construction project management case study example

Top 20 Project Management Case Studies [With Examples]

Project management case study analyses showcase and compare real-life project management processes and systems scenarios. These studies shed light on the common challenges that project managers encounter on a daily basis. This helps project managers develop effective strategies, overcome obstacles, and achieve successful results. 

By leveraging project management case studies , organisations can optimise their operations by providing insights into the most effective approaches. With effective implementation of these case studies, strategies, and methodologies, ensuring successful project completion is achievable.

Criteria for Selection of Top 20 Case Studies

The top 20 case studies are selected based on significance, impact, challenges, project management strategies, and overall success. They provide diverse insights and lessons for project managers and organisations.

1. The Sydney Opera House Project

The Sydney Opera House Project is an iconic example of project management case studies as it faced multiple challenges during its construction phase. Despite facing leadership changes, budget overruns, and design failures, the project persevered and was completed in 1973, a decade later than planned. The Opera House stands as a symbol of perseverance and successful project management in the face of humankind.

2. The Airbus A380 Project

The Airbus A380 Project is a project management case study showcasing the challenges encountered during developing and producing the world’s largest commercial aircraft. The project experienced massive delays and impacted costs of more than $6 billion, with several issues arising from the manufacturing and delivery process, outsourcing, and project coordination. 

However, the Airbus A380 was successfully launched through carefully planned project management strategies, delivering a world-class aircraft that met customer expectations.

3. The Panama Canal Expansion Project 

The Panama Canal Expansion Project serves as a compelling case study, illustrating the management’s encounters in expanding the capacity of the Panama Canal. The project included multiple stakeholders, technological innovations, environmental concerns, and safety challenges. 

4. The Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project

The Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project serves as a project management case study of a large-scale underground tunnel construction project. It successfully addressed traffic congestion and was completed in 2007. The project was completed in 2007, with numerous hurdles delaying progress like complexity, technology failure, ballooning budgets, media scrutiny, etc.

5. The London 2012 Olympics Project

The London 2012 Olympics Project stands as a successful project management case study, showcasing the management of a large-scale international sporting event. This project involved the construction of a new sports infrastructure, event logistics and security concerns. The project was successfully accomplished, delivering a world-class event that captivated the audience.

6. The Hoover Dam Bypass Project

The Hoover Dam Bypass Project was a construction project in the United States of America that intended to alleviate traffic from the Hoover Dam by building a new bridge. Completed in 2010, the bridge spans across the Colorado River, connecting Arizona and Nevada and offers a safer and more efficient route for motorists.

7. The Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project

The Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project is a case study example constructed in San Francisco, California. Its objective was to enhance the bridge’s resilience against earthquakes and aftershocks. Completed in 2012, the project included the installation of shock absorbers and other seismic upgrades to ensure the bridge’s safety and functionality in the event of a major earthquake.

8. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Project

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Project is a massive case study that intends to connect Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau with a bridge-tunnel system of 55 kilometres. Completed in 2018, the project required massive funds, investments and innovative engineering solutions, providing a new transport link and boosting regional connectivity.

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9. The Panama Papers Investigation Project

The Panama Papers Investigation Project is a global case study of journalistic investigations into offshore tax havens. It involved leaked documents from Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm. Coordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the project resulted in major political and financial repercussions worldwide, garnering widespread media attention.

10. The Apple iPhone Development Project

The Apple iPhone Development Project started in 2004, aiming to create a groundbreaking mobile device. In 2007, the iPhone transformed the industry with its innovative touchscreen interface, sleek design, and advanced features. This project involved significant research, development, marketing, and supply chain management investments.

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11. The Ford Pinto Design and Launch Project

The Ford Pinto Design and Launch Project was a developmental project intended to create an affordable, fuel-efficient subcompact car. Launched in 1971, because of its fuel tank design, it became infamous for safety issues. The project was rigged for ethical and safety concerns, lawsuits, and recalls.

12. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response Project

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response Project was a response to the largest oil spill in US history, caused by an offshore drilling rig explosion in 2010. This crisis response project utilised a waterfall project management approach, where the project team followed a pattern of planning, executing, monitoring, and closing phases. 

13. The NASA Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster Project

  The NASA Challenger Disaster Project was a tragic space exploration mission in 1986, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members. Extensive investigations revealed design and safety flaws as the cause. This disaster prompted NASA to address decision-making processes and improve safety cultures.

14. The Three Gorges Dam Project

  The Three Gorges Dam Project was a large-scale infrastructure project developed in China that aimed to build the world’s largest hydroelectric dam on the Yangtze River. Completed in 2012, it encountered environmental, social, and engineering challenges. The dam currently offers power generation, flood control, and improved navigation, but it has also resulted in ecological and cultural consequences.

15. The Big Dig Project in Boston

The Big Dig Project was a transportation infrastructure project in Boston, Massachusetts, intended to replace an old elevated highway with a newer tunnel system. Completed in 2007, it serves as one of the most complex and costly construction endeavours in US history. Despite facing many delays, cost overruns and engineering challenges, the project successfully improved traffic flow and urban aesthetics but also resulted in accidents, lawsuits, and financial burdens.

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16. The Uber Disruptive Business Model Project

  The Uber Disruptive Business Model Project was a startup that introduced a new ride business model that disrupted the taxi-cab industry by connecting riders with drivers via a mobile app. Launched in 2010, this project required innovative technology, marketing and regulatory strategies and faced legal actions and ethical challenges related to labour, safety, and competition. Uber has since then dominated the market with its ride-sharing business plan.

17. The Netflix Original Content Development Project

The Netflix Original Content Development Project was an initiative created to launch its original content for its platform. This launch by the online streaming giant in 2012 was a huge success for the company. The project required huge investments in content creation, distribution and marketing and resulted in award-winning shows and films that redefined the entire entertainment industry’s business model.

18. The Tesla Electric Car Project

The Tesla Electric Car Project was a revolutionary project that aimed to compete for its electric vehicles with gasoline-powered vehicles. The project required a strong project management plan that incorporated innovation, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement, resulting in the successful launch of the Tesla Roadster in 2008 and subsequent models. Tesla has one-handedly revolutionised the entire automobile industry on its own. 

19. The Johnson & Johnson Tylenol Crisis Management Project:

The Johnson & Johnson Tylenol Crisis Management Project was a case study in crisis management in 1982. The project required quick and effective decision-making skills, stakeholder communication, and ethical leadership in response to the tampering of Tylenol capsules that led to deaths. 

20. The Airbnb Online Marketplace Platform Project  

The Airbnb Online Marketplace Platform Project was a startup that created an online platform which connected travellers with hosts offering short-term rental accommodations in flights. The project required innovative technology, user experience design and stakeholder management. Airbnb’s success has led to the disruption of the hospitality industry and inspired many other project case study examples of sharing economy platforms.

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Future developments in project management.

Future developments in project management include all the insights on the increased use of artificial intelligence, agile methodologies, hybrid project management approaches, and emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility, along with many more developing ideas that will address the evolving market innovations. 

