Transforming the water industry by advancing successful
collaborative delivery through advocacy, education, and research
Water Design-Build News
August 4, 2021
Issue Highlights
W.M. Lyles Co. Joins WDBC as Advisor Member
Online Education Sessions Ongoing - In-Person Sessions Now Available
Blog Feature - Mitigating Market Volatility During Construction Through Collaborative-Delivery Methods
Legislative Corner - Senate to Vote on Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
WDBC Welcomes New Advisor Member
W.M. Lyles Co. is a heavy-civil and utility contractor with a successful record of performance, safety, and reliability. Lyles has been actively involved in water and wastewater construction since 1945, successfully completing over 108 major design-build projects valued at over $3 billion. They have progressed through performance by having competent, intelligent, and experienced personnel actively directing the tactical and strategic operations of the company. For the past eight years, ENR has consistently ranked Lyles as either the largest or second largest water infrastructure contractor in California. Lyles is headquartered in Fresno and has offices located in Temecula, Bakersfield, and Rocklin, California.
Joseph Lawrence
Vice President/Alternative Delivery Manager
W.M. Lyles Co. is represented on the Council by Joseph Lawrence. Joe began his career in the construction of public and private water and wastewater
treatment facilities back in 2003.
While working his way up in the ranks from project manager to division manager to his current role of alternative delivery leader and vice president, Joe’s contributions to the advancement of collaborative-delivery projects continue to influence the direction of the company as they prepare for the future. As alternative delivery manager, Joe draws from his expertise in project management, risk management, value engineering, estimating, and CPM scheduling to shepherd complex design-build projects from preconstruction to closeout.
Grant Gourley
Vice President/Division Manager
Joining as an alternate representative is Grant Gourley. Since coming to Lyles as an intern from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science degree in construction management in 2003, Grant has been instrumental in
the delivery of complex environmental water/wastewater projects. His experience includes all phases from preconstruction to closeout and includes projects utilizing both design-build and design-bid-build delivery methods. As southern division manager, Grant applies his skills in project management, risk management, value engineering, CPM scheduling, and problem solving and experience with a wide range of delivery methods to provide experienced leadership to our Southern California team.
We are pleased to welcome W.M. Lyles Co. to our shared mission of transforming the water industry by advancing successful collaborative-delivery methods through advocacy, education, and research.
Join the WDBC for the remaining five lessons in our six-session package of online education sessions designed for owners and practitioners in the water industry. Officials, managers, and engineering and O&M staff of public water/wastewater facilities who are looking to gain essential knowledge needed to procure and deliver design-build and CMAR projects should attend these
classes.
Don't just take our word for it, see what some of our attendees have said:
"Keep doing what you are doing – excellent info, presented in digestible, logical segments. Nice to be able to follow along in handbook."
"Very pleased with the presentation closely following the DB Handbook, the graphics, and the pacing of the presentation. Great info delivered very nicely."
Each morning session will include a review of the principles and best practices of collaborative delivery followed by the topic of the day in the afternoon:
August 26: Risk Management
September 23: Contracts
October 28: Conducting the Procurement Process
November 18: Managing and Implementing Collaborative-Delivery Projects
December 16: Getting to Project Completion & Transition
Time: 10:00 - 1:30 p.m. MST (break 11:30 - 12:00 MST) All sessions will be conducted on Microsoft Teams
Package includes a hard copy and PDF of the 5th edition Water and Wastewater Design-Build Handbook. See registration page for single-session options.
Is Your Utility Ready for In-Person Education Sessions?
The Water Design-Build Council is now taking inquiries and scheduling one-day education sessions at your location. Following the chapters of our Water and Wastewater Design-Build Handbook, our education sessions provide a complete overview of collaborative delivery with real-world examples and exercises.
For additional information, please contact WDBC Business Operations Manager Bob Golden at 303.641.0550 or rgolden@waterdesignbuild.org.
Across the board, supply chain issues and rising costs are impacting engineering and construction projects. The costs of construction materials have elevated over the past year due to growing demand and major disruptions to production fueled by the pandemic. These disruptions are responsible for construction material shortages much like the auto industry is facing with microchip shortages. And with more engineering and construction projects ramping up as the pandemic is winding down, the demand is increasing but the availability of materials can’t keep up. Materials that once took six weeks to have delivered on site can now take over a year. Some suppliers have even closed their books for the remainder of this year because of the strained availability of their materials. Suppliers are also hesitant to guarantee prices for extended periods because of the volatility in price and strained availability for the raw materials. Quotes previously honored for up to 90 days are now only good for as little as 24 hours.
Senate to Vote on Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Senators on Sunday unveiled the legislative text of the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill during a rare weekend session as lawmakers rush to begin the amendment process ahead of an expected vote on final passage by the end of the week. The bipartisan group of senators that negotiated the deal released the legislative language of the bill on Sunday, totaling 2,702 pages. The legislation would authorize more than half a trillion dollars in new spending to bolster the country's roads, bridges, and other physical infrastructure. Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said Sunday on the Senate floor that the legislation would be the "most significant investment in our infrastructure since the construction of the interstate highway system." The bipartisan legislation is the first part of a two-track strategy pushed by the White House and Democratic leaders to enact the key pillars of Mr. Biden's economic agenda. Once that plan clears the Senate, Schumer said he will immediately move to phase two: a broader $3.5 trillion spending proposal that encompasses the president's policies on child care, health care, education, and the environment. That measure will move through Congress under a procedure known as budget reconciliation, which enables it to pass the Senate with a simple majority and only Democratic support. The legislation includes $550 billion in new spending over five years, including:
Water Infrastructure: $55B - Includes $23.4B for the bipartisan Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act and provides additional funding to address PFAS and for lead remediation.
*Article provided by WDBC advocacy consulting firm, Venn Strategies
5th Edition of the Water and Wastewater Design-Build Handbook
Learn the Best Practices on Collaborative-Delivery Methods for Water and Wastewater Projects
Member Companies
The Water Design-Build Council stands ready to contribute its expertise, resources, innovation, and enthusiasm to the challenge of strengthening our water and wastewater infrastructure.
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