Old or new, the principles behind design-build should always be used in any construction job. There should never be a communication gap between owner, contractor and designer, nor should there ever be a compromise in quality or reward for quality. In the I-15 project, a hefty award program looms even higher than possible liquidated damages for Wasatch Contractors. The more quickly and effectively the contractor does the job, the more it earns. And when there's a problem, the contractor doesn't have to worry about talking to a long-distance owner.
Representatives are a stone's throw away.
It seems simple, but somewhere in American construction history, the principle was lost. Contractor, owner and designer became separate entities looking out for themselves. To call design-build a new experimental approach is all but ludicrous, says Parsons Brinckerhoff Vice President Albert Bast. Now we've got a chance to get back to our roots. No good relationship, personal or public, ever worked if the parties involved weren't willing to talk it out and to acknowledge the value each member brings.