The term design-build has become a trendy and ubiquitous fixture on many general contractor, construction and architectural websites. But what does this term really mean? More so, how does design-build really benefit a project owner?
First off, let's take a look at the definition of the term. And for this we turn to Wikipedia, which defines design-build as:
Design–build (or design/build, and abbreviated D–B or D/B accordingly) is a project delivery system used in the construction industry. It is a method to deliver a project in which the design and construction services are contracted by a single entity known as the design–builder or design–build contractor.
So in practical terms, there are two generally accepted methods of designing and building a project for delivery to a client. One project delivery method is for the client to order a building from a trusted building fabricator (typically foreign) and have a local contractor erect the imported structure. The other method is design-build: the design, fabrication and erection of the structure is provided by a trusted contractor.
Let's give a real life scenario that will help to illustrate the difference between these two project delivery modes.
A project owner wants to establish a manufacturing facility as an export processing zone within Belize. The project owner consults with a foreign steel building fabricator who designs, fabricates and ships the building to Belize. The project owner consults with a local construction company to take delivery of the building parts and erect the structure according to design plans received from the fabricator.
The local construction company peruses the fabricator-supplied building drawings to familiarise themselves with the building design. Their detailed study of the drawings has a two-fold purpose: learn the fabricator's design conventions, nomenclature and parts; and —perhaps more importantly— accurately calculate the time that will be spent on project delivery in order to provide the project owner with a competitive quote for the job. The construction company finds itself on unfamiliar grounds with the fabricator's design concepts and part numbers. They adjust their bid on the high side in order to compensate for possibly extra time spent deciphering the fabricator's drawings.
During the actual erection stage of the project, the construction company discovers design flaws that require modification by the fabricator. They inform the project owner who in turn communicates these discrepancies to the fabricator. The fabricator agrees to re-design, fabricate and ship the new parts. In the meantime, construction company workers are demobilised until the newly-fabricated parts arrive. Deadlines are missed and additional expenses are incurred. The project is eventually delivered but with protracted delivery times and several change orders to the negotiated contract price.
Let's examine the scenario using the design-build delivery method for the same project. The project owner entrusts the construction company with the design, fabrication and erection of the structure. All stages of the project are handled by the construction company, giving the owner a single point of contact for the duration of the project. The construction company morphs into a design-build company and is entrusted with the sole responsibility of delivering the entire project. The construction company's designers, engineers and on-site workers are intimately familiar with their own in-house conventions and building codes. Design issues may still be inevitable, but necessary modifications are resolved much more rapidly. Cost savings flow back to the project owner in terms of reduced cost of shipping, communication with a single point of contact and faster delivery time, since all project components are sourced locally.
New Buildings recommends the design-build project delivery method for steel structures in Belize. Design-build helps the project owner sidestep the arduous tasks associated with communicating with foreign fabricators and shipping and importation hurdles. But having the peace of mind of a single point of contact for the entirety of the project duration is probably the greatest value project owners derive when they choose to design-build.
Blogging from Your Wix Blog Dashboard
On the dashboard, you have everything you need to manage your blog in one place. You can create new posts, set categories and more. To head to your Dashboard, open the Wix Editor and click on Blog > Posts.
Blogging from Your Published Site
Did you know that you can blog right from your published website? After you publish your site, go to your website’s URL and login with your Wix account. There you can write and edit posts, manage comments, pin posts and more! Just click on the 3 dot icon ( ⠇) to see all the things you can do.
Comentarios