DELAYS IN FLOOD PREVENTION PROJECTS

A CASE STUDY OF URBAN DRAINAGE PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT

By

Le Do

Abstract

             

Currently, the overload on drainage of the existing systems along with the development of the increasing urbanization of the big cities like Ho Chi Minh City has led to flooding on many streets, with the level of flood is wider and heavier day by day. One of the issues affected by flood that is the congestion and traffic jams on the roads of Ho Chi Minh City’s areas, which has caused pressing and affect the economic and social activities, life environment and the daily activities of people traveling in the region.

In the recent period, the city government also is trying to invest in renovating and upgrading of infrastructure for roads and drainage in the areas of Ho Chi Minh. Typically, a water infrastructure projects have been implemented on a large scale, specifically: Ho Chi Minh City Environmental Sanitation Project Basin Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe; Ho Chi Minh City Water Environmental Sanitation Project Basin Tau Hu - Ben Nghe - Kenh Te - Kenh Doi; Canal Tan Hoa – Lo Gom Sanitation and Urban Upgrading Project, etc.

However, in the process of implementation has encountered many difficulties such as the construction schedule are affected because the infrastructure systems are not controlled, the weak contractor capacity, capital limited investment. Besides, the function of our State Management is loose, many duplicate projects which we call "walked together" projects, plus with the investment does not spread as a strategy or a specific plan has made to a waste of investment. All of these are leaving a result, an issue that needs attention and consideration, which is effective in the management of construction and drainage in the areas of Ho Chi Minh City.

Facing this reality, those problems require the city authorities need to organize and research actively, inspection and review the city’s management and construction drainage system now. That work to ensure if they has consistent and effective in the current development phase to propose remedies and the develop orientation in the management of construction and drainage system in the future. Besides improving project schedules is the most important in order to solve aspiration of urban residents. That is why I chose this topic for my last case study.

Executive summary

Rationale of research

This research has been conducted to identify delay factors in flood prevention projects.

Objectives of study

To study and analyze delay situation in past flood prevention projects at construction sage and analyzing activities causing delay in projects in government funded projects

Methodology  

The exploratory research method is used to review theory of flood prevention projects in Ho Chi Minh City from 2008-2011.

Findings and conclusion

In Flood Prevention Projects, contractors seldom cause critical delays. It is easy to understand this problem. Work characteristics are not complicated and contractors set too much task durations. Therefore, they always have extra time to finish tasks. However, they never try their bests to reduce project durations. This is a problem that schedulers must pay attention.

In the other hand, critical delays are caused by lacking corporation between government operators. This problem is a general disadvantage that government authority always tries to improve. In my opinion, it is proceed from organization culture.

Recommendation

For heavy rain

·         Need to plan master schedule in accordance with rainy season (May-October) to avoid delay.

·         Contractor must prepare pumping to solve storm water in excavation. Besides SCFC force contractors equip pumping to help owner solve emergency situations at flooded streets.

·         To avoid bad weather conditions, using new technology construction such as: Cured-In-Place Pipe, (CIPP) technology and Pipe – Jacking technology. However, It is not used for small projects because of its expensiveness.

For catching infrastructure systems

·         For long term: building digital infrastructure map to be prepared and use of new technologies.

·         For short term: Strict co-ordination with the parties associated is required.

For waiting sewage connection

·         Setting contingency duration in schedule.

·         Setting project end date for project.

For lack of contractor capability

·         Apply modern project management  skills

·         Change of direct contracting methods

·         Strict supervision. 

Future research

In this case study, we only discuss about delays in construction stages. However, because of lacking databases and time, case study still has some defections. Actually, in conceptual and design stages, owners and approval organization always cause critical delays. The main reasons are unsuitable organizations, extra-complicated approval process and bad master planning.

In the order hand, databases that we collected are not much. Therefore, the statistic is not quite exact. In future, SCFC will run more and more projects to prevent with climate change. Certainly,