DBIA Executing Design-Build Projects 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the DBIA standard of care, the design-builder's design professional is MOST similar in duty to:
- An owner's advisor who owes loyalty to the project owner
- A licensed design professional practicing in accordance with applicable professional standards (Correct answer)
- A construction manager providing design advice without professional liability
- A subcontractor responsible only for means and methods
Correct answer: A licensed design professional practicing in accordance with applicable professional standards
Design professionals on a design-build team retain their professional duty of care and must practice in compliance with licensing laws and professional standards regardless of who employs them.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a 'Conditions of Satisfaction' (COS) meeting in design-build project execution?
- To formally accept construction punch list items
- To align the project team on the owner's expectations, priorities, and success criteria (Correct answer)
- To conduct a legal review of the contract conditions
- To assess subcontractor satisfaction with prime contract terms
Correct answer: To align the project team on the owner's expectations, priorities, and success criteria
Conditions of Satisfaction meetings surface and align the team around the owner's key expectations and success criteria early in the project.
Question 3: In design-build, 'guaranteed maximum price' (GMP) contracts differ from lump-sum contracts primarily in that GMP contracts:
- Transfer all cost overrun risk to the owner with no ceiling
- Establish a cost ceiling while allowing the owner to share in savings if actual costs are lower (Correct answer)
- Require competitive bidding among design-build entities
- Eliminate the need for a project contingency
Correct answer: Establish a cost ceiling while allowing the owner to share in savings if actual costs are lower
GMP contracts cap the owner's cost exposure while typically providing a savings-sharing mechanism if the project completes under the GMP.
Question 4: Which project delivery method characteristic makes design-build MOST advantageous for an owner who needs a single point of responsibility?
- Design-build allows the owner to independently manage each discipline
- The design-builder holds the design and construction contracts, creating unified accountability (Correct answer)
- Design-build requires separate designer and contractor contracts for accountability
- The owner retains the architect separately to maintain design control
Correct answer: The design-builder holds the design and construction contracts, creating unified accountability
Design-build consolidates design and construction responsibility under a single entity, eliminating the gap between designer and contractor that exists in traditional delivery.
Question 5: During design-build execution, who is typically responsible for coordinating trade contractor submittals with the design team?
- The owner's project manager
- The design-builder's project manager or designated coordinator (Correct answer)
- Each trade contractor independently with the local authority
- The design-builder's architect only, without construction input
Correct answer: The design-builder's project manager or designated coordinator
The design-builder's project manager or coordinator manages the submittal flow between trade contractors and the design team to maintain schedule and design integrity.
Question 6: An RFI (Request for Information) on a design-build project is MOST often generated to:
- Request a formal change order from the owner for additional scope
- Seek clarification on design intent or resolve conflicts discovered in the field or documents (Correct answer)
- Formally notify the owner of a deficiency in their bridging documents
- Obtain subcontractor pricing for potential scope additions
Correct answer: Seek clarification on design intent or resolve conflicts discovered in the field or documents
RFIs are used to obtain clarification on design intent, resolve document conflicts, or address field conditions that require design team guidance.
Question 7: Which technique BEST reduces design-to-construction coordination errors on complex design-build projects?
- Requiring all design to be 100% complete before any construction begins
- Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) with clash detection across disciplines (Correct answer)
- Assigning separate teams for design and construction with minimal interaction
- Relying on field personnel to identify and resolve all coordination issues during construction
Correct answer: Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) with clash detection across disciplines
BIM with clash detection identifies spatial conflicts between systems (structural, mechanical, electrical, etc.) during design, preventing costly field conflicts.
DBIA Executing Design-Build Projects 4
Under the DBIA standard of care, the design-builder's design professional is MOST similar in duty to: