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  • Essay / Use of value engineering (VE) in civil engineering...

    1. Introduction: Value engineering (VE) has been defined by various researchers, for example Connaughton and Green (1996) defined it as “a systematic approach to providing required functions at the lowest cost without compromising quality, performance and reliability” and Kelly and Male. (1993) defined VE as “the process of identifying and eliminating unnecessary costs during the design and construction stages.” Going back to the history of VE, in 1947, the VE methodology was initially implemented as "value analysis" by Lawrence Delos Miles in order to make grounding material to increase value of the product. It was used to indicate the study of the product during the design phase (WCL, 2014) and “uses a value equation that says that value equals function divided by cost” (Elayache, 2010). This equation calculates the functionality of the project relative to the total project cost (all construction costs plus operating costs). In any project, including civil, the implementation of VE can result in higher functionality or reduced costs. However, it is important to say that VE is not a “cost reduction approach” (PM, 2012). Figure 1 shows the VE process which goes through seven stages (Nolan, 2014). Organizing such workshops requires more planning and involvement of stakeholders and team members to build a good understanding of the VE and its main objectives (Mukhhopadhyaya, 2009). Then, all thoughts from the brainstorm will be captured, filtered and reviewed to make them clear and concise. These captured ideas are analyzed and evaluated to generate theoretical and applicable propositions. The selected views are developed and integrated into the project to be implemented and optimized for better improvement.2. VE Advantage: One of the main advantages of VE is the creation of an approved and trusting work environment in which all parties and project team members are involved in the project and work as an owner from the start. initial phase of civil engineering projects. Additionally, VE focuses more on value improvement and not just cost savings. Additionally, value engineering improves customer satisfaction by knowing their exact needs and expectations (DBIA, 2010). In addition, it strengthens collaboration between the client and contractors. Thus, the entrepreneur will participate by being proactive in the face of any probability of risk by providing advice to mitigate risks. Often, the creativity phase plays a vital role in providing a good opportunity to familiarize the client with teamwork. Additionally, they share ideas and potential proposals for reducing costs; without negatively affecting quality or functionality. As a result, there will be a base of classified and classified ideas and views..