Analysis of the Design-Build Delivery Method in Air Force Construction Projects
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 135, Issue 8
Abstract
The design-build (DB) method for construction project delivery continues to grow in both the private and public sector; additionally, research has shown that the DB method outperforms the design-bid-build (DBB) method. The Air Force has applied the results of these previous research efforts to its military construction (MILCON) program without performing empirical studies to validate the approach. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the performance of the DB delivery method with the traditional DBB approach for the Air Force MILCON program. Data related to 835 (278 DB and 557 DBB) MILCON projects for fiscal years 1996–2006 were subsequently analyzed. The DB method had better performance in three of six metrics with the performance being significantly better for cost growth and the number of modifications per million dollars. The traditional DBB method performed significantly better in terms of total project time. Furthermore, the DB method was best suited for various facility types. This study provides empirical evidence of how the DB method provides an advantage over the traditional DBB method for Air Force MILCON projects.
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Acknowledgments
The writers appreciate the support received from the following Air Force organizations in the facilitation of this research: Air Combat Command, Air Force Material Command, the United States Air Force Academy, and the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 135 • Issue 8 • August 2009
Pages: 710 - 717
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 3, 2008
Accepted: Jan 12, 2009
Published online: Jul 15, 2009
Published in print: Aug 2009
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