Life-cycle cost analysis of a short-haul underground freight transportation system for the DFW Airport

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conduct life-cycle cost analysis of a short-haul underground freight transportation (UFT) system for the Dallas Fort Worth international airport. Design/methodology/approach The research approach includes: identifying the cost components of the proposed airport UFT system; estimating life-cycle cost (LCC) of system components using various methods; determining life-cycle cash flows; evaluating the reliability of the results using sensitivity analysis; and assessing the validity of the results using analogues cases. Findings Although the capital cost of constructing an airport UFT system seems to be the largest cost of such innovative projects, annual costs for running the system are more significant, taking a life-cycle perspective. System administrative cost, tunnel operation and maintenance, and tunnel construction cost are the principle cost components of the UFT system representing approximately 46, 24 and 19 percent of the total LCC, respectively. The shipping cost is estimated to be $4.14 per ton-mile. Although this cost is more than the cost of transporting cargos by trucks, the implementation of UFT systems could be financially justified considering their numerous benefits. Originality/value This paper, for the first time, helps capital planners understand the LCC of an airport UFT system with no or limited past experience, and to consider such innovative solutions to address airport congestion issues.

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Life Cycle Cost Analysis of an Underground Freight Transportation (UFT) System in Texas

Pipelines 2017 ◽

10.1061/9780784480878.013 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Saeed Janbaz ◽

Mohsen Shahandashti ◽

Mohammad Najafi

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Cost Analysis ◽

Life Cycle Cost ◽

Freight Transportation ◽

Life Cycle Cost Analysis

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Mechanistic-Empirical Simulations and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis to Determine the Cost and Performance Effectiveness of Asphalt Mixtures Containing Recycled Materials

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.1177/0361198118776479 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2672 (40) ◽

pp. 143-154 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Erdem Coleri ◽

Yuqi Zhang ◽

Blaine M. Wruck

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Cost Analysis ◽

Life Cycle Cost ◽

Binder Content ◽

Asphalt Mixtures ◽

Fatigue Performance ◽

Asphalt Pavements ◽

Life Cycle Cost Analysis ◽

Cost Benefits ◽

The Cost

Use of reclaimed asphalt pavements (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) in asphalt paving, although considered as sustainable, is a practice that agencies are reluctant to employ because of the unpredictability of asphalt mixes containing recycled materials. The asphalt binder in RAP/RAS is aged and stiffened, which reduces ductility of the pavement. Consequentially, a pavement can exhibit unsatisfactory fatigue performance and have the potential for early cracking failure. Although methods exist to counteract the brittle behavior of pavements containing RAP/RAS (namely binder-grade bumping, binder-grade dumping and high binder content), they are not accounted for in mechanistic-empirical (ME) pavement design. Additionally, the cost benefits of using RAP/RAS in pavements are not easily calculated. For these reasons, characterization of fatigue performance for asphalt pavements containing RAP/RAS in ME design software needs to be accomplished and a life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) framework for pavements containing RAP/RAS needs to be developed so that agencies can make informed decisions about RAP/RAS use in asphalt mixtures. In this study, laboratory test results for asphalt mixtures with different combinations of RAP/RAS contents, binder contents, and binder types were used to calculate ME pavement model coefficients to perform forward calculations to determine pavement performance. Using predicted performance from ME models, LCCAs were conducted to determine the cost benefits of using binder-grade bumping/dumping and high binder content in Oregon asphalt mixtures. These strategies are expected to increase RAP/RAS use in asphalt mixtures, reduce life-cycle costs, improve the cracking performance and encourage widespread use of RAP/RAS asphalt mixtures.

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Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA): a comparison of commercial flooring

Facilities ◽

10.1108/f-10-2015-0071 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (5/6) ◽

pp. 303-318 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Debra Harris ◽

Lori Fitzgerald

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Cost Analysis ◽

Life Cycle Cost ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Life Cycle Cost Analysis ◽

Content Type ◽

Cost Of Ownership ◽

Informed Decisions ◽

Building Systems

Purpose The business case for facility expenditures is grounded in the knowledge that life-cycle economics is significant to the continued viability of the facility. The aim of this study is to develop an algorithm for life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) and evaluate flooring products to inform decision makers about the long-term cost of ownership. Design/methodology/approach The protocol for executing an LCCA is defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, including defining the problem, identifying feasible alternatives and establishing common assumptions and parameters, as well as acquiring financial information. Data were provided by an independent third-party source. Findings The results of this study are twofold: assess functionally equivalent flooring alternatives to determine the best financial value and develop a replicable protocol and algorithm for LCCA. The study found that modular carpet was the best financial solution. As a tool for decision makers, this LCCA informs asset management about the long-term cost of ownership, providing a protocol for making practical, informed decisions for the lowest cost solution for functionally equivalent alternatives. Research limitations/implications Projecting LCCA beyond 15 years may have limited value based on potential changes in the financial climate. Further research should focus on the implications of changes in the discount rate over time and testing the algorithm on other building systems. Practical implications Maintenance costs are considerable when compared to initial cost of flooring. Equipment costs have a significant impact on long-term cost of ownership. Using LCCA to inform specifications and to determine the best solution for a building system such as flooring provides an evidence-based process for building design and facility management. Social implications Life-cycle costs have a significant impact on the financial health of an organization. Using LCCA to make informed decisions about facility design and specifications may contribute to increased financial stability and resources to benefit the organization’s long term goals. Originality/value This study contributes an algorithm instrument for buildings and building systems. The flooring tested with this protocol provides evidence to inform flooring selection based on lowest cost while considering other factors that inform appropriate selection of flooring materials.

