Application of design-build contracts to tunnel construction

摘要

Several owners/agencies, unhappy with cost overruns and schedule shifts associated with standard design-bid-build contracts, have proceeded with design-build contracting in the hopes that there will be less risk of claims and legal entanglements with the single source responsibility that is part of the design-build process. Other owners are assessing design-build as a means for accelerating the tunnel project delivery process while potentially reducing owner risks and ultimate project costs. Recently, the Federal Transportation Administration (Tunnels & Tunneling 1999) has elected to implement design-build contracting approaches on five major demonstration projects. Several other European owners have experimented with design-build formats on major tunnel projects. This paper will present case history data for several design-build tunnel projects, noting changes in cost and schedule, during the course of the project. This paper will also discuss likely pros and cons for the owner, contractor and designer in a design-build contracting approach for the construction of tunnels.