Design-build Projects Research Articles

A comparative analysis of project performance: Public–Private Partnership (P3) Highway Projects vs. Design-Build (DB) and Design-Bid-Build (DBB) Highway Projects

Public–private partnerships (P3) have become increasingly significant in both advanced and emerging economies in recent years. In the United States, P3 contracts have been utilized across a wide range of infrastructure sectors. However, it is crucial to evaluate how P3 projects perform in terms of cost and schedule compared to traditional project delivery methods to make informed decisions. This study focuses on comparing the performance of P3 highway projects with those delivered through design-build (DB) and design-bid-build (DBB) methods, particularly in terms of cost and schedule growth. Statistical analyses revealed that P3 highway projects showed a mean cost growth of 2.12%, whereas DB projects recorded 8.95% and DBB projects 7.27%. In terms of schedule growth, P3 projects had a mean growth of 0.59%, while DB projects experienced 37.94% and DBB projects 31.39%. These findings provide valuable insights to support decision-making for future projects, benefiting government agencies, private companies, and other stakeholders in infrastructure development. The results can assist in choosing the appropriate project delivery method, potentially minimizing disputes and project failures.

A Hybrid Decision Support System for Partition Walls

Partition walls play a crucial role in buildings, influencing their aesthetics, functionality, and integration with other architectural elements. However, the selection process for partition wall types is often challenging due to the multitude of options available, varying decision criteria, and inadequate decision-making practices in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. To address these challenges and improve decision-making, a hybrid Decision Support System (DSS) named PartitionWall Pro is proposed. This tool combines both document-driven and model-driven approaches to assist in the selection and design of partition walls. The document-driven aspect utilizes a choosing-by-advantages (CBA) model to compare the advantages of different partition wall options, while the model-driven component employs computational design models to analyze the structural integrity of unreinforced masonry partition walls. Validation procedures ensure the reliability and accuracy of the DSS in practical applications. Through case studies involving a warehouse and a school, the study demonstrates how the DSS simplifies decision-making processes and encourages the adoption of cost-effective partition wall solutions. The results underline the potential of the DSS to enhance efficiency, foster stakeholder discussions, and improve communication in building design projects, thereby offering valuable insights for researchers and industry professionals alike, ultimately transforming partition wall design practice.

A Critical Assessment of Material Price Adjustment Clauses for Transportation Design–Build Projects

A Critical Assessment of Material Price Adjustment Clauses for Transportation Design–Build Projects

Application Strategies of Modular Design in Assembled Teaching Buildings

As an efficient, environmentally friendly, energy-saving construction method, assembled buildings are now widely used in campus building construction. Modular design thinking is system-based design thinking, and its application to the design of an assembled teaching building project will comprehensively improve the rationality of the teaching building and component design. The paper focuses on the application of modular design thinking in assembled teaching building design, aiming to provide references for China’s architectural design units, giving full play to the advantages of modular design thinking in future teaching building design projects, and enhancing the level of design, for the construction of the teaching building and the basis of the technical guarantee.

Influential factors for risk assessment and allocation on complex design-build infrastructure projects; the Texas experience

Introduction: The design-build (DB) delivery method is used to deliver increasingly complex transportation infrastructure projects associated with higher uncertainty. As such, allocating risks in the contract between the owner and design-builder becomes challenging and often leads to higher initial bids, increased contingency, or claims. Learnings from implementation worldwide have underlined the need for improving risk allocation in DB contracts. Most existing studies address risk allocation mechanisms to manage contingency at the contract level. Other studies have recognized the need for owners to adapt their processes to better allocate risks in DB contracts. This study explored the influential factors for risk assessment and allocation for complex DB infrastructure projects, addressing the opportunity to improve transportation owners’ risk allocation processes before the design-builder is selected and the DB contract is awarded.Method: The objectives of this work were achieved by utilizing empirical data collected through 20 interviews with Texas Department of Transportation and private sector experts. The interview data were analyzed using inductive and axial coding. Inductive coding allowed themes to emerge without a pre-existing framework, identifying six influential factors and six pertinent risks on complex DB projects.Results: These factors include the (i) Quality of DB teams, (ii) Level of up-front investigation, (iii) Limitations on the timing of letting, (iv) Design optimization opportunities, (v) Project-specific requirements, and (vi) Relationships with third parties. Through axial coding, the interaction and frequency between the factors and risks were also examined. The coded interactions demonstrated how the identified factors influence allocation for six pertinent risks including right-of-way acquisition, stakeholder approval, site conditions, permits and third-party agreements, railroad interaction, and utility adjustments and coordination. Findings indicate that the evaluation of these interactions can shift the risk allocation from baseline norms established by an agency to correspond to project-specific needs.Contribution: In contributing to the infrastructure project management, this is the first study to examine the factors that influence risk allocation in complex DB projects and examine interactions with pertinent risks, setting the foundation for optimizing allocation based on project-specific needs. In practice, the findings presented in this study can guide owners in adapting their allocation practices, managing, and developing their strategic plan for delivering complex DB projects. The findings can also assist contractors in pricing risks more efficiently and increase competitive bidding.

