EPR project construction cost control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duflo, D.; Pouget-Abadie, X.; Dufour, A.; Kauffmann, G.

2001-01-01

The EPR project is now managed by EDF in cooperation with the German Utilities. The main engineering activities for this period are related to the preparation of construction project management, deepening of some safety issues, definition of the project technical reference. The EPR project concerns the so-called reference unit, that is an isolated first-off unit, with unit electrical power of about 1500 MW. The construction costs evaluated are those of the nuclear island, the conventional island, site facilities, installation work and the administrative buildings. The EPR project construction cost evaluation method applies to all the equipment installed and commissioned. It requires the availability of a preliminary project detailed enough to identify the bill of quantities. To these quantities are then assigned updated unit prices that are based either on cost bases for similar and recent facilities or taken from request for quotation for similar equipment or result from gains due to contractual conditions benefiting from simplifications in the functional and technical specifications. The input and output data are managed in a model that respects the breakdown on which the evaluation method is based. The structural organization of this method reflects a functional breakdown on the one hand (nuclear island, conventional island, common site elements) and on the other hand a breakdown according to equipment or activity (civil engineering, mechanics, electricity, instrumentation and control). This paper discusses the principle and the method of construction cost evaluation carried out, the cost data base and input and output parameters as well as results and oncoming cost analysis tasks. (author)

Factors influencing cost over-run in Indian construction projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cindrela Devi A.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Construction cost is the most important criteria of project success and hence the construction project performance is generally expressed in terms of cost and its variance from the budget. In spite of having extant literature, cost estimation methods, cost indices etc., construction projects rarely meet the budgeted cost. This research study focuses on the construction cost overrun and to identify the various factors that affects the construction cost performance. Based on an extensive literature review and input from industry experts, sixty eight factors that causes cost overrun were identified for investigation. Further, a structured questionnaire survey was conducted among the industry experts and the collected data has been analysed statistically. It is concluded that the factors namely scope creep, construction delays, rework and practise of awarding the contract to the lowest bidder are most significant factors for construction cost overrun in non-infrastructural Indian projects. The relative importance of the listed factors used to guide the project team in addressing the cost related risks involved in the projects. The findings are expected to bridge the gap in the current construction cost management practices.

Historical construction costs of global nuclear power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lovering, Jessica R.; Yip, Arthur; Nordhaus, Ted

2016-01-01

The existing literature on the construction costs of nuclear power reactors has focused almost exclusively on trends in construction costs in only two countries, the United States and France, and during two decades, the 1970s and 1980s. These analyses, Koomey and Hultman (2007); Grubler (2010), and Escobar-Rangel and Lévêque (2015), study only 26% of reactors built globally between 1960 and 2010, providing an incomplete picture of the economic evolution of nuclear power construction. This study curates historical reactor-specific overnight construction cost (OCC) data that broaden the scope of study substantially, covering the full cost history for 349 reactors in the US, France, Canada, West Germany, Japan, India, and South Korea, encompassing 58% of all reactors built globally. We find that trends in costs have varied significantly in magnitude and in structure by era, country, and experience. In contrast to the rapid cost escalation that characterized nuclear construction in the United States, we find evidence of much milder cost escalation in many countries, including absolute cost declines in some countries and specific eras. Our new findings suggest that there is no inherent cost escalation trend associated with nuclear technology. - Highlights: •Comprehensive analysis of nuclear power construction cost experience. •Coverage for early and recent reactors in seven countries. •International comparisons and re-evaluation of learning. •Cost trends vary by country and era; some experience cost stability or decline.

Analysis of nuclear-power construction costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansma, G.L.; Borcherding, J.D.

1988-01-01

This paper discusses the use of regression analysis for estimating construction costs. The estimate is based on an historical data base and quantification of key factors considered external to project management. This technique is not intended as a replacement for detailed cost estimates but can provide information useful to the cost-estimating process and to top management interested in evaluating project management. The focus of this paper is the nuclear-power construction industry but the technique is applicable beyond this example. The approach and critical assumptions are also useful in a public-policy situation where utility commissions are evaluating construction in prudence reviews and making comparisons to other nuclear projects. 13 references, 2 figures

Cost effectiveness of DH-network construction. Final report; Kaukolaempoeverkon rakentamisen kehittaeminen; Loppuraportti

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kivistoe, V.M. [Ekono Energy Ltd, Espoo (Finland)

1993-12-31

Construction cost of DH networks were analyzed in the study. Basing on the analysis, those areas of construction activities were selected, where cost effectiveness could be improved. According to the study, the civil works` cost form about half of the total construction cost on small diameter networks and 30..40 % of the cost of larger sizes. The impact of the design on the construction cost should be emphasized. According to the study it is possible to find significant reduction in the construction cost by increased use of twin pipe where the both carrier pipes are included in the same insulation casing. In small network sizes the reduction of cost achievable by the above is about 30..35 % and in larger sizes about 10 % (DN 125..DN 200) when comparing with a design by individual pipes. The use of twin pipe also causes savings in thermal loss. In sizes DN 65 and up, the saving in heat loss is about 90..95 FIM/m which represents about half of the total savings when compared with design by individual pipes. The possibility of prestressing the twin pipe element at factory in order to shorten the installation time at site was also studied and test pipes was also done. By factory prestressing it would be possible to avoid preheating of pipes at construction site. The trench could be backfilled immediately after pipe laying, welding and inspections. Theoretically and based on test pipes done the prestressing of twin pipe element looks very promising. When factory prestressing would be used, the open time of the trench is reduced significantly and for instance the disturbance to traffic is smaller. As well the use of labour and machinery at site could be more effective

Analysis of nuclear power plant construction costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

The objective of this report is to present the results of a statistical analysis of nuclear power plant construction costs and lead-times (where lead-time is defined as the duration of the construction period), using a sample of units that entered construction during the 1966-1977 period. For more than a decade, analysts have been attempting to understand the reasons for the divergence between predicted and actual construction costs and lead-times. More importantly, it is rapidly being recognized that the future of the nuclear power industry rests precariously on an improvement in the cost and lead-time situation. Thus, it is important to study the historical information on completed plants, not only to understand what has occurred to also to improve the ability to evaluate the economics of future plants. This requires an examination of the factors that have affected both the realized costs and lead-times and the expectations about these factors that have been formed during the construction process. 5 figs., 22 tabs

Analysis of nuclear power plant construction costs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1986-01-01

The objective of this report is to present the results of a statistical analysis of nuclear power plant construction costs and lead-times (where lead-time is defined as the duration of the construction period), using a sample of units that entered construction during the 1966-1977 period. For more than a decade, analysts have been attempting to understand the reasons for the divergence between predicted and actual construction costs and lead-times. More importantly, it is rapidly being recognized that the future of the nuclear power industry rests precariously on an improvement in the cost and lead-time situation. Thus, it is important to study the historical information on completed plants, not only to understand what has occurred to also to improve the ability to evaluate the economics of future plants. This requires an examination of the factors that have affected both the realized costs and lead-times and the expectations about these factors that have been formed during the construction process. 5 figs., 22 tabs.

874 CONSTRUCTION COST MODELS FOR HIGHRISE OFFICE ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

2015-10-28

Oct 28, 2015 ... will not only reduce the stress on estimators but also enhance the accuracy of cost estimates. The resulting 11 ... cost estimating process to work together to ..... construction estimators in Hong. Kong. Construction Management.

Evaluation of construction cost of pyro-partitioning plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinoshita, Kensuke; Kurata, Masateru; Inoue, Tadashi

1999-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the construction cost of a pyro-partitioning plant. The plant capacity was chosen to accommodate processing of the HLLW generated by PUREX reprocessing of 800 ton of spent LWR fuel. The block flow diagram and mass balance obtained from our previous experimental data were used to produce a detailed process-flow diagram and to design the plant. In this evaluation, the plant was estimated to cover an area of about 90 m x 70 m, and to cost $576 million for construction. This study shows that the cost of process equipments, such as reaction vessels, accountability tanks and so on, is just about 13% of total construction cost. On the other hand, the cost of process robots and the equipments for key measurement point (KMP) is major part in the cost of in-cell equipment. So it is clear that the construction cost can be reduced by reducing the number of material balance area (MBA) and KMP. (author)

Electric utility power plant construction costs, 1st Edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

New UDI report combines historical construction costs for more than 1,000 coal, oil, gas, nuclear and geothermal units that have entered commercial operation since 1966 and projected power plant construction costs for about 400 utility-owned generating units scheduled to enter commercial operation during the next 20 years. Key design characteristics and equipment suppliers, A/E, constructor and original installed cost data. Direct construction costs without AFUDC are provided where known. Historical construction cost data are also provided for about 130 utility-owned hydroelectric, gas turbine, combined-cycle and diesel units (these data are generally for units entering service after 1980)

The Impact of a Suicide Prevention Strategy on Reducing the Economic Cost of Suicide in the New South Wales Construction Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Doran, Christopher M; Ling, Rod; Gullestrup, Jorgen; Swannell, Sarah; Milner, Allison

2016-03-01

Little research has been conducted into the cost and prevention of self-harm in the workplace. To quantify the economic cost of self-harm and suicide among New South Wales (NSW) construction industry (CI) workers and to examine the potential economic impact of implementing Mates in Construction (MIC). Direct and indirect costs were estimated. Effectiveness was measured using the relative risk ratio (RRR). In Queensland (QLD), relative suicide risks were estimated for 5-year periods before and after the commencement of MIC. For NSW, the difference between the expected (i.e., using NSW pre-MIC [2008-2012] suicide risk) and counterfactual suicide cases (i.e., applying QLD RRR) provided an estimate of potential suicide cases averted in the post-MIC period (2013-2017). Results were adjusted using the average uptake (i.e., 9.4%) of MIC activities in QLD. Economic savings from averted cases were compared with the cost of implementing MIC. The cost of self-harm and suicide in the NSW CI was AU $527 million in 2010. MIC could potentially avert 0.4 suicides, 1.01 full incapacity cases, and 4.92 short absences, generating annual savings of AU $3.66 million. For every AU $1 invested, the economic return is approximately AU $4.6. MIC represents a positive economic investment in workplace safety.

Cost Based Value Stream Mapping as a Sustainable Construction Tool for Underground Pipeline Construction Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murat Gunduz

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with application of Value Stream Mapping (VSM as a sustainable construction tool on a real construction project of installation of underground pipelines. VSM was adapted to reduce the high percentage of non-value-added activities and time wastes during each construction stage and the paper searched for an effective way to consider the cost for studied construction of underground pipeline. This paper is unique in its way that it adopts cost implementation of VSM to improve the productivity in underground pipeline projects. The data was observed and collected from site during construction, indicating the cycle time, value added and non-value added of each construction stage. The current state was built based on these details. This was an eye-opening exercise and a process management tool as a trigger for improvement. After the current state assessment, a future state is attempted by Value Stream Mapping tool balancing the resources using a Line of Balance (LOB technique. Moreover, a sustainable cost estimation model was developed during current state and future state to calculate the cost of underground pipeline construction. The result shows a cost reduction of 20.8% between current and future states. This reflects the importance of the cost based Value Stream Mapping in construction as a sustainable measurement tool. This new tool could be utilized in construction industry to add the sustainability and effective cost management.

Development of a simple estimation tool for LMFBR construction cost

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Kazuo; Kinoshita, Izumi

1999-01-01

A simple tool for estimating the construction costs of liquid-metal-cooled fast breeder reactors (LMFBRs), 'Simple Cost' was developed in this study. Simple Cost is based on a new estimation formula that can reduce the amount of design data required to estimate construction costs. Consequently, Simple cost can be used to estimate the construction costs of innovative LMFBR concepts for which detailed design has not been carried out. The results of test calculation show that Simple Cost provides cost estimations equivalent to those obtained with conventional methods within the range of plant power from 325 to 1500 MWe. Sensitivity analyses for typical design parameters were conducted using Simple Cost. The effects of four major parameters - reactor vessel diameter, core outlet temperature, sodium handling area and number of secondary loops - on the construction costs of LMFBRs were evaluated quantitatively. The results show that the reduction of sodium handling area is particularly effective in reducing construction costs. (author)

Modern Methods for Cost Management in Construction Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mesároš Peter

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Cost management should be seen as an essential function of enterprises which perform their activities in current market environment. One of the main factors affecting the level of achieved profit and favourable market position is cost structure. The company's ability to obtain necessary and reliable information on their own cost, subsequent processing and effective cost management is crucial for achieving success. This study focuses on cost management and the use of modern methods of cost management in construction enterprises. The aim of this paper is to identify approaches to cost management in Slovak construction enterprises, based on own empirical research.

Construction Cost Growth for New Department of Energy Nuclear Facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kubic, Jr., William L. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2014-05-25

Cost growth and construction delays are problems that plague many large construction projects including the construction of new Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facilities. A study was conducted to evaluate cost growth of large DOE construction projects. The purpose of the study was to compile relevant data, consider the possible causes of cost growth, and recommend measures that could be used to avoid extreme cost growth in the future. Both large DOE and non-DOE construction projects were considered in this study. With the exception of Chemical and Metallurgical Research Building Replacement Project (CMRR) and the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF), cost growth for DOE Nuclear facilities is comparable to the growth experienced in other mega construction projects. The largest increase in estimated cost was found to occur between early cost estimates and establishing the project baseline during detailed design. Once the project baseline was established, cost growth for DOE nuclear facilities was modest compared to non-DOE mega projects.

Theoretical framework of the causes of construction time and cost overruns

Science.gov (United States)

Ullah, K.; Abdullah, A. H.; Nagapan, S.; Suhoo, S.; Khan, M. S.

2017-11-01

Any construction practitioner fundamental goal is to complete the projects within estimated duration and budgets, and expected quality targets. However, time and cost overruns are regular and universal phenomenon in construction projects and the construction projects in Malaysia has no exemption from the problems of time overrun and cost overrun. In order to accomplish the successful completion of construction projects on specified time and within planned cost, there are various factors that should be given serious attention so that issues such as time and cost overrun can be addressed. This paper aims to construct a framework for the causes of time overrun and cost overrun in construction projects of Malaysia. Based on the relevant literature review, causative factors of time overrun and cost overrun in Malaysian construction projects are summarized and the theoretical frameworks of the causes of construction time overrun and cost overrun is constructed. The developed frameworks for construction time and cost overruns based on the existing literature will assist the construction practitioners to plan the efficient approaches for achieving successful completion of the projects.

Oil and gas pipeline construction cost analysis and developing regression models for cost estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Thaduri, Ravi Kiran

In this study, cost data for 180 pipelines and 136 compressor stations have been analyzed. On the basis of the distribution analysis, regression models have been developed. Material, Labor, ROW and miscellaneous costs make up the total cost of a pipeline construction. The pipelines are analyzed based on different pipeline lengths, diameter, location, pipeline volume and year of completion. In a pipeline construction, labor costs dominate the total costs with a share of about 40%. Multiple non-linear regression models are developed to estimate the component costs of pipelines for various cross-sectional areas, lengths and locations. The Compressor stations are analyzed based on the capacity, year of completion and location. Unlike the pipeline costs, material costs dominate the total costs in the construction of compressor station, with an average share of about 50.6%. Land costs have very little influence on the total costs. Similar regression models are developed to estimate the component costs of compressor station for various capacities and locations.

Fast-track, low-cost construction starts with the owner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smock, R.

1992-01-01

As we approach the threshold of a new round of ordering of base load generating capacity after a 15-year hiatus, power pant owners are taking a long, hard look at construction. The last round of base load construction was plagued with construction cost overruns and delays. Billions of dollars in cost overruns, many attributable to construction delays, were not allowed to be placed in utilities' rate bases. Those problems will not be tolerated in the next round. During the past few years the construction climate has changed. Non-utility power producers have demonstrated and ability to build small power plants-including many steam plants burning solid fuels-quickly and at surprisingly low costs. In this paper the cost-plus approach traditionally taken by more utilities, who will lead in the base-load construction phase, is being seriously questioned

Construction cost forecast model : model documentation and technical notes.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-01

Construction cost indices are generally estimated with Laspeyres, Paasche, or Fisher indices that allow changes : in the quantities of construction bid items, as well as changes in price to change the cost indices of those items. : These cost indices...

Space construction system analysis. Part 2: Cost and programmatics

Science.gov (United States)

Vonflue, F. W.; Cooper, W.

1980-01-01

Cost and programmatic elements of the space construction systems analysis study are discussed. The programmatic aspects of the ETVP program define a comprehensive plan for the development of a space platform, the construction system, and the space shuttle operations/logistics requirements. The cost analysis identified significant items of cost on ETVP development, ground, and flight segments, and detailed the items of space construction equipment and operations.

Costs of occupational injuries in construction in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Waehrer, Geetha M; Dong, Xiuwen S; Miller, Ted; Haile, Elizabeth; Men, Yurong

2007-11-01

This paper presents costs of fatal and nonfatal injuries for the construction industry using 2002 national incidence data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and a comprehensive cost model that includes direct medical costs, indirect losses in wage and household productivity, as well as an estimate of the quality of life costs due to injury. Costs are presented at the three-digit industry level, by worker characteristics, and by detailed source and event of injury. The total costs of fatal and nonfatal injuries in the construction industry were estimated at $11.5 billion in 2002, 15% of the costs for all private industry. The average cost per case of fatal or nonfatal injury is $27,000 in construction, almost double the per-case cost of $15,000 for all industry in 2002. Five industries accounted for over half the industry's total fatal and nonfatal injury costs. They were miscellaneous special trade contractors (SIC 179), followed by plumbing, heating and air-conditioning (SIC 171), electrical work (SIC 173), heavy construction except highway (SIC 162), and residential building construction (SIC 152), each with over $1 billion in costs.

Project control integrating cost and schedule in construction

CERN Document Server

Del Pico, Wayne J

2013-01-01

The key to successful project control is the fusing of cost to schedule whereby the management of one helps to manage the other. Project Control: Integrating Cost and Schedule in Construction explores the reasons behind and the methodologies for proper planning, monitoring, and controlling both project costs and schedule. Filling a current void the topic of project control applied to the construction industry, it is essential reading for students and professionals alike.

Analysis of Trends in Housing Construction Cost in Nigeria from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The upward trends in housing construction costs have been a major issue in the economy as a whole. The research uses typical 3 - bedroom bungalow in Lagos to analyze the trends in housing construction cost from 2000 to 2009. The basic question for this research is whether the inflation in housing construction costs ...

Construction of a low-cost luximeter

Science.gov (United States)

Pedroso, L. S.; de Macedo, J. A.; de Araújo, M. S. T.; Voelzke, M. R.

2016-04-01

This paper proposes the construction of an electronic instrument called digital luximeter, combining simplicity and low cost, making it simpler and cheaper than those on the market. Its construction tends to facilitate dissemination and access to this type of measuring instrument between high school teachers and educational institutions, making it ideal to be a science lab.

Belowground advantages in construction cost facilitate a cryptic plant invasion.

Science.gov (United States)

Caplan, Joshua S; Wheaton, Christine N; Mozdzer, Thomas J

2014-04-30

The energetic cost of plant organ construction is a functional trait that is useful for understanding carbon investment during growth (e.g. the resource acquisition vs. tissue longevity tradeoff), as well as in response to global change factors like elevated CO2 and N. Despite the enormous importance of roots and rhizomes in acquiring soil resources and responding to global change, construction costs have been studied almost exclusively in leaves. We sought to determine how construction costs of aboveground and belowground organs differed between native and introduced lineages of a geographically widely dispersed wetland plant species (Phragmites australis) under varying levels of CO2 and N. We grew plants under ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2, as well as under two levels of soil nitrogen. We determined construction costs for leaves, stems, rhizomes and roots, as well as for whole plants. Across all treatment conditions, the introduced lineage of Phragmites had a 4.3 % lower mean rhizome construction cost than the native. Whole-plant construction costs were also smaller for the introduced lineage, with the largest difference in sample means (3.3 %) occurring under ambient conditions. In having lower rhizome and plant-scale construction costs, the introduced lineage can recoup its investment in tissue construction more quickly, enabling it to generate additional biomass with the same energetic investment. Our results suggest that introduced Phragmites has had an advantageous tissue investment strategy under historic CO2 and N levels, which has facilitated key rhizome processes, such as clonal spread. We recommend that construction costs for multiple organ types be included in future studies of plant carbon economy, especially those investigating global change. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.

Cost-derived indices for building design and construction ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Also as multiples of gfi, substructure cost index, sci and roofing cost index, rci could predict componental costs of substructure and roofing for phased development purposes. Keywords: Cost Indices, Building Design, Building Construction Journal of Modeling, Design and Management of Engineering Systems, Vol.

Cost diviation in road construction projects: The case of Palestine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Mahamid

2012-02-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the statistical relationship between actual and estimated cost of road construction projects using data from road construction projects awarded in the West Bank in Palestine over the years 2004–2008. The study is based on a sample of 169 road construction projects. Based on this data, regression models are developed. The findings reveal that 100% of projects suffer from cost diverge, it is found that 76% of projects have cost under estimation while 24% have cost over estimation. The discrepancy between estimated and actual cost has an average of 14.6%, ranging from -39% to 98%. The relation between the project size (length and width and the cost diverge is discussed.

Using Intelligent Techniques in Construction Project Cost Estimation: 10-Year Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdelrahman Osman Elfaki

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Cost estimation is the most important preliminary process in any construction project. Therefore, construction cost estimation has the lion’s share of the research effort in construction management. In this paper, we have analysed and studied proposals for construction cost estimation for the last 10 years. To implement this survey, we have proposed and applied a methodology that consists of two parts. The first part concerns data collection, for which we have chosen special journals as sources for the surveyed proposals. The second part concerns the analysis of the proposals. To analyse each proposal, the following four questions have been set. Which intelligent technique is used? How have data been collected? How are the results validated? And which construction cost estimation factors have been used? From the results of this survey, two main contributions have been produced. The first contribution is the defining of the research gap in this area, which has not been fully covered by previous proposals of construction cost estimation. The second contribution of this survey is the proposal and highlighting of future directions for forthcoming proposals, aimed ultimately at finding the optimal construction cost estimation. Moreover, we consider the second part of our methodology as one of our contributions in this paper. This methodology has been proposed as a standard benchmark for construction cost estimation proposals.

Economic and ecological assessment of impact of construction and operation of nuclear power plant as large capital construction project with respect to control of national economy development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bucek, M.

1984-01-01

The evaluation of costs and environmental impacts of the construction and operation of nuclear power plants is concentrated into two problem areas: 1. the calculation of capital and operation costs for the prevention and minimization of envirommental damage and restoration of the environment, 2. the calculation of damage to the environment of nuclear power plant construction and operation. The ecological cost benefit of capital costs is assessed. In Czechoslovakia there does not exist any method for converting cost effectiveness of investments into environmental protection. This problem is incorporated in the general method of assessing capital cost benefit. The relations are given for total socio-economic capital cost benefit and cost benefit of investments into environmental protection. Ecological investment is not exempted from the investment fund and from the point of view of content may be devided into net and gross ecological investment and from the point of view of time into preventive and compensation ecological investment. In the USSR the method has beem developed of the ecological and economic evaluation of projects for the construction and reconstruction of production units which proceeds from the evaluation of the negative environmental impact of wastes. The basic relations are given of the benefit of ecological investments. (E.S.)

Development of econometric models for cost and time over-runs: an empirical study of major road construction projects in pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, A.; Chaudhary, M.A.

2016-01-01

The construction industry is flourishing worldwide and contributes about 10% to the GDP of the world i.e. up to the tune of 4.6 Trillion US dollars. It employs almost 7% of the total employee dpersons and, consumes around 40% of the total energy. The Pakistani construction sector has displayed impressive growth in recent past years. The efficient road network is a key part of construction business and plays a significant role in the economic uplift of country. The overruns in costs and delays in completion of projects are very common phenomena and it has also been observed that the projects involving construction of roads also face problems of delays and cost over runs especially in developing countries. The causes of cost overruns and delays in road projects being undertaken by the premier road construction organization of Pakistan National Highway Authority (NHA) have been considered in this study. It has been done specifically in the context of impact of cause(s) determined from project report of a total of one hundred and thirty one (131) projects. The ten causative factors which we recognize as Design, Planning and Scheduling Related problems, Financial Constraint Related reasons, Social Problem Related reasons, Technical Reasons, Administrative Reasons, Scope Increase, Specification Changes, Cost Escalation Related reasons, Non-Availability of Equipment or Material and Force Majeure play a commanding role in determination of the cost and time over runs. It has also been observed that among these identified causes, the factors of Administrative Reason, Design, Planning and Scheduling Related, Technical Reasons and Force Majeure are the most significant reasons in cost and time overruns. Whereas, the Cost Escalation related reasons has the least impact on cost increase and delays. The NHA possesses a financial worth of around Rs. 36 billion and with an annual turn over amounting to Rs. 22 billion is responsible to perform road construction project in entire

Robust Optimization for Time-Cost Tradeoff Problem in Construction Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Construction projects are generally subject to uncertainty, which influences the realization of time-cost tradeoff in project management. This paper addresses a time-cost tradeoff problem under uncertainty, in which activities in projects can be executed in different construction modes corresponding to specified time and cost with interval uncertainty. Based on multiobjective robust optimization method, a robust optimization model for time-cost tradeoff problem is developed. In order to illustrate the robust model, nondominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II is modified to solve the project example. The results show that, by means of adjusting the time and cost robust coefficients, the robust Pareto sets for time-cost tradeoff can be obtained according to different acceptable risk level, from which the decision maker could choose the preferred construction alternative.

Safety cost management in construction companies: A proposal classification.

Science.gov (United States)

López-Alonso, M; Ibarrondo-Dávila, M P; Rubio, M C

2016-06-16

Estimating health and safety costs in the construction industry presents various difficulties, including the complexity of cost allocation, the inadequacy of data available to managers and the absence of an accounting model designed specifically for safety cost management. Very often, the costs arising from accidents in the workplace are not fully identifiable due to the hidden costs involved. This paper reviews some studies of occupational health and safety cost management and proposes a means of classifying these costs. We conducted an empirical study in which the health and safety costs of 40 construction worksites are estimated. A new classification of the health and safety cost and its categories is proposed: Safety and non-safety costs. The costs of the company's health and safety policy should be included in the information provided by the accounting system, as a starting point for analysis and control. From this perspective, a classification of health and safety costs and its categories is put forward.

Robust Optimization for Time-Cost Tradeoff Problem in Construction Projects

OpenAIRE

Li, Ming; Wu, Guangdong

2014-01-01

Construction projects are generally subject to uncertainty, which influences the realization of time-cost tradeoff in project management. This paper addresses a time-cost tradeoff problem under uncertainty, in which activities in projects can be executed in different construction modes corresponding to specified time and cost with interval uncertainty. Based on multiobjective robust optimization method, a robust optimization model for time-cost tradeoff problem is developed. In order to illus...

Probabilistic cost estimating of nuclear power plant construction projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finch, W.C.; Perry, L.W.; Postula, F.D.

1978-01-01

This paper shows how to identify and isolate cost accounts by developing probability trees down to component levels as justified by value and cost uncertainty. Examples are given of the procedure for assessing uncertainty in all areas contributing to cost: design, factory equipment pricing, and field labor and materials. The method of combining these individual uncertainties is presented so that the cost risk can be developed for components, systems and the total plant construction project. Formats which enable management to use the probabilistic cost estimate information for business planning and risk control are illustrated. Topics considered include code estimate performance, cost allocation, uncertainty encoding, probabilistic cost distributions, and interpretation. Effective cost control of nuclear power plant construction projects requires insight into areas of greatest cost uncertainty and a knowledge of the factors which can cause costs to vary from the single value estimates. It is concluded that probabilistic cost estimating can provide the necessary assessment of uncertainties both as to the cause and the consequences

Forecasting Canadian nuclear power station construction costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keng, C.W.K.

1985-01-01

Because of the huge volume of capital required to construct a modern electric power generating station, investment decisions have to be made with as complete an understanding of the consequences of the decision as possible. This understanding must be provided by the evaluation of future situations. A key consideration in an evaluation is the financial component. This paper attempts to use an econometric method to forecast the construction costs escalation of a standard Canadian nuclear generating station (NGS). A brief review of the history of Canadian nuclear electric power is provided. The major components of the construction costs of a Canadian NGS are studied and summarized. A database is built and indexes are prepared. Based on these indexes, an econometric forecasting model is constructed using an apparently new econometric methodology of forecasting modelling. Forecasts for a period of 40 years are generated and applications (such as alternative scenario forecasts and range forecasts) to uncertainty assessment and/or decision-making are demonstrated. The indexes, the model, and the forecasts and their applications, to the best of the author's knowledge, are the first for Canadian NGS constructions. (author)

Identifying Contractors’ Planned Quality Costs in Indonesian Construction Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puti F. Marzuki

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In a very competitive construction industry, quality costs have to be measured to be able to identify potential quality problem areas and to focus attention on work output improvement opportunities. The awareness of contractors on the importance of quality costs could be reflected in the extent of their quality costs planning. This paper presents an identification of planned quality costs in three construction projects executed by two large Indonesian contractors, a state-owned company and a private company in Jakarta. The objective is to enable the contractors to elaborate their quality costs planning and thereby improve their work output based on the findi ngs. Quality costs are first grouped into three categories: prevention, appraisal, and failure costs. Based on the works of previous researchers, a list of quality management activities that should be covered in each quality costs category is then created. The contractors’ planned quality costs data for each category are identified and collected through interviews and questionnaire surveys that refer to the list. Quality costs are expressed as a percentage of contract value. It is revealed that although large contractors already have certain knowledge on quality costs in construction projects, these costs are not planned in a structured way through an analysis of systematic quality costs records. Through cost categorization it is also shown that higher prevention and appraisal costs lead to lower failure costs. It is then concluded that a lot of work is still to be done by the contractors to set up a quality costs recording system which can serve as a basis for their quality improvement planning.

