“Life cycle cost and extendingservice life of Structures”
By Hemant Vadalkar
1. Introduction : Most of our civil engineering projects are plannedand sanctioned based on the initial cost ofconstruction alone. Different design alternativesand corresponding cost estimates are worked outby the planners and design team. Generally, theoption having low initial cost of construction isselected by the owner. This may not necessarilybe the best and economical option if the life cyclecost is considered.
2. Life cycle cost analysis ( LCCA) technique isvery useful tool to decide most economical optionamong various alternatives. LCCA is a process ofevaluating the economic performance of a buildingover its entire life It considers total cost during theasset’s economical life span. For civil engineeringprojects, it can be used to select the bestalternative. The total life cycle cost consists of costof design and planning, initial cost of construction,cost of operation, replacement cost of somecomponents, cost of maintenance, cost of repairsor upgrades during the service life and cost ofdisposal. It can be applied to Roads, bridges,infrastructure projects, buildings or any civilengineering structure. Therefore, life cycle costanalysis must be considered to select the mostappropriate and economical option at the planningstage itself. Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) canbe described as “An economic evaluation methodfor determining the most cost- effective option outof competing alternative.”
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