Aconex selected for $3.2 billion Panama Canal expansion
project
MELBOURNE, 27 July 2010
Aconex, the world’s largest provider of project collaboration solutions to the construction and
engineering industries, has been selected to service the US$3.2 billion Panama Canal Third
Set of Locks Project. The web-based Aconex system will provide the organisations engaged
on the program with a central platform for managing information and project communication.
The new set of locks, at the heart of the $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal, will
allow the waterway to double its shipping capacity by 2025. The project involves the
construction of two new lock complexes – one on the Pacific and one on the Atlantic side of
the Canal – that will be 40 percent longer and 60 percent wider than the originals. Each lock
will have three chambers and each chamber will have three water recycling basins. The
expansion program is scheduled for completion in 2014, 100 years after the canal first
opened.
Aconex CEO, Leigh Jasper, said, “The Panama Canal Expansion is one of the world’s great
engineering projects and so we are proud to be supporting its delivery. Over the past ten
years, Aconex has built an unparalleled ability to service complex, multi-billion dollar projects
such as this. The challenges that these projects face – such as linking global business
partners, managing risk and ensuring compliance with stakeholder requirements – make it
essential to have an effective, neutral, and professionally-managed collaboration platform to
control the flow of information.”
The Expansion project team comprises leading international contractors and consultants. The
Panama Canal Authority (ACP), which operates the Canal, appointed CH2M Hill of the United
States as Program Manager. Grupo Unidos por el Canal (“Grupo”) – a joint venture
consortium of Impregilo of Italy, Sacyr Vallehermoso of Spain, Jan de Nul Group of Belgium
and Constructora Urbana of Panama – was awarded the design and build contract. The
design consortium, CICP, is led by MWH Global and includes participants from the US,
Argentina, Italy and the Netherlands.
Jasper said, “The project team will be made up of hundreds of participants based across the
Americas and Europe, that will need to exchange tens of thousands of documents and
correspondence items each month. As a result, efficient collaboration between parties will be
integral to the project’s success.
“Aconex will provide a secure, common platform for project communication that will link all the
entities. All project members will be able to access, distribute and track their documents and
correspondence in real time, regardless of their location.
“This will save time by enabling fast access to information, reduce printing and distribution
costs, and reduce exposure to risks such as disputes and delays. Most importantly,
throughout the program’s lifecycle, all parties will have the confidence that their project
information is accessible, accurate and secure.”
Jasper added, “Our philosophy has always been that providing the technology is only part of
the solution. On every project, we aim to drive high rates of adoption and usage. Users can
access the system in Spanish, English or one of the other available languages. In addition,
through our global network of offices, we provide full training and unlimited support to all
project participants, ensuring that every organisation on the project derives maximum value
from using Aconex.”
Aconex online project management system will integrate with a number of enterprise
applications, including Microsoft Sharepoint® and Oracle’s Primavera Contract
Management®, to provide project-wide collaboration and control.
Aconex Director of Product, Robert Phillpot, commented, “Deployment of Aconex on a project
can unlock additional value in these types of IT applications by ensuring that project data is
comprehensively captured. Customers get both the scalability and flexibility of a project-wide,
Software as a Service solution, and the knowledge that internal records management
protocols are being adhered to.”
From its 37 offices worldwide, Aconex, www.aconex.com, services US$220 billion worth of
projects in 65 countries. Its clients in Australia include Brookfield Multiplex, Grocon,
Australand, Qantas, IKEA, and McDonald's Restaurants.
Ends.
Media contact
Will Turbet, Aconex Communications, wturbet@aconex.com
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