The costs of avoiding environmental impacts from shale-gas surface infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Milt, Austin W; Gagnolet, Tamara D; Armsworth, Paul R

2016-12-01

Growing energy demand has increased the need to manage conflicts between energy production and the environment. As an example, shale-gas extraction requires substantial surface infrastructure, which fragments habitats, erodes soils, degrades freshwater systems, and displaces rare species. Strategic planning of shale-gas infrastructure can reduce trade-offs between economic and environmental objectives, but the specific nature of these trade-offs is not known. We estimated the cost of avoiding impacts from land-use change on forests, wetlands, rare species, and streams from shale-energy development within leaseholds. We created software for optimally siting shale-gas surface infrastructure to minimize its environmental impacts at reasonable construction cost. We visually assessed sites before infrastructure optimization to test whether such inspection could be used to predict whether impacts could be avoided at the site. On average, up to 38% of aggregate environmental impacts of infrastructure could be avoided for 20% greater development costs by spatially optimizing infrastructure. However, we found trade-offs between environmental impacts and costs among sites. In visual inspections, we often distinguished between sites that could be developed to avoid impacts at relatively low cost (29%) and those that could not (20%). Reductions in a metric of aggregate environmental impact could be largely attributed to potential displacement of rare species, sedimentation, and forest fragmentation. Planners and regulators can estimate and use heterogeneous trade-offs among development sites to create industry-wide improvements in environmental performance and do so at reasonable costs by, for example, leveraging low-cost avoidance of impacts at some sites to offset others. This could require substantial effort, but the results and software we provide can facilitate the process. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Designing to target cost: one approach to design/construction integration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Bo

2005-01-01

One approach to a more integrated construction delivery process is the concept of ‘designing to target cost’ of which the first examples of application within a lean construction framework have recently been seen. This paper introduces the main principles of the design to target cost method...... and discusses the applicability of this approach to construction. The low degree of organizational and technical continuity from one construction project to the next limits the applicability of the design for target cost approach when compared to its origin in product development of mass manufactured artefacts....... It can be argued that design to target cost may also provide a frame for developing the supply chain towards better coordination and collaboration. Thus methods of design to target cost may serve to facilitate the development of a more integrated supply chain....

Construction engineering inspection direct cost survey.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-07-01

The objective of the study was to provide a rationale to Georgia Department of Transportation : (GDOT) for Direct Costs in terms of salary and wages charged by qualified independent : contractors performing Construction Engineering Inspection (CEI) s...

Factors causing cost variation for constructing wastewater projects in Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Remon Fayek Aziz

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Cost is one of the major considerations throughout the project management life cycle and can be regarded as one of the most important parameters of a project and the driving force of project success. Despite its proven importance, it is common to see a construction project failing to achieve its objectives within the specific cost. Cost variation is a very frequent phenomenon and is almost associated with nearly constructing all wastewater projects. Maintaining steady cost projection on wastewater projects had been recently an issue of serious concern, both to the client and project contractors. Cost deviation from initial cost plan had been prevalent on construction sites. However, little or no effort has been made to curtail the phenomenon, this research work attempts to identify, investigate and rank factors perceived to affect cost variation in the Egyptian wastewater projects with respect to their relative importance so as to proffer possible ways of coping with this phenomenon. To achieve this objective, author invited practitioners and experts, comprising a statistically representative sample, to participate in a structured questionnaire survey. Brain storming was taken into consideration, through which a number of cost variation factors were identified for constructing wastewater projects. Totally 52 factors were short-listed to be made part of the questionnaire survey and the survey was conducted with experts and representatives from private, public and local general construction firms. The data were analyzed using Relative Importance Index, ranking and simple percentages. It was analytically discovered that factors such as: (1 Lowest bidding procurement method; (2 Additional work; (3 Bureaucracy in bidding/tendering method; (4 Wrong method of cost estimation; and (5 Funding problems were critical for causing cost variation, while (1 Inaccurate cost estimation; (2 Mode of financing and payment for completed work; (3 Unexpected ground

Will nuclear power plant standardization reduce the licensing impact on construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, J.M.; Bingham, W.G.; Keith, D.G.

1976-01-01

The NRC and the nuclear industry have been pursuing standardization quite vigorously in an effort to reduce the cost and schedule for the design and construction of nuclear power plants. The NRC is currently reviewing standard plant applications submitted under each of four standardization options. In addition, the NRC has published Standard Review Plans and Standard Technical Specifications. Although problems exist in the implementation of standardization and in areas unaffected by standardization, each of these standardization methods has the potential to reduce the licensing impact on construction

Economical and industrial impact of nuclear power stations construction in Belgium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labrique, J.; Klees, P.

1981-01-01

After a brief introduction the paper analyses the employment in the Belgian nuclear sector with regard to construction, the operation, the engineering of nuclear power plants as well as fuel reprocessing. In the economical section a comparison of the kWh cost of different sources is presented as well as the seasibility of this cost to the raw material price. The future installation of nuclear power plants is discussed and the impact of its delay on the Belgian economy by an absence of decision is analyzed. (AF)

23 CFR 140.907 - Overhead and indirect construction costs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... accounting principles; (2) The costs included in the distribution are limited to costs actually incurred by...), part 31, Contract Cost Principles and Procedures, relating to contracts with commercial organizations... 23 Highways 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Overhead and indirect construction costs. 140.907...

Low-cost satellite mechanical design and construction

Science.gov (United States)

Boisjolie-Gair, Nathaniel; Straub, Jeremy

2017-05-01

This paper presents a discussion of techniques for low-cost design and construction of a CubeSat mechanical structure that can serve as a basis for academic programs and a starting point for government, military and commercial large-scale sensing networks, where the cost of each node must be minimized to facilitate system affordability and lower the cost and associated risk of losing any node. Spacecraft Design plays a large role in manufacturability. An intentionally simplified mechanical design is presented which reduces machining costs, as compared to more intricate designs that were considered. Several fabrication approaches are evaluated relative to the low-cost goal.

Labor productivity adjustment factors. A method for estimating labor construction costs associated with physical modifications to nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riordan, B.J.

1986-03-01

This report develops quantitative labor productivity adjustment factors for the performance of regulatory impact analyses (RIAs). These factors will allow analysts to modify ''new construction'' labor costs to account for changes in labor productivity due to differing work environments at operating reactors and at reactors with construction in progress. The technique developed in this paper relies on the Energy Economic Data Base (EEDB) for baseline estimates of the direct labor hours and/or labor costs required to perform specific tasks in a new construction environment. The labor productivity cost factors adjust for constraining conditions such as working in a radiation environment, poor access, congestion and interference, etc., which typically occur on construction tasks at operating reactors and can occur under certain circumstances at reactors under construction. While the results do not portray all aspects of labor productivity, they encompass the major work place conditions generally discernible by the NRC analysts and assign values that appear to be reasonable within the context of industry experience. 18 refs

A Semantics-Based Approach to Construction Cost Estimating

Science.gov (United States)

Niknam, Mehrdad

2015-01-01

A construction project requires collaboration of different organizations such as owner, designer, contractor, and resource suppliers. These organizations need to exchange information to improve their teamwork. Understanding the information created in other organizations requires specialized human resources. Construction cost estimating is one of…

Quality Cost in the Construction Industry ' Preliminary Findings in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukhtar Che Ali

2010-06-01

Full Text Available One of the key areas being emphasis in ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS is performance measurement towards continual improvement. Among the primary measuring tools is quality cost approach. Quality cost has been well practice in manufacturing sector but slowly gain its importance in construction industry. In fact Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK has reckoned quality cost as one of the tool and technique in few of its management processes. In view of such circumstances that has prompted an effort to undertake a study to ascertain the level of knowledge and practice on quality cost in Malaysian construction landscape. The targeted group of respondents was the personnel in the project management team. Capitalizing Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB National Electronic Tendering Initiatives (NETI road shows which were held in year 2007 throughout the country, the author was able to garner 263 respondents representing the project management team. Subsequently the data gathered from the completed forms were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS software. General findings indicated that the level of knowledge and practice on quality cost among the project management team were relatively low. One of the main contributing factors was poor knowledge in the area related to quality cost. Despite of such scenario most of the respondents showed their interest in acquiring knowledge in the field of quality cost. Hence quality cost approach is at the infancy stage in Malaysian construction industry.

Prevailing Wage Regulations and School Construction Costs: Evidence from British Columbia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilginsoy, Cihan; Philips, Peter

2000-01-01

Examines effects of prevailing wage laws on school construction costs, using final cost data from six British Columbia school districts. When controlling for factors such as construction business cycle, number of competitors, and school type, there was no significant unit cost change following the Skill Development and Fair Wage Policy Act.…

Nuclear reactors' construction costs: The role of lead-time, standardization and technological progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berthélemy, Michel; Escobar Rangel, Lina

2015-01-01

This paper provides an econometric analysis of nuclear reactor construction costs in France and the United States based on overnight costs data. We build a simultaneous system of equations for overnight costs and construction time (lead-time) to control for endogeneity, using change in expected electricity demand as instrument. We argue that the construction of nuclear reactors can benefit from standardization gains through two channels. First, short term coordination benefits can arise when the diversity of nuclear reactors' designs under construction is low. Second, long term benefits can occur due to learning spillovers from past constructions of similar reactors. We find that construction costs benefit directly from learning spillovers but that these spillovers are only significant for nuclear models built by the same Architect–Engineer. In addition, we show that the standardization of nuclear reactors under construction has an indirect and positive effect on construction costs through a reduction in lead-time, the latter being one of the main drivers of construction costs. Conversely, we also explore the possibility of learning by searching and find that, contrary to other energy technologies, innovation leads to construction costs increases. -- Highlights: •This paper analyses the determinants of nuclear reactors construction costs and lead-time. •We study short term (coordination gains) and long term (learning by doing) benefits of standardization in France and the US. •Results show that standardization of nuclear programs is a key factor for reducing construction costs. •We also suggest that technological progress has contributed to construction costs escalation

Validation of generic cost estimates for construction-related activities at nuclear power plants: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simion, G.; Sciacca, F.; Claiborne, E.; Watlington, B.; Riordan, B.; McLaughlin, M.

1988-05-01

This report represents a validation study of the cost methodologies and quantitative factors derived in Labor Productivity Adjustment Factors and Generic Methodology for Estimating the Labor Cost Associated with the Removal of Hardware, Materials, and Structures From Nuclear Power Plants. This cost methodology was developed to support NRC analysts in determining generic estimates of removal, installation, and total labor costs for construction-related activities at nuclear generating stations. In addition to the validation discussion, this report reviews the generic cost analysis methodology employed. It also discusses each of the individual cost factors used in estimating the costs of physical modifications at nuclear power plants. The generic estimating approach presented uses the /open quotes/greenfield/close quotes/ or new plant construction installation costs compiled in the Energy Economic Data Base (EEDB) as a baseline. These baseline costs are then adjusted to account for labor productivity, radiation fields, learning curve effects, and impacts on ancillary systems or components. For comparisons of estimated vs actual labor costs, approximately four dozen actual cost data points (as reported by 14 nuclear utilities) were obtained. Detailed background information was collected on each individual data point to give the best understanding possible so that the labor productivity factors, removal factors, etc., could judiciously be chosen. This study concludes that cost estimates that are typically within 40% of the actual values can be generated by prudently using the methodologies and cost factors investigated herein

Applying Interpretive Structural Modeling to Cost Overruns in Construction Projects in the Sultanate of Oman

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Alzebdeh

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Cost overruns in construction projects are a problem faced by project managers, engineers, and clients throughout the Middle East.  Globally, several studies in the literature have focused on identifying the causes of these overruns and used statistical methods to rank them according to their impacts. None of these studies have considered the interactions among these factors. This paper examines interpretive structural modelling (ISM as a viable technique for modelling complex interactions among factors responsible for cost overruns in construction projects in the Sultanate of Oman. In particular, thirteen interrelated factors associated with cost overruns were identified, along with their contextual interrelationships. Application of ISM leads to organizing these factors in a hierarchical structure which effectively demonstrates their interactions in a simple way. Four factors were found to be at the root of cost overruns: instability of the US dollar, changes in governmental regulations, faulty cost estimation, and poor coordination among projects’ parties. Taking appropriate actions to minimize the influence of these factors can ultimately lead to better control of future project costs. Thisstudy is of value to managers and decision makers because it provides a powerful yet very easy to apply approach for investigating the problem of cost overruns and other similar issues.

Assessment of Cost Variation in Solid and Hollow Floor Construction in Lagos State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oluwaseun Sunday Dosumu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The differences in construction methods between different forms of slabs construction tend to result into variation in the cost of the slabs for any building project. Thus, this study aims at assessing the variation in construction cost among various construction methods available for hollow and solid floors in construction projects within Lagos State. The research design for this study was a survey design approach and the population of the study are active professionals (Architects, Civil Engineers, Builders, Quantity Surveyors, Consultant and contractors because they are the major participants in the construction activities of the construction industry in Lagos State, Nigeria. The research is based on 46 returned questionnaires out of the 60 that was administered. The data from the questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive tools such as frequencies, percentage and mean values. The hypotheses were tested with paired sample t-test and it was found that the system or method of slab construction well known to the respondents is cast in situ, precast and semi-precast. The study also shows that the cost of in-situ solid slabs are higher than that of hollow slab which is an indication that solid slab construction is more expensive than hollow slab construction provided the hollow slab is a one-way hollow floor and not waffle floor. In pre cast solid slab construction the cost of transportation of units to sites, cost of expertise required in the construction process and the cost of fabrication off site are the three highest and most expensive aspects of precast solid slab while cost of erection and placement and the cost of grouting and topping if required are less expensive. Therefore there is difference in the cost of construction between the solid and hollow slabs but the difference is not appreciable. The study's major recommendation is that, adequate and careful analysis must be done in the choice of floor system being adopted for any

Nuclear reactors' construction costs: The role of lead-time, standardization and technological progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berthelemy, Michel; Escobar Rangel, Lina

2013-01-01

This paper provides the first comparative analysis of nuclear reactor construction costs in France and the United States. Studying the cost of nuclear power has often been a challenge, owing to the lack of reliable data sources and heterogeneity between countries, as well as the long time horizon which requires controlling for input prices and structural changes. We build a simultaneous system of equations for overnight costs and construction time (lead-time) to control for endogeneity, using expected demand variation as an instrument. We argue that benefits from nuclear reactor program standardization can arise through short term coordination gains, when the diversity of nuclear reactors' technologies under construction is low, or through long term benefits from learning spillovers from past reactor construction experience, if those spillovers are limited to similar reactors. We find that overnight construction costs benefit directly from learning spillovers but that these spillovers are only significant for nuclear models built by the same Architect-Engineer (A- E). In addition, we show that the standardization of nuclear reactors under construction has an indirect and positive effect on construction costs through a reduction in lead-time, the latter being one of the main drivers of construction costs. Conversely, we also explore the possibility of learning by searching and find that, contrary to other energy technologies, innovation leads to construction costs increases. (authors)

Improvement of the cost-benefit analysis algorithm for high-rise construction projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gafurov Andrey

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The specific nature of high-rise investment projects entailing long-term construction, high risks, etc. implies a need to improve the standard algorithm of cost-benefit analysis. An improved algorithm is described in the article. For development of the improved algorithm of cost-benefit analysis for high-rise construction projects, the following methods were used: weighted average cost of capital, dynamic cost-benefit analysis of investment projects, risk mapping, scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis of critical ratios, etc. This comprehensive approach helped to adapt the original algorithm to feasibility objectives in high-rise construction. The authors put together the algorithm of cost-benefit analysis for high-rise construction projects on the basis of risk mapping and sensitivity analysis of critical ratios. The suggested project risk management algorithms greatly expand the standard algorithm of cost-benefit analysis in investment projects, namely: the “Project analysis scenario” flowchart, improving quality and reliability of forecasting reports in investment projects; the main stages of cash flow adjustment based on risk mapping for better cost-benefit project analysis provided the broad range of risks in high-rise construction; analysis of dynamic cost-benefit values considering project sensitivity to crucial variables, improving flexibility in implementation of high-rise projects.

Improvement of the cost-benefit analysis algorithm for high-rise construction projects

Science.gov (United States)

Gafurov, Andrey; Skotarenko, Oksana; Plotnikov, Vladimir

2018-03-01

The specific nature of high-rise investment projects entailing long-term construction, high risks, etc. implies a need to improve the standard algorithm of cost-benefit analysis. An improved algorithm is described in the article. For development of the improved algorithm of cost-benefit analysis for high-rise construction projects, the following methods were used: weighted average cost of capital, dynamic cost-benefit analysis of investment projects, risk mapping, scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis of critical ratios, etc. This comprehensive approach helped to adapt the original algorithm to feasibility objectives in high-rise construction. The authors put together the algorithm of cost-benefit analysis for high-rise construction projects on the basis of risk mapping and sensitivity analysis of critical ratios. The suggested project risk management algorithms greatly expand the standard algorithm of cost-benefit analysis in investment projects, namely: the "Project analysis scenario" flowchart, improving quality and reliability of forecasting reports in investment projects; the main stages of cash flow adjustment based on risk mapping for better cost-benefit project analysis provided the broad range of risks in high-rise construction; analysis of dynamic cost-benefit values considering project sensitivity to crucial variables, improving flexibility in implementation of high-rise projects.

Mitigation of socio-economic impacts due to the construction of energy projects in rural communities: an evaluation of the Hartsville nuclear power plant transportation-mitigation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitney, T.C.

1982-01-01

This study analyzes the effects of a commuter ride-sharing program in mitigating the harmful socio-economic impacts of a short-term, labor-intensive nuclear-power-plant construction project. The major hypothesis is that transportation-mitigation programs are more cost-effective in reducing the undesirable socio-economic impacts of large-scale construction projects than programs designed to mitigate impacts through the provision of public services for migrating workers. The dissertation begins by delineating the socio-economic effects of large-scale construction projects in rural areas. It proceeds to show how some of the deleterious impacts were mitigated using a commuter ride-sharing program. After the range of potential socio-economic impacts was established, a framework was developed to evaluate the effects of the transportation-mitigation program in mediating the harmful impacts. The framework involved the integration of the cost-benefit technique with social-impact assessment. The evaluation was grounded in a comparative framework whereby the Hartsville project community was compared with a similar community undergoing the construction of a nuclear power plant but without a commuter ride-sharing program, and a community not experiencing a major construction project. The research findings indicated that the transportation-mitigation program substantially reduced the in-migration of construction workers into the Hartsville-Trousdale County area. Further, the program was cost effective, with a benefit-cost ratio of 2.5 and net benefits totalling 28 million dollars

An Environmentally Oriented Constructive Cost Model In Information ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A model was designed to assist software developers in Nigeria to estimate software effort, duration and cost as a result of the difficulties in understanding the parameters of the traditional Constructive Cost Model II (COCOMO II) , which was designed for a specif ic environment, using Source Lines of Code (SLOC) . Results ...

Improvement of Cost Calculation in Constructions – Application of the Standard Cost Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adela Breuer

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Grace to the analysis of several commercial companies effectively performed “on the field”, we could remark the necessity to change the method of cost calculation, our motivation being related to the simplification of calculations and the reduction of the labour volume, but especially the necessity to know in due time the deviations occurred as well as the causes having led to their apparition. The importance of knowing the deviations in due time results from the very basic characteristics of the constructions execution, i.e. the performance of works during several budgetary years, which leads to the modifications of prices and materials, the introduction of new technologies, and to the performance of open air activities, making the execution of constructions works be influenced by the atmospheric condition. But the most important aspect of knowing the deviations is the correct determination of expenses and their inscribing in the corresponding period, in view of determining the result of the budgetary year. Our proposal for the enhancement of the method of cost calculation in constructions is the application of the standard cost method in the variant “single standard cost”.

19 CFR 351.407 - Calculation of constructed value and cost of production.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES Calculation of Export Price, Constructed Export Price, Fair Value, and Normal Value § 351.407 Calculation of constructed value and cost of production. (a) Introduction. This... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Calculation of constructed value and cost of...

Construction cost impact analysis of the U.S. Department of Energy mandatory performance standards for new federal commercial and multi-family, high-rise residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Massa, F.V.; Hadley, D.L.; Halverson, M.A.

1993-12-01

In accordance with federal legislation, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has conducted a project to demonstrate use of its Energy Conservation Voluntary Performance Standards for Commercial and Multi-Family High-Rise Residential Buildings; Mandatory for New Federal Buildings; Interim Rule (referred to in this report as DOE-1993). A key requisite of the legislation requires DOE to develop commercial building energy standards that are cost effective. During the demonstration project, DOE specifically addressed this issue by assessing the impacts of the standards on (1) construction costs, (2) builders (and especially small builders) of multi-family, high-rise buildings, and (3) the ability of low-to moderate-income persons to purchase or rent units in such buildings. This document reports on this project

Assessment of the impact of nuclear power plant construction and operation on small regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, M.H. Jr.

1977-01-01

This study addresses the problem of the comprehensive, quantitative evaluation of the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the construction and operation of nuclear power plant on a given region. A theoretical model of the regional impacts is constructed employing input-output methods that are extended to include ecologic as well as economic effects. Thus, the regional model explicitly incorporates environmental feedback as a consequence of economic activity. The model is then employed to estimate the impact of the construction and operation of a nuclear power facility on a small region in South Carolina. Measures of economic and environmental effects include estimates of changes in output, income, employment, local government revenue and expenditure, external costs of environmental decay, pollution loads, and common-property resource usage. Results indicate that, in the South Carolina case study, significant gains in social welfare accrued to the region due to the construction and operation of the nuclear power facility. Further, the theoretical method developed herein provides a comprehensive method of objectively assessing various types of impacts on a region as small as several contiguous counties or even a single county

ANN Based Approach for Estimation of Construction Costs of Sports Fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michał Juszczyk

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Cost estimates are essential for the success of construction projects. Neural networks, as the tools of artificial intelligence, offer a significant potential in this field. Applying neural networks, however, requires respective studies due to the specifics of different kinds of facilities. This paper presents the proposal of an approach to the estimation of construction costs of sports fields which is based on neural networks. The general applicability of artificial neural networks in the formulated problem with cost estimation is investigated. An applicability of multilayer perceptron networks is confirmed by the results of the initial training of a set of various artificial neural networks. Moreover, one network was tailored for mapping a relationship between the total cost of construction works and the selected cost predictors which are characteristic of sports fields. Its prediction quality and accuracy were assessed positively. The research results legitimatize the proposed approach.

Simulating The Impact Of The Material Flow In The Jordanian Construction Supply Chain And Its Impact On Project Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Ghaith Al-Werikat

2017-03-01

Full Text Available With the new developments and challenges within the construction industry improving the construction supply chain is becoming a major concern to both governments and industries. Improving the construction supply chain helps in improving the quality of construction projects reducing cost wastes delays and other disruptions. This paper discusses the analysis of material flow in the construction supply chain. The methodology consisted of preliminary investigations survey and simulation development to analyse the extent of impact that material flow has on construction projects in Jordan. Both the main survey and the investigations revealed that material flow delays are caused mainly by 3 types of delays late delivery wrong specification and material damaged on site. The highest impact regarding late deliveries was scaffolding with a 16 probability of occurrence a 2-day delay on the activitys duration. Concrete ranked highest regarding wrong specification with a 19 probability of occurrence an 8-day delay the activitys duration. Regarding materials damaged on site bricks ranked highest with a 9 probability of occurrence a 3-day delay on the duration. The simulation results exhibited a delay of 50 on the projects duration and a probability of a delay occurring is 9.2.

Modeling of Construction Cost of Villas in Oman

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MA Al-Mohsin

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In this research, a model for estimating construction cost of villas is presented. The model takes into account four major factors affecting villa's cost, namely: built up area, number of toilets, number of bedrooms and the number of stories. A field survey was conducted to collect information required for such model using data collection form designed by the researchers. Information about 150 villas was collected from six well experienced consultants in the field of villa design and supervision in Oman. Collected data was analyzed to develop suggested model which consists of two main levels of estimate. The first level is at the conceptual design stage where the client presents his/her need of space and basic information about the available plot for construction. The second level of cost estimation is carried out after the preliminary design stage where the client has to decide on the finishes and type of structure. At the second level of estimation, the client should be able to decide whether to precede for construction or not, according to his/her budget. The model is general and can be used anywhere and was validated for accepted degree of confidence using the actual cost of the 112 executed villa projects in Oman. The villas included in this study were owned by clients from both high and low income brackets and had different types of finishing material. The developed equations showed good correlation between the selected variables and the actual cost with R2  = 0.79 in the case of conceptual estimate and R2  = 0.601 for preliminary estimate.

Designing for second generation value - future proofing constructions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindhard, Søren Munch; Wandahl, Søren

2012-01-01

Lifecycle consideration in terms of environmental impact and total cost of buildings attract increased focus in construction. Here, total cost and environmental impact both involves: erection, operation, maintenance, demolition, and disposal of the building. The mindset of Lean Construction...

A project management quality cost information system for the construction industry

OpenAIRE

Love, PED; Irani, Z

2003-01-01

A prototype Project Management Quality Cost System (PROMQACS) was developed to determine quality costs in construction projects. The structure and information requirements that are needed to provide a classification system of quality costs were identified and discussed. The developed system was tested and implemented in two case study construction projects to determine the information and management issues needed to develop PROMQACS into a software program. In addition, the system was used to...

Canadian nuclear power plant construction cost forecast and analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keng, C.W.K.

1985-01-01

Because of the huge volume of capital required to construct a modern electric power generating station, investment decisions have to be made with as complete an understanding of the consequence of the decision as possible. This understanding must be provided by the evaluation of the situation to take place in the future. This paper attempts to use an econometric method to forecast the construction costs escalation of a standard Canadian nuclear generating station (NGS). A review of the history of Canadian nuclear electric power is provided. The major components of the construction costs of a Canadian NGS are studied and summarized. A data base is built and indexes are prepared. Based on these indexes an econometric forecasting model is constructed using an apparently new econometric methodology of forecasting modelling. Forecasts for a period of forty years are generated and applications of alternative scenario forecasts and range forecasts to uncertainty assessment are demonstrated. The indexes, the model, and the forecasts and their applications, to the best of the author's knowledge, are the very first ever done for Canadian NGS constructions

48 CFR 30.606 - Resolving cost impacts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Resolving cost impacts. 30... impacts. (a) General. (1) The CFAO shall coordinate with the affected contracting officers before negotiating and resolving the cost impact when the estimated cost impact on any of their contracts is at least...

Identifying factors causing cost overrun of the construction projects ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Swapnil P Wanjari

Cost overrun in India; ANOVA; factor analysis; construction projects. 1. Introduction ... gramme Implementation in India [2], projects of public .... case if a respondent never came across of such factor. ..... The co-relation matrix for variables of cost overruns was ..... There are various problems observed due to communication.

Historical development of the seismic requirements for construction of nuclear power plants in the U.S. and worldwide and their current impact on cost and safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, J.D.

2003-01-01

The following topics are described and discussed: Historical development of NPP seismic design requirements: Peak ground acceleration; Response spectra and damping; Floor or amplified response spectra; Effective high frequency response spectra; Seismic modeling procedures; Impact on cost (site preparation and foundations; site seismic response and generation of site dependent spectra). Potential use of indirect earthquake experience data in design and construction of NPP. Seismic contribution to safety. The following facts are summarized in two Appendices: Seismic intensity scales, and GRS safety codes and guides. (P.A.)

A framework of initiatives for successful application of life cycle costing (LCC in industrialised building system (IBS in Malaysian construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shamsuddin Siti Mazzuana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Industrialised Building System (IBS contributes a great shift in sustainable construction and benefits the society. Previous studies have proven in general that one of the hindrances in promoting sustainable in IBS, is a high cost for any pre-cast material specifically thus effected the overall cost. The introduction of Life Cycle Costing (LCC leads into providing a better and comprehensive cost estimation, including projecting actual cost to operate the building, hence providing a better baseline for decision making. The lacking application of LCC in IBS is still in trivial impact, therefore, this paper presents a framework which produced by expressing the successful initiatives of LCC and IBS in Malaysia construction industry. The framework developed based on findings from the extensive literature reviews, 164 responded questionnaires, and 19 expert opinions, which has three sections: Strategy Development, System Development and the last part is Decision Level. Aspects of objectivity, practicality, reliability, completeness that were likely to be implemented in the Malaysian construction industry were used. There are significant opinions on the usefulness and completeness of the proposed framework in providing a comprehensive cost estimates which helps much in deciding to carry out IBS or remain with a traditional construction method.

Designing for second generation value – Future proofing construction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindhard, Søren; Wandahl, Søren

2012-01-01

Lifecycle consideration in terms of environmental impact and total cost of buildings attract increased focus in construction. Here total cost and environmental impact both involves: erection, operation, maintenance, demolition, and disposal of the building. The mindset of Lean Construction...

Risk, innovation, electricity infrastructure and construction cost overruns: Testing six hypotheses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sovacool, Benjamin K.; Gilbert, Alex; Nugent, Daniel

2014-01-01

This study investigates the frequency and magnitude of cost and time overruns occurring during the construction of 401 electricity projects built between 1936 and 2014 in 57 countries. In aggregate, these projects required approximately $820 billion in investment, and amounted to 325,515 MW of installed capacity and 8495 km of transmission lines. We use this sample of projects to test six hypotheses about construction cost overruns related to (1) diseconomies of scale, (2) project delays, (3) technological learning, (4) regulation and markets, (5) decentralization and modularity, and (6) normalization of results to scale. We find that nuclear reactors are the riskiest technology in terms of mean cost escalation as a percentage of budget and frequency; that hydroelectric dams stand apart for their mean cost escalation in total dollars; that many of the hypotheses grounded in the literature appear wrong; and that financing, partnerships, modularity, and accountability may have more to do with overruns than technology. - Highlights: • Many hypotheses about construction overruns grounded in the literature appear wrong. • Nuclear reactors are the most prone to cost overruns as a percentage of budget and frequency. • Hydroelectric dams stand apart for their mean cost escalation in total dollars. • Solar and wind energy systems are least at risk to cost overruns

Sustainable Construction Risk Perceptions in the Kuwaiti Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dalya Ismael

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Sustainable construction is fundamentally different than traditional construction because it requires whole systems thinking, early collaboration across stakeholders, and core principles like reducing resource consumption, eliminating toxins, and applying life cycle costing. Construction professionals unfamiliar with this mindset and approach may perceive sustainable construction as risky. One of the global regions in need of more sustainable construction is the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA region. The MENA region is one of the fastest developing in the world. However, it is the slowest one in implementing sustainable construction practices. Kuwait, in particular, contributes 53% more carbon emissions per capita than the United States. To understand how the Kuwaiti construction industry perceives risks associated with more sustainable construction, a survey was developed with 52 risk elements in which 131 industry professionals responded. The results indicate that industry professionals perceive a lack of public awareness as the risk element with the highest probability of occurrence. The risk element with the highest possible negative impact on future projects is designers’ and contractors’ inexperience with sustainable construction. Other risks were found to include a high initial cost for materials and overall project costs. Educational interventions, changes in risk allocation, and behavioral science to reframe upfront costs as long-term savings are offered as possible solutions.

