Question

Taking into consideration the BOSPHOROUS BRIDGE IN TURKEY, I need answers for the following questions:

1. What characterizes this project in terms of size and complexity?
2. What strategic purpose (Public or Private) the project serves?
3. What are the main companies involved? Identify joint ventures, Public Private Partnerships, PFI or SPV initiatives in project financing?
4. What success stories in project management can you identify?
5. Where did the project fail? Where are the lessons learnt behind these failures? Where they were documented?
6. How was the project managed in terms of cost, time, scope, procurement, communication, stakeholder and risk?

Answer 1

BOSPHOROUS BRIDGE IN TURKEY

1. What characterizes this project in terms of size and complexity?
2. What strategic purpose (Public or Private) the project serves?

It is going to be the widest suspension bridge in the world with a width of 59 meters and the longest spanning one that has 8 lanes of motorway and 2 lanes of railway on it, with a main span of 1408 meters. Another first of the bridge is that it is the suspension bridge with the highest bridge pylons of the world, with a height of 322 meters. A hybrid system that consists of two different construction techniques which are cable-stayed and suspension bridge is used for the 3rd Bosphorus Bridge. The construction of the bridge includes three main parts. Side spans including anchorage and approach block, main span and pylons. Anchorage and approach blocks are built up by conventional methods. Pylons, triangular in cross section and with 1.50 m wall thickness, are raised up by slip forming up to elevation +208.00 and then continue with climbing form up to elevation +322.00. A special formwork was produced by Bygging International, the Swiss company, and used in the construction of pylons.

The longest suspension bridge incorporating a rail system at 1408 metres main span

• The widest suspension bridge in the world at 59 metres

• The highest tower of any suspension bridge in the world at 322 metres

• 8 lanes of motorway and 2 railway lines all on the same level

What success stories in project management can you identify?

success stories in project management

my shortlist of six must-have skills for project managers

Communication

Leadership

Team management

Negotiation.

Personal organization

Risk management

Trusting The Project Manager or Team Leader

Clear Project Goals

Support from management / your leadership team

What are the main companies involved ?

The construction was carried out by a consortium of the Turkish company İçtaş and the Italian company Astaldi which won the bid to construct the structure on 30 May 2012.

Designed by the Swiss engineer Jean-François Klein (project leader) and by the French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux from T-ingénierie (a Geneva-based company), the bridge is a combined road-rail bridge.

Execution Company: IC Içtas – Astaldi Consortium

Manpower: 7,000 construction and 500 operational staff

Concept Design: Michel Virlogeux and T-Engineering

Project Management software: Asta Powerproject

Transfer of operational rights (TOR) method. Under the TOR model, an existing public sector project is taken over and operated by a private legal entity for a certain period of time and at the end of the specified period the project facilities are transferred back to the state. The first two Bosporus bridges in Istanbul are operated on the basis of the TOR model.

Where did the project fail? Where are the lessons learnt behind these failures? Where they were documented?

4 Lessons Learned from Project Failures in Construction Industry

1. Poor resource planning in mega projects costs more than money.

2. Monitoring progress against every specific project target is vital.

3. Don’t choose a utopian idea over a feasible solution.

4. Re-evaluate goals based on real-time progress.

How was the project managed in terms of cost, time, scope, procurement, communication, stakeholder and risk?

1. Client: General Directorate of Highways

2. Investors: IC İçtaş – Astaldi Consortium

3. Scope: Construction of the 3rd Bosphorus Bridge (1,408m) and 115km motorway. The bridge will have 8 lanes of motorway and 2 lanes of railway at the same level

4. Total Investment Cost: USD 2.5 bln

5. Construction Period: 3 Years

6. Operation Period: 7 Years and 2 Months

7. Minimum Revenue Guarantee

Freight Transportation (Rail + Road) will be diverted out of the city limits

8. To be the longest spanning suspension bridge in the world that has a rail system on it.

Mitigating Risk – Such projects are inherently risky due to long lead times, as well as levels of complexity, technology and design which push beyond normal standards. So a common risk is that of “uniqueness bias” amongst managers. The decision process typically involves multiple actors and stakeholders who all have their own motivation and that can potentially result in conflicting interests. Erer says “Our company embraces change and challenge and has extensive experience of managing megaprojects.