The Military Engineer ? No. 66671 T he adoption of alternative proj- ect delivery methods on publicly- funded projects is accelerating rapidly, and the future belongs to those ready to respond. The bene?ts—increased ef?ciency, reduced risk and innovative approaches—offer rewards to all stake- holders, including owners, contractors, consultants and taxpayers. Finding new and more creative ways to complete pub- lic works construction projects saves time and money and provides our best hope to integrate into mainstream use emerging best practices in signi?cant areas such as sustainable design and renewable energy. Public infrastructure, including trans- portation, water resource systems and public buildings, continue to be in a steady state of decline nationwide. The collapse of the Interstate 35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis during an August 2007 evening rush hour thrust this issue into the national spotlight. Frequent brownouts and even blackouts in the elec- tric grid and storm-related discharges of sewage into rivers and harbors also high- light the need for immediate infrastruc- ture improvements. Many of our cities and states have al- ready reached crisis mode. Concurrently, sharp and perhaps long-term shortfalls in tax revenues, and a resulting drop in municipal, county, state and federal bud- gets, have translated into decreased fund- ing for infrastructure repairs. Adding to the urgency is widespread dissatisfaction with the lengthy design-bid-build delivery schedules attached to traditional project delivery. These challenges can be met with creative engineering innovation and envi- ronmental advocacy. One of the available paths—already in use by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and other in- ?uential public entities—involves the shift from conventional construction to alter- native project delivery methods. Behind this shift is the realization that traditional methods have become part of the problem rather than the solution. Owner and client needs are changing in every market thanks to a rising demand for accountability and better value. Own- ers and clients need: s projects completed faster than ever, without sacri?cing cost and budget; s one-stop shopping—one ?rm to hold accountable for delivery and quality; s fewer claims from designers and con- tractors, and an absence of adversarial relations frequently evident during tra- ditional delivery methods; s sustainable results that balance ecolog- ical, social and economic factors; and s lifecycle value that considers both con- struction and operation costs. Lessons Applied Collectively, owner and contractor perspectives on how and when to best use alternative delivery methods re- Opportunities for Innovation By Anthony Ferruccio, P.E., Douglas Smith and Candice Somerville, M.SAME With aging infrastructure reaching a crisis mode and funding for projects diminishing, todays owners require the cost-ef?ciency, creativity and agility afforded by alternative delivery methods. The USACE Inner Harbor Navigational Canal project in New Orleans, La., utilized the design- build delivery method to meet an expedited, congressionally-mandated completion date. Photo courtesy USACE Project Delivery Methods
If you would like to view publication without flash plugin, please click on link below
