Alternative Project Delivery, Procurement, and Contracting Methods for Highways


Book Description

The report is a comprehensive and objective presentation of methods that government agencies can use to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public-sector project delivery.







Design-build Contracting Handbook


Book Description

Covering all aspects of the design-build delivery system, this valuable guide presents the pros and cons and compares them with the traditional project delivery method. You'll learn how to easily navigate the thicket of licensing considerations, evaluate bonding and insurance implications, and analyze the performance guarantees of the design-build concept. You also get practical suggestions for effective drafting of design-build contracts.




Completing the "Big Dig"


Book Description

Boston's Central Artery/Tunnel Project, a 7.8 mile system of bridges and underground highways and ramps, is the most expensive public works project ever undertaken in the United States. The original cost estimate of $2.6 billion has already been exceeded by $12 billion, and the project will not be completed until 2005, seven years late. The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA), the public steward of the project, requested that the National Research Council carry out an independent assessment of the project's management and contract administration practices, with a focus on the present situation and measures that should be taken to bring the project to a successful conclusion. This report presents the committee's findings and recommendations pertaining to cost, scheduling, and transitioning from the current organization dominated by consultants to an operations organization composed largely of full-time MTA staff. The report recommends that MTA establish an external, independent, peer-review program to address technical and management issues until the transition to operations and maintenance is complete; begin a media campaign now to teach drivers how to use the new system safely; and develop, immediately implement, and maintain a comprehensive security program.







TCRP Report 131


Book Description




Drawdown


Book Description

• New York Times bestseller • The 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research by leading scientists and policymakers around the world “At this point in time, the Drawdown book is exactly what is needed; a credible, conservative solution-by-solution narrative that we can do it. Reading it is an effective inoculation against the widespread perception of doom that humanity cannot and will not solve the climate crisis. Reported by-effects include increased determination and a sense of grounded hope.” —Per Espen Stoknes, Author, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming “There’s been no real way for ordinary people to get an understanding of what they can do and what impact it can have. There remains no single, comprehensive, reliable compendium of carbon-reduction solutions across sectors. At least until now. . . . The public is hungry for this kind of practical wisdom.” —David Roberts, Vox “This is the ideal environmental sciences textbook—only it is too interesting and inspiring to be called a textbook.” —Peter Kareiva, Director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA In the face of widespread fear and apathy, an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and scientists have come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One hundred techniques and practices are described here—some are well known; some you may have never heard of. They range from clean energy to educating girls in lower-income countries to land use practices that pull carbon out of the air. The solutions exist, are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are currently enacting them with skill and determination. If deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, they represent a credible path forward, not just to slow the earth’s warming but to reach drawdown, that point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline. These measures promise cascading benefits to human health, security, prosperity, and well-being—giving us every reason to see this planetary crisis as an opportunity to create a just and livable world.




Effective Implementation of the Design-build Delivery System on Transportation Projects


Book Description

The use of design-build project delivery systems today is popular for delivering commercial, industrial, and institutional construction projects and is increasingly used on transportation projects. While some states have used design-build to deliver transportation projects for over a decade, others have little to no experience with this method and have not yet established any legislation to use design-build. Design-build has been shown to shorten the duration of a project as compared to the design-bid-build traditional delivery method, together with increasing cost certainty and without sacrificing quality. While these benefits make design-build a very attractive delivery system, its implementation is not always as easy. This report combines the knowledge from existing literature as well as Departments of Transportation (DOTs) from around the United States familiar with design-build to form an overview of the entire implementation process including: passing legislation, choosing appropriate projects, overcoming the barriers specific to design-build, selecting the best design-build team, and conditions for successful implementation. By being aware of the barriers to implementing design-build and how to best deal with them, DOTs can use this delivery method effectively, taking advantage of its benefits.




NCHRP Synthesis 402


Book Description




Best-value Procurement Methods for Highway Construction Projects


Book Description

"TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 561: Best-Value Procurement Methods for Highway Construction Projects examines procurement methods, award algorithms, and rating systems for use in awarding best-value highway construction contracts. The report also explores screening criteria for selecting projects for application of best-value procurement, implementation strategies, and a model best-value specification"--Publisher's description.