In order to decrease overall costs and minimise the risk of cost-overruns in production, the Finnish Transport Agency is focusing on early stage design management based on mass haul optimisation. With several completed projects behind it, the efforts are now starting to pay off. An excellent example of this can be seen at the VT7 project in south-eastern Finland.
The VT7 project covers the development of a 15km highway north of the city Hamina. The road section is part of the E18 that forms a central element of the Nordic Triangle, which links the Nordic capitals to each other, Russia and central Europe. The estimated project value is €170m of which approximately €50m is heavy construction.
The project was designed by a group of consultants from Sito, Ramboll Finland and Pöyry Infra. DynaRoad, provider of the DynaRoad project management software specially developed for mass haul planning, scheduling and production control, was given the responsibility of mass haul management and mass balance calculations.
Cost-effective solution for mass handling
As the first mass haul plans were calculated based on the original design, they showed extensive need for additional borrow pits and disposal areas. Difficult hauls with long distances and the need for massive temporary haul routes were also identified.
The project team created several alternative design solutions to decrease the cost impacts. After only two design iterations, and less than two weeks of work, the previous mass deficit of 480,000m³ was eliminated, the total mass handling decreased by over 300,000m³ and the average haul distances were shorter. The total calculated savings were over €2.15m.
“The software makes it fast and inexpensive to find out issues related to the project masses and to address them already in the planning phase,” says Kari Partiainen, project manager at the Finnish Transport Agency.
