2026 Design-Build for Transportation/Aviation

2026 Design-Build for Water/Wastewater

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 The past several years has seen a record number of bills across the country expanding design-build authority in the all the transportation markets from roads, transit, aviation and ports. Get an update from DBIA National Advocacy on the 2026 State Legislative Sessions, and the bills and their impact on design-build authority. The session will also highlight how the Legislative Guide and Model Legislation Documents released last year are being utilized. Panelists from various regions and market sectors will discuss key legislative trends developing recently with including PDB, DBE and insurance issues.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 Are you looking for actionable strategies to drive innovation and collaboration on complex infrastructure projects? This session dives into the West Davis Corridor—a 16-mile, multi-faceted project north of Salt Lake City that overcame daunting technical and environmental challenges. The project involved a freeway-to-freeway interchange, several service interchanges, multiple grade separations, 40 structures and a greenfield alignment through soft soils with a high water table. Discover how the design-build team identified over 130 potential Alternative Technical Concepts, ultimately incorporating 36 groundbreaking ideas that accelerated project delivery by nine months. Learn how a rigorous evaluation process, almost daily collaboration with the owner, and open communication between all parties led to an incredible technical achievement. Walk away with proven methods for fostering productive discussions and turning challenges into opportunities.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 As artificial intelligence reshapes the way design-build teams prepare proposals, Owners, Owner Advisors, and Procurement Professionals face a growing challenge: increasingly homogenous submissions that obscure real differences in capability, culture, and collaboration. This session explores practical strategies for adapting transportation and aviation procurements to reveal authentic team behavior while embracing AI’s potential to enhance efficiency, insight, and innovation. Through real-world examples and structured facilitation methods, presenters will demonstrate how to design RFPs and interactive meetings that expose the people behind the proposals — using techniques like scenario simulations, co-location exercises, and home-office immersions. The discussion will also highlight how AI can responsibly augment project planning, logistics forecasting, and risk management without replacing human judgment. Attendees will leave with actionable tools — including sample RFQ/RFP prompts, scoring criteria, and interactive meeting templates — to help identify teams with the leadership maturity, cultural alignment, and innovation readiness to deliver infrastructure excellence in an AI-enabled future.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 Today’s complex transportation projects demand more than baseline corporate approaches to BIM and VDC. Embedding a dedicated VDC Leader within the project team enables the development and implementation of customized technology strategies aligned with the Owner’s goals and the project’s unique challenges. This includes alignment with the robust BIM for Infrastructure and Digital Delivery Standards being defined by DOTs across the country. To support this approach, DBIA has created a new document, The VDC Project Leader’s Role & Responsibilities on Design-Build Projects, to help Design-Builders understand the value of integrating people, processes, and technology through a VDC Project Leader to enhance collaboration, mitigate risk, improve safety, and optimize project performance. This role isn’t just supportive - it’s strategic. During this session, members of DBIA’s VDC Committee will demonstrate how the VDC Project Leader, by promoting innovation and delivering measurable value, can support both immediate project outcomes and long-term advancements in Design-Build practice, helping to establish a new industry standard.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Interim Final Rule, effective October 2025, redefines the path to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification. With race- and sex-based presumptions removed, every applicant must now demonstrate individual social and economic disadvantage. Join us for a clear, practical walk-through of what changed, why it matters and next steps to navigate the transition to ensure that Underutilized Business Enterprises (UBEs) continue to play a meaningful role in design-build.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 Michigan DOT’s Office of Major Projects and I-375 Reconnecting Communities Project team will discuss how progressive design-build has been implemented through preconstruction and construction, to date, as MDOT delivers its first work packages. The team will discuss the decision to use the progressive design-build delivery method, the importance of selecting the right team members (design-builder and owner), and the benefits realized thus far. The owner, design-builder, and owner’s advisor will offer their perspective and describe the successes, challenges (including changes in scope), and lessons learned to date. The team will provide their insights on how the delivery method has enabled the team to engage local businesses and the public throughout this complex and impactful project in downtown Detroit, and they will discuss how the delivery method has served as a catalyst to expand opportunities for small and disadvantaged business enterprises. Presenters will share how they leveraged existing design-build and alternative delivery tools, developed new tools, and collectively and continuously refine processes and the role that partnering, team adaptability during preconstruction, and approaches to collaborative real-time cost estimating, schedule determination, and risk allocation have played in project delivery so far.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 The success of design-build and progressive design-build projects hinges on assembling the right team—starting with the Design-Build Best Practice of selecting “The Right People.” These fast-paced delivery methods demand a collaborative, innovative, and responsive team that can work seamlessly using design-build tools to solve problems and deliver value to the Owner. We’ll explore how to build high-performing teams, including when to form your team, what defines an A+ team, how to choose the “right people,” and how to motivate them for the unique demands of design-build. We’ll highlight the differences in team assembly between design-build and progressive design-build, where early collaboration and Owner engagement are key. We’ll also examine the importance of local experience, the role of technology in driving collaboration, and how to transform a group of individuals into a unified, high-performing team. Additionally, we will discuss the benefits and challenges of reusing teams across projects and offer a roadmap for selecting a winning team every time. Most importantly, we’ll ask: what are Owners truly looking for when choosing the right team—and how can yours stand out?

