SENTINEL WATCH June 11, 2007 Issue

SUBSTANDARD OR GOD-STANDARD WORK?

DAVE HOHLE

IN THE MONTHS following Hurricane Katrina, the levees around New Orleans were speedily reconstructed. But recent aerial photos of these levees show evidence of serious flaws. Several studies, including a National Science Foundation report as well as a $20-million investigation commissioned by the Department of Defense, suggest the risks are still high.

Reports of compromised public works projects are not particularly infrequent. Construction problems uncovered in Boston's $15-billion "Big Dig" project—the most expensive construction project in US history—shut down part of the city's new tunnel system for several months last summer, amidst allegations that substandard materials and workmanship had led to a ceiling collapse and the unfortunate death of a passenger.

Not everything seems to go according to plan. Cost overruns are common. Wasted time and materials are regular occurrences. But why should so much work need redoing? It's inefficient and expensive—and the costs can far exceed the simply financial ones.