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M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal — Owners, Developers & Managers — Contractors/Subcontractors — June 23 - July 13, 2017 — 11B C ontractors /S ubcontractors

www.marejournal.com

onstruction projects are complex under- takings that require By Glenn Ebersole, High Concrete Early involvement of contractors & subcontractors pays dividends on construction project delivery C were not considered earlier in the process.

the building project plans are given to the next designer or customer in the process until the plans are fully developed. During this approach there is an absence of collaborative and integrated efforts. The result is that individual stakeholders strive for optimizing their own performance rather than using a holistic approach. Another outcome is that there is a ten- dency to rush into the details of the design without a proper understanding of the total proj- ect mission and purpose. Relational multi-party con- tracting challenges the tradi-

tional system by comparing the customers’ purpose and what they want with the means and methods of getting the proj- ect done and the project con- straints (e.g., money, regula- tions, and time). The good news is that this new approach helps the customer understand that there are alternative means of accomplishing their purposes beyond those they have previ- ously considered. And it also helps the customers under- stand the consequences of their expressed wants and needs. One of the most well-known relational project delivery

methods is known as Integrat- ed Project Delivery (IPD). IPD is a project delivery method distinguished by a contractual agreement between the owner, design professional and the builder. The team acts with in- tegrity and makes unanimous, best-for-the-project decisions. Risk and reward are shared and the stakeholder success is dependent upon the project success. The possibilities of influenc- ing project success are best seen and realized during the early project stages. This early continued on page 24B

This collaborative and inte- grated approach helps create awareness for the customer to alternative means of accom- plishing their purposes beyond those previously considered. It also helps the customer under- stand the positive and negative impacts of their expressed list of wants and needs. Utiliza- tion of the knowledge base of the stakeholders is another significant value created with early stakeholder involvement. The tradition of using a de- sign-bid-build model means

competencies from a wide range of dis- ciplines. To- day a single construction or construc- tion manage- me n t f i rm very rarely

Glenn Ebersole

possesses all the required competencies and therefore a significant portion of those competencies must be acquired from other sources. Due to this complex nature, the project net- works contain a large number of different stakeholders and a high level of interdependencies between them, which makes value creation and manage- ment a challenging issue. There are more and more examples of the value of early involvement of contractors and subcontractors in the project definition and design phases to create successful project deliveries. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) systems have been around for some time and there is even a sub-category that is evolving and is known as Relational Project Delivery Methods (RPDMs). RPDMs are being widely offered as a solu- tion to increasing the overall project value creation. Early involvement of con- tractors and subcontractors has been and continues to be emphasized in today’s world of construction. Early involve- ment provides opportunities to develop creative solutions and vigorous exchange of ideas. The creation of integrated teams identifies and consolidates the different levels, roles, respon- sibilities, and objectives of the various stakeholders. In the past, construction projects began with an assump- tion or belief that customers know what they want and what they need. The reality is that customers look for solu- tions that support their pro- cesses and create value when used, rather than simply look- ing for products and services. Therefore, during the project definition phase, the task of project management today is to challenge the customer’s self-understanding about the project’s objectives, reveal con- flicts between the customer and the other stakeholders, and address the customer’s desires by exploring alternatives that

THE NEW SHAPE OF PRECAST

1200 Intrepid at the Philadelphia Navy Yard is the newly completed precast concrete work of art designed by world-renowned starchitect Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). The front entrance façade gently curves inward while stretching outward creating a startling and gravity-defying visual that mimics the curved bows of the nearby battleships. The unique engineering requirements of the proj- ect meant that the gravity loads flowed directly to the ground and were not tied to the steel frame. Almost every piece of the front entrance façade is unique. This very complicated project presented a challenge that required an innovative solution using technical, engineering and creative exper- tise, and would not have been possible without the use of BIM and 3D modeling. For more information on this project and others visit us at www.highconcrete.com/news. “High Concrete saw our design as a wonderful opportunity to really show off their skills, talents and products. It has been a sincere joy to work with a group of precasters who are as engaged as they have been, willing to roll up their sleeves to work on solutions rather than seeing obstacles, and I am sure that they are proud of their efforts as much as we are.” Kai-Uwe Bergmann, AIA, RIBA, partner, BIG—Bjarke Ingels Group

Photograpy © Rasmus Hjortshøj—COAST

HIGH CONCRETE GROUP LLC n CONCRETE INNOVATIONS AND ANSWERS n CALL US AT 800-PRECAST n WWW.HIGHCONCRETE.COM

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