Nelson-Farrar Quarterly Costimating Changes in the indexes for nonmetallic building materials

Oct. 2, 1995
Gary Farrar Contributing Editor The accompanying table shows how Nelson-Farrar indexes have changed over the period 1991-1994 for selected basically nonmetallic building materials. Data are included for the overall nonmetallic group, five nonmetallic materials, and iron castings. Building brick and concrete ingredients indexes showed the greatest changes during the period. Building brick changed from 844.5 in the first quarter of 1991 to 925.8 in the fourth quarter of 1994. During the same

Gary Farrar
Contributing Editor

The accompanying table shows how Nelson-Farrar indexes have changed over the period 1991-1994 for selected basically nonmetallic building materials.

Data are included for the overall nonmetallic group, five nonmetallic materials, and iron castings.

Building brick and concrete ingredients indexes showed the greatest changes during the period.

Building brick changed from 844.5 in the first quarter of 1991 to 925.8 in the fourth quarter of 1994. During the same period, concrete ingredients changed from 631.8 to 693.1.

Clay products, iron castings, and concrete products showed more moderate changes, although none of the changes in the indexes were drastic. The clay products index rose from 699.6 to 749.8 over the 4-year period. Iron castings changed from 984.0 to 1,031.2, and concrete products changed from 548.3 to 598.1 over the same time span.

The smallest index change occurred in the fireclay brick category, changing from 1,057.2 in the first quarter of 1991 to 1,089.3 in the fourth quarter of 1994.

The final category, the overall nonmetallic index, changed from 631.6 to a high of 674.2 during the third quarter of 1994.

The Nelson-Farrar overall inorganic chemical index showed a slight decrease throughout the period, varying from 456.8 in the first quarter of 1991 to 437.4 in the last quarter of 1994.

Itemized Refining Cost Indexes

The cost indexes may be used to convert prices at any date to prices at other dates by ratios to the cost indexes of the same date. Item indexes are published each quarter (first week issue of January, April, July, and October). In addition the Nelson Construction and Operating Cost Indexes are published in the first issue of each month of The Oil and Gas Journal.

Index for earlier

year in Costimating

Operating cost (based on 1956 = May and Questions on

100.0): 1954 1972 1992 1993 1994 1995 *References Technology issues

Power, industrial electrical 98.5 131.2 639.4 642.2 636.0 645.9 Code 0543 No. 13, May 19, 1958

Fuel, refinery price 85.5 152.0 408.9 405.8 421.3 479.5 Oil & Gas J No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958

Gulf cargoes 85.0 130.4 486.2 516.7 570.6 657.5 Oil & Gas J. No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958

N.Y. barges 82.6 169.6 557.7 542.1 690.1 572.2 Oil & Gas J. No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958

Chicago low sulfur - - 467.7 416.8 401.2 623.6 Oil & Gas J. July 7, 1975

Western 84.3 168.1 588.2 558.5 544.9 729.2 Oil & Gas J. No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958

Central 60.2 128.1 494.5 539.5 489.8 585.5 Oil & Gas J. No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958

Natural gas at wellhead 83.5 190.3 1724.4 1789.1 1601.8 1494.4 Code 531-10-1 No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958

Inorganic chemicals 96.0 123.1 442.5 437.4 445.9 474.1 Code 613 Oct. 5, 1964

Acid, hydrofluoric 95.5 144.4 407.5 407.5 407.5 407.5 Code 613-0222 Apr. 3, 1963

Acid, sulfuric 100.0 140.7 347.4 347.4 347.4 347.4 Code 613-0281 No. 94, May 15, 1961

Platinum 92.9 121.1 353.6 372.2 398.5 437.4 Code 1022-02-73 July 5, 1965, p. 117

Sodium carbonate 90.9 119.4 410.5 382.7 365.1 368.1 Code 613-01-03 No. 58, Oct. 12, 1959

Sodium hydroxide 95.5 136.2 635.1 428.7 352.5 658.4 Code 613-01-04 No. 94, May 15, 1961

Sodium phosphate 97.4 107.0 663.3 688.4 726.1 726.1 Code 613-0267 No. 58, Oct. 12, 1959

Organic chemicals 100.0 87.4 366.1 374.9 386.0 457.5 Code 614 Oct. 5, 1964

Furfural 94.5 137.5 658.3 658.3 658.3 658.3 Chemical Marketing No. 58, Oct. 12, 1959

