The early bird gets the worm…usually. Dos and don’ts of Early Contractor Involvement (ECI).

With the inherent complexity of dam construction and rehabilitation projects, quality design and associated contract documents along with proper operational planning are critical to executing a successful project on time and within budget. Identifying major challenges and finding solutions in advance of construction reduces risk and generally decreases the frequency and magnitude of change orders, claims, and delays.
Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) supports these important project objectives by providing an opportunity to engage contractors during the design phase of the project for input on constructability, cost, and schedule. A successfully administered ECI results improved constructability, more accurate cost estimation, increased profitability, and better risk management through improved communication, collaboration, and diversity in both design expertise and construction knowledge.
Most often ECI is associated with alternate project delivery methods. Although alternate project delivery methods are a form of Early Contractor Involvement, ECI can also be accomplished in conjunction with a more traditional Design-Bid-Build (DBB) project delivery method.