PapersFlow Research Brief
Life Cycle Costing Analysis
Research Guide
What is Life Cycle Costing Analysis?
Life Cycle Costing Analysis is a methodology for evaluating the total cost of ownership of assets or projects over their entire life cycle, including acquisition, operation, maintenance, and disposal costs, with applications in construction, infrastructure, and sustainable development.
The field encompasses 17,618 works focused on life cycle costing in construction and infrastructure projects, evaluating total cost of ownership, asset management, and energy efficiency. Research explores methodologies, barriers, and benefits in the building and transportation sectors. Key studies integrate life cycle costing with environmental assessments to support sustainable development.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Life Cycle Costing in Building Construction
This sub-topic applies LCC models to evaluate material selection, design alternatives, and maintenance over building lifespans. Researchers integrate discount rates and uncertainty analysis.
Total Cost of Ownership in Infrastructure Projects
Studies assess acquisition, operation, and disposal costs for roads, bridges, and utilities. Methodologies include probabilistic modeling and risk assessment.
Energy Efficiency and LCC Analysis
Research quantifies payback periods for HVAC, insulation, and renewable integrations using LCC. It couples energy simulations with economic metrics.
Asset Management Using Whole Life Costing
This sub-topic develops strategies for maintenance scheduling and replacement decisions based on WLC. Applications target public infrastructure portfolios.
Barriers to LCC Adoption in Construction
Researchers identify organizational, methodological, and data-related obstacles to LCC implementation. Empirical studies propose frameworks for industry uptake.
Why It Matters
Life Cycle Costing Analysis enables comprehensive evaluation of total cost of ownership in construction and infrastructure, aiding decisions on asset management and energy efficiency. For instance, Ramesh et al. (2010) in "Life cycle energy analysis of buildings: An overview" quantify energy costs over building life cycles, showing operational energy dominates total costs. Ortiz et al. (2008) in "Sustainability in the construction industry: A review of recent developments based on LCA" demonstrate its role in assessing eco-efficiency, with applications in reducing environmental burdens in building materials. Wang (2002) in "A survey of maintenance policies of deteriorating systems" applies it to optimize maintenance for stochastically deteriorating infrastructure, minimizing long-term costs in transportation sectors.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Life Cycle Assessment: Past, Present, and Future" by Guinée et al. (2010), as it provides historical context and introduces life cycle costing models alongside environmental assessment, foundational for understanding applications in construction.
Key Papers Explained
Guinée et al. (2010) "Life Cycle Assessment: Past, Present, and Future" establishes the evolution of life cycle methods including costing; Ramesh et al. (2010) "Life cycle energy analysis of buildings: An overview" builds on this by focusing on building energy costs; Ortiz et al. (2008) "Sustainability in the construction industry: A review of recent developments based on LCA" extends to sustainability reviews; Wang (2002) "A survey of maintenance policies of deteriorating systems" connects to asset management; Zabalza et al. (2010) "Life cycle assessment of building materials: Comparative analysis..." applies to material eco-efficiency.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Current work emphasizes integration of Life Cycle Costing with energy efficiency in buildings and maintenance optimization for infrastructure, as surveyed in top-cited papers like Pérez‐Lombard et al. (2007) and Wang (2002), with no recent preprints indicating steady focus on established methodologies.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A review on buildings energy consumption information | 2007 | Energy and Buildings | 6.3K | ✕ |
| 2 | The multivariate skew-normal distribution | 1996 | Biometrika | 1.6K | ✓ |
| 3 | Life Cycle Assessment: Past, Present, and Future | 2010 | Environmental Science ... | 1.6K | ✕ |
| 4 | A survey of maintenance policies of deteriorating systems | 2002 | European Journal of Op... | 1.5K | ✕ |
| 5 | Life cycle energy analysis of buildings: An overview | 2010 | Energy and Buildings | 1.4K | ✕ |
| 6 | Sustainability in the construction industry: A review of recen... | 2008 | Construction and Build... | 1.3K | ✕ |
| 7 | Life cycle assessment of building materials: Comparative analy... | 2010 | Building and Environment | 1.2K | ✓ |
| 8 | Handbook of corrosion engineering | 2000 | Choice Reviews Online | 1.2K | ✓ |
| 9 | Life-Cycle Assessment and the Environmental Impact of Building... | 2009 | Sustainability | 758 | ✓ |
| 10 | A survey of preventive maintenance models for stochastically d... | 1989 | Naval Research Logisti... | 752 | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the role of Life Cycle Costing Analysis in building energy efficiency?
Life Cycle Costing Analysis evaluates total costs including energy consumption over a building's life cycle. Pérez‐Lombard et al. (2007) in "A review on buildings energy consumption information" review energy use data, highlighting operational costs as a major component. Ramesh et al. (2010) in "Life cycle energy analysis of buildings: An overview" provide an overview showing embodied and operational energy together determine total life cycle costs.
How does Life Cycle Costing Analysis integrate with Life Cycle Assessment?
Life Cycle Costing Analysis complements Life Cycle Assessment by adding economic dimensions to environmental evaluations. Guinée et al. (2010) in "Life Cycle Assessment: Past, Present, and Future" note full-fledged life cycle costing models were introduced alongside impact assessment in the 1990s. Khasreen et al. (2009) in "Life-Cycle Assessment and the Environmental Impact of Buildings: A Review" emphasize its use as a decision-support tool for building environmental impacts.
What are common applications of Life Cycle Costing in construction?
Applications include total cost of ownership in sustainable construction and infrastructure design. Ortiz et al. (2008) in "Sustainability in the construction industry: A review of recent developments based on LCA" review developments based on LCA principles. Zabalza et al. (2010) in "Life cycle assessment of building materials: Comparative analysis of energy and environmental impacts and evaluation of the eco-efficiency improvement potential" analyze energy and environmental impacts of materials.
How is Life Cycle Costing used in asset management for deteriorating systems?
It optimizes maintenance policies by considering costs over the asset's life. Wang (2002) in "A survey of maintenance policies of deteriorating systems" surveys policies for deteriorating systems. Valdez‐Flores and Feldman (1989) in "A survey of preventive maintenance models for stochastically deteriorating single-unit systems" cover optimization models for repair and replacement.
What methodologies are central to Life Cycle Costing Analysis?
Methodologies involve whole life cost analysis, including initial, operational, and end-of-life costs. Roberge (2000) in "Handbook of corrosion engineering" discusses corrosion costs impacting life cycle expenses in infrastructure. Studies like those by Guinée et al. (2010) integrate costing with LCA frameworks.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can Life Cycle Costing models better account for uncertainty in long-term maintenance costs for deteriorating infrastructure?
- ? What barriers prevent widespread adoption of Life Cycle Costing in transportation projects?
- ? How do energy efficiency improvements alter total life cycle costs in high-rise buildings?
- ? In what ways can Life Cycle Costing be standardized across construction industries for sustainable asset management?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 17,618 works with applications steady in construction and infrastructure, as no growth rate or recent preprints are reported; top-cited papers like Pérez‐Lombard et al. with 6332 citations continue dominating energy consumption analysis in buildings.
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