Examination of communication processes in design-build project delivery in building construction

Design-Build (D-B) is a project delivery method in which the owner procures both design and construction services in the same contract from a single legal entity. There is limited research on how communication among parties influences the success of D-B projects. The purpose of this paper is to examine D-B communication issues and provides effective practices on communication to improve D-B procurement processes in the USA.

The research methodology for this study includes a comprehensive review of literature, survey questionnaire, and structured interviews. A questionnaire was developed to collect data from professionals with an average of 23 years of experience related to D-B procurement. Eight structured interviews were conducted to verify and validate the survey questionnaire results.

The results showed that the communication issues vary along with each phase of the D-B process. The primary communication practices influencing the success of D-B projects are: establishing clear points of contact; providing clear and understandable information among stakeholders during the D-B process; and the timely sharing of information to all stakeholders.

The chief limitation of this research is that the primary data were mostly opinions from experts although several empirical data were collected for cross-validation. This research did not consider the relationship of relevant contract clauses and communication issues.

The findings from this paper will help professionals better understand the D-B procurement process.

This is one of the first attempts to discuss D-B communication issues in each different phase of a D-B project.