Looking at various underground construction projects which achieved winning outcomes, several questions come to mind: did the applied procurement model contribute to project success? How can projects attract the best available local talent whilst also facilitating international best practices and innovations by providing opportunities to overseas contractors; especially when these contractors have access to tried-and-tested teams who tend to be mobilized all over the world?

The right people at the right time

As a starting point, it is important to keep in mind how the owner benefits. Previous experience shows that project success is far more likely when the right team of designers and contractors are involved during both the development of underground concept design and then during the detailed design and construction phase.

As an example, for the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project in Australia, WSP held the following wide-ranging roles:

• Technical Advisor to Sydney Metro across Sydney Metro City & Southwest, Sydney Metro Norwest and Sydney Metro West
• Detailed designer (in JV) to deliver detailed design for Sydney Metro Line-wide Works for CPB Contractors and UGL
• Waterloo Metro Station Integrated Development - Detailed Designers to John Holland and Mirvac
• Corridor Protection of Sydney Metro City & Southwest

Through these roles and associated delivery models, WSP has been given unique insight into the approach that was taken and the adopted measures that contributed to project success to the benefit of the client, and ultimately the community.

Setting an example: The Sydney Metro case study, in Australia

Sydney Metro adopted a model whereby the tunnel construction was separated out and awarded as a distinct design-and-construct contract, or contracts depending on the length of the tunnel alignment. With this approach, the following was observed:

• Applying an early tunnel procurement model can certainly optimize the overall project program
• However, applying this approach needs the space-proofing and profiling of underground spaces to be locked in at a relatively early stage
• Also, this approach applies pressure on the owner to manage all downstream contract interfaces across all impacted contracts
• Early space-proofing runs the risk of under-sizing underground spaces which could preclude new technologies and innovations.
• This model provides more control to end clients and allows greater certainty of outcomes.

Expertise matters most

Another consideration in the procurement process is related to the establishment of the best team to suit the project location – especially when projects are in remote areas. These considerations need to be addressed early on so that the client understands who has been assigned to their project and there is certainty that these people will in fact be mobilized and not replaced to the detriment of the assembled delivery team.

There are significant benefits to sourcing expertise from international centres of excellence. Tapping into resources with the right skills is paramount and can bring in perspectives not commonly adopted by local teams near the project location. It should be noted that there are areas where local knowledge is key, especially with respect to applying regional regulations, permitting and appreciating local conditions and sensitivities.

When it comes to technical expertise, blended teams with national and international experience can bring significant benefits and a collaborative team unlike any other.

Selecting the right delivery approach for the project

Looking at alliance contracting for underground construction, the success of this project delivery approach has varied from country to country. Whilst it has worked well in countries such as New Zealand, it is not necessarily the case in all other countries. Typically, alliance contracting is best suited for complex projects for which some uncertainty on scope (from a technical, schedule and/or community perspectives) remains. These models, also often politically driven, require clients to accept some risk along with the other stakeholders.

The challenge is how to get a truly collaborative team committed to reach a common goal: each stakeholder needs to embrace this approach and change their mindset to effectively come together as one team. Clients want to know who they will be working with and when selecting an alliance team, they will give great importance to the behavior and collaboration exhibited by the competing teams during the tendering phase. Having the right team in place will set up a project for success.

When considering alliance contracting, clients need to have a viable project from the start which will allow them to keep some control over the design. Early contractor involvement works very well in this case as clients get reference designs that will provide them with better certainty of the outcome.

There are four key success factors in the procurement process that ensure the selected model will work include:

1. Capacity: does the client have access to funding and staff to handle a project of this magnitude?
2. Knowledge: what support does the client need to fully understand the project technical challenges?
3. Risk: how comfortable is the client sharing the risks with the other stakeholders and the contractor(s)?
4. Schedule: what is the client’s timeframe to deliver the project outcomes to their audience?

Answering the above questions will help recommend the best procurement model that best fits the clients’ program(s).

Can carbon footprint reduction be related to the procurement model?

It is an interesting puzzle to solve, that is finding a balance between various design solutions and meeting the carbon emission reduction goals.

Once the client classifies and/or quantifies the requirements of where carbon footprint reduction can be incorporated, providing a procurement model that allows contractor’s input early on would be best suited to accommodate and assess how feasible the proposed carbon reductions are. As an example, look at underground groundwater management where the applied solution needs to balance legislation with environmental requirements, whilst at the same time coming up with solutions that optimize the volumes of structural concrete, whenever possible.

The key is to have an active client who will be part of the delivery team to ensure a successful outcome.