In recent years, the research and news space dedicated to understanding and managing mega projects has grown significantly. Projects generally reach mega status once they cross the $1 billion threshold. Industries that are impacted more regularly and greatly than most are space/aerospace and construction (buildings, infrastructure, stadiums, etc.). This National Geographic article does a good job describing mega project impacts like environment, cost, societal and provides a good summary of the status and potential issues moving forward - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/11/mega-projects-fail-infrastructure-energy-dams-nuclear/.
Recently, Constructive Dive shared an article that highlights the biggest active mega construction projects - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/11/mega-projects-fail-infrastructure-energy-dams-nuclear/. The projects range in dollar value from $10 billion to over $60 billion. With all the struggle and issues mega projects valued under $10 billion face, does it make sense to go even bigger? Complexity increases with size and variables increase with complexity to the point that successful management of a mega mega project becomes all but impossible. They are impressive feats of mankind but they often come at the expense of future generation through cost overruns and unintended environmental impacts and disasters.
This isn't to say that smaller projects are exclusively the solution because they experience many of the same issues as large projects do. The biggest difference, and maybe the best aspect, of small job management is that adjustments can be more easily made and future work can be changed or completely cancelled based on earlier feedback. Mega projects might be several years and several billion dollars into their design, construction and operation before issues that to become impossible to miss. Even then, because significant time and money has already been sunk into making the project a success, struggling mega projects will be ridden to the finish line. With luck the project will be completed and provide value to end users. If not, even more time and money will have been sunk into a drowning project or idea.
So, going back to the Constructive Dive article, mega mega projects are cool and exciting to put on resumes but the risk doesn't seem to justify the reward or back end project benefit. Before going big, we in the AEC industry, we need to make sure we are going right with the correct scope size and complexity.
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