Key Takeaways from the Case Studies

The project management case study examples illustrate real-life examples and the importance of project management in achieving project success. The cases show the use of innovative technologies, tools, techniques, stakeholder engagement, crisis management, and agile methodologies. 

Project Management also highlights the role of ethical leadership and social responsibility in project management. To learn more and more about case studies, upGrad, India’s leading education platform, has offered an Advanced General Management Program from IMT Ghaziabad that will equip you with in-demand management skills to keep up with the changing trends!

Keerthi Shivakumar

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Project Management is extensive planning, executing, monitoring and closing of a project before its deadline. Project management ensures accuracy and efficiency across all organs of a project, right from its inception to its completion.

Project Management case studies are real-life examples of projects to put an insight into all the tools, techniques and methodologies it provides.

The role of a project manager is to ensure that all day-to-day responsibilities are being met by the resources deployed in a certain project. They have the authority to manage as well as lead the functioning members as well.

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Top 15 Project Management Case Studies with Examples

Home Blog Project Management Top 15 Project Management Case Studies with Examples

Having worked for more than 9 years in the dynamic field of project management, I would strongly refer to real-world case studies as invaluable resources for both budding and experienced professionals. These case studies provide critical insights into the challenges and triumphs encountered in various industries, illustrating the application of project management principles in practical scenarios.   I have curated the case studies as a part of this article in such a way that it delves into a selection of compelling project management case studies, ranging from the healthcare sector to infrastructure and technology. Each case study is a testament to the strategic planning, adaptability, and innovative problem-solving skills necessary in today's fast-paced business environment. These narratives not only highlight past successes but also offer guidance for future projects, making them essential tools for anyone eager to excel in project management.

What is Case Study?

A case study refers to an in-depth examination of a specific case within the real-world context. It is a piece of content that sheds light on the challenges faced, solutions adopted, and the overall outcomes of a project. To understand project management case studies, it is important to first define what a project is . A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end, aimed at achieving a specific goal or objective. Case studies are generally used by businesses during the proposal phase. However, they are also displayed on the websites of companies to provide prospects with a glance at the capabilities of the brands. It can even serve as an effective tool for lead generation. In simple words, case studies are stories that tell the target audience about the measures and strategies that the organization adopted to become successful.

What is Project Management Case Study?

A project management case study is a piece of content that highlights a project successfully managed by the organization. It showcases the challenges that the organization faced, the solutions adopted, and the final results. Keep reading in order to explore examples of successful project management case studies.

Top 15 Project Management Case Studies and Examples 

Are you looking for some examples of PMP case studies? If yes, here are some of the best examples you can explore. Let’s dive in!

1. Mavenlink Helps Improve Utilization Rates by 15% for BTM Global

The case study is all about how Mavenlink helped BTM Global Consulting to save hours of work and enhance utilization with resource management technology. BTM Global Consulting offers system development and integration services to diverse clients. The challenges that the company faced were that tools like Netsuite OpenAir and Excel spreadsheets were not able to meet the customization needs as the company grew. It impacted their overall productivity.

In order to overcome the challenge, the solution they adopted was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was that it increased the utilization of the company by 10% and enhanced project manager utilization by 15%. It also reduced resource allocation work from 4 hours to just 10 minutes.

2. Boncom Reduces Billing Rate Errors by 100% With Mavenlink

Boncom is an advertising agency that collaborates with different purpose driven brands to create goods worldwide. The challenge was that the company relied on several-point solutions for delivering client-facing projects. However, the solutions failed to offer the required operational functionality. An ideal solution for Boncom was to adopt Mavenlink. The result was that the billing rate error got reduced by 100%. Accurate forecasting became possible for Boncom, and the company could generate reports in much less time.

3. whyaye! Reaches 80% Billable Utilization with Mavenlink

whyaye is a digital transformation consultancy delivering IT transformation solutions to businesses operating in diverse sectors. The challenge was that whyaye used to manage resources and projects using tools such as emails, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Excel. However, with the growth of the company, they were not able to access project data or gain insights for effective management of the projects . The ultimate solution to this challenge was to make a switch to Mavenlink. The result was an increase in the utilization by 6%, doubling of new clients, tripling of the company size, and seamless support through business growth.

4. Metova Increases Billable Utilization by 10% With Mavenlink

If you are looking for a project planning case study, Metova can be the right example. Metova is a technology firm, a Gold Partner of Microsoft, and an advanced consulting partner of AWS. The challenge was that the company handled several projects at a time. However, its heavy dependence on tools like Google Sheets limited the growth capabilities of the organization. So, the company looked for a solution and switched to Mavenlink. The result was that it was able to increase its billable utilization by 10%, increase its portfolio visibility, and standardize its project management process.

5. Appetize Doubles Length of Forecasting Outlook with Mavenlink

Appetize is one of the leading cloud-based points of sale (POS), enterprise management, and digital ordering platform that is trusted by a number of businesses. The challenge of the company was that its legacy project tracking systems were not able to meet the growing needs of the company. They experienced growth and manual data analysis challenges. The solution they found was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was an increase in the forecast horizon to 12 weeks, support for effective companywide scaling, easy management of over 40 major projects, and Salesforce integration for project implementation.

6. RSM Improves Client Satisfaction and Global Business Processes with Mavenlink

RSM is a tax, audit, and consulting company that provides a wide array of professional services to clients in Canada and the United States. The challenge of the company was that its legacy system lacked the necessary features required to support their work- and time-intensive projects and delivered insights relating to the project trends. An ideal solution to this challenge was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was better to risk mitigation in tax compliance, improved client-team communication, templatized project creation, and better use of the KPIs and project status.

7. CORE Business Technologies Increases Billable Utilization by 35% with Mavenlink

CORE Business Technologies is a reputed single-source vendor self-service, in-person, and back-office processing to the clients. It offers SaaS-based payment solutions to clients. The challenge faced by the company was that its tools like spreadsheets, Zoho, and Microsoft Project led to a hectic work schedule owing to a huge number of disconnected systems. The solution to the challenge was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was the enhancement of team productivity by 50%, time entry compliance by 100%, and enhancement of the billable utilization rate by 35%.

8. Client Success: Health Catalyst Improves Business Processes and Increases Consistency in Project Delivery with Mavenlink

Health Catalyst is a company that delivers data and analytics services and technology to different healthcare organizations. The firm provides assistance to technicians and clinicians in the healthcare sector. The challenge of the company was that the tools like Intacct and spreadsheets that is used for project management were not able to provide the required data insights and clarity for better project management. It also limited effective resource management. The solution was to embrace Mavenlink. The result was better resource forecasting, enhanced interdepartmental communication, consistency in project delivery, and better resource data insights .

