LCC Estimation Model: A Construction Material Perspective

Abstract

The growing pressure to ensure sustainable construction is also associated with stricter demands on the cost-effectiveness of construction and operation of buildings and reduction of their environmental impact. This paper presents a methodology for building life cycle cost estimation that enables investors to identify the optimum material solution for their buildings on the level of functional parts. The functionality of a comprehensive model that takes into account investor requirements and links them to a construction cost estimation database and a facility management database is verified through a case study of a “façade composition” functional part, with sublevel “external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) with thin plaster”. The results show that there is no generally applicable optimum ETICS material solution, which is caused by differing investor requirements, as well as the unique circumstances of each building and its user. The solution presented in this paper aims to aid investor decision-making regarding the choice of the building materials while taking the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) into account.

Consequences of Abandoning Renovation: Case Study—Neglected Industrial Heritage Building

“…The consequences of wrong decisions concerning the renovation or neglected maintenance of buildings lead to irreversible destruction processes [14][15][16][17]. The ageing process of a building is closely related to technical wear [18][19][20]. Absence of renovation work results in its acceleration.…”

Assessing the Sustainability of Alternative Structural Solutions of a Building: A Case Study

“…However, those are time-consuming in their application and do not consider the economic aspect, which is contrary to the ultimate principle of sustainable development. On the one hand, there is a need for environmentally friendly solutions with minimum energy consumption and waste generation; on the other hand, the investor intends to pursue cost-effective projects [33]. In this regard, the lack of cost analysis is the main weakness of the mentioned sustainability assessment tools [34].…”

Transparent insulation materials market in Europe

“…In Radziszewska-Zielina and Rumin (2016), it was proven that the profitability of a given project depends on the technical solutions used to complete it. Biolek and Hanák (2019) proposed a solution that can aid real estate developers in making decisions in selecting material solutions while accounting for life-cycle costs (LCC). The growing pressure to introduce sustainable building is linked with increasingly rigorous requirements as to the profitability of construction or renovation projects and the occupancy of buildings, in addition to decreasing their impact on the environment.…”