Central Artery / Tunnel Project

The Boston Big Dig

This SAMPLE has key PM terms in ‘red’ but yours would have them in ‘black’.

Background Largest, most complex, and technologically

challenging highway project Building the tunnel would help

• Reduce traffic congestion• Improve mobility• Improve environment • Establish economic growth within Boston and all of

Massachusetts Tunnel would replace deteriorating 6 lane

elevated highway with 8-10 lane underground highway

Background

Congress approved federal funding and project scope in April 1987

Construction began in September 1991 The project team spent 4 years in the

initiation and planning phases

WBS Created a WBS that included key milestones

Good example of project archives (this is only a small portion of the milestones)

1998 Enter peak construction years.Construction begins on the Charles River Crossing.

1999 Overall construction 50 percent complete.New Broadway Bridge opens.Leverett Circle Connector Bridge opens.

2000 Nearly 5,000 workers employed on the Big Dig

2001 Overall construction 70 percent complete.

The Collapse

July 10, 2006 Location: D Street of Interstate 90

Connector (Big Dig) 26 tons of concrete panels fell onto a

passenger car, killing the driver Panels were part of a suspended ceiling

anchored to the concrete roof with threaded bolts drilled in epoxy-filled holes

Problems

Communication breakdown between engineers and resin suppliers engineers (issue for project’s issue log) Engineers failed to adequately investigate

1999 failure of the same adhesive • Knowing the outcome of this project could have

helped forecast what would happen in the Central Artery / Tunnel Project

Problems Wrong adhesive material chosen to hold

concrete panels to ceiling• Project team may have used a compromise mode -

give and take approach to resolving the conflict of what adhesive to use

• The project team never discussed the adhesive with the supplier to make sure it was the correct choice

• Used the popular choice and did not think of their specific situation [groupthink]

Problems The project team never created a communications

management plan Had intentions of creating open communication within

the project, but failed to follow through• As stated by a project representative at the beginning of

construction: “Good communications is the key to teamwork and a successful job,” noted MacPhail. “Everyone who is working on this project, from the laborers all the way through the management team, has an immense sense of pride at building such a challenging and significant project.”

Outcomes

The supplier of the faulty adhesive was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter

Other contractors from the project avoided criminal charges with a $450 million settlement [smoothing mode]

Outcomes The Central Artery/Tunnel Project was able to

create a lessons learned report for future construction projects of this magnitude [Knowledge Area] Make sure you understand the basics of potential polymer

failure, such as susceptibility to creep under long-term tensile loads. [Scope]

Do not simply accept a supplier’s certification of the capability of its materials.[Quality]

Establish clear and ongoing lines of communication with engineers throughout the supply chain. [Communication]

Conduct follow-up tests and inspections to ensure system reliability [Quality]

Works Cited Hatch, Sybil. "Bridge, Little Bridge: The Big Dig Soars Across the

Charles River." Public Roads. Sept. 1999. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. <http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/septoct99/bigdig.htm>.

Smock, Doug. "What Engineers Should Learn from the Big Dig Tragedy." Design News. 16 June 2008. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. <http://www.designnews.com/article/46712-What_Engineers_Should_Learn_from_the_Big_Dig_Tragedy.php>.

"The Central Artery Tunnel Project - The Big Dig." Mass DOT. 2009. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. <http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/bigdig/bigdigmain.aspx>.

Key PM Terms Scope Initiation and Planning phases WBS Project Archives Issue Log Forecast Compromise & Smoothing Modes Lessons Learned Report