Construction Costs in Bulgaria to Increase by 15% due to Eurocodes

The adoption of EU rules for the design of buildings will increase construction costs by 15%, according to Bulgaria's Investment Planning Minister Ivan Danov.

Speaking Friday in Parliament, he responded to a question of Pavel Gudzherov, MP from center-right party GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria), who insisted that experts had predicted an increase by 20-40% in construction costs as a result of the adoption of  EU rules.

Danov, as cited by dnevnik.bg, explained that Eurocodes only affected the price of carcase work, stressing that estimates of a price spike by 40% were exaggerated.

He said that the key change affected the thickness of the load bearing columns, which was too small at the current rate of 25 centimeters.

He added that the thickness of walls built in Bulgaria was very small and was in line with a standard which had fallen out of use in Europe long ago.

Danov informed that the transitional period for the application of Eurocodes expired in end-2013, adding that in 2014 the standards would be obligatory only for new buildings built under public procurement contracts, while residential buildings would be built under the existing rules for one more year.

Bulgaria's Investment Planning Minister said that he had been given assurances by all universities that they were training students in line with the structural eurocodes and that practical handbooks on their application had been issued.

The 58 Structural Eurocodes parts will increase requirements for the solidity, earthquake resistance and energy efficiency of buildings.

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