Why It Works — Girder-Slab® Economic & Technical Case

Page URL: https://www.girder-slab.com/why-it-works The Economic Case In an industry where 69% of projects finish over budget and labor shortages are structural — not cyclical — predictability is the asset. Girder-Slab® delivers it through a compound set of advantages that conventional concrete systems cannot replicate. System Comparison — Four Mid-Rise Structural Options: Girder-Slab® (8″ HC + D-Beam®): - Structural Cost/SF: Medium - System Self-Weight: 60 psf - Total Loading: 120 psf - Speed: Fast — steel proceeds above planked floors - Shoring: None required - Weather Sensitivity: None - Labor: Low — single trade (ironworkers) - Embodied Carbon: Lower — structural steel 93%+ recycled Filigree Flat Plate: - Structural Cost/SF: High | Self-Weight: 94 psf | Total Loading: 149 psf - Speed: Slow — shoring 3–4 floors below pour | Shoring: Yes | Weather: High Conventional Flat Slab: - Structural Cost/SF: High | Self-Weight: 113 psf | Total Loading: 168 psf - Speed: Slow — shoring 3–4 floors below pour | Shoring: Yes | Weather: High Post-Tensioned: - Structural Cost/SF: High | Self-Weight: 88 psf | Total Loading: 143 psf - Speed: Slow | Shoring: Yes | Weather: High The Pattern: System Advantage, Not Single-Metric Advantage Girder-Slab® beats concrete systems on the metrics that compound: - Single-trade erection - No shoring required - No above-grade concrete pours - No weather exposure - No 28-day cures gating the next floor Together these produce a 4.5-day floor-to-floor cycle vs. projects still pouring when completion was planned. Real tradeoffs (disclosed): The D-Beam® bottom flange requires fire protection. Plumbing chases must avoid the beam and grout zones. Column-framed layouts are less flexible than flat-plate systems for future modifications. Financial Impact (verified, not projected): - 18% all-in savings — 330 Cooper St., 12 stories, 161,653 SF - 4-month average schedule reduction — documented across projects - 15% direct cost savings — materials, labor, sequencing - 3% financing interest savings — reduced construction period - +2 additional leasable floors — Troy Boston, at permitted height Best fit: mid- to high-rise (5–30+ stories), high-labor-cost urban markets, residential/hospitality, schedule-constrained projects. Free evaluation: https://www.girder-slab.com/evaluate