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 The Utah Transit Authority’s (UTA) State of Good Repair (SOGR) Traction Power Substation (TPSS) Rehabilitation Project rehabilitated 20 aging traction power equipment for UTA’s TRAX light rail system in Salt Lake City, UT. The selection of design-build as the procurement method, best value procurement process, and utilization of Design-Build Done Right best practices throughout the project were instrumental in achieving the project’s goals of extending useful life, improving service reliability, and capacity, and modernizing communications. Early engagement and partnering between the owner, designer, contractor, trade partners, and key stakeholders in the design phase fueled proactive design solutions including the evaluation and implementation of design enhancements while maintaining the originally planned construction start date. This laid a foundation of trust, collaboration, and transparency and created a project-first culture amongst the project team. Establishing and maintaining this relationship was integral to the project team’s ability to efficiently overcome unexpected obstacles - material and equipment delays, changing project milestones, and design and scope changes - that arose over the course of construction leading to successful project delivery. This presentation is relevant to a wide audience, as it focuses on the implementation and impact of fostering a collaborative ethos for the entire project team.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 After Hurricane Ian severed the three-mile Sanibel Causeway near Fort Myers, Florida, the reconstruction — FDOT's first emergency progressive design-build project — faced unprecedented challenges that might have derailed projects using other delivery methods. This session will detail hard-won lessons learned through adapting and collaborating under extreme pressure. Our panel will discuss how the Superior Construction-The de Moya Group Joint Venture Team handled the significant obstacles this project faced: complete infrastructure collapse requiring workers to be housed in airport trailers and taken to the jobsite by boat, telecommunications failures forcing reliance on satellite technology, permit complications forcing construction sequencing reversals, and scope changes after three 2024 hurricanes damaged incomplete sections and forced real-time design modifications. Despite these complications, the team restored emergency access within only one week, enabling a convoy of utility and emergency vehicles to access the island, and delivered the $328 million permanent reconstruction two years ahead of schedule and under budget. Attendees will learn frameworks for qualifications-based team selection, techniques for maintaining collaboration when infrastructure fails, strategies for managing concurrent emergency and permanent work when scope cannot be defined upfront, and cost control approaches using task-order structures. Session aligns with Design-Build in Times of Crisis Category.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 In 2023 the state of Michigan, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Ford Motor Company collaborated on a site development project that would greatly enhance the economic viability of Marshall, Michigan. The land use for the proposed site was mostly farmland and is surrounded by two interstate freeways, a state trunkline, and a bordering railroad. This made it an ideal location for Ford to build their future BlueOval battery plant. The BlueOval plant construction was on an expedited schedule with production expected to begin in 2026. To facilitate plant operations, significant infrastructure improvements were needed prior to support projected BlueOval travel demand on the interstate and trunkline system. To meet this schedule challenge, MDOT embarked on their first Progressive Design Build (PDB) project. Our panel will discuss the expedited schedule, risk mitigation strategies utilized due to ROW and utility coordination hurdles, price reconciliation, and the advantages to using the PDB contracting method. The PDB Team and Owner have been collaborating closely to design and deliver various work packages and have delivered their commitments to Ford. MDOT panel members will also discuss their experience developing a new contract and deploying the PDB contracting method for internal and industry partners.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 For many owners, adopting Progressive Design-Build represents a cultural and procedural shift that requires confidence in the process and trust among diverse stakeholders. This session showcases how the Port of Port Arthur is successfully delivering its first Progressive Design-Build project through the strategic use of innovative, integrated technologies that enhanced transparency, visualization, and collaboration. Leveraging Building Information Modeling (BIM), OpenBridge and ConceptStation models and 4D construction sequencing, the project team developed a shared digital environment that linked design intent with constructability, driving earlier integration and scope definition, faster approvals, and stronger communication and collaboration among a diverse set of third-party stakeholders including CPKC, USACE, TxDOT, and Jefferson County Drainage District 7. Immersive 3D renderings and virtual reality tools were also used to communicate design scenarios to Port Commissioners, small and local contractors, and community members, garnering increased project support ahead of the Port’s 2026 bond election and construction. Participants will learn how advanced visualization and data integration techniques can help teams earn stakeholder buy-in, reduce perceived risk, and accelerate decision-making — especially for owners embarking on PDB for the first time.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 WSDOT’s Progressive Design-Build (PDB) journey began in 2019 as a tool to bundle and accelerate delivery of hundreds of fish barrier replacements by 2030. As the heavy civil construction market conditions evolved in the post-pandemic aftermath, the Gateway Program received an unprecedented single submittal on a $500 million Design-Build (DB) contract. With a planned $600 - $700 million contract remaining to complete the program, the WSDOT team conducted in-depth industry engagement to determine how to deliver the remaining project, resulting in a strategy to split the final project into two with the more complex project with a longer duration proposed to utilize PDB delivery. This presentation highlights the efforts within WSDOT and state leadership to advance WSDOT’s first heavy civil PDB project, including developing the business case to executives and discussing the PDB process with lessons learned during the procurement and contract development. The procurement resulted in the selection of Kraemer-Scarsella Joint Venture (KSJV) to deliver the project. WSDOT and KSJV will present how they have developed a partnership and established a collaborative process to define and navigate the Phase 1 effort, including the delivery tools highlighted in KSJV’s winning proposal and utilized during the successful advancement of Phase 1.