Corus Construction & Industrial

Facts of living

Comparing the cost of steel and

concrete framing options for multi-storey
residential buildings
Material
choice

What material to use for the structural frame of a

multi-storey residential building is one of the most
significant early decisions on any project.
The choice of material for the structural frame has programme associated with a typical MSR building,
a wide-ranging effect on many subsequent aspects examining a range of steel and concrete framing
of the building design, programme and options.
performance. These, in turn, all have an impact
on the cost and value of the project and are In conducting the study - and to ensure that it drew on
fundamental to its overall success. the most up to date knowledge and expertise - Corus
employed the services of leading practitioners in the
Steel is already the dominant form of construction for industry, including Arup, MACE, Davis Langdon and the
commercial buildings due to its proven benefits in Steel Construction Institute.
terms of speed cost and quality. It is now developing
an increasing presence in the market for the frame of This publication sets out the results of the independent
multi-storey residential (MSR) buildings based on the study, which examined steel and concrete structural
same proven benefits. options for a typical fully designed and programmed
MSR building. It takes into account all the major
The financial and programme benefits of building variables of structure, cladding and services and the
in steel are illustrated by the results of the latest results enable us to make detailed comparisons of the
independent cost comparison study, funded by Corus. costs and other related benefits of the different
This study looks in detail at the costs and construction structural framing options.
 Material Choice

Benefits of steel construction

The results of the independent study demonstrate that These cost and design benefits, allied with superior
steel-based options are, in all cases, the most cost speed of construction, flexibility and consistent quality
effective solution. make steel the informed choice for the structural frame
of multi-storey residential buildings. Add to this the
The cheapest option, both in terms of structure costs minimal disruption caused during construction - and
and total-building costs, is composite beam and slab its limited impact on the environment - and steel truly
construction. Illustrating why this form of construction deserves its increasing prominence in the UK
is currently the most popular multi-storey flooring multi-storey residential frame market.
solution in the UK.

When variable costs such as external cladding costs

are considered, the Slimdek® and ASB with pre-cast
hollow core units (ASB+PC) options become almost as
cost effective due to the reduced height of the building
- these schemes also bring additional inherent benefits
such as unobstructed flat ceiling soffits. The reinforced
concrete option is up to 2 percent more expensive than
the steel options.

Facts of living 1
The Building

The Building
in detail
The building is typical of MSR developments throughout For the residential levels the building is divided into
the UK and for the purposes of this study is located in a number of 2 person (approx 50m2) and 4 person
outer London. The building is of a rectangular plan form (approx 65m2) flats, serviced from zones at each end of
of approx 17m by 60m with a nominal height of 18m, the building, where the stairs and lifts are located. It has
and a gross floor area of 6060m . 2
a fire resistance of 60 minutes, and is not sprinkler
It consists of: protected. These levels are clad in an insulated render,
below-ground car parking with regularly spaced individual windows making up a
ground floor retail outlets quarter of the façade. For the residential floors the ratio
five residential storeys of habitable space to gross floor area is 0.85:1

Access to the below ground car park is provided by The roof construction is designed to take the same
an access ramp that runs along the rear of the whole loads as all other floors, but does not support any
building. The column spacing, dictated by the layout additional roof structures.
of the car park, is continued throughout the building
Minor pipework in this building is passed underneath or
removing the need for an expensive transfer structure.
through the beams or floor. Provision for lighting units,
The retail floor level is generally open plan (it can be
fire protection, ceiling depths and an allowance for
divided into shop units as required by the developer)
deflections are included in the depth of the floor zone.
and has a glazed façade to the street. The retail level is
not sprinkler protected and has been designed to have
a fire resistance of 60 minutes.

