Design Economics

Centre of Studies for Construction

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
LectureOutline

1) Client’s Requirements
• Performance
• Time
• Cost

2) Factors Affecting Economic in Design

• Site Consideration
• Plan Shape
• Total Height
• Storey Height
• Buildability
• Building Size
• Grouping of Building

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.:Client’s Requirements:.

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Introduction

The client's requirements for a project might initially include a vision, mission and objectives for
what they wish the project to achieve.
The success of any construction project can be measured against several different criteria.

• Appearance
• Quality
• Function
Performance • Durability
• Maintenance

• Design Length
• Start Date
• Completion Time
• Handover

• Budget
• Estimate
Cost • Tender
• Final Account
• Cost-in-Use

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Performance

• The architect must produce a basic plan concept to meet the client’s requirements in the most
efficient manner.

• The project when completed should have aesthetic merit.

• The quality of the finished work will have been defined in the specification and the selection of an
experienced contractor and the required supervision throughout the construction on site.

• Inadequate design and detailing and the wrong choice of materials are elementary problems that
will cause obstacles to proper performance.

• Must satisfy that the completed structure meets his needs and requirements in terms of design
and the structure’s function.

• A further important consideration of the future maintenance requirements once the project is in
use.

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Time

• Once the clients decide to build, they are generally in a hurry for their completed projects.

• Although a large amount of time may be spent deliberating over a scheme, once the decision to
build is made, the project becomes of the utmost urgency.

• The design of the project will influence the methods adopted by the contractor for construction,
and these in turn will have an important influence on the length of the contract period.

• One method of measuring the success of a project is whether it is available for commissioning by
the date promised in the contract documents.

• It may be necessary to consider alternative methods of contracting in terms of time.

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Cost

• Before clients commit themselves to the detailed design of projects, some information on the
expected price is usually required.

• A budget price is generally required.

• Eventually a tender sum will be accepted, and once the work has been completed, the final
account can be agreed.

• It is also measure cost in terms of initial values and for life cycle cost.

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.:Factors Affecting Economic in Design:.

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Introduction

• The basis of design decisions will be economics.

• Designing a technically safe and sound system will be only

part of the designer’s task.

• Equally important is the requirement that the system be

economical and show an adequate return on investment.

• The following factors have a direct influence on the cost of a

project, and need to be considered during the economic
evaluation of the building or engineering structure:-
⁻ Site Consideration
⁻ Building Size
⁻ Plan Shape
⁻ Total Height
⁻ Storey Height
⁻ Buildability
⁻ Grouping of Building
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Site Consideration
The effect of site consideration on building costs:-

1 Site Location 2 Demolition and Site Clearance

Building in cities is more expensive due • Demolition can be very costly when
to:- there is a heavy foundations and
• higher wages extensive paved area
• Cost for peeling and grubbing up roots
• costly material of large trees
• problem in delivery and storage of
materials
• protection of adjoining building and
people
• restriction on use of mechanical plant.

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 Planning and
3 Contour 4 Ground Conditions 5 Building Regulation
• The more steeply sloping • Low load – bearing Ratio off site value of cost of
the site the greater will be capacity of surface soil
the cost of foundations and required piling, raft buildings should always be
earthworks. foundation etc. considered:-
• Large quantity of cut and • Excavation in rock could be • Secure the most profitable
fill required for floor. 5 to 8 times more permitted use
expensive.
• Higher water level will • Obtain maximum site
increase cost if pumping utilization.
throughout construction
period
• Shrinkable clay soil needs
to take foundation at least
1 meter below ground level
• Sandy soil with running
underground water may
course sinkhole

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Building Size
Client A
Height = 4m
• This is an important factor in terms of cost
efficiency.

• Large buildings have lower unit costs than small 68m 68m
size of buildings which offering an equivalent
quality of specification.
30m 30m
• Small projects take a longer time per unit to
design, and this is reflected in the design costs. Client B
Height = 4m
• Large project can be more efficiently managed, 80m
particularly where the size of the project
warrants a resident site manager.
51m

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Based on:-

1) GFA (Gross Floor Area)

2) Perimeter Wall (Girth)
3) Wall Area
4) Wall/ Floor Area Ratio

The theory known as wall to floor area ratio.

The lowest wall to floor area ratio, the more economic will
be design when judged against this criterion.

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 SOLUTIONS

Client A
Height = 4m

68m 68m 1) Wall Area = Perimeter x height

= 2( 30+68 ) + 2( 30+68 ) x 4 m height
= 1568m²
30m 30m
2) Wall/Floor Ratio = Wall area
Gross Floor Area (GFA) to be calculated:- GFA
= 1568m²
GFA = length x width 4080m²
= 68 x 30 = 0.38
= 2040m²

Therefore,
GFA for 2 buildings for Client A
= 2040m² + 2040m² = 4080m²
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SOLUTIONS

Client B
Height = 4m

80m

1) Wall Area = Perimeter x height

51m = 2( 80+51 ) x 4 m height
= 1048m²

2) Wall/Floor Ratio = Wall area

Gross Floor Area (GFA) to be calculated:- GFA
= 1048m²
GFA = length x width 4080m²
= 80 x 51 = 0.26
= 4080m²

Therefore,
GFA for 1 building for Client B
= 4080m²
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 WHICH ONE IS ECONOMIC?

