According to Kim Slowey of “Construction Dive” magazine, the U.S. Army Corps of engineers will use the public-private partnership (P3) model for construction of four projects, totaling more than $6 billion, to determine if P3s can deliver both cost savings and faster turnaround times. The program is part of the
Revolutionize USACE Civil Works initiative to streamline the delivery of U.S. infrastructure projects through innovation.
A typical infrastructure P3 model will see the private sector handle design, construction and financing, and then maintenance and operations for decades. P3s have been used on several U.S. infrastructure projects during the last several years, although for those with 30-year-plus maintenance and operations contracts, it’s too early to judge their ultimate success.
The four projects chosen by the Army Corps to move forward as P3s are:
- Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement
- Los Angeles River P3 pilot concept
- New Soo Lock construction
- Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay (S2G) Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) project
Since 2003, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has included TABB to UFGS 15990A as a standard for certifying TAB firms.