Evaluation of Value Engineering Applications in Public Structural Works Projects in Edo State

Value engineering offers a structured methodology for optimising cost-function relationships in public infrastructure projects without compromising performance or safety requirements. This study evaluates the application and outcomes of value engineering studies in public structural works projects in Edo State in the South South geopolitical zone, focusing on bridge rehabilitation, institutional building construction, and urban drainage infrastructure contracts. Ten completed projects managed by the Edo State Ministry of Works between 2020 and 2024 were selected for analysis, with five having undergone formal value engineering reviews and five serving as a comparison group without such reviews. Data were gathered from project files, contractor submissions, and interviews with design engineers and procurement officers. Value engineering outcomes were measured through cost savings achieved, function maintenance verification, and client satisfaction ratings. Results indicate that projects subjected to formal value engineering reviews achieved average cost savings of 18.3 percent relative to initial design estimates, with material substitution and construction method changes as the most frequent value proposals accepted. Bridge deck design modifications in two projects yielded the highest single-project savings at 24 percent and 27 percent respectively. Comparison projects without value engineering showed no equivalent systematic cost optimisation and in two cases incurred post-contract cost increases for design revisions that a value engineering process would likely have identified earlier. The study recommends mandatory value engineering workshops at thirty percent design completion for all public projects above 500 million Naira and development of a Edo State value engineering procedural guideline. Keywords: value engineering, public infrastructure, Edo State, cost optimisation, structural works.