Save Your Build Costs!
We met Pat and Maggie whilst appearing on the “Ask an Expert” panel at Grand Designs Live in Birmingham.
They had already paid for a design for a two-storey extension and loft conversion (architecture and engineering) but they were looking for a second opinion.
Questioned The Design
Pat was a mechanical engineer and he had questioned the design, as he thought it was “over the top” … he thought there was too much steel in the design!
We suggested that he should really go back to the original engineer, and we gave him some specific questions that he might like to ask him.
Pat wasn’t happy with the response he received from his original engineer, so he came back to us.
Good Structural Design
Whilst the original design he had paid for worked, we quickly realised that we could save him a lot of money by simplifying the design.
Review Of The Whole Project
We carried out a review of the whole project and basically started the engineering design from scratch!
We managed to keep the existing internal space layout the same, so architecturally there was no difference.
An Accumulation of “Rounding Errors”
The existing structural engineer had designed every element conservatively and had doubled the loading on several beams and then took this load onto the supporting beam and added additional loading onto these.
The loads just “mushroomed up”.
An inaccurate design had led to an accumulation of “rounding errors”.
It rounded it up to a phenomenal load the way it was designed.
Good Structural Engineering Design – A Better Concept
Rather than spanning the open plan space with a very long, oversized beam, we made the pyramid members of the structure loadbearing and to stop them from spreading, we designed tie rods between the feet.
By analysing the design more accurately, we were able to come up with a better structural concept to support the roof.
Sustainable Design – Saving Material
Our design was much more efficient both in terms of reducing the tonnage of steel required and also negating the need for a crane to lift the large steel member in place (plus the additional cost of labour!).
Instead of 10 tonnes of steel, our design required just two tonnes and still supported the shape they wanted!
Happy Client – Saved Build Costs
By investing in good structural engineering design, our client saved money on build costs.They saved more than our fee, just in the cost of buying the steel beams!
Value Engineering
Do you care about sustainability?
A good design will be efficient and thereby minimise resources used.
Are you working on a project at the moment where your client is looking to save money on build costs and/or minimise material usage?
Please get in touch so we can see how we can help you.
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0118 962 9666
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hello@mapl.co.uk
