Due to weather conditions, the Florida Highway Patrol has closed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Construction
Defining Design-Build
Design-build
is a method of facilities project delivery in which one entity, the
designbuilder,
forges a single contract with the owner to provide for architectural/engineering design
and construction services. The potential
benefits of this project delivery method include:
| * single point of responsibility | * reduced administrative burden for owner |
| * better quality control | * early knowledge of costs |
| * opportunity for innovation |
*
time savings |
| * cost savings + improved risk management |
Independent
research on project performance has shown that design-build, when compared with
traditional design and low-bid contracting, is 33% faster, 6% less in unit cost, superior
in product quality, and generates less than half the claims and litigation.
Is Design-Build a New Idea?
Design-build
is a process that was applied as early as 1800 BC in ancient Mesopotamia, when the Code of
Hammurabi assigned master builders absolute responsibility for design and construction. Many of the great buildings of the past stand
today as monuments to the hard work and talent of master builders, as well as to the
viability of the single-source design-build approach.
Who Uses Design-Build Today?
Design-build
is the project delivery system of choice on more than 50 percent of the non-residential
construction projects in the European Community and more than 70 percent in Japan. In the United States, the private sector's use of
design-build has been increasing during the past thirty years, and is found in a wide
array of commercial, institutional and industrial applications. In the U.S. public sector, the federal
government, as well as many states and local governments, employ design-build
contracting for a significant percentage of their building programs. Overall, the use of design-build has grown from 5%
of U.S. construction in 1 985 to 33% in 1 999, and is projected to surpass low-bid
construction in 2005.
About the Design-Build Institute of America
The
Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) was founded in 1993 to provide a voice for
design-build practitioners, to advocate best practices, to create and disseminate
educational information, and to furnish advice and support to facility owners and users. Its membership includes design-builders,
construction contractors, design professionals, subcontractors, representatives of
government agencies, academics and other professionals.
The
Design-Build Institute of America is the leading source of information and expertise
about the design-build process.
Tel: 202.682.0110
E-mail: dbia@dbia.org
Web: www.dbia.org