Reporter

MEK, tank-car lots 82.6 87.5 309.4 302.1 366.7 366.7 Reporter

Phenol 90.4 47.1 170.9 184.8 187.6 244.6 Code 614-0241 No. 58, Oct. 12, 1959


Indexes For Selected Construction Materials

Year, Non Building Fireclay Iron Clay Concrete Concrete

quarter metallic brick brick castings products ingred. products

1991

1st 631.6 844.5 1,057.2 984.0 699.6 631.8 548.3

2nd 632.7 848.1 1,062.3 986.5 703.4 633.4 551.2

3rd 631.0 852.5 1,058.9 985.6 701.8 632.3 552.1

4th 633.2 852.5 1,058.9 987.3 703.4 632.3 553.6

Year 632.1 849.4 1059.3 985.8 702.0 632.4 551.3

1992

1st 632.1 854.0 1,064.8 988.1 705.0 632.8 555.0

2nd 631.6 863.5 1,069.0 994.7 713.1 637.1 553.1

3rd 632.7 867.9 1,079.1 996.4 715.8 636.6 554.5

4th 634.8 874.5 1,059.7 996.4 718.5 637.6 557.3

Year 632.8 865.0 1,068.2 993.9 713.1 636.0 555.0

1993

1st 639.7 884.0 1,064.0 1,001.4 723.4 646.2 562.6

2nd 644.5 895.0 1,066.5 1,003.0 728.2 655.2 566.8

3rd 648.3 897.9 1,079.1 1,011.3 733.1 660.0 569.2

4th 654.8 899.4 1,074.9 1,007.2 734.7 668.0 574.9

Year 646.8 894.1 1,071.1 1,005.7 729.8 657.4 568.4

1994

1st 658.5 906.0 1,080.8 1,016.3 737.4 674.4 580.1

2nd 667.7 919.9 1,079.1 1,022.9 747.7 684.6 584.8

3rd 674.2 924.3 1,073.2 1,027.9 749.3 691.5 592.9

4th 654.8 925.8 1,089.3 1,031.2 749.8 693.1 598.1

Year 669.6 919.0 1,080.6 1,024.6 746.0 685.9 589.0


Itemized Refining Cost Indexes

Index for earlier

year in Costimating

Operating cost (based on 1956 = May and Questions on

100.0): 1954 1972 1992 1993 1994 1995 *References Technology issues

Operating labor cost (1956 = 100)

Wages & benefits 88.7 210.0 824.9 868.0 903.2 874.8 Employ & Earn No. 41, Feb. 16, 1969

Productivity 97.2 197.0 293.8 303.4 316.7 347.3 Employ & Earn No. 41, Feb. 16, 1969

Construction labor cost (1946 = 100)

Skilled const. 174.6 499.9 1416.0 1449.3 1484.6 1513.9 Eng. News Record No. 55, Nov. 3, 1949

Common labor 192.1 630.6 1884.8 1933.2 1997.6 2023.9 Eng. News Record No. 55, Nov. 3, 1949

Refinery cost 183.3 545.9 1579.2 1620.2 1664.7 1695.5 Oil & Gas J. May 15, 1967

Equipment or materials (1946 = 100):

Bubble tray 161.4 324.4 928.9 947.5 980.6 1019.4 Computed July 8, 1962, p. 113

Building materials (nonmetallic) 143.6 212.4 632.8 646.8 669.6 697.9 Code 13 No. 61, Dec. 15, 1949

Brick-building 144.7 252.5 865.0 894.1 919.0 947.0 Code 1342 No. 20, Mar. 3, 1949

Brick-fireclay 193.1 322.8 1068.2 1071.1 1080.6 1123.0 Code 135 May 30, 1955

Castings, iron 188.1 274.9 993.9 1005.7 1024.6 1064.3 Code 1015 Apr. 1, 1963

Clay products (structural, etc.) 159.1 342.0 713.1 729.8 746.0 763.9 Code 134 No. 20, Mar. 3, 1949

Concrete ingredients 141.1 218.4 636.0 657.4 685.9 717.1 Code 132 No. 22, March 17, 1949

Concrete products 138.5 199.6 555.0 568.4 589.0 612.3 Code 133 Oct. 2, 1967, p. 112

Electrical machinery 159.9 216.3 550.4 555.5 560.5 563.1 Code 117 May 2, 1955

Motors and generators 157.7 211.0 726.9 736.9 746.7 760.7 Code 1173 May 2, 1955

Switchgear 171.2 271.0 843.9 862.3 880.0 897.1 Code 1175 May 2, 1955

Transformers 161.9 149.3 439.4 435.0 445.5 455.0 Code 1174 No. 31, May 19, 1949

Engines (combustion) 150.5 233.3 809.2 820.6 838.2 852.3 Code 1194 No. 36, June 23, 1949

