Evaluation and Analysis of Unit Prices of a Rammed Earth Construction System

Abstract

The tapial is part of the traditional construction worldwide, which uses environmentally friendly materials of natural origin such as raw earth, wood and water for its manufacture. The construction technique was used for the construction of habitable spaces, which are part of the ancestral construction system of our country; Despite the above, no updated studies on the costs required in the construction process have been identified in Ecuador. This is mainly due to the constant development of new technologies that introduce new construction systems to the market that use industrialized materials for their manufacture. Therefore, this document evaluated and analyzed the unit prices of the items involved in the construction of works using mud as its main component. Field and exploratory research was applied, through the application of surveys to a sample of 97 professionals of Civil Engineering and Architecture in the city of Cuenca, as well as 30 professionals with experience in construction of the indicated construction system. The Unit Price Analysis determined that the average cost of a 140 m2 typical house is $ 46,236.64 with an estimated cost of $ 330.26 per square meter; Similarly, the study determined a maximum cost of $ 53,172.14 USD with a value of $ 379.80 USD per square meter and a minimum value that represents $ 39,301.14 with a cost per square meter of $ 280.72.