Digital tools come with many benefits for the construction industry. They save time and valuable resources of course but one, sometimes undervalued, advantage of the digital era is its role in helping to compare and reduce costs. This is especially true for applying savings in balcony design without compromising on quality.
There are two major ways we can reduce costs onsite and offsite. One is through products; the other is through process.
Reducing costs on products can be done by making elements cheaper. We could, for example, sacrifice good quality balustrades for cheaper, less sleek, options. This way, we cut costs, but we also cut quality. Most people don’t want to go down this route, as it often doesn’t meet the vision of the sales value. Too many compromises might be made on performance this way. A cheaper balustrade might not be the most aesthetically pleasing and only a maximum of 20% of the cost of the product can be saved by this type of value engineering.
Anchors away
The most effective way of cutting costs on products is in designing out unseen features intelligently. Reducing the number of balcony anchors needed on a building is a very effective way of doing that. This will also design out the interfaces etc anchors have. Having fewer anchors doesn’t detract from the quality of the product, it makes designers and installers lives easier and clients’ budgets cheaper.
With a large corner balcony, for example, the number of anchors could often be reduced from 9 to 7, and, in an average 250 balcony scheme, one anchor per balcony can be saved. The cost savings of procuring the anchors, labour elements for constructors laying out the anchors, fireproofing and waterproofing can save anything up to £475 per bracket. With a 250 balcony scheme a potential saving of £118,750 could be made.
To ensure that it is done right, this way of reducing costs relies heavily on early engagement with manufacturers.
There could be many more ways to reduce costs if all designers and interfacing manufacturers are part of the early-stage design team. Downpipes, downstands and propping are just a few other areas where there are saving opportunities.
Fast fitting for lower cost
The second way of reducing costs is on process. The method to store, stack and deliver a product all have the potential for savings. This part of the pre-site process can save around 20%, but depends on the collaboration of everyone involved, again at an early stage. 80% of the potential savings can be made onsite, most often when managers get the sequencing of events right.
The speed of installation of balconies has one major benefit and cost saving. Rapid install means a saving on crane times, so they can be used elsewhere, and scaffolding can be taken down early, so a saving on prelim costs can be made. Glide-on balconies, for example, can be installed in about six to eight weeks. Bolt-on balconies can take up to 14 weeks. Potential savings for using rapid install can be up to £22,000 compared with steel in design and installation time. With concrete incurring significantly more time, cost and carbon footprint than both metal options.
Bringing it all together in the digital age
A digital product like The Hypothesis Tool offered by Sapphire can review projectspecific data and explore the potential savings in both the products and process of construction. The tool is part of the COACH balcony software suite which enables quick and easy balcony design with interactive 3D visuals and then shows the savings that can be made. These tools can offer a broad view to help weigh up cost options and target savings across the whole project.
“The method to store, stack and deliver a product all have potential areas to save on.”
“…there could be many more ways to reduce costs if all designers and manufacturers are part of the early-stage design team.”