TILOS Linear Infrastructure Project News | June 2017

(Photo Copyright David Michael Lamb/CBC) http://www.cbc.ca/news/multimedia/driving-to-the-top-of-the-world-exploring-canada-s-new-arctic-highway-1.4073615

TILOS Software | Linear Infrastructure Investment Project News | June, 2017

Each month TILOS Americas publishes Linear Scheduling News, a curated selection of articles about infrastructure projects, linear scheduling, and all things TILOS. This month’s news can be summarized in a lot of talks and agreements around Linear Infrastructure Investments.

Final Winter Construction Completed On First Public Highway to The Arctic Ocean.

Canada will at last be connected coast to coast to coast with the completion of the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway, which will be the first public highway to the Arctic ocean.

After four years of construction in brutally harsh conditions, the last 137 kilometres connecting Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk, on the shores of the Beaufort Sea are complete. 

Image Credit CBC.ca: Crew members standing on the gravel where the two sides of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway met. (EGT Northwind)

 

Slated to open November 2017, this $299 million project is expected to decrease the cost of living and increase tourism in the remote areas of Canada’s north.

South America To Benefit From China’s Global Infrastructure Investment:

On May 14th & 15th the leaders of 27 countries met to discuss implementation of the Belt & Road initiative, Chinese President’ Xi Jinping’s proposed development strategy. Primarily designed to increase China’s global leadership through investment in infrastructure the development plan may extend as far as Latin America.

People take pictures of the ”Golden Bridge on Silk Road” installation by artist Shu Yong, set up ahead of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China May 10, 2017. | Photo: Reuters

Chilean President proposed several options for Latin American involvement, such as a possible joint investment in “a Trans-Pacific optic fiber cable to improve digital connectivity or tunnels and highways across the Andes Mountains and ports to link South America to Asia.”

In 2015, Xi had pledged to double bilateral trade between China and Latin America to $500 billion and increase investment to $250 billion over the next decade.

 

Blackstone, Saudi’s PIF plan $40 billion investment fund to rebuild US “crumbling” infrastructure

During the Saudi-US CEO Forum 2017, May 20th, billions of dollars of deals were signed. US President Donald Trump participated in talks to to raise $40 billion in international investment, primarily for US infrastructure.

The Public Investment Fund, Riyadh’s main sovereign wealth fund, and U.S. private equity firm Blackstone said they were studying a proposal to create a $40 billion vehicle to invest in infrastructure projects, mainly in the United States.

The vehicle would obtain $20 billion from the PIF and with additional debt financing, might invest in over $100 billion of infrastructure projects – a political boon to Trump, who has said he wants to rebuild crumbling U.S. infrastructure.

The new fund “reflects our positive views around the ambitious infrastructure initiatives being undertaken in the United States as announced by President Trump,” the PIF’s managing director Yasir al-Rumayyan said.

 

Australian super funds “ready” to invest in Latin American infrastructure projects

Australian’s Industry super funds investments in European, North American and Australian airports, seaports, railways, highways and utilities total some AUD75bn, and now this powerful private capital organization is ready to reinvest in Latin America.

Stephen Anthony, chief economist of the Industry Super Association, told an audience of bankers and industry players from Chile, Mexico, Colombia and Peru that Australian industry super funds are ready to go to Latin America.

He named six countries as the “first targets”: Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, Argentina and Peru, naming the former two as the more mature markets.

 

About TILOS Americas

A favourite of leading infrastructure companies across the globe, TILOS linear scheduling software gives Project Planning Managers, Contractors, and Project Owners the ability to create and execute a reliable, comprehensive and easy to communicate linear project plan.

Trimble TILOS software was developed specifically to address the unique challenges of linear projects such as roads, railway, pipeline, bridges for professionals in the construction, engineering and energy sectors.

Just Published: Simplifying Complex Linear Project Management Using Clear Communication.

TILOSAmericas.com founder published on the premier Project Management reference guide on the web; discussing complex linear project management.

linear project managementLorne Duncan’s article, published last week is entitled  Simplifying Complex Linear Infrastructure Project Management Using Clear Communication.

The article discusses the communication challenges of linear projects specifically, and includes steps and tips for communicating clearly with the variety of stakeholders involved.

Click here to read the article.

 

 

About TILOS Americas

A favorite of leading infrastructure companies across the globe, TILOS linear scheduling software gives Project Planning Managers, Contractors, and Project Owners the ability to create and execute a reliable, comprehensive and easy to communicate linear project plan.

