Case Study: Seattle Light Rail Extension Faces Rebar Delivery Delays (2022)
Project Overview
• Name: Seattle East Link Light Rail Extension
• Location: Seattle, Washington
• Year: 2022
• Project Size: $2.1 billion
• Scope: Extension of light rail system including tunnels, stations, and elevated structures
• Lead Agencies/Contractors: Sound Transit /
Category of the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
• Supply Chain Disruption
• Structural Materials (Rebar)
Summary of the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
The project experienced significant delays when deliveries of structural rebar were delayed due to regional steel mill backlogs and trucking shortages amid high demand for construction materials.
Root Cause Analysis
- Regional steel production capacity constrained by increased demand and pandemic disruptions.
- Trucking industry labor shortages and driver regulations limiting transport capacity.
- Insufficient inventory buffers and late procurement decisions.
- Poor coordination between procurement and logistics teams.
Impacts Due to the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
• 4-month delay in reinforced concrete work critical path.
• Increased costs from expedited freight and schedule acceleration efforts (~$5 million).
• Disruption to downstream finishing and systems installation activities.
Corrective Actions Taken
- Early procurement of long-lead structural materials in future phases.
- Developed partnerships with multiple steel suppliers and trucking firms.
- Improved logistics planning with real-time tracking and scheduling coordination.
Lessons Learned
- Steel material supply is highly sensitive to regional capacity and transport labor availability.
- Procurement and logistics must be tightly integrated to prevent delays.
- Inventory buffers and supplier diversification are key risk mitigants.
Audit & Prevention: Project Control Questions to Ask on Future Projects to Help Control the Situation
- Are steel supply and trucking logistics coordinated and monitored in real time?
- Are multiple suppliers and carriers engaged as backups?
- Is procurement planned with sufficient lead time and inventory buffers?