The construction industry is becoming increasingly aware of the need to adopt a holistic approach to the design, building, and disposal of structures. With 60 per cent of the total construction budget in most developed countries being spent on repair and maintenance, there is an obvious need to design for reliability and durability, with more carefully planned maintenance and repair schedules. One important facet is to look at how costs are distributed and spent during the lifetime of a structure: an approach known as life cycle costing, which has the ultimate aim of minimising total lifetime expenditure. As an example, choosing an inexpensive coating for steelwork may require maintenance every three years, whereas a coating which is more expensive may require repairing only once per decade. It is a question of balance - taking the lifetime costs of the structure into consideration. This new book provides an insight into how whole life costing is affecting our approach to designing, building, maintaining and disposing of structures. The book is written for consulting engineers in the fields of civil and structural engineering, building designers, architects, quantity surveyors, refurbishing specialists, as well as practising civil and structural engineers engaged in planning, design, construction, repair and refurbishment of structures.
