10B — June 26 - July 16, 2015 — Owners, Developers & Managers — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
www.marejournal.com
C ontractors & S ubcontractors
By Glenn Ebersole, Hollenbach Construction, Inc. Strategic reasons why a design-build project delivery system is chosen for constr. projects
D
single point of responsibil- ity contract and is used to minimize risks for the project owner and to reduce the de- livery schedule by integrat- ing the design phase and construction phase of a proj- ect. Design-build with single point responsibility carries the clearest contractual rem- edies for clients because the Design-build contractor will be responsible for all of the work on the project, regard- less of the nature of the fault. The traditional approach for construction projects is known as Design-Bid-Build
and consists of the selection of a designer on one side, and the selection of a contrac- tor on the other side. The design–build procurement route changes the traditional sequence of work and re- sponds positively to the cli- ent’s desire for a single point of responsibility. This in turn reduces risks and overall costs. Design-build is now commonly used in the United States, as well as many other countries. Design–build is sometimes compared to the “master builder” approach, which
is one of the oldest forms of construction procedure. Comparing design–build to the traditional method of procurement, the authors of “Design-build Contracting Handbook” (Robert Frank Cushman and Michael C. Loulakis) note that, “from a historical perspective the so- called traditional approach is actually a very recent con- cept, only being in use ap- proximately 150 years. In contrast, the design–build concept—also known as the “master builder” concept— has been reported as being in
use for over four millennia.” The construction industry is very competitive, so it’s no surprise that Design-build continues to be a fast growing method of project delivery in the United States. It is also interesting that this fast- track approach is not only gaining popularity among owners, it’s also becoming the method of choice for more and more developers/contractors and design professionals. Why is there such an in- crease in acceptance and use of Design-build? Here are five (5) major strategic reasons why owners and design and construction professionals have chosen and continue to choose a Design-Build Project Delivery System for commer- cial construction projects. 1.It provides a strategic thinking response to owner demands for increased qual- ity and a continuous im- provement commitment to the delivery system and the actual final project product. There is a greater focus on quality control and quality assurance through the con- tinuous involvement of the entire design/construction team throughout the project. And project innovations can be uniquely developed by integrating the skills of the designer and contractor. 2. It saves time and money through the use of a strategic thinking process for develop- ing the budget, schedule and constructability of the project from the initiation of the proj- ect. Early contractor involve- ment enables: construction engineering considerations to be incorporated into the design phase and enhances the constructability of the engineered project plans; fast-tracking of the design and construction portions of the project; concurrent design and construction phases for different segments of the project; the ability to get continuous cost updates us- ing construction costs from current projects and com- munication efficiencies and integration between design, construction engineering, and construction team mem- bers throughout the project schedule. 3. It provides a strategic ap- proach to avoiding or certain- ly minimizing the probability of adversarial relationships continued on page 14B
esign–build is a proj- ect delivery system used in the construc-
tion industry today. It is an integrat- ed method used to deliv- er a project whe r e the design and construction services are
Glenn Ebersole
contracted by a single entity known as the design–builder or design–build contractor. The Design-build project delivery system relies on a
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