Construction Project Delivery System Selection Framework： Professional Service Firms＇ Perspective

There is a variety of PDSs （project delivery systems） in today＇s construction industry. This leads to confusion when it comes to selecting the most suitable PDS for a specific project. The wrong selection decision might lead eventually to reduced profit margins or perhaps financial losses to PSFs （professional service firms）. This research proposes a conceptual framework that helps PSFs in the selection of one or more suitable PDSs for their construction operations. The framework uses SWOT （strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats） analysis as a tool for assessing each PDS considered in this research. The PDSs included in the framework are design-bid-build, design-build, construction management agency, public-private partnerships and integrated project delivery. The main aim of this research framework is to enhance decision-making efficiency in PDS selection for PSF operations.

A Review on the Role of Risk Management (RM) and Value Engineering (VE) Tools for Project Successful Delivery

Both in developed and in developing countries, the construction industry is regarded as an economic investment activity without forgetting its significant relationship with national economic development due to its great contributions to the national gross domestic product (GDP) of the country. Concerning construction processes, both risk management (RM) and value engineering (VE) techniques have commonalities from the beginning up to the completion of the project due to enhancing the project value/quality, meeting the project deadline, and reducing overall project cost. VE includes resolving the uncertainty of project objectives and ensuring that the project is delivered in a value for money way. The key point of RM is to solve the uncertainty of the project itself and its results to ensure that the specifications are achieved within the prescribed time, cost, and quality constraints. This review work is comparatively and collectively focused on assessing the role of RM and VE tools for project successful delivery. It studies the points of difference and common features of the two aspects in terms of construction project delivery. So, this study concluded that in construction RM tool cannot be the chief aim of the all parties involved in the project execution because sometimes it produces itself negative results and reduces project management success. Therefore, RM needs a strong combination with VE due to the dependence of the target in identifying and assessing risks by considering the highest performance and lowest cost. The integration of RM and VE combination in a single study would avoid duplication of work and deliver better value for money thereby leading to better project outcomes.

AEC+P+F INTEGRATION WITH GREEN PROJECT DELIVERY AND LEAN FOCUS

With the launch of the U.S.Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED^(■))rating system,new building construction in the United States has rapidly begun adopting this guide as the standard for sustainable building.The rating system profoundly alters the design and operation of buildings,however,to date,little has been documented on the cumulative effects of the rating system across different phases of the project lifecycle:planning,architecture/design,engineering,construction and operational facility management(AEC+P+F).Further,the ability to gain efficiencies in the building phase itself is still unknown.Implications of the delivery system in LEED^(■)attainment also have not been clearly associated with the level of AEC+P+F integration.To pursue this goal,project participants are becoming involved earlier in the process;information exchanges take place throughout the project lifecycle;and the results of those frequent exchanges impact the value to the owner through focus on attainment of a particular green rating score.These features are confi guring a framework for green project delivery.This framework approaches lean thinking by generating value to the owner,improving the flow of information,and transforming the inputs required for the selection of materials and systems,to outputs in the form of a sustainability rating certification.This research focuses on exploring associations between LEED^(■)criteria,project lifecycle,the stakeholders’interests,lean process improvements and typical delivery systems used in building construction.The paper proposes a matrix of weighted indexes to explain and provide increased collaboration among project participants,improved efficiency throughout the project lifecycle,and new techniques which may be incorporated into the construction process.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN IN PROJECT DELIVERY:A DISCUSSION ON CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS

Sustainability principles have become an integral part of the design and construc-tion process for many new construction projects. The selection of the project delivery method (PDM) is extremely important in the effective execution of the project, and plays a critical role in establishing communication and coordination between the key entities: owner, architect, and contractor. The goal of this paper is to hopefully serve as a starting point for further discussion to improve on the AEC industry’s current integration of sustainability principles in PDMs. The first step consists of an assessment of current project delivery systems from a sustainable design perspective. This is followed by a determination of the current limitations, and examination of the various disrup-tions in the industry. Various literature sources are analyzed to form a framework to discuss improvements and optimization strategies beyond the current system. Thereafter, proposed solutions are introduced at both stakeholders, as well as PDM scales. In this paper, the focus for the conducted analysis and proposed method-ologies is predicated on new construction projects instead of retrofits due to the resources available. However, the principles can similarly be applied to retro-fit scenarios as well, depending on the specific requirements of the individual project at play.

