ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces vocabulary used by industry practitioners to discuss project delivery and describes many common project delivery methods (PDMs) used in the industry. Moreover, it provides a structure for evaluating what PDM may be in place on a specific construction project and for understanding if and how a project delivery deviates from one of the more common PDMs. Traditionally, PDMs have been classified by their contractual structure, which is visually represented through a hierarchical diagram, also known as the project framework. Design-bid-build (DBB) is often the method of choice because of the design community's familiarity with its processes and the legal community's reliance on its contractual agreements. The role and responsibilities of construction project engineers will be significantly different depending on the PDM because the scope of work and the time of involvement in the project life cycle will be different.