Abstract

The United States inland waterway transportation system is comprised of 12,000 miles of navigable waterways that connect and move freight between 38 states and the global supply chain. When investing in inland waterway infrastructure, engineering managers should aim to maximize all benefits associated with the investment, including flood protection, water supply, hydropower generation, recreation, and environmental impact benefits. In this article, we formulate an initial qualitative value model for inland waterway infrastructure investment decisions, based on a value-focused thinking approach that enables engineering managers to holistically evaluate project investment alternatives. For circumstances involving limited resources, a portfolio optimization model is formulated to maximize the total value associated with project investments, while considering budget and minimally acceptable benefit constraints. To demonstrate an application of our approach, we present a case study based on the McClellan Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System.

摘要

美国内陆水路运输系统由 12,000 英里的可通航水路组成，连接和运输 38 个州和全球供应链之间的货物。在投资内陆水道基础设施时，工程经理应致力于最大限度地提高与投资相关的所有收益，包括防洪、供水、水力发电、娱乐和环境影响收益。在本文中，我们基于以价值为中心的思维方法，为内河航道基础设施投资决策制定了一个初始定性价值模型，使工程经理能够全面评估项目投资选择。对于涉及资源有限的情况，制定投资组合优化模型以最大化与项目投资相关的总价值，同时考虑预算和最低可接受的收益限制。为了演示我们方法的应用，我们提出了一个基于 McClellan Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System 的案例研究。