Life-cycle cost comparison of chip seal and striping: in-house workers versus private contractors

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 927-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kishor Shrestha ◽  
Pramen P. Shrestha ◽  
Mylinh Lidder
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Chip Seal ◽  
Maintenance Activities ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose To maintain road systems in the USA, state departments of transportation (DOTs) generally use in-house workers or private contractors. Limited studies have calculated the cost savings of hiring private contractors; however, most of them have not calculated cost savings based on life-cycle costs (LCCs). The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the LCC of chip seal and stripping maintenance activities performed by in-house workers are cheaper than those performed by private contractors. Design/methodology/approach The paper collected the hard cost data of chip seal and stripping maintenance activities performed by state DOT in-house workers, as well as private contractors, from 2003 to 2016 from the Nevada DOT Maintenance and Asset Management division. Statistical tests were conducted to test the research hypothesis that the LCC of chip seal and stripping activities performed by in-house workers are significantly less than those performed by private contractors. Findings The study results showed that the cost per unit and LCC of chip seal and striping work performed by in-house workers were significantly less than those performed by private contractors in Nevada. Research limitations/implications The study only collected data from Nevada DOT, so readers should use caution in generalizing the findings of this study. Additionally, factors affecting the cost of these maintenance activities for private contractors are significantly different compared to in-house contractors. Therefore, these differences may be some of the potential reasons for cost difference between these two methods. Practical implications The practical implications of this study are that state DOT engineers need to plan for outsourcing chip seal and stripping maintenance activities only to private contractors that are cost effective, based on life-cycle cost. Originality/value The LCC analysis framework developed in this study will help state DOT engineers to determine cost savings by using in-house workers for road maintenance works.

Economic consequences of consumer repair strategies for electrical household devices

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 747-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Brusselaers ◽  
Ellen Bracquene ◽  
Jef Peeters ◽  
Yoko Dams
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Annual Life Cycle ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Repair Strategy ◽  
Repair Costs ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent a consumer’s repair strategy impacts the annual costs of ownership of a washing machine and two types of vacuum cleaner. Design/methodology/approach The annual cost of ownership is determined by calculating the annual life cycle cost (LCC) for the respective devices. The annual LCCs of the different scenarios allow a comparison of the different repair strategy options. A Monte Carlo simulation is run to introduce parameter variability. The device’s failure rate is estimated by a combination of data sets on the devices’ performance. Findings Results demonstrate that the repair of the devices considered is a more favourable option over replacement. A consumer who aims for the lowest annual LCC should allow for a high number of repairs per device, without putting a maximum on the cost per repair. However, the consumer should become more cautious when a device approaches the end of its expected lifetime. Finally, the purchase of warranty can be interesting when the warranty covers a sufficiently long proportion of the device’s (expected) lifetime and when its cost does not exceed a threshold proportion of the initial purchase price. Research limitations/implications The costs for repair might be overestimated. Future research can focus on the reduction of repair costs following self-repair. Practical implications The results provide strong arguments in favour of repair instead of replacement of broken devices. Originality/value This is the first research to quantify the influence of consumer behaviour in the context of repair of devices on the ownership costs of these devices.

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

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 440-456
Author(s):  
Seyed Ehsan Zahed ◽  
Sirwan Shahooei ◽  
Ferika Farooghi ◽  
Mohsen Shahandashti ◽  
Siamak Ardekani
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Freight Transportation ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Life Cycle Cost Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Cost Components

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.

Reduction of life cycle costs for a contemporary helicopter through improvement of reliability and maintainability parameters

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 545-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chanchal Ghosh ◽  
J. Maiti ◽  
Mahmood Shafiee ◽  
K.G. Kumaraswamy
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Life Cycle Costs ◽  
Customer Requirements ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Asset Managers ◽  
Operational Data ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Potential Area

Purpose The modern helicopters are designed with maximum serviceability and long life expectancy to ensure minimum life cycle cost. The purpose of this paper is to present a framework to incorporate the customer requirements on reliability and maintainability (R&M) parameters into the design and development phase of a contemporary helicopter, and to discuss the way to capture operational data to establish and improve the R&M parameters to reduce life cycle cost. Design/methodology/approach From the analysis, it is established that the reliability and maintainability cost is the major contributor to the life cost. The significant reliability and maintainability parameters which influence R&M cost are identified from analysis. The operational and design data of a contemporary helicopter are collected, compiled and analyzed to establish and improve the reliability and maintainability parameters. Findings The process depicted in the paper is followed for a contemporary helicopter and substantial amount of life cycle cost reduction is observed with improvement of R&M parameters. Practical implications The benefits of this methodology not only reduce life cycle cost but also improve the availability/serviceability through less failure and less time for scheduled maintenance. The methodologies also provide the reliability trends indicating potential area for design improvement. Originality/value The proposed approach assists asset managers to reduce the life cycle costs through improvement of R&M parameters.

