An integrated life cycle costing database: a conceptual framework

Life cycle costing (LCC) is a management technique that has been available to the
industry for some time, but despite this it continues to languish in obscurity. Some
clients, most apparently from the public sector, are fostering the technique by
commissioning studies based on the LCC appraisal techniques. However, the
majority of building designs are still currently produced unsullied by thoughts of
maintenance implications, life expectancy or energy consumption.
Recent technological developments, particularly in Web, Virtual Reality (VR), and
Object Oriented technologies and mathematical and computational modelling
techniques will undoubtedly help in resolving some of the problems associated with
life cycle costing techniques. This paper outlines a conceptual framework for an
innovative system that facilitates the implementation of LCC in various design and
occupancy stages. This system is being developed within an EPSRC-funded research
project, undertaken through a joint collaboration between the Robert Gordon
University and the University of Salford.