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.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture announces John Harris as Associate Dean for Research ad interim, effective Aug. 25, 2026, until the permanent position is filled.
Gibbs College is pleased to announce the 2026 Gibbs College Faculty & Staff Awards recipients. These individuals were recognized by Dean Butzer during the Gibbs College Back to School Meeting and will be honored during the Celebration Banquet in October. They were nominated by their colleagues via an open nomination process.
Telesis, the Gibbs College of Architecture’s student journal, has been awarded a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts to support its next two issues, “Pause” (Volume IX) and “React” (Volume X).
