Analysis of the Higher-Order Partial Correlation between CII Best Practices and Performance of the Design Phase in Fast-Track Industrial Projects

A fast-track project delivery strategy is designed to leverage the ability to execute the design, procurement, and construction phases simultaneously to substantially reduce the overall project duration. The successful execution of the design phase in fast-track projects is especially challenging because the concurrent execution of design and construction interferes with the inherently iterative nature of the design process. In this research, it was hypothesized that a correlation exists between the use of some of the Construction Industry Institute (CII) best practices and the performance of design phase in fast-track projects. Analysis of the performance of the design phase in 31 fast-track projects revealed a statistically significant correlation between performance of the design phase and front-end planning, alignment, constructability, and change management. The results of quantitative analysis are supported by qualitative analysis of data, opinion of experts from industry, and academia. The projects analyzed in the study were executed by CII member companies with experience and knowledge of using the best practices effectively. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000487. (C) 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.