Butler County Engineer
Greg Wilkens announces that the BCEO has been selected to test
the State of Ohio's new Design-Build process. Butler County is
one of only fifteen applicants authorized by the State to utilize
this process at the county level.
Design-Build is a concept
in which the design and construction elements of a project are
combined to complete the project in a much shorter time frame.
Typically, the contractor and engineering firm work together
to develop a proposal to construct a project. This concept has
been used in building construction for a number of years but
is relatively new to the road and bridge business, according
to Wilkens.
The Design-Build process
is allocated to bridge projects only and includes a $2 million
contract cap. "What this means is that we can include as
many bridges as we want when testing the process as long as the
total cost does not exceed $2 million," Wilkens said. The
Butler County Engineer's Office has selected two bridges for
replacement utilizing Design-Build -- a bridge on Hine Road in
Ross Township and one on State Road in Milford Township. These
projects are slated to begin with design this year, followed
immediately by construction.
"I believe Butler
County was one of the few selected Design-Build teams because
we have a proven history of successful accomplishments,"
Wilkens emphasized. "We have clearly demonstrated our ability
to understand the road building process and manage construction
of major projects -- many which have led to significant economic
development."
"Design-Build
is yet another important source of outside revenues into which
the Engineer's Office has tapped," Wilkens added. "The
hard part is not really the engineering or construction. Finding
the funding to actually construct these much-needed projects
is the key to success. Our staff has developed a real expertise
in seeking out new and innovative ways to fund projects."
Design-Build
Explained
Design-Build, typically
faster than the traditional design-bid-build process, combines
the design and construction of a project into one contract, according
to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). The designing
firm and construction contractor become a team, working concurrently
on the design and construction phases of a project, expediting
delivery.
The time savings in
Design-Build projects is realized by eliminating the lead time
necessary to contract an engineering firm for design and then
accept bids from contractors to build the design. Projects move
from design to construction much faster through the use of the
single Design-Build contract.
Additionally, because
the engineering firm and contractor work in tandem, the contractor's
changes can be incorporated into the design phase, eliminating
the need for potentially costly and time-consuming changes during
construction.
Design-Build project
selection criteria include:
