Home Building Cost Cuts: Construction Methods and Materials for Affordable Housing: Fid-Bau Portal

Home Building Cost Cuts: Construction Methods and Materials for Affordable Housing

Part of HUD's effort to monitor and document cost - effective developments in residential design and construction, this collection of illustrated bulletins suggests cost - effective techniques and materials for builders. The first bulletin discusses potential cost - savings for foundation work which can be determined by analysis of specific building loads and local soil conditions. The analysis can result in materials reduction or elimination in the areas of flooring size and configuration, slab thickness or reinforcing, concrete strength, and more. The cost cuts address both design and implementation of 24 - inch o.c. framing techniques as they relate to joist framing and describe several types of prefabricated floor trusses that allow faster more material - efficient installation eliminating need for interior walls and partitions. Additional cost - cutting suggestions relate to optimized 24 - inch wall framing, including loadbearing and nonloadbearing wall detailing, and to interior trimming. Cost - effective low maintenance roof systems are described, and structural particleboard is suggested as a substitute for plywood sheathing on floors, walls, roofs, and miscellaneous stair treads, risers, etc. The last group of cost cuts deals with support systems, including plumbing, attic ventilation, and whole house ventilation. A concluding bulletin suggests ways to minimize log development costs.