Estimating the Economic Quantities of Different Concrete Slab Types

The economy of the structural design of reinforced concrete buildings is usually evaluated by comparing the concrete volume per unit area and rebar weight per unit volume with certain empirical values depending on the type of the structure and the past experience of the judging engineer. The aim of this paper is to refine those empirical values and give that past experience the required scientific base. In order to achieve that goal, simplified methods of design that stated in most of reinforced concrete design codes are used to figure out the required quantities of concrete and reinforcement steel for different structural elements and types. Some reasonable assumptions are used to facilitate the mathematical formulas to be usable and presentable. Produced formulas are accurate enough to be used in rough estimation of concrete and rebar quantities, check quantity surveying results and evaluate the economy of the structural design. KEYWORDS: optimum quantities, rebar percentage, concrete slabs, cost estimation, quantity surveying