Читать книгу Construction Management JumpStart - Barbara J. Jackson - Страница 85

Even the toy industry appears to be contributing to the rebuilding of the industry's image, although unintentionally, I'm sure. The Bob the Builder television franchise has sold millions of dolls, storybooks, and assorted toys in recent years.

It is hard to tell whether the efforts by the various construction associations have paid off, but it seems that the industry is clearly in transition, and there are clear signs that a new respect for construction is emerging. The days of the individual master builder are long gone, but the new master builder, the collaborative team, is taking on challenges the likes of which have never been seen before, and the world is watching. The rebuilding of the Pentagon after September 11, 2001, is a good example. A project that was slated to take five years by federal government estimates was completed by September 11, 2002, in only 364 days by men and women determined to show what the American construction industry can do.

In 2004 and 2006 the Construction Users Round Table (CURT) published two white papers. The 2004 paper was entitled “Collaboration, Integrated Information, and the Project Lifecycle in Building Design, Construction and Operation.” The 2006 paper was entitled “Optimizing the Construction Process: An Implementation Strategy.” (You can access both papers on the CURT website at www.curt.org. The papers are free for members and available for a small fee to nonmembers.) These white papers stress the need for more collaboration and teamwork among project players in the design and construction process and the implementation and use of advanced technology to address design and construction integration issues. The Construction Users Round Table represents owners—our clients, stakeholders, and end users in the construction business—and it is very important that we listen to what the organization is saying. These white papers articulate a clear message about the direction owners want the industry to take, and it appears that contractors and construction managers are responding.