The nomenclature of geotechnical error traps as a theoretical framework for assessing financial risk in transportation infrastructure projects.

Amadi, A.; Omotayo, T.

Abstract

Engineering and re-engineering issues related to ground conditions, have being consistently discussed in the technical press, as the cause of significant cost and time overruns in highway projects located in different parts of the world. The literature continues to report statistics of widely publicized projects which have significantly exceeded their initial budget due to geotechnical uncertainties. Despite these widely publicized case histories, there is a discernible gap in the scholarly literature on studies that have analyzed in-depth, the fundamental geotechnical drivers in practice, which represent the underlying error traps creating a propensity for highway projects to run over budget. In view of the calls for construction industry researchers to shape tomorrow's built environment, this study analyses and synthesizes the nomenclature of geotechnical error traps, as a theoretical framework for assessing financial risk due to inadequate geotechnical risk containment. The study findings reveal arguments and widely contested issues in geotechnical practice, which to various degrees, can have significant financial impact on project completion cost in highway projects. This study thus provides clients for road projects (highway agencies), who constitute the primary target audience, with the necessary theoretical perspective necessary to understand the various trajectory through which geotechnical risk can trigger inefficiency and wastage of financial resources on transportation infrastructure projects.

Citation

AMADI, A. and OMOTAYO, T. 2017. The nomenclature of geotechnical error traps as a theoretical framework for assessing financial risk in transportation infrastructure projects. In Pathirage, C., Kulatunga, U., Ji, Y., Gameson, R.N., Udeaja, C.E., Trillo, C., Takhtravanchi, M. and Allali, B. (eds.) Proceedings of the 13th International postgraduate research conference, 14-15 September 2017, Salford, UK. Salford: University of Salford [online], paper number ID 004, pages 403-414. Available from: http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/43913

• Conference Name: 13th International postgraduate research conference
• Conference Location: Salford, UK
• Start Date: Sep 14, 2017
• End Date: Sep 15, 2017
• Acceptance Date: Mar 7, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Sep 14, 2017
• Publication Date: Oct 4, 2017
• Deposit Date: Apr 17, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 17, 2018
• Publisher: University of Salford
• Article Number: ID 004
• Pages: 403-414
• Keywords: Cost overruns; Error traps; Geotechnical; Risk
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/2874
• Publisher URL: http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/43913