Design-bid-build is one, if not the most common method of project delivery implemented in industries around the world, both public and private. Although new ways of tackling construction projects prove more efficient and more accessible, the popularity of design-bid-build says a lot about the project delivery method’s workability, even if it is not necessarily perfect.
New Methods
One of those efficient, accessible alternatives to design-bid-build aims to simplify the entire process. Through the design-build method, companies can streamline the workflow by hiring a single provider and signing a single contract.
While design-bid-build splits the two components of a project into separate entities, design-build re-integrates both steps and enlists a single contractor to carry them out. By delegating work to a single entity, rather than having to coordinate with two or more, projects are single-mindedly completed. Contractors from hantoclarke.com say that design-build enables a level of focus that two or more contractors cannot achieve at no additional cost.
Across the Board Better
The advantages of design-build extend beyond workflow simplicity. According to a study by the Construction Industry Institute (CII) and Penn State, which studied 351 various project types and sectors ranging from 5,000 to 2.5 million square feet found design-build as the superior project delivery method across several metrics.
Researchers found that in design-build projects, the unit costs are 6.1 percent lower compared to design-bid-build projects. Construction speeds were 12 percent faster, while delivery speeds were 33.5 percent faster. The study also showed that in terms of growth, costs increased 5.2 percent less and schedules extended 11.4 percent less in design-build projects.
More and more industries are discovering the benefits of adopting design-build as their primary project delivery method. While there are certain types of construction projects in certain sectors that will always be better carried out with the help of multiple contractors, the design-build approach proves to be the superior option for most settings and types of projects.