Smart Work Zone Deployment Initiative

About the research

Design-Build (DB) delivery is expected to account for nearly 45% of all non-residential construction spending in the U.S. in 2021, an increase of 18% from only three years earlier (FMI 2018). This rapid increase in the use of DB means that there will be many designers and constructors undertaking DB projects for the first time and other firms who will be expanding their DB activities into other sectors. This growth creates a need for resources that facilitate design and construction integration.

The Professional’s Guide has been providing high-value, role-focused guidance for building design and construction since 2011, and it has even been incorporated into professional training offered by the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). However, DB delivery continues to evolve and there is a need for resources that address emerging trends in design management, such as design-assist, building information modeling (BIM) execution planning, and offsite construction techniques, as well as a need to provide market sector-specific guidance that recognizes the differences between implementing DB for buildings versus DB for water and wastewater, highway, aviation, and federal projects.

This project will update and expand the Professional’s Guide to specifically address these needs, empowering design managers to bring forward innovation in their projects through collaboration with designers, engineers, and contractors in their project supply chain.