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Toward Integrated Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Cost Analysis for Road and Multimodal Transportation Alternatives: A Case Study of the Highland Copper Project

2016 Joint Rail Conference ◽

10.1115/jrc2016-5841 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sumanth Kalluri ◽

Pasi Lautala ◽

Robert Handler

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Cost Analysis ◽

Life Cycle Cost ◽

Industrial Development ◽

Life Cycle Cost Analysis ◽

Manufacturing Operations ◽

Transportation Projects ◽

Transportation Modes ◽

The Cost

Freight transportation of goods and commodities is a necessity and is often a significant portion of the overall investment in industrial development, especially in the natural resource industry. The economic costs of developing infrastructure have long been factored into the project costs, but environmental or social impacts have received less attention. In addition, alternative transportation modes are rarely compared from both economic and environmental perspectives. This paper performs a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for truck-only, multimodal and rail transportation options to transport ore and concentrate. In this paper, LCA is performed in SimaPro for construction/manufacturing, operations, maintenance, and end of life phases to obtain the overall Global Warming Potential (GWP) in terms of kilogram equivalents of CO2 (kg CO2eq). After emissions from alternative options have been defined, the cost of each option can be investigated through Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) This paper also discusses the past work on LCCA and its application to transportation projects. The final part provides a methodology to convert the emission results from LCA for integration with the costs from LCCA.

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THE ECONOMICS OF BIOGAS PRODUCTION

IIUM Engineering Journal ◽

10.31436/iiumej.v14i2.413 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Kh. S. Karimov ◽

M. Abid ◽

S. I. Islomov ◽

N. H. Karimova ◽

M. W. Al-Grafi

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Natural Gas ◽

Cost Analysis ◽

Life Cycle Cost ◽

Biogas Production ◽

Life Cycle Cost Analysis ◽

The Cost

ABSTRACT:Â In this paper life-cycle cost analysis of three biogas digesters is presented. Results show that the cost of biogas depends on the construction of digesters, sizes of methane tank and possibility of heating of the slurry. Biogas and natural gas costs calaculated are observed and found to be comparable. It is recommended that the biogas digesters can be constructed and installed, in principle, for every family and there is no need to built long gas pipe lines.Â ABSTRAK:Â Kertaskerja ini membentangkan analisis kos kitar hayat tiga pencerna biogas. Keputusan menunjukkan kos biogas bergantung kepada pembinaan pencerna, saiz tangki metana dan kemungkinan pemanasan buburan. Pengiraan kos biogas dan gas asli diambil kira dan ianya didapati setanding. Adalah disarankan pencerna biogas boleh dibina dan dipasang secara teorinya, bagi setiap keluarga tanpa memerlukan pembinaan paip gas yang panjang.

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Suitability of life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) as asset management tools for institutional buildings

Journal of Facilities Management ◽

10.1108/14725961011058811 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 162-178 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Anurag Shankar Kshirsagar ◽

Mohamed A. El‐Gafy ◽

Tariq Sami Abdelhamid

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Cost Analysis ◽

Asset Management ◽

Life Cycle Cost ◽

Management Tool ◽

Maintenance Cost ◽

Life Cycle Cost Analysis ◽

Average Difference ◽

Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the accuracy of life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for institutional (higher education) buildings as a predictor of actual realised facility costs.Design/methodology/approachResearch methodology includes a comprehensive literature review to identify issues, best practices and implementation of LCCA in the construction industry. A case study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of LCCA in predicting facility costs.FindingsNotwithstanding the benefits of LCCA, its adoption has been relatively slow for institutional buildings. The case study revealed that the average difference between estimated and actual construction cost is 37 per cent, whereas the average difference between the actual and estimated maintenance cost is 48 per cent. There is an average difference of 85 per cent in the actual and estimated administration cost.Research limitations/implicationsWhile limited to a few buildings, the case study underscores that LCCA methods should not be used for cost predictions of facility performance but rather for comparing total costs of alternative building features and systems, as well as building types. Sensitivity analysis also revealed that the selection of a discount rate would have less impact on recurring costs estimates compared to non‐recurring cost estimates. Facilities managers' involvement in LCCA technique developments and implementations will likely improve its performance during programming phases.Practical implicationsThe value of LCCA procedures is limited as a predictor of actual realised facility costs. Educational institutions can use the methods described in this paper to replicate the study and arrive at their own conclusions regarding the LCCA techniques and their potential use in programming stages.Originality/valueThe paper evaluated the accuracy of LCCA for institutional buildings and the potential of LCCA as an asset management tool for institutional buildings and provided suggestions to improve its adoption in facilities management.

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