Profit ability versus construction equipment maintenance

OpenAIRE

Clutts, Craig A.

2010-01-01

CIVINS (Civilian Institutions) Thesis document Approved for public release ; distribution is unlimited Construction equipment is a high cost of capital investment necessary for the successful existence of a private construction company and essential to the mission success of the Naval Construction Force (NCF). The highest impact cost factor other than the initial purchase investment is the expenses related to maintenance and repair. As the equipment ages, the ownership costs decrease an...

Construction of VLCC marine oil storage cost index system

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yuan; Li, Yule; Lu, Jinshu; Wu, Wenfeng; Zhu, Faxin; Chen, Tian; Qin, Beichen

2018-04-01

VLCC as the research object, the basic knowledge of VLCC is summarized. According to the phenomenon that VLCC is applied to offshore oil storage gradually, this paper applies the theoretical analysis method to analyze the excess capacity from VLCC, the drop of oil price, the aging VLCC is more suitable for offshore storage The paper analyzes the reason of VLCC offshore oil storage from three aspects, analyzes the cost of VLCC offshore storage from the aspects of manpower cost and shipping cost, and constructs the cost index system of VLCC offshore oil storage.

CONSTRUCTION OF A DIFFERENTIAL ISOTHERMAL CALORIMETER OF HIGH SENSITIVITY AND LOW COST.

OpenAIRE

Trinca, RB; Perles, CE; Volpe, PLO

2009-01-01

CONSTRUCTION OF A DIFFERENTIAL ISOTHERMAL CALORIMETER OF HIGH SENSITIVITY AND LOW COST The high cost of sensitivity commercial calorimeters may represent an obstacle for many calorimetric research groups. This work describes (fie construction and calibration of a batch differential heat conduction calorimeter with sample cells volumes of about 400 mu L. The calorimeter was built using two small high sensibility square Peltier thermoelectric sensors and the total cost was estimated to be about...

Dynamic cost control information system for nuclear power plant construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yongqing; Liu Wei

1998-01-01

The authors first introduce the cost control functions of some overseas popular project management software at present and the specific ways of cost control of nuclear power plant construction in China. Then the authors stress the necessity of cost and schedule control integration and present the concept of dynamic cost control, the design scheme of dynamic cost control information system and the data structure modeling. Based on the above, the authors can develop the system which has the functions of dynamic estimate, cash flow management and cost optimization for nuclear engineering

Application of Boosting Regression Trees to Preliminary Cost Estimation in Building Construction Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoonseok Shin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Among the recent data mining techniques available, the boosting approach has attracted a great deal of attention because of its effective learning algorithm and strong boundaries in terms of its generalization performance. However, the boosting approach has yet to be used in regression problems within the construction domain, including cost estimations, but has been actively utilized in other domains. Therefore, a boosting regression tree (BRT is applied to cost estimations at the early stage of a construction project to examine the applicability of the boosting approach to a regression problem within the construction domain. To evaluate the performance of the BRT model, its performance was compared with that of a neural network (NN model, which has been proven to have a high performance in cost estimation domains. The BRT model has shown results similar to those of NN model using 234 actual cost datasets of a building construction project. In addition, the BRT model can provide additional information such as the importance plot and structure model, which can support estimators in comprehending the decision making process. Consequently, the boosting approach has potential applicability in preliminary cost estimations in a building construction project.

Planning Costs in Certain Stage of the Life Cycle of Investment Activity of Construction Organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iakymchuk Iryna M.

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the issues related to planning costs in certain stages of the life-cycle of investment activity of construction organization. It has been specified that cost management based on the life-cycle model of the investment project, which is being implemented by a construction organization, allows for a consistent improvement in the efficiency of the innovation process on the basis of a clear planning, as well as cost forecasting. This approach allows for the long-term effectiveness of innovation project by providing cost-management services at all stages of investment project, identifying opportunities for reducing them, thereby contributing to sustainable development of construction organization over time. It has been concluded that the more specific the program of activities of construction organization, the more accurate the process of identification of costs becomes, the more efficient is the management of costs, targeted at saving resources, reducing the self cost of construction works.

Construction costs, payback times, and the leaf economics of carnivorous plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Karagatzides, Jim D; Ellison, Aaron M

2009-09-01

Understanding how different plant species and functional types "invest" carbon and nutrients is a major goal of plant ecologists. Two measures of such investments are "construction costs" (carbon needed to produce each gram of tissue) and associated "payback times" for photosynthesis to recover construction costs. These measurements integrate among traits used to assess leaf-trait scaling relationships. Carnivorous plants are model systems for examining mechanisms of leaf-trait coordination, but no studies have measured simultaneously construction costs of carnivorous traps and their photosynthetic rates to determine payback times of traps. We measured mass-based construction costs (CC(mass)) and photosynthesis (A(mass)) for traps, leaves, roots, and rhizomes of 15 carnivorous plant species grown under greenhouse conditions. There were highly significant differences among species in CC(mass) for each structure. Mean CC(mass) of carnivorous traps (1.14 ± 0.24 g glucose/g dry mass) was significantly lower than CC(mass) of leaves of 267 noncarnivorous plant species (1.47 ± 0.17), but all carnivorous plants examined had very low A(mass) and thus, long payback times (495-1551 h). Our results provide the first clear estimates of the marginal benefits of botanical carnivory and place carnivorous plants at the "slow and tough" end of the universal spectrum of leaf traits.

Market impact costs of institutional equity trades

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bikker, Jacob A.; Spierdijk, Laura; van der Sluis, Pieter Jelle

2007-01-01

This article analyzes market impact costs of equity trading by one of the world's largest pension funds. We find that, on average, these costs are small in terms of market disruption, but substantial in terms of costs for the pension fund. Average market impact costs equal 20 basis points for buys

Market Impact Costs of Institutional Equity Trades

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bikker, J.A.; Spierdijk, L.; van der Sluis, P.J.

2008-01-01

This article analyzes market impact costs of equity trading by one of the world's largest pension funds. We find that, on average, these costs are small in terms of market disruption, but substantial in terms of costs for the pension fund. Average market impact costs equal 20 basis points for buys

Market Impact Costs of Institutional Equity Trades

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Sluis, P.J.; Bikker, J.A.; Spierdijk, L.

2007-01-01

This article analyzes market impact costs of equity trading by one of the world's largest pension funds. We find that, on average, these costs are small in terms of market disruption, but substantial in terms of costs for the pension fund. Average market impact costs equal 20 basis points for buys

Impacts of optimum cost effective energy efficiency standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brancic, A.B.; Peters, J.S.; Arch, M.

1991-01-01

Building Codes are increasingly required to be responsive to social and economic policy concerns. In 1990 the State of Connecticut passes An Act Concerning Global Warming, Public Act 90-219, which mandates the revision of the state building code to require that buildings and building elements be designed to provide optimum cost-effective energy efficiency over the useful life of the building. Further, such revision must meet the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1 - 1989. As the largest electric energy supplier in Connecticut, Northeast Utilities (NU) sponsored a pilot study of the cost effectiveness of alternative building code standards for commercial construction. This paper reports on this study which analyzed design and construction means, building elements, incremental construction costs, and energy savings to determine the optimum cost-effective building code standard. Findings are that ASHRAE 90.1 results in 21% energy savings and alternative standards above it result in significant additional savings. Benefit/cost analysis showed that both are cost effective

REDUCTION OF COST AND TIME CONSUMPTION IN WELL-CONSTRUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mladen Zelenika

1998-12-01

Full Text Available A Contractor usually utilizes the available drilling equipment when constructing just one single well. Drilling cost and time consumption in constructing the well MB-1, using the percussion method, and the well MB-2, using the conventional rotary drilling method, call for a separate analysis in order to justify the investment cost for the acquisition of additional equipment for a single well only. The wells, located in a karst vrtača close to an estavelle near Tomislavgrad, with a diameter of 500 mm and approximately 80 m deep, have been accomplished with a low rate of penetration using the conventional Cable tool and resp. Rotary Drilling Method. In this paper results of analyses for the given circumstances are shown: both the efficiency and cost of the mentioned drilling methods performed by the crews of »Geotehnika d.d.« Zagreb, as well as the justifiability of investments in new equipment are evaluated.

A Refined Basket of Goods Approach for Comparing Construction Costs between Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rick Best

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Most comparisons of construction industry performance requirethat construction costs be converted to a common base. Existingmechanisms for such conversions produce unreliable results.A proposed method for producing industry-specifi c conversionfactors was tested using a single building type. A basket ofmaterials and labour was identifi ed and weighted to refl ect the costshare of each item in a completed project. Prices for the basketwere gathered in three cities and simple construction specifi cconversion indices were calculated based on the constructionpurchasing power of each currency. The construction purchasingpower parities (CPPPs showed marked differences from otheravailable conversion mechanisms such as exchange rates andgeneral purchasing power parities (PPPs that have been used inprevious international comparison studies. While the study waslimited in scope, and is only the fi rst stage of a longer process, thesubstantial differences in comparative costs based on purchasingpower illustrate the problems inherent in international costcomparisons. For example, comparing Singapore and Sydney,Singapore costs appear to be only 40% of those in Sydney (basedon exchange rates about two-thirds the cost of Sydney (usinggeneral PPPs or almost the same (using the preliminary CPPPs.These results illustrate the problems of converting costs fromlocal currencies to a single base currency and suggest that furtherdevelopment is needed to improve the reliability of outcomes.

Costs of construction, operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants - determinant factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, R.A. da

1981-01-01

A study about the construction costs of the Angra-1 nuclear power plant, including direct costs, equipment costs, installation and indirect costs such as: engineering, job-training and administration is presented. The operation and maintenance costs of the Angra-1 nuclear power plant and costs of energy generation are still studied. (E.G.) [pt

CANDU 9 - reducing capital costs through advanced construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedges, K.; Yu, S.; Hopwood, J.

1996-01-01

Reducing costs is a clear priority in nuclear markets where capital reaches billions and financing is hard-won. To address that priority, AECL introduced the use of advanced construction techniques. This has been one of the key thrusts behind its development of CANDU 9. (author)

Construction costs of nuclear power stations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mandel, H

1976-03-01

It is assumed that the demand for electrical energy will continue to rise and that nuclear power will increasingly supply the base-load of electricity generation in the industrialized world. The author identifies areas where techniques and practices to control costs can be improved. Nuclear power offers an alternative to liquid and gaseous fossil fuels and contributes to a relative stability in the price of electric energy. Nuclear power plants can now generate power more cheaply than other thermal power plants down into the upper middle load sector, as indicated in calculations based on a construction time of six years for nuclear plants and four years for others. Special legal provisions, different conditions of financing and taxation, varying methods of power generation cost accounting, and the nonuniform layout of the plant in the various countries make it difficult to compare power generation costs. The author uses mostly experiences gained in the Federal Republic of Germany for some calculations for comparison; he cites lack of standardization and over-long licensing times as major factors in the recent rapid escalation of nuclear power costs and suggests that adoption of standard reactor designs, encouragement of a vigorous and competitive European nuclear industry, and streamlining of licensing procedures to improve the situation. (MCW)

FFTF constructibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, S.A.; Hulbert, D.I.

1975-01-01

The influence of the design criteria on the constructibility of the Fast Flux Test Facility is described. Specifically, the effects of requirements due to maintenance accessibility, inerting of cells, seismicity, codes, and standards are addressed. The design and construction techniques developed to minimize the impact of the design criteria on cost and schedule are presented with particular emphasis on the cleanliness and humidity controls imposed during construction of the sodium systems. (U.S.)

Forecasting Construction Cost Index based on visibility graph: A network approach

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Rong; Ashuri, Baabak; Shyr, Yu; Deng, Yong

2018-03-01

Engineering News-Record (ENR), a professional magazine in the field of global construction engineering, publishes Construction Cost Index (CCI) every month. Cost estimators and contractors assess projects, arrange budgets and prepare bids by forecasting CCI. However, fluctuations and uncertainties of CCI cause irrational estimations now and then. This paper aims at achieving more accurate predictions of CCI based on a network approach in which time series is firstly converted into a visibility graph and future values are forecasted relied on link prediction. According to the experimental results, the proposed method shows satisfactory performance since the error measures are acceptable. Compared with other methods, the proposed method is easier to implement and is able to forecast CCI with less errors. It is convinced that the proposed method is efficient to provide considerably accurate CCI predictions, which will make contributions to the construction engineering by assisting individuals and organizations in reducing costs and making project schedules.

Evaluation of ways and procedures to reduce construction cost and increase competition.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

Construction cost inflation is affecting many state highway agencies including the Texas Department of : Transportation While some of this increase can be attributed to factors such as soaring cost of energy, : reports of large variations in cost of ...

Estimation of Costs and Durations of Construction of Urban Roads Using ANN and SVM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igor Peško

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Offer preparation has always been a specific part of a building process which has significant impact on company business. Due to the fact that income greatly depends on offer’s precision and the balance between planned costs, both direct and overheads, and wished profit, it is necessary to prepare a precise offer within required time and available resources which are always insufficient. The paper presents a research of precision that can be achieved while using artificial intelligence for estimation of cost and duration in construction projects. Both artificial neural networks (ANNs and support vector machines (SVM are analysed and compared. The best SVM has shown higher precision, when estimating costs, with mean absolute percentage error (MAPE of 7.06% compared to the most precise ANNs which has achieved precision of 25.38%. Estimation of works duration has proved to be more difficult. The best MAPEs were 22.77% and 26.26% for SVM and ANN, respectively.

Evaluating aggregate terrestrial impacts of road construction projects for advanced regional mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Thorne, James H; Girvetz, Evan H; McCoy, Michael C

2009-05-01

This study presents a GIS-based database framework used to assess aggregate terrestrial habitat impacts from multiple highway construction projects in California, USA. Transportation planners need such impact assessment tools to effectively address additive biological mitigation obligations. Such assessments can reduce costly delays due to protracted environmental review. This project incorporated the best available statewide natural resource data into early project planning and preliminary environmental assessments for single and multiple highway construction projects, and provides an assessment of the 10-year state-wide mitigation obligations for the California Department of Transportation. Incorporation of these assessments will facilitate early and more strategic identification of mitigation opportunities, for single-project and regional mitigation efforts. The data architecture format uses eight spatial scales: six nested watersheds, counties, and transportation planning districts, which were intersected. This resulted in 8058 map planning units statewide, which were used to summarize all subsequent analyses. Range maps and georeferenced locations of federally and state-listed plants and animals and a 55-class landcover map were spatially intersected with the planning units and the buffered spatial footprint of 967 funded projects. Projected impacts were summarized and output to the database. Queries written in the database can sum expected impacts and provide summaries by individual construction project, or by watershed, county, transportation district or highway. The data architecture allows easy incorporation of new information and results in a tool usable without GIS by a wide variety of agency biologists and planners. The data architecture format would be useful for other types of regional planning.

Evaluating Aggregate Terrestrial Impacts of Road Construction Projects for Advanced Regional Mitigation

Science.gov (United States)

Thorne, James H.; Girvetz, Evan H.; McCoy, Michael C.

2009-05-01

This study presents a GIS-based database framework used to assess aggregate terrestrial habitat impacts from multiple highway construction projects in California, USA. Transportation planners need such impact assessment tools to effectively address additive biological mitigation obligations. Such assessments can reduce costly delays due to protracted environmental review. This project incorporated the best available statewide natural resource data into early project planning and preliminary environmental assessments for single and multiple highway construction projects, and provides an assessment of the 10-year state-wide mitigation obligations for the California Department of Transportation. Incorporation of these assessments will facilitate early and more strategic identification of mitigation opportunities, for single-project and regional mitigation efforts. The data architecture format uses eight spatial scales: six nested watersheds, counties, and transportation planning districts, which were intersected. This resulted in 8058 map planning units statewide, which were used to summarize all subsequent analyses. Range maps and georeferenced locations of federally and state-listed plants and animals and a 55-class landcover map were spatially intersected with the planning units and the buffered spatial footprint of 967 funded projects. Projected impacts were summarized and output to the database. Queries written in the database can sum expected impacts and provide summaries by individual construction project, or by watershed, county, transportation district or highway. The data architecture allows easy incorporation of new information and results in a tool usable without GIS by a wide variety of agency biologists and planners. The data architecture format would be useful for other types of regional planning.

Risk assessment framework on time impact: Infrastructure projects in soft soil during construction stage

Science.gov (United States)

Low, W. W.; Wong, K. S.; Lee, J. L.

2018-04-01

With the growth of economy and population, there is an increase in infrastructure construction projects. As such, it is unavoidable to have construction projects on soft soil. Without proper risk management plan, construction projects are vulnerable to different types of risks which will have negative impact on project’s time, cost and quality. Literature review showed that little or none of the research is focused on the risk assessment on the infrastructure project in soft soil. Hence, the aim of this research is to propose a risk assessment framework in infrastructure projects in soft soil during the construction stage. This research was focused on the impact of risks on project time and internal risk factors. The research method was Analytical Hierarchy Process and the sample population was experienced industry experts who have experience in infrastructure projects. Analysis was completed and result showed that for internal factors, the five most significant risks on time element are lack of special equipment, potential contractual disputes and claims, shortage of skilled workers, delay/lack of materials supply, and insolvency of contractor/sub-contractor. Results indicated that resources risk factor play a critical role on project time frame in infrastructure projects in soft soil during the construction stage.

LHC Civil Engineering Construction Contracts Cost Monitoring and Budget Forecasting

CERN Document Server

Skelton, K

2000-01-01

The Civil Engineering project for the LHC is estimated at 350 MCHF, of which about 316 MCHF is for the construction contracts. These contracts are based on a system of remeasurement whereby the consultant estimates the quantities required for the construction of each structure and the contractor commits himself to the unit price, which define the initial tender price. There are many factors that affect the final price for these contracts, from increases or decreases in quantities of the estimated amounts in the original bill of quantities to variations to the contract. This paper will look at how these factors change costs at the individual level of a structure to the overall costs of the contract. It will look at how the Civil Engineering Group monitors these changes to calculate cash flows and final costs and how this information is used as a basis for budget forecasts.

Construction Site Environmental Impact in Civil Engineering Education

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Jose M. Cardoso

2005-01-01

The environmental impact of construction activity has gained increasing importance in the last few years and become a key subject for civil engineering education. A survey of Portuguese higher education institutions shows that concern with this topic is mostly directed at the impact of large construction projects and especially focused on their…

Use of cost-effective construction technologies in India to mitigate climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sengupta, N. [Forum of Scientists, Engineers and Technologists, Kolkata (India)

2008-01-10

Concentration of greenhouse gases plays a major role in raising the earth's temperature. Carbon dioxide, produced from burning of fossil fuels, is the principle greenhouse gas and efforts are being made at international level to reduce its emission through adoption of energy-efficient technologies. The UN Conference on Environment and Development, 1992 made a significant development in this field by initiating the discussion on sustainable development under the Agenda 21. Cost-effective construction technologies can bring down the embodied energy level associated with production of building materials by lowering use of energy-consuming materials. This embodied energy is a crucial factor for sustainable construction practices and effective reduction of the same would contribute in mitigating global warming. The cost-effective construction technologies would emerge as the most acceptable case of sustainable technologies in India both in terms of cost and environment.

Probabilistic prediction of expected ground condition and construction time and costs in road tunnels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Mahmoodzadeh

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Ground condition and construction (excavation and support time and costs are the key factors in decision-making during planning and design phases of a tunnel project. An innovative methodology for probabilistic estimation of ground condition and construction time and costs is proposed, which is an integration of the ground prediction approach based on Markov process, and the time and cost variance analysis based on Monte-Carlo (MC simulation. The former provides the probabilistic description of ground classification along tunnel alignment according to the geological information revealed from geological profile and boreholes. The latter provides the probabilistic description of the expected construction time and costs for each operation according to the survey feedbacks from experts. Then an engineering application to Hamro tunnel is presented to demonstrate how the ground condition and the construction time and costs are estimated in a probabilistic way. In most items, in order to estimate the data needed for this methodology, a number of questionnaires are distributed among the tunneling experts and finally the mean values of the respondents are applied. These facilitate both the owners and the contractors to be aware of the risk that they should carry before construction, and are useful for both tendering and bidding.

Identifying The Effective Factors for Cost Overrun and Time Delay in Water Construction Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Mirzai Matin

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Water construction projects in Iran frequently face problems which cause cost overrun and time delay, the two most common issues in construction projects in general. The objective of this survey is to identify and quantify these problems and thus help in avoiding them. This survey represents a collection of the most significant problems found in the literature, classified into 11 groups according to their source. The questionnaire form used contains 84 questions which were answered by random engineers who work in water construction projects. The Relative Importance Weight (RIW method is used to weight the importance of each one of the 84 problems. The focus of this survey is on overall top ten issues which are: bureaucracy in bidding method, inflation, economical condition of the government, not enough information gathered and surveys done before design, monthly payment difficulties, material cost changes, law changes by the government, financial difficulties, mode of financing and payment for completed work and changes made by the owner. A section for each of these issues provides additional information about them. In the full text of this survey the same weighting method is used to classify the main groups, and the results show that issues related to the groups of government, owner and consultant has the most significant impact. The last part of this survey describes the point of view of the engineers who took part in this survey and the recommendations they made.

Low cost construction technologies and materials - case study Mozambuique

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kuchena, JC

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Low cost or affordable construction technologies and materials are often touted as a panacea in meeting the ever growing demand for rapid housing delivery in developing economies. Mozambique as with most of the developing world, from both historical...

The integration of price/cost modelling and construction planning - the automated generation of construc­tion operation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. A. Bowen

1997-07-01

Full Text Available The fact that traditional price/cost models are unrelated to the construction process renders them largely unsuited to the provision of meaningful price/cost advice. The nature and lengthiness of the construction planning process has precluded its incorporation into price/cost modelling during the pre-tender phase of the traditional building procurement process. The nub of the modelling problem has been how to integrate the complex process of construction planning into the pre-tender price/cost modelling process. In this paper the authors propose the synthesis of artificial intelligence techniques and construction planning techniques, resulting in a conceptual framework for a network-based cost modelling system for use by quantity surveyors in the cost modelling of buildings.

Construction and Operation Costs of Wastewater Treatment and Implications for the Paper Industry in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Kunyu; Wu, Jian; Yu, Fang; Guo, Jingli

2016-11-15

This paper aims to develop a construction and operation cost model of wastewater treatment for the paper industry in China and explores the main factors that determine these costs. Previous models mainly involved factors relating to the treatment scale and efficiency of treatment facilities for deriving the cost function. We considered the factors more comprehensively by adding a regional variable to represent the economic development level, a corporate ownership factor to represent the plant characteristics, a subsector variable to capture pollutant characteristics, and a detailed-classification technology variable. We applied a unique data set from a national pollution source census for the model simulation. The major findings include the following: (1) Wastewater treatment costs in the paper industry are determined by scale, technology, degree of treatment, ownership, and regional factors; (2) Wastewater treatment costs show a large decreasing scale effect; (3) The current level of pollutant discharge fees is far lower than the marginal treatment costs for meeting the wastewater discharge standard. Key implications are as follows: (1) Cost characteristics and impact factors should be fully recognized when planning or making policies relating to wastewater treatment projects or technology development; (2) There is potential to reduce treatment costs by centralizing wastewater treatment via industrial parks; (3) Wastewater discharge fee rates should be increased; (4) Energy efficient technology should become the future focus of wastewater treatment.

Construction of road network vulnerability evaluation index based on general travel cost

Science.gov (United States)

Leng, Jun-qiang; Zhai, Jing; Li, Qian-wen; Zhao, Lin

2018-03-01

With the development of China's economy and the continuous improvement of her urban road network, the vulnerability of the urban road network has attracted increasing attention. Based on general travel cost, this work constructs the vulnerability evaluation index for the urban road network, and evaluates the vulnerability of the urban road network from the perspective of user generalised travel cost. Firstly, the generalised travel cost model is constructed based on vehicle cost, travel time, and traveller comfort. Then, the network efficiency index is selected as an evaluation index of vulnerability: the network efficiency index is composed of the traffic volume and the generalised travel cost, which are obtained from the equilibrium state of the network. In addition, the research analyses the influence of traffic capacity decrease, road section attribute value, and location of road section, on vulnerability. Finally, the vulnerability index is used to analyse the local area network of Harbin and verify its applicability.

Assessing the costs attributed to project delay during project pre-construction stages.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

This project for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) developed a simple but sound : methodology for estimating the cost of delaying most types of highway projects. Researchers considered the : cost of delays during the pre-construction pha...

Analysis of selected factors that generate the costs of accidents at work using the Polish construction industry as an example

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hoła Anna

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents analysis of selected factors that generate the costs of accidents at work using the Polish construction industry as an example. The individual components of the cost of accidents have been identified. Using the statistical data published by the Central Statistical Office, the impact on the size of the cost of accidents at work of such factors as the lost time of an injured person, the lost time of other people involved in the removal of accident effects and also material losses caused by an accident, was analysed. On the basis of the conducted analysis, conclusions regarding economic losses due to accidents were formulated.

Cost estimation using ministerial regulation of public work no. 11/2013 in construction projects

Science.gov (United States)

Arumsari, Putri; Juliastuti; Khalifah Al'farisi, Muhammad

2017-12-01

One of the first tasks in starting a construction project is to estimate the total cost of building a project. In Indonesia there are several standards that are used to calculate the cost estimation of a project. One of the standards used in based on the Ministerial Regulation of Public Work No. 11/2013. However in a construction project, contractor often has their own cost estimation based on their own calculation. This research aimed to compare the construction project total cost using calculation based on the Ministerial Regulation of Public Work No. 11/2013 against the contractor’s calculation. Two projects were used as case study to compare the results. The projects were a 4 storey building located in Pantai Indah Kapuk area (West Jakarta) and a warehouse located in Sentul (West Java) which was built by 2 different contractors. The cost estimation from both contractors’ calculation were compared to the one based on the Ministerial Regulation of Public Work No. 11/2013. It is found that there were differences between the two calculation around 1.80 % - 3.03% in total cost, in which the cost estimation based on Ministerial Regulation was higher than the contractors’ calculations.

A cost summary applicable to seismic construction and maintenance of nuclear safety related piping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, J.D.

1995-01-01

This paper presents a summary of costs applicable to nuclear power plant piping for an earthquake defined as 0.2 SSE-PGA as a function of three eras of initial construction: 1967--1974, 1974--1981 and 1981--1990. Costs have been presented for both new construction and maintenance in operating plants using both the original PSAR-FSAR design criteria and current SRP requirements. It is recommended that the cost information contained in this report be considered in evaluating the cost benefit relationships associated with current and proposed future changes in seismic design procedures applicable to safety-related piping systems

Assessing Environmental Impact Indicators in Road Construction Projects in Developing Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Marzouk

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Environmental pollution is considered to be one of the main concerns in the construction industry. Environmental pollution has become a major challenge to construction projects due to the huge amount of pollution caused by construction projects. There are different types of environmental impact indicators, such as the greenhouse gas (GHG footprint, eutrophication potential (EP, acidification potential (AP, human health (HH particulate, ozone depletion, and smog. Each of these environmental impact indicators can be linked to different phases of the construction projects. The overall environmental impact indicators can be divided into direct, indirect, and operational emissions. This paper presents a Building Information Modeling (BIM-based methodology for the assessment of environmental impacts in road construction projects. The model takes into account the overall life cycle of the road construction project, which is divided into: manufacturing phase, transportation phase, construction phase, maintenance phase, operational phase, recycling phase, and deconstruction phase. A case study is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model. The proposed model solves a major problem for road construction project teams who want to assess the environmental impact indicators associated with their project prior to the start of the execution of their projects.

Impact of the fuel cost in the electric generation cost by nuclear means

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez S, J.R.; Alonso V, G.; Gomez R, M.C.; Palacios H, J.

2007-01-01

In recent years, the uranium cost has been increased in the international market due to a countless of factors like they are: increase of the demand, the turnaround of the nuclear energy in some Asian countries, the decrease of the offer due to problems in the mining for their extraction, etc. These increments impact the costs of electric generation in the concept of fuel, presently work is calculated that order is the prospective impact when the costs of the uranium and the services of the fuel cycle are increased to the speed that one has come increasing, and an increase is postulated beyond the 100 usd/lb U 3 O 8 , being also calculated its impact in the total cost of electric generation by nuclear means. (Author)

Construction Costs Assessment of Structural Systems for Low-Rise and Social Welfare Housing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carrillo Julián

2015-09-01

Full Text Available A comparative analysis of the costs related to the construction of low-rise, low-cost and social welfare housing was carried out. The study included three of the most commonly used structural systems for low-rise housing in Latin America, such as the traditional system of confined masonry walls, concrete walls conventionally reinforced with welded-wire meshes and concrete walls reinforced with steel fiber. The cost comparison was carried out by budgets analysis, which were performed based on construction quantities, unit prices and particular items for each structural system. It was found in the study that, from an economic point of view, the systems of concrete walls reinforced with welded-wire meshes or steel fibers are more advantageous than confined masonry systems. In addition, the integral comparison of the three structural systems demonstrates that the industrialized system of steel fiber reinforced concrete walls allows obtaining greater advantages of cleaning and sustainability, faster construction, lower cost and a more attractive scenario for builders investing in such projects.

AES, Automated Construction Cost Estimation System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holder, D.A.

1995-01-01

A - Description of program or function: AES (Automated Estimating System) enters and updates the detailed cost, schedule, contingency, and escalation information contained in a typical construction or other project cost estimates. It combines this information to calculate both un-escalated and escalated and cash flow values for the project. These costs can be reported at varying levels of detail. AES differs from previous versions in at least the following ways: The schedule is entered at the WBS-Participant, Activity level - multiple activities can be assigned to each WBS-Participant combination; the spending curve is defined at the schedule activity level and a weighing factor is defined which determines percentage of cost for the WBS-Participant applied to the schedule activity; Schedule by days instead of Fiscal Year/Quarter; Sales Tax is applied at the Line Item Level- a sales tax codes is selected to indicate Material, Large Single Item, or Professional Services; a 'data filter' has been added to allow user to define data the report is to be generated for. B - Method of solution: Average Escalation Rate: The average escalation for a Bill of is calculated in three steps. 1. A table of quarterly escalation factors is calculated based on the base fiscal year and quarter of the project entered in the estimate record and the annual escalation rates entered in the Standard Value File. 2. The percentage distribution of costs by quarter for the Bill of Material is calculated based on the schedule entered and the curve type. 3. The percent in each fiscal year and quarter in the distribution is multiplied by the escalation factor for the fiscal year and quarter. The sum of these results is the average escalation rate for that Bill of Material. Schedule by curve: The allocation of costs to specific time periods is dependent on three inputs, starting schedule date, ending schedule date, and the percentage of costs allocated to each quarter. Contingency Analysis: The

Construction of cost effective homebuilt spin coater for coating ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We report the construction of a cost effective and low power consumption spin coater from a direct current (DC) brushless motor. The DC mechanical component is widdely available in the central processing unit (CPU) cooler. This set up permits simple operation where the DC voltage can be controlled manually in order to ...

