A Resource for You
McWane Ductile has assembled a team of professionals to assist our clients and the industry in formulating quality and cost-effective projects to serve customers with their water and wastewater needs.
This team consists of Registered Professional Engineers, National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) Certified Technicians and ENVISION Sustainability Professionals with experience in managing utility operations, working in the consulting engineering industry, actual manufacturing experience in the pipe industry and decades of field exposure while providing resources and assistance with successful project completion.
The use of collaborative delivery methods for water and wastewater projects continues to steadily increase. Over the past decade, research conducted annually for the Water Design-Build Council (WDBC) on using these delivery methods reports that more and more owners are using them for their ability to achieve quality projects on schedule and within budget.
Thus, McWane Ductile has now added Certified Associate DBIA Professionals to its team in order to fully understand this expanding model of delivery as it relates to water and wastewater projects. It is important to our company that we continue to provide resources for the benefit of our clients and potential clients in all aspects of project delivery.
Implementing Best Practices
A Best Practice in “Executing The Delivery of Design-Build Projects” considers that All Design-Build Team Members Should Be Educated and Trained In The Design-Build Process, and Be Knowledgeable Of The Differences Between Design-Build and Other Delivery Systems.
Today, the water market defines collaborative delivery methods as one of the following categories:
- Construction Management-At-Risk (CMAR)
- Progressive Design-Build (PDB)
- Fixed-Price Design-Build (FPDB)
- Design Build-Operate (DBO)
In addition, a key component of a successful Public-Private Partnership (P3) is the implementation of design-build best practices as defined by DBIA, which we collectively refer to as Design-Build Done Right®. This is because at the heart of most P3s is a cost-certain, schedule-certain design-build contract for the initial design and construction of the asset.
Identifying Team Members Early On
What distinguishes the Design-Build (DB) delivery methods from both Design-Bid-Build (DBB) and CMAR is single point accountability for both design and construction. Rather than requiring the owner to have two separate contracts for design and construction, design-build delivery requires one contract between the owner and the design-builder.
If an owner chooses this model, inherently the right design-build team must be selected, not only with knowledge of the process, an innate trust among the team and respective skills to deliver, but also with an innovative mindset to propose construction solutions to meet the goals of the owner in an efficient and effective manner.
In order to perform efficiently in approaching this process, many times members of the design-build team are identified early on, which may include sub-contractors and manufacturers. This allows for as much input as possible from the very beginning to formulate design components.
Providing an Innovative Approach
In light of this approach, McWane Ductile wants to position itself to add value and expertise if selected as a team member, not only by understanding the intricacies of the process but also by proposing innovative approaches that are available both in product selection, operational attributes of our material and delivery efficiencies. These could include labor efficiencies of pipeline restraint systems, energy and life-cycle costs important to the owner and just-in-time delivery processes to ease costs to the contractor.
Our experience early in this process has allowed us to offer alternative options to the historical assumptions of pipeline materials that can ultimately benefit all stakeholders. First, by giving the design-build team more efficient options for installation, including material selection for fill in the pipe trench, and second, by delivering a long-term material solution that the owner can trust for many years into the future.
McWane Ductile is committed to its involvement in the Design Build Institute of America and the progressive use of these models in construction of water and wastewater facilities. Our team members are actively involved in DBIA committees and conference attendance as well as achieving Associate DBIA Certification to better serve our customers who choose this project delivery method.
Want tips and instruction to help your team succeed in the field?
Please contact your local McWane Ductile Sales Rep to request a Lunch & Learn, a Day of Water, or on-site training before installing your next ductile iron pipeline. McWane Ductile provides free training and education to suit your needs.
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