>Will you build a bridge that’s inexpensive, but will have to be replaced in 25 years, or will you spend twice the money for more concrete and more steel to make it last for 50?
Of course the second (which is what is actually usually done) the issue being that in real world after 50/60/70/80 years the bridge won't be replaced/repaired .
> Most construction projects are bid using a set of drawings and a book of specifications that include all the detail necessary to build them. An engineer, architect, or both has gone to great lengths to draw and specify exactly what a contractor should build, often to the tiniest details about products, testing, and procedures. You can see for yourself; just google your city or state, plus “standard specifications,” and scroll through what you find to get a sense of how detailed contract documents can be. We go to that level of detail in defining the project before construction so that it can be let for bidding with the confidence that an owner will end up with essentially the same product at the end of construction, no matter which contractor wins the job.
This is pure theory/wishful thinking, the regulations/norms/specifications are a needed thing (and a good one), but projects in reality (non-trivial ones) are largely "vague" or however not detailed enough (there are exceptions, of course, but while the project does make an even enough bidding ground it usually fails to properly detail the construction). It is of course a compromise of sort, making a good project would simply cost too much and take too much time.
The assumption here is that all the architects and/or engineers are omniscient, competent, honest and have all the time in the world to think about the project and an unlimited budget.
>But, the lowest bidder model is still used around the world because it generally rewards efficient use of public funds.
No, the lowest bidder model is still used around the world because it is the simplest way to assign a contract without (the public manager) being responsible of the decision to award it to company A instead of company B.