The impact of labour productivity on the Swedish construction industries

OpenAIRE

Forsberg, Azam

2007-01-01

There have been debates concerning what can be done about the current low labour productivity in the Swedish construction industries. High production cost in the construction industries has been a burning issue for a long time. On the other hand, process industries and organisations have taken the advantage of labour productivity measurement to reduce their production cost and eliminate non value-added activities. The purpose of this paper is to examine, why and how the process industries and...

APPLICATION OF SIMPLIFIED TAXATION SYSTEM IN CONSTRUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. S. Golubova

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Specificity concerning cost formation of construction work executed by  entities of small business enterprises that use a simplified taxation system has a direct impact on the effectiveness of organization activity. Dozens of business entities applying various taxation systems are involved in the execution of the construction process. For this reason an inclusion of taxes in work cost may have a decisive influence on the selection of a contractor for an object construction.  

Comprehensive investigation into historical pipeline construction costs and engineering economic analysis of Alaska in-state gas pipeline

Science.gov (United States)

Rui, Zhenhua

This study analyzes historical cost data of 412 pipelines and 220 compressor stations. On the basis of this analysis, the study also evaluates the feasibility of an Alaska in-state gas pipeline using Monte Carlo simulation techniques. Analysis of pipeline construction costs shows that component costs, shares of cost components, and learning rates for material and labor costs vary by diameter, length, volume, year, and location. Overall average learning rates for pipeline material and labor costs are 6.1% and 12.4%, respectively. Overall average cost shares for pipeline material, labor, miscellaneous, and right of way (ROW) are 31%, 40%, 23%, and 7%, respectively. Regression models are developed to estimate pipeline component costs for different lengths, cross-sectional areas, and locations. An analysis of inaccuracy in pipeline cost estimation demonstrates that the cost estimation of pipeline cost components is biased except for in the case of total costs. Overall overrun rates for pipeline material, labor, miscellaneous, ROW, and total costs are 4.9%, 22.4%, -0.9%, 9.1%, and 6.5%, respectively, and project size, capacity, diameter, location, and year of completion have different degrees of impacts on cost overruns of pipeline cost components. Analysis of compressor station costs shows that component costs, shares of cost components, and learning rates for material and labor costs vary in terms of capacity, year, and location. Average learning rates for compressor station material and labor costs are 12.1% and 7.48%, respectively. Overall average cost shares of material, labor, miscellaneous, and ROW are 50.6%, 27.2%, 21.5%, and 0.8%, respectively. Regression models are developed to estimate compressor station component costs in different capacities and locations. An investigation into inaccuracies in compressor station cost estimation demonstrates that the cost estimation for compressor stations is biased except for in the case of material costs. Overall average

Solid construction waste management in large civil construction companies through use of specific software - case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caio Dalla Zanna

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In the current construction market there is a high demand for sustainability. In addition to that the Brazilian government is enacting tougher and tougher legislation on the disposal of solid construction waste. These demands increasingly make the construction company responsible for the entire lifecycle of its waste as well as the accompanying cost and environmental impact of solid waste. A software program was used in the research which allows construction companies gather information about waste. This helps the decision makers, at all different levels of the company improving waste management through better decisions. The software program was used during the construction of two residential buildings, constructed by a large construction company in the South of Brazil. Five key performance indicators were used by the construction company team: Generated Waste Height (cm, cost per built area (R$ m-², Waste Segregation Quality Index (WSQI, Effective Waste Management Index (EWMI and Waste Management Quality Index (WMQI. After four months the total cost of waste management was R$ 83,551.71 for site A and R$ 91,668.02 for site B. About 70% of the waste was raw material waste. The software program provided information not previously available, which made it possible to calculate the cost of material loss, indicating corrective actions, all without losing sight of cost reduction opportunities for the management of Solid construction Waste (SCW.

TRANSACTION COSTS AND MARKET IMPACT IN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Kociński

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to analyse the major sources of transaction costs in financial markets, in particular to find the amounts of such costs on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE. Sources of transaction costs are considered: commissions, bid-ask spread and market impact. The commissions are only briefly described since they are explicitly stated and easily measured. More attention is paid to the bid-ask spread which is one of the main causes of trading costs. It is shown that the investor who wants to outperform the Polish market should usually expect a much higher bid-ask spread than it follows from the officially used calculations. Then it is demonstrated how historical spreads can be used in predicting their future values. This seems to be important from the practical point of view, since forecasting trading costs is a compelling task for financial managers. Next, market impact and market impact costs are considered. The practical method of measuring these is applied and discussed.

Planning Costs in Certain Stage of the Life Cycle of Investment Activity of Construction Organization

OpenAIRE

Iakymchuk Iryna M.

2017-01-01

The article discusses the issues related to planning costs in certain stages of the life-cycle of investment activity of construction organization. It has been specified that cost management based on the life-cycle model of the investment project, which is being implemented by a construction organization, allows for a consistent improvement in the efficiency of the innovation process on the basis of a clear planning, as well as cost forecasting. This approach allows for the long-term effectiv...

Windpower project ownership and financing: The cost impacts of alternative development structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiser, R.H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)

1997-12-31

This paper uses traditional financial cash-flow techniques to examine the impact of different ownership and financing structures on the cost of wind energy. While most large-scale wind projects are constructed, operated, and financed by non-utility generators (NUGs) via project financing, investor- and publicly-owned utilities have expressed interest in owning and financing their own facilities rather than purchasing wind energy from independent generators. A primary justification for utility ownership is that, because of financing and tax benefits, windpower may be cheaper when developed in this fashion. The results presented in this paper support that justification, though some of the estimated cost savings associated with utility ownership are found to be a result of shortcomings in utility analysis procedures and implicit risk shifting. This paper also discusses the comparative value of the federal production tax credit and renewable energy production incentive; estimates the financing premium paid by NUG wind owners compared to traditional gas-fired generation facilities; and explores the impact of electricity restructuring on financing.

Effect of construction time, interest rate, and inflation on the capital cost of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abel, P.S.; Greybeck, E.M.; Omberg, R.P.

1981-09-01

Cost estimates for nuclear power plants currently under construction are on the order of four billion dollars. It will be shown, in this paper, that this is a direct consequence of relatively high inflation rates and relatively long construction times. If either inflation rates or construction times, or a combination thereof, should decrease significantly, cost estimates for nuclear power plants could return to approximately two billion dollars

Modeling Of Construction Noise For Environmental Impact Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed F. Hamoda

2008-06-01

Full Text Available This study measured the noise levels generated at different construction sites in reference to the stage of construction and the equipment used, and examined the methods to predict such noise in order to assess the environmental impact of noise. It included 33 construction sites in Kuwait and used artificial neural networks (ANNs for the prediction of noise. A back-propagation neural network (BPNN model was compared with a general regression neural network (GRNN model. The results obtained indicated that the mean equivalent noise level was 78.7 dBA which exceeds the threshold limit. The GRNN model was superior to the BPNN model in its accuracy of predicting construction noise due to its ability to train quickly on sparse data sets. Over 93% of the predictions were within 5% of the observed values. The mean absolute error between the predicted and observed data was only 2 dBA. The ANN modeling proved to be a useful technique for noise predictions required in the assessment of environmental impact of construction activities.

Design, construction and testing of a low-cost flat plate solar energy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A low-cost flat plate solar energy collector has been designed and constructed with locally available materials such as mild steel and black paint of absorptance 0.94. On testing, an average daily efficiency of 55.6% was obtained. The methods are simple and illustrate the fact that construction of efficient collectors are ...

THE IMPACT OF DEPRECIATION ON COSTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MARIANA RADU

2013-10-01

Full Text Available It is known that depreciation is calculated in financial accounting by regulated criteria, depending on a conventional fixed life. Excluding depreciation depending on units produced (applied to buildings and special construction of mines, salt mines, quarries where it is calculated per unit based on the exploitable reserve of useful mineral substance, the other depreciation methods do not always lead to fair and justified calculation of production costs. In this paper I will show how to record depreciation expenses in management accounting in Romania, the influence of methods of depreciation on costs, which are the restatements that depreciation expenses should be subject to for an accurate determination of production costs.

FACTORS AFFECTING COST PERFORMANCE IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WITHIN KELANTAN STATE IN MALAYSIA

OpenAIRE

ABDELNASER OMRAN; SITI NORHYDAYATON BINTI MAMAT

2011-01-01

This study investigates the factors affecting cost performance of construction projects in Kelantan State located in the east-coast part of Malaysia. It draws on relevant previous research in the theory of work on cost performance. Thirty-three contractors companies with different working grades in the state of Kelantan were participated in the study. Data were collected from the contractors using a questionnaire survey. The results indicated that the success factors affecting the cost perfor...

Risk analysis within environmental impact assessment of proposed construction activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeleňáková, Martina; Zvijáková, Lenka

2017-01-15

Environmental impact assessment is an important process, prior to approval of the investment plan, providing a detailed examination of the likely and foreseeable impacts of proposed construction activity on the environment. The objective of this paper is to develop a specific methodology for the analysis and evaluation of environmental impacts of selected constructions – flood protection structures using risk analysis methods. The application of methodology designed for the process of environmental impact assessment will develop assumptions for further improvements or more effective implementation and performance of this process. The main objective of the paper is to improve the implementation of the environmental impact assessment process. Through the use of risk analysis methods in environmental impact assessment process, the set objective has been achieved. - Highlights: This paper is informed by an effort to develop research with the aim of: • Improving existing qualitative and quantitative methods for assessing the impacts • A better understanding of relations between probabilities and consequences • Methodology for the EIA of flood protection constructions based on risk analysis • Creative approaches in the search for environmentally friendly proposed activities.

Risk analysis within environmental impact assessment of proposed construction activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeleňáková, Martina; Zvijáková, Lenka

2017-01-01

Environmental impact assessment is an important process, prior to approval of the investment plan, providing a detailed examination of the likely and foreseeable impacts of proposed construction activity on the environment. The objective of this paper is to develop a specific methodology for the analysis and evaluation of environmental impacts of selected constructions – flood protection structures using risk analysis methods. The application of methodology designed for the process of environmental impact assessment will develop assumptions for further improvements or more effective implementation and performance of this process. The main objective of the paper is to improve the implementation of the environmental impact assessment process. Through the use of risk analysis methods in environmental impact assessment process, the set objective has been achieved. - Highlights: This paper is informed by an effort to develop research with the aim of: • Improving existing qualitative and quantitative methods for assessing the impacts • A better understanding of relations between probabilities and consequences • Methodology for the EIA of flood protection constructions based on risk analysis • Creative approaches in the search for environmentally friendly proposed activities.

Investor's experience with keeping fixed costs during the construction of the Temelin nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cecil, P.

1990-01-01

The introduction of fixed costs in the construction of the Temelin nuclear power plant should secure stabilization of budget cost and prevent its increase. The differences between the fixed costs method and the procedure used so far are briefly described. The introduction of fixed costs was to be followed by the corresponding legal regulations; however, the legal adjustment has not been carried out in the desired completeness. The reason is the difference in understanding the notion of fixed costs by the investor, the contractor and the designer. Another problem is the difference in the level and the detail of the initial project design and of the Soviet implementation designs. The investor believes that the introduction of fixed costs has not yet met with the desired response by organizations participating in the construction. (J.P.)

Solid construction waste management in large civil construction companies through use of specific software - case study

OpenAIRE

Caio Dalla Zanna; Fernando Fernandes; José Carlos Gasparine

2017-01-01

In the current construction market there is a high demand for sustainability. In addition to that the Brazilian government is enacting tougher and tougher legislation on the disposal of solid construction waste. These demands increasingly make the construction company responsible for the entire lifecycle of its waste as well as the accompanying cost and environmental impact of solid waste. A software program was used in the research which allows construction companies gather information about...

Accounting for the inaccuracies in demand forecasts and construction cost estimations in transport project evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salling, Kim Bang; Leleur, Steen

2014-01-01

For decades researchers have claimedthat particularly demand forecasts and construction cost estimations are assigned with/affected by a large degree of uncertainty. Massively, articles,research documents and reports agree that there exists a tendencytowards underestimating the costs...... in demand and cost estimations and hence the evaluation of transport infrastructure projects. Currently, research within this area is scarce and scattered with no commonagreement on how to embed and operationalise the huge amount of empiricaldata that exist within the frame of Optimism Bias. Therefore...... convertingdeterministic benefit-cost ratios (BCRs) into stochasticinterval results. A new data collection (2009–2013) forms the empirical basis for any risk simulation embeddedwithin the so-calledUP database (UNITE project database),revealing the inaccuracy of both construction costs and demandforecasts. Accordingly...

Cost Consideration and a Possible Construction Timeline of the CEPC-SPPC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chou, Weiren [Fermilab

2015-04-01

This paper discusses the cost consideration and a possible construction timeline of the CEPC-SPPC study based on a preliminary conceptual design that is being carried out at the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) in China.

Payroll costs not identified by phase in construction work done with no third subcontracted

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rubén Antonio González Franco

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The Social Insurance Regulations applicable to the construction companies with regard to meeting high work requires the owner to generate high for each construction phase and thus to check the amounts of materials, machinery and equipment, as well as labor applied at the same stage, all in order to validate that it complies 100% with the payment of worker-employer contributions by the employer, guidelines in the specific case of SMEs practice becomes more complex, controls as these companies have no proof phased costs in two areas in particular, as are exercised costs of materials and workmanship for housing, which is why this research aims to solve the problem of generating clear guidelines to comply with the verification of payment of contributions in the field of labor when it is exerciseddirectly, and through the application of direct interviews and questionnaires to the units of analysis consists of businessmen, representatives, directors or business accountants SMEs construction, staff of the National Chamber of construction Industry and the Mexican Social Security Institute head of the Department of construction, who will answer questions the same instrument provides, and with this it was determined that in fact the perception of these SMEs is required to leave a standard criterion for testing and would be more appropriate apportionment of costs proportionately based on hire dates and termination dates of the work keeping track of costs identifying overall, leaving an identification number in the working papers for further review by the authority.

Environmental impacts of construction materials. A report on the contribution of construction materials to greenhouse gas emissions of construction; Rakennusmateriaalien ympaeristoevaikutukset. Selvitys rakennusmateriaalien vaikutuksesta rakentamisen kasvihuonekaasupaeaestoeihin, tiivistelmaeraportti

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruuska, A.; Haekkinen, T.; Vares, S.; Korhonen, M.-R.; Myllymaa, T.

2013-05-15

assurance. The study recommends that attention should be paid to construction materials when developing guidelines for energy efficient and low-carbon buildings. To support the design of sustainable buildings, information, tools and methods should be available to enable the carbon footprint of construction materials to be taken into account. It is also recommended that the overall GHG emissions and energy performance of public buildings be calculated. In addition, research is needed to study alternative ways of implementing guidelines taking into account the overall effects and cost impacts of construction. (orig.)

New technologies for lower-cost design and construction of new nuclear power plants. Annex 20

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritterbusch, S.E.; Bryan, R.E.; Harmon, D.L.

2002-01-01

Electric Power Research Institute studies indicate that in order to be competitive with gas-fired electric power plant capital costs, new nuclear plant capital cost in the USA must be decreased by at least 35% to 40% relative to costs of some Advanced Light Water Reactors designed in the early 1990s. To address this need, the U. S. Department of Energy is sponsoring three separate projects under its Nuclear Energy Research Initiative. These projects are the Risk-Informed Assessment of Regulatory and Design Requirements for Future Nuclear Power Plants, the Smart Equipment Nuclear Power Plant Program, and the Design, Procure, Construct, Install and Test Program. The goal of the Design-Construction program is reduction of the complete nuclear plant design-procure-construct-install-test cycle schedule and cost. A 3D plant model was combined with a construction schedule to produce a 4D visualization of plant construction, which was then used to analyze plant construction methods. Insights include the need for concurrent engineering, a plant-wide central database, and use of the World-Wide WEB. The goal of Smart Equipment program is to design, develop, and evaluate the methods for implementing smart equipment and predictive maintenance technology. 'Smart' equipment means components and systems that are instrumented and monitored to detect incipient failures in order to improve their reliability. The resulting smart equipment methods will be combined with a more risk-informed regulatory approach to allow plant designers to (1) simplify designs without compromising overall reliability and safety and (2) maintain more reliable plants at lower cost. Initial results show that rotating equipment such as charging pumps would benefit most from smart instrumentation and that the technique of Bayesian Belief Networks would be most appropriate for providing input to a health monitoring system. (author)

Construction Performance Optimization toward Green Building Premium Cost Based on Greenship Rating Tools Assessment with Value Engineering Method

Science.gov (United States)

Latief, Yusuf; Berawi, Mohammed Ali; Basten, Van; Riswanto; Budiman, Rachmat

2017-07-01

Green building concept becomes important in current building life cycle to mitigate environment issues. The purpose of this paper is to optimize building construction performance towards green building premium cost, achieving green building rating tools with optimizing life cycle cost. Therefore, this study helps building stakeholder determining building fixture to achieve green building certification target. Empirically the paper collects data of green building in the Indonesian construction industry such as green building fixture, initial cost, operational and maintenance cost, and certification score achievement. After that, using value engineering method optimized green building fixture based on building function and cost aspects. Findings indicate that construction performance optimization affected green building achievement with increasing energy and water efficiency factors and life cycle cost effectively especially chosen green building fixture.

International comparison of economic and technical indexes of nuclear power plant construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majer, P.; Fialova, H.

1988-01-01

The comparison of capital costs of the construction of nuclear power plants takes into consideration the following aspects: the delineation of the installation, the determination of costs and their break-down, the impact of the time factor, the conversion of the costs to a comparable unit. Power plants are always compared with roughly the same power capacity, this even when conditions for construction are not fully comparable. Construction costs may be divided into, e.g., pre-construction costs, direct capital costs, indirect capital costs, interest during construction. The time factor is manifest in the duration of construction and in the concrete year of construction for which the comparison is being made. The inflationary rise in prices and interests are increasing capital costs by roughly 5 - 8% per annum. The comparison of costs expressed in different currencies is made either by conversion using the rate of exchange or by comparing the time expended for the construction of the power plant. Various methods of comparison are discussed. (J.B.). 7 refs

Air quality impacts due to construction of LWR waste management facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-06-01

Air quality impacts of construction activities and induced housing growth as a result of construction activities were evaluated for four possible facilities in the LWR fuel cycle: a fuel reprocessing facility, fuel storage facility, fuel fabrication plant, and a nuclear power plant. Since the fuel reprocessing facility would require the largest labor force, the impacts of construction of that facility were evaluated in detail

Feasibility of perpetual pavement stage construction in China: A life cycle cost analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongyin Guo

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The main objective of pavement design and management is to build sustainable pavement structure with minimum costs during its whole life. There are many uncertainties in the process of pavement design pertaining many of its variables, such as future traffic estimation, long time behavior of materials, future weights and types of traveling vehicles, availability of funds etc. Therefore, it is important to apply pavement stage construction technique during the process of pavement design and management to minimize the risk associated with these uncertainties. From the beginning of 2000, the research and application of perpetual asphalt pavement (PP technology has been deployed in China. The semi rigid base for asphalt pavement has been normally considered as typical component of high class highways in the design according to the Chinese experience since 1997. The research objective is to apply pavement stage construction for the evaluation of life cycle costs of Chinese perpetual and traditional semi rigid pavements using operational pavement management system in addition to examine its suitability for design and construction of more economical and durable flexible pavements. It has been found that the stage construction of asphalt layers in PP over semi rigid pavement foundation will create more sustainable and trusted pavement structures in spite of 2–5% increase in present total cost.

The impact of carbon prices on generation-cycling costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denny, Eleanor; O'Malley, Mark

2009-01-01

The introduction of mechanisms aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions can have a serious impact on electricity system costs. A carbon mechanism that forces generators to internalise their emissions costs may alter the merit order in which generators are dispatched in the market. Heavy carbon dioxide polluters may switch from operating continuously to having to operate on the margin more often. This results in these units being required to switch on and off and vary their output more frequently, which has a significant impact on their costs. In this paper, the impact of carbon prices on the operating profiles of generators in a real electricity system is investigated. A large number of potential scenarios are considered and it is found that carbon prices significantly increase the cycling costs. These increased cycling costs significantly offset the carbon dioxide reduction benefits of the carbon price

Construction and calibration of a low cost and fully automated vibrating sample magnetometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Alaily, T.M.; El-Nimr, M.K.; Saafan, S.A.; Kamel, M.M.; Meaz, T.M.; Assar, S.T.

2015-01-01

A low cost vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) has been constructed by using an electromagnet and an audio loud speaker; where both are controlled by a data acquisition device. The constructed VSM records the magnetic hysteresis loop up to 8.3 KG at room temperature. The apparatus has been calibrated and tested by using magnetic hysteresis data of some ferrite samples measured by two scientifically calibrated magnetometers; model (Lake Shore 7410) and model (LDJ Electronics Inc. Troy, MI). Our VSM lab-built new design proved success and reliability. - Highlights: • A low cost automated vibrating sample magnetometer VSM has been constructed. • The VSM records the magnetic hysteresis loop up to 8.3 KG at room temperature. • The VSM has been calibrated and tested by using some measured ferrite samples. • Our VSM lab-built new design proved success and reliability

Construction and calibration of a low cost and fully automated vibrating sample magnetometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Alaily, T.M., E-mail: toson_alaily@yahoo.com [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta (Egypt); El-Nimr, M.K.; Saafan, S.A.; Kamel, M.M.; Meaz, T.M. [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta (Egypt); Assar, S.T. [Engineering Physics and Mathematics Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta (Egypt)

2015-07-15

A low cost vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) has been constructed by using an electromagnet and an audio loud speaker; where both are controlled by a data acquisition device. The constructed VSM records the magnetic hysteresis loop up to 8.3 KG at room temperature. The apparatus has been calibrated and tested by using magnetic hysteresis data of some ferrite samples measured by two scientifically calibrated magnetometers; model (Lake Shore 7410) and model (LDJ Electronics Inc. Troy, MI). Our VSM lab-built new design proved success and reliability. - Highlights: • A low cost automated vibrating sample magnetometer VSM has been constructed. • The VSM records the magnetic hysteresis loop up to 8.3 KG at room temperature. • The VSM has been calibrated and tested by using some measured ferrite samples. • Our VSM lab-built new design proved success and reliability.

Early cost estimating for road construction projects using multiple regression techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Mahamid

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is to develop early cost estimating models for road construction projects using multiple regression techniques, based on 131 sets of data collected in the West Bank in Palestine. As the cost estimates are required at early stages of a project, considerations were given to the fact that the input data for the required regression model could be easily extracted from sketches or scope definition of the project. 11 regression models are developed to estimate the total cost of road construction project in US dollar; 5 of them include bid quantities as input variables and 6 include road length and road width. The coefficient of determination r2 for the developed models is ranging from 0.92 to 0.98 which indicate that the predicted values from a forecast models fit with the real-life data. The values of the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE of the developed regression models are ranging from 13% to 31%, the results compare favorably with past researches which have shown that the estimate accuracy in the early stages of a project is between ±25% and ±50%.

The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant: an analysis of the impacts of its in-migrant construction workers on local public services. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braid, R.B. Jr.; Kyles, S.D.

1977-05-01

The socioeconomic impact study identifies certain impacts which are projected to occur to local public services in each of 14 Tennessee communities in the Oak Ridge-Knoxville area during the construction of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant. Various in-migration scenarios are utilized, and detailed qualitative and quantitative analyses of each public service are undertaken. Per capita in-migrant cost-revenue impacts are calculated for each community in each in-migration scenario

Problem of dynamic impacts upon NPP buildings and constructions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosterev, A.E.

1998-01-01

Activities of IAEA member-states dealing with the problems of taking into account external natural and technogenic impacts (earthquakes, cyclones, hurricanes, aircraft crushes, air shock waves) when designing NPP buildings and constructions important for nuclear and radiation safety are briefly discussed. It is concluded that development of IAEA general recommendations for taking into account specific dynamic impacts will improve noticeably safety of NPPs being in operation both in Russia and all over the World as a result of reconstruction of safety-important buildings and constructions

Investigation on the Factors Influencing Construction Time and Cost Overrun for High-Rise Building Projects In Penang

Science.gov (United States)

Nor Haslinda, A.; Xian, T. Wei; Norfarahayu, K.; Muhamad Hanafi, R.; Fikri, H. Muhammad

2018-04-01

Time and cost overruns have become one prominent issue for most construction projects around the world. Project costing and timeframe extension had been causing a lot of wastage and loss of opportunity for many parties involved. Therefore, this research was carried out to investigate the factors influencing time and cost overruns for high-rise construction projects in Penang, Malaysia. A set of questionnaires survey was distributed to the project managers who had been or currently involved in the high-rise building projects in Penang to get their input and perceptions for each factor identified as well as its frequency of occurrence. In order to rank all the factors gathered, the mean index of the most distinguishing factors and its frequency of occurrence were multiplied to get the severity index. The results revealed that for time overrun, the most predominant causes were due to design changes, inadequate planning and scheduling and poor labor productivity. Meanwhile, the predominant causes of cost overrun were poor pre-construction budget and material cost planning, inaccurate quantity take-off and materials cost increased by inflation. The significance of establishing the issues related to time and cost overruns for the high-rise building construction project is to provide a greater insight and understanding on the causes of delays, particularly among the main project players: contractors, client, and consultants.

The impact of new technology on compact disposal costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arrowsmith, H.W.; Zidow, T.M.

1989-01-01

The cost of disposal of low-level waste (LLW) has increased dramatically since the 1960s. In the '60s waste was put into the ground for a fee of less than $1/ft 3 in truck-size quantities. Fees for the same burial services today begin in the $30/ft 3 range and increase rapidly from that level. Although the user fees associated with compacts will clearly exceed $100/ft 3 , improved operating techniques by the generators will reduce the amount of waste produced. Current estimates suggest this reduction will drive the per-cubic-foot cost of disposal over the $200 mark. Technology is the only solution to this predicament. While costs already incurred will contribute to the fixed portion of the base user fees, the means to minimize the variable portion of the fees in now at hand. This variable portion results from on-site processing costs, waste form stability enhancements, and ongoing disposal unit construction. Technology exists to minimize volume through ultra compaction and selective incineration, greatly reducing the ongoing disposal unit construction requirements. Vitrification of incinerator residue provides waste form stability far in excess of that provided by concrete overpacks. As overpacks represent the second largest material cost at an engineered barrier facility, the potential for cost savings is substantial

Exploitation and Benefits of BIM in Construction Project Management

Science.gov (United States)

Mesároš, Peter; Mandičák, Tomáš

2017-10-01

BIM is increasingly getting into the awareness in construction industry. BIM is the process of creating and data managing of the building during its life cycle. BIM became a part of management tools in modern construction companies. Construction projects have a number of participants. It means difficulty process of construction project management and a serious requirement for processing the huge amount of information including design, construction, time and cost parameters, economic efficiency and sustainability. Progressive information and communication technologies support cost management and management of construction project. One of them is Building Information Modelling. Aim of the paper is to examine the impact of BIM exploitation and benefits on construction project management in Slovak companies.

Seeking sustainability in the construction sector: opportunities within impact assessment and sustainable public procurement

OpenAIRE

Uttam, Kedar

2014-01-01

Growing concerns regarding sustainability have led the construction sector to adopt various policy instruments for reducing the impacts caused by construction activities. One such policy instrument includes impact assessment, which enables the construction sector to evaluate the environmental consequences of proposed developments at project (environmental impact assessment) and strategic (strategic environmental assessment) level. In recent years, the construction sector has also adopted gree...

A comparative analysis of methods to represent uncertainty in estimating the cost of constructing wastewater treatment plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ho-Wen; Chang, Ni-Bin

2002-08-01

Prediction of construction cost of wastewater treatment facilities could be influential for the economic feasibility of various levels of water pollution control programs. However, construction cost estimation is difficult to precisely evaluate in an uncertain environment and measured quantities are always burdened with different types of cost structures. Therefore, an understanding of the previous development of wastewater treatment plants and of the related construction cost structures of those facilities becomes essential for dealing with an effective regional water pollution control program. But deviations between the observed values and the estimated values are supposed to be due to measurement errors only in the conventional regression models. The inherent uncertainties of the underlying cost structure, where the human estimation is influential, are rarely explored. This paper is designed to recast a well-known problem of construction cost estimation for both domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plants via a comparative framework. Comparisons were made for three technologies of regression analyses, including the conventional least squares regression method, the fuzzy linear regression method, and the newly derived fuzzy goal regression method. The case study, incorporating a complete database with 48 domestic wastewater treatment plants and 29 industrial wastewater treatment plants being collected in Taiwan, implements such a cost estimation procedure in an uncertain environment. Given that the fuzzy structure in regression estimation may account for the inherent human complexity in cost estimation, the fuzzy goal regression method does exhibit more robust results in terms of some criteria. Moderate economy of scale exists in constructing both the domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plants. Findings indicate that the optimal size of a domestic wastewater treatment plant is approximately equivalent to 15,000 m3/day (CMD) and higher in Taiwan

Environmental impact management during construction of the limestone project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Windsor, D.C.

