Causes, expectations and remedies for imperfection in building design and construction described in new report
NEW YORK (Sept. 24, 2014)—While the construction industry is often associated with cost and schedule problems, little data has been compiled about typical levels of uncertainty, reasons and remedies McGraw Hill Construction today released its new SmartMarket Report, Managing Uncertainty and Expectations in Building Design and Construction, that addresses this issue by identifying:
- Key drivers of uncertainty that create unanticipated quality, cost and schedule problems, and how they can be mitigated
- Perspectives and expectations of owners, architects, and contractors for their own and each other’s levels of performance on projects
- The most impactful aspects of performance and how they should be measured, so all parties can align around reasonable expectations and improve outcomes throughout the industry
- Owner-driven issues – such as unclear project requirements/lack of direction, accelerated schedules, and program/design changes – cause the greatest degree of project uncertainty
- Most owners are willing to accept a reasonable amount of imperfection in design documents, and on average expect 3-5% added construction costs as a result
- Increasing design/construction integration and structured communication between project team members will have the greatest impact on reducing uncertainty and improving project outcomes, but needs to be managed to maintain individual responsibilities