Final Report For Commercial Building Costing Cases Studies – Traditional Design versus Timber Project

This project developed realistic timber costing information for building professionals in the non-housing building sector.  

It compared the cost of constructing four commercial building types in timber and using traditional materials. The building types were a 7 storey office building, an 8 storey apartment building, a 2 storey aged care facility and a single storey industrial shed. 

Each building type was designed and then independently costed for a timber option as well as a more conventional concrete framed or steel framed building in an urban location. 

In all cases constructing the building in timber had lower costs than for the competing non-timber solution. Cost savings were 2.2% for the 8 storey apartment building, 9.4% for the single storey industrial shed, 12.4% for the 7 storey office building and 13.9% for the 2 storey aged care facility. 

The report found the greatest potential benefits to the timber industry are in the industrial shed, aged care and office building markets

Reference Number:
PNA308-1213

Findings Report:
Report will be available shorty, currently undergoing an amendment 

Additional Report:
This report analyses the cost differences between two comparable multi-residential student accommodation projects built in Tasmania in 2015; one using innovative prefabricated timber and the other using precast concrete panels.
PNA308c-1314_Timber_Frame_v_Precast_Concrete_Cost_Comparison.pdf

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