A comparison of project delivery method performance for water infrastructure capital projects

Abstract

Water and wastewater infrastructure globally is aging and in need of rehabilitation and replacement. Design-bid-build (DBB) is the traditional method of project delivery widely applied across the construction industry. However, alternative project delivery methods (APDM) such as construction manager at risk (CMAR) and design-build (DB) are on the rise demonstrating project delivery performance benefits. The research objective is to assess the impact of APDM specifically for the water and wastewater industry. A comprehensive list of performance metrics was identified from the literature and through an industry expert workshop. Information on 75 water and wastewater treatment plant projects using DBB, CMAR, and DB was collected. Quantitative data analysis revealed that DB statistically outperformed DBB in terms of project speed and intensity. This study contributed to the existing body of knowledge by showing that treatment plants can be delivered significantly faster and with greater quality for no additional cost by using APDM.