Collaborative Risk Management of the Approval Process of Building Envelope Materials

Collaboration between owners, architects, engineers, and constructors is critical for project success; especially within alternative delivery methods such as design-build or construction management at risk. As the construction schedule is progressing and design decisions are being made, a coordinated effort is required to ensure that the finished building coincides with the owner's expectations. This paper presents a case study of the risk management efforts from a project team to ensure that the finished exterior skin of the building met project expectations. During the planning phases of the project, efforts were placed on managing project risk. Using a tool identified as a "Risk Pulse" the team identified the top risk on the project being issues with receiving the owner's approval of the building skin. The tool identified this risk as having a high likelihood of occurring with the largest impact to cost and schedule of the project. Upon identification of this risk the project team used a coordinated effort to mitigate the risk. The details of the risk management and planning processes have been captured based on observations and interviews with the participants. The paper will present the collaborative risk mitigation process used to ensure the approval of the building envelope.