order or magnitude analysis

[amyrice72]

I have a client trying to decide betw 5 stories and 25 stories, looking for an order of magnitude differential in foundation size with a budget of effectively zero (looking for free services, no guarantee of getting the project). Rock is 15' down. 5 stories is easy to broadstroke, but there are too many unknowns for the 25 story. Where can I find a few good examples to look at? Just looking for a starting point.

 

[BAretired]

Start by telling the client (actually he is not a client) that 25 stories appears feasible but would require a bit more study to confirm. Then go about looking for a more lucrative assignment.

BA

 

[jheidt2543]

It's funny how some clients will ask for free services while dangling the carrot of a job, but if asked for free of whatever they produce, they take offense. We all have opportunities to do as much free engineering as we wish, but "choose wisely!" If an Owner isn't willing to spend a little up-front money to research a project, how viable is it?

 

[jike]

The reliability of the answer is somewhat in proportion to the timeand money that you spend looking into it!

 

[spats]

Give the client a fee for doing the study, and tell him you will reduce your design fee by the same amount if you get the job. Make your design fee the same as what it would have been without the study, and he'll think he got a bargain.

 

[amyrice72]

Hey Guys - I have a boss. The client issue is not really mine - I am looking for where I can find several varied documented 20+ story buildings to peruse....

 

[BAretired]

If that is all you want, then search the internet for high rise building plans which you can peruse. Why didn't you say so in the first place?

BA

 

[ishvaaag]

Usually buildings of smaller footprint for the same area are somewhat cheaper per square meter (say, the typical comparison between the price of a flat and a single house) ... but this may not held already at the 25 stories tall buildings.

I muse what are you going to see by seeing examples that you, your boss and your prospective client can't imagine within the reach of your respective practices.

This said, many commercial guys (more driven for profit in general that engineers, of course, and more commonly more successful at that) are strange and disturbing for their service providers because they are always looking for an aperture of opportunity; forfeit that and they may have behind efficient personal and organizational structures that most practicing engineering design would find difficult to match; they can be energetic and even show disturbingly keen awareness, ability and will to meet goals. It is all philosophy.

 

[JStructsteel]

he did say that in the first place.