In the final part of this three-article look at bridging documents for complex design-build (D-B) projects, various best practices are explored. The first two articles looked at project definition and risk allocation and procurement, respectively.

Under a traditional design-bid-build construction delivery model, the owner has separate contracts with the designers and the builder—this creates a liability gap. The designer is responsible to meet a standard of care.

Design-build (D-B) is increasingly used as a construction delivery method for complex projects to accelerate completion, contain liability for cost overruns, and shift operational risks.