| Innovative technologies and methods offer practitioners in the construction industry a broad spectrum of tools from which to select an approach most suitable to a specific project. Because of the large and expanding number of methods available on the market, and the rapid influx of new techniques, the decision as to which tool to use for the specific conditions and constraints of each project is no longer trivial. This research intends to identify the most important factors affecting the selection process. A single activity, retention of excavation dimensions, is studied; and the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project has been chosen to demonstrate the selection process outlined in this research. Although greatest emphasis is placed on the selection and implementation of excavation retaining walls, the approach is general and the proposed parameters can be implemented for the selection of other types of innovative systems (i.e. for technologies related to subsurface projects). A key implication of this research is to suggest the clear advantages that innovative techniques offer, when appropriate selection methods are used to evaluate innovations relative to other alternatives. In addition, the selection process revealed that the slurry wall was the proper type of technology to be employed at the Central Artery/Tunnel Project versus traditional wall systems. A quantitative perspective is recommended as a complement to this work in a future study. |
