Dear Member of ASCE and the Construction Institute

ASCE Construction Division Survey of Owners

Dear Member of ASCE and the Construction Institute:

The Owners Directorate of the ASCE Construction Institute is conducting a survey to gather information from its members for use in developing activities that best meet your needs and desires.

You have been selected to participate in this survey due to your selection of one of the following possible owner categories on the ASCE application/renewal form:

Commercial and Industrial Organizations

Government - Local, State, Federal and Foreign.

Education

The purpose of the Owners Directorate of the Construction Institute (CI) is to establish a forum for discussion and development of techniques and practice used by professionals in private and public organizations that contract for construction work; to provide an arena for the technical advancement and professional growth for individuals within this field.

As defined in the previous paragraph, an owner organization is one that contracts for construction work.

1. / Which category describes your organization?
(Indicate selection(s) by placing X in Yes column) / Yes
A. / Commercial Organization – Providing construction materials, services, supplies or equipment
B. / Commercial Organization – Contracting for construction
C. / Industrial Organization – Providing construction materials, supplies or equipment
D. / Industrial Organization – Contracting for construction
E. / Local Government
F. / State Government / X
G. / Federal Government
H. / Quasi Government Activity
I. / Education – Academic
J. / Education - Administration
K. / Education - Student
L. / Education – Contracting for construction

If you responded yes to either A, C, I or K please do not proceed with the survey. Simply return your form for our information and inclusion in our analysis.

2.Which describes your present position? (Select only one)
Yes
A. / Staff engineer without supervisory responsibilities
B. / Staff engineer with supervisory responsibilities
C / Engineer in charge of division or directorate / X
D. / Owner of organization
E. / Corporate manager with responsibility over more than one office, directorate or division
F. / Other (describe) ______
3.Which category of construction describes contracted construction for your organization and approximate percentage of typical annual program?
(Select all categories that apply and indicate % based on 2005 experience)
A. /

GeneralBuilding

/ Yes / % of Total
Commercial Offices
Correctional Facilities
Distribution/Warehouses
Education
Entertainment
Government Offices
Health Care
Hotels/Motels/Convention
Single Unit Residential
Multi Unit Residential
Religious and Cultural
Retail
Sports
Other (describe)
B. /

Transportation

Airports
Bridges / X
Highways / X / Combined 50%
Marine and Port Facilities
Mass Transit and Rail
Other (describe)
C. /

Manufacturing

Aerospace
Auto
Electronic Assembly
Semiconductor
Other (describe)______
D. /

Industrial Process

Chemicals
Food
Pharmaceutical
Pulp and Paper
Steel and Nonferrous
Other (describe)
E. /

Petroleum

Maintenance
Offshore and Underwater
Pipelines
Refineries & Petrochemical Plants
Other (describe) ______
F. /

Power

Cogeneration
Fossil Fuels
Hydropower
Nuclear Power
Operations and maintenance
Transmission and Distribution
Other (describe) ______
G. /

Environment

Asbestos & lead Abatement
Assessment/Compliance
Chemical &Soil Remediation
Clean Air Compliance
Dams & Reservoirs
Hazardous Waste
Landfills
Nuclear Waste
Sanitary & Storm Sewers
Sewage & Solid Waste
Domestic water pipelines & Aqueducts
Treatment/Desalination
Wastewater Treatment
Water Supply
Other (describe)
H. /

Telecommunications

Data Centers & Web Hotels
Towers & Antennae
Transmission Lines & cables
Other (describe) ______
4.How does your organization conduct the various steps in the construction project delivery process? (Place X in appropriate blocks)
In House / Consultant
A. / Develop project scope / X / X
B. / Develop preliminary cost / X
C. / Develop preliminary schedule / X
D. / Prepare required environmental studies / X / X
E. / Prepare other regulatory approval documents / X / X
F. / Perform risk assessment / X / X
G. / Prepare risk allocation plan / X
H. / Select project delivery system / X
I. / Prepare project design QA and QC requirements / X
J. / Prepare construction phase QA/QC requirements / X
K. / Prepare RFP for Design-Build procurement / X
L. / Prepare project management information system / X / X
M. / Prepare design drawings and specifications / X / X
N. / Perform quality review of design / X
O. / Perform constructability review of design / X / X
P. / Perform value engineering / X
Q. / Prepare final cost estimate / X / X
U. / Prepare pre-bid construction schedule / X / X
R. / Select construction manager if used / X
S. / Arrange for owner provided materials or equipment / Rare
T. / Review proposals or bids / X
U. / Designate successful bidder / X
V. / Perform compliance oversight (Inspect) during construction / X / X
W. / Perform other CM functions during construction / X / X
X. / Perform submittal review during construction / X / X
Y. / Prepare responses to contractor RFI’s during construction / X / X
Z. / Perform commissioning, training and turn over activities / X
AA. / Accept completed construction / X
BB. / Assume operations and maintenance responsibilities / X
5.Which project delivery method(s) is/are used in your organization?
(Select all categories that apply and indicate % based on 2005 experience)
Yes / % of Projects
A. / Traditional design-bid-build with single prime / X / 95%
B. / Traditional design-bid-build with multiple primes / X / LESS THAN 1%
C / Design-Build / X / 2% (but some high $)
D. / Design-Build-Operate-Transfer / X / LESS THAN 1%
E. / Design-Build-Operate-Maintain / X / LESS THAN 1%
F. / Design-Build-Own-Operate-Transfer / X / LESS THAN 1%
G. / Lean Construction
H. / CM at Risk
I. / Finance, design, build, transfer / X / LESS THAN 1%
J. / Finance, design, build, operate, transfer / X / LESS THAN 1%
K. / Finance, design, build, own, operate, transfer / X / LESS THAN 1%
L. / Other (describe) ______

