Benefits of Integrated Project Delivery in Construction

What is IPD?

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a method of delivering a project based on the team’s collaborative efforts. It allows the creation of mini organizations for the project’s length to enhance the chances of achieving a project successfully.  The owner, architect, managers, designers, and contractors work as a single unit with the ultimate goal of delivering a cost-efficient project on time.

IPD has resulted in the timely delivery of complex construction projects. The contractors who will execute the project work closely with the architects and the designers (structure and MEP) to find the best possible delivery method for the project. Cost and schedule optimization is done at the design stage, and the most economical and feasible solution is finalized that can power the project to success.

The key benefits of using IPD in construction projects have been discussed here:

1. Better Coordination and Lower Cost of Changes

In contrast to the traditional design-bid-build method where the parties can’t communicate with each other, the IPD method allows the contractor to talk directly with the architect. If there is any change in the design, it can be communicated directly to the contractor. It can also be discussed if making a particular change is possible without having high-cost impacts. The early involvement of the contractor before the beginning of the construction phase eliminates the higher cost of changes. The graph below depicts the increase in the cost of changes vs the progress of the project.

2. Lower Project Costs and Timely delivery

The project using the IPD method tends to stay on budget as all the parties mutually work to adopt a method of construction that is most economical and can be executed on time. It is possible to finish the project in much lesser time, which otherwise is not possible using the traditional methods. Suppose we have a project of a multi-story concrete structure. The IPD method allows the contractor to share with the designer about the shuttering forms that are already available, so the size of the beams and the columns can be adjusted in a way that the cost spent on new shuttering fabrication can be minimized. Similarly, the option of prefabrication can be chosen to reduce the project timeline if the contractor has the resources to go for this method.

3. Innovative Solutions

Innovative projects become a reality due to the use of IPD in construction. An example of this type of project is the Brock Common Tall Wood Building in Canada. The idea was to create a sustainable mass timber tall wood structure. The integration of the fire engineering teams with the structural design teams and the contractor helped in formulating a strategy of encapsulating the timber structure with gypsum boards to make it as safe as a concrete building considering the fire hazards to the wood. These types of solutions are possible only if the designer and contractor team are working mutually from the start of the project.

4. Precise Construction Estimates

The estimates of the projects that are produced using the IPD method are very accurate. The owner will have the exact information about the costs that will incur over the whole project’s life cycle. So, the uncertainty in the cost estimates is diminished.

5. Increased Productivity

The use of IPD in construction results in increased productivity of the human resources and the machinery used. The reason is that the contractor can suggest changes in design at an earlier stage to optimize the use of machines and workforce. For example, reducing the piles’ length and increasing their number enhances the drilling productivity of rigs.  As the total length increases, the time for a unit length of drilling increases.

Conclusion

The Integrated Project Delivery method is advantageous in delivering projects successfully. However, the mindset and the coordination of all the teams involved is the key to the success of IPD. When all the teams partner to work as a single unit, the results produced are beneficial for all the stakeholders of the project.

Contact Leopard Project Controls for your construction scheduling projects.