The surge in steel prices during the first quarter of this year could push up overall construction costs by 3.5%, according to a study by Boyken International, an Atlanta, Ga.-based program management consultant. Boyken predicts that steel prices will continue to increase "at this rate" for "two to three [more] months," adding another 4.5% to the construction industry’s overall cost structure. "The net effect on construction costs due to the general increase in steel prices is expected to be 8% for the first six months of the year before relief and consistency once again settles the marketplace," the report says. Boyken claims that for every $100 rise in the cost of steel at the mill, the impact on total costs of construction is a 3.6% increase for a steel-frame structure and a 3.3% increase for a concrete-frame structure. "The construction industry consumes 41.5% of all steel produced in the U.S.," says Boyken. "The impact of [higher steel prices] on the total cost of a building is across the board."