Construction Projects

Paper Summary:

When considering the variables that influence the outcome of a major construction project, it is important to recognize that a project is nothing more or nothing less than a one-time job that has definite starting and ending points, clearly defined objectives, scope and a budget. In order to determine what distinguishes a successful major construction project from one which fails, two projects are compared in this paper. The first is the Golden Gate Bridge, completed in 1937, under conditions which would try the patience and test the competencies of its designers, builders, and sponsors. The second construction project is the Eurotunnel, also known as the Chunnel, the underwater tunnel linking England and France. Completed in the early 1990s, the Chunnel stands as an excellent example of a major construction project which was ultimately successful in the sense of structural integrity and to an extent, customer satisfaction, but a miserable failure in terms of scheduling and massive budgetary or cost overruns.

From the Paper:

"In 1989, Andrew Phillips (1989) reported on major problems which were seriously disrupting the completion of the project. Initially, the engineers and managers faced technical obstacles that delayed start-up and construction of the project. Though these obstacles were overcome, soaring costs had added approximately $1.9 billion to the cost of the tunnel itself. To make matters worse, Phillips (1989) maintains that the estimated costs of a planned high-speed rail link between London and the Chunnel's English terminal near Folkestone, more than doubled. In 1987, the company building the tunnel put the total cost of the project at $9.1 billion - this was raised to $10.2 billion in 1988, and in 1989, analysts predicted that the cost of the Chunnel would ultimately reach $11 billion."

More papers on Construction Projects:

• Research Paper # 143737 : "Mediation In Construction Disputes"
• Research Paper # 73101 : "External Unknowns and Construction Management"
• Research Proposal # 93196 : "Construction Delays"

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