Let’s Talk Tech with ‘Big Dig'
Road project sets the path for the information and technology highway of the future.
If I said "Big Dig" what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Unless you live in or near Boston, Mass., you might not know in 1992 it was the place where many were exaggerating the ideas that the information superhighway would meet the interstate highway.
Some good news and some bad here, to report.
Still to this day, the Big Dig is considered by many to be the most difficult and complex road-building project ever known. It has been officially coined the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project, and was estimated to have a $2.8 billion price sticker, when all was said and done. However, at its conclusion in 2007, and with thousands of subs and trades working on this amazing infrastructure, the final price tag came to a whopping $8 billion, give or take. Also, more than $1 billion of that final sticker price could be attributed to overrun errors by the Big Dig’s project management and design. (For the sake of brevity, we are not going to discuss those colossal mistakes, loss of life, or giant payouts here.)
Both GC Bechtel and engineering firm Parson Brinckerhoff joined forces to create a consortium to oversee the construction of this massive endeavor. Today, most still agree this is the most technically challenging highway project in the United States, especially if you consider the gnarly traffic congestion in Boston. From the outset, the megaproject aimed to reduce tangled traffic headaches and ease congestion significantly.
The first rule of thumb on any construction site is to recognize there is a lot of congestion. The team worked together to elevate the Central Artery of Interstate 93 that cut across the city into the O’Neill Tunnell and the construction of the Ted Williams Tunnel to extend Interstate 90 all the way to Logan Intl. Airport. Without a doubt, this massive project proved to be a challenge and very hectic for all the trades seeking to review documents in a timely and organized manner. That is not to mention the massive safety concerns of the road-building workers and the commuters during construction of the 15-year plus build.
The Big Dig was the construction of an 8-10 lane underground expressway to replace an existing elevated six-lane artery. In fact, the mandate from the Massachusetts Highway Dept., was that the original artery and all surface roads must remain open during construction. This also led to additional construction of the Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge over the Charles River, which created the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the space which was vacated by the previous I-93 roadway.
Construction sites are known for lots of congestion. Trucks carrying a host of materials move daily on the jobsite, if not hourly depending on the size of the project.
Just consider for a moment the logistical nightmare with volumes of last-minute change orders, document reviews, scheduling requirements, bids, staffing coordination, ROIs (requests for information), and RFPs (requests for proposals) and contracts.
This road project specifically required considerable coordination with thousands of materials and work orders, work schedules, and even permit applications for the project teams. Admittedly, there has never been a more technically challenging highway project in the United States. While there might be more complex projects in the world, this interstate road project was expected to set the pathway for future technology, communication, and operation efforts all while easing roadway congestion significantly.
The development of a web-based project management system running Windows was developed. By simply choosing a few functions and selecting the necessary documents team members could share, this communication system in the early 1990s, prior to the birth of the cloud, gave the construction industry its first foray into the internet highway.
Project teams could share and transfer information, discuss, review, track, and dynamically update data about the project. Project members could present CAD (computer-aided design) drawings, post communications, note redline changes, efficiently track and record RFIs, and share up-to-the-minute status reports of the entire project. The goal was to keep everyone informed by sharing documents and drawings, communication and information, while saving time and reducing misunderstandings, costs, and delays.
One of the biggest challenges on these types of projects is to maintain a continuous flow of communication between the corporate office, field office, and the various jobsites. These projects are fast-paced and constantly changing. The need for design and redesign information is critical to maintaining the flow of work in the field and to stay on schedule.
For example, if an excavation support requires modification during installation, as-built field information must be conveyed to the structural engineers in the corporate office so a suitable modification can be made to the design, and the installation in the field continues without interruption. What this megaproject needed was to provide jobsite mapping, measurement, and corrective actions solutions so teams could make data-driven decisions. Simply, project teams could continuously and perhaps more accurately compare things like as-built drawings. Previously, teams sent their complex CAD drawings and their RFIs via everyday browsers like Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Netscape.
Billions of dollars later, the technological centerpiece of the Big Dig’s budget just might be the OCC (Operations Control Center) that enables the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to manage a network of cameras, ventilation, water levels, traffic-flow sensors, emergency ventilation and responders, electronic signage, gauges, and more.
The ability to share information instantly among project team members proved to be both the greatest success and failure of the Big Dig. While Bostonians may never want to experience another construction megaproject like the Big Dig, there are numerous lessons to be learned for future projects.