Williams, R C (2008) The development of mathematical models for preliminary prediction of highway construction duration. PhD thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.
Abstract
Knowledge of construction duration is pertinent to a number of project planning functions prior to detailed design development. Funding, financing, and resource allocation decisions take place early in project design development and are significantly influenced by the construction duration. Currently, there is not an understanding of the project factors having a statistically significant relationship with highway construction duration. Other industry sectors have successfully used statistical regression analysis to identify and model the project parameters related to construction duration. While the need is seen for such work in highway construction, there are very few studies which attempt to identify duration-influential parameters and their relationship with the highway construction duration. This research identifies the project factors, known early in design development, which influence highway construction duration. The factors identified are specific to their respective project types and are those factors which demonstrate a statistically-significant relationship with construction duration. This work also quantifies the relationship between the duration-influential factors and highway construction duration. The quantity, magnitude, and sign of the factor coefficient yields evidence regarding the importance of the project factor to highway construction duration. Finally, the research incorporates the duration-influential project factors and their relationship with highway construction duration into mathematical models which assist in the prediction of construction duration. Full and condensed models are presented for Full-Depth Section and Highway Improvement project types. This research uses statistical regression analysis to identify, quantify, and model these early-known, duration-influential project factors. The results of this research contribute to the body of knowledge of the sponsoring organization (Virginia Department of Transportation), the highway construction industry, and the general construction industry at large.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Vorster, M C and Hildreth, J C |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | duration; highway; funding; project planning; resource allocation; regression analysis |
| Index terms: | funding, highway construction, design development, duration, construction industry, regression analysis, resource allocation, project design, influential factor, evidence, body of knowledge, project planning, financing, mathematical model, industry sector, improvement project |
| Subjects: | production management, design process, civil engineering, industry analysis, statistical analysis, project controls, control systems, risk assessment, evaluation and assessment methods, mathematical modelling, knowledge management, contractual arrangements, resource management, economic analysis |
| Topics: | Time Control, Site Management, Design Practice, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Information Management, Risk Management, Procurement, Project Management, Engineering Principles |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here