Integrated Project Delivery: A Win-Win Project Approach

Integrated project delivery (IPD) is an innovative way to excel your construction planning reducing waste, cutting costs, and improving productivity. The Integrated Project Delivery main goal is to create a team effort integrating owner, architects, engineers, managers, and subcontractors. Unlike other project efforts, the Integrated Project Delivery creates a unique bond from day one of the planning stages, binding all major project stakeholders.

Professional associations like AIA and AGC are creating standards and guidelines to be used in the Integrated Project Delivery process. It is important to highlight that with the Integrated Project Delivery process all team members will share risks and rewards based on goal achievement.

Delivery Steps

The IPD process needs to take care of the areas described below

Conceptualization: Stakeholders gather and analyze multiple solutions that can enhance the product being offered. This will create a predictable less-complicated process, with the main goal set to reduce errors and minimize re-design problems.
Design: All evaluations from stage one must be incorporated in the design process. Sustainability goals will be set, and construction code regulations will be incorporated into the design process. Planning a project carefully with the Integrated Project Delivery will reduce waste and produce potential savings to all participants.
Implementation: After a careful design process, the implementation of the project starts with computer modeling and design data analysis. Sometimes IPD integrates BIM and CAD modeling predicting the project outcome. All proposed systems must be analyzed and virtually tested to ensure, that design performance will be achieved.
Construction: After all three previous steps are carefully completed, the construction of the project can start. The construction phase is where the benefits of the integrated model are realized. The project will normally run smoothly, without delays, reducing design conflicts, extra works, change orders, waste, and will be completed on time and within budget.
Operation: Initial goals are achieved, reducing operational costs, rental or maintenance costs and will provide great benefits for surrounding neighbors.

BIM Role on Integrated Project Delivery

Building Information Modeling is essential to achieve efficiently the collaboration required for Integrated Project Delivery. Building Information Modeling incorporated under the integrated project delivery will allow to create a solid visualization of the project, understand the actual construction behavior, performance, and other relevant information. Building information modeling integration with IPD will also provide reliable information, reducing the need for RFI's, change orders and reduce the rework in the construction area.

Building information modeling used in this approach can also benefit the process of creating As-Built drawings, providing a complete and precise record drawing.

Results

This innovative methodology creates excellent results that will benefit your company, your project and the outcome of the construction process.

Open Collaboration: Outcomes, risks, and gains can be planned and predicted
Representation: Using Building Information Modeling professionals participating in the process will plan all related aspects of the construction process
Analysis: Analysis of construction results can be assessed.
Higher Standards: With the overall collaboration, higher standards can be achieved
Fabrication: Issues regarding with fabrication procedures can rapidly be detected
Contract Documents: Specific contracts can be prepared for all related professionals, leaving behind the gaps in construction contracts
Estimating: Collaboration from the team will allow having a better and more precise job estimate
Cost-Efficient: Reducing errors, omissions, and disputes, while speeding up the construction process.