MPA (Mineral Products Association, UK) The Concrete Centre has published an update to its ‘Office Cost Study’ to include a summary of the revised data, comparing the costs of constructing office buildings with different structural solutions.
The commercial buildings cost model study in 2008 compared the costs of constructing three and six-storey commercial buildings. A variety of short-span and long-span reinforced concrete and steel-frame options were taken into account along with the effect of programme times on cost.
The designs were taken to normal outline design stage, with the only differences being directly attributable to the structural frame material. The designs were selected to give no bias towards concrete solutions, so for example, the proven benefits of thermal mass were not considered.
The costs were updated by Davis Langdon in July 2013 to reflect the market prices at that time and so this publication gives the revised costs, whereas the full cost study publication gives the 2008 costs.
Whilst identifying the variation in the costs of frames, the study also considered the effects that the choice of framing material and method of construction had on other elements of the building, as well as the other benefits that the choice of frame can generate.
The full cost study publication and the ‘Office Cost Study’ (update) publication can be downloaded here.
Adapted from MPA The Concrete Centre press release, posted by Louise Fordham