DBIA - Design-Build Institute of America Executing Design-Build Projects Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Immediately following contract award for a design-build project, what is the primary purpose of the project kick-off meeting?
- To finalize the selection of major subcontractors and suppliers.
- To mobilize construction equipment and personnel to the site.
- To align the entire integrated team on project goals, communication protocols, and team culture. (Correct answer)
- To obtain the final notice to proceed from the owner.
Correct answer: To align the entire integrated team on project goals, communication protocols, and team culture.
The post-award kick-off meeting is a critical step in executing a design-build project. Its main goal is to transition from procurement to execution by integrating all key stakeholders (owner, designer, builder) into a cohesive team, establishing clear communication lines, and ensuring everyone is aligned on the project's objectives and the collaborative culture required for success.
Question 2: An owner provides comments on the 60% design documents that significantly alter the building's footprint, impacting previously reviewed structural and civil plans. According to DBIA principles, how should the integrated design-build team ideally respond?
- The designer formally issues a change order request to the owner for the redesign costs.
- The entire integrated team meets to collaboratively assess the cost, schedule, and performance impacts before proceeding. (Correct answer)
- The design-builder immediately rejects the comments as they are too late in the design process.
- The architect proceeds with the owner's changes and instructs the other disciplines to adapt.
Correct answer: The entire integrated team meets to collaboratively assess the cost, schedule, and performance impacts before proceeding.
A core principle of 'Design-Build Done Right®' is collaborative problem-solving. When a significant change is proposed, the best practice is for the entire integrated team—including the owner, designer, and contractor—to convene and holistically evaluate the impacts on all aspects of the project. This allows for an informed decision that considers cost, schedule, and overall project goals, rather than one party acting unilaterally.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes a key difference in how a Request for Information (RFI) is typically handled during construction in design-build versus design-bid-build?
- In design-build, RFIs are primarily used to document owner-directed scope changes.
- In design-build, many potential RFIs are resolved internally through direct communication within the integrated team. (Correct answer)
- The contractual response time for RFIs is significantly longer in design-build projects.
- Design-build projects eliminate the need for any formal RFI process.
Correct answer: In design-build, many potential RFIs are resolved internally through direct communication within the integrated team.
Because the designer and builder are part of the same entity in design-build, many questions that would become formal, contractual RFIs in design-bid-build can be resolved quickly through informal, direct communication and collaborative problem-solving. This streamlines the process, reduces delays, and avoids the adversarial relationship that can arise from a formal RFI process between separate entities.
Question 4: In a design-build project, who holds the ultimate single-point responsibility for the quality and adequacy of both the design documents and the completed construction?
- The Owner's quality assurance representative.
- The professional-of-record who stamps the drawings.
- The Design-Build entity. (Correct answer)
- A third-party quality management consultant hired by the owner.
Correct answer: The Design-Build entity.
A fundamental principle and key advantage of the design-build delivery method is the single point of responsibility. The owner has one contract with the design-build entity, which is solely responsible for delivering a project that meets the contract requirements, covering both the quality of design and construction.
Question 5: Which statement best describes a primary advantage of the commissioning process within an integrated design-build project?
- Commissioning is deferred until after the warranty period begins to test long-term performance.
- The owner is not required to participate in the commissioning process as the design-builder is solely responsible.
- Commissioning activities and planning can be integrated early in the design phase for better performance verification. (Correct answer)
- The commissioning agent's fee is eliminated because the design-builder performs all testing.
Correct answer: Commissioning activities and planning can be integrated early in the design phase for better performance verification.
According to DBIA best practices, the integrated nature of design-build allows the commissioning plan and authority to be involved early in the design process. This ensures that the owner's performance requirements are understood, incorporated into the design, and that systems are designed for testability and maintainability, leading to a smoother turnover and a better-performing facility.
Question 6: During project execution, the lead structural engineer and the builder's superintendent have a significant disagreement on the constructability of a key connection detail, delaying critical path work. What is the most appropriate first step for the design-builder's project manager?
- Issue a formal directive to the superintendent to follow the engineer's design exactly as drawn.
- Immediately elevate the dispute to the owner for a final decision.
- Facilitate a collaborative meeting between the engineer and superintendent to find a mutually acceptable solution. (Correct answer)
- Request that the architect of record provide a third-party opinion to break the tie.
Correct answer: Facilitate a collaborative meeting between the engineer and superintendent to find a mutually acceptable solution.
The essence of executing a design-build project is fostering a collaborative environment to solve problems internally. The project manager's primary role is to bring the team members together to leverage their respective expertise—design intent and constructability—to find the best solution for the project, rather than escalating the issue or imposing a unilateral decision.
DBIA - Design-Build Institute of America Executing Design-Build Projects Questions and Answers
Immediately following contract award for a design-build project, what is the primary purpose of the project kick-off meeting?