Best Practices for Design in Fast-Track Projects
Fast-track project delivery has become a standard operating procedure for construction of industrial projects. There is inherent overlap between design, procurement and construction phases in a typical fast-track project. The design phase is essentially driven by the requirements of the construction phase. The success of the design phase and the project itself depend upon the accuracy and timeliness of the information available to the designers from various stakeholders, the efficiency of the flow of information, and participation of all the stakeholders.
The conclusions and recommendations provided in this report are based on a comprehensive research project into the best practices for managing design in fast-track. The conclusions are derived from review of research literature, questionnaire surveys and statistical analyses of the collected data. The results of statistical analysis were corroborated by industry practitioners and academic experts through interviews and discussions. The research team studied various practices adopted in 31 fast-track projects comprehensively to reach the conclusions presented in this report.
The correlation between the performance of the design phase and the use of various Construction Industry Institute (CII) Best Practices (BPs) was evaluated in the statistical analysis of data. Partial correlation was used to isolate the effects of external confounding factors on the performance of design. Statistically significant correlation was found between design schedule performance and the following four CII Best Practices:
- Pre-Project Planning
- Alignment
- Constructability
- Change Management
The correlation between these BPs and design schedule performance meant that the more faithfully these practices were implemented in the projects, the better the schedule performance of the design phase in these projects. When asked to identify the top best practices for success of design phase in fast-track projects, an overwhelming majority of industry practitioners identified these practices.
Other important findings in the area of design work force management, procurement, and use of computer aided models are also presented in this report. Case studies presented in this report highlight innovative use of new IT tools (4D models) and cutting-edge management techniques (lean design). Many of the fast-track projects are additions/expansions to existing facilities. Unique challenges are faced when designing in fast-track projects particularly those to be constructed in close proximity to an operating facility. The extensive use of constructability for successful design in one such project is highlighted in the third case study presented in the report.
With design, procurement, and construction being executed closely, conflicts arise with the inherently iterative design process because design is now driven by the demands to keep construction flowing smoothly. The designers have to design with incomplete data and are not allowed to go through the loop which involves designing on the basis of assumptions, checking the assumptions later, and revising the design. This results in lack of availability of time to do adequate front end planning, and project execution has to start with a relatively inadequate scope definition (as compared to traditional projects). This often leads to changes in the later stages of the project. The significant overlap between design and construction also requires the design and construction personnel to cooperate early and more closely in the project. The feedback from various stakeholders has to be received in a shorter amount of time in a compressed schedule (RR222-11, p. 2).
