Value Engineering (VE), Benefits, Process and Potential VE Ideas on Road Projects

Value Engineering (VE) is a systematic method to improve the "value" of goods or products and services by using an examination of functions.

VE is primarily about enhancing value and not with cutting cost (although this is often a by-product). The philosophy and techniques of VE attempt to provide the required quality at optimum cost during process of developing a project.

The key differences between VE and cost reduction are that the former is:

• Positive, focused on value rather than cost, seeking to achieve an optimal balance between time, (whole life) cost and quality.
• Structured, auditable and accountable.
• Multi-disciplinary, seeking to maximize the creative potential of all departmental and project participants working together.

?What is Value?

Value is defined as the ratio of function to cost. Value can therefore be increased by either improving the function or reducing the cost. It is a primary tenet of value engineering that basic functions be preserved and not be reduced as a consequence of pursuing value improvements.

Value Engineering in Terms of Function:

Value Engineering could:

• Increase function with a lesser degree of cost increase
• Increase function with no change in cost
• Increase function at reduced cost
• No change in function at reduced cost
• Decrease function with a great degree of cost reduction

Benefits of Value Engineering:

1. Cost Reduction

Value engineering is highly effective in identifying cost-saving opportunities. By carefully scrutinizing each component of the project, the team can suggest alternative materials, construction methods, or design modifications that provide the same functionality at a lower cost. This results in significant cost reductions without compromising quality.

2. Improved Functionality

Through function analysis, value engineering ensures that the project's core functions are optimized. By eliminating unnecessary features or processes, the team can enhance the efficiency and performance of the final product. This can lead to increased user satisfaction and improved overall functionality.

3. Time Savings

Value engineering focuses on streamlining construction processes and eliminating any inefficiencies. By identifying more efficient methods or technologies, the team can reduce construction time, leading to faster project completion.

4. Enhanced Quality and Durability

Value engineering does not solely focus on cost reduction; it also emphasizes maintaining or improving quality. By identifying superior materials or construction techniques, the team can enhance the durability and longevity of the project, reducing future maintenance and replacement costs.

5. Risk Mitigation

Value engineering identifies and mitigates potential risks early in the project's lifecycle. By thoroughly analyzing design elements, materials, and construction methods, the team can identify and address potential issues before they escalate.

Setting up a Framework for VE:

Project sponsor should ensure that a Value Management Plan (VMP) is dawn up and incorporated into an early draft of the Project Execution Plan (PEP). The plan should establish:

• A series of meetings and interviews.
• A series of reviews.
• Who should attend?
• The purpose and timing of reviews.
• Workshops.

*Please note that life cycle costing is a vital element of VE, and the reviews are undertaken at every stage of the project.

Commonly used VE Process Map:

As part of pre-workshop, the Client’s primary objectives, or value drivers, are identified and defined. Typical examples are as follows:

Scoring of VE Opportunities:

Each of the identified VE opportunities is then scored on a scale of 1-10, starting from a neutral score of 5; so, anything scored over 5 is assumed value enhancing and anything below a 5 is detracted from the value.

Potential VE Ideas on Roads Projects:

