Notes on over-design.
Short pieces built on the research behind the scan. Every figure is sourced; none of it is about your file.
Half the beam is doing nothing
What 12,787 beams from real UK steel frames say about utilisation, rationalisation and how much steel a code-compliant frame can lose.
5 min read
The office floor load nobody measures
Ninety-five office buildings were designed for 3.57 kN/m² on average. Every measured survey since 1893 has stayed under 1.90.
4 min read
Twenty-five millimetres of slab, priced
Six rationalisations of ordinary elements, priced at published Q1 2025 rates for London and New York, with the arithmetic shown.
4 min read
Sixty percent stronger than specified
Field data on concrete that arrives far above the strength on the drawing, and what the extra cement costs.
3 min read
What a review before issue is worth
The literature on value engineering and constructability reviews, and why the superstructure is where the percentages bite.
4 min read