Economic design is a crucial aspect of the engineering sector, yet many clients are unaware of its significance. Clients typically focus on the end results, When an engineer approaches a design , he tries to find out from a client what the client wants. And a client's ultimate desire is to get the work done within a reasonable cost. Let's talk about our sector. When we work on any project, we need to know a lot. Such as architect's work, structure, electrical, plumbing, . when Project alliances are bigger and more complex then the tasks are divided among many people. But normally in our residential house in our local area an engineer does everything. But is it right? Now this has become the prevailing rule in our country. In our country you can easily get a 5 floor house design for 8-10 thousand taka. You will also get structural design with . But to complete the total design of a 5-storey house by an engineer, a minimum of 50000 taka should be spent. including architecture and structural design.
These low-cost designs are largely copied, reused across multiple projects. Homeowners often choose them to save money, hoping to allocate more funds to construction. Unfortunately, these copy designs can lead to significantly higher construction costs due to inefficiencies. This is where a skilled engineer, using economic design principles, becomes invaluable. A skilled engineer can optimize costs, increase material efficiency, analyze labor costs, consider life cycle costs, manage risk and provide innovative design solutions.
Why am I saying this? Currently I am studying more about different house designs. Trying to understand the designs of many designers. Especially the structural designs. Because I am good at planning, I am trying to understand the structural issue well. I already have some idea about structural design and I want to learn more. 2 days ago one of my relative's designs came to me to inform them of the total cost calculation. The design of the house was 2 storey. They will build a huge house for themselves.
I was quite surprised when I saw the design. Because in this structural design minimum 4 storey house can be built. I wanted to know who made the plan of this house. He said he got it from one of his neighbors for 8 thousand taka . I explained to him that this design would cost him a lot of money. I told him to take the advice of an engineer because he can reduce this cost and design a perfect house according to his needs.
The prevailing mindset seems to be, if a design can be bought for Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000, why spend Rs 50,000? This mindset has led to many problems, such as the house tilting over time and breaching privacy with neighboring houses. Proper consultation with an engineer is essential to avoid these problems and ensure a well-designed, safe house construction.