VICENZA, Italy- As Del Din construction nears completion, more than 50 local construction firms visited the site Nov. 16 to learn more about the newest and greenest U.S. Army military construction site in Europe.
"The level of high technology used, the exact timelines and methods of execution are certainly a model for excellence to which our best companies must look in order to be more competitive in the market," said Gaetano Marangoni, spokesman of the visiting team and president of the builders section of Confindustria, the Business Leaders Association of the Vicenza Province.
In the spirit of strengthening the long-standing ties of friendship and mutual cooperation between the Vicenza and American communities, the visit provided an opportunity to exchange professional expertise and understanding of new approaches in the construction business for delivering better value for money.
As Del Din stands as one of the largest construction sites currently open in the Veneto region with more than 800 employees directly hired by the prime contractor, Marangoni said, "it has been particularly useful for us to see, boots on the ground, the reality and the facts behind this project."
While cost and schedule overrun are common in the building industry worldwide, Del Din is a textbook example of a well-managed program "soon to be delivered on time and designed with sustainable criteria that showcase technical and building solutions designed to complement the surrounding environment," Marangoni said.
The visit was lead by the U.S. Army Vicenza Garrison's Transformation Construction Management office and began with a comprehensive windshield tour of the new base, future home to the command headquarters of U.S. Army Africa and the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.
An overview briefing followed presenting the project highlights and the design-build contractual delivery system in use for Del Din by the U.S. Navy Facilities Engineering Command, the construction agent for U.S. Army MILCON projects in Italy.
Commenting on the most important lesson learned from his experience with the multi-facility complex at Del Din, Dario Tita, senior construction quality control manager for the joint venture of the Italian firms CCC-CMC, which was awarded the contract, said that a clear understanding of the close relationship between the design and construction activities is key to the success of a design-build project.
Addressing the other builders, Tita said, "Make sure you work side by side with your architects and engineers and engage your most important subcontractors and suppliers from the very beginning to involve them in the entire process. This way you allow extraordinary opportunities for professional growth to your company and your people."
The construction of Del Din is nearly complete and the outfitting is scheduled to be concluded in the spring. The new base will then be inaugurated at a public ceremony in the summer.
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