<![CDATA[<P>64The Military Engineer l November-December l 2009
project organization and personnel, a
project management plan, technical ap-
proach narrative and a quality control
plan. After review of the Phase 1 submis-
sions, the evaluation team invited four
?rms to compete in the second phase
of the solicitation.
In Phase 2, the remaining offerors made
a pre-proposal site visit then submit-
ted the requirements for a Preliminary
Design Proposal and a Pro Forma Re-
quirements Proposal. Detailed project
design criteria were added by amend-
ment to the solicitation. Each ?rm sub-
mitted a design-technical proposal, ad-
ditional performance capabilities, and
a pro-forma package containing a bid
bond, price proposal and other required
information. Phase 2 evaluation crite-
ria included design (including design
drawing list, speci?cations list and a list
of testing companies and laboratories),
construction schedule, price proposal,
subcontracting plan and a small busi-
ness utilization plan.
Such two-phase acquisition processes
are preferred by design-build contrac-
tors for two reasons: Phase 1 proposal
preparation costs are relatively low, and
limited competition in Phase 2 ?rms in-
creases the likelihood of winning.
Partnering and Collaboration
The design-build acquisition method
fosters highly-effective partnering
among all project stakeholders and is a
critical factor in successful project de-
livery. In this project, key partners in-
cluded CDM (design-builder), USACE
(acquisition and oversight) and the Lake
Borgne Basin Levee District (owner).
Partnering and collaboration were criti-
cal to meeting the demanding schedule
for providing adequate hurricane pro-
tection to St. Bernard Parish.
An initial formal partnering session
held near the project site served as a
stark reminder that the project had a
higher purpose than simply rehabili-
tating three pump stations. The effects
of hurricane Katrina—empty houses,
debris and Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency trailers—were clearly
evident. Amid this dramatic landscape,
the project stakeholders agreed to criti-
cal goals that would de?ne successful
delivery of the project. One goal was to
integrate sustainability into the project
by reusing functional existing facilities
and infrastructure in order to save time,
money and construction materials.
The project stakeholders agreed to
come together for a second formal
partnering session to review the prog-
ress toward the established goals and
to reinvigorate the sense of urgency to
provide ?ood protection to the parish.
This commitment to reconvene the
project partners reemphasized the im-
portance of collaboration for project
success. To reinforce the collaborative
design-build mindset, project partners
completed design-build team training
tailored speci?cally for the St. Bernard
Parish pump stations project.
Benefits of Design-Build
The project partners learned how de-
sign-build processes foster teamwork
and maintain focus on the big-picture
goal, in this case providing ?ood pro-
tection to the residents of St. Bernard
Parish. This focus enabled the team to
develop several technical innovations.
For example, the team improved on
the procedures for inspecting exist-
ing discharge pipes, which typically
require divers to enter the piping for
visual inspections. By applying sonar
technology, the team averted the need
to send divers into alligator- and snake-
infested piping, ultimately saving time
and money. Another innovation was
assignment to the project by CDM of a
design quality control manager and a
construction quality control manager.
By assigning senior professionals to
oversee quality control, the team com-
pleted deliverables that required very
few design comments and construction
modi?cations, again reducing project
costs and accelerating completion.
The design-build approach further
provided a most effective procedure for
addressing unanticipated conditions.
USACE and CDM collaborated in the
design, cost estimate and selection of
the best alternative to resolve each is-
sue. All project partners would discuss
the pros and cons of the potential so-
lutions, and then USACE would select
the best solution and direct CDM to
complete the work. This continuous
collaboration greatly reduced the time
required for the team to respond to
changed conditions.
Additionally, because the engineers
and construction personnel were em-
ployed by the same contractor, they
were experienced in working together
and were strongly motivated to always
act in concert. This synergy enabled the
team to:
• use early-start packages that allowed
the construction of the foundation
system to start before design of the
structures was complete;
• adapt rapidly to owner-requested
changes to accommodate the operat-
ing conditions of the pumps and to
purchase pumps early; and
• respond quickly to changes in the
scope of work, such as redesigning
the pile foundation system to accom-
modate the effects of an unforeseen
nearby sewer force main.
Project Results
Essential for the recovery of St. Ber-
nard Parish, the pump stations rehabili-
tation project has been an unquali?ed
success that is attributable to the teams
diligent application of the design-build
approach. Effective partnering and con-
stant collaboration enabled the team to
achieve the project goals of providing
risk mitigation for St. Bernard Parish in
time for the 2008-2009 hurricane sea-
son; completing a high-quality project
within budget and on time with no re-
cordable accidents; and maintaining a
strong sense of urgency throughout the
project.
The design-build method enabled
the team to deliver the project one year
faster than had been estimated for tra-
ditional design-bid-build project deliv-
ery. Like most successful design-build
projects, the St. Bernard Parish pump
stations rehabilitation was character-
ized by a high level of purpose, trust,
collaboration and teamwork among
the project stakeholders. This project
serves as compelling evidence that a
critical USACE civil works project can
be executed using design-build.
Col. Bob Davis, P.E., F. SAME, USA (Ret.), is
Vice President, CDM Federal Programs Corp.;
703-814-7338, or davisrj@cdm.com.</p>
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