1. Select and rank up to 10 problem areas listed below that have been experienced in your organization over the past three years. (with #1 being the greatest problem area encountered)

Rank

A. / Project scope not fully developed / 10
B. / Preliminary cost estimate more than 20% from final estimate
C. / Preliminary project duration more than 20% from final schedule
D. / Environmental studies not adequately prepared
E. / Regulatory approval documents rejected by regulatory agency
F. / Risk assessment found to be deficient
G. / Risk allocation plan found to be out of balance with final results
H. / Project delivery system selected found to be not correct
I. / Project design QA and QC requirements not adequately defined
J. / Construction phase QA/QC requirements not adequately defined
K. / RFP for Design-Build procurement not properly prepared
L. / Project management information system not efficient or responsive
M. / Design drawings and specifications generated excessive changes, RFI’s or claims. / 9
N. / Quality review of design failed to identify deficiencies / 8
O. / Constructability review of design failed to identify conflicts / 7
P. / Value engineering not productive
Q. / Final cost estimate more than 20% from low contractor bid/proposal / 6
U. / Pre-bid construction schedule duration more than 20% at variance with initial contractor reviewed and approved schedule / 5
R. / Construction manager, if used, did not perform adequately
S. / Owner provided materials or equipment not delivered on time
T. / Review proposals or bids found to be incomplete or in error / 1
U. / Protest of selected successful bidder found to be with merit
V. / Compliance oversight (Inspect) during construction not adequate / 2
W. / CM functions during construction not performed adequately / 3
X / Submittal review during construction not performed correctly or within allotted time.
Y. / Responses to contractor RFI’s during construction not performed correctly or within allotted time / 4
Z. / Commissioning, training and turn over activities not properly performed
AA. / Acceptance of completed construction not adequately performed
BB. / Other (describe) ______
7.Indicate which of the following apply to your organization.
(Select and place X in applicable boxes)
In House / Consultant / Construction Contractor
A. / Preparation of project design guide (design QA) / X
B. / Review and approval of design guide / X
C. / Preparation of project specific QA/QC plan for design / X
D. / Review and approval of project specific QA/QC plan for design / X / X
E. / Review progress of design for compliance with approved design QA/QC plan. / X / X
F. / Review value engineering revisions for compliance with approved design QA/QC plan / X
G. / Review constructability revisions for compliance with approved design QA/QC plan / X
H. / Perform QA/QC during bidding process maintain quality and integrity during the bidding period. / X
I. / Approve designation of the contractor as responsible for QA/QC during construction / X
J. / Defines requirements for level of skill required for the contractor QA/QC staff / X
K. / Defines minimum requirements for contractor QA/QC plan / X
L. / Requires separate bid item for contractor QA/QC / X
M. / Reviews and approves contractors project progress schedule / X
N. / Reviews and approves contractors submittal schedule / X
O. / Provides compliance oversight for contractor performed inspections. / X
P. / Provides compliance oversight for CM performed inspections. / X
Q. / Other (describe) ______
8.This item only addresses the QA and QC elements in the project delivery process. Select and rank up to 5 that you feel the Construction Institute should focus on and promote improvements. Review of Chapter 20, Quality Control and Quality Assurance of ASCE Manual No. 73, Quality in the Constructed Project is suggested. Also, you may want to review your responses with the individual in your organization who is responsible for QA and QC management.
Rank
A. / Project design guide (design QA) deficient or not followed / 4
B. / Project specific QA/QC plan for design deficient or not followed
C. / Project specific QA/QC plan for design deficient or not followed
D. / Review of design progress for compliance with approved design QA/QC plan deficient or not completed. / 3
E. / Review value engineering revisions for compliance with approved design QA/QC plan deficient or not completed
F. / Review constructability revisions for compliance with approved design QA/QC plan deficient or not completed
G. / QA/QC during bidding process maintain quality and integrity during the bidding period deficient or not performed
H. / Requirements for level of skill required for the contractor QA/QC staff deficient or not followed
I. / Minimum requirements for contractor QA/QC plan deficient or not followed
J. / Separate bid item for contractor QA/QC not used
K. / Review and approval of contractor’s project progress schedule deficient or not completed
L. / Review and approval of contractor’s submittal schedule deficient or not completed
M. / Compliance oversight of contractor performed inspections deficient or not completed.
N. / Contractor inspectors not adequately trained
O. / In house inspectors not adequately trained / 5
P. / CM inspectors not adequately trained / 2
Q. / Local agency inspectors not adequately trained / 1
U. / Compliance oversight for CM performed inspections deficient or not completed.
R. / Other (describe) ______

1. Additional comments (optional)

10.Thank you for your time and participation with this survey! With more surveys to compile, we will be better able to understand the needs and concerns of construction owners and the better our research will be able to help the construction industry adapt to meet those needs.Please help us build our contact database by listing any possible owners who may be willing to participate in this study.

Organization/ Owner:

Contact Name:

Phone: ______

Email: ______

Organization/ Owner: ______

Contact Name: ______

Phone: ______

Email: ______

Organization/ Owner: ______

Contact Name: ______

Phone: ______

Email: ______

Organization/ Owner: ______

Contact Name: ______

Phone: ______

Email: ______

Thank you!

Aaron M. King

University of Florida

Department of Civil Engineering

(941) 376-9428

Nicholas R. Henriquez

University of Florida

Department of Civil Engineering

(813) 505-9468

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