• Filter drains offer a cost-effective solution to both surface and ground water removal problems when used in accordance with the guidance given in the relevant Standard.
• Using slip-formed concrete channels for surface water drainage
• Provide a linear drainage system when drainage is required adjacent to a vertical concrete barrier
• Addition of lime and/or cement to improve on site materials to avoid import of acceptable materials.
• Installing gabions as an alternative to conventional retaining structures
• Retaining walls made with a concrete panel/selected fill 'sandwich' as a cost-effective alternative to conventional retaining structures
• A retaining wall made with concrete blocks anchored by a geosynthetic grid between layers of selected fill
• Use of horizontal reinforcing material between layers of compacted fill to achieve steeper angle of repose for earthworks and reduced land take
• Existing soil reinforced by the insertion of tension carrying 'nails' to improve the capacity of the soil to support itself and imposed loads
• Trenchless techniques which avoid full excavation when placing pipes and ducts under construction layers
• Using LED lighting in street lighting
• Using existing materials or other readily available waste materials in the works
• The use of locally available waste materials in drainage construction
• Use of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) as a partial replacement for coarse natural aggregate in structural grade concrete.
• Old rubber tyres can be used in a variety of cost-saving ways in construction
• Using waste glass in place of or as a component part of construction materials
• Use of recycled materials including modified materials and aggregates from secondary sources in earthworks
• Use of recycled materials including modified materials and aggregates from secondary sources in pavement layers
• Reducing the cost of a structure by reducing the width of the verge where possible
• Removing the need for a vehicle restraint system by using signposts, traffic signal posts & street lighting columns which are classed as 'passively safe'.
• The use of prefabricated structures and structural elements to speed up construction and reduce costs
• The use of pre-cast concrete structures and structural elements to speed up construction and reduce costs
• The use of prefabricated reinforcement to improve on-site productivity.
• Use of modern construction materials in structures
• Lowering costs by using lightweight construction techniques for gantries
• In special circumstances the headroom of a bridge can be reduced which in turn can offer cost savings in the adjoining road construction
• Modern materials are offering the opportunity to reduce the time that a new structure has to stand before the waterproofing layer can be applied and therefore reducing the cost
• Weathering steel should always be considered for new structures and refurbishments because it offers cost savings in construction and in maintenance
• Altering the adjoining infrastructure might be cheaper than building a heavily skewed bridge to retain an existing alignment
• Screw piles offer the opportunity to provide foundations very quickly with associated cost savings
• With suitable adaptation of the design, conventional bridge foundations can sometimes be replaced by reinforced earth
• A simple, cheap way of carrying surface water to the nearest outfall
• Concrete barrier that can be readily moved to modify traffic management set-ups quickly and which offers greater separation between traffic flows or greater protection to the workforce, depending on its use
• Recycle existing road pavement material as a subbase or road base as an alternative to sending to tip and reconstructing with all new materials.
• When designing a new bridge, it is often not necessary to provide a raised central reservation
• Grouping equipment e.g., cabinets together so that parking facilities, steps etc. are shared and the length of protective vehicle restraint systems can be kept to a minimum
• Using lightweight fills to reduce loadings and construction costs
• Plastic piles offering more durable product and less cost
• Avoid over-designed and over-planted Landscape schemes
• Transplant size trees are inexpensive, easy to plant and establish more quickly than larger staked trees which they outgrow within 5 to 8yrs.
• Lighting on approaches to lit roundabouts is not necessary unless there is a hazard.
• Lighting of roundabouts on unlit routes is not mandatory and should be discouraged unless economically justified.
• Reduce standard of road geometry by imposing a lower speed limit.
• LiDAR provides fast and accurate surveys.
• A project community of the main stakeholders should be formed to ensure an integrated approach to project planning, design and execution, ensuring planning applications, order publication and processing, environmental and other impact assessments and mitigation works are all managed to avoid conflicts and delays
• Use box piles instead of conventional concrete bored foundations
• Use of polypropylene fibres to reinforce soils to create hardened verges for maintenance, traffic management and access (es).
• Use of modular grassed systems to create hardened verges, access (es) and ERAs.
• Use of standardised products such as steel truss/girder, laminated timber & fibre reinforced polymer structures.
• Lightweight fill material such as spray applied urethane foam can be used as fill between pre-cast concrete beams.
