More for less
03 May 2017
AECOM: With infrastructure investment
falling behind the growing demand for services, innovative and smart
ways are being devised to optimize the use of existing assets from
road,
rail and
buildings to
water and
power utilities writes Richard Robinson, Chief Executive of AECOM’s
Civil Infrastructure business in EMIA.
The much-discussed infrastructure funding gap has been estimated at
around US$50 trillion. This figure, calculated by the McKinsey Global
Institute, refers to the estimated spend required up to 2030, and that’s
simply to keep up with projected global GDP growth. It does not address
the numerous infrastructure challenges that are acting as constraints in
so many economies.
As part of the response to this growing global need, one of the options
is to devise smarter ways of using the infrastructure that exists.
The good news on this is that we are increasingly improving the ways we
collect, analyse and use data. And as that data becomes more consistent
and reliable, it evolves as an invaluable tool in the creation of
innovative approaches, products and processes for boosting the
productivity of countless assets.
The selection of projects here shows how AECOM teams around the world
have been delivering projects that involve streamlining systems,
increasing capacity, reducing the use of resources and extending
potential outcomes.
1. Optimizing delivery speed
Fast forward
In this era of constrained public finances and growing demands for
improved infrastructure, innovative funding mechanisms are offering ways
to speed up the route to delivery. At New York’s LaGuardia Airport, a
deal is now in place using the public-private- partnership (P3) model
for replacing the Central Terminal Building — the largest P3 in American
history. The work forms part of New York City’s vision to transform the
airport into a world-class hub. P3 works where scarce public funds can
be leveraged with billions in private capital to accelerate complex,
large-scale projects with a lifecycle guarantee of delivery that is on
time and within budget, and where innovation, efficiency, transparency
and customer service are hallmarks. While this model is used throughout
much of the world it is limited in the U.S. because it breaks the
traditional approach to developing, funding, building and managing
infrastructure assets. For this groundbreaking transaction, AECOM served
as the P3 technical advisor in support of LaGuardia’s owner — the Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey.
2. Optimizing flows
Smarter and safer
Making better use of the whole highway surface area to reduce congestion
and keep traffic moving, smart systems are helping to avoid spending on
expensive and sometimes controversial road widening schemes. Making use
of the shoulder (hard shoulder in the U.K.), the all-lanes-running
concept incorporates this additional road area by converting it to a
permanent lane, thereby increasing capacity and journey time
reliability. Cameras and electronic signs enable a controlroom- based
team to make the decisions about lanes and speed limits that keep
motorists moving.
In the U.K., one smart highway project converted an 11-mile stretch of
the M6 motorway in a collaboration between Highways England, (HE) the
U.K. body responsible for the strategic road network in England, AECOM,
as designer and supervisor, and Carillion, the delivery partner. This
road section carries upwards of 120,000 vehicles per day, with almost a
quarter of that volume being haulage trucks.
The conversion was selected as an accelerated delivery trial project.
Accelerated delivery was HE’s response to a national government
initiative to speed up the delivery of better infrastructure. Fast-track
delivery was facilitated by a series of workshops that brought key
collaborators and stakeholders together on a regular basis. Innovative
pavement engineering technologies including geotextile composite asphalt
reinforcement teamed with the polymer-modified (reduced thickness)
asphalt concrete to resist reflective cracking from the old pavement.
These provided an optimized solution in a short time frame.
Collaboration with the contractor and specialist suppliers ensured that
the shoulder conversion could be delivered to meet the challenging
program.
3. Optimizing lifespan
High and dry
Developed for suspension bridges in Japan, an innovative cable
dehumidification process has been successful in slowing corrosion of the
high tensile steel wires within the main cables of suspension bridges.
This technique has the potential to optimize the structure’s performance
by ensuring the main cables are able to reach the 120-year design life
of these bridges.
Because suspension bridge main cables are made of thousands of
individual smaller wires, it has proven to be almost impossible to keep
moisture from entering the cables and causing corrosion and wire breaks.
The dehumidification process involves wrapping the suspension cables
with an airtight material and then fitting a series of injection sleeves
to enable air which has been conditioned and dehumidified to be pumped
into the cables at a relatively low pressure. This very dry air
gradually replaces all of the moist air within the cables and prevents
any further buildup of moist air.
This system is being fitted on almost all new suspension bridges to
ensure protection at the start of a bridge’s life. It can also be
retrofitted to protect existing structures. Acoustic monitoring systems
and internal cable inspections can be used to monitor and slow the
deterioration rate.
