[Nyetan]

Actually, that's an excellent point -- how do buildings/bridges/etc. actually get built? I mean, laugh if you will, but can you not think of any examples of construction projects that straight up ran out of money and had to halt? Or that became enormous money and time sinks, inching their way but never-quite-making it to completion?

As I understand it (still pretty new to the industry), we're supposed to give realistic estimates for a product's completion, considering that 1. requirements are always incomplete and 2. unexpected complications will always arise. 'Done' is a moving target, and part of its estimation is ensuring the product is deliverable at every stage (with varying degrees of completeness), regardless of whether how many times everything goes pear shaped.

[tikhonj]

Sure. Developments get abandoned all the time, either because they run out of time and money or because economic conditions change. One I was reading about recent is the Fontainbleu Resort in Las Vegas[1]—the second-tallest building on the Strip and unfinished.

And even more developments end up hilariously past their budget on both time and money. "Megaprojects" like the Big Dig[2] are common examples of this.

These are the failures big enough to be notable. I'm sure there are far more smaller, less interesting but more indicative failed projects as well.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontainebleau_Resort_Las_Vegas

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig

[Nyetan]

It was more of a rhetorical question, with the remaining literalness directed at the OP :) but yeah, those are fantastic examples! The Berlin Brandenburg [1] was what came to mind immediately, but you're absolutely right that history is like to be littered with other dead developments.

[1]: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-07-23/how-berlin...

[pnathan]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_(tunnel_boring_machine)

Seattle's current pear-shaped project. Check out the missed estimates!