical Assurance Plan (TAP) was adopted in the project. There was the requirement to manage design information’s from approximately 30 design consultants and the designs from contractors.

(The Engineer, 2014).

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Lessons learned from past Lean deployments

In the future developments projects of this nature the lessons learnt will create better understanding and the linkages between entities.

According to the Crossrail technical director Chris Sexton (2014), there were three areas that needed to be focused.

1. Firstly the design accountability, here the mature BIM design was fully developed and positive results were witnessed;

2. secondly the management of interfaces; and

3. finally the sponsor engagement (The Engineer, 2014).

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Key issues - In the Project hand-over

Project handover / Employer Taking Over as per FIDIC

According to FIDIC, “Clause 10 Employers Taking Over” happens when the necessary tests the carried out works as described in the Contract are successful. Therefore only the projects based on the positive tests results shall be taken or handed over to the Employer.

There are instances where the employer may take over Parts of Works at the sole discretion of the Employer, for any part or permanent works according to the Sub clause 10.2. If this happens the Contractor passes on the liability to the Employer for the part that is taken over by the Employer.

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Smooth flow of data and asset life-cycle

According to MacLeany, (2014), the data in the project is the key for the successful project operation phase.

Project Handover

• Building Information Model (BIM) and the Building Assembly Model (BAM) have a general proportion of 1$ : 20$.

• Building Operation Optimisation Model costs (BOOM) around 60$.

• Therefore, in the majority of the cost in the project lifecycle the big payoff is derived is in the operation phase.

Source: (MacLeany, 2014).

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Good or Bad project management practices

Good PM Bad PMOutcome focused Process focusedGuarantees objectives Guarantees documentation compliance Recruit and motivate people Follows procedures Builds strategies and plans Implements and hold on to the old standards Controls project execution Controls the processDetects and resolve issues Detects and resolve process issuesEnsures quality Ensures quality in processMitigate risk Procrastinates

Koskeler and Howell identified three key elements in good project management.

Firstly the goals or the long term philosophy. Secondly the internal goals or the target for continued

improvement. Thirdly the external goals, related to the needs of the clients.

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Technological, areas in light of recent developments

The main obstacle in the trains is the friction between the rail tracks and the wheels. 1. Trains that float Maglevs, There are technologies such as magnetic levitation using super magnets, this is emission free, green and fast.The trains that are using this technology has achieved record breaking speeds of over 300 miles per hour.

Source : (Wise Wanderer, 2015)

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Trains that float, Fly and Slide

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Technological, areas in light of recent developments

Source : (Wise Wanderer, 2015)

Trains that travel on air track

The invention of the aero trains, by Yasuaki Kohama, is partly train and partly an aircraft, that travels on a cushion of air.

This train flies due to the “wing in

ground effect”. According to Kohama, the train will use only 25% electricity than the Maglev trains as such is highly efficient and green. It is reported that this train will travel 270 m/h and can carry 350 passengers.

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Technological, areas in light of recent developments

Source : (Wise Wanderer, 2015)

3. Tubular Rails (TR)

The tubular trains travel without the tracks on elevated rings.

This train can reach speeds up to 150mph. The concept of tubular rail was invented by Robert Pulliam, according to him this system utilises prefabricated parts and eliminates the cost in the construction of rail tracks and thus it is predicted that it will bring huge savings in the maintenance cost, and will increase safety.

During construction there are minimum disruption to the existing infrastructure and to the environment

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Technological, areas in light of recent developments

Source : (Wise Wanderer, 2015)

Moving forward how can we reduce 50% cost and time in the rail track construction, it is by application of Lean principles. In addition seeking the possibility in eliminating the track.

It is believed that the future studies in tubular technology is necessary to merge with the rail track systems in the tunnels. This might bring to light the target benefits on cost and time in the future rail construction projects.

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