Technology: Life-Cycle Costs - Optimizing Forms of Building Construction
The economic viability of a building is often assessed solely on the basis of construction costs. Once work on site has been completed, however, further costs arise from the operation of the building, and in the long term, these can easily exceed the initial production costs. Costs will also be incurred for the ultimate demolition as well as for depreciation. In many calculations, though, this additional expenditure is ignored (ill. 1). The life-cycle costs of a building can be determined by taking into account all these different types of outlay, plus the various sections of the construction, in combination with an appropriate calculation method. In view of the great volume of the calculations involved, the process will be demonstrated here on the basis of a single element, namely the roof construction.
