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
Latest News
On behalf of its members and stakeholders, FWPA supports and manages a wide range of activities through five strategic programs. Here you’ll find the latest news, updates and links to online resources.
Events Calendar
From stakeholder engagement to industry promotion, events are a vital and valuable communication channel. If you have an industry-related event that you would like listed here, please contact us.
Recent
Documents
Communicating and disseminating the results of research and development projects enables industry to make more informed decisions and adopt best practices.
Recent
11.03.21 Guidelines for salvage harvest, storage and processing of plantation-grown...
11.02.21 Lifting farm gate profits: the role of natural capital accounts...
07.12.20 Benefit Cost Analyses of FWPA R&D projects: November 2020
07.12.20 Six Storey Timber Framed Building's Movement and Moisture Content
14.09.20 Re-measurement of lower-rainfall farm forestry species in Victoria to...
Webinars
R&DWorks webinars are invaluable opportunities to catch up with the latest research results and best practice processes. On this page you’ll find links to recorded presentations.
Recent
29.06.20 Webinar series: Scion's research into soil-plant-microbe interactions
17.06.19 Webinar: Production Forest Methodologies for the Emissions Reduction Fund
31.05.18 Webinar: ABARES Draft Work Plan 2018-2022
25.09.17 Webinar: Reducing costs in the wood supply chain through controlling the...
Podcasts
FWPA has launched the inaugural series of its new podcast, WoodChat. Each episode in the six-part pilot series will include an in-depth conversation with experts on a different industry-related news story, discovery or innovation.
Recent
Ep 01 - Wood & Wellbeing in the Workplace
Ep 04 - Revolutionising seedling selection using DNA
Ep 02 - Predicting future growing conditions with the click of a mouse
Ep 03 - Research centre to put Australia at forefront of best practice
Ep 05 - Advocating the environmental benefits of timber in construction
Logos
The Ultimate Renewable™ is an industry campaign to promote the sustainability and environmental advantages of Australia's Forest and wood products sector.