ABSTRACT
It is probable that the definitions of skilled and unskilled, and what is included in labour costs varies between countries, thus these figures should not be taken as strictly comparable.
Materials costs - cement and aggregates for concrete The table below summarises for countries for which they are available, costs per tonne for cement and costs per m3 for aggregates for concrete. The figures in national currency are taken from each country's construction cost data and have been converted into pound sterling, US dollar and ECU equivalents using first quarter 1999 exchange rates. Converted figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Despite the fact that there are internationally recognized standards of quality for cement and that it is one of the few internationally traded construction materials, the variation in cost between countries is remarkably large. This may well be a result of controlled prices or of import protection. The variation in aggregate costs is less surprising; quality and availability can be expected to vary widely within, let alone between, countries and a large proportion of aggregate costs can be in their transportation.
