A system for selecting a project delivery method in US airports

This paper describes the most common project delivery methods used for airport capital projects and presents a methodology for selecting the most appropriate delivery method for a given set of conditions. The selection system considers the traditional design-bid-build, construction manager-at-risk, and design-build delivery methods. A set of 19 pertinent issues are identified and described that can affect the choice of project delivery method. The paper briefly explains the distinguishing features of airport projects and combines previous research and the results of extensive interviews with nine US airports to develop a new decision support system. The developed system consists of two distinct but related tiers. The first tier is a qualitative assessment where the decision maker evaluates the effectiveness of each delivery method in dealing with the relevant pertinent issues. This tier will assist agencies in determining if there is a dominant or obvious choice of project delivery method. If at the end of this stage a clear choice is not evident, the user will move to the second tier where a weighted matrix is used to score competing alternatives. The system will also provide a structure for documenting the project delivery decision in the form of a project delivery decision report. The proposed system is designed with the objective of developing a simple yet powerful selection mechanism for a decision that will affect project cost, schedule and quality during the project life cycle. The intended audience is airport owners and their consultants.