Nils Gransberg, adjunct instructor of Construction Science, was named as a co-principal investigator on a project for the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. Gransberg and his team received an NCHRP Synthesis Project Award and a $55,000 grant for the project “Open-books Pricing Practices for Construction Manager/General Contractor and Progressive Design-Build Projects.”
The NCRHP conducts research in problem areas that impact highway planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance. The States’ Highway Research Program works to address common transportation needs and solve problems facing administrators and engineers of state departments of transportation.
For this project, Gransberg and his research team will explore the use of open-books price negotiations by State Departments of Transportation (DOTs). Open-books price negotiations allow clients to review all project costs openly and make price-informed decisions. This type of negotiation has become increasingly popular in construction manager/general contractor and progressive design-build projects.
However, there are currently no guidelines on how to configure open-books price negotiations and the effectiveness of the procedures in use. Through this research, Gransberg and his team will document state DOTs’ pricing and negotiation practices utilized in integrated project delivery methods. The researchers hope to provide guidance on effectively configuring procedures in procurement documents and employing them effectively.
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
