Committee Reports::Interim and Final Report - Appropriation Accounts 1972 - 1973::30 October, 1975::Appendix


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APPENDIX 10.

COST OF BUILDING FOR DUBLIN INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES

22 Bealtaine, 1975.

Cléireach an Choiste,

An Coiste um Chuntais Poiblí.

At the proceedings of the Committee on 13th March, 1975 I undertook to furnish additional information about the additions to the contract price for the erection of a new building for the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies at Burlington Road.

					£
The original contract price was		..	..	..	112,525
The nett extra cost was	..	..	..	..	59,283
		Total cost			171,808

The excess occurred under four headings:

								£
(i)	Price Variation Clause increases under terms of contract					..	..	22,404
(ii)	Adjustment of Prime Cost and Provisional Sums provided in contract							12,314
(iii)	Variations undertaken in course of construction in order to complete
	the contract as planned.	..	..	..	..	..	..	20,298
(iv)	Additional items requested by the Institute			..	..	..	..	4,267

Re (i), the date of the accepted tender was April, 1969, the contract was placed in August, 1969 and the work was virtually completed in September, 1971. Some of the delay and extra costs were due to the cement strike which occurred betweenFebruary, 1970 and June, 1970. All the increases allowed were fully documented and reflect increased costs between the date of the tender and the completion of the contract. Some £9,000 of the extra under (ii) was also due to increased costs over and above what had been estimated for in September, 1968 when decisions were taken about the sums to be included for Provisional and Prime Cost items.

The total increase under the Price Variation Clause was therefore £31,400 approx. or about 28% of the original contract price. Figures compiled by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors show an increase of 36% in building costs from 1st January, 1969 to 1st January, 1972—these being the nearest comparable figures available— which would indicate that the increase on this particular contract was in line with the general experience in the building industry.

Re (ii), as has been shown, the bulk of this extra was due to increased costs. The balance of £3,300 approx. was due to the fact that more built-in fittings and library shelving were found to be necessary than had been provided for originally.

Re (iii), the variations are made up as follows:—

											£
(a)	Additional steel found necessary to cope with a structural problem encountered and to provide additional load-bearing capacity of some floors, together with a number of smaller
	associated items			..	..	..	..	..	..	..	11,207
(b)	Variations to internal finishes on stairs, windows, exposed
	concrete and other minor items					..	..	..	..	..	2,192
(c)	Variations on site works, drainage, car park, E.S.B. substation,
	etc.	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	2,547
(d)	Extra work on linking old and new buildings							..	..	..	1,424
(e)	Additional preliminaries and insurances in accordance with terms
	of contract		..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	3,985
										Total	21,355
								Less Savings			1,057
										Total	20,298
Re (iv), additional works—all of which were reasonable—requested by the Institute; these included extra doors and other work arising out of a revised layout, cost of works required to meet objections by an adjoining owner whose house is overlooked by the new building and miscellaneous
supplies		..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	4,267

The final cost of the building worked out at £10.86 per square foot which was in no way excessive. I am advised that it was in fact very good value for a finished building of the standard which was necessary and provided.

C. FARRELL,

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