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HEADLINES ADDED: August 14, 2008
Cheesegrater tower faces delays
British Land may delay the construction of its planned London skyscraper dubbed the Cheesegrater as demand for offices dries up.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: July 31, 2008
Olympic stadium and aquatic centre hit by delays
The London 2012 Olympic stadium and aquatics centre have had their completion dates pushed back after being hit by delays.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: June 21, 2008
Survey blasts contractors' time management
Complex construction projects are likely to be completed more than six months late because of bad time management, new research shows.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: June 02, 2008
Upgrading 12 Mile Road
An upgrade of an approximately 1-1/2-mile section of 12 Mile Road between Gratiot and Harper in Roseville and St. Clair Shores includes milling off the existing asphalt down to a concrete surface, doing concrete repairs and joint repairs, and then placing two lifts of asphalt. Cadillac Asphalt, of Clarkston, is the prime contractor for the project.... Read More
Reconstructing Collins Road
Reconstruction of a 2,200-foot section of Collins Road north of Jolly Road in Lansing includes milling, cutting out the subgrade and replacing it with new sand and gravel, replacing catch basins, placing curbs, and paving with asphalt. Collins road is four lanes wide. "We're milling approximately 9,000 square yards of asphalt.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: February 20, 2008
Time and Material (T & M) Contracts
I have read several posts on forums lately from contractors asking for help on how to write a T & M (time and materials) contract. If you know anything about me, you know what I think about T&M contracts. Just say no. The first reason on my “Don’t Do Them” list is that there isn’t any agreement on their definition. Think about it. If you need help writing the contract, doesn’t that mean you don’t know how to define it? I am not being mean and nasty, this is... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: February 12, 2008
Collaborative Project Delivery
One of the new ConsensusDOCS contract forms is entitled "Standard Form of Tri-Party Agreement for Collaborative Project Delivery" (ConsensusDOCS 300). The tri-party, as one would expect, consists of the Owner, the Designer, and the Constructor. The contract form incorporates many concepts that are foreign, and probably antithetical, to traditional project delivery methods.What, really, is Collaborative Project Delivery (CPD)? To understand the concept (at least from the perspective of the drafters of Form 300), a good place to start is to examine the "Collaborative Principles" set out in Article 3... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: February 11, 2008
What does “the owner is not obligated to accept the lowest or any bid” really mean?
How much discretion do you have in the selection of tenders? If you are using standard tender documents, less than you may think.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: February 05, 2008
Future Schools bid costs cut by a third
Building Schools for the Future (BSF) bid costs are to be slashed by up to 30% and procurement time cut by two months under new procurement rules to be introduced...... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: January 30, 2008
Proposed Legislation Amending Alternative Public Works Contracting Methods
... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: January 13, 2008
AIA “Hot Topic”: Target Value Design
lass="pull_ad">Back in the fall 2007, the AIA Practice Management Digest asked Greg Howell, Executive Director of the Lean Construction Institute, to convene a panel of design and construction lean thinkers to write on lean design (for construction). I was one of the invited essayists. I wrote a paper with Greg and John Barberio. Our topic was Target-Value Design. osed that Target-Value Design (TVD) turns the current design practice upside-down. Rather than estimate based on a detailed design, design based on a detailed estimate. Rather than evaluate the constructibility of... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: December 25, 2007
Design-Build Bills Signed into Law
Design-Build Bills Signed into Law... Read More
More Project Efficiency Through Technology
... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: December 20, 2007
AIA California Council issues a working definition of "Integrated Project Delivery"
At the AIA National Convention in San Antonio on May 2, the AIA California Council issued an intriguing working definition of "Integrated Project Delivery." The goal of Integrated Project Delivery is to approach construction projects in a more collaborative way, taking advantage of technological tools such as Building Information Modeling. Click here to view the document published by the AIACC. Integrated Project Delivery calls for earlier and on-going cooperation among all stakeholders on a construction project, including the owner, architect, contractor, subcontractors, suppliers, equipment manufacturers, system integrators and lenders. One key of... Read More
Project Delivery Systems
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HEADLINES ADDED: December 19, 2007
New comprehensive guide for Integrated Project Delivery published
Earlier this month, the American Institute of Architects California Council ("AIACC") and the American Institute of Architects ("AIA") jointly published a comprehensive new guide to Integrated Project Delivery methods. The document is entitled "Integrated Project Delivery: A Guide," and can be downloaded here. The Guide marks an exciting step forward in the development of Integrated Project Delivery concepts and making IPD a viable alternative for the construction industry. The Guide is approximately 57 pages long and is divided into seven chapters. It begins with an updated definition: Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a... Read More
Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Ambitious Plan to Foster Public-Private Partnerships
Governor Schwarzenegger recently announced a plan to promote public-private partnerships in order to meet California’s long-term infrastructure needs. (See Los Angeles Times article.) Public-private partnerships are contractual agreements which are formed between public agencies and one or more private companies whereby the private company finances, builds and manages public facilities for a specified period of time.Public facilities which could benefit from such public-private partnerships include schools, roads, ports, treatment plants and hospitals. Under the terms of the agreement, the private company either rents the newly constructed facility back to the government... Read More
Now Online - Bidder Responsibility Guidelines
... Read More
More on Bidder Responsibility
... Read More
Damage Claims Strike Out at Safeco Field Project
CDS and the Seattle Mariners learned the value of recording the pre-existing condition of a job site after the Safeco Field project was completed in 1999. When Ken Griffey Jr. officially broke ground for the new Seattle Mariners baseball stadium in March of 1997, only a select few people were aware that CDS had actually begun the first preparatory operations for the project several weeks earlier. When the Washington State Major League Baseball Public Facilities District hired CDS to perform Construction Verification during construction of the stadium they specified... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: December 16, 2007
New bill expands design-build authority for transit operators
On September 14, 2006, the Governor signed AB 372 expanding design-build authority for transit operators by revising Public Contract Code sections 20209.5, 20209.7 and 20209.14. Transit operators interested in utilizing the design-build authority for future projects will welcome the useful changes, which include the following: • the dollar threshold for “capital maintenance or capacity-enhancing rail projects” was reduced from $50,000,000 to $25,000,000; • the dollar threshold for all other projects was reduced from $10,000,000 to $2,500,000 (this matches the design-build authority for counties under Public Contract Code section 20133); • design-build... Read More
"Best Value" Conference
... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: December 13, 2007
Construction Verification Makes Doesn’t Replace Your Experts - It Makes Them Better
A... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: December 04, 2007
Babs Abubakari: Quality-Base Selection Success at Georgia DOT
Babs Abubakari, State Consultant Design & Program Delivery Engineer for the Georgia Dept. of Transportation, talks about the award-winning QBS program.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 21, 2007
PFI bid process needs shortening
Bidding for privately financed projects is taking too long and costing too much under the new Competitive Dialogue (CD) procurement procedure, according...... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 15, 2007
Federal Court Rules that Negotiated IDIQ/MATOC Contracting Cannot be Used Instead of Sealed Bidding Without a Lawful and Rational Basis
In a recent prebid protest presented by our firm, Payne Hackenbracht & Sullivan, the United States Court of Federal Claims considered the protest of Weeks Marine, Inc. v. The United States (“Weeks”) challenging the decision of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division (“SAD”), to solicit proposals for maintenance dredging and shore protection projects using negotiated indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (“IDIQ”) multiple-award task order contracts (“MATOC”). The Court noted that the contemplated change to negotiated IDIQ task order contracting represented a significant departure from SAD’s prior... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 13, 2007
New Integrated Project Delivery System Introduced By AIA
The American Institute of Architects has released a guide to integrated project delivery in an effort to battle what it sees as inefficiencies in project delivery that stifle construction industry productivity.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 08, 2007
Job Order Contracting Scores Big With Owners
Around the nation, local governments, schools, transportation authorities and other publicly funded institutions are discovering that a construction procurement method known as Job Order Contracting (JOC) delivers on its promise.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 05, 2007
Idaho Airport Project Beats The Clock
Central Idaho attracts a steady flow of visitors and new residents, so the local airport in the town of Hailey is a key transportation link. Faced with the need to rebuild its single runway, airport managers relied on consulting engineers, an experienced contractor and a soil-cement specialist to complete the job in a mere 30 days.... Read More
Utah Embraces Accelerated Construction Method
... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: October 29, 2007
Case law analysis: Construction Pre-Action Protocols
The consequences of a failure to observe the requirements of Pre-Action Protocols for Construction.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: October 16, 2007
Quality Assurance- How Not to Screw Up
North Carolina Architect Dennis Hall shares funny problems in quality assurance How Not to Screw Up Forum :: Share a lesson you learned- the hard way. File Download (5:14 min / 5 MB)... Read More
Steven B. Cornell: Alternative Contracting for Airport Construction
Steve Cornell talks about the use of alternative project delivery methods for San Diego airport's $700-million master plan through 2015, with work on a 10-gate second terminal to begin in 2008.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: October 03, 2007
CSI Construction Minute- May 16, 2007
Oakland freeway reconstruction begins with bonus-driven contractor CSI NewsBrief :: Construction News Delivered to Your Inbox File Download (1:14 min / 1 MB)... Read More
Can Architects Fix Construction’s “Busted Budgets”?