9. Client Success: Optimus SBR Improves Forecasting Horizon by 50% with Mavenlink

Optimus SBR is a leading professional service provider in North America. It offers the best results to companies operating in diverse sectors, including healthcare, energy, transportation, financial services, and more. The challenge was that legacy software tools that the firm used gave rise to project management issues. The company was not able to get a real-time revenue forecast or gain insights into its future financial performance. The solution that the company adopted was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was better data-driven hiring decisions, efficient delivery of remote work, and enhancement of the forecasting horizon by 50%.

10. Client Success: PlainJoe Studios Increases Projects Closing Within Budget by 50% With Mavenlink

PlainJoe Studios is an experimental design studio that focuses on digitally immersive and strategic storytelling. The company has a team of strategists, architects, and problem solvers to create value for the clients. The challenge of the company was that the manual processing of the company affected its ability to grow and manage the diverse project effectively. They lacked clarity about their project needs and profitability. The solution to deal with the challenge was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was an enhancement in the billing rates by 15%, better project closing within budget by 50%, better data insights for the success of different projects, and a faster shift to remote work.

11. Client Success: RPI Consultants Decreases Admin Time by 20% With Mavenlink

If you are looking for an example of one of the best software project management case studies, then RPI Consultants can be the ideal one. RPI Consultants offer expert project leadership and software consulting services for enterprise-level implementation of solutions and products. The challenge was that the task management solutions adopted by the company gave rise to a number of complications. It resulted in poor interdepartmental transparency and time-consuming data entry. The ultimate solution that the company embraced was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was a rise in the utilization rate by 5%, lowing of admin time by 20%, better forecasting and resource management, and a single source for gaining insights into the project data.

12. Client Success: CBI's PMO Increases Billable Utilization By 30% With Mavenlink

CBI is a company that is focused on protecting the reputations, data, and brands of its clients. The challenge that the company faced was that the solutions used were unable to meet the growing needs of the organization. The systems were outdated, data sharing was not possible, and time tracking was inconsistent. The solution to the challenge was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was better interdepartmental alignment, enhancement of time tracking to support business growth, an increase in the billable utilization rate by 30%, and detailed insights for a greater success of the projects.

13. Client Success: Butterfly Increases Billable Time by 20% with Mavenlink

Butterfly is a leading digital agency that provides digital strategy, website design and development services, and ongoing support to businesses across Australia. The challenge was that the different legacy systems used by the agency limited its capability of effective project management and reporting. The systems were time consuming and cumbersome. In order to deal with the challenge, the solution was to make a switch to Mavenlink. The result was the enhancement of billable time by 20%, fast reporting insights, enhancement of productive utilization by 16%, and better Jira integration.

14. Client Success: TeleTracking Increases Billable Utilization by 37% With Mavenlink

TeleTracking Technologies is a leading provider of patient flow automation solutions to various hospitals in the healthcare sector. The challenge of the company was that it used different systems such as Microsoft Excel, Sharepoint, MS Project, Jira, and Netsuite. The use of a variety of solutions created a number of challenges for the company. It had poor forecasting capability, an insufficient time tracking process, and unclear resource utilization. The solution was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was the enhancement of time tracking compliance by 100%, rise in hours to date by 18%, and enhancement of billable utilization by 37%.

15. Client Success: Taylors Improves Utilization Rates by 15% with Mavenlink

This is a perfect example of a construction project management case study. Taylor Development Strategists is a leading civil engineering and urban planning organization in Australia. The challenge that the company faced was that the systems that it used were not able to support the growth of the business. There were a lot of inefficiencies and limitations. The solution to the challenge was to switch to Mavenlink. The result was better global collaboration, an increase in the utilization rate by 15%, consistency of timesheet entry, and in-depth insights relating to utilization and project targets.

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Start Creating Your Project Management Case Study

Not that you have a detailed idea about project management case studies, it is time to prepare your own. When doing the project management case study exercise, make sure to focus on covering all the important elements. Clearly stating the challenges and the solutions adopted by the company is important. If you want to get better at project management, getting a PMP Certification can be beneficial.

Case Study Best Practices and Tips 

Want to prepare a project management case study? Here are some tips that can help. 

• Involve your clients in the preparation of the case study. 
• Make use of graphs and data. 
• Mix images, texts, graphs, and whitespace effectively.

Project Management Case Studies Examples

Hospital el pilar improves patient care with implementing disciplined agile.

If you are looking for an example of one of the best hospital related project management case studies, then Hospital El Pilar can be the ideal one. Hospital El Pilar is a private hospital in Guatemala City, Guatemala, that provides comprehensive care to patients in various medical specialties. The challenge was that the hospital’s application development team faced several obstacles in managing and delivering projects, such as unclear priorities, a lack of visibility, little interaction with users, and competing demands. The solution that the team adopted was to use Disciplined Agile® (DA™), a flexible and pragmatic approach to project management that optimizes the way of working (WoW). The result was improved project outcomes, increased user satisfaction, greater transparency, and more trust from stakeholders and customers.

British Columbia’s Ministry of Technology and Infrastructure (MoTI) gets its principal corridor for transportation up in 35 days

Reconnecting Roads After Massive Flooding (2022) is a case study of how the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) used a project management approach based on the PMBOK® Guide to restore critical routes after a catastrophic weather event. It is one of the examples of successful project management case studies you can look into. The challenge was that an atmospheric river caused severe flooding, landslides, and bridge collapses, cutting off the lower mainland from the rest of Canada2. The solution was to prioritize the reopening of Highway 5, the principal corridor for transportation of goods and people, by creating scopes, work breakdown structures, and schedules for each site3. The result was that Highway 5 was reopened to commercial traffic in 35 days, despite additional weather challenges and risks4. The construction project management case study we discussed demonstrated the benefits of flexibility, collaboration, and communication in emergency response.

Case Study Template 

To create a well-crafted and highly informative case study template in the realms of project management, you should start by providing a brief overview of the client's company, focusing on its industry, scale, and specific challenges. Follow with a detailed section on the challenge, emphasizing the unique aspects of the project and obstacles faced. Next, you might want to describe the solution implemented, detailing the strategies, methodologies, and tools used. Then, you would need to present the results, quantifying improvements and highlighting objectives achieved. Finally, please conclude the case study with a summary, encapsulating key takeaways and emphasizing the project's success and its implications for future endeavors. By following this structure, you can present a comprehensive yet concise analysis that is ideal for showcasing project management expertise and insights. You can also refer to the template for crafting a better case study on project management – Template for writing case studies.

By now, you must have gained a comprehensive knowledge of preparing a project management case study. This article elaborately explains the significance of real life project management case studies as vital tools for demonstrating a company's expertise in handling complex projects. These case studies, showcasing real-world scenarios, serve as compelling evidence of a firm's capability to navigate challenges and implement effective solutions, thereby boosting confidence in potential clients and partners. They are not only a reflection of past successes but also a lighthouse guiding future project endeavors in the discipline of project management within the fields of construction, pharmacy, technology and finance, highlighting the importance of strategic planning, innovation, and adaptability in project management. If you are aspiring to excel in this field, understanding these case studies is invaluable. However, you would also need to learn from project management failures case studies which would provide a roadmap to mastering the art of project management in today's dynamic business landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. how do you write a project management case study.

