New CCDC Progressive Design-Build Contract (The CCDC32)

The Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) recently released a new collection of contracts, including the CCDC 32 – Progressive Design-Build Contract. This eagerly awaited template contract presents the CCDC’s view of a progressive design-build model (PDB) and makes using a PDB delivery model more widely accessible to the industry. In this article we discuss PBD and the CCDC 32, including its benefits and challenges.

Overall, the new CCDC 32 provides a starting point PDB delivery model but includes some challenging provisions and notable gaps for both owners and design-builders alike. A successful PDB project requires that the parties set the table by addressing some tough commercial compromises, and the new CCDC contract may not (on its own) naturally bring the parties to those critical discussions. As described further below, industry stakeholders seeking to utilize these templates should review carefully and consider revising the template contracts with supplementary