DESIGN-BUILD OF WASTEWATER FORCE-MAIN IN NORTH BAY VILLAGE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE DESIGN-BUILD TEAM'S PERSPECTIVE

摘要

The City of North Bay Village (NBV) is a three-island community situated in northeast Miami-Dade County between the cities of Miami and Miami Beach. The three islands (North Bay Island, Harbor Island and Treasure Island) are linked by the John F. Kennedy (79th Street) Causeway, which extends across Biscayne Bay from Miami to Miami Beach.NBV is currently under a construction moratorium enforced by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). As such, NBV has completed a force main route evaluation and prepared a design-build criteria package so that a design-build Team can construct the force main and have it in service before December 31, 2011.NBV contracted METRO Equipment Services, Inc. (MES) and Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) to design and construct a new sanitary sewer force main to transmit NBV's sewage from NBV's Master Pumping Station to the Miami-Dade County - Water & Sewer Department's (MDWASD) 24-inch force main at the City of Miami.The project consisted of approximately 13,500 linear feet of 16-inch diameter pipeline and includes three horizontal directional drillings of 2,600 linear feet, 1,350 linear feet, and 1,150 linear feet across the environmentally sensitive Biscayne Bay and Pelican Harbor Bird Sanctuary.NBV's objective was to provide an opportunity for the selected Design-Build (DB) Team to be innovative in design and in construction methods while delivering the desired end result.In DB, the client solicits bids from Contractor/Engineer Teams based on incomplete plans. The prospective Design/Builders bid to complete the design while simultaneously starting construction. This overlap can shave months or even years off the schedule.Advantages of this delivery method include enhanced value-engineering and constructability reviews, early knowledge of guaranteed costs, accelerated delivery, lower design and engineering fees, reduced owner risk and administrative responsibilities.NBV undoubtedly learned many lessons throughout the course of the force main rehabilitation project. Our paper, however, will focus on the lessons learned from the Contractor's perspective.For both NBV and the METRO Team, this understanding reveals the strengths (and weaknesses) of this project delivery method. It sheds light on the effects of Design/Build policies and practices on the cost and schedule of large infrastructure projects.Utilities who understand the implications of their Design/Build procurement practices, contracts, oversight, management, and administration can be more effective in crafting their programs to meet project requirements.