ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the cost effectiveness of a building in terms of its capital cost, maintenance and running costs, that is. Whole life cost (WLC), but it should also be remembered that cost effectiveness to the user/owner includes other issues besides the cost of the building. WLC is a tool to assist in assessing the cost performance of construction work, aimed at facilitating choices where there are alternative means of achieving the client's objectives and where those alternatives differ, not only in their initial costs but in their subsequent operational costs. Life cycle assessment (LCA) sometimes referred to as life cycle analysis is, 'a method to measure and evaluate the environmental burdens associated with a product system or activity, by describing and assessing the energy and materials used and released to the environment over the life cycle. It is also important to relate these decisions with value engineering, which can be used as a tool for WLC and LCA.