In order to write a project management case study, keep everything brief but mention everything in detail. Make sure to write it with clarity and include graphs and images. 

2. Why is a case study important in project identification?

It is important to highlight the story of the success of your company and your clients.

3. What are case studies in project management?

A case study in project management is the success story of how effectively a company was able to handle a specific project of the client.

4. What should a project case study include?

A project study must include information about the client, how your company helped the client in resolving a problem, and the results.

5. Which are the best-case studies on project management?

The best-case studies on project management have been listed above. It includes BTM Global, Butterfly, Boncom, and more.

Kevin D.Davis

Kevin D. Davis is a seasoned and results-driven Program/Project Management Professional with a Master's Certificate in Advanced Project Management. With expertise in leading multi-million dollar projects, strategic planning, and sales operations, Kevin excels in maximizing solutions and building business cases. He possesses a deep understanding of methodologies such as PMBOK, Lean Six Sigma, and TQM to achieve business/technology alignment. With over 100 instructional training sessions and extensive experience as a PMP Exam Prep Instructor at KnowledgeHut, Kevin has a proven track record in project management training and consulting. His expertise has helped in driving successful project outcomes and fostering organizational growth.

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Project Management Case Studies

Roofing isolated repairs—leeds.

A leading national trade supplier appointed Bradley-Mason LLP as Project Manager, Contract Administrator and Principal Designer to manage the roof refurbishment works following ongoing water ingress issues to their property held on a FRI Leasehold basis.

Recoat Profiled Metal — Maidenhead

A leading national trade supplier appointed Bradley-Mason LLP as Project Manager, Contract Administrator and Principal Designer to manage the roof refurbishment works.

Roofing Asbestos Replacement- Newbridge

A leading national trade supplier appointed Bradley-Mason LLP as Project Manager, Cost Consultant and Principal Designer to manage the roof refurbishment works following extensive ongoing water ingress issues to their property held on an FRI Lease basis.

Roofing Overclad Asbestos—Hamilton

A leading national trade supplier appointed Bradley-Mason LLP as Project Manager, Contract Administrator and Principal Designer to manage the roof refurbishment works following extensive ongoing water ingress issues to their property held on a FRI Leasehold basis.

Design and Project Management, Speedy, Super Workshop, Erith

Bradley-Mason LLP were pleased to act as lead consultants and project managers in the creation of the Erith “Super Workshop” for Speedy Asset Services. A lengthy consultation with operational and managerial stakeholders from all four divisions of the business formed an essential part of the procurement process.

Firstmost Darlington Dilaps to Project Management

Bradley-Mason LLP were engaged to inspect a vacated retail premises in a high street location in Darlington. The previous Tenant’s Lease had expired and the unit was left in poor condition with external defects and redundant shop fittings. A thorough inspection was made and a detailed Schedule of Dilapidations prepared in accordance with the Lease and the relevant clauses.

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Case Studies

Learn about the people behind the projects, the projects they deliver and the organisations raising the bar of project professionalism. We recognise what people can achieve through project management, and have been celebrating excellence in the profession for over 20 years.

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• Project management |
• The 6 phases of construction project ma ...

The 6 phases of construction project management (CPM)

It’s hard to think of an industry with more moving pieces and active stakeholders than the construction industry. From materials to suppliers, keeping your construction project in order, on time, and on budget is a task unto itself. 

Luckily, that’s where construction project management (CPM) comes in. With effective CPM, you can track your work, your team members, and your deliverables in one easy place. While CPM won’t help your project build itself, it will help you bring cross-team clarity so you can work more efficiently and effectively as a team.

What is construction project management (CPM)?

Construction project management (CPM) is the process of managing, regulating, and supervising construction processes. CPM can vary from a single project to managing an entire construction management company. Either way, CPM can help your team plan your project work during the pre-construction phase, track deliverables during the construction phase, evaluate project delivery, and close out at the end of the initiative. 

Unique challenges of construction management

In CPM, it’s particularly important to pay attention to project constraints and safety details. A construction project has many similarities and a few key differences to a more traditional project you might have worked on. 

For one thing, construction projects often have a wide variety of stakeholders who need to work together closely but cross-functionally. This includes:

The project owner

The project supervisor

Construction project managers

General contractors

Subcontractors

City planners

Civil engineers

Public workers

Construction-specific project needs

As you can imagine, construction projects have specific needs that are unique to this type of workflow. As you begin thinking about CPM, make sure you have a way to manage:

Vendor management

Budget tracking

Cost estimation

Change orders

Project schedules

Daily, weekly, and monthly inspection logs

Bidding processes and contract negotiations

Quality control

Safety management

Job site monitoring

General project management needs

At its core, every construction project is just that—a project. While you shouldn’t neglect any of the construction elements of CPM, make sure you’re also following project management best practices. 

You can do this by:

Running a feasibility study before beginning the project.

Adhering to all of the steps in the project initiation phase to make sure your team is set up for success.

Setting up a proactive risk management process , like a risk register .

Creating a work breakdown structure (WBS) to capture all of your project deliverables and sub-deliverables.

Using the critical path method to identify the best timeline for the project.

Following cost management best practices both before and during the project.

Effectively communicating with your project team and stakeholders.

Following resource management best practices .

Defining clear workflows in a centralized source of information.

The 6 phases of CPM

In general, there are six phases to any construction project. Some of these phases are longer than others, but follow this six-step process to set your project up for success.

1. Initiation

The first part of any project, including a construction project, is the initiation phase . This is also sometimes referred to as the conception phase. During this phase, your team will work with the client to identify their needs and how your team will meet them. 

Depending on the scope of the project , you may also want to run a feasibility study or do a full business case to analyze whether or not this project is doable. Even without a formalized business case, make sure you incorporate design sketches into your project plan to ensure you and your client are on the same page. 

2. Pre-construction

Once you’ve finalized the details with your client and signed your contract, it’s time to dive into pre-construction. This is when you start assembling your team—including general contractors—and field testing your construction plans if necessary. 

The pre-construction phase is critical to a successful construction project—if you dive straight into the execution phase, you could miss important details that could lead to project failure. Instead, take some time to clarify:

When you should check in with your clients: Which project milestones do they want to be involved in? 

What your communication plan is: Where and how will you share project status updates with your client? 

Where your project information will live: What is your team’s central source of truth for all of your project information? How will you ensure all of your project team members are using the correct information, especially across project phases ? 

What your risk management plan is: What project risks have you identified, and what’s your plan for proactively mitigating them? 

What your project roadmap will look like: What dependencies does your team need to look out for, and how can they visualize those dependencies? 

What your project budget is: How will you track your project budget ? Which cost control best practices will you put into place to ensure you don’t go over budget? 

What you’re working towards: What is your end goal? Where can your team find your work breakdown structure listing all of your project deliverables and sub deliverables? 