Trimble TILOS software was developed specifically to address the unique challenges of linear projects such as roads, railway, pipeline, bridges for professionals in the construction, engineering and energy sectors.

Managing A Linear Project Schedule – Interview With A Senior Scheduler

A few minutes with a senior scheduler at Parsons

Andy Fairbairn has been a project scheduler since 2002. Educated at the University of Boulder, Colorado, Andy has spent his career with leading infrastructure construction companies such as Flatiron and Kiewit.

Andy is currently a senior scheduler in the estimating group at Parsons.


Q: Andy, what kinds of projects do you work on in your role as scheduler?

Andy: “I primarily work on linear infrastructure projects like roads and bridges. Although he laughs, “I’ve dabbled in wastewater.”

Project Scheduler

Image From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_Clark_Bridge The Champ Clark Bridge is a five-span truss bridge over the Mississippi River connecting Louisiana, Missouri with the state of Illinois.

 

Q: How long have you been working on linear infrastructure projects?

Andy: “My first linear project was in 2002.”

 

Q: Andy, what are you working on right now, and are you at liberty to say?

Andy: “We’re bidding on the I-25 design/build and working on the Missouri bridge replacement project. I keep pretty busy.”

 

Q: Andy, what challenges do you find are unique to linear projects?

Andy:  “Well, the stuff I deal with, in the bidding department, isn’t unique to linear projects. The needs we have go across all projects – to understand, plan and effectively communicate to the team.”

 

Q: What software tools have you used to manage linear project schedules?

Andy: “I primarily create the schedule in Primavera P6 and then transfer it into TILOS. Before I heard about TILOS I used to use something called Transcon Exposition, which I don’t think you can get anymore.”

 

Q: How did you find using these traditional project management software applications to manage the schedule of a linear project?


Andy: “In North America, most owner companies have a requirement to use P6, so all my jobs have been done in P6.  There are some jobs where I haven’t had the time to develop the schedule in TILOS and have just done it in P6. It certainly makes communicating the schedule to the team much more difficult. My team is used to receiving the TILOS schedule and when they don’t get one, they sort of stare at me blankly, so I try to do one one every job.”

 

Q: How would you describe TILOS scheduling software?

Andy: “I would describe TILOS as the most effective scheduling tool that I have to communicate what our plan is to build work. It gives me the framework where I can graphically display our schedule, it lets me check my work, make sure I don’t have any glaring errors, and talk to the team about it easily. It’s not a 100 page plot coming out of P6.

 

Q: What would you tell anyone who is considering using TILOS, but hasn’t quite decided yet?

Andy “ I would certainly recommend TILOS. If they’re not using it, they are not getting the benefits of it as a tool in their scheduling tool-kit”

 

Q: What are your Favourite Features of TILOS?:

Andy: “Lately what I have been using a lot is the subproject functionality in TILOS. When you look at a highway interchange for instance, which is 6 different roads and an interchange, it is not necessarily all linear in nature, but TILOS lets me show each component as 6 different projects.”

I used this technique for the most complex freeway project we worked on recently – the I-395 project in Miami and it helped me account for all the details.”

 

About TILOS linear project planning software:

 

TILOS is the globe’s preferred linear project management software, trusted by 4 out of 5 industry leaders.

TILOS automates the linear scheduling method, and with it, many of the repetitive tasks associated with planning, updating and presenting a linear project. It’s intuitive visual interface connect the plan to the physical project, making it easy to optimize, update and present to various stakeholders.
Click here to request a free trial and demo of TILOS.

TILOS Software Infrastructure Project News | May 2017

Infrastructure Project News : TILOS Linear Software

Panama Canal Expansion Project: Photo by Keith Yahl CC BY 2.0  https://www.flickr.com/photos/yahl/18943780014

TILOS Software | Infrastructure Project News | May, 2017

Each month TILOS Americas publishes Linear Scheduling News, a curated selection of articles about infrastructure projects, linear scheduling, and all things TILOS.

Panama Reinvests Upgraded Canal Revenues Into Infrastructure Projects

Last year’s $5.3 billion expansion of the Panama Canal introduced a new toll structure along with the ability to accommodate larger ships, resulting in a surge of new revenue.

Government levies on the Panama canal are expected to surge 50 percent this year to $1.6 billion, about 7 percent of fiscal revenue.

That money will help finance further infrastructure projects, including a $1.86 billion metro line to be completed in 2019 and the $800 million expansion of the Tocumen International Airport.

