Design-Build Contracting

Instructor

Douglas D. Gransberg, Ph.D., P.E., CCE, M.ASCE
Dr Gransberg is an Associate Professor of Construction Science at the University of Oklahoma. He received both his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Oklahoma, Texas and Oregon, a Certified Cost Engineer, and a Designated Design-Build Professional. Before moving to academia, he spent over twenty years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In his final posting, Professor Gransberg was the Europe District’s Area Engineer stationed in Ankara, Turkey where he pioneered the use of Design-Build to deliver facilities in remote locations. In 1997, he completed a contract with the Texas Department of Transportation to develop the documentation necessary to implement Design-Build upon legislative approval. He is a member of the Oklahoma Governor’s Task Force on Construction Law and helped draft the legislation that authorized Design-Build contracting for public projects in Oklahoma. Professor Gransberg's research is primarily in the area of highway project delivery. He also owns an active Design-Build consulting practice with many of his clients being public owners such as the Federal Highway Administration, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, the US Agency for International Development, and the Texas Department of Transportation. He also assists design-builders, architect/engineering firms, and construction contractors on projects delivered using alternative methods.

Keith R. Molenaaar, PH.D., M.ASCE
Dr. Molenaar is an Associate Professor with the Construction Engineering and Management (CEM) Program in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is responsible for teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in construction. His research focuses on alternative delivery strategies for constructed facilities and infrastructure. He has conducted design-build and project delivery research for the US General Services Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials and other public and private agencies. With funding from the National Science Foundation and participation from 56 Federal, State and Local agencies, Dr. Molenaar developed a Web-based advisory system to aid public sector agencies in successfully implementing design-build delivery of constructed facilities. Upon completion of his B.S.in Architectural Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Dr. Molenaar worked for Architectural Resource Consultants, Inc. where he specialized in pre-construction planning for owners and designers. Dr. Molenaar then received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a Designated Design-Build Professional. Before returning to the University of Colorado as a faculty member, Dr. Molenaar was employed as an assistant professor in the Construction Engineering and Management program in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Molenaar is currently Subcommittee Chair of Member Education for the Design-Build Institute of America’s (DBIA) Education Committee and an active member of the DBIA Infrastructure Committee. He was recognized with the Distinguished Academic Leadership Award by the DBIA in 2000. He is currently the Secretary for the American Society of Civil Engineer’s (ASCE) Construction Research Council. He is also a member of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) and the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International (ACCE).

Course Description

In the last decade, the Design-Build (DB) method of contracting has been increasing steadily.Since 1982, the volume of domestic DB contracts has grown from $6 billion to $56 billion and now represents 23 percent of the non-residential U.S. market. Both private and public owners are using this method to accrue savings in both costs and time by streamlining the project delivery process. The Department of Defense Nonappropriated Fund projects showed savings of 18% in costs and 14% in time (DBIA, 1996).A Florida DOT study found that DB projects change order costs were reduced to only 1.99% of award cost compared to DBB cost growth of 8.78%. The study also showed that average DB construction time was 21.1% shorter, and most strikingly, actual DB procurement times (i.e. from concept to turnover) were 54% shorter than conventional projects. To achieve these returns, the DB project concept must be well developed, and the design process must be totally coordinated with the construction. This seminar will help you to understand the dynamics of this innovative process and will impart the technical management skills you will need to capitalize on DB’s potential.

This seminar is a series of learning modules that have been developed to break down the DB decision-making process into its component steps and reassemble it into a straightforward, logical methodology for the development of DB projects from the owner’s standpoint. The seminar will alternate between lecture/discussion periods and short, high-impact team exercises that are designed to reinforce the preceding lecture’s learning objectives. Additionally, case studies of actual DB projects will be used to illustrate many of the seminar’s points.

Learning Objectives

• Learn to select projects that will potentially benefit from a DB delivery
• Find out how to optimize the balance between performance specified requirements and method specified requirements
• Avoid costly and time-consuming errors due to poorly written DB RFP’s
• Understand the complex relationships between design and construction on a fast-track project
• Learn how to accrue both time and cost savings by properly implementing a DB program
• Learn how to develop definitive performance criteria and apply them to DB RFPs, evaluation plans, and contract administration after award

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students’ achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed through examples, case-studies, class discussion, and problem-solving exercises.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for engineers and architects who represent owners wishing to procure a project using Design-Build. It is also effective for those large public and private owners who have in-house technical expertise and contract for their own design and construction services. While this course is designed for owners, and construction managers, contractors and attorneys may also benefit from this seminar.