Optimizing Quality Control and Assurance of Design-Build Transportation Projects through Alignment of RFP Selection Criteria with Owners Expectations

Optimizing Quality Control and Assurance of Design-Build Transportation Projects through Alignment of RFP Selection Criteria with Owners Expectations

Validating the Relative Importance of Technology Diffusion Barriers– Exploring Modular Construction Design-Build Practices in the UK

ABSTRACT This research investigates the low use of modular construction despite its recognized cost, time, quality, safety, and sustainability advantages. Using technology diffusion theory, this study seeks to identify and rank the characteristics that impede modular building adoption, such as relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. A survey of industry professionals in the United Kingdom was undertaken, and the results, validated by a one-sample t-test, showed that attitudes toward modular building, rather than technical difficulties, are the key impediments to broad adoption. The degree to which modular construction resonates with prospective adopters’ current values, past experiences, and requirements determines its acceptance. Traditional mind-sets, the presence of traditional constructs, resistance to change, prior attitudes, bid prices, hesitation, and skepticism are all associated with non-adoption. Professional positions serve as a bridge between adopters and non-adapters. The research also emphasizes the importance of design-build project delivery systems and early supplier chain participation in accelerating the mainstream adoption of modular construction.

Architects from Different Fields of Activities in Lithuania and their Specific Mindsets

Abstract The paper focuses on the heterogeneity of the Lithuanian architects’ community across different fields of practice, including building design, building design and other projects, urban design, interior design, and other underrepresented design or non-design activities. It is based on a sociological survey involving 450 practising architects in Lithuania. The study identifies the distinct attitudes of each activity group towards architecture, architectural practice, and professional paths, generalises the profiles of these activity groups, and detects shared similarities or discrepancies among them. Architects involved in building design and those working on building design and other projects tend to share similar attitudes, forming the foundational worldview of the architectural community due to their quantitative prevalence. Interior designers and architects engaged in underrepresented design or non-design activities demonstrate relatively autonomous approaches. The latter group may either stand-alone or cluster with urban designers. The divergences in attitudes may lead to miscommunication within the professional community.

Awareness of building sustainability: A case of architectural students of Kaduna state university

Sustainability has gained increasing significance within the field of architecture due to the growing urgency caused by climate change. However, despite its paramount importance, many architecture students often lack the necessary preparation to fully integrate sustainable practices into their architectural projects. Consequently, this research aims to investigate the extent of sustainability awareness among architectural students in Nigeria and how effectively they incorporate sustainability principles into their building design projects. To gather data from the university's architectural students, a questionnaire survey was conducted. The assessment of awareness encompassed inquiries about the definition of sustainable building and its potential benefits, while the evaluation of application focused on the utilization of building sustainability principles which are: energy usage, water usage, material usage, occupants' health and environmental impact. 169 filled questionnaires were collected and analysed. The results indicated that higher-level students possess a good understanding of the term “building sustainability” and are well-informed about the characteristics and benefits of sustainable buildings. Regarding the application of sustainable principles, these students frequently incorporate natural ventilation and lighting into their building designs as methods to save energy. However, they tend to overlook factors such as using sustainable materials and generating renewable energy to reduce cooling loads. In terms of water and material usage, most students rarely give consideration to these aspects in their designs. On the other hand, students display a high level of awareness about how their building designs impact both the health of occupants and the environment. The majority consistently take into account occupants' health and environmental effects when designing. The findings from this study highlight the importance of integrating sustainability into architectural education early on, ensuring that graduates are well-prepared to incorporate sustainable practices into their future architectural designs.

Comparing time and cost performance of DBB and DB public construction projects in Kuwait

Kuwait is an enormous construction site as many vital public projects are under construction or in preparatory stages to achieve the vision of a New Kuwait by 2035. However, the new Public Tenders Law No. 49 of 2016 authorized the sole operation of the Design-Bid-Build (DBB) method as the delivery system method, preventing the employment of Design-Build (DB). Hence, this research undertook a comparative analysis of cost and time performance of DBB and DB public construction projects in Kuwait for the first time, marking the originality of this study. Moreover, 160 projects were collected from four government entities. Then, the total collected projects were categorized based on contract types and project sizes depending on contract cost. This research has recognized that DB has superior performance compared to DBB regarding cost growth for all collected projects, both contract types, projects of less than 300,000 KD, and projects between 300,000 and 12 million KD. No statistically significant differences between DBB and DB projects regarding schedule growth were found for all collected projects, both contract types and project sizes. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the DBB projects’ construction intensity was faster than that of DB projects with a value between 300,00 KD and 12 million KD. For projects that had a value of more than 12 million KD, the DB projects’ construction intensity was faster than that of DBB projects. Hence, it is concluded that the issue is not with the DB delivery systems themselves, but rather with the deployment of these systems.