Make sure you’re keeping track of all of this information in a tool everyone can access. Project management tools make it easy to share information with team members and stakeholders and to visually track project progress. Use a Gantt chart to bring your roadmap to life, see progress in real-time, get notified if any project plans shift, and stay up-to-date on any project milestones. 

3. Project execution

Now that you’ve planned your project to perfection, it’s time to put it into practice. The project execution phase is exactly what it sounds like—this is when your project team and general contractors are building your project! 

One of the most important things to carry through into the project execution phase is communication. Poor communication is one of the most common reasons for project failure , especially in the construction industry. Think about all of the stakeholders involved in a construction project. Without a clear way to keep everyone in the loop, especially as people roll onto and off of the project, you’ll never be able to finish the project on time and on budget. 

Good communication starts with a clear communication plan, but it doesn’t stop there. Make sure you have a way for team members to access important project information—including the lessons you learned during previous phases. Documenting your client conversations, your team updates, and your project progress reports in one place makes it easy to avoid making the same mistakes you’ve already made. That way, you’re more likely to hit your deliverables on time and on budget. 

4. Commissioning

Once the final product is built, you move on to the commissioning phase. There are three steps to the commissioning phase: 

1. Do a final walkthrough

Before you present the finished product to your client, you want to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Take some time to walk through and test your finished product to ensure there are no errors. Document anything you find in a construction punch list . 

What is a punch list?

Eine Mängelliste ist ein Tool im Bauprojektmanagement, mit dem Sie all die kleinen Aufgaben dokumentieren, die noch zu erledigen sind, bevor das gesamte Projekt als abgeschlossen betrachtet werden kann. Für Projektverantwortliche sind die Begehung und die Mängelliste auch eine hervorragende Möglichkeit der Qualitätskontrolle. Gibt es im Gebäude irgendetwas, das nicht den Vertragsspezifikationen entspricht? Wurde irgendetwas nicht korrekt installiert? In solchen Fällen kann der Projektmanager die Mängelliste aktualisieren, damit die entsprechenden Fehler behoben werden. 

2. Present the finished building to your client

Once you’ve finished your internal walkthrough, it’s time to present the finished deliverables to the client and walk them through everything you’ve created. The client will want to inspect the construction site and test systems and equipment. Hopefully you’ve caught all of the errors ahead of time, but if they find any new errors during their walkthrough, it’s your responsibility to fix them as quickly as possible.

3. Train the client on any systems before you leave

Even without errors, make sure the client and building manager know how to operate any relevant systems so they can maintain the building once you’re no longer on the premises. This can include things like electricity, plumbing, software, and more.

5. Occupancy and warranty

During the occupancy and warranty period, the client actually moves into the building. You will no longer be on site, but you may still be responsible for the construction project depending on your contract and your local or federal warranty policies. 

There are two types of warranties depending on your situation: contractual warranty and implied warranty. Work with your internal legal department to figure out which warranty you have and how long the warranty period lasts. 

6. Project closure

Once the warranty period is over, the project is closed. You’ve fulfilled your obligation to the client, but you’re not quite done yet. In order to ensure your team got the most out of the project, hold a project post mortem meeting to review what went right and what could be improved. Catalog lessons learned in a shared tool. That way, the next time you have a similar project, you already have a head start on the planning process.

Tools you need to run a successful construction project

Now that you understand the six phases of construction project management, you need to execute on those phases. That’s where construction project management software comes in. 

What is construction project management software? 

Construction project management tools are tools to help construction professionals execute their work and hit their deadlines. There are two types of tools you can use:

Traditional tools , which offer features specific to construction teams but can be difficult to learn and require a project manager to manage the tool.

Modern project management tools , which are flexible for any team and can be run by anyone.  

What are modern project management tools?

Modern project management tools make it easy for you to coordinate work, stay in sync, and hit your deadlines. Unlike traditional project management tools, modern project management software is easy for anyone to use. These tools have everything you need to succeed and mold a project exactly to your requirements. 

Key features to look for in your construction project management software

Regardless of what type of tool you use, make sure you select a tool that lets you do the following:

Set clear deadlines

In CPM, deadlines are of utmost importance. Missing a deadline has a cascading effect and can delay the entire project completion schedule. If your team doesn’t know who’s doing what by when, and who’s responsible for the work being done, deadlines are much more likely to fall through the cracks. In fact, according to our research, 26% of deadlines are missed each week.

The key to setting good deadlines is clarity. Make sure your team knows exactly who’s responsible for the work being done, what project dependencies they need to be aware of, and any stakeholders they need to loop in. If you haven’t already, draw out the critical path of your most important work. The earlier you can clarify this information, the more time your team has to make sure they’re prioritizing the right work at the right time. 

What is a critical path?

A critical path in project management is the longest sequence of activities that must be finished on time in order for the entire project to be complete. Any delays in critical tasks will delay the rest of the project.

Especially when it comes to large construction projects, you may need to schedule tasks out weeks or even months in advance—especially when it comes to large pieces of equipment or specialty items. In the moment, a short delay doesn’t seem like a big deal, but if these delays impact your critical path, they may lead to larger issues down the road. 

Visualize the project timeline and dependencies

There are a lot of moving pieces within CPM. With Gantt charts , you can visualize all of this work in one place. Gantt charts are bar chart-like tools that represent each task as a horizontal line. You can see how long each task is expected to take, connect dependencies between tasks for added clarity, and even add project milestones on key dates. 

The power of dependencies

Even with the clearest deadlines, sometimes, things get delayed. Maybe your shipment didn’t arrive on time because of a storm, or a team member was out sick unexpectedly. When these delays happen, it’s critical that you and your team can clearly understand the impact of the delay. 

If something gets delayed, ask yourself the following questions: 

What other tasks and dependencies will need to be pushed back as a result? 

Will this delay impact our overall project deliverables?

Is there work we can do in tandem to make up for the delay? 

Having this level of clarity immediately when a deadline is missed makes it easy for your team to adjust and hopefully, make up for lost time. Alternatively, if someone completes a deliverable early, the person waiting on that deliverable to start their work can get notified about it and start right away. 

Coordinate across multiple projects

If you work at a bigger construction company, you may have many projects in the air at once. When team members are working across projects, one of the most important things for you to keep track of is what each team member has on their plate, and when. 

No one can keep all of this information in their head—and with effective construction management tools, you don’t have to. Instead, capture all of your team’s work in one place and view team member workload across multiple projects. That way, you can avoid overbooking team members and ensure that they have the bandwidth to complete work for your project on time. 

Centralize communication

Clear communication is critical—but in CPM, it’s even harder to coordinate than in traditional project management. Not only do you have a variety of stakeholders and a job that takes you away from the computer, but you also have team members rolling on and off the project. Without clear communication, it’s easy for things to fall through the cracks. 

To prevent this from happening, make sure your entire project team is communicating in the same place—your construction project management tool. By maintaining a single source of truth, there will never be any questions about who’s working on what or the latest status on a piece of work. 