This system has also been used on many large and well-known bridges
around the world including in the U.K. — the Tamar Bridge, Forth Road
Bridge, Severn Bridge and the Humber Bridge, and in the U.S. on the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge. It is currently being installed on the Delaware
Memorial Bridge. This technique has the potential to optimize the
structure’s performance by ensuring the main cables are able to reach
the 120-year design life of these bridges
4. Optimizing timing
Performance on track
When one of the world’s largest iron ore producers wanted to introduce a
more accurate, efficient and scientific approach to its rail network
maintenance program, it looked for a digital solution with powerful
analytical capabilities. The goal was to easily process and visualize
track geometry data to understand deterioration rates and maintenance
improvement, which in turn would reveal facts about the track
performance.
For a rail network covering hundreds of miles through remote landscapes,
reliability in transporting minerals is essential to the smooth running
of the mining company’s operations. In the past, assessments for new
works have been carried out manually and based largely on the subjective
views of track inspectors and engineers.
Providing the key to unlocking the rich data being collected from the
network is a new tool called a transport analysis and modeling platform
(TAMP). TAMP provides data analytics using track geometry and survey
data to optimize timing of upgrades and maintenance.
Building the new web-based system started with entering historic
information into the database including details about track assets,
construction, mapping and track geometry data. This was then combined
with survey findings such as information from core samples of the track
foundations and ground penetrating radar data to assess trackbed
construction. In addition, there is information about the types of
traffic using the network. Once data is combined and collated, a common
geospatial referencing system is applied and then a graphical display
makes it possible to browse the entire system. Maintenance teams can log
on wherever there is an internet connection and view, manage and analyze
the data using the simple interface. It is one of the first track
assessment systems to provide access via the internet for maintenance
teams, and is the very first to use track geometry data to assist with
analyzing earthwork failure.
5. Optimizing real estate
Boosting performance and reducing real estate
In an industry first, cognitive testing has been used to demonstrate the
substantial difference an intelligent workplace can make to employee
productivity. As a result of one client’s transformation project,
performance rose by an impressive eight percent. It also made
significant savings by reducing its office space needs.
To support the introduction of new and more effective ways of working, a
new workspace strategy and design was created for the U.K.’s electricity
and gas utility company, National Grid. The activity-enhancing design,
known as Smart Workspace (developed by AECOM in partnership with the
client), includes elements such as versatile project spaces, improved
collaboration opportunities and dedicated concierges to help the
building run smoothly. The AECOM team included architects, interior
designers, psychologists and sociologists.
In partnership with a major U.K. university, established academic tests
were used to measure creativity, cognitive flexibility and grammatical
reasoning — three important aspects of performance for National Grid.
Before and after surveys were also completed with employees to track
perceptions of productivity. When asked, they felt their productivity
had remained the same; however, the objective tests demonstrated their
cognitive skills were improved in the new environment giving an eight
percent uplift in performance.
“Being able to objectively measure a relationship between the physical
environment and business output is a major milestone in our industry,”
explains Hilary Jeffery, the project lead for AECOM. “Every organization
is seeking ways to drive up performance among its teams, and this
innovative testing method is important as solid evidence of the tangible
financial benefits of investing in design that is tailored to support
particular tasks and processes.”
In addition to this proven success, National Grid achieved annual
operating cost savings of up to US$14 million (£10m) across its core
U.K. estate through reduced real-estate requirements.
6. Optimizing capacity
Balancing demand and drought
Raising the Hinze Dam’s embankments boosts capacity in this drought
prone region
The smart solution of raising the existing embankment and spillway of
the Hinze Dam in Queensland, Australia, has helped solve the challenge
of storing enough fresh water for the growing population in a region
prone to widespread drought. In addition to boosting storage capacity,
raising the 65 meter high embankment and spillway by another 15 meters
also delays the release of floodwaters onto the populated floodplains
during heavy rainfall.
The Hinze Dam Alliance was responsible for the design, construction and
commissioning of the project. As an alliance partner AECOM undertook a
range of field investigations and studies as part of the detailed
design. Key design features included embankment design, intake tower
raises, spillway design and outlet works upgrades. AECOM also provided
design support during construction through to commissioning and hand
over of the works.
Benefits achieved during the project included maintaining water supply
operations during the three-year construction period, managing dam
safety risks during construction, including cutting down the existing
dam crest level prior to raising the embankment and managing the impact
of unseasonal wet weather during construction. The project delivered a
number of key innovations including the design and construction of one
of Australia’s largest plastic concrete cut-off walls through the
embankment with the reservoir full and the development of an innovative
trap and haul fish transfer facility.
--ENDS--
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