Canada & British Columbia Announce $87 Million in funding for 26 new infrastructure projects

From green energy systems, solid waste management, drinking water, wastewater management, highways, roads, bridges, disaster mitigation, regional airport improvements and broadband access, Federal & Provincial Governments are committing $87 Million CDN to BC Infrastructure.

A part of BC’s B.C.’s Rural Economic Development Strategy, these infrastructure upgrades are expected to contribute to the creation of over 26,000 jobs and add $2.8 billion to provincial GDP.

Trump officials delay Caltrain upgrade:

Approved by the Obama Administration, the $2 billion upgrade to the 1980’s train that shuttles 65,000 people a day between San Francisco and San Jose, has been “deferred” by the Trump administration.

This is one of many moves by the Trump administration that further delay needed infrastructure upgrades in the US.

According to the Washington Post “The delay has infuriated California officials, who had hoped the long-awaited project would mesh nicely with President Trump’s call for fresh spending on the nation’s aging infrastructure.

 

Mexico’s $3.7 Billion USD investment in Linear Infrastructure Projects; Roads / Railways Paying Off.

Driving time between Mexico City and Acapulco has been reduced by at least one hour following the April 2017 opening of the Paso Express de Cuernavaca.

The Paso Express is part of a broader highway interconnection project for the country’s capital and its metropolitan area, representing an investment of over $2 billion – “This is the greatest construction and enlargement of federal highways carried out by any administration,” said Gerardo Ruiz Esparza.

In 2014, Mexico announced investment in 5 large infrastructure projects, intended to bridge the infrastructure gap reported by consultancy CG/LA  infrastructure investment needed to increase by 250% by 2020.

3 of the 5 major infrastructure upgrades are road and railway projects.

 

Brazil Receives Project Planning Support To Reduce Infrastructure Gap: World Bank

Henrique Pinto of Brazil, points out that closing the infrastructure gap in many countries is prohibited not just by funding, but by poor project planning.

Pinto says “The need to plan and prepare good projects before making the decision to invest in infrastructure may seem obvious, but frequently is not carried out appropriately.”

Brazil is a beneficiary partner of the Global Infrastructure Facility and has received Programmatic support to bring to market a set of priority federal-level road, airport, port, and rail projects, with focus on achieving wider market participation and sources of finance.

 

About TILOS Americas

A favorite of leading infrastructure companies across the globe, TILOS linear scheduling software gives Project Planning Managers, Contractors, and Project Owners the ability to create and execute a reliable, comprehensive and easy to communicate linear project plan.

Trimble TILOS software was developed specifically to address the unique challenges of linear projects such as roads, railway, pipeline, bridges for professionals in the construction, engineering and energy sectors.

An interview with a senior scheduler on a complex linear project in the USA

An interview with a senior scheduler on a complex linear project in the USA:

Jared Taylor has been a project scheduler since 2004 and has 11 years of experience working on linear infrastructure projects.  

He’s spent his career with leading infrastructure companies such as Henkels and McCoy, HDR, Enbridge and consultations with Worley Parsons.  

Currently, Jared is a Senior Scheduler with Tutor Perini, one of the largest general contractors in the Unites States. At Tutor Perini, Jared is working on the Central Subway Project in San Francisco. Valued at just under a billion dollars, the Central Subway Project is considered a very complex linear project, due to the factors present in a dense urban environment.

Tutor Perini is contracted to lay 1.6 miles of track and build underground stations at Chinatown, Union Market Square and the Moscone Centre.  

complex linear project

Workers install waterproofing at the northeast corner of the station box, sealing the edges with tar before installing rebar for the invert slab. Image Copyright SFMTA https://www.sfmta.com/projects-planning/projects/central-subway-project

Question: Jared, what challenges do you find are unique to linear projects?

 

Jared: “Linear projects are unique in that you typically do not have full control of the project site with outside limitations of operation, whereas, in other projects like building construction,  you typically have full control over the site. Linear projects create the need to work in multiple work places and optimize your resources for a smooth work flow.”

 

Question: Can you give us an example of the limitations that may occur with a linear infrastructure project?

 

Jared: “Sure, I was on a highway project where we had started construction and yet, there were still parcels of land in the right of way that had to be acquired and transferred over to the Department of Transportation.

There were a lot of moving parts and a lot of key information from scheduling, the real estate department, stakeholders and project managers that dictated how the project was going to be constructed.”

 

Q: What software tools have you used to manage linear project schedules?

 

Jared: “Outside of TILOS linear planning software,  I’ve used Primavera P6 as well as MS project.”

 

Q: How did you find using these traditional project management software applications to manage the schedule of a linear project?