1988-01-01

The Limestone Generating Station is being constructed on the Nelson River in Northern Manitoba, and will consist of a 10 unit powerhouse, 5 gate concrete spillway and earthfill dam spanning the 1.5 km width of the Nelson River. Environmental concerns associated with the project included insufficient pre- and post-construction monitoring documenting resources present or magnitude of impacts, impacts on brook trout and lake sturgeon resources, wildlife habitat loss due to construction activities, destruction or disturbance of historic or archaeological sites, degradation of nearby water courses and fish habitat by aggregate removal, in-migration of construction personnel, and various other socio-economic impacts. An overview is provided of monitoring activities and results in the above areas, which involved numerous consultants and government agencies. The project administration and workers did not find the environmental programs, including inspection and enforcement activities, to be onerous or an impediment to the project. On the contrary, the environmental requirements assisted in the general planning for certain activities, and in the general criteria for the conduct of the activities. The work permit process was particularly useful as it defined the requirements of both parties and provided the specific standards necessary determining the acceptability of the activities. 14 refs., 1 fig

The NIOSH Construction Program: research to practice, impact, and developing a National Construction Agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillen, Matt

2010-06-01

The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research to improve and protect the health and safety of workers. This paper describes the experience of the NIOSH Construction Program with two recent program planning initiatives intended to improve the program: (a) an independent external review of work over the past decade and (b) the development of strategic goals organized into a "National Construction Agenda" to guide a decade of future work. These goals, developed with input from construction industry stakeholders and researchers, are a part of the NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) initiative. The NORA goals are intended to provide an ambitious set of goals for all construction stakeholders to work together on. Both efforts relate to insuring the relevance and impact of research, reflecting an emerging policy perspective that research programs should be judged not just by the quality and quantity of science produced, but by the industry impact and tangible benefit resulting from the research. This paper describes how views on research planning have evolved to incorporate lessons learned about how research leads to improved safety and health for workers. It also describes the process used to develop the goals and the resulting strategic and intermediate goals that comprise the National Construction Agenda. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ensuring Efficient Incentive and Disincentive Values for Highway Construction Projects: A Systematic Approach Balancing Road User, Agency and Contractor Acceleration Costs and Savings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eul-Bum Lee

2018-03-01

Full Text Available United States State Highway Agencies (SHAs use Incentive/Disincentives (I/D to minimize negative impacts of construction on the traveling public through construction acceleration. Current I/D practices have the following short-comings: not standardized, over- or under-compensate contractors, lack of auditability result in disincentives that leave SHAs vulnerable to contractor claims and litigation and are based on agency costs/savings rather than contractor acceleration. Presented within this paper is an eleven-step I/D valuation process. The processes incorporate a US-nationwide RUC and agency cost calculation program, CA4PRS and a time-cost tradeoff I/D process. The incentive calculation used is the summation of the contractor acceleration and a reasonable contractor bonus (based on shared agency savings with an optional reduction of contractor’s own saving from schedule compression (acceleration. The process has a capability to be used both within the US and internationally with minor modifications, relies on historical costs, is simple and is auditable and repeatable. As such, it is a practical tool for optimizing I/D amounts and bridges the gap in existing literature both by its industry applicability, integrating the solution into existing SHA practices and its foundation of contractor acceleration costs.

Impact of road construction on malaria incidence and mosquito ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study evaluated the impact of road construction on the incidence of malaria cases reported at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) as well as vector abundance in Abeokuta South and North Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Ogun State. Mosquito larvae were collected from randomly selected four road construction sites ...

An environmental impact causal model for improving the environmental performance of construction processes

OpenAIRE

Fuertes Casals, Alba; Casals Casanova, Miquel; Gangolells Solanellas, Marta; Forcada Matheu, Núria; Macarulla Martí, Marcel; Roca Ramon, Xavier

2013-01-01

Despite the increasing efforts made by the construction sector to reduce the environmental impact of their processes, construction sites are still a major source of pollution and adverse impacts on the environment. This paper aims to improve the understanding of construction-related environmental impacts by identifying on-site causal factors and associated immediate circumstances during construc- tion processes for residential building projects. Based on the literature and focus g...

Cost reduction of LWRs - The main features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Board, J.A.; Norman, D.

1991-01-01

For effective generation cost reductions to be achieved while maintaining safety levels, the impact of each of the above element and their interactions must be fully assessed, together with the effects of uncertainty on commercial risk. the amount of interest during construction which must be paid can be minimised by adopting designs, output ratings (unit size), and construction methods which minimise construction time. However this must be done without unduly increasing specific capital cost. Total capital costs can be reduced by sharing design and project launching costs and front-end design and licensing costs, across a series of identical plants. The paper is reviewing costs and performance factors such as those above with the aim of identifying the strategies which might be necessary within and between countries in order to create an environment which would enable cost reductions on LWRs to be made. (author)

Cost escalation in nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montomery, W.D.; Quirk, J.P.

1978-01-01

This report is concerned with the escalation of capital costs of nuclear central station power plants between the early 1960s and the present. The report presents an historical overview of the development of the nuclear power industry and cost escalation in the industry, using existing data on orders and capital costs. New data are presented on regulatory delays in the licensing process, derived from a concurrent study being carried on in the Social Science group at Caltech. The conclusions of the study are that nuclear capital costs have escalated more rapidly than the GNP deflator or the construction industry price index. Prior to 1970, cost increases are related to bottleneck problems in the nuclear construction and supplying industries and the regulatory process; intervenors play only a minor role in cost escalation. After 1970, generic changes introduced into the licensing process by intervenors (including environmental impact reviews, antitrust reviews, more stringent safety standards) dominate the cost escalation picture, with bottlenecks of secondary importance. Recent increases in the time from application for a construction permit to commercial operation are related not only to intervenor actions, but also to suspensions, cancellations or postponements of construction by utilities due to unfavorable demand or financing conditions

Measuring the environmental costs of tidal power plant construction: A choice experiment study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Joo-Suk; Yoo, Seung-Hoon

2009-01-01

Korea is considering the construction of a tidal power plant (TPP) at Garolim Bay. However, as the construction of the Garolim TPP (GTPP) is expected to entail some environmental damage, it has become an increasingly important topic for public debate. Using a choice experiment (CE) approach, this study attempts to measure the economic cost that results from the environmental damage caused by the construction of GTPP. The CE is used to measure the environmental costs of individual attributes, including the reduction in the area of the tidal flat, the degradation of seawater quality, and the destruction of marine life. The results indicate that the annual willingness to pay (WTP) per household for mitigating the environmental damage that results from the worst-possible situation in relation to the present situation is about 96,042 Korean won (USD 101.1) in the seven biggest cities (off-site regions) and 18,584 Korean won (USD 19.6) in Seosan and Taean (on-site regions). This study is expected to provide policy-makers with quantitative information that will be useful to decide whether or not GTPP should be constructed.

A reply to “Historical construction costs of global nuclear power reactors”

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koomey, Jonathan; Hultman, Nathan E.; Grubler, Arnulf

2017-01-01

present data on the overnight costs of more than half of nuclear reactors built worldwide since the beginning of the nuclear age. The authors claim that this consolidated data set offers more accurate insights than previous country-level assessments. Unfortunately, the authors make analytical choices that mask nuclear power's real construction costs, cherry pick data, and include misleading data on early experimental and demonstration reactors. For those reasons, serious students of such issues should look elsewhere for guidance about understanding the true costs of nuclear power. - Highlights: • claim to accurately assess nuclear plant costs over time. • The authors err by relying on overnight costs, which exclude interest. • The authors cherry pick data (e.g, ignoring problems with French nuclear data). • The article's cherry picked data don’t even support the article's own conclusions. • Lovering et al. is not a reliable source for costs of nuclear power.

Costs of climate impacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roberts, W O

1980-03-01

The surest prospect for future world climate patterns is that they will differ from present ones. What is uncertain is how much, and exactly in what way in different geographical regions. The anthropogenic CO/sub 2/ increase will probably exceed the unknown forcing functions of natural climate change within 30 to 60 years. It is not unlikely that by AD 2040 the world's climate, driven by the CO/sub 2/ increase, will enter a domain warmer than any within the past few million years. The costs of averting this climate change or of absorbing its impact are likely to be huge, even though today imponderable. Not least among these are intangible and unquantifiable costs associated with changes in human values and the quality of everyday life for future generations.

E-COCOMO: The Extended COst Constructive MOdel for Cleanroom Software Engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hitesh KUMAR SHARMA

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Mistakes create rework. Rework takes time and increases costs. The traditional software engineering methodology defines the ratio of Design:Code:Test as 40:20:40. As we can easily see that 40% time and efforts are used in testing phase in traditional approach, that means we have to perform rework again if we found some bugs in testing phase. This rework is being performed after Design and code phase. This rework will increase the cost exponentially. The cleanroom software engineering methodology controls the exponential growth in cost by removing this rework. It says that "do the work correct in first attempt and move to next phase after getting the proof of correctness". This new approach minimized the rework and reduces the cost in the exponential ratio. Due to the removal of testing phase, the COCOMO (COst COnstructive MOdel used for the traditional engineering is not directly applicable in cleanroom software engineering. The traditional cost drivers used for traditional COCOMO needs to be revised. We have proposed the Extended version of COCOMO (i.e. E-COCOMO in which we have incorporated some new cost drivers. This paper explains the proposed E-COCOMO and the detailed description of proposed new cost driver.

Construction cost estimation of spherical storage tanks: artificial neural networks and hybrid regression—GA algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

Arabzadeh, Vida; Niaki, S. T. A.; Arabzadeh, Vahid

2017-10-01

One of the most important processes in the early stages of construction projects is to estimate the cost involved. This process involves a wide range of uncertainties, which make it a challenging task. Because of unknown issues, using the experience of the experts or looking for similar cases are the conventional methods to deal with cost estimation. The current study presents data-driven methods for cost estimation based on the application of artificial neural network (ANN) and regression models. The learning algorithms of the ANN are the Levenberg-Marquardt and the Bayesian regulated. Moreover, regression models are hybridized with a genetic algorithm to obtain better estimates of the coefficients. The methods are applied in a real case, where the input parameters of the models are assigned based on the key issues involved in a spherical tank construction. The results reveal that while a high correlation between the estimated cost and the real cost exists; both ANNs could perform better than the hybridized regression models. In addition, the ANN with the Levenberg-Marquardt learning algorithm (LMNN) obtains a better estimation than the ANN with the Bayesian-regulated learning algorithm (BRNN). The correlation between real data and estimated values is over 90%, while the mean square error is achieved around 0.4. The proposed LMNN model can be effective to reduce uncertainty and complexity in the early stages of the construction project.

Cheap versus expensive trades: Assessing the determinants of market impact costs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bikker, J.A.; Spierdijk, L.; van der Sluis, P.J.

2005-01-01

This paper assesses the determinants of market impact costs of institutional equity trades, using unique data from the world's second largest pension fund. We allow the impact of trade characteristics and market conditions on trading costs to depend on the level of trading costs itself and establish

Modelling the costs and consequences of treating paediatric faecal impaction in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Guest, Julian F; Clegg, John P

2006-01-01

To compare the costs and consequences of using oral macrogol 3350 plus electrolytes (macrogol 3350; Movicol) compared to enemas/suppositories, manual evacuation and naso-gastric administration of macrogol (NGA-PEG) lavage solution in treating paediatric faecal impaction in Australia. A decision model was constructed using published clinical outcomes, utilities and clinician-derived resource utilisation estimates. The model was used to determine the expected Commonwealth and parent costs associated with each treatment over the period of disimpaction and 12 weeks post-disimpaction, in Australian dollars at 2003/2004 prices. 92% of oral macrogol 3350-treated patients are expected to be disimpacted within 6 days following initial treatment, compared with 79% of patients treated with enemas and suppositories who are expected to be disimpacted within 8 days. All patients are expected to be disimpacted within 5 days following a manual evacuation and within 2 days following NGA-PEG. The level of health gain at 12 weeks post-disimpaction irrespective of treatment for disimpaction and subsequent maintenance is expected to be the same; the expected quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) being 0.20 (95% CI: 0.17; 0.23). Starting treatment with oral macrogol 3350 in an outpatient setting is expected to lead to a Commonwealth cost of $758, compared to $1838 with NGA-PEG, $2125 with enemas and suppositories, $3931 with oral macrogol 3350 in an inpatient setting and $4478 with manual evacuation. Resource use associated with maintenance following initial disimpaction is expected to be broadly similar, irrespective of initial laxative. Hence, the expected Commonwealth cost is primarily affected by the treatment used to initially disimpact a patient. Expected parents' costs are expected to be comparable irrespective of treatment ranging from $89 to $112 per patient. Within the limitations of our model, using oral macrogol 3350 in an outpatient setting for treating faecally impacted

2007 Effect of Changes in Layout Shape on Unit Construction Cost

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ezra

The shape of a building layout is the spatial attribute that defines the outline of the building. ... The results of this study indicate that perimeter-to-floor ratio, unit construction ... Design variables have been defined as the .... The objective of this paper is to explore the effect ... preparation of cost estimate, changing of design.

Predicting Market Impact Costs Using Nonparametric Machine Learning Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Saerom; Lee, Jaewook; Son, Youngdoo

2016-01-01

Market impact cost is the most significant portion of implicit transaction costs that can reduce the overall transaction cost, although it cannot be measured directly. In this paper, we employed the state-of-the-art nonparametric machine learning models: neural networks, Bayesian neural network, Gaussian process, and support vector regression, to predict market impact cost accurately and to provide the predictive model that is versatile in the number of variables. We collected a large amount of real single transaction data of US stock market from Bloomberg Terminal and generated three independent input variables. As a result, most nonparametric machine learning models outperformed a-state-of-the-art benchmark parametric model such as I-star model in four error measures. Although these models encounter certain difficulties in separating the permanent and temporary cost directly, nonparametric machine learning models can be good alternatives in reducing transaction costs by considerably improving in prediction performance.

Construction cost prediction model for conventional and sustainable college buildings in North America

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Othman Subhi Alshamrani

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The literature lacks in initial cost prediction models for college buildings, especially comparing costs of sustainable and conventional buildings. A multi-regression model was developed for conceptual initial cost estimation of conventional and sustainable college buildings in North America. RS Means was used to estimate the national average of construction costs for 2014, which was subsequently utilized to develop the model. The model could predict the initial cost per square feet with two structure types made of steel and concrete. The other predictor variables were building area, number of floors and floor height. The model was developed in three major stages, such as preliminary diagnostics on data quality, model development and validation. The developed model was successfully tested and validated with real-time data.

Seismic impact of the railway on the geotechnical constructions

Science.gov (United States)

Stolárik, Martin; Pinka, Miroslav

2017-09-01

Nowadays, the focus on more ecological means of material and persons transport is still higher. Big loads can be transported on railways more effectively and with lower environment impact than on roads. The geotechnical structures are inherent parts of railway infrastructure, such as embankments, sides of notches and, of course, tunnels, foundation constructions of buildings or pillars of bridges and the others geotechnical constructions (e.g. retaining walls, culverts, transition area of bridges). By train pass, vibrations are caused and these vibrations are relayed to the soil. These vibrations can make adverse impact to surrounding objects and to technologies placed in. This so far uncared-for influence gets into the foreground by current trend of everyday life technical equipment increasing. The article introduces different kinds of geotechnical structures and the influence of by-passing railway transport on their constructions and surroundings. The data are evaluated in the amplitude and frequency domain.

Lightweighting Impacts on Fuel Economy, Cost, and Component Losses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brooker, A. D.; Ward, J.; Wang, L.

2013-01-01

The Future Automotive Systems Technology Simulator (FASTSim) is the U.S. Department of Energy's high-level vehicle powertrain model developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. It uses a time versus speed drive cycle to estimate the powertrain forces required to meet the cycle. It simulates the major vehicle powertrain components and their losses. It includes a cost model based on component sizing and fuel prices. FASTSim simulated different levels of lightweighting for four different powertrains: a conventional gasoline engine vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and a battery electric vehicle (EV). Weight reductions impacted the conventional vehicle's efficiency more than the HEV, PHEV and EV. Although lightweighting impacted the advanced vehicles' efficiency less, it reduced component cost and overall costs more. The PHEV and EV are less cost effective than the conventional vehicle and HEV using current battery costs. Assuming the DOE's battery cost target of $100/kWh, however, the PHEV attained similar cost and lightweighting benefits. Generally, lightweighting was cost effective when it costs less than $6/kg of mass eliminated.

Comparative evaluation of low cost materials as constructed wetland filling media

Science.gov (United States)

Pinho, Henrique J. O.; Vaz, Mafalda M.; Mateus, Dina M. R.

2017-11-01

Three waste materials from civil construction activities were assessed as low cost alternative filling materials used in Constructed Wetlands (CW). CW are green processes for wastewater treatment, whose design includes an appropriate selection of vegetation and filling material. The sustainability of such processes may be incremented using recovered wastes as filling materials. The abilities of the materials to support plant growth and to contribute to pollutants removal from wastewater were assessed and compared to expanded clay, a filling usually used in CW design. Statistical analysis, using one-way ANOVA and Welch's ANOVA, demonstrate that limestone fragments are a better choice of filling material than brick fragments and basalt gravel.

External costs of PM2.5 pollution in Beijing, China: Uncertainty analysis of multiple health impacts and costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, Hao; Pizzol, Massimo; Xu, Linyu

2017-01-01

Some cities in China are facing serious air pollution problems including high concentrations of particles, SO 2 and NO x . Exposure to PM2.5, one of the primary air pollutants in many cities in China, is highly correlated with various adverse health impacts and ultimately represents a cost for society. The aim of this study is to assess health impacts and external costs related to PM2.5 pollution in Beijing, China with different baseline concentrations and valuation methods. The idea is to provide a reasonable estimate of the total health impacts and external cost due to PM2.5 pollution, as well as a quantification of the relevant uncertainty. PM2.5 concentrations were retrieved for the entire 2012 period in 16 districts of Beijing. The various PM2.5 related health impacts were identified and classified to avoid double counting. Exposure-response coefficients were then obtained from literature. Both the value of statistical life (VSL) and the amended human capital (AHC) approach were applied for external costs estimation, which could provide the upper and lower bound of the external costs due to PM2.5. To fully understand the uncertainty levels, the external cost distribution was determined via Monte Carlo simulation based on the uncertainty of the parameters such as PM2.5 concentration, exposure-response coefficients, and economic cost per case. The results showed that the external costs were equivalent to around 0.3% (AHC, China's guideline: C 0  = 35 μg/m 3 ) to 0.9% (VSL, WHO guideline: C 0  = 10 μg/m 3 ) of regional GDP depending on the valuation method and on the assumed baseline PM2.5 concentration (C 0 ). Among all the health impacts, the economic loss due to premature deaths accounted for more than 80% of the overall external costs. The results of this study could help policymakers prioritizing the PM2.5 pollution control interventions and internalize the external costs through the application of economic policy instruments. - Highlights: �

Predicting Market Impact Costs Using Nonparametric Machine Learning Models.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saerom Park

Full Text Available Market impact cost is the most significant portion of implicit transaction costs that can reduce the overall transaction cost, although it cannot be measured directly. In this paper, we employed the state-of-the-art nonparametric machine learning models: neural networks, Bayesian neural network, Gaussian process, and support vector regression, to predict market impact cost accurately and to provide the predictive model that is versatile in the number of variables. We collected a large amount of real single transaction data of US stock market from Bloomberg Terminal and generated three independent input variables. As a result, most nonparametric machine learning models outperformed a-state-of-the-art benchmark parametric model such as I-star model in four error measures. Although these models encounter certain difficulties in separating the permanent and temporary cost directly, nonparametric machine learning models can be good alternatives in reducing transaction costs by considerably improving in prediction performance.

Cost estimates for nuclear power in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, Grant; Heptonstall, Phil; Gross, Robert; Handley, David

2013-01-01

Current UK Government support for nuclear power has in part been informed by cost estimates that suggest that electricity from new nuclear power stations will be competitive with alternative low carbon generation options. The evidence and analysis presented in this paper suggests that the capital cost estimates for nuclear power that are being used to inform these projections rely on costs escalating over the pre-construction and construction phase of the new build programme at a level significantly below those that have been experienced by past US and European programmes. This paper applies observed construction time and cost escalation rates to the published estimates of capital costs for new nuclear plant in the UK and calculates the potential impact on levelised cost per unit of electricity produced. The results suggest that levelised cost may turn out to be significantly higher than expected which in turn has important implications for policy, both in general terms of the potential costs to consumers and more specifically for negotiations around the level of policy support and contractual arrangements offered to individual projects through the proposed contract for difference strike price. -- Highlights: •Nuclear power projects costs can rise substantially during the construction period. •Pre-construction and construction time can be much longer than anticipated. •Adjusting estimates for observed experience increases levelised costs significantly. •Higher costs suggest that more policy support than envisaged may be required

Reliability and Cost Impacts for Attritable Systems

Science.gov (United States)

2017-03-23

on reliability and cost: a probabilistic model. Electric Power Systems Research, 72(3), 213-224. Kalbfleisch, J.D. & Prentice, R.L. (1980). The...copyright protection in the United States. AFIT-ENV-MS-17-M-172 RELIABILITY AND COST IMPACTS FOR ATTRITABLE SYSTEMS THESIS Presented to... power of discrete time Markov chains, whether homogeneous or non-homogeneous, to model the reliability and dependability of repairable systems should

Cost-Sharing of Ecological Construction Based on Trapezoidal Intuitionistic Fuzzy Cooperative Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiacai Liu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available There exist some fuzziness and uncertainty in the process of ecological construction. The aim of this paper is to develop a direct and an effective simplified method for obtaining the cost-sharing scheme when some interested parties form a cooperative coalition to improve the ecological environment of Min River together. Firstly, we propose the solution concept of the least square prenucleolus of cooperative games with coalition values expressed by trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. Then, based on the square of the distance in the numerical value between two trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers, we establish a corresponding quadratic programming model to obtain the least square prenucleolus, which can effectively avoid the information distortion and uncertainty enlargement brought about by the subtraction of trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. Finally, we give a numerical example about the cost-sharing of ecological construction in Fujian Province in China to show the validity, applicability, and advantages of the proposed model and method.

Cost-Sharing of Ecological Construction Based on Trapezoidal Intuitionistic Fuzzy Cooperative Games.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jiacai; Zhao, Wenjian

2016-11-08

There exist some fuzziness and uncertainty in the process of ecological construction. The aim of this paper is to develop a direct and an effective simplified method for obtaining the cost-sharing scheme when some interested parties form a cooperative coalition to improve the ecological environment of Min River together. Firstly, we propose the solution concept of the least square prenucleolus of cooperative games with coalition values expressed by trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. Then, based on the square of the distance in the numerical value between two trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers, we establish a corresponding quadratic programming model to obtain the least square prenucleolus, which can effectively avoid the information distortion and uncertainty enlargement brought about by the subtraction of trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. Finally, we give a numerical example about the cost-sharing of ecological construction in Fujian Province in China to show the validity, applicability, and advantages of the proposed model and method.

How environmental costs impact DSM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sim, S.R.

1991-01-01

This article examines the impacts of environmental costs of electricity generation into utility planning of demand side management (DSM) programs. The topics include approach and assumptions, overview of spreadsheet approach, results of the analyses, and the application of this approach to other areas of utility management such as new generation projects, sales of new generation capacity, and utility liability and management prudency

An Analysis of Cost Premiums and Losses Associated with USAF Military Construction (MILCON)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-01

construction firms ( Molenaar et al. 1999). The design-build+ method is a form of DB which brings the contractor into the planning phase early to help...of firm fixed prices requires the contractor to commit to a set price early in the design process ( Molenaar et al. 1999). Both firm fixed and cost...Research The performance of MILCON projects based on execution method has been investigated in terms of cost, performance, and schedule. Molenaar

Costs and competitiveness of nuclear electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, L.L.; Woite, G.

1995-01-01

The experienced and projected future construction costs and electricity generation costs of nuclear and fossil fired power plants are reviewed and compared. On the basis of actual operating experience, nuclear power has been demonstrated to be economically competitive with other base load generation options, and international studies project that this economic competitiveness will be largely maintained in the future, over a range of conditions and in a number of countries. However, retaining and improving this competitiveness position requires concerted efforts to ensure that nuclear plants are constructed within schedule and budget, and are operated reliably and efficiently. Relevant cost impacting factors are identified, and conclusions for successful nuclear power plant construction and operation are drawn. The desire to attain sustainable development with balanced resource use and control of the environmental and climatic impacts of energy systems could lead to renewed interest in nuclear power as an energy source that does not emit greenhouse gases, thus contributing to a revival of the nuclear option. In this regard also, mitigation of emissions from fossil fuelled power plants could lead to restrictions of fossil fuel use and/or result in higher costs of fossil based generation, thus improving the economic competitiveness of nuclear power. (author). 19 refs, 7 figs, 2 tabs

The Impact of Depreciation on Costs

OpenAIRE

Mariana Radu

2013-01-01

It is known that depreciation is calculated in financial accounting by regulated criteria, depending on a conventional fixed life. Excluding depreciation depending on units produced (applied to buildings and special construction of mines, salt mines, quarries) where it is calculated per unit based on the exploitable reserve of useful mineral substance, the other depreciation methods do not always lead to fair and justified calculation of production costs. In this paper I will show how to reco...

Case study of the effects of public safety regulation on the construction costs of coal-fired and nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morris, C.D.

1987-01-01

Regulations intended to reduce the number of accidents at nuclear plants and the discharge of sulfur and particulate wastes at coal-fired power plants have become an important cause of construction cost escalation. Measuring the costs of these regulatory interventions is a difficult research task. The three-unit Bruce Mansfield coal-fired plant and the two-unit Beaver Valley nuclear power station located in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, provide a unique opportunity for a case study of the costs of regulation in the construction of both kinds of plants. The units of each plant were built sequentially over a period of intensifying regulation. The method used to measure the costs of public safety regulation in the construction of each kind of plant is to determine the connections between the issuances of the regulatory agencies (EPA and NRC) and cost escalations of succeeding units. The small cost escalations of the Mansfield 3 unit, in comparison to the massive costs of the Beaver Valley 2 unit, suggest that the design and construction of new coal-fired plants are not disrupted by regulatory interventions nearly as extensively as are nuclear units. Certain technical features of Beaver Valley 2, especially its small size and a design that is identical to the first unit's, further contribute to its cost escalations

Climate impacts on the cost of solar energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flowers, Mallory E.; Smith, Matthew K.; Parsekian, Ara W.; Boyuk, Dmitriy S.; McGrath, Jenna K.; Yates, Luke

2016-01-01

Photovoltaic (PV) Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) estimates are widely utilized by decision makers to predict the long-term cost and benefits of solar PV installations, but fail to consider local climate, which impacts PV panel lifetime and performance. Specific types of solar PV panels are known to respond to climate factors differently. Mono-, poly-, and amorphous-silicon (Si) PV technologies are known to exhibit varying degradation rates and instantaneous power losses as a function of operating temperature, humidity, thermal cycling, and panel soiling. We formulate an extended LCOE calculation, which considers PV module performance and lifespan as a function of local climate. The LCOE is then calculated for crystalline and amorphous Si PV technologies across several climates. Finally, we assess the impact of various policy incentives on reducing the firm's cost of solar deployment when controlling for climate. This assessment is the first to quantify tradeoffs between technologies, geographies, and policies in a unified manner. Results suggest crystalline Si solar panels as the most promising candidate for commercial-scale PV systems due to their low degradation rates compared to amorphous technologies. Across technologies, we note the strong ability of investment subsidies in removing uncertainty and reducing the LCOE, compared to production incentives. - Highlights: •We integrate local climate into the Levelized Cost of photovoltaic technology. •Climate dictates panel degradation rates and the impact of temperature on efficiency. •We compare LCOE under policy scenarios for three technologies in four U. S. states. •Degradation is highly variable, increasing costs by shortening panel life in many regions. •Incentives targeting investment are most effective at reducing solar deployment costs.

Impact of Supply Chain Alignment on Construction Performance: A developed model for Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huy Troung Quang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available There are many articles mentioning the advantages and benefits of supply chain alignment none, however, describe how to model such alignment in the supply chain. This paper offers a framework for examining and understanding the impact supply chain alignment has on performance. Based on supply chain mapping approach, a model describing alignment between processes/ flows in the supply chain network is developed. The model is then validated using a dataset of 316 enterprises operating in the Vietnam construction sector. Evidence indicates that the supply chain processes and flows were aligned. According to the results, the proposed supply chain alignment model is able to explain a 59.9% variance in operational performance, 58.9% in customer satisfaction, 34.5% in operating costs and 67.4% in business performance. To successfully align the supply chain network, companies can use the proposed model as a “road-map” to reduce high costs, to avoid the loss of control, management difficulties and/or vulnerability to opportunistic action, all of which may hinder efforts to align the supply chains.

Trends in the capital costs of CANDU generating stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, A.M.

1982-09-01

This paper consolidates the actual cost experience gained by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Ontario Hydro, and other Canadian electric utlities in the planning, design and construction of CANDU-PHWR (CANada Deuterium Uranium-Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor) generating stations over the past 30 years. For each of the major CANDU-PHWR generating stations in operation and under construction in Canada, an analysis is made to trace the evolution of the capital cost estimates. Major technical, economic and other parameters that affect the cost trends of CANDU-PHWR generating stations are identified and their impacts assessed. An analysis of the real cost of CANDU generating stations is made by eliminating interest during construction and escalation, and the effects of planned deferment of in-service dates. An historical trend in the increase in the real cost of CANDU power plants is established. Based on the cost experience gained in the design and construction of CANDU-PHWR units in Canada, as well as on the assessment of parameters that influence the costs of such projects, the future costs of CANDU-PHWRs are presented

Impact of modules on the ACR construction schedule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choy, Ed; Elgohary, Medhat; Fairclough, Neville; Yu, Stephen; Murayama, Kouichi; Miura, Jun; Kawahata, Junichi

2003-01-01

The ACR (Advanced CANDU Reactor), developed by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL), is designed with constructability considerations as a major requirement during all project phases from the concept design stage to the detail design stage. For ACR-700, a project schedule of 48 months has been developed for the nth replicated unit with a 36 month construction period duration from First Concrete to Fuel Load. AECL, recognizing the immense benefit of collective experience, is partnering with Hitachi Ltd in the development of the ACR power plant design. AECL has gained valuable experience in implementing new construction methods at the Qinshan (Phase III) twin unit CANDU 6 plant in China, and Hitachi likewise has enjoyed success in modular construction of ABWRs in Japan. Utilizing these experiences, AECL is developing the ACR nuclear steam plant (NSP) and Hitachi is developing the Turbine Building. An overall construction strategy, which builds on the success of these construction methods from the nuclear power plant developments in China and Japan, has been developed for the ACR. The overall construction strategy comprises the 'Open Top' construction technique using a Very Heavy Lift crane, parallel construction activities, with extensive modularization and prefabrication. Modules and prefabrications are major features of the ACR design, resulting in an excess of 80% of Reactor Building internal work being completed as modules or as very streamlined traditional construction. This paper reviews the ACR construction strategy and provides examples of modules and how they impact on the ACR construction schedule. In conclusion, the ACR-700 is designed using the latest, proven construction methods to achieve a 36 month construction period for the nth replicated unit. (author)

Forecasting market impact costs and identifying expensive trades

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bikker, J.A.; Spierdijk, L.; Hoevenaars, R.P.M.M.; van der Sluis, P.J.

