Dorms 4 Airmen – Altus

The A/E was tasked by the Air Force and USACE to develop a fact-based assessment to quantify the differences between wood framing (type V) and steel framing with masonry infill (type II) for the 120 Room Dormitory at Altus AFB, Oklahoma. Insulated concrete forms (type II) was also studied in an effort to determine if it would present any benefits to the project. Type V construction is the current Air Force directive for the project. Per the project’s DD Form 1391, the programmed amount is $18 million and maximum allowable square footage is 42,625. A previous charrette report for the 120 Room Dormitory studied steel framing with masonry infill. The analysis was based on a 40-year life expectancy with anticipated renovation at 26 years. A dormitory constructed of steel frame with masonry infill or insulated concrete forms would require a reduction in scope in order to avoid exceeding the allowable gross square footage.

A two-story wood framed dormitory has a higher annual maintenance cost of $26,944 compared to a similar steel frame building with an annual maintenance cost of $18,283. However, the 40-year life cycle cost of a wood frame building ($1.1M) is less than those of a steel frame facility or ICF facility ($1.8M each). The same is true for a three-story facility.