CS10A - Concurrent Session 10A: What Are We Learning Through Alternative Project Delivery in A Dam World

Abstract Description: Common risks and challenges associated with dam construction and rehabilitation include aggressive schedules, increased construction costs, supply chain constraints and long lead items, labor shortages and a strained dam construction industry. Alternative project delivery methods can provide owners with benefits for dam rehabilitation or construction projects when implemented properly. Benefits of alternative delivery methods may include:

• Risk Reduction
• Schedule Savings
• Pre-Construction services including constructability review, value engineering, and cost estimating
• Early Works Packages and Long Lead Items Procurement

Under the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) method, the owner retains an engineering firm and a CMAR firm under two separate contracts - one for design and one for construction. This method can be ideal when the owner wants to capture some of the benefits of design-build delivery while maintaining direct control of project definition and design. This can be ideal for complex and safety-critical projects subject to regulatory approvals like dam rehabilitation or construction. Although CMAR in the dam construction industry isn’t new, there are some invaluable lessons learned from projects that have helped showcase the benefits and challenges of this method. Key factors for consideration for success of a CMAR approach with dam rehabilitation or construction include clear contract terms, properly sized projects and amounts of work, division of work packages, a strong project management structure, and engagement by the owner. This presentation will review projects that have effectively leveraged a CMAR approach, a project where CMAR was implemented but through difficulty, and a project that started using CMAR but was ultimately completed using a conventional design-build approach.

The use of CMAR when delivering complex projects – to include dam construction-has been rising given the ability to see cost savings, provide input and efficiency with delivering pre-construction services, as well as incorporating innovation in a risk informed industry. The dam construction industry continues to see invaluable lessons being learned from projects that have seen both success as well as challenges with the CMAR method.