White House Action Plan to Accelerate Infrastructure Highlights ACEC Research Institute Study

October 13, 2022

White House Action Plan to Accelerate Infrastructure Highlights ACEC Research Institute Study

Institute research illustrates best practices for successful project delivery

Washington, DC – Today, American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Board Chair Art Barrett joined infrastructure leaders at the White House for the Accelerating Infrastructure Summit to discuss efficient implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Participants included White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor, and AASHTO President Shawn Wilson, Ph.D.

Today’s Accelerating Infrastructure Summit emphasized the Biden Administration’s commitment to federal leadership and innovation to accelerate infrastructure to a higher standard of “On Time, On Task, and On Budget.”

According to the White House, “about 90% of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will be delivered by non-federal partners, who have worked closely with federal agencies to revitalize our nation’s infrastructure.”

“The Administration clearly recognizes the essential role of engineering in modernizing our infrastructure to meet the demands of a changing environment and a changing economy,” said Barrett. “They recognize the government’s valuable partnership with the private sector to deliver successful projects.”

As a part of the event, the White House unveiled the Action Plan to Accelerate Infrastructure which cites a new ACEC Research Institute study recommending best practices in design-build project delivery to create efficiencies when bringing projects to fruition.

Design-build contracting unites engineering and construction services under one contract and, when done properly, can help government clients achieve a cohesive and collaborative approach to project planning and execution.

“Design-build can be an effective way to deliver infrastructure to the public, and this study provides actionable recommendations to agency clients to do it the right way,” said John L. Carrato, chair of the ACEC Research Institute Board of Directors.

The Institute’s landmark study examines design-build project delivery and challenges which impact the success and harmony of design-build teams and could ultimately affect the success of projects.

The study draws its recommendations from three types of design-build data: interview findings from 16 case studies, information from 155 ACEC engineering design firms of various sizes across diverse U.S. market sectors, and project performance data from 105 completed projects.

“America’s engineering industry brings the ingenuity and innovation necessary to make the projects funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law successful,” said ACEC President and CEO Linda Bauer Darr. “Design-build is one way to deliver projects efficiently, and the Institute’s new study provides a road map for local, state, and federal government agencies to be successful.”

Read the executive summary of the Institute’s new design-build study here.

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