... Read More
BSF design and build contracts are 'fundamentally flawed'
Building Schools for the Future (BSF) design and build contracts are "fundamentally flawed" and could spark multiple disputes, according to a leading industry...... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: September 26, 2007
I-35W Bidders Question "Best Value" Protocol
Two teams bidding on a replacement to the fallen I-35W bridge in Minneapolis have filed an administrative protest questioning the legality of Minnesota's design-build procedures for highway construction.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: September 11, 2007
Highways: FHWA Issues Design-Build Regulation
The Federal Highway Administration published a rule on Aug. 14 spelling out changes SAFETEA-LU directed in design-build requirements.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: September 10, 2007
"Single Contractor" and "CM-at-Risk" proved to be popular contracting methods, as UNC System bond construction program winds down
With about 75% of projects completed over five years, the sweeping, system-wide construction program for the University of North Carolina constituent institutions is nearing the end of its $2.5 billion cycle. There were projects undertaken at each of the 16 campuses, some of which changed so much that alumni might not even recognize some of their old haunts. As reported by the News & Observer, "the construction program was driven by historic growth. In the past six years, about 32,000 more students have enrolled in UNC system schools, for... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: April 13, 2007
Caltrans Advances Controversial Project Funding Method
With unprecedented vigor, California’s Dept. of Transportation is leveraging the state's environmental laws in order to raise more money for road and freeway construction.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: April 03, 2007
CM-at-Risk versus Design-Build
In the December 11, 2006 issue of Engineering News-Record, a letter to the editor criticizes ENR for creating and perpetuating the impression that design-build is the predominant project delivery method. Michael Kenig, Vice Chairman of Holder Construction Co. and the Chairman of AGC's Project Delivery Committee, used some of ENR's own data to show that CM-at-risk revenue substantially outpaces design-build revenue. Mr. Kenig cites a 2005 CMAA/FMI survey of owners showing that a majority of the owners responding to the survey thought that CM-at-risk offers the best value of... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: April 02, 2007
Teamwork and Innovation Drive the Quest for Success
Pilgrimages are a global phenomenon. There is something satisfying in the act of seeking, to be constantly looking for answers or just experiencing new horizons on the road traveled.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: March 27, 2007
"Design-Build Lite" May Lead to Trimmer Project Budgets
In the category of "I should have thought of that," the ENR reported on November 13, 2006, that a large mid-western contractor has tweaked the traditional design/build project delivery system by successfully applying it only to mechanical-electrical-plumbing (MEP), fire protection, or structural work. This approach has resulted in better pre-construction coordination, time and cost savings, and more satisfied builders and owners. Poor up front coordination and resulting field conflicts can result in large claims by owners and contractors alike stemming from the cost of inefficiencies and delays. This hybrid... Read More
Progressive Project Delivery Is More Than Just Making Money
Some companies are destined to be successful because they are never content to be just good enough. In construction, this means being on the level and working continuously on process improvement and project deliver--giving customers what they want, yet at the same time making sure projects are safe, profitable, on time and meet performance expectations.... Read More
Contingency: How Much is Enough?
With the new "mega projects" and governments having to lock in public dollars years ahead of construction and design-builders/construction managers having to guarantee overall project costs at 30% design, contingency has become a much more contentious issue than in the past.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: March 19, 2007
Building Information Modeling (BIM) Update
This morning I just saw two great articles in Building Design+Construction magazine talking about developments in Building Information Modeling (BIM) which will have a huge impact on the entire construction process. BIM Software Integrates RSMeans for Project Costing - imagine that - designers actually being able to figure out how much things cost while they are designing! Steel Teams Lead The Way Toward 3-D Integration - great article that points to actual dollars saved on a project through planning - Saved $400,000! Pre-planning construction projects will always save you... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: March 18, 2007
Caltrans Will Ramp Up Innovative Project Delivery Methods
As the California Dept. of Transportation gears up for the next 10 years with almost $20 billion in bond measure money, its director vows that the agency will pursue more design-build projects and public-private partnerships.... Read More
Extended Enterprise Service Helps Write Project Success Stories
In an increasingly cutthroat construction market, the words partnership and alliance often become meaningless corporate buzzwords.... Read More
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Favorite Book 2007
The Toyota Way is my favorite book for 2007. It had so many good ideas that I could not keep up and ended up reading it again and even buying the Field Book to go along with it.
Download Elegant Solutions from Change This which provides some highlights of the Toyota Production System. Too many ideas that are applicable to contractors to even count!
Recent Posts
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- Cheesegrater tower faces delays
- Olympic stadium and aquatic centre hit by delays
- Survey blasts contractors' time management
- Upgrading 12 Mile Road
- Reconstructing Collins Road
- Time and Material (T & M) Contracts
- Collaborative Project Delivery
- What does “the owner is not obligated to accept the lowest or any bid” really mean?
- Future Schools bid costs cut by a third
- Proposed Legislation Amending Alternative Public Works Contracting Methods
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