WHAT IS THE BETTER BUILDING MATERIAL?
Before modern engineering and the ability to manipulate concrete and steel, the world of architecture consisted of wood, adobe, thatch, and even cave dwellings. We’ve come a long way. Today’s cities view skies punctuated by buildings so tall and austere, even architectural tour guides experience the occasional pain in the neck.
So, concrete or steel? Both provide numerous benefits, and our company has used both in projects over the years. However, when looking to deliver the highest level of quality, safety, and cost benefit, we have come to this conclusion: The LANDMAKER STRUCTURAL SYSTEM, powered by Barry Swenson Builder.
SAFETY:
Concrete:
The recent announcement by Ground Zero Developer Larry Silverstein regarding safety measures at the new 7 World Trade Center (WTC) building echoes what the concrete industry has been saying for years: Concrete is safer. The building’s core (where elevators, stairs, and power systems are located) will be encased in 2-foot-thick concrete for protection in the event of a fire or terrorist attack. “Cast-in-place reinforced concrete offers outstanding resistance to explosion and/or impact. Moreover, it can endure very high temperatures from fire for a long time without loss of structural integrity,” says Alfred G. Gerosa, president, Concrete Alliance Inc., New York City. - Buildings Magazine
- concrete requires no additional fireproofing treatments to meet fire codes
- performs well during natural and manmade disasters
- resists winds of more than 200 MPH due to mass
COST:Concrete:
“Concrete prices remain very steady despite the fluctuating and substantial increases in other building material prices,” says Ed Alsamsam, PCA's manager of buildings. - Buildings Magazine
- Insurance Companies recognize the benefits of concrete due to the increased safety and structural integrity, which reduces their liability- often a 25% reduced insurance cost to property owners and developers.
- STEEL prices have experienced a 50% increase since 2003
- LANDMAKER costs 50% less to build than a STEEL equivalent
MATERIAL AVAILABILITY & SUSTAINABILITY:
- CONCRETE can be produced locally and brought on-site on an as-needed basis
- CONCRETE is inherenty green since we aren't shipping the material from the East Coast or from other countries like China
CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING:
Concrete:
The old saying “time is money” was never more true than when talking about construction schedules. According to Buildings Magazine, “Buildings with concrete can almost always be built faster. When compared to structural steel, sometimes twice as fast. It is not uncommon for cast-in-place reinforced concrete buildings to rise one floor every other day. Developers can finish jobs faster, earn a profit, recoup capital, and move on to the next project.”
The faster the building is completed, the sooner the owner can allow occupancy and begin collecting income from tenants.
- STEEL materials need to be ordered months in advance due to fabrication and shipping, while CONCRETE utilizes more of a Just-In-Time manufacturing/shipping approach (local materials)
DESIGN POSSIBILITIES:
Concrete: “Remember, concrete seeks the form, you can shape anything out of concrete; that’s why the Guggenheim was built the way it was.” - Buildings Magazine
- Space Advantages: concrete yields more rentable space because of lower floor-to-floor heights.
- Additional Stories with concrete. This is no secret to developers like Donald Trump- Architects of the Trump Intl. Hotel & Tower switched from structural steel to concrete so that two additional stories could be added to the 1,125-foot building.
- LANDMAKER offers 50% longer spans (on average) than steel