WALL AREA WALL TO FLOOR RATIO

CLIENT A 1568m² 0.38
CLIENT B 1048m² 0.26

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Plan Shape 20m

• The plan shape of any structure has an important effect

on the overall cost of the project.
20m
A
• This effect is not restricted to the external envelope
costs, but also applies to the internal division element.
10m

• A square plan shape structure will; in most cases, 8m

provide the most economic solution.
30m B 10m
• The theory known as wall to floor ratio.
10m
• The more complex the shape, therefore the higher will
be the overall cost of the structure based on an agreed 10m
required floor area.

• The reason the irregular shaped plan costs higher 10m C

because it can be attributed to the number of corners
involved.
40m
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 SOLUTIONS

Building A Building C
20m Height = 3m Height = 3m

A 20m
10m C

40m

Therefore, Building A Therefore, Building C

a) GFA = 20m x 20m = 400m² a) GFA = 10m x 40m = 400m²

b) Perimeter Wall (Girth) = 20m+20m+20m+20m b) Perimeter Wall (Girth) = 40m+10m+40m+10m
= 80m = 100m
c) Wall Area = Perimeter x High c) Wall Area = Perimeter x High
= 80m x 3m = 240m² = 100m x 3m = 300m²
d) Wall/Floor Ratio = 240m² d) Wall/Floor Ratio = 300m²
400m² 400m²
= 0.6 = 0.75

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Building B
Therefore, Building B

a) GFA
Height = 3m Area 1 = 30m x 10m = 300m²
10m Area 2 = 10m x 10m = 100m²

8m Therefore, GFA = 300m² + 100m² = 400m²

30m B 10m
b) Perimeter Wall (Girth)
10m = 10m+30m+10m+20m+12m+10m+10m+10m+8m
= 100m

10m c) Wall Area = Perimeter x High

= 100m x 3m = 300m²

d) Wall/Floor Ratio = 300m²

400m²
= 0.75

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 WHICH ONE IS ECONOMIC?
10m
20m 8m
0.75
0.6
B 10m
A 20m
10m

10m

0.75
10m C

40m

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Total Height
• Construction cost increase in the total height of building or number of storey.

• The constructional costs of tall structures are greater than those of low – rise buildings offering
a similar amount of accommodation

• Multi – storey buildings are more expensive than low rise buildings; because of:-

⁻ Higher constructional costs (e.g., use of machineries, operatives)

⁻ Increasing costs of engineering services (e.g., lifts, refuse disposal)
⁻ Higher costs of provision (e.g., bigger foundations, staircases)
⁻ Fire resistance requirement – insulation between floors
⁻ Complexities of the work (e.g., requires specialist for the use gondola)
⁻ Cost for reducing the wind load
⁻ Less competition

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 Wind load

Engineering services Wind load

(e.g Plumbing,
Live load
refuse
disposal/chute) Wind load
Dead load
Fire
protection

Vertical
Structural transportation
Frame (e.g capacity, speed,
cable, car shaft etc)

Foundation
Effect of Increasing Total Height
( load )
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Storey Height

• Storey height of the building is approved by

local authorities.

• The storey height can be change but must follow

the “Street, Drainage and Building Act”.

• Variations in storey heights (with floor area

remaining the same) affect the cost of buildings.

• Mains cost items affected will be VERTICAL

COMPONENTS.

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 Effect on:-
6 storey 6 storey ⁻ Wall
⁻ Service Pipe
⁻ Lift
2.8m 3.2m
⁻ Staircase
⁻ Roof
⁻ Hoisting of materials and
equipment
⁻ Foundation
⁻ Frame
⁻ Flooring
10.00 m 10.00 m
A B

10.00 m 10.00 m
Wall/Floor Ratio = 1.12 Wall/Floor Ratio = 1.28
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Grouping of Buildings
• The grouping and arrangement of building on site can have an important influence on the
overall cost of the project.

• Inter link buildings or structure, a saving in costs can usually be achieved often because of a
saving in foundation and external walling costs or other common items of construction.

WHICH
C ONE IS
A B ECONOMIC? D

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By grouping the buildings, the changes in cost can be examined. The height of the building is 4.00m, the
construction cost of half-brick thick external walls is RM35.00/m². Therefore, identify which building is the
most economic based on construction cost. Each units have the same area, height, and quality.

Broad Fronted
Narrow Fronted
Area (m²) Area (m²)
Party wall 6.67 x 4 = 26.68 Party wall 10 x 4 = 40
External wall 36.67 x 4 = 146.68 External wall 30 x 4 = 120

Cost (RM) Cost (RM)

Party wall 933.80 Party wall 1, 400.00
External wall 5,133.80 External wall 4, 200.00
TOTAL COST 6,067.60 TOTAL COST 5, 600.00
Buildability

• Buildability is defined as the extent to which the design of a building facilitates ease of
construction, subject to the overall requirements for the completed building.

• Largely concerned with the work on site and the practicalities of producing a structure from a
design.

• The choice of materials.

₋ Materials should be used to their fullest advantage, and qualities.

• The quality of work should be interpreted not as building quality alone, but also as the
performance of the building throughout its life.

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