Design-Assist: A Model Approach to Better Projects [T4]

Collaborative project delivery methods such as Design-Build (DB) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) are increasingly popular in parallel with the technology (such as BIM) that enables them. However, even IPD, which purports to be all inclusive, largely remains as a contractual arrangement between the owner, contractor and architect, with subcontractors often not even considered until long after the contract details have been worked out. Design-Assist offers subcontractors the opportunity for early involvement in the design of a project without necessarily having to be concerned with all the nuances and details of an IPD or DB contract. Similarly it offers the project team an opportunity to gain all the advantages of working with the major subcontractors from a very early stage without affecting the IPD or DB contract terms. Design-Assist can also bridge the gap to collaborative project delivery when used on projects where separate design and construction contracts are issued, such as CM At-Risk (CMAR) and even Design-Bid-Build (DBB). As collaborative delivery methods go, Design-Assist could be the most overlooked and under-rated opportunity for fabricators, detailers and erectors, aka the Steel Team, and this session will explore why. Attendees to this session will receive the first copies of an AISC guide to Design-Assist contracting.

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