The shift in US infrastructure needs has largely been from building new infrastructure to replacing, expanding, or renewing existing infrastructure. The project management issues involved with infrastructure renewal are markedly different than the issues for new construction, furthering the need for a change in project management approaches for the nation’s infrastructure. Not only are infrastructure renewal projects more complicated by their nature, the situation has been exacerbated by years of under-funded maintenance and replacement. In other words, what would have been a complex process under ideal circumstances has been made even more challenging because of the need for rapid renewal to avert infrastructure failures. Adding to the challenge is the fact that complexity can evolve from the interaction of many factors, not all of which will manifest themselves on each project. Rapid renewal projects cover a wide spectrum of project types, varying in engineering complexity, size, modality, jurisdictional control, financing approach, contract type, and delivery method. Each project calls for a distinct project management style with teams comprised of different resident skill sets required for successful project completion. To begin this project, the research team conducted a literature review to investigate what makes projects complex and what are some ways this complexity is being managed. Following the literature review, the research team decided to visit a variety of projects to find out about more ways of managing complexity. Fifteen projects in the US and three international projects were investigated through in-depth case studies to identify tools that aid managers of complex projects in delivering projects successfully. These 18 projects represent a number of different project types, locations, sizes, and phases of development. (Author/publisher)
Abstract