Blackpool's Central Gateway climbing structures, UK

Purpose Early contractor involvement (ECI) has been heavily investigated in the context of large infrastructure projects. While there is a growing tendency among Norwegian infrastructure projects to use ECI, there is little evidence regarding the effects of ECI on small projects. This study aims to investigate the potential benefits and challenges of ECI in a small construction project in Norway. Design/methodology/approach The research design is based on an embedded case study approach with longitudinal evaluation. The empirical data for this research comes from semi-structured interviews, survey questionnaires, focus group discussions and document analysis. Findings The results show that ECI can benefit small projects requiring out-of-the-box thinking. The strongest arguments favoring ECI are that it promotes innovation, gives better risk adaptability, and allows participation from all client organization levels. In the case project, the onboarding of the operators was found to be especially helpful, which resulted in a more operationally optimized solution. The main challenges with using ECI for the case project were the lack of a standardized contract format, additional stress at the operational level and unfamiliarity with the overall process. Originality/value This study provides new insights into the effects of ECI and adds to the debate regarding whether ECI can be a viable option for small construction projects in the future. The findings can give practitioners hints on optimizing ECI usage in small projects and avoiding potential pitfalls.

Traditionally, in the Netherlands, the procurement procedure for infrastructure does not start until the public decision-making procedure is fully completed. In the new procurement strategy, early contractor involvement is applied by carrying out the procurement procedure and the public planning procedure simultaneously. This article explores the first experiences and lessons learned with early contractor involvement in four Dutch infrastructure projects. It can be concluded that the new strategy adds value in terms of time gains, improved project control and more innovative solutions. However, to optimize early contractor involvement, the differences between the competitive procurement procedures and the open, cooperative public planning procedures need to be bridged.

Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) can offer significant benefits for construction projects. However, ECI is scarcely discussed in relation to place-of-worship projects, particularly those of minority communities. The Mandaeans are an ethnoreligious group that follow Mandaeism, a monotheistic religion. This article aims to discuss the necessity of a collaborative approach for their place of worship (Mandi). The literature will be reviewed on ECI, brief liturgical requirements in Mandaeism, and lastly barriers that minority communities face in the construction of their places of worship. The research methodology will be focused on a case study of Mandi Wallacia which will provide insights into the issues faced in the past. From this, it is seen that there are multiple issues that occur in place-of-worship construction for minority communities. It is evident that through this research, ECI and the relation of function and form must be harmonious to achieve the successful construction of places of worship.

The cross-harbour section of the new Shatin–Central mass transit link railway will be the fourth cross-harbour tunnel in Hong Kong when completed in 2021. The 1·4 km long immersed-tube tunnel and approaches are being procured through a design-and-build contract with early contractor involvement. The reference design for the immersed tunnel elements specified prestressed monolithic structures following practice used on previous harbour crossings. Optimising the design and performance specifications during tender stage ensured the submitted tenders were constructable, using the most cost-effective design but minimising construction and operating risks. This paper discusses the reference design, construction planning and early contractor involvement procurement process.

Project Delivery Methods in Large Public Road Projects – A Case Study of E6 Jaktøyen - Sentervegen

Optimal time for contractors to enter infrastructure projects

Early contractor involvement involves engaging contractors to work with the client’s design team during the pre-construction stage before agreeing on a construction stage contract. Despite the growing use of two-stage contracting, there is a lack of research into the forms of pre-construction service agreements and their effectiveness. This study aims to evaluate the optimal contract ingredients for a pre-construction stage agreement that can be used with a range of standard-form construction contracts based on industry preferences. Four agreements are critically evaluated: those of the Joint Contracts Tribunal and NEC3 and two bespoke agreements. Key ingredients were found to include scope of services, time obligations, design obligations, key personnel, price formation, confidentiality of material and communication and co-operation. Industry preferences were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 21 construction participants across New Zealand.

Book review: Early Contractor Involvement in Building Procurement – Contract, Partnering and Project Management

The operational life of a 1960s reinforced concrete interchange on Britain's M5 motorway was successfully extended with carbon-fibre plates 2 years ago. The structure had previously been strengthened in the 1970s by an externally bonded steel plate system, but this had reached the end of its serviceable life. This paper describes the many challenges faced during the design of a replacement carbon-fibre plate system, given the needs for minimum disruption and maximum adhesion. Innovative solutions led to achievements such as maintaining live load conditions throughout works and ensuring the plates were securely bonded in winter conditions with low temperatures. The paper then demonstrates how early contractor involvement helped to deliver the most efficient, effective, sustainable and safest solution on time and to budget.

