Abstract:
The design and construction of foundation systems for metro rail projects require
effective planning and performing analysis over various alternatives in achieving a
suitable cost-effective solution. Often the foundation system is selected based on the Soil
Bearing Capacity (SBC) and other onsite constraints are left unconsidered. This results
in costly design changes during the execution stages and incurs severe delays in the
project. This demands the application of advanced managerial techniques to select costeffective
solutions during the design stages of metro rail projects. Value Engineering is
one such function-oriented approach used in analyzing the functions of a product or a
process and selecting a suitable solution that achieves all the required functions at the
lowest possible cost. The application of the value engineering concept in metro rail
projects would enable identifying suitable solutions while considering different
alternatives over several criteria. Hence, this paper applies value engineering technique
for selecting the suitable foundation type for the construction of metro rail projects. A
case study of an ongoing metro rail project was considered and three foundation
alternative types and nine significant selection criteria were identified. The foundation
alternatives were quantitatively analyzed using the weighted evaluation technique. The
results indicate that for limited availability of Right of Way (ROW), the foundation with
Controlled Low Strength Mortar (CLSM) is highly suitable. In scenarios of limited ROW
with less SBC use of pile foundation is identified as a suitable cost-effective foundation
type.