In particular, you need software that updates in real-time so your entire team is updated on the status of work—whether they’re at the office or on the job site. With modern construction project management software, you can also add stakeholders to the project so they get real-time project status reports without having to attend a meeting. 

Track project costs

A huge element of whether or not your construction project succeeds is whether or not it ends under budget. This is especially important in CPM because you may be paying for large, upfront material costs that you need in order to build your final deliverable—whether that’s a house, a building, or something even bigger. But keeping track of budget is really hard to do. 

Like communication, it comes back to viewing information in real-time. When you can visualize project costs in real-time, you can not only see the budget you’ve spent, but quickly course correct if it seems like you’re veering off track. 

Standardize processes

The construction industry is vast—but most construction projects your team works on are probably pretty similar. In addition to following the six steps of CPM, you’ll have your own sub-steps in place to help manage the work and keep your team on track. 

The difference between a successful and unsuccessful construction project often comes down to how well you can execute on those small sub-steps. With a million moving pieces, a diversity of contractors and team members, and potential project risks that could jeopardize your final deliverable, it’s critical that your team stays on top of all of the little details, every time. 

If you’re working on a project similar to a past initiative, there’s no reason for you to reinvent the wheel. Instead, look for a way to templatize your processes. That way, you can plug and play when you have a new construction project—without worrying that you’re going to miss a step. By streamlining the project process, you’re also giving your team more time to execute, rather than plan.

Real-time updates on the go

A lot of the time, you need access to information when you aren’t at your desk. Walking through the construction site and notice something amiss? You need a way to log that information into your project management software so you can solve the issue as quickly as possible. 

Look for a tool with a really good mobile app that allows you to update your work in real-time. That way, everyone—in the office and on the job site—are on the same page.

Better project management with Asana

Construction management is a high-intensity field, and you need a way to keep up with all of the changing plans and unexpected changes. There are construction project management tools out there, but that’s not what we focus on. Asana is a work management platform —which means we think about processes, not just projects. 

With Asana , you can plan and execute any project. From centralized decision making to streamlined information sharing, Asana is an all-in-one tool to help your team get their best work done and hit their goals. 

Related resources

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Grant management: A nonprofit’s guide

Everything you need to know about waterfall project management

Smooth product launches are simpler than you think

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Top 10 Project Management Case Studies with Examples!

Real cases are the concrete material for those who want to go into professions. The ten real-world project management case studies with examples look into successful project management strategies and emphasize the need for proper planning, communication, and problem solutions. They show us different sectors of the economy, from technology, construction, health, and many others. The case studies will help you develop a deeper knowledge of how project management tools are implemented in different situations. It doesn’t matter whether you are a project manager or aim to get certified as a PMP ; the case studies will be instrumental in that. Through this analysis, high project management significance is demonstrated and the strategies as well as means of achieving project success become clearer.

Brief Overview of Project Management

Process management involves scheduling, execution, and completion of tasks in a planned and interconnected way to achieve desired goals in a timely. Practical application: utilizing knowledge, resources, and processes to achieve project objectives efficiently. Moreover, project management aims to deliver customized outcomes within specified constraints like scope, time, cost, quality, and risk.

Lastly, the matter fact that effective project management needs good leadership skills, excellent communication, risk management, and the ability to change according to the circumstances becomes vital. Therefore, various project management methodologies , such as Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall, provide frameworks for guiding through their project life cycles.

Top 10 Project Management Case Studies and Examples

The following are the summaries of ten project management case studies and examples that highlight various aspects of successful project execution and lessons learned:

Case Study 1: The Sydney Opera House

The renowned Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s iconic symbols for architecture. This particular place is situated in Sydney, Australia. The project took off in the middle of the 1950s to produce a world-class entertainment facility towering the city skyline. The competition for the structure design was won by the Danish architect, Jørn Utzon with him becoming the lead of the building team, and the construction commenced immediately the following year.

Also, the design of the Opera House returns its shell-like constructions that are quite problematic both esthetic and engineering. It intended to produce a space that would be home to a diverse range of performing arts activities and become a symbol of Sydney, achieving this goal through a combination of its function and transformative design.

Subsequently, the Sydney Opera House case study is regarded as an important source of experience for project managers and they continue to underline the necessity of developing a holistic approach that involves leading practicians, highly efficient teamwork, and powerful project governance to be able to manage this kind of project successfully.

Case Study 2: NASA’s Mars Rover Mission

NASA farms the Mars Rover mission to discover and gain insight into the surface of the planet. Within these tracked roving vehicles are two-wheeled Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity alongside the most recent one Perseverance. All rovers had these instruments on board for Martian surface analysis, looking for traces of space biology, and studying the core history of the planets.

In addition, the program involves all-encompassing planning, impeccable calculations, and sophisticated technology to deliver impeccable results. For the discovery of the Moon’s geological dynamics, each rover was a testament to space exploration as well as robotics in scientific investigations.

Astronauts aboard Mars Rover involve the use of effective project management , risk identification, and adaptability, which are the keys to space exploration. This is another example of how such missions provide a learning and also development opportunity for future space exploration endeavors.

Case Study 3: The London Olympics 2012

Its aim was an uncomplicated worship of the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games which accepted athletes and spectators from the whole world as the participants. These world-changing constructions revolutionized and greatly influenced the everyday life of Londoners, shaping their way of life significantly.

Nevertheless, the London Olympics set a legacy beyond the lasting success of the event. Furthermore, authorities converted and repurposed the infrastructure surrounding Olympic Park for public use, stimulating urban regeneration efforts. The project management best practices for event planning are centered around environmental conservation measures, economic impact, and community intervention.

Case Study 4: Apple’s iPhone Development

Apple inc.; making the iPhone is the epitome of complex product development. There was no such thing as the iPhone in 2007, just a phone that was much more than that magical device that incorporated a phone, iPod, and internet communication appliance into a single thing. 

Designing a quality product involves integrating high-tech hardware, software, intuitive user interfaces, and various technologies seamlessly.

Apple’s iPhone exemplifies agile innovation, quality-speed balance, and lasting market impact, driving unparalleled business success.

Case Study 5: The Panama Canal Expansion

The 2016 announcement of the Panama Canal Extension addressed the need for accommodating larger vessels amid global seaborne trade growth. The first canal built, finished in 1914, could not have been a passageway for the size and capacity of these days’ ships. Additionally, the extension project targeted these inadequacies and intended to uplift the channel’s performance in terms of time-saving and upgrading the global shipping sector.

To conclude, the Panama Canal is an excellent example of how much infrastructure developments are needed as the world is rapidly changing. The project that stands behind the success of global collaboration and project risk management became the vehicle of a plan that influenced the way of doing international trade, and the Panamanian economy.

Case Study 6: The London Crossrail Project

The Crossrail London project, also called the Elizabeth Line, improves transportation connections in London through extensive rail network construction. The main goal is to design a straight east-west railway, spanning key city districts and neighboring territories.

Moreover, the London Crossrail line confronting the delays and overflows of funds, at last, created a disruptive shift in London public transport. In that respect, the positive results and public benefits show the role of major projects that focus on green transit infrastructure in creating urban connectivity and driving ecological and social development.