Mixed Used Residential Building

Structural systems
Four structural systems for this Building are detailed in this publication. They are:
• composite beam and slab • Slimdek® • ASB with pre-cast hollow core units • reinforced concrete flat slab
2 Facts of living
 The Building

The building in the study represents a typical

modern MSR structure, for which a number of
steel and concrete framing systems were examined.
Floor zones

Composite beam Slimdek® ASB with precast Reinforced concrete

and slab hollow core units flat slab

= 70mm raised floor = 70mm raised floor = 70mm raised floor = 70mm raised floor
+ 135mm slab + 300mm slab + 250mm concrete slab + 250mm concrete slab
+ 260mm beam + 88mm ceiling + 88mm ceiling + 70mm ceiling
+ 88mm ceiling = 458mm ≈ 460mm = 408mm ≈ 410mm = 408mm ≈ 410mm
= 553mm ≈ 550mm

Floor Floor Floor Floor

Ceiling Ceiling
Ceiling
Ceiling

Building Figures (impression, plan, section, floor plan)

2.5m

2.5m

2.5m

16.5m
2.5m

2.5m

3.1m

20.4m

Facts of living 3
Study Methods

Study methods
The study considered four different structural forms.
These forms were chosen, as they typified the Construction programme assumptions
structural options currently in use in MSR buildings. MACE undertook the programming for all options. It is
The complete set of results appears in the new Steel assumed that the programming and plant resources for
Construction Institute publication SCI-P-338 'Cost each option are consistent - so that they do not favour
Comparison of multi-storey residential buildings', but any form of construction. The key interfaces between
for the purpose of brevity only the highlights for each preceding and following trades are assumed to be well
option have been detailed in this summary version. maintained.

Design assumptions Construction of the steel options involves the use of

The design of the steel and composite options was a concrete pump to install insitu concrete, and the
carried out by the Steel Construction Institute, while concrete option uses table forms. The steel columns
the choice and design of the concrete option was by in both buildings are a maximum of two storeys high
Arup. MACE detailed each construction programme during construction and all options use precast stairs.
and Davis Langdon priced the complete schemes.

A list of the main design parameters and assumptions

are shown in Appendix One.

Fire protection
For effective fire protection, it is assumed that an
intumescent coating is used for the beams, bracing
and columns in the basement, while a board system
is used (where required) for the columns and beams
above ground level. Asymmetric Slimflor® Beams
(ASBs) are partially encased in concrete and do
not require any additional protection for 60 minutes
fire resistance.

4 Facts of living
 Study Methods

Costing assumptions Regional variations

Davis Langdon carried out the pricing of all options. Construction prices can vary considerably around
In some cases, where a construction form had the country. The table below provides adjustment
many possible arrangements, cost was used to factors that may be applied to provide indicative costs
determine the preferred layout. Price levels in the for each of the building types, built in another region.
study are those prevailing in the last quarter (October
to December) 2003.
Percentage adjustment
The rates for steel fabrication include design, Region to total building cost
connections, transport and erection, but assume that East Anglia -8

the steel is not to be painted. Other steel-related East Midlands -15

components, such as fire protection, shear studs and Inner London +6

steel decking, have also been accurately costed. North East -12
North West -12

The itemised rates for the various concrete Northern Ireland -28

components, including upper floors and roof - Outer London 0

as well as the associated work such as excavation, Scotland -14

reinforcement and formwork - have similarly been South East -4

compiled from recently tendered projects. South West -10

Wales -13

The composite unit rates used for other elements in the West Midlands -11

buildings have been compiled from Davis Langdon's Yorkshire and Humberside -14

costs database, and reflect a typical developer’s

standard specification.

The major element rates are detailed in Appendix 2.

A contingency and design reserve of 8 per cent has

been added to reflect the typical cost for the MSR type
development represented by the building. No allowance
has been made for professional fees, sales and
marketing and other non construction costs.

