Al-Jibouri, S and Ogink, G (2009) Proposed model for integrating rams method in the design process in construction. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 5(4), pp. 179-192. ISSN 1745-2007
Abstract
There is a growing trend in the Netherlands for outsourcing public construction activities to the private sector through the use of integrated contracts. There is also an increasing emphasis from public clients on the use of RAMS and life cycle costing (LCC) in the design process of infrastructural projects to improve the performance of designed systems and optimize the project cost. RAMS is an acronym for 'reliability, availability, maintainability and safety' and represents a collection of techniques to provide predictions of the performance targets of the required system. Increasingly, RAMS targets are being specified in invitation to tender or contract documents and the parties responsible for the design are required to provide evidence of its application in their design. Recent evidence from practice, complemented with a literature study, has shown that the knowledge and application of RAMS in infrastructural designs are in their infancy compared with other industrial sectors and many designers in construction do not have the necessary knowledge and experience to apply it. This paper describes a proposed model for the integration of RAMS and LCC into the design process in construction. A variation of the model for the application of RAMS in 'design, build, finance and maintain' (DBFM) contracts that include maintenance requirements is also proposed. The two models involve providing guidelines to simplify the application of RAMs by the designers. The model has been validated for its practicality and usefulness during a workshop by experienced designers.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | design process; infrastructural design; integrated contracts; life cycle costing; rams |
| Index terms: | variation, integration, integrated contract, public construction, contract document, evidence, public client, costing, infrastructural project, design process, maintainability, outsourcing, workshop, life cycle, Netherlands, private sector, invitation to tender, designer, project cost |
| Subjects: | contractual arrangements, profession, construction type, evaluation and assessment methods, business, value management, design methods, organizational analysis, sociology, building construction, industry analysis, economics, accounting and finance, tendering, maintenance engineering, contractual condition, Geography, infrastructure engineering |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Cost Management, Project Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Engineering Principles, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Procurement, Construction Technology, Design Practice, Organizational Design, Contract Administration |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
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