• Repair options (cathodic protection, FRP sheathing and externally bonded metal & FRP plates) to extend the life of concrete structures.
• Use instead of conventional gravity retaining walls
• Jetting with hoses up to 100m length means less need for manholes. A further saving is to substitute a chamber (rather than use a full-size manhole) at suitable intermediate points of straight runs.
• Reinforced concrete arches (can be 3-pinned or as a single-arch) are effective particularly if crossing sensitive environmental areas. Arch Bridges with reinforced earth spandrels also cheaper and effective solutions.
• Use special gantry signals and signs to allow traffic to use the hard shoulder when it is safe and signalled to do so.
• Allow use of the hard shoulder before off slips at motorway junctions, to avoid queues forming on the main motorway route
• Use existing gantries, and ideally use passively safe structures, to mount CCTV cameras. Utilise more flexible solutions including using wireless linking for transmission and control of cameras.
• Consider low-cost methods such as rumble strips and speed warning signs as alternatives to installing Safety Cameras at road works
• Choose Locations and design of roadside equipment which avoids the need for VRS
• Consider Requirements for VRS before finalising design of road geometry and layout of structures
• Measures to prevent animal related road traffic accidents
• Use a combination of driven piles and reinforced earth instead of a conventional concrete abutment on concrete bored pile foundations.
• Use Geo-grids in pavement layers to reduce thickness of the capping or subbase layer
• Use of single layer of base course instead of two layers of base course and binder course
• Use of warm bituminous mix instead of hot mix
• Use of low heat concrete
• At underbridges it is often possible to remove the central reserve upstand, but if not consider reducing the width of the upstand to a minimum, just to support the safety fence
• Connecting the CCTV required to monitor roadworks via NRTS enables the Regional Control Centres as well as the contractor and any recovery operators to view incidents and delays
• Portable Variable Message Signs (VMS) can meet temporary signing needs for events or roadworks, or whilst awaiting permanent installations. Portable CCTV equipment is also available.
• Make best use of available on-site material by changing the road’s horizontal and vertical alignment and adjusting the land-take appropriately to use on-site materials.
• Use a flexible composite road construction comprised of hydraulically bound materials for lower levels and bituminous bound materials for upper levels of pavement construction
• Use of a geo-composite as a drainage layer instead of a granular/geo-membrane sandwich.
• Reinforced outer piles of embankment load transfer platform provide lateral restraint, reducing the need to reinforce the inner piles.
• Consider using prefabricated full depth concrete deck slab panels with steel beam composite structures
• An alternative to having skew abutments is to "over-span" and square up the deck ends
• There are limits caused by thermal expansion considerations, but an integral or a semi-integral bridge with a curtain wall type abutment can be significantly cheaper than alternatives.
• The standard paving of slopes in front of bridge bank-seats is expensive and slow to construct. Consider alternatives.
• Modular units which are post-tensioned after being positioned and after the casting of the finished deck concrete
• Implement a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) to actively reduce construction waste
• Aim to use "Good" or "Best" practice in waste management, rather than adopt the minimum statutory requirement to have a SWMP
• Reusing materials, and reducing the quantities transported off-site
• Adapt and re-use structures for future re-use, either on site, or for use elsewhere, thus reducing demolition waste
• Sourcing construction materials, goods and services locally supports the local economy and can reduce transport costs
• Prefabricated galvanised steel and precast concrete stairways as an alternative to cast in place paved concrete access steps providing access to roadside equipment
• By constructing a foundation with a geotechnical load transfer platform through weak sub soils the need for long settlement times is avoided.
• By constructing a piled foundation with a geotechnical load transfer platform over the soft sub soils, the need for long settlement times is avoided.
• Avoiding deep excavations and using cheaper ways to store and control the discharge of surface water
• Using rigid concrete barriers to minimise central reserve width and to reduce land-take
• Use of high containment rigid concrete barriers adjacent to railways
• Using low height retaining walls which also act as rigid slip-formed Vehicle Restraining Structures (VRS)
• Disposing of timber, woody material and grass cuttings by leaving to decay on site.
• Using a chemical grass growth regulator (GGR) with selective weed killer to reduce vegetation and weed growth in central reserves

It is important to involve a multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, contractors, and stakeholders in the value engineering process to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of options and to make informed decisions that maximize value while meeting project objectives.