ABA 2510: BUILDING ECONOMICS II

A A ABWUNZA Department of Architecture

2010 A A Abwunza

ABA 2510

DESIGN VARIABLES AND THEIR COST IMPLICATIONS

 Plan shape:

simpler the shape of the building, the lower the unit cost of construction.  A longer and narrower as well as a complicated and irregular shape increases the wall: floor area ratio, escalating unit cost. Additional costs arise from setting out, site works, drainage and roofing.  Functional requirements such as internal planning, the need for a spinal corridor, ventilation and natural lighting may dictate use of a more expensive plan shape.  Dictated by shape of site.
 The
2010 A A Abwunza ABA 2510

DESIGN VARIABLES AND THEIR COST IMPLICATIONS

 Building size: Determined by the GFA.  The higher the GFA, the lower the cost per unit of GFA due to:
 Certain fixed costs like transport, site offices and stores, temporary roads tend to be cheaper per unit of GFA for larger projects.  In high rise buildings, lifts tend to be cheaper per unit of GFA if the GFA is high because they serve a large floor area.  Mechanisation and quantity discounts on large quantities of material purchases reduce cost per unit of GFA.
2010 A A Abwunza ABA 2510

DESIGN VARIABLES AND THEIR COST IMPLICATIONS

 Circulation space:
 

Dead space. No need for excessive circulation space, unless when absolutely necessary, such as in hotels requiring large entrance halls and corridors for prestige. Increases cost per unit of usable floor area, making it more expensive to rent compared to similar properties.

 Number of storeys: Construction costs of buildings rise with the number of storeys.  Additional costs can be offset partly by better utilisation of highly priced land and reduced cost of external works.

2010 A A Abwunza

ABA 2510

DESIGN VARIABLES AND THEIR COST IMPLICATIONS

 Number of storeys: The effect of the number of storeys varies with the type, form and construction of the building.  Construction costs per unit of GFA falls where the addition of an extra storey does not affect the structural form.  Beyond four storeys, the form of construction changes, from load bearing walls to frames construction, with ancillary increases in the cost.  Foundation costs per unit of GFA falls with increases in the number of storeys provided the type of foundation remains unchanged. Significant changes in cost are noted where the foundation type changes from strip or pad to pile.
2010 A A Abwunza ABA 2510

DESIGN VARIABLES AND THEIR COST IMPLICATIONS

 Number of storeys: High rise construction demands more expensive plant like cranes and concrete pumps.  More storeys: requirements for vertical circulation for lifts and staircases. Increases cost per unit of usable floor area.  More storeys: Increased maintenance cost.  More storeys: more sophisticated fire fighting equipment wet and dry risers and sprinklers.  More storeys: reduced roof cost per unit of GFA.
2010 A A Abwunza ABA 2510

DESIGN VARIABLES AND THEIR COST IMPLICATIONS

 Number of storeys: More storeys: higher fees for specialist engineers to design structural frame and services.  More storeys: higher tender prices from fewer capable contractors.  More storeys: increased complexity requiring specialist subcontractors, increasing profits and attendance payable to main contractor.  More storeys: constructional difficulties due to wind loading factors, hence extra costs.
2010 A A Abwunza ABA 2510

DESIGN VARIABLES AND THEIR COST IMPLICATIONS

 Storey height:-

Determined by building by-laws and user requirements.  When the storey height rises, additional costs result from:


Increased wall and partition area and associated finishes. Longer service and waste pipes to and from sanitary installations. Higher roofing costs to higher hoisting heights. Higher cost of staircases and lifts. Higher cost of applying finishes to soffits of ceilings, sometimes requiring expensive suspended ceiling. May require enhanced and more costly foundations.
2010 A A Abwunza ABA 2510

DESIGN VARIABLES AND THEIR COST IMPLICATIONS

 Grouping of buildings: Interlinking

units may maximise use of confined sites.  Interlinking buildings saves the cost in:
Foundations External walls Finishes

2010 A A Abwunza

ABA 2510

DESIGN VARIABLES AND THEIR COST IMPLICATIONS

 Buildability: Def:

the extent to which the design of a building facilitates ease of construction subject to overall requirements of the completed building.  Balance between aesthetics and buildability in design.  Construction details outlined in tender documents should encourage simple sequences of operations.
2010 A A Abwunza ABA 2510

DESIGN VARIABLES AND THEIR COST IMPLICATIONS

 Constructional details:

Construction details, materials used and construction methods have direct relevance to the resource input of the project in terms of labour, materials, plant, equipment and organisation.
 Choice depends on characteristics and the price the client is willing to pay.

The lowest tender may not necessarily be picked due to the proposed construction period.  Structural form evaluation should consider alternative solutions, such as, concrete frame and steel frame.

2010 A A Abwunza ABA 2510

DESIGN VARIABLES AND THEIR COST IMPLICATIONS

 Constructional details: Span

and bay spacing significantly influence initial costs.  Repetitive constructional details save costs, such as reuse of formwork in mass housing.  High pilferage results in higher costs.  Prefabrication shortens the contract period but at a higher cost, but may be cheaper for if the number of units involved is high.
2010 A A Abwunza ABA 2510