Design Build Approach To Project Delivery: The Checks And Balances In The Overall Construction Process

In the late 1990s, the author conducted a Survey of some of the top Owners listed in the Engineering News Record (ENR) to ascertain the prevalent construction contracting practices in the United States. Among the several questions asked of the Owners, one of the Survey questions dealt with the topic of ‘Project Delivery Systems.’ In response to the question, “Which of the following project delivery systems do you use most?” Owners overwhelmingly said, “DesignBid-Build,” but some did say that they used Design-Build on occasions when fast-tracking was needed. However, the number of responses in favor of Design-Build was significantly small. But over time, Design-Build as a project delivery system, has significantly matured and more and more owners are opting to utilize this system either to shorten the project cycle, or to develop a smooth flow between the design and construction phases of the project. Today, Design-Build is no longer limited to complex industrial projects such as oil refineries and power plants but is also being used to build public projects such as prisons, office buildings, industrial facilities, etc. Based on data gathered from the owners, architects, engineers, and the contractors, this paper describes the advantages and disadvantages of Design-Build approach to project delivery and cites actual cases where Design-Build did prove to be a successful approach. Case histories are an important learning tool for students of construction, and should be used in the delivery of construction curriculums with caution and sound professional judgment.