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 Successful Design-Build rail transportation projects depend on early identification of key risks and the ability to transform those risks into opportunities through innovative, agile, and collaborative strategies. The Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE), a 7.8-mile light rail extension delivered ahead of schedule and within budget, demonstrates how a project can overcome complex technical challenges, redesign major structures, manage hundreds of commercial issues, and still finish with no outstanding claims. Its success was grounded in understanding contractual risks allocations, enhanced with a culture of leadership alignment. FWLE shows that traditional risk-avoidance approaches are no longer sufficient. Today’s Design-Build environment requires adaptive processes, creative design-construction-systems thinking. Sound Transit and the design builder’s commitment to a “Project First” principle fostered contract literacy, transparent communication, empowered teams, and data-driven decision making. Together, these tools transformed conflicts of a traditional lump sum contract into collaborative solutions. This presentation will highlight FWLE’s strategic and tactical approaches to proactive risk management, innovative problem solving, and real-time lessons-learned program, offering best practices that demonstrate how owners and builders can achieve “Design-Build Done Right” and become partners of choice in complex transportation delivery.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 Delivering major infrastructure in Las Vegas—the Entertainment Capital of the World—comes with challenges unlike anywhere else. The I-15/Tropicana Design-Build project required the team to navigate one of the busiest and most visible corridors in Nevada, surrounded by world-class resorts, arenas, and event venues. Stakeholders included Station Casinos, MGM, In-N-Out, Allegiant Stadium, and T-Mobile Arena—each with unique needs and high public visibility. On top of that, the project schedule had to flex around globally-hosted events like Super Bowl LVIII, Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, none of which were anticipated when the project began. This session will explore how the team used design-build delivery to adapt to these complex conditions through sequencing, logistics, and continuous stakeholder engagement. From creating a temporary diverging diamond interchange to rethinking property access through visual simulations and traffic modeling, the project team collaborated with NDOT, local businesses, and community leaders to keep the project on track. Attendees will gain lessons on how design-build can overcome unexpected pressures by integrating technical solutions with proactive communication. The I-15/Tropicana case illustrates how adaptability, transparency, and innovation turn daunting project challenges into opportunities for stronger partnerships and better outcomes.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 The population growth in north Texas has been outpacing the rest of the US. To keep up with the growth, transportation agencies in north Texas have likely done more alternative delivery than any other mega region. TxDOT has completed or has in-progress 8 DBs (6 in Dallas District, 3 in Fort Worth District), 2 P3s (1 in each district), DART (3 DBs), NTTA (2 DBs). TxDOT has another 4 DBs in the pipeline. Hear from both public and private sector leadership on their approach to procurement, teaming, delivery, mitigation of risks and lessons learned.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 The Buck O’Neil Bridge replacement in Kansas City exemplifies how design-build can overcome complexity to deliver a project the city and stakeholders can be proud of. This session will highlight strategies for navigating multi-agency coordination in a constrained urban footprint, leveraging design-build to create a future-ready, multi-modal corridor, and integrating cultural legacy into modern engineering solutions. Panelists will share how early risk mitigation and innovative procurement approaches enabled the project team to maximize value within finite resources while maintaining schedule and budget. Attendees will gain practical insights into resolving common challenges—such as stakeholder alignment, environmental compliance, and scope optimization—through integrated delivery. Lessons learned from this award-winning effort will empower participants to apply proven integrated delivery approaches to their own projects, reinforcing why collaboration is essential for success in today’s transportation landscape.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 Get exclusive insights from this first-of-its-kind study on Progressive Design-Build (PDB). DBIA, the Charles Pankow Foundation, the ACEC Research Institute and the University of Colorado Boulder partnered to evaluate how Qualifications-Based Selection, target pricing and other PDB practices address risk and insurance challenges for the engineering and design community. Although the full published report will release later in Spring 2026, this session offers a first look at the findings — well before they’re released anywhere else! Moderator Keith Molenaar, Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, will discuss the study’s outcomes followed by a panel of Owners and design-build professionals from the research project’s Steering Committee who will offer insights and recommendations that will shape how the industry tackles risk, insurance and project performance moving forward.

CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2028 This panel at the DBIA Transportation Aviation Conference brings together industry leaders representing owners, contractors, legal experts, and consultants to tackle some of the most challenging topics facing the transportation and aviation construction sector. The discussion will focus on navigating complex issues such as claims management, the intricacies of contracts, insurance considerations, effective responses when projects encounter difficulties, and strategies for mitigating risks. Attendees will benefit from diverse perspectives and practical insights into addressing tough problems and fostering successful project outcomes. Part of the panel will be bringing forward concepts from the practitioner and owners forum for broader discussion.