The latest chapter in the development of the City of Edmonton’s public transit system witnessed an expansion to Edmonton’s light rail transit (LRT) system.

Considering the mammoth scope of the project, several challenges manifested themselves. More than twelve separate organizations were involved with the project, with twelve distinct disciplines at the detailed design phase. Added to that were the problems of constructing in Edmonton’s highly-congested downtown core such as road closures, and coordinating efforts with existing utilities and infrastructure in the area

SMA’s unique software system EVIMS (Earned Value Integrated Monitoring System) was instrumental in the North LRT’s project controls. By focusing on uncertainty, a frequently overlooked variable, EVIMS manages cost, schedule, and uncertainty across all project phases. SMA’s engineering services included over 25 full-day workshops with sizes ranging from 10 to 60 participants. We employed sophisticated decision support techniques including Monte Carlo simulation and 3D and 4D visualization to mitigate risk and understand cost variability.

The project controls results were linked with a 3D visualization environment and then linked to the schedule to create a 4D project controls tool. Each component of construction in the 3D model was assigned an EVA colour status as portions were constructed. This approach allowed visualization of areas of concern in an intuitive and informative way, increasing the response and discussion around issues. These and other Best Practices were used by SMA’s project controls team to provide the project management team with the information needed to make key decisions on schedule management, cost management, resource allocation, and project scope, on a continuous basis.