FAQ: Project Delivery

The Construction Institute defines constructability as “the optimal use of construction knowledge and experience in planning, design, procurement, and field operations to achieve overall project objectives.

The critical path of a construction project is the sequence of tasks with no float time (the amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the project end date or the start of the next activity) that must be completed to avoid impacting the overall schedule. A delay in completing any one of these activities may delay the completion of the project as a whole. Prioritizing critical activities and scheduling them accordingly is known as the Critical Path Method (CPM). A GC that employs an in-house labor force is better positioned to influence schedule and maintain the critical path.

Biddable drawings and specs provide quantities, dimensions and details, and are coordinated across disciplines to determine a precise estimate of the cost of work. These drawings and specs typically lack enough detail to order materials or install the work. Buildable drawings and specs are fully coordinated and contain all the details necessary for materials and installation.

A Request for Information (RFI) is a business process used in construction to request clarification about documents, drawings, specifications, or other project conditions. RFIs are used to resolve information gaps, eliminate ambiguities, and capture and share specific decisions during the course of the project.

In design-build construction an owner enters into a single contract to cover both the architectural design services and the physical construction of the build, streamlining the collaboration, communication and coordination process.

Design-to-build is an approach to delivering projects that spans design, construction and turnover. Unlike design-build, which is a form of contract, design-to-build enhances the bonds between design and construction by providing the people, processes and tools to close the gaps. With design-to-build, all the expertise needed on a project is available upfront and throughout the entire project lifecycle. It is intrinsically more collaborative than a sequential approach, and drives greater ownership and control of aesthetics, performance and quality.

Design-bid-build is the traditional method for project delivery in which the agency or owner contracts with separate entities for the design and construction of a project. It involves the completion of three distinct phases in sequence: design, bidding and construction.

Construction Manager at Risk (CM-at-risk) is a project delivery method where the construction manager (CM) is responsible for the project’s cost and schedule, and the owner keeps any savings if the project is completed under budget. The owner hires a CM to oversee the project from design to construction close-out and deliver it with a guaranteed maximum price prior to the bid stage.

In design-assist, the main architect and engineers remain as the Architect of Record (AOR) and Engineer of Record (EOR), but the GC and its trade partners are engaged early to provide certain design services, constructability reviews, and early modeling. Typically, in design assist, the GC and their trade partner(s) must provide a Not to Exceed (NTE) cost for specific scopes of work and coordinate with the AOR and EOR to keep their cost under that NTE.