 

Jared “Both P6 and MS Project do not have a linear scheduling report capability so you’re unable to visualize the project with page after page of activities in a Gantt Chart format.  

 

Q: When did you start using TILOS to manage the scheduling for linear projects?

 

Jared: “I’ve been using TILOS scheduling software since 2010.”

 

 

Q: What do you think of TILOS?

 

“I love the tool.

I really love how TILOS software conveys a lot of information and specific schedule on single page. I really love using TILOS because it is very visual. I am a visual learner myself.

A conventional way to display the schedule, using pages of gantt charts,  can be very disorienting.

TILOS is extremely customizable and can convey a lot of information: graphics, histograms, cost allocations, manpower, loading, and resource allocation to name a few.   

It’s powerful to be able to show complicated things in a graphical format, where it doesn’t require a lot of page turning. I think that speaks very well to management and decision makers for a well run project.”

 

Q: What percentage of time and money would you estimate TILOS saves, per project?

 

Jared laughs “I seem to specialize in projects that are behind schedule that need and a rescue.  I’m known in the industry as a project recovery specialist. I’ve been able to take projects that were well behind schedule and using TILOS, bring them back to meet the contracted end date.

I’ve worked on projects where delivering the project one day behind the Contract date costs $40,000 a day, and if you’re 6 months behind schedule, it could be hundreds of thousands if not millions in liquidated damages.

The ability to get the project back on course it could save millions of dollars.”

 

Q: What would you tell anyone who is considering using TILOS, but hasn’t quite decided yet?


Jared: “I would tell them, if you’re doing linear projects, TILOS is well worth your investment.

The potential savings to your company and the ability to best communicate to your staff and project team makes using TILOS software a very worthy investment.”

 

Q: What are your Favourite Features of TILOS?:

 

Jared: “Incorporating graphics, whether it be LANDSAT images or elevation profiles, resources and equipment into the schedule as well.”

 

 

About TILOS linear project planning software:

TILOS is the globe’s preferred linear project management software, trusted by 4 out of 5 industry leaders.

TILOS automates the linear scheduling method, and with it, many of the repetitive tasks associated with planning, updating and presenting a linear project. It’s intuitive visual interface connect the plan to the physical project, making it easy to optimize, update and present to various stakeholders.

Click here to request a free trial and demo of TILOS.

TILOS Project Scheduling Software | News April 2017

tilos project scheduling software news april 2017

[caption] Hitachi “A-Train” EMU currently being exported to UK for new rail infrastructure projects. By Wikipedia User:UE-PON2600. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

TILOS Linear Scheduling News | April, 2017

Each month TILOS Americas publishes Linear Scheduling News, a curated selection of articles about infrastructure projects, linear scheduling, and all things TILOS.

How Will Japanese Rail Firms Benefit Under Trump?

While Japan is set to invest $150 billion in public and private funds over 10 years to develop large infrastructure projects in the United States, Donald Trump may have changed everything. According to Nikkei, rail projects launched under the Obama administration now face new uncertainties. Japan has been active in UK rail projects for the past five year. Read more >>

Argentina Plans Major Infrastructure Projects

Argentina has planned close to $600 million in road building projects, along with an additional $650 million tunnel project for Buenos Aires.

New Inter-Provincial Pipeline Project Approved in Western Canada

Even as U.S. energy market outlook is a “sobering read” in Canada’s gas country, the British Columbia government issued an environmental assessment certificate to NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. for the Towerbirch Expansion Project, an 87-km-long interprovincial natural gas pipeline between British Columbia and Alberta. Approximately 69 kilometres would be in the Peace River Regional District in northeast British Columbia. Read more >>

Canada Plans $187 billion in Infrastructure Spending

According to leaks about an upcoming budget, the Canadian government is planning to spend nearly CDN$187 billion over 11 years on infrastructure. According to observers, Canada has fallen behind on planned infrastructure spending and must work harder to initiate projects in coming years.

 

About TILOS Americas

A favorite of leading infrastructure companies across the globe, TILOS linear scheduling software gives Project Planning Managers, Contractors, and Project Owners the ability to create and execute a reliable, comprehensive and easy to communicate linear project plan.

Trimble TILOS software was developed specifically to address the unique challenges of linear projects such as roads, railway, pipeline, bridges for professionals in the construction, engineering and energy sectors.

An Interview With A Veteran Linear Project Planner

Min Xie has been a project scheduler since 2008. He’s spent his career with leading infrastructure companies such as Enbridge and Worley Parsons, among others.


