APPLYING LEAN TECHNIQUES IN THE DELIVERY OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

摘要

It is well documented that construction productivity has been declining for the last fifty years. Itis also reported that only 40% of the workers time is considered to be value added work. Interestin the use of Lean techniques for the delivery of large complex capital projects is quicklygrowing throughout the country. Lean techniques in manufacturing and vertical constructionhave shown that a project can be delivered in less time, at lower costs, and with improved quality.However, Lean techniques are currently not being used by State Transportation Agencies (STAs).Lean Project Delivery (LPD) can be a way for future projects to achieve higher quality, fastercompletion, and more efficient delivery. To attain this goal, the transportation industry, as awhole, needs to work closely together using non-traditional approaches to achieve the necessaryimprovement.This study looks at the benefits of Lean techniques in the delivery of transportationprojects, along with potential impediments to adoption. A case study is also provideddocumenting the successful use of Lean techniques in the infrastructure industry. Thetransportation industry provides a unique challenge in implementing Lean techniques due topublic sector constraints. Special care is needed in identifying any obstacles to implementationwhen going forth with Lean. Once promising techniques and barriers are properly identified, asuccessful management plan can be created to help STA's begin their Lean journey.