Tunnel design

Situation

Organization. The design and construction of a tunnel involves designers from seven different disciplines. In a tunnel engineering project, they produce seven partial designs of a tunnel, one for each discipline, together forming an integral design. When they find conflicts between the partial designs, they resolve them and modify their partial designs.

Environmental factors. A tunnel engineering project is a tender project. In the preparation phase, the availability of information needed for design is limited. During execution, time and money are limited.

Issues. The more conflicts between partial designs, the more time and effort it takes to resolve them.

Ambition

Objective. Minimise the number of conflicts between partial designs.

Benefits. Less design effort and lower design costs.

Analysis. Worth pursuing.

Identify

Required capabilities to minimise the number of conflicts between partial designs:

• Deliver design service:
  • Develop an integral design [implicit].
  • Develop conflict-free partial designs [implicit].

Compare

Ranking of required capabilities:

• Reputation:
  • Develop an integral design.
  • Develop conflict-free partial designs.

Appraise

Maturity of required capabilities:

• Absent:
  • Develop conflict-free partial designs.

• Organizational:
  • Develop an integral design.

Route

Directions for competency development of required capabilities:

• Apply focus:
  • Develop conflict-free partial designs.

Unite

Formation of unique capabilities out of required capabilities:

• Develop a conflict-free part of an integral design:
  • Develop an integral design.
  • Develop conflict-free partial designs.

Secure

Organizational design:

• System. Define a formal meta-model of integral designs.
  1. Define an ontology of integral designs.
  2. Transform the ontology of integral designs into a formal meta-model.
• System. Create a digital repository of integral designs.
  1. Create a digital repository.
  2. Implement the formal meta-model of integral designs in the digital repository.
• System. Create standard operating procedures for the following activities:
  • Develop a conflict-free part of an integral design.
  • Manage the formal meta-model of integral designs.
  • Manage the digital repository of integral designs.

• Skills. Train all designers in the following activities:
  • Develop a conflict-free part of an integral design.
  • Manage the formal meta-model of integral designs.
  • Manage the digital repository of integral designs.