Design-Build

Principles of O&M Engagement for Design-Build Projects

Principles of O&M Engagement for Design-Build Projects

As design-build (DB) becomes more common for the development and construction of long-term infrastructure, the engagement of the owner’s operations and maintenance (O&M) team becomes significantly more important to project success. For some projects, the traditional design-bid-build process may not have taken advantage of the institutional knowledge available from the owner’s O&M teams as facilities and systems were designed, constructed, and commissioned.

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Top 3 Qualities to Expect from a Quality Design-Build Contractor

Top 3 Qualities to Expect from a Quality Design-Build Contractor

As water/wastewater projects continue to increase in complexity, collaborative delivery methods for project execution are becoming increasingly favored among clients. As this shift gains momentum, clients need to be able to trust that their design-build contractor will help them realize the benefits of the collaborative delivery approach throughout the life of the project. The list below outlines several key qualities a water/wastewater client should expect from their design-build contractor.

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How Do You Decide the Best Project Delivery Approach?

How Do You Decide the Best Project Delivery Approach?

Most major construction projects in the water and wastewater industry have conventionally been delivered through a design-bid-build (DBB) method of delivery. However, collaborative project delivery (CPD) methods are being considered more frequently in the public sector because they can provide a variety of benefits over traditional delivery methods such as time and/or cost savings. It is important to recognize that these benefits sometimes come with trade-offs, such as reduced control or change in risk, so the pros and cons of each CPD method need to be weighed.

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Do You Really Want to Contract with the Greater Fool?

Do You Really Want to Contract with the Greater Fool?

One of my typical roles as an owner advisor is to review proposed construction management at-risk (CMAR) and design-build contracts from a commercial perspective—i.e., what’s the likely marketplace reaction to the contract and is the contract consistent with the philosophy behind collaborative delivery? I am continually amazed by what I see.

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Why Should Water Collaborative Delivery Projects Have an Integrated Design Manager?

Why Should Water Collaborative Delivery Projects Have an Integrated Design Manager?

The idea of an integrated design management role for collaborative delivery projects is not a new one. For over 20 years, vertical commercial collaborative delivery projects have assigned an integrated design manager to drive seamless collaboration for overall project success. However, when describing this position in the water industry, the immediate response is, “What is an integrated design manager?”

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City of Goodyear, Arizona, Takes Critical Step in Ensuring Its Water Future

City of Goodyear, Arizona, Takes Critical Step in Ensuring Its Water Future

In early 2017, the City of Goodyear, Arizona, initiated the procurement process for the implementation of a robust water management plan. On November 1, 2019, construction began on the new $129 million surface water treatment campus with an initial capacity of 8 mgd and future build-out to 16 mgd. The new surface water treatment facility will use state-of-the-art water treatment technology; maintain water quality and quantity for the citizens of Goodyear; and will allow the City to continue its aggressive pace of development and economic growth.

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Timing Can Be A “Risky Business”

Timing Can Be A “Risky Business”

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.

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