Blog

Communication Leads to Shared Success in a Design-Build-Operate (DBO) Partnership

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Kevin Smith, PE, DBIA, Project Engineer, AECOM

A standard design-build-operate (DBO) partnership in the water and wastewater market may include an operations company, a lead design engineering firm, and a contractor to complete the construction phase. Depending on the contractual arrangement, each organization is typically contractually bound to one another through the completion of the construction elements of the project, and in some cases this relationship extends into the steady-state, long-term operations and maintenance period. Given the complexity of these projects, the question arises: How does each …

Topics: AECOM, Design-Build-Operate.

Timing Can Be A “Risky Business”

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Tony Joyce, Sr. Vice President & Operations Manager, Kiewit Water

The discussion on risk allocation and project contingency versus design-builder contingency has been well documented in several previous blogs. The WDBC Water and Wastewater Design-Build Handbook also provides excellent guidance on best practices for risk allocation. However, my recent experiences on current projects have led me to believe that, far too often, a project’s price, contingency, and schedule are adversely impacted by not addressing project risks with the right team members at the right time, and this topic is worthy of further discussion.

Topics: Collaborative Delivery, Design-Build, Kiewit, Risk Allocation.

Keeping Important Steps in a Progressive Design-Build Selection Process

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Bob Dudley, PE, Senior Division Officer-1, Ramboll

So you are putting out a project and plan to use progressive design-build.You have been working with your procurement department and an owner’s agent who suggests a two-step procurement process following industry best practices, but the process seems like it takes forever:

Topics: Progressive Design-Build, Ramboll.

Avoiding Pitfalls to Optimize the Benefits of Progressive Design-Build Delivery

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Blayne Goodman, Senior Project Manager, The Walsh Group

The growing popularity of progressive design-build (PDB) delivery over the last decade has been celebrated by owners, contractors, and designers alike throughout the water/wastewater industry. The delivery method has proven beneficial in reducing procurement time and costs, allowing owners to work with a single point of accountability throughout design and construction, and driving innovative and creative technical and design solutions without the limitation of the singularly developed, prescribed solution presented in an RFP. The PDB approach encourages the owner and …

Topics: Progressive Design-Build, The Walsh Group.

The Spearin Doctrine in Water and Wastewater Projects

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Joe Davis, Contracts Manager, Reynolds Construction

When choosing a project delivery method for a water or wastewater project, it is imperative for the owner to understand the concept of the Spearin Doctrine and which party is accountable for the project design.

Topics: Reynolds Construction, Spearin Doctrine.

‘Quick Start’ Procurement Accelerates Project Delivery

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Steve Gates, PE, BCEE, Brown and Caldwell Senior Vice President and WDBC Past President and Gus Hrncir, DBIA, National IPD Sales Services Manager, Brown and Caldwell

With an ever-growing list of urgent water and wastewater infrastructure projects, the industry’s demand for expedited project delivery has increased, and project procurement is often overlooked as a way to get your job started—and finished— faster. Early collaboration enables ‘Quick Start’ procurement that contributes to achieving an owner’s schedule and cost commitment, with both the owner and design-builder reaping benefits.

Topics: Brown and Caldwell, Collaborative Delivery, Water Design-Build Project.

Attacking Workforce Depletion with Innovation

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Aaron Landolt, President, Enerfab

You can get your team to adopt new technologies and get the millennial workforce excited about craft labor. The key is in your approach to innovation.

Topics: Craft Labor, Enerfab.

Value Engineering’s Role in Collaborative Delivery

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Max Glynn, Senior Project Manager, Garney Construction

What is Value Engineering? Value engineering (VE) is a creative, systematic approach to providing the essential functions of a project at the best value. Successful VE results are achieved through an open, collaborative review of the project that considers life cycle costs, performance, quality, reliability, and safety. VE is one of the many benefits that collaborative-delivery methods such as CMAR, design-build, and progressive design-build offer to project owners.

Topics: Garney, Value Engineering.

The CMAR Delivery Process – Is It Right For You?

Posted on July 19, 2019 by Mike Leonard, Director of Preconstruction Services, PC Construction

Are you a “hands-on” owner who prefers to work collaboratively through the design and construction of your project? Do you like to maintain control over all project phases? If so, construction management at-risk (CMAR) may be the best delivery method to achieve your project goals. As collaborative-delivery methods continue to gain owners’ understanding and respect for the benefits they can provide to achieve best project value, CMAR truly stands out in the crowd. It provides the flexibility to select both your design and construction partners while allowing collaboration to begin early in design and continue through preconstruction and construction. This is extremely beneficial, especially for projects with tight schedules or complex scopes.

Topics: CMAR, PC Construction.

Achieving Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Success using Progressive Design-Build Delivery

Posted on July 12, 2019 by Tommy Brennan, Business Development Manager, Ulliman Schutte

Triple Bottom Line (TBL) success involves a team commitment to balancing not only the economic (financial) components of a project, but also that of social responsibility and environmental stewardship. Projects that seek this achievement must focus equally on each of these goals. Using progressive design-build delivery, the Southwestern Parkway CSO Basin project in Louisville, KY, realized this success while supporting Louisville MSD’s mission to “provide exceptional wastewater, drainage, and flood protection services for our community.” This $78 million project included the design, construction, and commissioning of a large “capture and release” system that temporarily stores combined sewage during wet weather events. This temporary storage is facilitated by a 20-million-gallon concrete storage tank with associated wash-down systems, and a 30-mgd effluent pump station constructed below the Great Lawn of Shawnee Park which is part of Louisville’s Olmsted Park system. The project was led by Ulliman Schutte and their engineer of record, Burgess & Niple.

Topics: Progressive Design-Build, TBL, Ulliman Schutte.

Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
...
24
»