[Image omitted: See PDF.]How should an owner organize a capital project in order to achieve successful outcomes? Can the organization prepare itself to deliver the results it seeks?I have recently been involved as a facilitator and editor for a white paper on how owners might organize themselves to achieve success on major healthcare capital projects with the Academy for Healthcare Infrastructure, which is a program of the National Institute of the Building Sciences (NIBS) in the United States. The project involved interviewing 12 expert participants and producing a document with their consensus opinions about organizing projects. The white paper was presented in January at the annual NIBS Building Innovation conference in Washington, DC ([Hamilton, 2016]), and is available for free download at http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nibs.org/resource/resmgr/AHI/AHI_WhitePaperTeam1.pdfThe 12 participants were recognized North American industry leaders, including representatives of public, private, and governmental healthcare systems, along with architects, engineers, contractors, and construction managers (CMs). These experienced expert professionals were consistent in their responses, leading to a consensus document that identified 12 guiding principles for project organization.Twelve PrinciplesIn many ways, the consensus principles they developed were predictable. They began with requiring vision on the part of the owner to be widely shared and followed with the need for clear, well-documented objectives. They emphasized the need for qualified, experienced internal and external staff together with a stable of prequalified consultants and contractors able to work within a hierarchical reporting structure. The group believed the owner should have standards that simplify decisions and do not stifle innovation. They insisted upon timely, effective communication as well as constant attention to cost and schedule control. Recognizing that these major capital projects involve people and personal relationships, they declared that everyone should have direct performance incentives and decisions ought to be addressed with all relevant persons in the room. Ultimately, they concluded that trust among the internal and external team members and between their organizations was a key to success.These are all commendable principles from which owners might benefit. There can be no doubt that a team of qualified, experienced professionals who work well collaboratively and communicate effectively in a context of trust can succeed. Following the owner's clear, shared vision, meeting the explicit objectives, and following established standards as guidelines mean the project may deliver what is expected. Success is not possible without careful monitoring of budget and schedule, based on accurate reporting and thoughtful course correction. These are common sense principles upon which all were agreed. In addition to the 12 consensus principles, some other material was discussed in which variation was identified.There can be no doubt that a team of qualified, experienced professionals who work well collaboratively and communicate effectively in a context of trust can succeed.Multiple Delivery Models Can Be EffectiveThe interview participants referenced multiple project delivery models. Different delivery models have been successful for large and small projects, private or public. The participants mentioned experience with traditional design-bid-build projects but also mentioned negotiated bid, CM at risk, design-build, and the Public-Private Partnership process. There was mention of two versions of integrated project delivery (IPD) including a contracting structure linking all of the partners, and an IPD-like structure done under a more traditional hub of contractual relationships with the owner at the center. The Department of Defense uses design-build, design-bid-build, early contractor involvement, integrated design-build-initial outfitting, and integrated design-bid-build (IDBB), among other models. …

The use of pre-construction services (PCS), or early contractor involvement, has become common internationally due to its various advantages to complex construction projects. However, determining the optimal timing for engaging PCS remains an open question for researchers and government organisations. This paper develops a methodology to report on the successful timing of PCS use in New Zealand, aiding the industry in deciding when to engage a contractor for PCS appropriately. Proper timing can help avoid costly pitfalls from engaging PCS too early or too late, and this approach could be extended internationally. Data collection involved two rounds: an online survey to determine complexity factor weighting and semi-structured interviews on 29 case study projects to refine a visualisation tool. Each project was given a complexity ranking based on semi-structured interview data. The results indicate a relationship between PCS timing, project complexity, and scale. However, PCS is not always related to the procurement method; for example, design–bid–build projects can still benefit from PCS through fair risk allocation. The findings can assist clients in determining the best time to engage PCS, independent of the procurement model, thereby maximising the value contractors bring to construction projects.

The type of contract model may have a significant influence on achieving project objectives, including environmental and climate change goals. This research investigates non-standard contract models impacting greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in transport infrastructure construction in Australia. The research is based on the analysis of two case studies: an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contract and a Design and Construct (D&C) contract with GHG reduction requirements embedded in the contractor selection. Main findings support the use of ECIs for better integrating decisions made during the planning phase with the construction activities, and improve environmental outcomes while achieving financial and time savings.

This chapter explains the various secondary Option clauses, also referred to as X clauses and Y clauses, which may be selected by the Client and how each operates. Specifically, changes in the law, parent company guarantees, sectional completion, bonus for early Completion, delay damages, undertakings (collateral warranties), termination for convenience, multi-party incentives, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), performance bonds, advanced payment, standard of care for the Contractor's design, retention, limitation of liability, early Contractor involvement, climate change, third party rights and payment following insolvency of the Contractor.

Lean and collaborative project delivery aim to increase productivity and create value in construction projects. Early contractor involvement and target costing are key elements in collaborative delivery. This study explores how early contractor involvement and target cost has been implemented, and the effects of these elements, in the collaborative delivery of a building in Norway. After two months of daily observations and a literature study, further data was collected from the main stakeholders through a document study and sixteen semi-structured interviews. Establishing a reasonable scope, allowable cost and procurement strategy in the front-end was identified as important. Early contractor involvement was determined to have improved constructability, commitment, cost estimation, and team building during the design phase. A balanced, equitable and clear risk distribution in the target cost, and continuous involvement of the client and senior management, was identified as important for collaboration in the execution phase. External factors beyond the control of the project group were found to have been impactful throughout the project. The study calls for more research on the impact of external factors, and the involvement of architects, consultants and subcontractors, in Lean and collaborative project delivery.

The Planar Inlet Design and Analysis Process (PINDAP) is a collection of software tools that allow the efficient aerodynamic design and analysis of planar (two -dimensional and axisymmetric) inlets. The aerodynamic analysis is performed using the Wind -US computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program. A major ele ment in PINDAP is a Fortran 90 code named PINDAP that can establish the parametric design of the inlet and efficiently model the geometry and generate the grid for CFD analysis with design changes to those parameters. The use of PINDAP is demonstrated for subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic inlets.