Barriers to applying the design-build procurement method in Hong Kong

Despite the global use of the design-build (D&B) method to manage construction projects, there remain barriers that hinder its healthy development. This paper builds on earlier work and investigates the barriers that impede the use of the design-build procurement method in the construction industry. After a comprehensive literature survey, an empirical study was conducted in the Hong Kong construction industry by means of a questionnaire survey. The top-3 barriers to the implementation of D&B were 'D&B contractors carry a high degree of risks and liability', 'The Contractor tendering for the D&B project will suffer greatly if the contract is not awarded to him', and 'D&B contractors do not have in-house architects and engineers'. Both intra-group and inter-group comparisons were conducted to determine the level of agreement of the D&B participants on the rating exercise. Results show that there is significant agreement among the respondents in each of the client, contractor and consultant groups, and also among all D&B participants on the rating of the problems of running D&B projects. This research provides an understanding of the barriers to the adoption to the D&B development in the Asia, despite its widespread use in other parts of the world.Department of Building and Real Estat