Time–Cost–Quality Impact Assessment and FMEA-Based Prioritization of Geological, Environmental, and Operational Risks in Road Infrastructure Projects

Road infrastructure projects are exposed to geological, environmental, and operational hazards that jointly determine delivery time, cost, and quality. Risk studies and guidance often address one hazard family at a time, and hazard lists are not always converted into ranked priorities that project managers can act on. This paper presents a structured, three-stage assessment of fifteen risk factors that commonly affect road projects. First, each factor is rated for its impact on project time, cost, and quality and aggregated into a composite impact index. Second, the factors are ranked using a probability–severity matrix. Third, seven critical failure modes are prioritized using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) with the Risk Priority Number (RPN). The results show that geological factors have the highest composite impact (mean 8.2 out of a maximum of 9), followed by operational (7.3) and environmental factors (6.5). Slope failure, earthquakes, and safety incidents are the only factors rated High on all three performance dimensions, and ten of the fifteen factors fall in the High priority tier. In the FMEA, project mismanagement (RPN 252), flooding (240), and material shortage (210) rank highest and together account for 55.5% of the total RPN. The qualitative ranking and the RPN agree on the severity of geological hazards but diverge for material supply, which illustrates the value of including detectability in prioritization. Illustrative mitigation scenarios indicate that the aggregate RPN could be reduced by roughly two-thirds if targeted controls are implemented. The ratings are judgement-based and require field validation, as discussed in the limitations