Show Notes
Infrastructure projects transform our world. Our ability to travel and to work, our individual health and our community cohesion, are all built upon the successes of infrastructural engineering. But these projects routinely underperform. They are delivered late, and over budget. Around the world, we consistently see projects delayed by unexpected ground conditions.
In this episode, Jon Baston-Pitt is joined by an old friend and colleague, Rod Eddies. Rod has spent his life investigating what is happening in the ground below our feet. His experience on infrastructure projects has led him to a new area of study: what is going on at the foundations of our thinking, as we set about planning infrastructure projects?
Rod believes that we should pay attention to the findings of behavioural science and economic geography, which show how unseen voids in our thinking—cognitive biases, overreliance on heuristics—can turn into sinkholes of time and cost. The only firm foundation for any project, Rod believes, is to reject unjustified assumptions, engage early on and reduce uncertainty in the subsurface, before a final investment decision is made. This tried and tested approach reduces wasted cost and enables a project to be delivered on time and on budget.
Host
Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro
Guest
Rod Eddies, Solution Director for Land Site Characterisation Fugro
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