Author(s):
J.L. Brown
Publication Date
December 1975
Abstract
The purpose of this report is to discuss ways to receive more economical bids on pavement structures and pavement materials through use of alternative bidding. Throughout this report the term "alternative" will be used to mean either an alternate or an option which the contractor is permitted. Further, an alternate will be used to indicate the case when the contractor must designate on the proposal which choice he has selected. An option will be used for the case where the contractor can make the choice at a later date during the construction process. To reiterate, an alternative can be either an alternate or an option. In general, giving the contractor more flexibility by permitting him to use alternative methods for constructing highway components should result in lower costs. More bidders should be competing for the construction on both the contracting and the material supplying end. Additionally, the decision as to what is to be built is made at a point in time much closer to actual construction. Therefore, the contractor does not have to use as large a risk factor to cover price fluctuations. (If designers select the alternatives prior to bidding, they are further in time from actual construction and, therefore, must include these high risk factors in selecting the alternatives.)
Report Number:
214-9
Keywords:
Bid, Pavement Structures
Link(s):
Document/Product
http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/214-9.pdf
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