Case Study 7: The Big Dig – Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project

The Big Dig, of the Boston, Massachusetts, Central Artery/Tunnel Project was this outstanding public works effort. The project aimed to enhance urban transportation by replacing the Central Artery with tunnels, bridges, and interchanges to expedite traffic.

The project required innovative engineering to tackle tunnel construction, soil conditions, and water management challenges. Moreover, effective public and political expectations management was critical, necessitating extensive public engagement, transparent communication, and collaboration across government entities.

Despite facing delays and cost overruns, completing the Big Dig in 2007 marked a transformative moment for Boston. The project achieved its goals of improving traffic, revitalizing urban areas, and driving economic growth through new developments. Therefore, the success of the Big Dig serves as a case study in adaptive project management, overcoming technical complexities, and achieving positive urban and economic outcomes in large-scale infrastructure projects.

Case Study 8: The Hoover Dam

Planners began the Hoover Dam project in 1936, aiming to meet water and electricity needs in the southwestern USA. Additionally, technologically innovative, the dam featured an arch-gravity design and introduced advanced concrete construction methods. Engineers overcame desert conditions using continuous pouring and refrigeration to counter high temperatures during construction.

Moreover, the Hoover Dam’s enduring impact includes water supply management by creating Lake Mead, one of the largest U.S. reservoirs. The power plant at Hoover Dam generates electricity for the regional grid, serving as a reliable and ongoing energy source. The dam has gained significance beyond its strict utilitarian role. The dam symbolizes America’s resilience and cleverness, drawing millions of visitors to appreciate its cultural, historical, and engineering significance.

Case Study 9: The Airbus A380 Project

The Airbus A380 holds this exceptional record and thereby symbolizes a development breakthrough in the aviation industry in 2007 respectively. The designers created the twin-deck, wide-body aircraft for maximum capacity and comfort, making it ideal for long-distance travel.

Also, it serves the global collaboration in aerospace engineering evidenced by the contributions of different countries as the project was taken as a whole.  Moreover, the Airbus A380 project portrays the complexities of global collaboration, overcoming technical difficulties, and embedding oneself in the competition of the aerospace industry as well. The A380’s impact on aviation underscores lessons in adaptation and environmental consciousness for shaping tomorrow’s airline transportation.

Case Study 10: The Hubble Space Telescope Repair Mission

The HST Mission repaired the telescope’s optical issues, unleashing its full astronomical potential and overcoming initial obstacles. Starting in 1990, Hubble had a manufacturing problem in one of the primary mirrors, which caused blurred images. As a consequence of that day, NASA carried out the first mission of servicing (STS-61) in 1993. Astronauts conducted a complex EVA to install WFPC-2 optics on Space Shuttle Endeavour, addressing Hubble’s optical issues.

However, this repair mission showcased the collaborative efforts of NASA and astronauts, emphasizing meticulous training, communication, and problem-solving skills. The success of the mission marked a turning point for Hubble, transforming it into a premier astronomical observatory. Subsequent servicing missions further upgraded instruments, extending Hubble’s lifespan and contributing to groundbreaking scientific discoveries. 

These top 10 project management scenarios showcase real-world industry challenges in action. Thus, from the dissertation of the given cases, you can be more capable of leading your projects appropriately. Would you like to elevate your expertise? Join our project management course package now, which covers everything from detailed instructions to hands-on experience.

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Case Studies

At Morgan Sindall Construction, our purpose is to create inspiring places that enhance the communities in which we all live, learn, work, play, care and protect.

Take a look at the case studies of just some of the projects our teams have delivered for our customers.

Centre for Sustainable Chemistry, University of Nottingham

Collaborative Teaching Laboratory

Highfields Spencer Academy

Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia

Potteries Museum and Art Gallery

Barbara Hepworth Building (School of Art & Design)

Named after local Wakefield-born sculptor, Barbara Hepworth, the new building has allowed the University of Huddersfield’s Art, Design and Architecture Schools to be housed in one creative and technologically advanced hub.

Lambeth Town Hall

The ‘Your New Town Hall’ project has rejuvenated Lambeth’s historic Grade II-listed, Edwardian town hall, driven by the Council’s ambition to provide a modern, energy efficient worksplace while increasing public access and community use.

Woodside & Gorbals Health & Care Centres

Morgan Sindall Construction delivered two brand-new primary care facilities to modernise the services available to patients in the Glasgow and Clyde area.

Theatre extension and refurbishment, James Padget Hospital

In response to population growth and increased operation numbers, the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust commissioned the extension and refurbishment of its theatre complex at the James Paget Hospital in Great Yarmouth.

Hackney Britannia project

55 Colmore Row

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The Constructor

3 important cases of building collapse due to poor construction management.

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Construction is perhaps the most critical stage in the life cycle of structures, mainly because of the danger of failure and the high chances of underestimating construction loads.

A report developed by the American Society of Civil Engineers, based on their study of around 600 failed structures, found that around 40% of the structures failed during the construction stage, 36% of the structures failed during the pre-construction stage due to flawed designs, and 24% failed during their operational stage.

The failure of a structure is described as the propagation of local collapse from one segment to another segment, eventually resulting in the failure of an entire building or its lopsided part. It could be a product of natural disasters, for example, seismic tremors, floods, or coincidental acts such as an explosion in the service system or terrorist bombings.

Analyzing the reasons for explicit structural failures and proposing measures to relieve their effects is a successful measure to lessen risks and improve the safety of structures. Therefore, this article discusses the failure of some major structures, their root causes, and the lessons learned. 

1. The Skyline Plaza Apartment Building, Virginia, US

The design plan of the Skyline Plaza complex included six office buildings, eight apartment buildings, shops, and one hotel. The project was a $200 million residential-commercial complex and was situated in Fairfax County, Virginia. During the construction of the skyline plaza complex, one of the apartment buildings under construction collapsed. A total of 15 labors were killed, and 40 were injured.

Design drawings of the collapsed building included the construction of 26 stories, a penthouse, and a four-story storm basement for parking. The building design was of a reinforced concrete flat plate with a 200 mm thick concrete slab. The height between each story was 2.7 m. 

1.1 Investigation Findings 

On 2 nd March 1973, some portion of the apartment building collapsed during construction. The collapse began on the 23 rd floor when the slab of the 24 th floor was being cast. On the 23 rd floor, the slab started showing cracks and the failure of the building occurred vertically along the full height of the building, including the basement levels. Also, the adjacent post-tensioned reinforced concrete car parking structure collapsed. 

Specialists concurred that the concrete had not acquired sufficient strength to carry the construction loads applied during the construction process. Investigators confirmed that the original design plan had no deficiencies. The most probable reason for the collapse of the building was the punching shear failure on the 23 rd floor of the building.  

After the collapse, a team from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) came to the site and started an investigation. Further, a detailed investigation was conducted by the National Bureau of Standards (NBS). 

