Schedule risk analysis of railway projects using montecarlo simulation for improved project management

Motlatso Mabeba, Jan Harm C. Pretorius, Leon Pretorius

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Railways have been used throughout history for the transportation of goods. Even though the inception of rail transport improved civilization, due to its inefficiencies, road transport is at present dominating the freight and logistics industry. Company A, which has the largest market share in the rail freight business, has embarked on projects to improve rail efficiencies by moving higher volumes of freight timeously. Most of the projects embarked on by Company A have failed largely due to the poor planning of the projects in the feasibility stages. Most of the planning schedules are overoptimistic and unrealistic making them unreliable and difficult to track. The scope of this study was to investigate the way in which planning schedules of Company A are developed by undertaking a schedule risk analysis on one of the planning schedules titled ‘Design of railway exchange yard’ and using Monte Carlo simulation to validate the schedule. If projects of Company A can be planned better, using schedule risk analysis, projects can become more successful and completed within the required time frame.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of International Structural Engineering and Construction
EditorsJim Shiau, Vanissorn Vimonsatit, Amarjit Singh, Siamak Yazdani
PublisherISEC Press
Edition2
ISBN (Print)9780996043755, 9780996043779
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Event4th Australasia and South East Asia Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction, ASEA-SEC-04 2018 - Brisbane [state] QLD, Australia
Duration: 3 Dec 20185 Dec 2018

Publication series

NameProceedings of International Structural Engineering and Construction
Number2
Volume5
ISSN (Electronic)2644-108X

Conference

Conference4th Australasia and South East Asia Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction, ASEA-SEC-04 2018
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CityBrisbane [state] QLD
Period3/12/185/12/18

Keywords

  • Critical path method
  • PERT
  • Schedule sensitivity index

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Architecture
  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Building and Construction
  • Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality

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