IQ Spring 2012: The Conference Issue - (Page 14)

Water/WasteWater //state of the sector rain or shine, the Water flows a LarGE-ScaLE proJEct prEparED capE coraL for LarGE-ScaLE fUtUrE GroWth. photo courtesy of Shepherd, p.c. The demand for more water lead to the City of Cape Coral’s decision to use design-build for its water-treatment facility expansion. By todd rich IN the earLy 2000s, Cape Coral, Fla., experienced explosive growth. This population boom had advantages, but it brought problems as well. One dilemma was the increased—and increasing—need for water that put heavy demands on water utilities. In 2003 the city issued a request for proposal to expand the water-treatment facility’s capacity to meet current and anticipated demand. The City of Cape Coral decided to use design-build from the start. Having a single point of contact for the project was a priority partly because the city’s earlier experience with design-bid-build had been rife with problems. WINNINg crIterIa When evaluating candidates, the city first and foremost wanted to work with a design-builder that understood its requirements. The successful design-builder would work with not only the water-treatment facility’s current requirements but enable it to meet future needs. Other factors were the winning team’s past experience, the personnel it would work with on the project and the size and structure of the organization. The city was looking for a partner, a designbuilder who could work with its staff as part of a team. The winning design-builder would need to provide the entire range of services needed to bring the new water-reclamation facility (WRF) online, from initial studies to planning through site development and on to construction. In addition, at close-out, the design-builder would have to prepare operations and maintenance manuals and train city staff. The winning design-builder would, as the sole contact for the city, manage selecting and contracting with subcontractors. The city also needed a firm that could handle cost estimates, financial assistance and permit applications. By January 2004, the city’s Selection Advisory Committee had short-listed three firms. After presentations and interviews, the committee chose MWH Constructors, Inc. The company had more than five years of experience with the city, enabling MWH to demonstrate that it truly understood the 14 spring//2012 the quarterly publication of the design-build institute of america

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IQ Spring 2012: The Conference Issue

IQ Spring 2012: The Conference Issue