Report Flashcards
What is the background of the report?
Stock Road prior to the upgrade was a no through road, running from Tonkin Highway towards Great Northern Highway (GNH) and passing across a rail line and its adjacent road. The Stock Road Upgrade not only aimed to connect two major highways, GNH and Tonkin Highway, but also form a critical southern gateway to the Bullsbrook townsite from the south-eastern Perth Metropolitan areas. The project was led by the City of Swan (CoS) and demonstrated various project management competencies which surmounted in a harmonious project delivery.
Attempting to turn that area into an industrial zone
What was the scope of the project?
The Stock Road Upgrade had an extensive scope which included:
- 4.3km of road network along Stock Road, connecting GNH and Tonkin Highway (inclusive of signage and line works).
- Upgrading the rail corridor, crossing and the Railway Parade intersection.
- Five intersection stubs installed to facilitate the development of the industrial zoned area north of Stock Road.
- A roundabout with a 60m widen anulus that connects Stock Rd, GNH and the existing road network. Yarkan Bridge crossing – a 30m concrete single span T-Roff bridge over the Ellen Brook
- Relocation of services such as power lines, high pressure water pipes, sewage lines and communication networks lines.
When did it start and finish?
Construction officially began in September 2021, achieving numerous scope completion milestones over two year before the official practical completion on the 7th of September 2023 when Stock Road was opened. A 12-month defect liability period has been entered and is still current. As such the project’s final completion is anticipated to be September 2024 (CoS, 2024a, p. 3 & 21).
Who are the key stakeholders?
- City of Swan
- Design consultants, including Cossill & Webley and WSP Australia.
- Lead construction Contractor – Ertech (construction only contract).
- The local community and general public.
- Other Government organisations, including Main Roads WA and Water Corp.
- Services (Communication network, Rail network).
How did it adhere to TBL?
SOCIAL:
The project significantly impacted the Bullsbrook community, enhancing connectivity and road safety. It provided Bullsbrook residents access to Tonkin Highway via Stock Road, facilitating safe crossings over Ellenbrook and the railway, and improved highway connections. This upgrade also allowed heavy haulage to bypass the town, enhancing safety for all users
Long-term, the upgrade positions Bullsbrook as a northeastern Perth industrial hub, projected to drive population growth and economic stimulation, ensuring sustainable local development
The final review of the project revealed substantial local involvement during the construction phase, offering training and employment opportunities that were particularly beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic
ENVIRONMENTAL:
The following environmentally sustainable actions were executed:
* Restricted land clearing and offset plantation
* Site inspection for endangered Western Swamp Tortoise.
* Repurposing and recycling of felled trees.
* Topsoil waste management – supply soil to local farmers.
* Limited construction during drier months.
* Water bay embankments with conduits integrates vegetation management.
ECONOMIC:
Industrial business growth will assist the increasing of long-term local jobs in the area and build the economic potential of the district. The Stock Road Upgrade is quintessential to this growth as Stock Road is adjacent to the zoned ‘industrial’ land and hence the primary access route from both GNH and Tonkin Highway
What were some risks?
At the 85% workshop, it was identified that the rail crossing scope and inexperience with recent rail crossing projects, prompting them to seek guidance from the PTA and organise another risk workshop with key design stakeholders
Power lines installation
What other factors impacted the project?
Covid-19 - require working from home and travel restrictions that meant delays to the project
weather
What occurred at the concept stage?
Stakeholders engagement in terms of involvement of roles and responsibilties
Approvals - design and specification approvals ie for land, rail corridor and agreements with resisdents/landowners
Scheduling - Covid-19
What occurred at the Planning stage?
Covid-19 - Delays impacted the delivery and approval of work packages from external consultants and slowed the documentation review process, as the work environment transitioned from office to home-based setups. Mandatory lockdowns and the spread of the virus among project members further hindered the progress and introduced unforeseen scope creep, particularly with document approvals before critical deadlines.
Risk management - However, after noting that they had not completed a rail upgrade project in recent years (thus lacking the standard process to carry one out such work), they had identified that the rail corridors scope was a high-risk item not initially accounted for and the City held a workshop at 85%. This again introduced scope creep, as new requirements were necessary on top of further reporting and approvals related to the design of the rail crossing upgrade and its power supply.
What occurred at the execution stage?
Design Revisions - Design revisions were common due to unforeseen requirements including drainage, sewage, water mains reallocation and installation as well 85% workshop rail corridor
Weather - Inclement weather such as heavy rainfall and cooler temperatures affected site conditions to the point which it was unworkable at times
What occurred at the finalisation stage?
Quality Management - The project management team encountered the challenge of quality control in handover, inspection, and the defect period, ensuring quality of the project is up to standard. The project management team deployed effective strategies, including reviewing over 7,000 handover documents, conducting inspections, organising training and tracking the defect list.
Newly added facilities - A newly installed solar-power rail crossing addressed the issue of a mains electricity supply. Efficient and sustainable utilisation of the rail has become a major challenge that needs to be addressed. The CoS signed a contract with the railway operating company for the power station upon project completion, indicating the formal transfer of management rights to the railway company.
What reccomendations were made and the benefits/consquences for each?
Resource Procurement Planning:
COVID-19 compounded the effects of resource scarcity, resulting in large discrepancies between predicted and actual costs and thus lead to major losses. This could be improved by incorporating a 3-point estimation with pandemic-level disruptions considered. 3-point estimate provide three perspectives - optimistic, probable and pessimistic estimates;
Benefits:
* Accurate estimated costs.
* Flexibility in budget and budget considerations.
* Improved Contractor-City relations.
* Low-moderate difficulty in implementation.
* Mitigation of financial risks.
Consequences:
* Uncertainty in final budget allocation.
* Preparation for a worst-case scenario which may not eventuate.
3.1.3. Remote Working Conditions
Furthermore, COVID-19 called for hasty adaptations to remote working conditions. These systems should be continually updated and maintained in the event of similar disruptions. Remote work infrastructure can be further improved through training and technology ranging from project management software communication tools, and cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information.
Benefits
* Project continues seamlessly despite disruptions.
* More adaptable work environment
* Mitigate disruptive risks
Consequences
* High difficulty of implementation at a higher level than the project itself.
* High investment requirements.
Implementation of RACI Matrix
For future projects with large scope and high complexity, the implementation of a RACI matrix would greatly assist in clarifying stakeholder roles especially for complex tasks in a visual manner (Hartley, 2018). Each task is mapped to stakeholders by their required inputs which include whether they are Responsible, to Approve, be Consulted or Informed (RACI).
Benefits
* Optimum task allocation (through identification of under/over-utilised stakeholders).
* Clarity of stakeholder roles according to tasks.
* Easier identification of approvals and communication requirements per task.
Consequences
* For projects involving numerous stakeholders, the matrix could be unmanageably large.
* Increased effort in planning phase.