Min has worked on over 10 major linear projects in his career, including massive pipeline and power line projects.

linear project planning software TILOS

Question: Min, what challenges do you find are unique to linear projects?

 

Min: “The challenge with linear projects is the requirement to plan the project activities in the proper sequence.”

“For example” Min laughs “when you’re building a pipeline, you have to dig the ditch before you lower the pipe in.”

 

Q: What software tools have you used to manage linear project schedules?

 

“At first, I was using MS Project and Primavera to manage the linear project schedules.”

 

Q: How did you find using these traditional project management software applications to manage the schedule of a linear project?

 

“With GANTT charts it’s not very easy to find out if the dates are wrong, or if you’ll have a problem, for example, sequential activities should be parallel, not crossed.”

 

Q: When did you start using TILOS to manage the scheduling for linear projects?

“I started using TILOS in 2010. I’ve been working with Lorne at Petroglyph since then and I feel very fortunate to work with him”

 

Q: What do you think of TILOS?

“I was surprised at how easy it is – I’m very impressed.

TILOS is very intuitive. We use it to educate people and everyone on the project can understand it easily.”

 

Q: What percentage of time and money would you estimate TILOS saves, per project?

 

“That’s a tough question” Min laughs, “but I’d say TILOS is up to 20% faster than using traditional project management tools and I would say TILOS saves up to 10% of the total project controls budget.

 

Q: What would you tell anyone who is considering using TILOS, but hasn’t quite decided yet?

 

“I would tell them it’s very easy and intuitive – they’ll be impressed once they see a sample schedule.”

 

About TILOS linear project planning software:

 

TILOS is the globe’s preferred linear project management software, trusted by 4 out of 5 industry leaders.

 

TILOS automates the linear scheduling method, and with it, many of the repetitive tasks associated with planning, updating and presenting a linear project. It’s intuitive visual interface connect the plan to the physical project, making it easy to optimize, update and present to various stakeholders.

Click here to request a free trial and demo of TILOS.

 

TILOS Linear Scheduling News | March, 2017

[caption] Photo: MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew; Source: Flickr; License: CC BY 2.0.

Each month TILOS Americas publishes Linear Scheduling News, a curated selection of articles about infrastructure projects, linear scheduling, and all things TILOS.

Japan Gets Ready to Fund Large Infrastructure Projects in the US

Japan will invest $150 billion in public and private funds over 10 years to develop large infrastructure projects in the United States. That would include helping develop high-speed railways in the northeastern United States, and the states of Texas and California, and renovating subway and train cars.

Siemens Agrees to US$5.6 Billion Argentina Infrastructure Plan

German industrial giant Siemens AG has agreed to spend $5.6 billion on infrastructure projects in Argentina over the next five years.

Under a memo of understanding, the agreement will create 3,000 jobs as part of energy and renewable energy projects, and rail infrastructure projects.

US$2.7 Billion Infrastructure Project Approved in Western Canada

The British Columbia government has granted an environmental assessment certificate for the 10-lane, $3.5 billion (US$2.7 billion) bridge over the Fraser River on the outskirts of Vancouver to replace an aging tunnel. Construction of the new bridge is expected to start later in 2017 and to be completed by 2022.

How to close the infrastructure gap in Latin America

At least 50 million Latin Americans joined the middle class in the past fifteen years, according to the Development Bank of Latin America. However this growth has not been accompanied by improvements in infrastructure, especially with respect to transportation, energy, telecommunications, or comprehensive water management.

The answer? Increase investments in large infrastructure projects. Read more.

Bonus link: Canada Pension, Ontario Teachers’ make $1.35 billion bet on Latin America infrastructure.

VIDEO: Cash Flow Management for Linear projects with TILOS

Traditional planning systems display their results in bar charts or network diagrams. Linear projects present unique challenges because the crews and equipment move along the construction right-of-way to perform their work.

Permits, environmental constraints, construction related issues and risk elements are easily incorporated into the plan to give a single overall view of the project. Neither of the traditional diagrams are able to show a graphical link between the location where the work is performed (the distance axis) and the time when it is executed (the time axis). This makes cash flow management a challenge.

TILOS provides powerful tools to deal with this challenge. This video tutorial by a TILOS user explains how.

About TILOS Americas

A favorite of leading infrastructure companies across the globe, TILOS linear scheduling software gives Project Planning Managers, Contractors, and Project Owners the ability to create and execute a reliable, comprehensive and easy to communicate linear project plan.

Trimble TILOS software was developed specifically to address the unique challenges of linear projects such as roads, railway, pipeline, bridges for professionals in the construction, engineering and energy sectors.