Among findings in the survey:
• Steel Shortage. During the past year, almost three-quarters (74 percent) of industry executives had projects adversely affected by the steel shortage and the associated price increase, and a majority (57 percent) of these professionals believe this obstacle will be come greater in the coming year.
• Energy/Environmental Standards. Although more than three-quarters (77 percent) of respondents have initiated energy efficient plans in new projects and 93 percent anticipate rising demand for energy solutions, a significant number (39 percent) fail to use LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental design) green building standards when designing projects. Moreover, almost half (44 percent) of respondents were unaware of promotions/incentives offered by the Dept. of Energy or local utilities to assist in the procurement of energy efficient solutions.
• False Claims. More than three-quarters (77 percent) are concerned with the issue of false claims. Of the respondents that have been involved in the review and analysis of false claims, inflated pricing (45 percent) and subcontractor claims (25 percent) are issues identified as accounting for the greatest number of claims.
• Dispute Reviews. Respondents were far more likely to use mediation (34 percent) as a means to resolve disputes, compared to arbitration (14 percent) or litigation (12 percent). Least popular resolution vehicle were Dispute Review Boards (DRB) (5 percent). Of the 31 percent of respondents that have ever used a DRB to resolve a construction dispute, a majority (55 percent) described them as satisfactory and just under a third (31 percent) called them ineffective. Only a small minority (14 percent) described DRBs as very effective.
• Partners. Of the majority (55 percent) of respondents who typically use partnering on projects, fewer than half (45 percent) feel the practice has resulted in a reduction disputes/claims.
• Time. While respondents estimate that a majority (62 percent) of their construction projects are completed on time, a significant amount (29 percent) are completed late. Similarly, the construction professionals polled estimated that 61 percent of their projects come in on budget, with approximately one-quarter (26 percent) over budget.
Other areas included in the poll of construction industry executives were alternative procurement methods; change order growth; energy & environment; air quality; contracts.
