DBIA Sectors and Application 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal agency is most commonly associated with design-build procurement in the water and wastewater sector?
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Correct answer)
- Army Corps of Engineers
- Bureau of Reclamation
- Federal Highway Administration
Correct answer: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The EPA frequently oversees funding and procurement for water/wastewater infrastructure, often encouraging design-build delivery for efficiency.
Question 2: In the aviation sector, which entity typically serves as the owner-authority when procuring a new terminal using design-build?
- FAA regional office
- Airport authority or municipality (Correct answer)
- TSA
- Airlines operating at the airport
Correct answer: Airport authority or municipality
Airport authorities or municipalities own and operate airports, making them the contracting entity for terminal design-build projects.
Question 3: Design-build is particularly advantageous for energy sector projects such as solar farms primarily because it:
- Eliminates the need for environmental permits
- Allows fast-track construction while finalizing interconnect agreements (Correct answer)
- Reduces the number of required subcontractors
- Guarantees a fixed utility rate for the owner
Correct answer: Allows fast-track construction while finalizing interconnect agreements
Overlapping design and construction phases enables solar projects to advance construction while utility interconnect negotiations are still ongoing.
Question 4: In the correctional facilities sector, which design-build delivery challenge is most unique compared to other building types?
- Obtaining zoning variances
- Coordinating with security and operational staff during programming (Correct answer)
- Selecting low-bid subcontractors
- Meeting LEED certification requirements
Correct answer: Coordinating with security and operational staff during programming
Correctional facilities require intensive coordination with security personnel to embed operational protocols into the design from the earliest phases.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a Progressive Design-Build (PDB) application in the water sector?
- Owner selects DB team on price alone after full design is complete
- Owner and DB team collaboratively develop design and cost before a GMP is set (Correct answer)
- DB team designs and builds without owner input until substantial completion
- Owner retains a separate designer to review all DB submittals
Correct answer: Owner and DB team collaboratively develop design and cost before a GMP is set
In PDB, the team collaborates through design development to establish a Guaranteed Maximum Price before full construction commitment.
Question 6: Which sector has seen the greatest recent growth in design-build adoption in the United States according to DBIA market data?
- Single-family residential
- Transportation and highway (Correct answer)
- K-12 education
- Single-tenant retail
Correct answer: Transportation and highway
Transportation and highway projects have experienced the largest increase in design-build use, driven by FHWA authorization and state DOT adoption.
Question 7: When applying design-build in a healthcare setting, which regulatory body's guidelines most directly influence facility design requirements?
- OSHA
- The Joint Commission (TJC)
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (Correct answer)
- State department of labor
Correct answer: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
CMS establishes the Conditions of Participation that hospitals must meet, directly shaping life safety and facility design requirements.
DBIA Sectors and Application 2
Which federal agency is most commonly associated with design-build procurement in the water and wastewater sector?