Facts of living 5
Cost Effective Construction

Cost-effective
construction
The study showed that steel-based systems offer the
fastest and lowest cost construction options available
for MSR buildings.
Cost-effective steel Time-related savings
For the MSR building in the study, the results showed Faster construction has additional benefits. It results
that the composite beam and slab system was the in savings in the cost of site management and on-site
lowest cost option, followed by Slimdek and ASB+PC
®
activities. It reduces the cost of finance, since a shorter
construction systems. The concrete option proved to construction period reduces the time during which
be the most expensive solution. interest has to be paid. This effect is an integral part
of the cost comparison study.
Rapid construction
The speed of construction of steel structures was Additionally the rapid completion of a building also
highlighted by the study. For both steel and concrete, brings an earlier return on investment as the building
the erection of the structure is a relatively small can be occupied sooner, helping to offset the cost of
proportion of the overall programme time – but steel borrowing or allowing finance for the next phase of a
was shown to be the faster option. development. These more intangible benefits are not
calculated in the study
For MSR building, the steel structural systems could
Time related savings
be erected in ten or eleven weeks, compared with
Structural form Frame after Completion
the twelve weeks required for a reinforced concrete completion of frame and
of basement floors Overall
system. In addition, erection of concrete frame (weeks) (weeks) (weeks)
structures begins later than the steel alternatives, since Composite beam and slab 10 22 69
a ground-bearing slab must be constructed prior to Slimdek® 9 21 68

erection commencing. ASB+PC 10 22 68

Reinforced concrete flat slab 12 24 70

6 Facts of living
 Cost Effective Construction

MSR Building gross floor area 6060m2

Elemental building cost per SQ M gross floor area for structural options

Code Description Composite Slimdek® ASB+PC Reinforced

beam and slab concrete
flat slab

£/m2 £/m2 £/m2 £/m2

1 Substructure 55 55 55 56
2 Frame and upper floors 104 119 116 122
3 Roof 17 17 17 17
4 Stairs 16 16 16 16
5 External walls 56 54 54 53
6 Windows and external doors 58 58 58 58
7 Internal walls, partitions and doors 84 83 83 83
8 Wall finishes 12 12 12 12
9 Floor finishes 38 38 43 38
10 Ceiling finishes 15 15 15 15
11 Fittings 63 63 63 63
12 Sanitary fittings and disposal 33 33 33 33
13 Mechanical services 67 67 67 67
14 Electrical services 35 35 35 35
15 Lift installation 26 26 26 26
16 Builders work in connection 7 7 7 7
17 External Works 8 8 8 8

Subtotal 694 706 706 708

Preliminaries (approximately 15.00%) 105 104 104 106
Subtotal 799 810 810 814
Contingency (8.0%) 64 65 65 65

Total building cost 863 875 875 880

Construction period (weeks) 69 68 68 70
Extra/(saving) in finance costs @ 6 % p.a. 0 -1 -1 0
Net building cost 863 874 874 880

Additional measurements
The tables below compare the finished structural For example, the weight of steel is only a crude
dimensions and steel weights of each of the measurement of efficiency - and does not take into
construction systems. These findings illustrate some of account the reduced costs of fire protection and
the merits of the different systems, but should not be cladding and the ease of service installation.
considered in isolation.

Additional measurements
Structural form Beam and Overall Building Area fire Basic steel Total steel weight
slab depth floor zone height protection frame per floor area
weight per
(m2/m2 floor area
(mm) (mm) (m) floor area) (kg/m2) (kg/m2)

Composite beam and slab 395 550 18.9 0.64 48.7 68.0
Slimdek® 300 460 18.3 0.24 46.3 73.4
ASB + PC 250 410 18.0 0.25 41.9 46.9
Reinforced concrete flat slab 300 410 18.0

Facts of living 7
The Value of Steel

The value
of steel
Steel offers considerable advantages over concrete,
making it the first choice material for large building
construction in any location.
Minimal disruption Built-in quality
Steel construction can dramatically reduce the impact Off-site fabrication improves the quality of the
of building activities on the surrounding area. This is building frame, since the majority of work is carried
particularly important in inner city locations or sites out under closely controlled factory conditions -
close to residential areas. Steel construction minimises unaffected by on-site trades or the weather. All steel
noise and dust, shortens the construction period and frames are prefabricated, providing the potential for
reduces the amount of waste generated. Deliveries can a “right-first-time” build, which minimises time and
even be timed to suit local traffic conditions and keep disruption on site.
disruption in the area to a minimum.
Steel does not suffer from creep or shrinkage and,
Flexible solution when properly protected, does not rot or decay.
Steel construction generates an inherently flexible
solution. All internal walls can be repositioned allowing Environmental benefits
buildings to be adapted repeatedly to suit the changing Steel offers a clean, efficient and rapid construction
needs of their occupants. method, which reduces the impact of building
activities on the environment. The small amount of
waste produced is generally recycled, and all steel is
potentially reusable. Today, around 40 per cent of steel
is produced from recycled material

8 Facts of living
 Slimdek®

Steel flooring solutions

Composite beam and slab Due to the encasement of the steel beam, the system
has inherent fire resistance up to 60 minutes without
the need for fire protection. Another key benefit of the
system is the ease of service integration within the floor
depth.

