Elyamany, A H M (2010) Developing a rational approach for contractor selection based on history of construction quality and long-term performance. PhD thesis, North Dakota State University, USA.
Abstract
It has long been a source of frustration to those involved with competitive-bid pavement projects that owners often treat low-quality construction work no differently than high-quality construction work. To overcome this challenge, Best Value (BV) was adopted to allow additional criteria for the contractor selection process. Although BV succeeds in including parameters other than bid price in the selection process, subjectivity remains one of the main challenges facing the implementation of BV on a large scale. This research aims to develop a rational score for the quality of the contractor's past performance based on a group of quality characteristics using field testing results. Using the collected quality test data, two models are proposed to develop the quality score. The sensitivity of the BV model suggests the use of a bid price weight between 80–90% of the total weight to best represent the importance of the bid price within the contractor selection process. This research studied the expected benefits and costs of using the BV model rather than the low bid system to select the best contractor. The benefit/cost analysis shows that when the contractor with the lowest bid is selected over the contractor with the highest BV, there is an effect on the International Roughness Index, rutting, and Performance Condition Index for Hot Mix Asphalt overlays on local roads. The study shows that the expected savings when using the BV model in procurement of a pavement project could range between 1. 1 and 11. 5% for a project with a bid price of $3 million.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Abdelrahman, M |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | subjectivity; pavement; contractor selection; cost analysis; owner; field testing |
| Index terms: | contractor selection, owner, savings, best value, field testing, construction work, implementation, cost analysis, subjectivity, history, performance-based, construction quality |
| Subjects: | tendering, performance measurement, quality assurance, sociology, human factors and perception, economic analysis, architectural and construction history, financial and cost management, contractual arrangements, bidding, professional practice, operations management |
| Topics: | Stakeholder Management, Research Practice, Cost Management, Business Strategy, Procurement, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Quality Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here