Exchangers (composite) 171.7 274.3 746.6 704.1 690.7 749.4 Manufacturer Mar. 16, 1964

Copper base 190.7 266.7 733.9 675.0 727.7 767.8 Manufacturer Mar. 16, 1964

Carbon Steel 156.8 281.9 752.1 706.6 673.9 726.5 Manufacturer Mar. 16, 1964

Stainless Steel (304) - - 747.9 714.7 730.4 820.2 Manufacturer July 1, 1991

Fractionating towers 151.0 278.5 789.8 794.0 808.4 835.3 Computed June 8, 1963, p. 133

Hand tools 173.8 346.5 1340.4 1367.0 1400.1 1445.0 Code 1042 June 27, 1955

Instruments (composite) 154.6 328.4 865.5 879.3 887.6 907.7 Computed No. 34, June 9, 1949

Insulation (composite) 198.5 272.4 1233.6 1312.7 1370.1 1448.5 Manufacturer July 4, 1988, p. 193

Lumber (composite) 197.8 353.4 996.1 1272.9 1303.1 1204.3 Code 81 No. 7, Dec. 2, 1948

Southern pine 181.2 303.9 744.4 965.3 1039.6 982.2 Code 81102 No. 7, Dec. 2, 1948

Redwood, all heart 238.0 310.6 1522.0 1996.9 2024.1 1823.1 Code 811-0332 July 5, 1965, p. 117

Machinery:

General purpose 159.9 278.5 898.0 913.6 931.8 958.5 Code 114 Feb. 17, 1949

Construction 165.9 324.4 1141.2 1171.6 1185.6 1212.5 Code 112 Apr. 1, 1968, p. 184

Oilfield 161.9 269.1 1005.9 1005.4 1033.5 1052.6 Code 1191 Oct. 10, 1955

Paints-prepared 159.0 231.8 680.0 687.7 697.8 732.4 Code 621 May 16, 1955

Pipe:

Gray iron pressure 195.0 346.9 1488.0 1540.8 1619.9 1643.8 Code 1015-0239 Jan. 3, 1983

Standard carbon 182.7 319.9 978.2 1009.1 1077.7 1126.6 Code 1017-0611 Jan. 3, 1983

Pumps, compressors, etc. 166.5 337.5 1216.4 1254.6 1278.2 1315.4 Code 1141 No. 29, May 5, 1949

Steel-mill products 187.1 330.6 942.9 957.1 1005.4 1074.0 Code 1017 Jan. 3, 1983

Alloy bars 198.7 349.4 809.2 818.5 854.3 857.6 Code 1017-0831 Apr. 1, 1963

Cold-rolled sheets 187.0 365.5 1030.7 1057.9 1122.2 1206.1 Code 1017-0711 Jan. 3, 1983

Alloy sheets 177.0 225.9 492.5 510.3 522.6 536.6 Code 1017-0733 Jan. 3, 1983

Stainless strip 169.0 221.2 502.8 503.0 504.5 540.0 Code 1017-0755 Jan. 3, 1983

Structural carbon, plates 193.4 386.7 1020.5 1054.6 1120.2 1192.4 Code 1017-0400 Jan. 3, 1983

Welded carbon tubing 180.0 265.5 1131.9 1044.3 1106.3 1238.2 Code 1017-0622 Jan. 3, 1983

Tanks and pressure vessels 147.3 246.4 691.6 684.5 688.0 711.3 Code 1072 No. 5, Nov. 18, 1949

Tube stills 123.0 125.3 361.5 367.8 383.7 405.0 Computed Oct. 1, 1962

Valves and fittings 197.0 350.9 1297.8 1322.3 1358.3 1401.6 Code 1149 No. 46, Sept. 1, 1940

Nelson-Farrar Refinery (Inflation Index) 179.8 438.5 1277.3 1310.8 1349.7 1385.2 Oil & Gas J. May 15, 1969

(1946)

Nelson-Farrar Refinery Operation

(1956) 88.7 118.5 393.3 396.3 405.8 409.4 Oil & Gas J. No. 2, Mar. 3, 1958

Nelson-Farrar Refinery Process

(1956) 88.4 147.0 415.1 416.9 431.4 447.4 Oil & Gas J. No. 2, Mar. 3, 1958

*Code refers to the index number of the Bureau of Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Wholesale Prices Itemized Cost Indexes, Oil & Gas

Journal.

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