Often, a relatively small group of trades causes the major part of the trading costs on an investment portfolio. For the equity trades studied in this paper, executed by the world's second largest pension fund, we find that only 10% of all trades determines 75% of total market impact costs.

An economic analysis of the effects of regulatory delay on nuclear power plant construction. Technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maloney, M.T.; Walsh, M.D.

1980-08-01

In order to evaluate the impact that any government regulation has on society, an accurate measure of the costs imposed by the regulation is essential. Current government estimates of the cost of pollution control legislation have failed to include the costs of project delays that firms may experience when complying with such standards. Clearly, if these delays are the direct result of such legislation their costs should be included for a proper evaluation. The purpose of this report is to define and measure the true impact that construction deals have on the total project costs of a specific industry. The Nuclear Power Industry has been chosen to illustrate the problem. First, the industry is examined in terms of its economic and physical environment. A model is then developed to deal with the costs involved in the construction of a typical nuclear plant. The model is tested by regressing time and cost data of 31 completed plants to determine the impact that unanticipated delays have had on total project costs. These results indicate that such delays would increase the total project costs of a typical 1,000 mw plant by .8 percent per month in the initial stage of the project and 1.1 percent per month after actual construction begins

Management for Construction Materials and Control of Construction Waste in Construction Industry: A Review

OpenAIRE

A. A. Gulghane; Prof P. V. Khandve

2015-01-01

In recent treads a wide range of building materials is available for the construction of civil engineering structures. The total cost of materials may be up to 60% or more of the total cost incurred in construction project dependent upon the type of project. Effective construction materials management is a key to success for a construction project. Construction waste is another serious problem in construction industry. A large and various types of construction waste with different...

The Impact of Heat Waves on Occurrence and Severity of Construction Accidents.

Science.gov (United States)

Rameezdeen, Rameez; Elmualim, Abbas

2017-01-11

The impact of heat stress on human health has been extensively studied. Similarly, researchers have investigated the impact of heat stress on workers' health and safety. However, very little work has been done on the impact of heat stress on occupational accidents and their severity, particularly in South Australian construction. Construction workers are at high risk of injury due to heat stress as they often work outdoors, undertake hard manual work, and are often project based and sub-contracted. Little is known on how heat waves could impact on construction accidents and their severity. In order to provide more evidence for the currently limited number of empirical investigations on the impact of heat stress on accidents, this study analysed 29,438 compensation claims reported during 2002-2013 within the construction industry of South Australia. Claims reported during 29 heat waves in Adelaide were compared with control periods to elicit differences in the number of accidents reported and their severity. The results revealed that worker characteristics, type of work, work environment, and agency of accident mainly govern the severity. It is recommended that the implementation of adequate preventative measures in small-sized companies and civil engineering sites, targeting mainly old age workers could be a priority for Work, Health and Safety (WHS) policies.

The Impact of Heat Waves on Occurrence and Severity of Construction Accidents

Science.gov (United States)

Rameezdeen, Rameez; Elmualim, Abbas

2017-01-01

The impact of heat stress on human health has been extensively studied. Similarly, researchers have investigated the impact of heat stress on workers’ health and safety. However, very little work has been done on the impact of heat stress on occupational accidents and their severity, particularly in South Australian construction. Construction workers are at high risk of injury due to heat stress as they often work outdoors, undertake hard manual work, and are often project based and sub-contracted. Little is known on how heat waves could impact on construction accidents and their severity. In order to provide more evidence for the currently limited number of empirical investigations on the impact of heat stress on accidents, this study analysed 29,438 compensation claims reported during 2002–2013 within the construction industry of South Australia. Claims reported during 29 heat waves in Adelaide were compared with control periods to elicit differences in the number of accidents reported and their severity. The results revealed that worker characteristics, type of work, work environment, and agency of accident mainly govern the severity. It is recommended that the implementation of adequate preventative measures in small-sized companies and civil engineering sites, targeting mainly old age workers could be a priority for Work, Health and Safety (WHS) policies. PMID:28085067

Making Hay When It Rains: The Effect Prevailing Wage Regulations, Scale Economies, Seasonal, Cyclical and Local Business Patterns Have On School Construction Costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Azari-Rad, Hamid; Philips, Peter; Prus, Mark

2002-01-01

Examines several alternative ways for school districts to reduce the construction costs of new facilities. Finds that spacing out the start of facility construction projects and building during economic downturns in the construction industry offer the best options for construction cost savings. (PKP)

Methodology for reducing energy and resource costs in construction of trenchless crossover of pipelines

Science.gov (United States)

Toropov, V. S.

2018-05-01

The paper suggests a set of measures to select the equipment and its components in order to reduce energy costs in the process of pulling the pipeline into the well in the constructing the trenchless pipeline crossings of various materials using horizontal directional drilling technology. A methodology for reducing energy costs has been developed by regulating the operation modes of equipment during the process of pulling the working pipeline into a drilled and pre-expanded well. Since the power of the drilling rig is the most important criterion in the selection of equipment for the construction of a trenchless crossover, an algorithm is proposed for calculating the required capacity of the rig when operating in different modes in the process of pulling the pipeline into the well.

Global health impacts and costs due to mercury emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Spadaro, Joseph V; Rabl, Ari

2008-06-01

Since much of the emission is in the form of metallic Hg whose atmospheric residence time is long enough to cause nearly uniform mixing in the hemisphere, much of the impact is global. This article presents a first estimate of global average neurotoxic impacts and costs by defining a comprehensive transfer factor for ingestion of methyl-Hg as ratio of global average dose rate and global emission rate. For the dose-response function (DRF) we use recent estimates of IQ decrement as function of Hg concentration in blood, as well as correlations between blood concentration and Hg ingestion. The cost of an IQ point is taken as $18,000 in the United States and applied in other countries in proportion to per capita GDP, adjusted for purchase power parity. The mean estimate of the global average of the marginal damage cost per emitted kg of Hg is about $1,500/kg, if one assumes a dose threshold of 6.7 mug/day of methyl-Hg per person, and $3,400/kg without threshold. The average global lifetime impact and cost per person at current emission levels are 0.02 IQ points lost and $78 with and 0.087 IQ points and $344 without threshold. These results are global averages; for any particular source and emission site the impacts can be quite different. An assessment of the overall uncertainties indicates that the damage cost could be a factor 4 smaller or larger than the median estimate (the uncertainty distribution is approximately log normal and the ratio median/mean is approximately 0.4).

SUBSTANTIATION OF THE COST OF HOUSING CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING THE FACTOR OF INVESTMENT ATTRACTIVENESS OF TERRITORIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZAIATS Yi. I.

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Problem statement. For planning and organization of urban construction is necessary to analyze the use of areas. Territorial resources of the city, being used for construction and other urban purposes, consists of plots of land: disposable, reserved and undeveloped in previous years of construction in progress; residential districts and blocks of obsolete housing fund; industrial and municipal and warehouse enterprises being used irrationally or stopped to work; the defence department, where the amortized warehouses and other main funds are that are not used by purpose; agricultural enterprises where the obsolete industrial funds, haying, nurseries, greenhouses. The number of free areas suitable for future urban development is extremely limited. However a considerable part of the territories of almost all functional zones is used inefficiently. Purpose. Formalization of a factor of investment attractiveness of territories for the further identification and research of the connection between it and the cost of housing construction is necessary. Conclusion. The identification of regularities of influence of the factor of investment attractiveness of territories on the cost of construction of high-rise buildings allow to obtain a quantitative estimate of this effect and can be used in the development of the methodology of substantiation of the expediency and effectiveness of the implementation of highrise construction projects, based on organizational and technological aspects.

Construction and calibration of a low cost and fully automated vibrating sample magnetometer

Science.gov (United States)

El-Alaily, T. M.; El-Nimr, M. K.; Saafan, S. A.; Kamel, M. M.; Meaz, T. M.; Assar, S. T.

2015-07-01

A low cost vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) has been constructed by using an electromagnet and an audio loud speaker; where both are controlled by a data acquisition device. The constructed VSM records the magnetic hysteresis loop up to 8.3 KG at room temperature. The apparatus has been calibrated and tested by using magnetic hysteresis data of some ferrite samples measured by two scientifically calibrated magnetometers; model (Lake Shore 7410) and model (LDJ Electronics Inc. Troy, MI). Our VSM lab-built new design proved success and reliability.

Hypervelocity Impact Testing of Materials for Additive Construction: Applications on Earth, the Moon, and Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Ordonez, Erick; Edmunson, Jennifer; Fiske, Michael; Christiansen, Eric; Miller, Josh; Davis, Bruce Alan; Read, Jon; Johnston, Mallory; Fikes, John

2017-01-01

Additive Construction is the process of building infrastructure such as habitats, garages, roads, berms, etcetera layer by layer (3D printing). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are pursuing additive construction to build structures using resources available in-situ. Using materials available in-situ reduces the cost of planetary missions and operations in theater. The NASA team is investigating multiple binders that can be produced on planetary surfaces, including the magnesium oxide-based Sorel cement; the components required to make Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), the common cement used on Earth, have been found on Mars. The availability of OPC-based concrete on Earth drove the USACE to pursue additive construction for base housing and barriers for military operations. Planetary and military base structures must be capable of resisting micrometeoroid impacts with velocities ranging from 11 to 72km/s for particle sizes 200 micrometers or more (depending on protection requirements) as well as bullets and shrapnel with a velocity of 1.036km/s with projectiles 5.66mm diameter and 57.40mm in length, respectively.

Impact of Construction Health & Safety Regulations on Project ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Impact of Construction Health & Safety Regulations on Project Parameters in Nigeria: Consultants and Contractors View. ... The study recommends that better attention is given to health and safety should as a project parameter and that related practice notes and guidelines should be evolved for all project stakeholders.

The Impact of Heat Waves on Occurrence and Severity of Construction Accidents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rameez Rameezdeen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The impact of heat stress on human health has been extensively studied. Similarly, researchers have investigated the impact of heat stress on workers’ health and safety. However, very little work has been done on the impact of heat stress on occupational accidents and their severity, particularly in South Australian construction. Construction workers are at high risk of injury due to heat stress as they often work outdoors, undertake hard manual work, and are often project based and sub-contracted. Little is known on how heat waves could impact on construction accidents and their severity. In order to provide more evidence for the currently limited number of empirical investigations on the impact of heat stress on accidents, this study analysed 29,438 compensation claims reported during 2002–2013 within the construction industry of South Australia. Claims reported during 29 heat waves in Adelaide were compared with control periods to elicit differences in the number of accidents reported and their severity. The results revealed that worker characteristics, type of work, work environment, and agency of accident mainly govern the severity. It is recommended that the implementation of adequate preventative measures in small-sized companies and civil engineering sites, targeting mainly old age workers could be a priority for Work, Health and Safety (WHS policies.

Cost Control Strategies for Zero Energy Buildings: High-Performance Design and Construction on a Budget (Brochure)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2014-09-01

There is mounting evidence that zero energy can, in many cases, be achieved within typical construction budgets. To ensure that the momentum behind zero energy buildings and other low-energy buildings will continue to grow, this guide assembles recommendations for replicating specific successes of early adopters who have met their energy goals while controlling costs. Contents include: discussion of recommended cost control strategies, which are grouped by project phase (acquisition and delivery, design, and construction) and accompanied by industry examples; recommendations for balancing key decision-making factors; and quick reference tables that can help teams apply strategies to specific projects.

The true costs of nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallner, A.; Mraz, G.

2013-01-01

Olkiluoto 3: completion has been postponed from 2009 to 2014 and the construction costs have already more than doubled from the original estimate, currently reaching € 8.5 billion. This price is the same as that announced by the Confederation of British Industry in July 2013 for Hinkley Point: € 16.3 billion for 2 EPR á 1,600 MW - € 5 billion for 1,000 MW. Potential investors are aware of high construction costs and the high risks connected with them: new builds in Europe appear impossible without state aid-like credit guarantees, tax relief or guaranteed feed-in tariffs. The UK is currently in the midst of a heated debate about the strike price, a guaranteed minimum price for electricity delivered into the grid for decades ahead, state aid being given for nuclear energy on the basis of it being a low-carbon technology; the outcome of this will have significant impact on European new build projects. The second part of the paper focuses on the possible costs of a MCA – the Maximum Credible Accident – and the impact of full insurance for nuclear power on the costs of nuclear energy. This focus delivered the following results: several studies have shown the total cost of an MCA to reach anywhere between 71 und 5,800 billion USD. This wide range illustrates how unclear the actual costs of such an accident are. The liability sums currently used are way below this value, and cover only a fraction of the possible damage. Full insurance would cause electricity generation costs to skyrocket – even if the accumulation period was 100 years, the costs would increase 3 – 50 fold. If an accident had to be covered during the lifetime of a nuclear power plant, then costs would increase 80-1,300 fold. However, in reality a nuclear accident can never be covered by insurance. (author)

Cost management in the internal value chain of integrated application of activity-based costing, Kaizen concept and target costing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pešić-Tomić Vesna

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is an effort to view the possibilities of integrated use of target costing, activity based costing and Kaizen concept in the internal value chain as the central link of the entire chain. The idea is to stimulate the company management to think about the costs, position they take in the structure of price cost and their influence on forming the sales price since it is very important to produce right product for the consumer, of desired quality and functionality but along with as low production costs as possible. It is therefore needed to construct the right design of a product and provide its production at the shortest possible time along with as low costs as possible which will impact the efficiency of the entire value chain.

Study of short-haul aircraft operating economics. Phase 2: an analysis of the impact of jet modernization on local service airline operating costs. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrastek, D.A.

1976-05-01

The objectives of this phase of the study were (1) to assess the 10 year operating cost trends of the local service airlines operating in the 1965 through 1974 period, (2) to glean from these trends the technological and operational parameters which were impacted most significantly by the transition to newer pure jet, short haul transports, and effected by changing fuel prices and cost of living indices, and (3) to develop, construct, and evaluate an operating cost forecasting model which would incorporate those factors which best predicted airline total operating cost behavior over that 10-year period.

FORMALIZING PRODUCT COST DISTORTION: The Impact of Volume-Related Allocation Bases on Cost Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnny Jermias

2003-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose o f this study is to formally analyze product cost distortions resulting from the process of allocating costs to products based on Activity-Based Costing (ABC and the conventional product costing systems. The model developed in this paper rigorously shows the impact of treating costs that are not volume related as if they are. The model demonstrates that the source of product cost distortion is the difference between the proportion of driver used by each product in ABC and the proportion of the base used by the same product in the conventional costing systems. The difference arises because the conventional costing systems ignore the existence of batch-related and product-related costs. The model predicts a positive association between volume and size diversity with product cost distortions. When interaction between volume and size diversity exists, the distortion is either mitigated or exacerbated. The magnitude of the distortion is jointly determined by the size of the differences and the size of the total indirect costs.

Open-source digital technologies for low-cost monitoring of historical constructions

OpenAIRE

Basto, Camilo; Pelà, Luca; Chacón Flores, Rolando Antonio

2017-01-01

This paper shows new possibilities of using novel, open-source, low-cost platforms for the structural health monitoring of heritage structures. The objective of the study is to present an assessment of increasingly available open-source digital modeling and fabrication technologies in order to identify the suitable counterparts of the typical components of a continuous static monitoring system for a historical construction. The results of the research include a simple case-study, which is pre...

Discussion on the method of environmental radiological impact assessment for the highway construction project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu Guohua

2008-01-01

Based on the characteristics and environmental radiological impact of the highway construction project, the basic procedure of environmental radiological impact assessment for the highway construction project is put forward, including analysis and determination of contamination sources, selection of evaluation factors, determination of assessment range and dose limit, environmental investigation, environmental impact prediction and assessment. The working method of each procedure is analyzed. (authors)

External costs of PM2.5 pollution in Beijing, China: Uncertainty analysis of multiple health impacts and costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Hao; Pizzol, Massimo; Xu, Linyu

2017-07-01

Some cities in China are facing serious air pollution problems including high concentrations of particles, SO 2 and NO x . Exposure to PM2.5, one of the primary air pollutants in many cities in China, is highly correlated with various adverse health impacts and ultimately represents a cost for society. The aim of this study is to assess health impacts and external costs related to PM2.5 pollution in Beijing, China with different baseline concentrations and valuation methods. The idea is to provide a reasonable estimate of the total health impacts and external cost due to PM2.5 pollution, as well as a quantification of the relevant uncertainty. PM2.5 concentrations were retrieved for the entire 2012 period in 16 districts of Beijing. The various PM2.5 related health impacts were identified and classified to avoid double counting. Exposure-response coefficients were then obtained from literature. Both the value of statistical life (VSL) and the amended human capital (AHC) approach were applied for external costs estimation, which could provide the upper and lower bound of the external costs due to PM2.5. To fully understand the uncertainty levels, the external cost distribution was determined via Monte Carlo simulation based on the uncertainty of the parameters such as PM2.5 concentration, exposure-response coefficients, and economic cost per case. The results showed that the external costs were equivalent to around 0.3% (AHC, China's guideline: C 0  = 35 μg/m 3 ) to 0.9% (VSL, WHO guideline: C 0  = 10 μg/m 3 ) of regional GDP depending on the valuation method and on the assumed baseline PM2.5 concentration (C 0 ). Among all the health impacts, the economic loss due to premature deaths accounted for more than 80% of the overall external costs. The results of this study could help policymakers prioritizing the PM2.5 pollution control interventions and internalize the external costs through the application of economic policy instruments. Copyright © 2017

The isolation of low frequency impact sounds in hotel construction

Science.gov (United States)

LoVerde, John J.; Dong, David W.

2002-11-01

One of the design challenges in the acoustical design of hotels is reducing low frequency sounds from footfalls occurring on both carpeted and hard-surfaced floors. Research on low frequency impact noise [W. Blazier and R. DuPree, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 96, 1521-1532 (1994)] resulted in a conclusion that in wood construction low frequency impact sounds were clearly audible and that feasible control methods were not available. The results of numerous FIIC (Field Impact Insulation Class) measurements performed in accordance with ASTM E1007 indicate the lack of correlation between FIIC ratings and the reaction of occupants in the room below. The measurements presented include FIIC ratings and sound pressure level measurements below the ASTM E1007 low frequency limit of 100 Hertz, and reveal that excessive sound levels in the frequency range of 63 to 100 Hertz correlate with occupant complaints. Based upon this history, a tentative criterion for maximum impact sound level in the low frequency range is presented. The results presented of modifying existing constructions to reduce the transmission of impact sounds at low frequencies indicate that there may be practical solutions to this longstanding problem.

Assessing Environmental Impact Indicators in Road Construction Projects in Developing Countries

OpenAIRE

Mohamed Marzouk; Mohamed El-zayat; Ahmed Aboushady

2017-01-01

Environmental pollution is considered to be one of the main concerns in the construction industry. Environmental pollution has become a major challenge to construction projects due to the huge amount of pollution caused by construction projects. There are different types of environmental impact indicators, such as the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint, eutrophication potential (EP), acidification potential (AP), human health (HH) particulate, ozone depletion, and smog. Each of these environmenta...

Data Flow in Relation to Life-Cycle Costing of Construction Projects in the Czech Republic

Science.gov (United States)

Biolek, Vojtěch; Hanák, Tomáš; Marović, Ivan

2017-10-01

Life-cycle costing is an important part of every construction project, as it makes it possible to take into consideration future costs relating to the operation and demolition phase of a built structure. In this way, investors can optimize the project design to minimize the total project costs. Even though there have already been some attempts to implement BIM software in the Czech Republic, the current state of affairs does not support automated data flow between the bill of costs and applications that support building facility management. The main aim of this study is to critically evaluate the current situation and outline a future framework that should allow for the use of the data contained in the bill of costs to manage building operating costs.

Unit Price and Cost Estimation Equations through Items Percentage of Construction Works in a Desert Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kadhim Raheem

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This research will cover different aspects of estimating process of construction work in a desert area. The inherent difficulties which accompany the cost estimating of the construction works in desert environment in a developing country, will stem from the limited information available, resources scarcity, low level of skilled workers, the prevailing severe weather conditions and many others, which definitely don't provide a fair, reliable and accurate estimation. This study tries to present unit price to estimate the cost in preliminary phase of a project. Estimations are supported by developing mathematical equations based on the historical data of maintenance, new construction of managerial and school projects. Meanwhile, the research has determined the percentage of project items, in such a remote environment. Estimation equations suitable for remote areas have been formulated. Moreover, a procedure for unite price calculation is concluded.

A construction process model for implementing constructability in construction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Langkemper, J.; Al-Jibouri, S.; Reymen, I.M.M.J.; Maas, G.J.; Gassel, van F.

2003-01-01

In construction, failure of design professionals to consider how a builder will implement the design can result in scheduling problems, cost escalation, delays and disputes during the construction process. The integration of construction knowledge and experience during planning and design is termed

Modelling the cost-effectiveness of impact-absorbing flooring in Swedish residential care facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryen, Linda; Svensson, Mikael

2016-06-01

Fall-related injuries among the elderly, specifically hip fractures, cause significant morbidity and mortality as well as imposing a substantial financial cost on the health care system. Impact-absorbing flooring has been advocated as an effective method for preventing hip fractures resulting from falls. This study identifies the cost-effectiveness of impact-absorbing flooring compared to standard flooring in residential care facilities for the elderly in a Swedish setting. An incremental cost-effectiveness analysis was performed comparing impact-absorbing flooring to standard flooring using a Markov decision model. A societal perspective was adopted and incremental costs were compared to incremental gains in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Data on costs, probability transitions and health-related quality of life measures were retrieved from the published literature and from Swedish register data. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed through a Monte Carlo simulation. The base-case analysis indicates that the impact-absorbing flooring reduces costs and increases QALYs. When allowing for uncertainty we find that 60% of the simulations indicate that impact-absorbing flooring is cost-saving compared to standard flooring and an additional 20% that it has a cost per QALY below a commonly used threshold value : Using a modelling approach, we find that impact-absorbing flooring is a dominant strategy at the societal level considering that it can save resources and improve health in a vulnerable population. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Cascading costs: an economic nitrogen cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Moomaw, William R; Birch, Melissa B L

2005-09-01

The chemical nitrogen cycle is becoming better characterized in terms of fluxes and reservoirs on a variety of scales. Galloway has demonstrated that reactive nitrogen can cascade through multiple ecosystems causing environmental damage at each stage before being denitrified to N(2). We propose to construct a parallel economic nitrogen cascade (ENC) in which economic impacts of nitrogen fluxes can be estimated by the costs associated with each stage of the chemical cascade. Using economic data for the benefits of damage avoided and costs of mitigation in the Chesapeake Bay basin, we have constructed an economic nitrogen cascade for the region. Since a single ton of nitrogen can cascade through the system, the costs also cascade. Therefore evaluating the benefits of mitigating a ton of reactive nitrogen released needs to consider the damage avoided in all of the ecosystems through which that ton would cascade. The analysis reveals that it is most cost effective to remove a ton of nitrogen coming from combustion since it has the greatest impact on human health and creates cascading damage through the atmospheric, terrestrial, aquatic and coastal ecosystems. We will discuss the implications of this analysis for determining the most cost effective policy option for achieving environmental quality goals.

Impact of omalizumab on medical cost of childhood asthma in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshikawa, Hideki; Iwata, Mihoko; Matsuzaki, Hiroshi; Ono, Rintaro; Murakami, Yoko; Taba, Naohiko; Honjo, Satoshi; Motomura, Chikako; Odajima, Hiroshi

2016-05-01

Omalizumab is effective in children with severe asthma, but its impact on medical cost in Japan is not clear. We evaluated the impact of omalizumab on medical cost by comparing the pre- vs post-omalizumab-initiation medical costs of 12 children with severe asthma who received omalizumab for 2 years, and calculating incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for omalizumab therapy. Health outcome was measured as hospital-free days (HFD). The median total medical costs and medication fee per patient increased significantly after omalizumab initiation because of the high cost of omalizumab. The median hospitalization fee per patient, however, decreased significantly after omalizumab initiation due to reduction in hospitalization. Omalizumab led to an estimated increase of 40.8 HFD per omalizumab responder patient per 2 years. The cost was JPY 20 868 per additional HFD. Omalizumab can therefore reduce hospitalization cost in children with severe asthma in Japan. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.

Patient-physician discussions about costs: definitions and impact on cost conversation incidence estimates.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Wynn G; Hesson, Ashley; Davis, J Kelly; Kirby, Christine; Williamson, Lillie D; Barnett, Jamison A; Ubel, Peter A

2016-03-31

Nearly one in three Americans are financially burdened by their medical expenses. To mitigate financial distress, experts recommend routine physician-patient cost conversations. However, the content and incidence of these conversations are unclear, and rigorous definitions are lacking. We sought to develop a novel set of cost conversation definitions, and determine the impact of definitional variation on cost conversation incidence in three clinical settings. Retrospective, mixed-methods analysis of transcribed dialogue from 1,755 outpatient encounters for routine clinical management of breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and depression, occurring between 2010-2014. We developed cost conversation definitions using summative content analysis. Transcripts were evaluated independently by at least two members of our multi-disciplinary team to determine cost conversation incidence using each definition. Incidence estimates were compared using Pearson's Chi-Square Tests. Three cost conversation definitions emerged from our analysis: (a) Out-of-Pocket (OoP) Cost--discussion of the patient's OoP costs for a healthcare service; (b) Cost/Coverage--discussion of the patient's OoP costs or insurance coverage; (c) Cost of Illness- discussion of financial costs or insurance coverage related to health or healthcare. These definitions were hierarchical; OoP Cost was a subset of Cost/Coverage, which was a subset of Cost of Illness. In each clinical setting, we observed significant variation in the incidence of cost conversations when using different definitions; breast oncology: 16, 22, 24% of clinic visits contained cost conversation (OOP Cost, Cost/Coverage, Cost of Illness, respectively; P cost conversation varied significantly depending on the definition used. Our findings and proposed definitions may assist in retrospective interpretation and prospective design of investigations on this topic.

Model of investment appraisal of high-rise construction with account of cost of land resources

Science.gov (United States)

Okolelova, Ella; Shibaeva, Marina; Trukhina, Natalya

2018-03-01

The article considers problems and potential of high-rise construction as a global urbanization. The results of theoretical and practical studies on the appraisal of investments in high-rise construction are provided. High-rise construction has a number of apparent upsides in modern terms of development of megapolises and primarily it is economically efficient. Amid serious lack of construction sites, skyscrapers successfully deal with the need of manufacturing, office and living premises. Nevertheless, there are plenty issues, which are related with high-rise construction, and only thorough scrutiny of them allow to estimate the real economic efficiency of this branch. The article focuses on the question of economic efficiency of high-rise construction. The suggested model allows adjusting the parameters of a facility under construction, setting the tone for market value as well as the coefficient for appreciation of the construction net cost, that depends on the number of storey's, in the form of function or discrete values.

External costs of PM2.5 pollution in Beijing, China: Uncertainty analysis of multiple health impacts and costs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hao, Yin; Pizzol, Massimo; Xu, Linyu

2017-01-01

Some cities in China are facing serious air pollution problems including high concentrations of particles, SO2 and NOx. Exposure to PM2.5, one of the primary air pollutants in many cities in China, is highly correlated with various adverse health impacts and ultimately represents a cost for society....... The aim of this study is to assess health impacts and external costs related to PM2.5 pollution in Beijing, China with different baseline concentrations and valuation methods. The idea is to provide a reasonable estimate of the total health impacts and external cost due to PM2.5 pollution, as well...... as a quantification of the relevant uncertainty. PM2.5 concentrations were retrieved for the entire 2012 period in 16 districts of Beijing. The various PM2.5 related health impacts were identified and classified to avoid double counting. Exposure-response coefficients were then obtained from literature. Both...

Identifying Causes of Construction Waste – Case of Central Region of Peninsula Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Sasitharan Nagapan; Ismail Abdul Rahman; Ade Asmi; Aftab Hameed Memon; Rosli Mohammad Zin

2012-01-01

Construction waste becomes a global issue facing by practitioners and researchers around the world. Waste can affects success of construction project significantly. More specifically, it has major impact on construction cost, construction time, productivity and sustainability aspects. This paper aims to identify various factors causing construction waste in Malaysia. Study was carried out through structured questionnaire focusing three major parties (i.e. clients, consultants and contractors)...

Application Of The Work Breakdown Structure In Determining Cost Buffers In Construction Schedules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Połoński M.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The paper presents methods of determining the location of cost buffers and corresponding contingency costs in the CPM schedule based on its work breakdown structure. Application of correctly located cost buffers with appropriately established reserve costs is justified by the common overrunning of scheduled costs in construction projects. Interpolated cost buffers (CB as separate tasks have been combined with relevant summary tasks by the start–to–start (SS relationship, whereas the time of their execution has been dynamically connected with the time of accomplishment of particular summary tasks using the “paste connection” option. Besides cost buffers linked with the group of tasks assigned to summary tasks, a definition of the cost buffer for the entire project (PCB has been proposed, i.e. as one initial task of the entire project. Contingency costs corresponding to these buffers, depending on the data that the planner has at his disposal, can be determined using different methods, but always depend on the costs of all tasks protected by each buffer. The paper presents an exemplary schedule for a facility and the method of determining locations and cost for buffers CB and PCB, as well as their influence on the course of the curve illustrating the budgeted cost of work scheduled (BCWS. The proposed solution has been adjusted and presented with consideration of the possibilities created by the scheduling software MS Project, though its general assumptions may be implemented with application of other similar specialist tools.

The influence of management and construction methods in the repair costs of Spain’s low-volume road network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eutiquio Gallego

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the entire process of the implementation of the Spanish low volume road network, including the design criteria, the construction techniques and the management policies during all the periods. The current situation of low volume roads in Spain was analyzed with respect to the legal framework and their actual condition. In addition, the budget required for the repair of 41 low volume roads throughout Spain was calculated in order to statistically analyze the influence of the pavement materials and the period of construction. The main conclusions were that low volume roads constructed during the 1970´s are currently those in the best state of repair and those requiring the lower repair costs, even lower than those constructed after 1980´s. In addition, low volume roads constructed with higher quality materials and using standardized techniques required five times lower repair costs than those made of lower quality materials.

