Masonry Magazine December 1987 Page. 36
Savvy Consumers Want
Concrete Masonry
Developers can substantially reduce the insurance and maintenance costs of their low-rise multihousing projects by building them with concrete masonry walls and precast concrete floors.
That is the message a group of real estate, insurance and construction experts presented at a Midwest regional seminar for building professionals held in Chicago November 16.
The seminar was the first in a nationwide series jointly sponsored by the Portland Cement Association (PCA), the Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI), the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) and the Expanded Shale Clay and Slate Institute (ESCSI).
"The impact that life-cycle costs such as insurance and maintenance can have on a multifamily project's profitability has only recently been recognized," John Koller, Manager, Low-Rise Residential, PCA, told more than 60 seminar attendants. "When those kinds of costs are considered, the economic benefits of building with concrete become extremely attractive."
Chief among those benefits is reduced insurance premiums. Barbara Wick, Executive Vice President, Community Association Risk Management and Insurance Consultants, Inc., said that the fire-resistant nature of concrete masonry and precast hallow-core concrete floors translates to considerable insurance savings. "The insurance industry is beginning to respond more favorably to good construction materials and other factors that reduce loss," Wick said. "Developers who invest in fire-resistant construction for multihousing developments will profit from that growing awareness."
Wick cited one study by the National Loss Control Corporation that indicated large cost differences in insurance premiums between noncombustible and combustible framing systems. For a six-unit structure of 6,000 square feet, the annual property insurance cost increased some 678 percent from noncombustible to combustible framing: for a three-story 70-unit structure of 70,000 square feet, the increase was 830 percent.
The building system also offers other cost benefits, said Charles Ostrander, Executive Director, Multifamily Construction Advisory Committee of Illinois. "The combination of hollow-core precast concrete floors and load-bearing masonry walls is a perfect system."
Phil Dimaso, Dimaso and Son Realty, Des Plaines, III., described his company's success in building multifamily developments with the system. "Multifamily developments built with concrete masonry and precast hollow-core concrete offer all the things buyers and renters are looking for in today's market," Dimaso said. "The safety of these buildings is appreciated by savvy consumers. They also like the fact that the buildings are much quieter than wood-frame structures.
"Our experience has shown that multifamily units built with this system sell fast," Dimaso added.
In 1914, the first income tax was collected, Americans paid an average per capita tax of 41 cents, and only one percent of the population was obligated to pay taxes at all.
Bil-Jax PRESENTS EQUIPMENT FOR THE CONTRACTOR
# SCAFFOLD & SHORING
# EQUIPMENT
# BUILDING SYSTEMS
# MATERIAL HOISTING
# EQUIPMENT
* Long Life
* Since 1947
* Complete Line
* Heavy-Duty/Sturdy
* Competitive Pricing
* Contractor Tested
THE LOW COST, FLEXIBLE SOLUTION TO YOUR TEMPORARY ENCLOSURE NEEDS!
* Storage Area
* Maintenance/Repair
* Scaffold Enclosures
* Weather Protection
* Heights to 300
* Capacity to 5,000#
* Gas. Electric, or Diesel Drive