RESEARCH GRANT AWARD #02-24: A Guide to Equitable Risk Allocation in Design-Build Projects (A Pankow-ACEC Research Institute-DBIA Partnership)
The Charles Pankow Foundation (CPF) in partnership with the ACEC Research Institute and the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) are pleased to announce the award of RGA #02-24, A Guide to Equitable Risk Allocation in Design-Build Projects (A Pankow-ACEC Research Institute-DBIA Partnership), to the University of Colorado Boulder. The Primary Investigators will be Dr. Keith Molenaar, Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Dr. Ameilia Celoza, Assistant Professor of Construction Engineering and Management in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Topic: This research will evaluate how various design-build procurement and contracting methods, such as progressive DB and the use of target pricing, address risk and insurance challenges for the engineering and design community. The goal of this research is to provide data driven guidance for owners regarding successful practices to implement other design-build procurement and contracting methods.
Industry Need: The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Research Institute’s 2022 Design-Build State of Practice study provided recommendations on effective project delivery. It identified opportunities and challenges that ACEC firms may face when implementing DB. Risk transfer and obtaining necessary insurance were identified as challenges, while long-term partnerships and other forms of DB were identified as strategies to address these challenges. With DB project delivery being expected to account for nearly 50% of the US design and construction value by 2025 innovations are required to address the challenges and opportunities for change. Owners need data driven research to allocate risk with a more balanced approach. Therefore, the ACEC Research Institute is partnering with CPF and the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) to broaden its impact through Phase II of this DB study.