Costs

Cost is an important driver in the decision of which concrete frame to use – but when comparing costs are you comparing like for like?

The Concrete Centre has commissioned a number of studies into the cost of the building (not just the structural frame) for a number of different building types:

• Commercial
• School
• Hospital

Each study was carried out by well known consultants including Arup as the structural engineer and Davis Langdon as the cost consultant, and compared a number of popular structural solutions for each building type. A common theme emerged: the cost of the frame was important an important factor in the overall cost, but the cost impact on other elements of the building were also significant. In particular the cladding costs and the internal partitions were affected by the choice of frame and these should not be ignored when looking for overall value.

For more information on the studies, download the publications listed opposite.