Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
TEN
DELIVERING THE BRIDGE
Contrary to what many expect, the most complex part of making a bridge
is not the structural engineering, but the process of
project delivery,
by which
the bridge progresses from an idea to a constructed object. This process
occurs against a background in which public support has to be assured, dis-
agreements (such as lawsuits) resolved, laws obeyed, environments protected,
contracts let, materials and labor assembled, and moneys appropriated. For
the various decision makers and professionals, the overarching challenge is
that of efficiently bringing together these multifarious tasks to finally build
the bridge.
Will the structure's design be as hoped, or will it have to be trimmed
to meet budget? Will the architectural effect be as dramatic as the public
expects? Will the structure and attached public works not only avoid harm-
ing the environment, but actually enhance it? Will the project be done
on time? Will it come into existence at anticipated cost, or will it have
cost overruns? In view of the expense and complexity of multiple layers
of review, will it be built at all, after a decade of study? The answers will
emerge over many years through the sequenced webs of activity through
which the project moves from concept to delivery.
BRIDGE PROJECTS SINCE THE FREEWAY REVOLTS
Ever since the birth of modern civil engineering, construction of a major
bridge has been a complex and painstaking dance, taking years to complete.
Unexpected events, such as a labor dispute, or a storm that damages an
incomplete structure, can escalate costs and delay completion. But, in our
time, construction is rarely the critical component that encumbers the proj-
ect. Rather, increasingly since the 1960s, major public works projects have
been subjected to ever more layers of environmental studies, community or
interest-group review, and legal challenge. Bridge engineering tasks have
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