DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 12)

feDerAL report//stAte of the sector Meeting the ultimate Deadline WhILE EXpErIEncED DESIGn-BuILD tEaMS can SatISfy thE oBjEctIvES of MILItary conStructIon projEctS, thE WorK IS not WIthout ItS chaLLEnGES. By Mike Duffey, pE the sept. 15, 2011, deadline mandated by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission left no room for delays in project planning, design, scheduling and implementation. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) and Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) had to delineate and manage aggressive, synchronized, fully resourced projects to ensure their success. Design-build teams won contracts for many of these projects. Functioning as a single entity, the teams are comprised of a prime builder contractor, architects, engineers, subcontractors and suppliers, with the prime builder partnering with the USACE or NAVFAC execution agent. Project teams have faced their fair share of challenges on recent BR AC-funded military construction (MILCON) initiatives. Significant budget constraints often hamper the selection of building systems and materials, changing regulatory environments can affect implementation costs and delayed funding appropriations can shake up time-sensitive schedules. An experienced design-build team can meet t hese challenges best by approaching project delivery after careful consideration of the project’s scope, schedule, budget and quality. For example, the integrated method can help eliminate acquisition- and performance-related timelines attributed to traditional design services in the project, reducing the overall timeline by approximately 12 to 18 months. With more challenges sure to come with the next BRAC program, now is the time to examine how experienced design-build teams excel at overcoming problems related to the time-sensitive and complex attributes of MILCON projects. By delivering the best value, design-build teams can ensure future contracts. ApproAchINg coNstrAINts wIth cLArIty Budgets for federal construction projects have long been a challenge for project teams. Future projects will likely be restricted by further cuts. A designbuild team can embrace the creative challenge 12 summer//2012 presented by capital and life-cycle costs, schedule variations, and systems and materials standards to arrive at a true best-value proposition for the project. It enables the assignment of an expected maximum construction cost early during the request-for-proposal (RFP) phase. With input from a design-build team, the selection of systems and materials as well as implementation approaches is considered simultaneously with the completion of the design. The planning and design process can address these factors, allowing the end user and execution agent to make fully informed decisions. For example, design-build teams can evaluate manufacturers of main system components more closely in terms of specific interfaces, installation and operations-maintenance requirements to arrive at the best solutions, while considering factors beyond the initial capital cost of components. coLLABorAtIoN reQuIreD Evolving federal standards, initiatives, requirements and regulations will affect the selection of building systems and materials throughout the project. Many of these directives are the result of sustainable design and development regulations, which followed an executive order signed in 2007 to strengthen federal environmental, transportation-management and energy standards. Whether it is water recycling, energy efficiency or materials finishes, the comprehensive composition of a design-build team incorporates sustainability and technology solutions into construction methods. This trait is crucial when facing the uncharted territory of the evolving federal and project-specific directives that can challenge project budgets. This is where the experience and collective creativity characteristic of a design-build team really shines. For example, a design-build team can compare and evaluate “daylighting” alternatives to determine the best lighting strategies and fixtures for the project, taking into account f unctional, design, construction and operational-maintenance considerations. the quarterly publication of the design-build institute of america

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DBIA IQ Summer 2012

DBIA IQ Summer 2012