PERSONNEL COSTS IN THE CZECH CONSTRUCTION SECTOR: INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF COMPANY SIZE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martina Paulišová

2017-01-01

Full Text Available : Managing personnel costs is important in all companies, especially in those whose production is labor intensive. The construction sector therefore qualifies as a suitable area for analyzing issues associated with these costs. The aim of this study is to find out whether company size affects personnel cost management under various circumstances. Four research hypotheses focus on the relationships among and the relative importance of personnel costs, use of standards, range of employee benefits offered, and economic actions taken when faced with an economic crisis. The evaluation of hypotheses is supported by using the chi-square test of independence with the aim of confirming or rejecting the statistical significance of relationships between the examined categorical variables. Results have confirmed a significant effect of company size. Several research implications and suggested future research directions are also presented in the conclusion of this paper.

Integrated Cost and Schedule Control Systems for Nuclear Power Plant Construction: Leveraging Strategic Advantages to Owners and EPC Firms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youngsoo Jung

2015-01-01

Full Text Available As the owners expect that the cost and time for nuclear power plant construction would decrease with new entrants into the market, there will be severer competition in the nuclear industry. In order to achieve performance improvement and to attain competitive advantages under the globalized competition, practitioners and researchers in the nuclear industry have recently exerted efforts to develop an advanced and efficient management methodology for the nuclear mega-projects. Among several candidates, integrated cost and schedule control system is of great concern because it can effectively manage the three most important project performances including cost, time, and quality. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to develop a project numbering system (PNS of integrated cost and schedule control system for nuclear power plant construction. Distinct attributes of nuclear power plant construction were investigated first in order to identify influencing variables that characterize real-world implementation of advanced cost and schedule controls. A scenario was then developed and analysed to simulate a case-project. By using this case-project, proposed management requirements, management methods, measurement techniques, data structure, and data collection methods for integrated cost and schedule PNS were illustrated. Finally, findings and implications are outlined, and recommendations for further research are presented.

Calculation of coal power plant cost on agricultural and material building impact of emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mochamad Nasrullah; Wiku Lulus Widodo

2016-01-01

Calculation for externally cost of Coal Power Plant (CPP) is very important. This paper is focus on CPP appear SO 2 impact on agricultural plant and material building. AGRIMAT'S model from International Atomic Energy Agency is model one be used to account environmental damage for air impact because SO 2 emission. Analysis method use Impact Pathways Assessment: Determining characteristic source, Exposure Response Functions (ERF), Impacts and Damage Costs, and Monetary Unit Cost. Result for calculate shows that SO 2 that issued CPP, if value of SO 2 is 19,3 μg/m3, damage cost begins valuably positive. It shows that the land around CPP has decrease prosperity, and it will disadvantage for agricultural plant. On material building, SO 2 resulting damage cost. The increase humidity price therefore damage cost on material building will increase cost. But if concentration SO 2 increase therefore damage cost that is appear on material building decrease. Expected this result can added with external cost on health impact of CPP. External cost was done at developed countries. If it is done at Indonesia, therefore generation cost with fossil as more expensive and will get implication on issue cut back gases greenhouse. On the other side, renewable energy and also alternative energy as nuclear have opportunity at national energy mix system. (author)

Cost Analysis of Water Transport for Climate Change Impact Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Szaleniec, V.; Buytaert, W.

2012-04-01

It is expected that climate change will have a strong impact on water resources worldwide. Many studies exist that couple the output of global climate models with hydrological models to assess the impact of climate change on physical water availability. However, the water resources topology of many regions and especially that of cities can be very complex. Changes in physical water availability do therefore not translate easily into impacts on water resources for cities. This is especially the case for cities with a complex water supply topology, for instance because of geographical barriers, strong gradients in precipitation patterns, or competing water uses. In this study we explore the use of cost maps to enable the inclusion of water supply topologies in climate change impact studies. We use the city of Lima as a case study. Lima is the second largest desert city in the world. Although Peru as a whole has no water shortage, extreme gradients exist. Most of the economic activities including the city of Lima are located in the coastal desert. This region is geographically disconnected from the wet Amazon basin because of the Andes mountain range. Hence, water supply is precarious, provided by a complex combination of high mountain ecosystems including wetlands and glaciers, as well as groundwater aquifers depending on recharge from the mountains. We investigate the feasibility and costs of different water abstraction scenarios and the impact of climate change using cost functions for different resources. The option of building inter basins tunnels across the Andes is compared to the costs of desalinating seawater from the Pacific Ocean under different climate change scenarios and population growth scenarios. This approach yields recommendations for the most cost-effective options for the future.

Impact of timber production and transport costs on stand management

Science.gov (United States)

Chris B. LeDoux; Chris B. LeDoux

1988-01-01

Evaluates the impact of cable logging technology, transportation network standards, and transport vehicles on stand management. Managers can use results to understand the impact of timber production costs on eastern hardwood management.

Cost of and soil loss on "minimum-standard" forest truck roads constructed in the central Appalachians

Science.gov (United States)

J. N. Kochenderfer; G. W. Wendel; H. Clay Smith

1984-01-01

A "minimum-standard" forest truck road that provides efficient and environmentally acceptable access for several forest activities is described. Cost data are presented for eight of these roads constructed in the central Appalachians. The average cost per mile excluding gravel was $8,119. The range was $5,048 to $14,424. Soil loss was measured from several...

Prospective Costs, Benefits, and Impacts of U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heeter, Jenny S [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Mai, Trieu T [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bird, Lori A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Keyser, David J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Krishnan, Venkat K [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Macknick, Jordan E [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wiser, Ryan [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Barbose, Galen [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Millstein, Dev [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

2018-04-06

These slides were presented at a webinar on January 9, 2017. The slides overview a report that evaluates the future costs, benefits, and other impacts of renewable energy used to meet current state renewable portfolio standards (RPSs). It also examines a future scenario where RPSs are expanded. The analysis examines changes in electric system costs and retail electricity prices, which include all fixed and operating costs, including capital costs for all renewable, non-renewable, and supporting (e.g., transmission and storage) electric sector infrastructure; fossil fuel, uranium, and biomass fuel costs; and plant operations and maintenance expenditures. The analysis evaluates three specific benefits: air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and water use. It also analyzes two other impacts, renewable energy workforce and economic development, and natural gas price suppression. The analysis finds that the benefits or renewable energy used to meet RPS polices exceed the costs, even when considering the highest cost and lowest benefit outcomes.

Reformulated gasoline: Costs and refinery impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadder, G.R.

1994-02-01

Studies of reformulated gasoline (RFG) costs and refinery impacts have been performed with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Refinery Yield Model (ORNL-RYM), a linear program which has been updated to blend gasolines to satisfy emissions constraints defined by preliminary complex emissions models. Policy makers may use the reformulation cost knee (the point at which costs start to rise sharply for incremental emissions control) to set emissions reduction targets, giving due consideration to the differences between model representations and actual refining operations. ORNL-RYM estimates that the reformulation cost knee for the US East Coast (PADD I) is about 15.2 cents per gallon with a 30 percent reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The estimated cost knee for the US Gulf Coast (PADD III) is about 5.5 cents per gallon with a VOC reduction of 35 percent. Reid vapor pressure (RVP) reduction is the dominant VOC reduction mechanism. Even with anti-dumping constraints, conventional gasoline appears to be an important sink which permits RFG to be blended with lower aromatics and sulfur contents in PADD III. In addition to the potentially large sensitivity of RFG production to different emissions models, RFG production is sensitive to the non-exhaust VOC share assumption for a particular VOC model. ORNL-RYM has also been used to estimate the sensitivity of RFG production to the cost of capital; to the RVP requirements for conventional gasoline; and to the percentage of RFG produced in a refining region

An Online Calculator to Estimate the Impact of Changes in Breastfeeding Rates on Population Health and Costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Stuebe, Alison M; Jegier, Briana J; Schwarz, Eleanor Bimla; Green, Brittany D; Reinhold, Arnold G; Colaizy, Tarah T; Bogen, Debra L; Schaefer, Andrew J; Jegier, Jamus T; Green, Noah S; Bartick, Melissa C

2017-12-01

We sought to determine the impact of changes in breastfeeding rates on population health. We used a Monte Carlo simulation model to estimate the population-level changes in disease burden associated with marginal changes in rates of any breastfeeding at each month from birth to 12 months of life, and in rates of exclusive breastfeeding from birth to 6 months of life. We used these marginal estimates to construct an interactive online calculator (available at www.usbreastfeeding.org/saving-calc ). The Institutional Review Board of the Cambridge Health Alliance exempted the study. Using our interactive online calculator, we found that a 5% point increase in breastfeeding rates was associated with statistically significant differences in child infectious morbidity for the U.S. population, including otitis media (101,952 cases, 95% confidence interval [CI] 77,929-131,894 cases) and gastrointestinal infection (236,073 cases, 95% CI 190,643-290,278 cases). Associated medical cost differences were $31,784,763 (95% CI $24,295,235-$41,119,548) for otitis media and $12,588,848 ($10,166,203-$15,479,352) for gastrointestinal infection. The state-level impact of attaining Healthy People 2020 goals varied by population size and current breastfeeding rates. Modest increases in breastfeeding rates substantially impact healthcare costs in the first year of life.

Hazardous fuel treatments, suppression cost impacts, and risk mitigation

Science.gov (United States)

Matthew P. Thompson; Michael S. Hand; Julie W. Gilbertson-Day; Nicole M. Vaillant; Darek J. Nalle

2013-01-01

Land management agencies face uncertain tradeoffs regarding investments in preparedness and fuels management versus future suppression costs and impacts to valued resources and assets. Prospective evaluation of fuel treatments allows for comparison of alternative treatment strategies in terms of socioeconomic and ecological impacts, and can facilitate tradeoff analysis...

The Economic impact of ME/CFS: Individual and societal costs

OpenAIRE

Jason, Leonard A; Benton, Mary C; Valentine, Lisa; Johnson, Abra; Torres-Harding, Susan

2008-01-01

Background ME/CFS is characterized by debilitating fatigue in addition to other physical and cognitive symptoms. It is estimated to affect over 800,000 adults in the U.S. ME/CFS often results in diminished functionality and increased economic impact. The economic impact of an illness is generally divided into two categories: direct and indirect costs. Despite high prevalence rates and the disabling nature of the illness, few studies have examined the costs of ME/CFS at the individual and soci...

The impact of preferential procurement in South African construction ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The impact of preferential procurement in South African construction industry. ... The outcome of this study shows that there are problems in the implementation of PPPFA during tendering and procurement processes and procedures for achieving success in government projects. Key words: HDIs, PPPFA, Policies, ...

R&D investment and impact in the global construction industry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hampson, Keith

2014-01-01

"R&D Investment and Impact in the Global Construction Industry brings together contributions from leading academics in a diverse group of countries to investigate the role of research and development (R&D...

Design Optimization and Construction of the Thyratron/PFN Based Cost Model Modulator for the NLC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koontz, Roland F

1999-01-01

As design studies and various R and D efforts continue on Next Linear Collider (NLC) systems, much R and D work is being done on X-Band klystron development, and development of pulse modulators to drive these X-Band klystrons. A workshop on this subject was held at SLAC in June of 1998, and a follow-up workshop is scheduled at SLAC June 23-25, 1999. At the 1998 workshop, several avenues of R and D were proposed using solid state switching, induction LINAC principles, high voltage hard tubes, and a few more esoteric ideas. An optimized version of the conventional thyratron-PFN-pulse transformer modulator for which there is extensive operating experience is also a strong candidate for use in the NLC. Such a modulator is currently under construction for base line demonstration purposes. The performance of this ''Cost Model'' modulator will be compared to other developing technologies. Important parameters including initial capital cost, operating maintenance cost, reliability, maintainability, power efficiency, in addition to the usual operating parameters of pulse flatness, timing and pulse height jitter, etc. will be considered in the choice of a modulator design for the NLC. This paper updates the progress on this ''Cost Model'' modulator design and construction

75 FR 1359 - Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Construction of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-11

... Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Construction of the Western Wake Regional Wastewater Management... Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed construction of the Western Wake Regional Wastewater Management... initial Web version of the Final Environmental Impact Statement had problems with the Web links. The web...

Modern methods of cost saving of the production activity in construction

Science.gov (United States)

Silka, Dmitriy

2017-10-01

Every time economy faces recession, cost saving questions acquire increased urgency. This article shows how companies of the construction industry have switched to the new kind of economic relations over recent years. It is specified that the dominant type of economic relations does not allow to quickly reorient on the necessary tools in accordance with new requirements of economic activity. Successful experience in the new environment becomes demanded. Cost saving methods, which were proven in other industries, are offered for achievement of efficiency and competitiveness of the companies. Analysis is performed on the example of the retail sphere, which, according to the authoritative analytical reviews, is extremely innovative on both local and world economic levels. At that, methods, based on the modern unprecedentedly high opportunities of communications and informational exchange took special place among offered methods.

IMPACT OF ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRISIS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina PLOSCARU

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The current financial and economic crisis has affected many sectors, and also the construction sector. The construction market has been and will be an important source of income for the entire Europe, totaling about 1.650 thousand billion euro, which is more than the GDP of Italy. Building no doubt brings significant percentage in the GDP of any European country, which of course is different from country to country. In Western European countries, the residential market is almost 50% from the construction market, while in Eastern European countries the majority is held by the civil and non-residential constructions. In addition, in the West the medium budget per capita spent on construction is 3-4 times higher than that spent in Eastern countries. But, according to previsions in the coming years the countries that will witness a growth, albeit small, will be the Eastern ones. The paper highlights the impact of the economic and financial crisis in the construction industry on a European and national level, as the sustainable constructions that may represent the sector’s future.

The impact of silicon feedstock on the PV module cost

NARCIS (Netherlands)

del Coso, G.; del Cañizo, C.; Sinke, W.C.

2010-01-01

The impact of the use of new (solar grade) silicon feedstock materials on the manufacturing cost of wafer-based crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules is analyzed considering effects of material cost, efficiency of utilisation, and quality. Calculations based on data provided by European industry

75 FR 76444 - Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Construction and Operation of a Panoramic Survey...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-08

... potential environmental impacts associated with construction and operation of the proposed Panoramic Survey... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Air Force Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Construction and Operation of a Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) at the Summit...

Environmental impacts of forest road construction on mountainous terrain.

Science.gov (United States)

Caliskan, Erhan

2013-03-15

Forest roads are the base infrastructure foundation of forestry operations. These roads entail a complex engineering effort because they can cause substantial environmental damage to forests and include a high-cost construction. This study was carried out in four sample sites of Giresun, Trabzon(2) and Artvin Forest Directorate, which is in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The areas have both steep terrain (30-50% gradient) and very steep terrain (51-80% gradient). Bulldozers and hydraulic excavators were determined to be the main machines for forest road construction, causing environmental damage and cross sections in mountainous areas.As a result of this study, the percent damage to forests was determined as follows: on steep terrain, 21% of trees were damaged by excavators and 33% of trees were damaged by bulldozers during forest road construction, and on very steep terrain, 27% of trees were damaged by excavators and 44% of trees were damaged by bulldozers during forest road construction. It was also determined that on steep terrain, when excavators were used, 12.23% less forest area was destroyed compared with when bulldozers were used and 16.13% less area was destroyed by excavators on very steep terrain. In order to reduce the environmental damage on the forest ecosystem, especially in steep terrains, hydraulic excavators should replace bulldozers in forest road construction activities.

Environmental Impacts of Forest Road Construction on Mountainous Terrain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erhan Caliskan

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Forest roads are the base infrastructure foundation of forestry operations. These roads entail a complex engineering effort because they can cause substantial environmental damage to forests and include a high-cost construction. This study was carried out in four sample sites of Giresun, Trabzon(2 and Artvin Forest Directorate, which is in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The areas have both steep terrain (30-50% gradient and very steep terrain (51-80% gradient. Bulldozers and hydraulic excavators were determined to be the main machines for forest road construction, causing environmental damage and cross sections in mountainous areas.As a result of this study, the percent damage to forests was determined as follows: on steep terrain, 21% of trees were damaged by excavators and 33% of trees were damaged by bulldozers during forest road construction, and on very steep terrain, 27% of trees were damaged by excavators and 44% of trees were damaged by bulldozers during forest road construction. It was also determined that on steep terrain, when excavators were used, 12.23% less forest area was destroyed compared with when bulldozers were used and 16.13% less area was destroyed by excavators on very steep terrain. In order to reduce the environmental damage on the forest ecosystem, especially in steep terrains, hydraulic excavators should replace bulldozers in forest road construction activities.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of surface flow constructed wetlands (SFCW) for nutrient reduction in drainage discharge from agricultural fields in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gachango, Florence Gathoni; Pedersen, Søren Marcus; Kjærgaard, Charlotte

2015-01-01

Constructed wetlands have been proposed as cost-effective and more targeted technologies in the reduction of nitrogen and phosphorous water pollution in drainage losses from agricultural fields in Denmark. Using two pig farms and one dairy farm situated in a pumped lowland catchment as case studies......, this paper explores the feasibility of implementing surface flow constructed wetlands (SFCW) based on their cost effectiveness. Sensitivity analysis is conducted by varying the cost elements of the wetlands in order to establish the most cost-effective scenario and a comparison with the existing nutrients...... reduction measures carried out. The analyses show that the cost effectiveness of the SFCW is higher in the drainage catchments with higher nutrient loads. The range of the cost effectiveness ratio on nitrogen reduction differs distinctively with that of catch crop measure. The study concludes that SFCW...

Impact of Residential Mechanical Ventilation on Energy Cost and Humidity Control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, Eric [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2014-01-01

The DOE Building America program has been conducting research leading to cost effective high performance homes since the early 1990's. Optimizing whole house mechanical ventilation as part of the program's systems engineered approach to constructing housing has been an important subject of the program's research. Ventilation in residential buildings is one component of an effective, comprehensive strategy for creation and maintenance of a comfortable and healthy indoor air environment. The study described in this white paper is based on building energy modeling with an important focus on the indoor humidity impacts of ventilation. The modeling tools used were EnergyPlus version 7.1 (E+) and EnergyGauge USA (EGUSA). Twelve U.S. cities and five climate zones were represented. A total of 864 simulations (2*2*3*3*12= 864) were run using two building archetypes, two building leakage rates, two building orientations, three ventilation systems, three ventilation rates, and twelve climates.

Health impact and damage cost assessment of pesticides in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Fantke, Peter; Friedrich, Rainer; Jolliet, Olivier

2012-11-15

Health impacts from pesticide use are of continuous concern in the European population, requiring a constant evaluation of European pesticide policy. However, health impacts have never been quantified accounting for specific crops contributing differently to overall human exposure as well as accounting for individual substances showing distinct environmental behavior and toxicity. We quantify health impacts and related damage costs from exposure to 133 pesticides applied in 24 European countries in 2003 adding up to almost 50% of the total pesticide mass applied in that year. Only 13 substances applied to 3 crop classes (grapes/vines, fruit trees, vegetables) contribute to 90% of the overall health impacts of about 2000 disability-adjusted life years in Europe per year corresponding to annual damage costs of 78 million Euro. Considering uncertainties along the full impact pathway mainly attributable to non-cancer dose-response relationships and residues in treated crops, we obtain an average burden of lifetime lost per person of 2.6 hours (95% confidence interval between 22 seconds and 45.3 days) or costs per person over lifetime of 12 Euro (95% confidence interval between 0.03 Euro and 5142 Euro), respectively. 33 of the 133 assessed substances accounting for 20% of health impacts in 2003 are now banned from the European market according to current legislation. The main limitation in assessing human health impacts from pesticides is related to the lack of systematic application data for all used substances. Since health impacts can be substantially influenced by the choice of pesticides, the need for more information about substance application becomes evident. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Construction of low-cost, Mod-OA wood composite wind turbine blades

Science.gov (United States)

Lark, R. F.

1983-01-01

Two sixty-foot, low-cost, wood composite blades for service on 200 kW Mod-OA wind turbines were constructed. The blades were constructed of epoxy resin-bonded Douglas fir veneers for the leading edge sections, and paper honeycombcored, birch plywood faced panels for the afterbody sections. The blades were joined to the wind turbine hub by epoxy resin-bonded steel load take-off studs embedded into the root end of the blades. The blades were installed on the 200 kW Mod-OA wind turbine facility at Kahuku, Hawaii, The blades completed nearly 8,000 hours of operation over an 18 month period at an average power of 150 kW prior to replacement with another set of wood composite blades. The blades were replaced because of a corrosion failure of the steel shank on one stud. Inspections showed that the wood composite structure remained in excellent condition.

Weight and cost analysis of large wind turbine rotors constructed from conventional materials and from advanced composite materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

van Holten, Th

1982-07-01

Cost calculations and cost analyses of the blades and the (teetering) hubs of large wind turbines. The blades are of different shapes, construction and materials (aluminium, steel and glass reinforced plastics). Teetering hubs are heavy and complicated steel constructions, necessary to minimize material fatigue. In large wind turbines with a diameter of 60 to 100 m or even more the rotor mass (hubs and blades together) may vary from 46,000 to 216,000 kg. Costs are estimated to be DFL. 16/kg, both for teetering hubs and/or blades made of glass reinforced plastics. Due to lack of experience and of exact knowledge of the loads appearing during operation under field conditions the uncertainty factor may be 10% to 15%.

On information and communication technology and production cost in construction industry: evidence from the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Vlist, A.J; Vrolijk, M.H.; Dewulf, Geert P.M.R.

2014-01-01

The interplay between information and communication technology (ICT) and the competitiveness of construction firms is considered. More specifically, the question is whether firms that invest in information and communication technology have a production cost advantage. The economics literature

Study on environmental impact assessment index system of uranium production base construction plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xiaochao; Song Liquan

2008-01-01

The index system on planning environmental impact assessment of uranium mining base construction is discussed by using the hiberarchy method according to characteristics of uranium production and environmental protection object of planning assessment. The suggested index system is in favor of persistent exploitation of uranium resource and environmental protection in the uranium mining area, and can provide a reference for planning environmental impact assessment of uranium mining base construction in China. (authors)

Construction mathematics

CERN Document Server

Virdi, Surinder; Virdi, Narinder Kaur

2014-01-01

Construction Mathematics is an introductory level mathematics text, written specifically for students of construction and related disciplines. Learn by tackling exercises based on real-life construction maths. Examples include: costing calculations, labour costs, cost of materials and setting out of building components. Suitable for beginners and easy to follow throughout. Learn the essential basic theory along with the practical necessities. The second edition of this popular textbook is fully updated to match new curricula, and expanded to include even more learning exercises. End of chapter exercises cover a range of theoretical as well as practical problems commonly found in construction practice, and three detailed assignments based on practical tasks give students the opportunity to apply all the knowledge they have gained. Construction Mathematics addresses all the mathematical requirements of Level 2 construction NVQs from City & Guilds/CITB and Edexcel courses, including the BTEC First Diploma in...

A Conceptual Cost Benefit Analysis of Tailings Matrices Use in Construction Applications

OpenAIRE

Mahmood Ali A.; Elektorowicz Maria

2016-01-01

As part of a comprehensive research program, new tailings matrices are formulated of combinations of tailings and binder materials. The research program encompasses experimental and numerical analysis of the tailings matrices to investigate the feasibility of using them as construction materials in cold climates. This paper discusses a conceptual cost benefit analysis for the use of these new materials. It is shown here that the financial benefits of using the proposed new tailings matrices i...

THE IMPACT OF THE BASIC ASSETS EFFICIENCY ON THE OF CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS COST PRICE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Z. Zeynalov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In article are considered problems of the analysis of the influence mode to usages and conditions of the building technology and facilities to mechanizations on prime cost produced building product. It is offered original scheme intercropping the factors, in accordance with influence of the working expenses of the facilities of the lab our on prime cost of the building product. The offered methods of the estimation physical wear-out level of the building technology and competitiveness of the active part of production assets of the building enterprise.

Impacts of intermittent renewable generation on electricity system costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batalla-Bejerano, Joan; Trujillo-Baute, Elisa

2016-01-01

A successful deployment of power generation coming from variable renewable sources, such as wind and solar photovoltaic, strongly depends on the economic cost of system integration. This paper, in seeking to look beyond the impact of renewable generation on the evolution of the total economic costs associated with the operation of the electricity system, aims to estimate the sensitivity of balancing market requirements and costs to the variable and non-fully predictable nature of intermittent renewable generation. The estimations reported in this paper for the Spanish electricity system stress the importance of both attributes as well as power system flexibility when accounting for the cost of balancing services. - Highlights: •A successful deployment of VRES-E strongly depends on the economic cost of its integration. •We estimate the sensitivity of balancing market requirements and costs to VRES-E. •Integration costs depend on variability, predictability and system flexibility.

Construction and Characterization of a Compact, Portable, Low-Cost Colorimeter for the Chemistry Lab

Science.gov (United States)

Clippard, Carrie M.; Hughes, William; Chohan, Balwant S.; Sykes, Danny G.

2016-01-01

A low-cost and portable colorimeter was constructed featuring a low-voltage programmable color light sensor-to-frequency converter, a CMOS 8-bit microcontroller, and an LCD display. The instrument has successfully facilitated the introduction and application of spectroscopy to groups of middle school, high school, and undergraduate students. A…

Managing engineering to meet construction requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, D.F.; Houchen, J.D.

1976-01-01

The San Onofre Units 2 and 3 Project schedule is compared with Bechtel's Generic Nuclear Power Plant schedule. This comparison shows that the major delays experienced on the San Onofre Project have resulted from the regulatory process. To date, Engineering has met Construction's requirements and the Project has not experienced any Engineering related delays. The San Onofre Project has been faced with many uncertainties, such as limited site area, high seismic design criteria, new and changing Federal and State regulations, shifts in supplier market conditions and unpredictable supplier performance. Each of these uncertainties has impacted the Engineering effort and jeopardized project schedule goals. The SCE-Bechtel Engineering Management team has acted to mitigate the impact of these uncertainties through use of a cost trend program, simplification of SCE-Bechtel interfaces, close Engineering-Construction coordination, the use of task forces to handle critical supplier problems and the use of additional Engineering personnel, etc. so that Construction requirements have been met

The impact of internationalization and diversification on construction industry performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Horta, Isabel M.; Kapelko, Magdalena; Oude Lansink, Alfons; Camanho, Ana S.

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the impact of internationalization and diversification strategies on the financial performance of construction industry companies. The results obtained can guide the design of strategies to pursue company growth and achieve competitive advantage. The evaluation of

The impact of feedstock cost on technology selection and optimum size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cameron, Jay B.; Kumar, Amit; Flynn, Peter C.

2007-01-01

Development of biomass projects at optimum size and technology enhances the role that biomass can make in mitigating greenhouse gas. Optimum sized plants can be built when biomass resources are sufficient to meet feedstock demand; examples include wood and forest harvest residues from extensive forests, and grain straw and corn stover from large agricultural regions. The impact of feedstock cost on technology selection is evaluated by comparing the cost of power from the gasification and direct combustion of boreal forest wood chips. Optimum size is a function of plant cost and the distance variable cost (DVC, $ dry tonne -1 km -1 ) of the biomass fuel; distance fixed costs (DFC, $ dry tonne -1 ) such as acquisition, harvesting, loading and unloading do not impact optimum size. At low values of DVC and DFC, as occur with wood chips sourced from the boreal forest, direct combustion has a lower power cost than gasification. At higher values of DVC and DFC, gasification has a lower power cost than direct combustion. This crossover in most economic technology will always arise when a more efficient technology with a higher capital cost per unit of output is compared to a less efficient technology with a lower capital cost per unit of output. In such cases technology selection cannot be separated from an analysis of feedstock cost

Noise Costs from Road Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Margorínová, Martina; Trojanová, Mária; Decký, Martin; Remišová, Eva

2018-06-01

Building and improving road infrastructure in Slovakia is currently influenced by the amount of state funding. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the effectiveness of each proposed solution of road project, which is based on life-cycle costs. Besides capital costs, social costs are also important, which valued the negative impacts due to road construction and operation on road users, the environment, and the population living in the affected area. Some components of social costs have shortcomings in quantifying and valuating, which need to be resolved. The one of important components which affects human health and the value of an area, and have some shortcomings are noise costs. Improvement of this component will lead to more accurate valuation of economic efficiency of roads.

Impact of generic alendronate cost on the cost-effectiveness of osteoporosis screening and treatment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smita Nayak

Full Text Available Since alendronate became available in generic form in the Unites States in 2008, its price has been decreasing. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of alendronate cost on the cost-effectiveness of osteoporosis screening and treatment in postmenopausal women.Microsimulation cost-effectiveness model of osteoporosis screening and treatment for U.S. women age 65 and older. We assumed screening initiation at age 65 with central dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA, and alendronate treatment for individuals with osteoporosis; with a comparator of "no screening" and treatment only after fracture occurrence. We evaluated annual alendronate costs of $20 through $800; outcome measures included fractures; nursing home admission; medication adverse events; death; costs; quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs; and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs in 2010 U.S. dollars per QALY gained. A lifetime time horizon was used, and direct costs were included. Base-case and sensitivity analyses were performed.Base-case analysis results showed that at annual alendronate costs of $200 or less, osteoporosis screening followed by treatment was cost-saving, resulting in lower total costs than no screening as well as more QALYs (10.6 additional quality-adjusted life-days. When assuming alendronate costs of $400 through $800, screening and treatment resulted in greater lifetime costs than no screening but was highly cost-effective, with ICERs ranging from $714 per QALY gained through $13,902 per QALY gained. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses revealed that the cost-effectiveness of osteoporosis screening followed by alendronate treatment was robust to joint input parameter estimate variation at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000/QALY at all alendronate costs evaluated.Osteoporosis screening followed by alendronate treatment is effective and highly cost-effective for postmenopausal women across a range of alendronate costs, and may be cost

THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS ON THE EXPENSE STRUCTURE OF THE GRAIN STORAGES CONSTRUCTION ENTERPRISE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MENEJLYUK A. I.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Formulation of the problem. The deficit of grain storage capacities in Ukraine is about 15-20 mln. tons. Specific conditions of the realization of grain storage construction projects require systemic research to improve the efficiency of organizational and technological solutions in the management of specialized companies, to reduce costs of construction works and to increase the profit margin. Purpose. Research changes in the structure and the amount of the total production costs of the grain storage construction enterprise under the influence of organizational and technological factors. Conclusion. The account of features of grain storage construction, as well as developed research methodology: have resulted in analysis and the construction of a computer model of the operating activity of the grain storage construction enterprise; have allowed exploring experimental and statistical regularities of indicators changes of such operating activity from the influence of organizational and technological factors.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Surface Flow Constructed Wetlands (SFCW) for Nutrient Reduction in Drainage Discharge from Agricultural Fields in Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Gachango, F G; Pedersen, S M; Kjaergaard, C

2015-12-01

Constructed wetlands have been proposed as cost-effective and more targeted technologies in the reduction of nitrogen and phosphorous water pollution in drainage losses from agricultural fields in Denmark. Using two pig farms and one dairy farm situated in a pumped lowland catchment as case studies, this paper explores the feasibility of implementing surface flow constructed wetlands (SFCW) based on their cost effectiveness. Sensitivity analysis is conducted by varying the cost elements of the wetlands in order to establish the most cost-effective scenario and a comparison with the existing nutrients reduction measures carried out. The analyses show that the cost effectiveness of the SFCW is higher in the drainage catchments with higher nutrient loads. The range of the cost effectiveness ratio on nitrogen reduction differs distinctively with that of catch crop measure. The study concludes that SFCW could be a better optimal nutrients reduction measure in drainage catchments characterized with higher nutrient loads.

