Public Project Construction Manager-at-Risk Contracts: Lessons Learned from a Comparison of Commercial and Infrastructure Projects

Abstract

The primary benefits of construction manager-at-risk (CMAR) project delivery are associated with increasing the ultimate constructability of a project by bringing the construction contractor to the project during the design phase. This paper reports the results of a content analysis of 24 published CMAR case studies worth $5.4 billion in both the commercial and public infrastructure sectors and derives four lessons learned. The major finding was that owners must synchronize the clauses of design contracts with those of the preconstruction in order to promote the level of collaboration necessary to realize enhanced constructability. This study also found that engaging CMAR contractors as early as is practical, clearly defining the deliverables they will produce during preconstruction, and limiting the cost component of best value selections to only CMAR fees facilitates project success. This paper’s major contribution is in comparing commercial and infrastructure CMAR projects and finding common lessons learned.