zlacker

>>hrl+(OP)
I don't know if it is really a problem, more like a tradeoff. Reinforced concrete costs less and enables shapes that are impossible without it, with the downside that the buildings last 50 years instead of 100+ years. The present value of a building that lasts 50 years is not that much different that the same one that lasts 100 years.

With that in mind, it makes perfect sense to make an office building out of reinforced concrete.

>>idoh+S8
With 30 year fixed rate mortgages at 3%, I'd say the present value of a building that lasts 100 years is 23% more than the present value of a building that lasts 50 years. It's certainly worth it to spend more for a longer lasting building.