DBIA Design-Build Fundamentals and Principles 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which DBIA principle emphasizes that the design-builder should assume responsibility for all design and construction to eliminate the owner's exposure to gaps in responsibility?
- Value engineering mandate
- Single point of responsibility (Correct answer)
- Collaborative open-book accounting
- Phased permit strategy
Correct answer: Single point of responsibility
Single point of responsibility is the foundational DBIA principle ensuring the design-builder owns all outcomes without owner-created gaps.
Question 2: How does the design-build delivery method typically impact the number of change orders related to design errors compared to design-bid-build?
- It increases design-error change orders because the designer is less accountable
- It reduces design-error change orders because design and construction are integrated under one entity (Correct answer)
- It has no measurable effect on change order frequency
- It eliminates all change orders entirely
Correct answer: It reduces design-error change orders because design and construction are integrated under one entity
Integration reduces design-error change orders because the design-builder is incentivized to coordinate design and construction from the start.
Question 3: Which public law significantly expanded the use of design-build delivery for federal facilities in the United States?
- Davis-Bacon Act
- Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) of 1994 (Correct answer)
- Clinger-Cohen Act
- Buy American Act
Correct answer: Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) of 1994
FASA of 1994 authorized federal agencies to use design-build delivery, broadening its acceptance across the public sector.
Question 4: What is the key distinction between 'developer-led design-build' and 'contractor-led design-build'?
- Developer-led models never include a contractor
- In developer-led, the developer finances and controls the project; in contractor-led, the constructor leads the team (Correct answer)
- Contractor-led models exclude architects entirely
- Developer-led models always use lump-sum pricing
Correct answer: In developer-led, the developer finances and controls the project; in contractor-led, the constructor leads the team
Developer-led design-build involves the developer taking financial and project leadership, while contractor-led has the constructor as the primary contracting entity.
Question 5: Which design-build project characteristic most directly supports schedule acceleration?
- Sequential completion of all design documents before any construction begins
- Early involvement of the constructor allowing construction packages to be released as design progresses (Correct answer)
- Owner approval required for every design decision
- Separation of design liability from construction liability
Correct answer: Early involvement of the constructor allowing construction packages to be released as design progresses
Early constructor involvement enables phased design releases, allowing foundations or site work to begin while building design continues.
Question 6: In DBIA terminology, what is a 'guaranteed maximum price' (GMP) arrangement within a design-build contract?
- A fixed fee paid to the owner by the design-builder at project completion
- A contract structure where the design-builder bears costs above an agreed maximum price ceiling (Correct answer)
- A payment bond amount set by the surety
- A cap on the owner's design review costs
Correct answer: A contract structure where the design-builder bears costs above an agreed maximum price ceiling
Under a GMP, the design-builder absorbs cost overruns beyond the agreed ceiling, protecting the owner from budget uncertainty.
Question 7: Which of the following is NOT a typical benefit attributed to design-build delivery?
- Faster project delivery through schedule compression
- Lower total project cost through reduced change orders
- Greater owner control over detailed design decisions throughout the project (Correct answer)
- Single point of accountability for design and construction quality
Correct answer: Greater owner control over detailed design decisions throughout the project
Design-build typically reduces owner control over detailed design decisions, as that authority is delegated to the design-builder within defined parameters.
DBIA Design-Build Fundamentals and Principles 5
Which DBIA principle emphasizes that the design-builder should assume responsibility for all design and construction to eliminate the owner's exposure to gaps in responsibility?