ASB+PC unit

Composite beam and slab is the most popular form

of multi-storey frame construction in the UK. This fast,
efficient, lightweight solution utilises a shallow metal
deck spanning, typically, 2.5m to 4.5m between
supporting steel beams. The common span range of
the beams is 5m to 12m. A shallow concrete slab is
cast on the decking, and shear studs that have been
welded through the decking on to the supporting This system (which is currently in development) is a
beams generate composite action between the beam logical extension to the Slimflor® concept in that it aims
and slab. to utilize the inherent section properties of the ASB in
conjunction with the spanning capabilities of the
The speed and structural performance makes concrete pre-cast unit. The pre-cast units (which may
composite construction the preferred option for offices be notched if required) are supported on the bottom
and many other multi-storey building frames. flange of the ASB and the space around the beam at
the end of the unit is filled with concrete to encase the
Slimdek® beam. This creates a minimum structural floor zone.
Reinforcement can be placed either over or through
the ASB into the discrete open-ended voids in the
pre-cast units for robustness. This can also enhance
fire performance. Depending on the in-service
conditions, the joints between the pre-cast units can
either be grouted up, or a screed can be used to
provide a flat floor.

Slimdek® is an engineered shallow depth flooring

system for multi-storey buildings. The system utilises
rolled asymmetric steel beams (ASB) supporting deep
metal decking on an open grid (up to 9m x 9m) with no
secondary steelwork. During construction, the ASB
beam is encased within the concrete floor slab, and
composite action is generated without shear studs.
This results in a floor of between 300mm and 400mm
depth with a flat soffit and no downstands.

Facts of living 9
Appendix One

Appendix one
Design parameters and assumptions

Structural design
The building is designed for an imposed load of The car park arrangement dictates the structural grid
1.5kN/m2 in the residential apartments, 2.5kN/m2 in that is adopted in order to avoid the use of an
residential communal areas such as walkways and expensive transfer structure. This is based on a 3-car
4.0kN/m2 in the retail ground floor area. Additional bay (7.5m wide) along the facade, and columns at 4.8,
loads of 1 kN/m for partitions and 0.7kN/m for
2 2
6.7 and 5.0m respectively across the building.
the ceiling, services and raised floor are common
for all areas. Fire protection
Fire protection is taken as board for columns, internal
The deflection limits are taken as defined in BS 5950 beams and bracing members above ground, but an
Part 1. The total deflections of the beams or slabs of all intumescent coating protects the steelwork in the
options are limited to a maximum of span/200. Edge basement. In Slimdek® the ASB beams are partially
beam deflections are limited to a maximum of span/500 encased in concrete, and do not require protection for
under imposed and cladding loads. In practice, this building.
deflections will be much less than these limits, owing to
the stiffness of the connections. Acoustic performance
The building is designed to meet the acoustic
S355 steel (to BS EN 10 025) is used for the columns requirements of Part 'E' of the Building Regulations
whereas S275 steel is used for the UB and UC beams, (2003) and uses robust details wherever possible.
which are generally controlled by serviceability criteria. Post Completion Testing would be needed where
ASB sections are always S355. Normal weight concrete no appropriate Robust Detail is available.
is used throughout the building for all options.
Separating walls
The natural frequency limit is taken as 4Hz with a Separating walls are double layer light steel wall
response factor in accordance with BS6472 (250mm width and 8 kg/m2 steel weight per unit wall
The 2002 Building Regulations also require that all area) with 2 layers of fire resisting plasterboard per side
buildings possess `robustness' through provision of and 75mm mineral wool batts between the studs.
tying action. This necessitates the placement of
additional reinforcement across the beams in the Partition walls
pre-cast concrete options. Partition walls are a single layer light steel wall
(125mm width and 3 kg/m2 steel weight per unit
The steel options for both buildings are designed as wall area) comprising one layer of 12mm plasterboard
braced against wind load, with bracing accommodated on both sides.
within the core area. In the concrete option, reinforced
concrete shear walls are used. These 'core' positions External walls
are selected to offer the required escape routes and External walls consist of an insulated render (on
zones for vertical services. Their size is sufficient to 100mm EPS insulation) attached to 10mm CPB ,
accommodate lifts, stairways and any vertical ducts screw-fixed to single layer light steel wall (125mm
and pipes. width and 5 kg/m2 steel weight per unit wall area) with
two layers of 12mm fire resisting plasterboard on the
inside, 100mm mineral wool batts and a 15mm cavity.
Wall thickness is 250mm overall.

