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Life Cycle Costing

Life Cycle Costing (LCC) is a methodology to evaluate the economic performance of investments in building and building systems.

The objective of this site is to support the application of LCC, based on American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and International Standards Organization (ISO) Building Economics Standards.

Anyone with a basic understanding of mathematics can master LCC calculations. However, implementing the methodology during the design phase of a building project is a much greater challenge than mastering LCC calculations. How to successfully meet this challenge is addressed in the section on applying life cycle costing. The integrated design approach presented is of particular interest for green building/sustainable design projects, which must address the same problems for successful implementation.

Site Content

The content of this life cycle costing web site has been developed by Robert P. Charette, P.E., CVS. For more than 20 years, he has been a member of the ASTM E06.81 Building Economics Sub-Committee that developed LCC standards. He has also served as co-chairman of the Task Group responsible for the ASTM E1557 UNIFORMAT II Standard Classification for Building Elements and Related Site work. Mr. Charette is qualified as a Certified Value Specialist (CVS) by the Society of American Value Engineers (SAVE) and has applied Life Cycle Costing for VE workshops in Canada, the U.S., and Europe.

This web site provides a range of useful information for anyone planning to apply the LCC methodology to optimize investments in buildings and building systems.

  • Home - introduces the ASTM building economics standards for LCC calculations, and the challenge faced by practitioners in implementing the technique during conventional design, a challenge similar to that of sustainable design.

  • Site Map - for the site in the form of a table of contents.

  • Applying LCC - presents a strategy for implementing LCC successfully during conventional design, a strategy applicable to sustainable design.

  • LCC Resources - presents a list of publications, cost data, life cycle data, software, and VHS and internet videos. This list includes "Life Cycle Costing Financial Tables," a 165 page publication based on ASTM building economics standards. It ncorporates a wide range of interest and escalation rates, as well as Adjusted Internal Rate of Return (AIRR) tables nowhere else to be found.

  • LCC Training - lists on site, videoconference, internet, and internet video seminars available that vary in duration from 1 to 6 hours.

  • LCC Links - lists sites with additional information on LCC and related topics.

  • Contact Us - for questions, comments, and suggestions.

  • LCC Blog - for the latest news in life cycle costing.


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Life Cycle Costing
Robert P. Charette Consultants Inc.
138 Trenton Avenue, Montréal, Québec H3P 1Z4
Tel: (514) 739-3522 • Fax: (514) 739-3522
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