Multi-objective joint optimization for concurrent execution of design-construction tasks in design-build mode

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is suitable for evaluating schedule optimization of DBB (Design-Bid-Build) projects based on serial execution of design and construction. However, it is not suitable for evaluating the multi-objective joint optimization of DB (Design-Build) projects based on concurrent execution of design and construction. Therefore, focusing on the unique construction method and construction objective under DB mode, this study adopts the multi-parameter grey GERT (Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique) based on z-tag to construct a multi-objective joint optimization model of concurrent execution of design-construction tasks. The research methods adopted are as follows: Firstly, based on the modeling idea of PERT, a multi-parameter grey GERT was constructed, which was composed of sub-GERTs representing the execution flow of design-construction tasks. Second, based on discussing the functional relationship between time, cost and quality in normal execution and rework execution, a method of constructing a moment generating function for concurrent execution time, cost and quality to characterize the uncertainty of input and output parameters is proposed. Thirdly, on the basis of analyzing the solving methods of each parameter of the multi-parameter GERT, the solving methods for starting execution time, information transmission duration, and total execution duration of the critical time nodes are given. Finally, according to the requirements of DB projects, the multi-objective joint optimization models based on progress oriented and quality oriented are constructed respectively, and the gamultiobj algorithm is used to solve the models. The proposed approach provides a scientific quantitative analysis method for evaluating the progress, cost and quality objectives of the concurrent execution of design-construction tasks, and also lays theoretical guidance for further efficiency popularization of DB mode.

Structural design using reclaimed wood – A case study and proposed design procedure

Applying circular economy principles through the structural reuse of reclaimed wood in new construction can reduce the climate impact of the construction industry. The ability to reuse reclaimed wood products in new structural design is limited by the modern wood industry and design process. This paper describes the implementation of new processes that allow designers to account for variability in the dimension and mechanical properties of reclaimed wood in a case study design-build project on the Cornell University campus in 2022. Dimension variability was approached with a parametric design workflow. The assignment of mechanical property design values to reclaimed wood was approached through species identification, functions that related mechanical properties to specific gravity, and static bending tests. The process based on species identification was sufficient but led to underutilization of structural members. A design method which uses adjusted functions that relate mechanical properties to specific gravity is proposed.

Evaluation of Design Process of Commercial Construction Project Based on Lean Design Concept

To determine design reliability, this study paper evaluates the design process of commercial construction projects. To streamline design efforts, decrease needless design errors, and boost design reliability, a new design workflow will be developed using commercial building concepts. The suggested procedures will give team members input on the state of the design and enable ongoing development. One of the pioneering applications of the lean methodology to building project design will be the proposed processes. Labour overruns, inadequate monitoring, and control, a lack of competence on the part of the contractor's key staff, poor planning or scheduling, and poor planning and monitoring of the refurbishment project were the top 5 variables influencing the commercial construction design process.

Development Of Risk-Based Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Standards For Integrated Design And Construction Phase On Design-Build Method Of Architectural Works Of High-Rise Building To Improve Construction Safety Performance

Design-build methods are one of the options in carrying out the construction of high-rise buildings with a high level of uncertainty from design phase to construction, which also affects the safety performance of the project itself. Therefore, a prevention standard for a high-risk event is needed based on project activities. This research was prepared using a descriptive qualitative method with expert validation process through Delphi method and completed with a questionnaire survey to conduct a risk assessment. The output in this research is a development of risk-based standard work breakdown structure for architectural work, which generated from 39 high level risk. Based on the results of the mapping of preventive and corrective actions at high-level risks, 5 types of WBS development can be carried out at levels 3 to 6 of the WBS to prevent and minimize the impact of risk so that safety performance could be improved. The novelty in this research lies in the form of design-build project delivery activities which has not been widely discussed in previous work breakdown structure research and risk identification based on the activities listed on the WBS.

