Pre-Construction in the Design Build Method of Construction

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The Design-Build Method is an alternative in the building of your project. 

In the Design-Build method, you will start an immediate collaboration with your Design-Build consultant (DBC)

The Pre-Construction activities are the first part of the Design-Build Method.

The pre-construction phase starts with a Preliminary drawing or sketch that can be generated by the Design-Build consultant or the Owner.




Develop Estimates and Budgets


From there, you want to establish the Budget of the project from the design stage through the construction stage.

The DBC team will start with square foot estimates. As more detailed drawings are completed by the DBC, they will develop a more detailed construction estimate.




 

Incorporate Value Engineering into your project.


At this point, the DBC will develop some Value engineering suggestions and Options for the building. The Value Engineering suggestions would look at alternate materials, methods, and components in the design that can add value and reduce costs. The DBC will identify a Preliminary list of VE items and their associated deductive or additive costs.  


Preliminary Geotechnical Soils Review 


If you are looking for and buying property for your project, you can have your DBC do Internet research on the soil conditions of the project. They will use the webpage from the United States Agriculture website on soil surveys in your area.


By plugging in your address in their website www.usda.gov the BDC can research the general soil information for a preliminary investigation.

  

With this information, your DBC will be able to provide preliminary estimates for your site work relative to this information. 


Then if the site preparation is not cost-prohibitive you can set up for a Geotechnical Laboratory analysis.


The Design Team 


The DBC will start to develop the design team which would include a Geotechnical firm, surveyors, civil design, Architect, Structural designer, and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing Design. 


Geotechnical Soil Boring at the Project Site


At this time, the DBC can schedule the Geotechnical Company’s soil investigative crew to bore the necessary holes at the project site.



The DBC will have the survey crew lay out the outlines of the buildings and skate out the bore locations for the geotechnical drilling team. 


They will coordinate the boring at the project site and review their scope of work. The DBC will establish the number and depth of the bores for the building pad and the parking area.


They will follow up with your Geotechnical Company for their report of the conditions at the site.





Schedule the Project


The DBC will develop an overall preliminary schedule which includes the project's design and construction. 


The Schedule will include the approval times of the civil agencies, be it the county engineer, or your MUD (Municipal Utility District). Also included will be the ADA approvals from the State Agency.





Complete your Design & Estimate


As the drawings are being completed your DBC will update the detailed estimate.

At this time your DBC can develop the Bid package scopes of work.


You also want to meet with your Design-Build team and if possible, the Value Engineering Team.


At this time, you want to review the options and Value engineering suggestions for incorporating into the final design documents. Your DBC can then incorporate these options and VE items into the bid packages for bid to the individual Trades.


The DBC will review the bids from the Trade Contractors with you and together you can determine the options and VE items that you desire.


Begin Construction


The DBC will then develop a complete set of Drawings and specifications for the start of the project.

The BDC will establish the Final Budget for the project and your schedule and begin construction.


Shettig Construction Management provides Professional Design-Build Construction Management services from the inception of your project through completion. www.shettig.com mshettig@gmail.com

 

 

 

 










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