Photo from NYU Abu Dhabi

One of my most recent research projects was also one of the most interesting projects in which I have participated. The project was done in collaboration with Purdue University and Florida International University with funding from the Construction Industry Institute (CII) at University of Texas, Austin. I participated in the project while I was at Vanderbilt University in the United States.

Counterfeit construction goods lurk on construction projects in the United States and abroad. For example, while conducting the review, auditors discovered an inventory of fraudulent respirators on a project in Mozambique. Labeling on the box indicated 3N as opposed to the official distributor, 3M.

Counterfeit, fraudulent and suspect items (CFSI) such as heavy-duty valves can cause catastrophic failures in a refinery; fake safety gear can harm workers or even kill them. The problem of CFSI is huge and growing. Large-scale construction projects regularly suffer from fake goods such as valves, pipes, electrical wiring, bolts and others, but few firms have taken steps to mitigate the threat.

CFSIs have the potential to cause danger, delays and other costly problems. According to the study, single incidents cost companies between US$100,000 and US$28 million, and projects experienced schedule setbacks 83 percent of the time.

"The breadth of the counterfeiting issue is just stunning," said Daniel B. Hogan, project director for the U.S. Department of State's Overseas Building Operations and CII member. Out of 67 owners, contractors, engineers and other companies that our team surveyed, 28 percent indicated that they had been victims of counterfeiting in the past two years. However, there is a tendency on the part of victims not to report the problem. Sixty-two percent never reported such incidents to an external agency.

Our research produced a comprehensive risk-based framework for the mitigation of CFSI risk in the capital projects industry. This framework is based on four components: risk identification, risk assessment, risk mitigation and risk communication (see Figure 1). In addition, the team developed an industry-wide CFSI collaborative initiative that aims to collect the data from member companies and channel it to a data exchange program after appropriate review and vetting. It analyzes the data, publishes the trends and patterns of CFSI and sends out weekly alerts.

 

Since I came to NYU Abu Dhabi, part of my work has centered around the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS), a massive integrated project in Abu Dhabi under the name of Strategic Tunnel Enhancement Programme (STEP). STEP comprises new infrastructure that includes 47.5 km of a deep sewer tunnel up to 5.5 meters in internal diameter, 43 km of link sewers and a new pumping station with a peak pumping capacity of approximately 1.7 million cubic meters a day (Figure 2). The tunnel starts at approximately 27 meters below the surface and reaches 100 meters deep. At a total cost of 5.7 billion AED, the completed system will deal with the collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater from Abu Dhabi, both the mainland and the surrounding islands. It is expected to have a design life of at least 80 years.

The stated goal of this projectis to provide a major improvement in the capacity of Abu Dhabi’s wastewater system. With Abu Dhabi’s significant population growth over the past 20 years, STEP will enable Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company (ADSSC) to prepare for future expansion, continue to protect the environment and improve the quality of life for Abu Dhabi residents by ensuring that 100 percent of all wastewater is treated to a standard that will enable its reuse for irrigation purposes, thus reducing demand on desalinated water. STEP aims to replace some of the existing pumping stations in Abu Dhabi and decrease the pressure on the existing system using pipe jacking and tunnel boring technologies.

Pipe jacking (PJ) is a trenchless technology method for installing a prefabricated pipe through the ground from a drive shaft to a reception shaft. This cyclic procedure uses the thrust power of the hydraulic jacks to force the pipe forward through the ground as the PJ face is excavated. The excavated material (spoil) is transported through the inside of the pipe to the drive shaft, where it is removed and disposed of. After each pipe segment has been installed, the rams of the jacks are retracted so that another pipe segment can be placed in position for the jacking cycle to begin again.

A tunnel boring machine (TBM) is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. Tunnel diameters can range from a meter to 19 meters (currently the largest TBM). Tunnel boring machines are used as an alternative to drilling and blasting methods and conventional "hand mining." TBMs have the advantage of limiting the disturbance to the surrounding ground and producing a smooth tunnel wall. This significantly reduces the cost of lining the tunnel, and makes them suitable to use in urbanized areas.

CH2M Hill is the program manager for the STEP project.

Prof. Engui Liu and I are collaborating on a research project that involves looking at previous Deep Tunnel Projects and identifying lessons learned to improve the project management practices and construction efficiencies for the Abu Dhabi project. We will help identify Value Improvement Practices (VIP) that improve the likelihood of a project’s success. Among other things, these formalized procedures improve costs, capital efficiency, scheduling and team alignment. Some of the typical VIPs are shown in Figure 3.

The project will also provide an opportunity to transfer to ADSSC’s staff key program management and technical knowledge, as well as the skills to enhance ADSSC’s in-house capabilities to deliver large projects.