Critical Success Factors Framework of Value Management for Design and Build Infrastructure Projects

The Design Build (DB) approach is gaining popularity in many countries as it allows a single entity to handle both design and construction, making it a preferred choice for infrastructure projects. With the design process carried out by a team to achieve design constructability, implementing Value Management (VM) in Design Build projects is advantageous and can lead to cost-effective designs. While most studies have concentrated on identifying the important criteria that lead to the effective deployment of VM in infrastructure projects in general, the success factors of VM in DB delivery systems remain unknown. This study aims to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) in the three main stages of the VM workshop and their supporting factors in infrastructure projects delivered under DB system. To achieve the research aim, a questionnaire was distributed to DB contractors involved in infrastructure projects in Indonesia. The Relative Important Index approach was applied to 28 factors, and the analysis revealed the CSFs for each stage of the VM workshop, along with a critical supporting factor. The analysis revealed that there are three CSFs for the pre-study and study stages and one for the post-study stage. The identified CSFs provide a framework for VM success in Design Build projects. The three CSFs in the pre-study stage relate to VM objectives, project information completeness, and personnel involved in the VM workshop. At the study stage, VM success depends on the VM process, the development of alternative designs, and the VM team's innovation. In the post-study stage, VM success is linked to the VM implementation process and developing an execution plan. The cooperation of all stakeholders in implementing the VM workshop results is a critical supporting factor for VM in a DB project.

Assessment Model of Interactions Required in Design Teams in High-Rise Building Projects

There is a lack of knowledge of the interactions required over time among the members of a building project design team. Without a specific target, it is impossible to identify gaps to propose improvement plans in the coordination and management of projects in the early stages. Therefore, this study proposes a model of the required interaction among the members of a building project design team during the different phases of the design process. The research was divided into three stages: (1) design team interactions; (2) construction of ideal interaction networks and proposed evaluation model; and (3) pilot cases—evaluation and analysis. Through this study, eight ideal networks were constructed, four for each interaction (information flow, collaboration, and coordination) and one for each design phase. In addition, a series of metrics were proposed to evaluate the current state of a building project, which, together with the constructed model networks, allowed the development of an evaluation method for real projects. Finally, two pilot cases were used to exemplify the use of the proposed model tool.

Improving Speech Intelligibility from PA Systems in Transportation Terminals

ACRP 175 was published in 2018 and provides basic guidelines for design, installation, and operation of public address systems in airport terminals. There are approximately 400 airports in the US, and with over 550 underground stations and 2,600 above ground stations in the US , many of these guidelines developed for airports can also be easily adapted for these transit stations. This paper provides an overview of ACRP 175 guidance with a focus on key factors for successful design and commissioning. As part of the research acoustic field studies were performed at six airports and a total of 45 different spaces including ticketing, concourse, gate lounges, food courts, arrival/departure halls, baggage claim, and curbside locations. We describe experience using ACRP 175 on current design-build projects and discuss other relevant industry standards.

Evaluating Design-Level Designation of Owner-Provided Data for Transportation Design-Build Projects Based on Case Studies

Evaluating Design-Level Designation of Owner-Provided Data for Transportation Design-Build Projects Based on Case Studies

Critical Coordination Factors Affecting Design and Build Projects

The design and build projects (DB) have increased in numbers in the last few decades. DB method is becoming more popular than the traditional method in Malaysia, especially in national projects.However, design-build projects may suffer from a significant number of problems, such as conflicts between the project parties (designers, contractors, and owners), resulting in poor performance and poor quality. One common cause of project failure of conventional projects is poor coordination and communication process. It has been found that no such study has been found to identify the coordination factors that might affect the project’s success. To fill this gap, this research aims to establish a framework of coordination factors affecting DB projects’ performance in Malaysia. This study uses a mixed methodology approach to identify critical coordination factors by a comprehensive review of the literature. The identified factors were categorized, ranked, and prioritized according to their influence on project performance using a quantitative approach. It is found that scheduling and planning, human resource coordination, documentation & records coordination, contract implementation coordination, value engineering and quality assurance, technical coordination, design coordination, management coordination, and external coordination are the significant factors of coordination that may affect the performance of construction projects. This study provides empirical evidence by correlating the identified coordination factors with DB project performance. Identification of coordination factors will help in enhancing and improving the performance of design and build projects.

The Effect of Project Communications Management on Project Time Performance

The construction industry plays a significant role in the country, while project delays cause various problems. Regarding that, communication is very influential on the project performance, especially time performance. This study aims to identify the factors that affect project communications, identify the effect of project communications management on project time performance, and analyze project communications management strategies for improving time performance. The calculation of the Relative Importance Index was carried out to determine the factors that affect project communications. Meanwhile, a simple linear regression analysis was carried out to find out the magnitude of the effect of project communications management on project time performance. The project communications management strategy was obtained by mapping stakeholders using the power/interest grid method. The data was collected based on observations and the results of questionnaires filled out by 38 respondents, consisting of the owner, supervisor consultant, and contractor on the design-build project used as a case study. The results showed the top 10 factors influencing project communications with the highest Relative Importance Index value. The simple linear regression analysis result showed that project communications management has a positive and significant effect on project time performance with a coefficient of determination value of 69.6%. The suggested project communications management strategy is to optimize the application of the main factors of project communications, tailored to the result of the power/interest grid for each project stakeholder.