Life Cycle Cost and Payback Period for Adopting Evaporative Cooling Systems in the Taiwanese Textile Industry

2013 ◽  
Vol 368-370 ◽  
pp. 1242-1245
Author(s):  
Chung Yi Chang ◽  
Hsien Te Lin
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Textile Industry ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Evaporative Cooling ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Payback Period ◽  
Cooling Systems ◽  
Sustainable Operation ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Energy Conservation Measures

Greenhouse gas emissions and energy controls of industrial activities have become a main focus of the Taiwanese government, and because the cost of electricity is rising rapidly nowadays, adopting energy conservation measures to achieve cost savings and sustainable operation is essential for industries. In the textile industry, the energy consumption of A/C systems is second only to that of the manufacturing equipment. This study presents the life cycle costs and payback period by replacing old A/C systems with evaporative cooling systems. Based on the analysis, this study concludes that with evaporative cooling systems using only 10% to 15% of the energy used by A/C systems, the average payback period is less than 0.25 years despite the low electricity tariff in Taiwan. This suggests that for either the short term or the long term, evaporative cooling systems are an economical measure for the textile industry.

Permeability of Base Material for Maine Roads

2005 ◽  
Vol 1936 (1) ◽  
pp. 142-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel B. Bouchedid ◽  
Dana N. Humphrey
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Size Fraction ◽  
Base Material ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Road Maintenance ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Coefficient Of Permeability ◽  
Multivariable Regression ◽  
The Cost

Cutting the cost of road maintenance and reducing life-cycle costs are the main reasons the FHWA has increased its emphasis on drainage in the pavement structural section. Good drainage requires that the base and subbase drain freely and relatively quickly. Poor drainage is thought to cause the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) to spend millions of extra dollars each year maintaining its state highways. Improved specifications and design policies for subbase material were developed by investigating the gradation and permeability of the subbase currently used by MaineDOT. Eight field projects were selected to investigate the permeability and gradation of subbase material for Maine roads. Results indicate that typical MaineDOT subbase gradations have excess fines and sand-size fraction compared with FHWA recommendations. The standard subbase currently used by MaineDOT has an average coefficient of permeability of 5.9 × 10−4 cm/s (1.7 ft/day) whereas the FHWA recommends a minimum coefficient of permeability of 0.35 cm/s (1,000 ft/day) for permeable base material. With multivariable regression analysis, an equation was determined to estimate subbase permeability from percent fines and coefficient of uniformity. Life-cycle cost savings of up to $244,000/km ($406,000/mi) of road can be achieved in Maine with the use of permeable base.

scholarly journals Approach to developing the methodology for assessing the life cycle cost of unmanned aerial vehicles helicopter-type

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 62-71
Author(s):  
V. A. Bykov ◽  
A. A. Parnenkova ◽  
A. E. Parnenkov ◽  
A. V. Sharikov
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Informed Decision ◽  
Problem Statement ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Technical Solutions ◽  
Practical Implications

Problem statement. Timely forecasting of the cost of an unmanned aircraft (UMA) allows assessing the risks and make an informed decision on whether to participate in the R&D with the specified allocations. The article analyzes the main stages of the life cycle of an unmanned aerial vehicles helicopter-type and describes the stages, as well as an approach to the development of the method for estimating the life cycle cost depending on the appearance of the UMA.Objective. Propose an approach to the development of the method for estimating the life cycle cost of an unmanned aerial vehicles helicopter-type, depending on its appearance, which will reduce the risks when deciding to participate in the R&D implementation with the specified allocations.Results. Based on the proposed approach, the analysis of two types of unmanned aerial vehicles helicopter-type is carried out, the cost is calculated, and the distribution of costs by stages of the life cycle is shown.Practical implications. The proposed approach allows estimating the cost at the stage of analysis of development requirements, depending on the expected technical solutions.

scholarly journals Optimal Renovation Strategies through Life-Cycle Analysis in a Pilot Building Located in a Mild Mediterranean Climate

