ABSTRACT
In recent years, energy conservation has received considerable attention because the escalation of fuel prices has made energy costs an important consideration in the procurement of a wide range of items or systems. In the development and construction of many civil engineering systems and buildings, cost has become an increasingly important issue because past experience indicates that operating and maintenance costs over the long life of a system or building far exceed initial costs. Thus, operating and maintenance costs must be factored into the decision process concerning procurement and construction of civil engineering systems and buildings because it may be more cost effective to take on a higher initial cost in order to obtain lower ownership costs of these items.
