Function Approach To Transportation Projects A Value Engineering Guide

Value engineering (VE) is widely used in the transportation industry today. The VE process outlined in this book was developed by Muthiah Kasi and his colleagues at Alfred Benesch & Company over the past 30 years. The techniques are based on work that was created by Larry Miles, Thomas J. Snodgrass, Ted Fowler, Thomas Cook and other eminent value engineers. This book, focusing on one transportation case study, illustrates the method to create an appropriate way to address transportation needs. It is a guide on how to perform a VE. It includes: Identification of users, owners and stakeholders and their needs, desires and constraints Development of project functions based on the constraints, needs and desires Analysis of the functions and consideration of function cost Identification of value and mismatches Development of creative ideas Creation of alternatives Measurement of alternatives against performance, acceptance and cost Development of leading alternatives Recommendation and presentation of a performed alternative with support documentation

By mastering the re-engineered value analysis & value engineering (VA/VE) problem-solving value methodology outlined in this book, any organization will be able to self-diagnose problems and self-discover solutions. The book is the product of Abate Kassa's dual lenses of experience and research over four decades. The book updates and upgrades VA/VE by integrating popular improvement methodologies, including Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, Total Quality Management, Kaizen, Business Process Reengineering, and Project Management, into the scientific method of the value methodology he dubbed PISERIA.

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 352: Value Engineering Applications in Transportation examines the current value engineering (VE) practices of highway transportation agencies in the United States and Canada. Value engineering (VE) is the systematic review of a project, product, or process to improve performance, quality, and/or life-cycle cost by an independent multidisciplinary team of specialists. The report identifies the reported best practices, key strengths, and challenges of current VE study processes and agency programs, and offers guidance on applying and improving the effectiveness of VE in projects and programs.

This pioneering text provides a holistic approach to decisionmaking in transportation project development and programming, whichcan help transportation professionals to optimize their investmentchoices. The authors present a proven set of methodologies forevaluating transportation projects that ensures that all costs andimpacts are taken into consideration. The text's logical organization gets readers started with asolid foundation in basic principles and then progressively buildson that foundation. Topics covered include: Developing performance measures for evaluation, estimatingtravel demand, and costing transportation projects Performing an economic efficiency evaluation that accounts forsuch factors as travel time, safety, and vehicle operatingcosts Evaluating a project's impact on economic development and landuse as well as its impact on society and culture Assessing a project's environmental impact, including airquality, noise, ecology, water resources, and aesthetics Evaluating alternative projects on the basis of multipleperformance criteria Programming transportation investments so that resources can beoptimally allocated to meet facility-specific and system-widegoals Each chapter begins with basic definitions and concepts followedby a methodology for impact assessment. Relevant legislation isdiscussed and available software for performing evaluations ispresented. At the end of each chapter, readers are providedresources for detailed investigation of particular topics. Theseinclude Internet sites and publications of international anddomestic agencies and research institutions. The authors alsoprovide a companion Web site that offers updates, data foranalysis, and case histories of project evaluation and decisionmaking. Given that billions of dollars are spent each year ontransportation systems in the United States alone, and that thereis a need for thorough and rational evaluation and decision makingfor cost-effective system preservation and improvement, this textshould be on the desks of all transportation planners, engineers,and educators. With exercises in every chapter, this text is anideal coursebook for the subject of transportation systems analysisand evaluation.

Value engineering (VE) is a function-oriented technique that has proved to be an effective management tool for achieving improved design, construction, and cost-effectiveness in various transportation program elements. This document provides guidelines for establishing and administering VE programs. The purpose of the guidelines is to promote acceptance and use of VE, and assure compliance with federal VE requirements, and allow maximum flexibility to each state. The document provides information on: background of VE; general elements of state VE programs; design of VE guidelines; construction of VE guidelines; database systems; and lists of resources for publications and organizations.