Advantages and Disadvantages of Design Build Project Delivery Method Research Paper

Advantages and Disadvantages of Design Build Project Delivery Method - Research Paper Example It can be observed that convectional methods of project delivery have given way to more creative methods, and this has been done so to save time, save money, and to provide a more coordinated team approach with objective of reducing litigation. Each project delivery method has benefits as well as its own limitations. Design-built project delivery method constitutes one of the modern popular project construction methods (Darren, Pramen, Fasce & Masce 579). The premise of this method is that the owner hires one entity, which is a design-builder, and this design entity becomes the sole provider of both design and construction services (American Institute of Architects 504-505). Subsequently, the financing of the project remains the responsibility of the owner. More so, this method requires a clearly defined scope of work which in some cases may constitute existing prototype design, while also ensuring cost commitment is made early in the design process. Advantages In a study carried out by Roth (1995) involving six design build (DB) projects for Navy childcare facilities constructed through MILCON process, the author established that use of DB significantly reduced costs specifically those associated with design and construction (Darren, Pramen, Fasce & Masce p.580). ... The overall conclusion of the author was that, having critical skills of project management on the part of project managers coupled with experience of contractor led to greater results on the performance of the project than compared to project delivery method. At the same time, studies have been carried out to establish the relative time DB projects take as compared to DBB, and conclusion derived is that time can be saved by using DB project delivery method (Darren, Pramen, Fasce & Masce p.580). Evaluation of studies indicate that numerous methods were used and multivariate models were used with examination of unit cost, construction speed, delivery speed, cost growth and schedule growth, and in all these aspects DB performed better that DBB . Carrying out similar studies Molenaar et al. (1999) used DB project delivery method and analyzed 104 public-sector design/build projects (Darren, Pramen, Fasce & Masce p.580). At the end of the study, the authors ascertained that DB projects pe rformed better in terms of cost, time and quality, although the study did not compare these findings to any other project delivery method. Warne (2005) on the other hand took great effort to research, and published a report concerning performance assessment of DB contracting for highway projects. Carrying out study on 21 projects across the country, the author established that DB projects had better price certainty and also majority of DB projects were completed a head of schedule (Darren, Pramen, Fasce & Masce p.580). Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) in 2006 carried out a comparison project performance of DB highway projects against those of DBB highway projects and results indicated that DB projects possessed higher cost growth but lower schedule growth when