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1423
Author(s):  
José Manuel Salmerón Lissen ◽  
Cristina Isabel Jareño Escudero ◽  
Francisco José Sánchez de la Flor ◽  
Miriam Navarro Escudero ◽  
Theoni Karlessi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Optimal Solutions ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Existing Building ◽  
The Cost

The 2030 climate and energy framework includes EU-wide targets and policy objectives for the period 2021–2030 of (1) at least 55% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions (from 1990 levels); (2) at least 32% share for renewable energy; and (3) at least 32.5% improvement in energy efficiency. In this context, the methodology of the cost-optimal level from the life-cycle cost approach has been applied to calculate the cost of renovating the existing building stock in Europe. The aim of this research is to analyze a pilot building using the cost-optimal methodology to determine the renovation measures that lead to the lowest life-cycle cost during the estimated economic life of the building. The case under study is an apartment building located in a mild Mediterranean climate (Castellon, SP). A package of 12 optimal solutions has been obtained to show the importance of the choice of the elements and systems for renovating building envelopes and how energy and economic aspects influence this choice. Simulations have shown that these packages of optimal solutions (different configurations for the building envelope, thermal bridges, airtightness and ventilation, and domestic hot water production systems) can provide savings in the primary energy consumption of up to 60%.

Design for Product Variety: Key to Product Line Structuring

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kosuke Ishii ◽  
Cheryl Juengel ◽  
C. Fritz Eubanks
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Manufacturing Process ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Manufacturing System ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Customer Preference ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Structure Graph

Abstract This study develops a method to capture the broadest customer preference in a product line while minimizing the life-cycle cost of providing variety. The paper begins with an overview of product variety and its importance in overhead costs: supply chain, equipment and tooling, service, and recycling. After defining the product structure graph as a representation of variety, the paper introduces an approximate measure for the customer importance and life-cycle cost of product variety The cost measure utilizes the concept of late point identification which urges standardization early in the manufacturing process and differentiation at the end of the process. The variety importance-cost map allows engineers to identify cost drivers in the design of the product or the manufacturing system and seek improvements. The refrigerator door example illustrates the concept. On-going work seeks to validate and enhance the method with several companies from different industries.

The factors behind working in virtual community

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anitha Acharya
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Substantial Cost ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Hourly Basis ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose In this paper, the prior research on virtual teams was reviewed to assess the state of the literature. The purpose of this paper is to determine why individuals prefer working in virtual teams (also termed liquid workers and part-time workers). Previous researchers have focussed on the benefits that organizations receive if they hire liquid workers, but to date, no research has been conducted to determine the perspective of these liquid workers. The various definitions of virtual teams are discussed and an integrative definition is proposed that suggests all teams may be defined in terms of their extent of virtualness. Design/methodology approach A systematic review of the literature on virtual teams was conducted. The data were collected from 12 informants. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings Six main themes were identified, namely, pliability, opportunities, increased earnings, vigour, family and transportation. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted in a three-metropolitan city in India and warrants being extended to rural and international settings to gain additional insights and confirmation of the research findings. Practical implications It is suggested that organizations who recruit liquid workers will be in a position for substantial cost savings; this is because organizations usually make payment of liquid workers’ wages on an hourly basis. This will help the organizations to schedule the number of working hours depending on their needs. Originality/value The current study is novel as there is a paucity of research in identifying the factors behind working in the virtual community in India. This study presents the first research of its kind to the best knowledge of the author, and the findings will be valuable for companies who are looking for cost savings.

A Study of Life Cycle Costing in the Perspectives of Research and Commercial Applications in the 21st Century

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wai M. Cheung ◽  
Linda B. Newnes ◽  
Antony R. Mileham ◽  
Robert Marsh ◽  
John D. Lanham
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Cost Estimation ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Life Cycle Costing ◽  
Electronic Products ◽  
Commercial Applications ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Traditional Approaches

This paper presents a review of research in the area of life cycle costing and offers a critique of current commercial cost estimation systems. The focus of the review is on relevant academic research on life cycle cost from 2000 onwards. In addition to this a comparison of the current cost estimation systems is presented. Using the review findings and industrial investigations as a base, a set of mathematical representations for design and manufacturing costs and the introduction of the critical factors is proposed. These are considered in terms of the operational, maintenance and disposal costs to create a method for ascertaining the life cycle cost estimate for complex products. This is presented using as an exemplar, research currently being undertaken in the area of low volume and long life electronic products in the UK defence sector. The benefit of the method proposed is that it aims to avoid the inflexibility of traditional approaches which usually require historical and legacy data to support the cost estimation processes.

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