10 Facts of living
 Appendix One

Floor zone Internal finishes

The floor zone in the accommodation areas comprises The internal wall finishes are plaster/plasterboard with
the structural floor, a battened floor (70mm overall) an emulsion paint finish. Ceramic tiles are detailed in
and suspended single layer plasterboard ceiling with the kitchens, bathrooms and en-suite areas.
75mm void (88mm overall). The ground (retail) floor
has a concrete finish without the acoustic floor and
ceiling below.

Roof
The roof is a flat roof built as the floor construction but
with a built-up layered roofing system laid to falls.

Car parking
The below-ground car parking is considered as
being common to all schemes, the only variant
being the use of steel or concrete columns.
A total of 38 car parking spaces are to be provided
beneath the building.

Staircases
The staircases are generally precast concrete with
powder coated balustrades and hardwood handrails.

Windows
Windows in the building are opening, aluminium,
polyester powder-coated, double-glazed units.
The windows are to be 2100mm high. Double glazed
doors are provided to access the balcony areas.

External doors
The type of external door specified changes with
location but all are solid security doors.

Sanitary/kitchen fittings
The sanitary and kitchen fittings are proprietary
products tailored to suit the type of accommodation.

Internal doors
The internal doors are veneered, solid core
within a hardwood frame and have stainless
steel ironmongery.

Facts of living 11
Appendix Two

Appendix two

The cost rates for some of the major elements used for the frame and floor costings in the study are
included here for information but do not necessarily reflect current competitive pricing.

Structural steelwork Unit

280/300 ASB (S355) Tonne £1,080.00
Universal beams (S275) Tonne £950.00
Universal columns (S355) Tonne £980.00
Joists: channels: angles: tee section (S275) Tonne £1,000.00
Rolled hollow sections (S355) Tonne £1,550.00
Plates (S355) Tonne £1,250.00
Flats (S355) Tonne £1,050.00
Fire protection
Mineral wool m2 £7.50
Plasterboard m2 £20.00
Infumescent paint m2 £12.00
Conlit 150 m2 £9.50
Other structural items
150 hollow core precast units m2 £37.00
250 hollow core precast units m 2
£43.00
Concrete slab, pumped, g35 m2 £111.00
Embedded beam encasement m2 £111.00
Reinforcement bars Tonne £685.00
Balcony support steel and decking Each £500.00
A193 reinforcement mesh m2 £4.00
A393 reinforcement mesh m 2
£5.00
100 x 19 dia shear connectors Each £2.50
CF51 0.9 thick decking m 2
£24.70
PMF CF70 m2 £15.00
SD225 deep decking m 2
£26.20
Insitu reinforced concrete frame
Perimeter columns - 250x350, 280kg/m3 reinforcement m £70.00
Internal columns (basement) - 450x450, 320kg/m3 reinforcement m £123.00
Internal columns (ground - u/s second floor) - 450x300, 320kg/m3 reinforcement m £99.00
Internal columns (second floor upwards) - 300x300, 320kg/m3 reinforcement m £73.00
250mm thick shear walls m 2
£120.00
Perimeter column head-slab interface Each £10.00
Internal column head-slab interface Each £10.00
Reinforced suspended concrete floors 250mm thick m2 £95.00

12 Facts of living
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West One photographs courtesy of Laurance Richardson

and City Estates Sheffield
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Copyright 2004
Corus

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MRW:4000 UK:08/2004