tom_boy wrote:Shefad wrote:@ tom_by, it would be disastrous to use 4x2 and 3x2 timber as formwork props as they are too expensive! Formwork accounts for approximately 30% of concreting costs. Save by hiring metal forms. For a four storeyed structure you can also reuse the timber but you need a very good carpenter to design your formwork for multiple use.
Conrete also degrades timber significantly hence you might not be able to use the same timber in door frames and trusses.
Try the following cost cutting schemes:
-Reduce formwork costs by using self supporting forms or modular formwork
-Partition all internal walls with light weight reinforced polystyrene walls
-Design all internal walls as non-load bearing and use hollow blocks for the same
Best of luck
Thanks for the feed back.
alternatively, ensure your engineer designs as few walls as possible as load bearing (in the instance of a load-bearing structure) and allow for 150mm thick stone (readily available from ndarugu at that size), then use the board type timber used by the chinese. with a good carpenter, you might not need a significant investment as you can use the timber on all the suspended floors above as shefad said above.
for props you can hire the steel ones, less cutting needed and no significant costs as opposed to buying timber props (though you might need to confirm the same. good luck.