NBS and OSHA mentioned in their reports that the collapse of the building was directly related to poorly managed construction processes. The court found that the contractor and the site engineer were guilty of negligence as the contractor didn't follow the building code requirement and the site engineer didn't inspect the work properly. 

1.2 Lessons Learned

After the collapse of the Skyline Plaza apartment building, a series of changes were made in the building code related to the progressive collapse failure. Special inspection procedures were added in the inspection section of the building codes. Design criteria were also changed for effective planning to reduce the possibility of failure due to progressive collapse. The following points describe the violations of specified construction requirements and standard practices: 

• Violation of prerequisites to completely shore the two stories underneath the floor being cast. 
• Failure to permit legitimate curing time before removing shoring. 
• Failure to conduct curing test on the concrete specimen in the field. 
• Use of out-of-plumb shoring. 
• Improper inspection during casting and formwork removal to check the strength of concrete.  
• Improper installation of the climbing crane. 

2. Ronan Point Tower, Canning Town ,   London

The need to give substitution lodging to homes destroyed in World War-II encouraged European engineers to develop innovative pre-assembled construction strategies. One such plan included the construction of high-rise buildings using pre-stressed concrete components made in factories.

The structural framework included the construction of load-bearing walls and each floor was directly stacked onto the walls. Grouted bearing surfaces were used to construct the joint between the wall and the floor. This process of construction was termed as system building. A skyscraper at Ronan Point, Canning Town, UK, was built using this system building technique. 

On 16 th May 1968, a blast occurred due to gas leakage in the kitchen of a house on the 18 th floor. Just after the blast, the kitchen walls collapsed, and in-turn, the walls above the 18 th floor caved in. This impacted the floors beneath and obliterated the entire corner of the structure. A total of 14 people were injured and three were killed. 

2.1 Investigation Findings 

The investigation team revealed that the building collapsed due to the non-availability of an alternative load path when one portion of the external wall collapsed. After the demolition of the building, it was also revealed that the quality of the grouted bearing surface for the joints between floors and the walls was poor.

Because of the unprecedented collapse, the government examined the safety of other buildings constructed using the same concept as the Ronan Point Tower. Many buildings were demolished well ahead of their life span. 

The concept of progressive collapse of structures was not much known to the engineers before the failure of the Ronan Point Tower. In such collapses, a local failure is followed by widespread collapse through a chain reaction. What was irregular on account of the failure of the Ronan Point Tower was that a minor gas blast set off the collapse of a huge portion of a finished structure.

2.2 Lessons Learned

The experience due to the failure of Ronan Point Tower re-emphasized the following points: 

• Progressive failure can also occur in fully constructed structures.
• A structure should have redundancies to reduce the possibility of progressive failure. 
• Quality control should strictly be followed in the construction processes. 

3. 2000 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, US

On 25 th January 1971, a two-third portion of a 16-story residential building known as 2000-Commonwealth Avenue in Boston collapsed during construction, leading to the death of four workers. The building was under construction for more than six years. The collapse of the building generated approximately 8000 tons of debris. Luckily, the failure of the building was gradual, giving the workers some time to escape from the building site. 

The building was designed as a reinforced concrete structure and flat slabs were used for the roofing system with an elevator shaft provided in the center. This type of structural design is mainly famous for multi-story construction as it reduces the thickness of the slab and overall height between the floors. The thickness of flat slabs was between 160-190 mm for all the building areas except near the elevator core where it was 230 mm thick. The arrangement of the structural component constituted a height of 2.7 m for all the floors.    

The building, situated at 2000 Commonwealth Avenue, was intended to be 16 stories high with a mechanical room of height 1.5 m for the working of the lift at the rooftop. The plan area of the structure was 56 x 21 m 2 . The building additionally had underground parking of two levels. A pool, auxiliary spaces, and one flat were situated on the first floor, and a total of 132 flats were on the second through sixteen floors. At first, these flats were to be leased. However, the proprietors later chose to advertise them as apartment suites. 

At the hour of the collapse of the building, construction work was almost completed. The brickwork was finished up to the sixteenth floor, and the structure was generally encased from the second to the fifteenth floor. Heating, plumbing, and ventilation frameworks were introduced all through different floors of the structure. The interior work had also started on the lower floors. A temporary lift was constructed to help in moving equipment to various floors. It was assessed that 100 individuals were working in or around the structure at the hour of the collapse. 

The collapse of the building occurred in three stages. These stages were, failure due to punching shear in the rooftop at section E5, the failure of the slab, and in the end, the progressive failure of the structure. 

3.1 Investigation Findings 

The civic chairman of Boston appointed a commission to inquire about the collapse of the building. The commission discovered the following critical observations: 

• There was no signature of an architect or engineer found on a single drawing of the building. 
• The design engineer didn't give the computations supporting his structural drawings to the commission. No head or representative of the team of contractors held a building construction license of Boston city. 
• Ownership of the venture changed a few times, with changes in planners and architects. This scenario added to the general disarray and contributed to the abnormalities referred above. 
• The general contractual worker just had a solitary representative on location. Most subcontracts were given directly by the owner to the subcontractors and bypassed the general contractor. A total of seven subcontractors were involved in the construction. 
• The subcontractor, who was assigned to conduct the cold weather protection work on the structural concrete didn't carry out the assigned work. However, the structural engineer had indicated these measures. 
• There was no proof of any inspection of the work by a specialist despite the fact that the project particulars needed this. 
• The quality of construction material and quality inspections were poor. 
• The collapse of the building occurred due to the development of punching shear mechanism around column E5. Punching shear developed the flexural cracks around the roof slab located near the elevator core. Thus, the slab collapsed due to flexural yielding. 
• The design manual indicated a 28-day strength of 25 MPa. However, at the failure time, 47 days after casting work, the concrete couldn't seem to attain the necessary 28-day strength. 
• The most critical inadequacies were an absence of shoring under the slab at the roof and the quality of the concrete.

3.2 Lessons Learned

The following key factors describe the collapse of the multi-story building situated at 2000 Commonwealth Avenue: 

• Authorized design engineers should be chosen for the development of working drawings for construction. 
• Engineers and architects should be responsible for all the design-related calculations and their design work must be examined by the experts in that field from a government organization. 
• Ownership of a project should not change multiple times to reduce the confusion between the previous engineer and the newly appointed engineer. 
• Inspection at the construction site should be conducted regularly by government organizations, especially for cold weather work.  
• The quality of concrete work should be monitored throughout the project. 
• The construction work should conform to design documents and construction procedures.

The collapse of a building is characterized as the propagation of an initial local collapse from component to component, ultimately resulting in the collapse of a whole structure or a disproportionately large portion of it.

Construction is one of the most critical phases in the life cycle of buildings due to the risk of failure and the possibility of underestimating construction loads.

The structural framework included the construction of load-bearing walls and each floor was directly stacked on the walls. Grouted bearing surfaces were used to construct the joint between the wall and the floor. This process of construction was termed system building.

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