DELIVERY PROCESS ATTRIBUTES,COMMON TO INDIA AND THE U.S.,FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

India is a rapidly developing nation,so its adoption of sustainable building would have considerable social,environmental,and economic benefits.However,process attributes that contribute to successful delivery(planning,design,construction and operation)of sustainable buildings in India are largely undefined.Other projects in India would benefit from a rigorous identification of these process attributes,which is the purpose of this research.This research applies process mapping to study the delivery of Soundarya Decorator’s factory building in Chennai,India;a project which achieved advanced sustainability performance with no first cost increase.From these process maps,process attributes are identified and compared to those identified in a previously published study of Toyota’s South Campus facility in Torrance,California.Process attributes common to both projects include:demonstrating an early commitment to sustainability by key stakeholders;setting goals related to sustainability,not certification;continuously educating project stakeholders on sustainability;aligning sustainable features with business objectives;encouraging project team“buy-in”to sustainability goals;and investing design time to consider alternative sustainable solutions.

A SYNTHESIS OF BEST-VALUE PROCUREMENT PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN-BUILD PROJECTS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

Research in sustainable building practices suggests that integrated project delivery methods can more successfully deliver green buildings as measured by cost,schedule,and quality objectives.Design-build is an integrated project delivery method that has increased in use in the public sector.Design-build projects are commonly acquired through best-value procurement,which includes factors in addition to price.However,the procurement process of green build­ings requires specific selection factors that are not accounted for in conventional buildings.This study synthesizes the current state of practice for best-value procurement of sustainable design-build projects within the public sector.The findings are based upon a content analysis of procurement documents for 26 projects.The results of this study reveal that procurement opportunities exist to improve best-value award algorithms.The findings show that owners are missing opportunities to evaluate design-builders on sustainable building experience and sustainability of the proposed design in project management plans.Modifying the solicitation documents to include these elements could improve the overall success of delivery.

ACHIEVING THE NET-ZERO-ENERGY-BUILDINGS “2020 AND 2030 TARGETS” WITH THE SUPPORT OF PARAMETRIC 3-D/4-D BIM DESIGN TOOLS

INTRODUCTION The level of man-made CO_(2) emissions worldwide climbed to a new record of 30 billion tons in 2010.In 2011,at the COP17 U.N.Climate Change Conference in Durban,South Africa,high-ranking representatives from around the world met again to discuss solutions.For the building sector,numerous energy-efficiency market changes and benchmarking resolutions,like the mandatory E.U.“nearly Net-Zero-Energy-Building(NET-ZEB’s)2018 and 2020 regulations”for all new public and privately owned buildings are now set up to help minimizing carbon emissions and reverse the negative impact.1 In the United States,the American Institute of Architects(AIA)adopted the 2030 Challenge as a voluntary program,where participating buildings aim to achieve a 90%fossil fuel reduction by 2025,and carbon-neutrality by 2030.2 To accomplish these energy goals,designers must strive to best design and utilize the resources available on a site.However,are these goals of achieving carbon-neutral buildings possible?How can NET-ZEB’s become the curricular standard and practical routine in education and the profession?To date,the basic curricular design process components with integrated project delivery metrics for a robust 3-D/4-D-net-zero regulatory design framework are either incomplete or missing,However,formally-based curriculums have begun to weave carbon-neutral design tools into their pedagogy.This research paper critically compares how these new criteria for digital 3-D-building information modeling(BIM),and“Integrated Project Delivery”are mandating a better integration of collaborative carbon-neutral designs into the curriculum and practice of the profession.The majority of those in architectural academia have been using generative computation primarily for pure,aesthetic form-finding,without applying zero-carbon-energy-driven global performance metrics and CO_(2)e reduction strategies to reiterate derived carbon-neutral designs.The advantage of 3-D-parametric design is that it links variables,dimensions,and materials to geometry in a way that when an input or simulation value changes,the 3-D/4-D model automatically updates all life-cycle scenarios and components simultaneously.