The findings indicate that further programme reductions could be achieved if the concrete cores for the case study buildings had been on the critical path and were constructed using jump forms. Using high-early-strength concrete in this way can potentially offer a 40% time saving for the core construction, translating into a 5% reduction in the total programme. Ultimately, office and residential buildings could be let or sold quicker, so the building owner can recover costs more quickly. Overall, there is also less disruption to the local community from a reduced build programme. These results indicate that appropriate consideration of special concretes at the design and build stages can be beneficial and that most benefit is gained if the designer includes the benefit of both early strength and high 28-day strength. Additional benefits that weren't specifically covered in the study but are applicable to special concretes are in the field of health and safety. With many tall buildings being constructed within constrained sites in busy city environments, the footprint of a building is often the entire site. Reducing the volumes of material needed to complete the large pours reduces deliveries to site, meaning less traffic in already highly congested cities. Health and safety is improved as fewer people are needed for the pour and there is no need for compacting tools, which not only eases placement but reduces noise levels; essential for high-density urban areas. When concrete is on the critical path, its specification is critical to cut build timescales, maximise space and ultimately deliver financial savings. The industry should be looking at the bigger picture, the lifecycle of the build and not just individual product costs in isolation. We need to break down the barrier of tried-and-tested methods and welcome innovation. Boundaries are being pushed further than ever before, forging a skyline that showcases tall buildings. Architects are designing smarter; we need to ensure that we're building smarter so that we can meet this challenge of constructing taller buildings for high-density urban areas.
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