NAPA Life Cycle Cost Analysis Webinar
May 24, 2011
Dave Newcomb, NAPA VP for Research and Technology, shared some of his knowledge on life cycle analysis during a webinar last week for NAPA members. Life cycle analysis in pavements is used to drive competition in initial bids by penalizing those with higher long-term costs. Dave focused on the net present value method of calculating life cycle costs instead of the equivalent uniform annual cost method supported by the concrete industry. The components of life cycle cost and the analysis period were discussed in detail. Of particular interest was the Wisconsin DOT data showing that the average age of HMA pavments are comparable or may even be slightly higher than PCC. Minnesota also has data showing that half of PCC is overlaid before year 10. Beyond the numbers, Dave recommends taking user costs, smoothness, noise, and recycling into account. While not online yet, the webinar should be available in the NAPA store for those who missed it.
Author: Heather Dolan
