Before we can answer “Why?”, we have to ask, “What is Integrated Project Delivery?
This project model is so new in the building construction field, that its definition is still fluid. It is extremely interactive because it starts at the idea stage rather than after the concept has already taken design form.
The purpose of Integrated Project Delivery, according to Chuck Thomsen, FAIA, FCMAA*, is to get over the barrier of the “traditional contracting structure” which dictates the “liability… insurance and traditional risk management policies” of the architects, engineers, and construction personnel involved.
So, to tackle the problem of all these contractors pulling against each other because of mandates built into their own specialties, Integrated Project Delivery provides a new approach. It brings together the members of the project team so that they work seamlessly “with a mutual responsibility to help one another meet an owner’s goals.”
At this time, we are at the legal stage, where these key specialists are working with their lawyers to craft the management protocols and contract terminology that will align the priorities of the project team with the project mission. Within those priorities are the goals of improving efficiency, reducing waste and constructing the best possible buildings.
Integrated Project Delivery provides the urgency for getting all personnel on the team together as early as possible, hopefully during the schematic design stage. It allows for a collaborative brainstorming before anything is actually designed. This way issues that could cause serious bumps in the road later are addressed and dealt with.
As an incentive, a unique type of contract is introduced at this juncture that demonstrates the IPD ideal. All participants are required to sign a “shared risk/shared reward contract.” This gives tangibility to the “understanding that all parties are working together for the good of the project.”
Integrated Project Delivery has eight elements that remain constant no matter what direction collaboration on a project takes:
A legal relationship
A management committee
An incentive pool
A no-blame working environment
Design assistance
Collaboration software
Lean construction
Integrated leadership
One of the most power tools available to implement Integrated Project Delivery is the BIM software. Only recently developed as an improvement on CAD, Building Information Modeling is proving to be the mechanism that enables the Project Teams to do their preliminary IPD brainstorming and assists them through every stage of construction.
BIM lets everyone involved in the project see the possible design scenarios long before the materials for construction are even ordered. Changes can be made with a click of the mouse. Immediately, BIM generates reports on costs, manpower, materials and work schedules based on the changes to the design. With projected data at their fingertips, and everyone having access to the same information, the architects, engineers, contractors, and all interested personnel can discuss options and make informed decisions.
So, in the process of discovering “What” Integrated Project Delivery is, we have actually answered the question of “Why.” IPD fosters a unity of vision and an attitude of enthusiastic cooperation among the project team members who otherwise might be at odds with each other because of traditional ways of doing things and factors they do not control. Now, with IPD, the emphasis on joint planning and constant communication enables building projects to progress more smoothly and efficiently.
Source: Constructech Magazine
www.constructech.com/news/articles/article.aspx?article_id=7619
*Chuck Thomsen, FAIA, FCMAA (fellow, American Institute of Architects/fellow, Construction Management Assn. of America)
