Impact of Project Delivery Method on Final Project Quality: Perceptions in the Transportation Industry

Recent Transportation Research Board-sponsored studies on project delivery methods in airport, highway, and transit agencies found that many agencies have gained experience with alternative project delivery methods (PDM) and now consciously pair a transportation project’s requirements with an appropriate delivery method. These agencies have experienced successful projects using traditional Design-Bid-Build (DBB), as well as the integrated methods, Construction Manager-at-Risk (CMR), and Design-Build (DB). This paper combines the results of the studies in the three modes and seeks to differentiate experienced practitioners’ perceptions in 19 agencies of how project delivery method choice impacts design and construction quality. Integrated project delivery methods’ major advantage was found to lie in the collaboration between the designer and the builder during the preconstruction phase. Preconstruction collaboration does not happen automatically by merely deciding to use integrated delivery. This paper reports the results of structured interviews on this topic regarding those elements of preconstruction collaboration which were seen to have enhanced transportation project quality. It concludes that the most important factors are the qualifications and experience of the team and the ability to get early constructor involvement in the design process. It also found that the use of guaranteed maximum price rather than lump sum payment provisions in CMR and DB projects was perceived to maximize the benefits associated with these project delivery methods.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Shane, Jennifer S
  • Gransberg, Douglas D
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 90th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2011-1-23 to 2011-1-27
• Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: DVD
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 10p
• Monograph Title: TRB 90th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Construction management; Construction manager at risk; Construction projects; Contractors; Design build; Project management; Quality of work; Transportation departments
• Uncontrolled Terms: Project delivery methods
• Subject Areas: Construction; Transportation (General); I50: Construction and Supervision of Construction;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01334264
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 11-0397
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 28 2011 7:45AM