Reliability and Stability Buffering Approach: Focusing on the Issues of Errors and Changes in Concurrent Design and Construction Projects
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 132, Issue 5
Abstract
This paper proposes a new buffering approach, reliability and stability buffering, as a means to reduce uncertainty caused by errors and changes, in particular, when concurrent design and construction is applied to an infrastructure project. The proposed buffering provides a proactive mechanism to protect the planned performance of a project with a flexibly located and systemically sized buffer. For its implementation, the reliability and stability buffering is incorporated into a dynamic design and construction project model, which simulates the impacts of errors and changes on design and construction performance and evaluates the effectiveness of the proposed buffers. Applying this buffering approach into the infrastructure project in Massachusetts, this paper concludes that (1) the amount of hidden errors and latent changes was reduced; (2) the flexibly located and distributed buffers helped identify the predecessors’ errors and changes in concurrent design and construction; (3) the impacts of hidden errors and changes were minimized, preventing their ripple effect on the succeeding activities; and (4) the quality of the coordination process was increased. Thus it shows great potential to protect design and construction performance against uncertainty in concurrent design and construction delivery of civil infrastructure projects. Such benefit obtained from the proposed buffering should be relevant to researchers and practitioners because it provides the base for future investigation for the strategic utilization of schedule buffers in an uncertain environment as well as the guideline for their effective use in practice.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to acknowledge the contribution to this paper by Joe Peck, Corporate Planning and Scheduling Manager, currently with Charles River Associates, Bill Lemoine, Vice President, and John Foster, Senior Project Manager at the Modern Continental Company. The writers would like to thank Philip Helmes, Vice President, and Margaret Fulenwider, Senior Consultant from Charles River Associates. Also, the writers appreciate the assistance from Dr. Mikio Shoji, Senior Managing Director at Kajima Corporation. The writers would like to acknowledge the financial support for this research received from Charles River Associates, Kajima Corporation, the National Science Foundation CAREER and PECASE Award NSFCMS-9875557, and the National Science Foundation Award NSFCMS-0324501 is greatly appreciated. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 132 • Issue 5 • May 2006
Pages: 452 - 464
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Mar 3, 2005
Accepted: Aug 10, 2005
Published online: May 1, 2006
Published in print: May 2006
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