Ingenuity-Fall-2017

8 Pond | www.pondco.com PROJECT DELIVERY Streamlining Airfield Pavement Projects Through Design-Build Delivery Method A version to the Design-Build construction methodology may be related to one of the most costly phrases in design and construction: “This is how we have always done it.” Most of us in the airport industry cringe to varying degrees when we hear those words; but as humans, we are all creatures of habit and naturally tend to resist the unknown or unfamiliar. We mitigate risk, personally and professionally, by sticking with the “tried and true,” even though we know in our hearts that innovation and efficiency are not often found in routine process and procedure. It is this avoidance, in conjunction with a general lack of experiential understanding, that influences many to miss prime opportunities to deploy the Design-Build methodology. Owners, engineers, and contractors alike often associate Design-Build construction exclusively with complex projects such as new terminals, terminal expansions or o t h e r c omp r e h e n s i v e f a c i l i t y improvements. In doing so, we potentially fail to realize the tangible benefits that the method can afford for other projects. This is not to suggest that the Design-Build method is well-suited for any and all capital projects, but typically, it fails to make the shortlist when teams consider how best to bring airfield projects from vision to reality. Design-Build procurement is nothing new to the architectural/engineering/ construction industry at large, having gained much traction in many market sectors during the past 15 years through varied U.S. government procurement systems. Generally, however, it still lags well behind the historical mainstay of government construction contracting- Design-Bid-Build. There are, of course, countless cases over the years where the Design-Build method has delivered success for airport owners and their design-construction teams. But as with the national industry trend, these projects are a minute minority. As it relates to airports, part of this, again, is founded in perception-the idea that Design-Build project delivery is more complicated and therefore less viable for the wide range of airfield pavement projects. There are also unwarranted beliefs that airfield Design-Build projects would somehow fail to meet the criteria for FAA Airport Improvement Program funding, and that airfield projects could not possibly benefit from the many advantages of implementing of a Design- Build approach. These advantages, which are applicable across all project types, include potential As featured in Airport Improvement Magazine

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