Resolving the "Cost-Effective but Unaffordable" Paradox: Estimating the Health Opportunity Costs of Nonmarginal Budget Impacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomas, James; Claxton, Karl; Martin, Stephen; Soares, Marta

2018-03-01

Considering whether or not a proposed investment (an intervention, technology, or program of care) is affordable is really asking whether the benefits it offers are greater than its opportunity cost. To say that an investment is cost-effective but not affordable must mean that the (implicit or explicit) "threshold" used to judge cost-effectiveness does not reflect the scale and value of the opportunity costs. Existing empirical estimates of health opportunity costs are based on cross-sectional variation in expenditure and mortality outcomes by program budget categories (PBCs) and do not reflect the likely effect of nonmarginal budget impacts on health opportunity costs. The UK Department of Health regularly updates the needs-based target allocation of resources to local areas of the National Health Service (NHS), creating two subgroups of local areas (those under target allocation and those over). These data provide the opportunity to explore how the effects of changes in health care expenditure differ with available resources. We use 2008-2009 data to evaluate two econometric approaches to estimation and explore a range of criteria for accepting subgroup specific effects for differences in expenditure and outcome elasticities across the 23 PBCs. Our results indicate that health opportunity costs arising from an investment imposing net increases in expenditure are underestimated unless account is taken of likely nonmarginal effects. They also indicate the benefits (reduced health opportunity costs or increased value-based price of a technology) of being able to "smooth" these nonmarginal budget impacts by health care systems borrowing against future budgets or from manufacturers offering "mortgage" type arrangements. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AP1000 construction and operating costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winters, J.W.; Corletti, M.M.; Thompson, M.

2001-01-01

Market analysis of the U.S. electricity generating market indicates that the generating cost of competitive new generating capacity must be less than $0.03/kw-hr. When such factors as an attractive return on investment and payback period are considered for a new nuclear electric generating facility, this results in the requirement to have an overnight capital cost of approximately $1000/kw. Industry executives indicate that any new nuclear plant must be able to compete in the de-regulated generation wholesale marketplace and provide a return to the shareholders. Against this standard, the costs of advanced nuclear power plants currently available are still too high. In the United States, the Utility Requirements Document for advanced light water reactor plants included a cost goal that was based on the cost of coal generated electricity at the time the document was written. Since that time, the cost of new generating capacity and the overall operating cost of generating electricity has gone down. This is a result of low natural gas prices, more efficient plants in general and the current record breaking reductions in outage times and operating costs for nuclear plants. The plant designs resulting from the United States advanced light water reactor plant programs received Design Certification from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Some are being deployed, with variations, in countries other than the United States. But they can not compete today with other sources of central station generation in the United States. (author)

AP1000 construction and operating costs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winters, J.W.; Corletti, M.M. [Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Thompson, M

2001-07-01

Market analysis of the U.S. electricity generating market indicates that the generating cost of competitive new generating capacity must be less than $0.03/kw-hr. When such factors as an attractive return on investment and payback period are considered for a new nuclear electric generating facility, this results in the requirement to have an overnight capital cost of approximately $1000/kw. Industry executives indicate that any new nuclear plant must be able to compete in the de-regulated generation wholesale marketplace and provide a return to the shareholders. Against this standard, the costs of advanced nuclear power plants currently available are still too high. In the United States, the Utility Requirements Document for advanced light water reactor plants included a cost goal that was based on the cost of coal generated electricity at the time the document was written. Since that time, the cost of new generating capacity and the overall operating cost of generating electricity has gone down. This is a result of low natural gas prices, more efficient plants in general and the current record breaking reductions in outage times and operating costs for nuclear plants. The plant designs resulting from the United States advanced light water reactor plant programs received Design Certification from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Some are being deployed, with variations, in countries other than the United States. But they can not compete today with other sources of central station generation in the United States. (author)

Use of virtual environments to reduce the construction costs of the next generation nuclear power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whisker, V.E.; Baratta, A.J.

2007-01-01

The near term deployment of the next generation of reactors will only be successful if they are built on time and without the costly overruns experienced in the previous generation. One critical factor in achieving these goals is to ensure the design is optimized for constructability. In this work the authors explored the effectiveness of full-scale virtual reality simulation in the optimization of the design and construction of the next generation of nuclear reactors. The research tested the suitability of immersive virtual reality display technology in aiding engineers in evaluating potential cost reductions that can be realized by the optimization of design and installation and construction sequences. The intent of this research is to see if this type of technology can be used in capacities similar to those currently filled by full-scale physical mockups and desktop simulations. Using a fully-immersive five sided virtual reality system, known as a CAVE, the authors constructed a series of virtual mockups that represented two next generation nuclear power plants, the Westinghouse AP-1000 and the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR). These virtual mockups were then tested as a design tool to help locate and correct problem areas, to optimize the construction sequence, and to assist with familiarizing trades people with the performance of maintenance activities. A series of experiments were performed to assess the usefulness of these virtual mockups in accomplishing these tasks. (authors)

Nuclear power generation costs in the United States of America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willis, W.F.

1983-01-01

Increasing world energy prices and shortages of fuel resources make the utilization of nuclear power extremely important. The United States nuclear power industry represents the largest body of nuclear power experience in the world. Analysis of the recent United States experience of substantial increases in the cost of nuclear power generation provides good insight into the interdependence of technological, financial, and institutional influences and their combined impact on the economic viability of nuclear power generation. The various factors influencing ultimate generation costs, including construction cost, fuel cost, regulatory reviews, and siting considerations are discussed, and their relative impacts are explored, including discussion of design complexity and related regulatory response. A closer look into the recent relatively high escalation of nuclear plant construction costs shows how differing economic conditions can affect the relative cost effectiveness of various methods of power generation. The vulnerability of capital-intensive, long-lead-time projects to changes in economic conditions and uncertainty in future power demands is discussed. Likewise, the pitfalls of new designs and increased sophistication are contrasted to the advantages which result from proven designs, reliable engineering, and shorter lead times. The value of reliable architect-engineers experienced in the design and construction of the plant is discussed. A discussion is presented of additional regulatory requirements stemming from public safety aspects of nuclear power. These include recognition of requirements for the very large effort for quality assurance of materials and workmanship during plant construction and operation. Likewise, a discussion is included of the demanding nature of operations, maintenance, and modification of plants during the operational phase because of the need for highly qualified operations and maintenance personnel and strict quality assurance

Evaluating external costs of human health and environmental impacts using IAEA model SIMPACTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bobric, Elena; Jelev, Adrian

2005-01-01

SIMPACTS (Simplified Approach for Estimating Impacts and External Costs of Electricity Generation) model developed at the International Atomic Energy Agency is a powerful and convenient tool for evaluating external costs induced by different energy sources. The model was developed for industrial countries and for developing countries as well where studies of alternatives of sustainable energy policies are conducted. The SIMPACTS allow the decision making factors involved in energy policy to have reasonable estimates of environment impacts and relating costs appealing to a rather low number of input parameters. The paper aims at analyzing by means of SIMPACTS the environmental impact produced by Cernavoda NPP operation in two cases: a) the impact of the Cernavoda NPP itself; b) the impact of an hypothetical coal based power plant of the same power level and located on the Cernavoda NPP site. The SIMPACTS modules AIRPACTS and NUCPACTS were applied to assess the impacts on human health, agricultural crops and building materials from exposure to routine atmospheric emissions and as well to quantify and value the adverse effects on human health due to routine atmospheric release of radionuclides from the NPP, via radioactive waste ground disposal or resulting from accidents in nuclear facility, respectively. The conclusion of this study based on SIMPACTS model application to assess the health effects and damage cost per year is that the Cernavoda NPP presents the lower health effects and damage cost comparing with power plants of other types

The impacts and costs of global warming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eyre, N.J.

1991-01-01

There is now a scientific consensus that current rates of accumulation of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere will result in significant global warming and climate change. These changes are likely to have important impacts on a wide range of human activities and the natural environment. There has now been a considerable weight of literature published on the impacts of global warming, much of it very recent. This report seeks to summarise the important results, to analyse the uncertainties and to make a preliminary analysis of the feasibility of monetarising these environmental costs. The impacts of global warming are divided into ten major categories: agriculture, forests and forestry, terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity, hydrology and water resources, sea level rise and coastal zones, energy, infrastructure/transport/industry, human health and air quality, oceans, and cryospheric impacts. The results of major summary reports are analysed, notably the report of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC). (author)

The impact of HMO and hospital competition on hospital costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Younis, Mustafa Z; Rivers, Patrick A; Fottler, Myron D

2005-01-01

This study examines the impact of HMO penetration and competition on health system performance, as measured by hospital cost per adjusted admissions. The study population consisted of acute-care hospitals in the United States. The findings of this study suggest that there is no relationship between HMO competition and hospital cost per adjusted admission. Governmental efforts to stimulate competition in the hospital market, if focused on promoting HMOs, are not likely to produce cost-containing results quickly.

Problems of economic assessment of social impacts of construction anO operation of nuctear power plant in the area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koudelka, F.

1984-01-01

The impacts of nuclear power plant construction and operation are divided into economic, demographic, on town planning, historic, etc. Further subdivision is performed according to the intensity of construction impacts, to the sequence and quality of impact and to the effects in space and time. The area of environmental impacts is classified into the protective area and the areas of immediate, limited and broad impact. The methods of the evaluation of nuclear power plant construction and operation impacts are discussed. (E.S.)

Massive radioactive releases have a great impact on the accident costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pascucci-Cahen, L.; Momal, P.

2013-01-01

This article investigates the costs of the consequences of a nuclear accident. The importance of the costs is very dependant on the amount of radioactivity released in the environment during the accident. 2 severe accidents are considered, each accident involves the fusion of the core but the first is characterized by a limited amount of radioactivity released in the atmosphere while the second involves massive radioactive releases. The list of consequences is as comprehensive as possible: site decontamination and dismantlement, land decontamination, sanitary impacts, population displacement, agricultural and economical losses, impact on tourism, impact on the production of electricity...In the first case the total cost reaches 120 billion euros which is still manageable at the scale of a country whereas in the second case the bill reaches 430 billion euros which is unbearable for a country. The very slight probability of such events does not compensate for their catastrophic potentials. (A.C.)

Construction of shipping channels in the Detroit River—History and environmental consequences

Science.gov (United States)

Bennion, David H.; Manny, Bruce A.

2011-01-01

The Detroit River is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the Great Lakes basin. It has been an important international shipping route since the 1820s and is one of the busiest navigation centers in the United States. Historically, it supported one of the most profitable Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes. Since 1874, the lower Detroit River has been systematically and extensively modified, by construction of deepwater channels, to facilitate commercial shipping. Large-scale dredging, disposal of dredge spoils, and construction of water-level compensating works has greatly altered channel morphology and flow dynamics of the river, disrupting ecological function and fishery productivity of the river and influencing Great Lakes water levels. From 1874 to 1968, major construction projects created 96.5 kilometers (60 miles) of shipping channels, removed over 46,200,000 m3 of material, covered 4,050 hectares (40.5 square kilometers) of river bottom with dredge spoils, and built 85 hectares of above-waterline compensating works at a total cost of US$283 million. Interest by industries and government agencies to develop the river further for shipping is high and increasing. Historically, as environmental protection agencies were created, construction impacts on natural resources were increasingly addressed during the planning process and, in some cases, assessments of these impacts greatly altered or halted proposed construction projects. Careful planning of future shipping-channel construction and maintenance projects, including a thorough analysis of the expected environmental impacts, could greatly reduce financial costs and ecological damages as compared to past shipping-channel construction projects.

Improving environmental impact and cost assessment for supplier evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Beucker, Severin; Lang, Claus

2004-02-01

Improving a company"s environmental and financial performance necessitates the evaluation of environmental impacts deriving from the production and cost effects of corporate actions. These effects have to be made transparent and concrete targets have to be developed. Such an evaluation has to be done on a regular basis but with limited expenses. To achieve this, different instruments of environmental controlling such as LCA and environmental performance indicators have to be combined with methods from cost accounting. Within the research project CARE (Computer Aided Resource Efficiency Accounting for Medium-Sized Enterprises), the method Resource Efficiency Accounting (REA) is used to give the participating companies new insights into hidden costs and environmental effects of their production and products. The method combines process based cost accounting with environmental impact assessment methodology and offers results that can be integrated into a company"s environmental controlling system and business processes like cost accounting, supplier assessment, etc. Much of the data necessary for the combined assessment can be available within a company"s IT system and therefore can be efficiently used for the assessment process. The project CARE puts a strong focus on the use of company data and information systems for the described assessment process and offers a methodological background for the evaluation and the structuring of such data. Besides the general approach of the project CARE the paper will present results from a case study in which the described approach is used for the evaluation of suppliers.

Schools That Sustain: Lessening the Environmental Impact of New Construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Peele, Katherine N.; Malone, Sara

2002-01-01

Discusses sustainable school design and its benefits to the environment, offering examples of illustrative schools. Provides suggestions on site selection (such as using smaller sites and recycling existing buildings), sharing facilities with the community, and construction elements that improve environmental impact (such as flexibility,…

Assessing the impacts of implementing lean construction Evaluando los impactos de la implementación de lean construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis F Alarcón

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Over the last 10 years an increasing number of companies have implemented lean construction practices in an attempt to improve performance in construction projects. Most companies, and also some researchers, have reported satisfactory results from their implementation. However, there is still a need to provide more extensive analysis of the empirical evidence available to assess the impact of the implementation of lean construction. The authors have researched the implementation of the Last Planner System and other Lean Construction techniques in over one hundred construction projects over the last five years. They have also developed strategies and support tools for implementation. This paper analyzes some of the main impacts observed in the studied projects, and some of the lessons learned from implementations. The paper discusses difficulties and barriers for implementation, productivity improvements, variability reduction and effectiveness of implementation strategies. The paper also provides recommendations for future implementation and researchEn los últimos 10 años un creciente número de empresas constructoras ha implementado prácticas de Lean Construction para mejorar el desempeño de sus proyectos. La mayor parte de estas empresas, y también algunos investigadores, han informado sobre buenos resultados obtenidos en los proyectos. Sin embargo, todavía es necesario un análisis más completo de la evidencia empírica disponible para evaluar así el impacto de Lean Construction en los proyectos y empresas. Los autores han investigado la implementación del Sistema Ultimo Planificador y otras técnicas de Lean Construction en mas de un centenar de proyectos en los últimos 5 años y han desarrollado estrategias y herramientas de apoyo para su implementación. Este artículo analiza algunos de los principales impactos observados en los proyectos estudiados y las lecciones aprendidas en este proceso. Se discuten dificultades y barreras

Systematic impact of institutional pressures on safety climate in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Qinghua; Dong, Shuang; Rose, Timothy; Li, Heng; Yin, Qin; Cao, Dongping

2016-08-01

This paper explores how three types of institutional pressure (i.e., coercive, mimetic and normative pressures) systematically impact on the safety climate of construction projects. These impacts are empirically tested by survey data collected from 186 questionnaires of construction companies operating in Shanghai, China. The results, obtained by partial least squares analysis, show that organizational management commitment to safety and employee involvement is positively related to all three institutional pressures, while the perception of responsibility for safety and health is significantly influenced by coercive and mimetic pressure. However, coercive and normative pressures have no significant effect on the applicability of safety rules and work practices, revealing the importance of external organizational pressures in improving project safety climate from a systematic view. The findings also provide insights into the use of institutional forces to facilitate the improvement of safety climate in the construction industry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Construction Cost Reductions Through the Use of Virtual Environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timothy Shaw; Vaugh Whisker

2004-01-01

The objective of this multi-phase project is to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of using full-scale virtual reality simulation in the design, construction, and maintenance of future nuclear power plants. The project will test the suitability of immersive virtual reality technology to aid engineers in the design of the next generation nuclear power plant and to evaluate potential cost reductions that can be realized by optimization of installation and construction sequences. The intent is to see if this type of information technology can be used in capacities similar to those currently filled by full-scale physical mockups. This report presents the results of the completed project

Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Construction Cost Reductions Through the Use of Virtual Environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Timothy Shaw; Vaugh Whisker

2004-02-28

The objective of this multi-phase project is to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of using full-scale virtual reality simulation in the design, construction, and maintenance of future nuclear power plants. The project will test the suitability of immersive virtual reality technology to aid engineers in the design of the next generation nuclear power plant and to evaluate potential cost reductions that can be realized by optimization of installation and construction sequences. The intent is to see if this type of information technology can be used in capacities similar to those currently filled by full-scale physical mockups. This report presents the results of the completed project.

From cost survey to « cost killing » on ASTRID Fast Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vernhet, Didier

2013-01-01

Conclusions: • Due to the different level of readiness for each equipement, we found a wide scale of elementary costs. • We have no industrial reference (except SuperPhenix – ‘80s) and the approach of actual cost can be with a important uncertainty margin. • It is not easy to measure: ⇒ the impact of increasing rules and regulation; ⇒ the loss of know-how of manufacturers. • The appreciation of the risks for this type of innovative prototype and corresponding cost allowances is very complex. • These various estimating processes led to a range for a first evaluation of the construction cost of ASTRID, but still with large bias and uncertainties given the design stage of the project. • The analysis of the elementary value are a great imput data for an efficiency « Cost Killing » approach. • The wide range of cost approach can give us some new supports for the selection of each further design, during the 2 next years

The Impact of Medicaid Peer Support Utilization on Cost

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — According to findings reported in The Impact of Medicaid Peer Support Utilization on Cost, published in Volume 4, Issue 1 of the Medicare and Medicaid Research...

Analysis of Correlations between the Level of Partnering Relations and their Influence on the Time, Cost, Quality and Safety of Implementation of Construction Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radziszewska-Zielina Elżbieta

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The present paper uses the developed model of the influence of partnering relations on the time, cost, quality and safety of implementation of construction projects. On its basis, a questionnaire has been created and a preliminary survey has been conducted. The paper presents an analysis of correlations between the level of partnering relations in the context of the partnering measures indicated in the model and their influence on the time, cost, quality and safety of implementation of construction projects. The analysis was conducted based on the data collected in 52 construction projects. The values of the Spearman rank correlation coefficient and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient have been calculated for the examined relations. The analysis allowed for indicating the measures of partnering whose improvement most often brings benefits with regard to the time, cost, quality and safety of implementation of construction projects. Among the 80 analysed correlations, the ones identified as strong were: 15 relations connected with the time, 8 with the cost, 5 with the quality and 1 with the safety of implementation of construction projects.

Labour Productivity in the New Zealand Construction Industry: A Thorough Investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Van Dai Tran

2011-03-01

The research found that while factors influencing inputs of labour productivity measure such as labour and material costs remained stable, factors impacting the corresponding outputs such as house and land prices, value of work in Non-residential and Infrastructure construction grew significantly between 1997 and 2007. Given the positive skewing effect of standard economic indicators (inflation etc on construction labour productivity figures, the relatively poor performance of construction is worrying for the industry. The paper concludes by demonstrating labour productivity in construction is significantly worse performing than previously suspected.

Integrating Life-cycle Assessment into Transport Cost-benefit Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Manzo, Stefano; Salling, Kim Bang

2016-01-01

Traditional transport Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) commonly ignores the indirect environmental impacts of an infrastructure project deriving from the overall life-cycle of the different project components. Such indirect impacts are instead of key importance in order to assess the long......-term sustainability of a transport infrastructure project. In the present study we suggest to overcome this limit by combining a conventional life-cycle assessment approach with standard transport cost-benefit analysis. The suggested methodology is tested upon a case study project related to the construction of a new...... fixed link across the Roskilde fjord in Frederikssund (Denmark). The results are then compared with those from a standard CBA framework. The analysis shows that indirect environmental impacts represent a relevant share of the estimated costs of the project, clearly affecting the final project evaluation...

The impact of diabetes mellitus on healthcare costs in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Giorda, Carlo B; Manicardi, Valeria; Diago Cabezudo, Jesús

2011-12-01

Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly common chronic disease that has a great impact not only in terms of clinical effects, but also in terms of economic burden worldwide. Expenditures due to diabetes derive essentially from direct and indirect costs. Current estimates of global healthcare expenditures due to diabetes are US$376 billion and are expected to increase to US$490 billion by 2030. In particular, costs associated with diabetes-related complications represent the most relevant part of the national healthcare expenditure for diabetes and are higher than the costs of managing diabetes itself. The major expenditure depends on the type and the number of complications: cardiovascular complications increase direct costs, especially for hospitalization. Moreover, diabetic comorbidity has a greater economic impact on the health expenditure in comparison with those patients without diabetes. In Europe, the CODE-2 study was the first attempt to evaluate the costs of diabetes: the annual costs per patient were estimated at €2384 and the highest value, €2991, was registered in Italy. This indicates an overall annual cost of €5170 million for the whole Italian population with diabetes. Current estimates for 2010 healthcare expenditure for diabetes are US$105 billion (10% of total healthcare expenditure, US$2046 per person) for the whole European region, and US$11 billion (9% of total healthcare expenditure, US$2087 per person) for Italy. More studies are needed in order to better define the real significance of the healthcare costs of diabetes in Italy. An effective therapy with a good metabolic control can reduce the risk of complications and represents a valid strategy from an economic point of view.

Future Costs, Benefits, and Impacts of Renewables Used to Meet U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2016-12-01

This brochure provides a brief overview of the report titled 'A Prospective Analysis of the Costs, Benefits, and Impacts of U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards.' The report evaluates the future costs, benefits, and other impacts of renewable energy used to meet current state renewable portfolio standards (RPSs). It also examines a future scenario where RPSs are expanded. The analysis examines changes in electric system costs and retail electricity prices, which include all fixed and operating costs, including capital costs for all renewable, non-renewable, and supporting (e.g., transmission and storage) electric sector infrastructure; fossil fuel, uranium, and biomass fuel costs; and plant operations and maintenance expenditures. The analysis evaluates three specific benefits: air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and water use. It also analyzes two other impacts, renewable energy workforce and economic development, and natural gas price suppression. The analysis finds that the benefits or renewable energy used to meet RPS polices exceed the costs, even when considering the highest cost and lowest benefit outcomes.

The effect of alternative cost and environmental impact minimisation strategies on radioactive waste disposal strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laundy, R.S.; James, A.R.; Groom, M.S.; Dalrymple, G.J.

1985-06-01

The study reported here investigates the effects of different cost and environmental impact minimisation strategies for a single waste disposal scenario. Four disposal options are considered. The study examines the environmental impacts from waste storage and transport and the disposal impacts in terms of collective dose, maximum individual dose and individual dose from intrusion. The total cost of disposing of waste takes account of storage, transport and disposal costs to each of the four facilities. Two minimum cost scenarios and seven minimum impact assessments were performed. The results showed clearly that a trade-off has to be made between the environmental impacts from transport and storage of waste. A low objective risk of transport is achieved by directing waste to the engineered trench, assumed to have a central location. This waste is stored until the facility is available in 1995 thus increasing the potential impact from storage. The results also show a trade-off has to be made between minimising the maximum individual dose from disposal and collective dose. The study shows that for relatively little cost large reductions in the impacts can be obtained particularly in short and long-term collective dose and the individual dose from intrusion. (author)

Developing a system dynamics model to analyse environmental problem in construction site

Science.gov (United States)

Haron, Fatin Fasehah; Hawari, Nurul Nazihah

2017-11-01

This study aims to develop a system dynamics model at a construction site to analyse the impact of environmental problem. Construction sites may cause damages to the environment, and interference in the daily lives of residents. A proper environmental management system must be used to reduce pollution, enhance bio-diversity, conserve water, respect people and their local environment, measure performance and set targets for the environment and sustainability. This study investigates the damaging impact normally occur during the construction stage. Environmental problem will cause costly mistake in project implementation, either because of the environmental damages that are likely to arise during project implementation, or because of modification that may be required subsequently in order to make the action environmentally acceptable. Thus, findings from this study has helped in significantly reducing the damaging impact towards environment, and improve the environmental management system performance at construction site.

Alberta benefits : economic impacts of northern gas pipeline construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rylska, N.L.; Graebeiel, J.E.; Mirus, R.K.; Janzen, S.S.; Frost, R.J.

2003-11-01

This paper describes the potential economic impact and benefits to Alberta from the proposed development of the Alaska Highway Pipeline (AHP) and the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline (MVP). It also includes a planning framework for business and industry in the province. Each proposed pipeline was evaluated separately. The paper includes a list of Alberta companies that stand to benefit from the construction of one or both pipelines. The main findings indicate that northern pipeline development will bring opportunities to Alberta business in design, construction and management. There will be a secondary impact on petrochemical industries and infrastructure. Both pipeline developments will increase employment and yield billions of dollars in gross domestic product. The existing oil and gas industry in Alberta will receive value-added opportunities in areas of specialized expertise such as natural gas and natural gas liquid storage, natural gas liquid processing, and gas to liquid technology projects. The industry will also benefit from power generation and cogeneration. The northern pipelines have the potential to improve the role of First Nations in economic development. Gas consumers in Alberta should benefit from a secure supply of gas and lower prices. refs., tabs., figs

Impact and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the National School-Based Sexuality Education Programme in Estonia

Science.gov (United States)

Kivela, Jari; Haldre, Kai; Part, Kai; Ketting, Evert; Baltussen, Rob

2014-01-01

Policy-makers making decisions on the implementation of school-based sexuality education (SE) programmes face two important questions: (1) what are the costs of implementing and scaling up SE programmes, and (2) what are the impacts? This paper responds to these questions by retrospectively assessing costs, impact and cost-effectiveness of the…

Beyond the material grave: Life Cycle Impact Assessment of leaching from secondary materials in road and earth constructions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwab, Oliver; Bayer, Peter; Juraske, Ronnie; Verones, Francesca; Hellweg, Stefanie

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We model environmental impacts of leaching from secondary construction material. • Industrial wastes in construction contain up to 45,000 t heavy metals per year (D). • In a scenario, 150 t are leached to the environment within 100 years after construction. • All heavy metals but As, Sb and Mo are adsorbed by 20 cm subsoil in this scenario. • Environmental impacts depend on material, pollutant, construction type, and geography. - Abstract: In industrialized countries, large amounts of mineral wastes are produced. They are re-used in various ways, particularly in road and earth constructions, substituting primary resources such as gravel. However, they may also contain pollutants, such as heavy metals, which may be leached to the groundwater. The toxic impacts of these emissions are so far often neglected within Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) of products or waste treatment services and thus, potentially large environmental impacts are currently missed. This study aims at closing this gap by assessing the ecotoxic impacts of heavy metal leaching from industrial mineral wastes in road and earth constructions. The flows of metals such as Sb, As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, V and Zn originating from three typical constructions to the environment are quantified, their fate in the environment is assessed and potential ecotoxic effects evaluated. For our reference country, Germany, the industrial wastes that are applied as Granular Secondary Construction Material (GSCM) carry more than 45,000 t of diverse heavy metals per year. Depending on the material quality and construction type applied, up to 150 t of heavy metals may leach to the environment within the first 100 years after construction. Heavy metal retardation in subsoil can potentially reduce the fate to groundwater by up to 100%. One major challenge of integrating leaching from constructions into macro-scale LCA frameworks is the high variability in micro-scale technical and geographical factors

Beyond the material grave: Life Cycle Impact Assessment of leaching from secondary materials in road and earth constructions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwab, Oliver [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Geography and Geoecology, Adenauerring 20, 76131 Karlsruhe (Germany); Bayer, Peter, E-mail: bayer@erdw.ethz.ch [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Geological Institute, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland); Juraske, Ronnie [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Verones, Francesca [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen (Netherlands); Hellweg, Stefanie [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland)

2014-10-15

Highlights: • We model environmental impacts of leaching from secondary construction material. • Industrial wastes in construction contain up to 45,000 t heavy metals per year (D). • In a scenario, 150 t are leached to the environment within 100 years after construction. • All heavy metals but As, Sb and Mo are adsorbed by 20 cm subsoil in this scenario. • Environmental impacts depend on material, pollutant, construction type, and geography. - Abstract: In industrialized countries, large amounts of mineral wastes are produced. They are re-used in various ways, particularly in road and earth constructions, substituting primary resources such as gravel. However, they may also contain pollutants, such as heavy metals, which may be leached to the groundwater. The toxic impacts of these emissions are so far often neglected within Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) of products or waste treatment services and thus, potentially large environmental impacts are currently missed. This study aims at closing this gap by assessing the ecotoxic impacts of heavy metal leaching from industrial mineral wastes in road and earth constructions. The flows of metals such as Sb, As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, V and Zn originating from three typical constructions to the environment are quantified, their fate in the environment is assessed and potential ecotoxic effects evaluated. For our reference country, Germany, the industrial wastes that are applied as Granular Secondary Construction Material (GSCM) carry more than 45,000 t of diverse heavy metals per year. Depending on the material quality and construction type applied, up to 150 t of heavy metals may leach to the environment within the first 100 years after construction. Heavy metal retardation in subsoil can potentially reduce the fate to groundwater by up to 100%. One major challenge of integrating leaching from constructions into macro-scale LCA frameworks is the high variability in micro-scale technical and geographical factors

Construction in Occupied Spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ward Andrew E.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Conducting construction activities in occupied environments presents a great challenge due to the additional logistical requirements and the presence of the building occupants. The aim of this research is to gather and evaluate the means and methods to successfully plan, manage, and execute construction activities in occupied spaces in an effort to provide consolidated industry tools and strategies for maintaining a schedule and minimizing the impact on the occupants. The methodology of the research utilizes an exploratory approach to gather qualitative data. The data was collected through interviews with industry professionals to identify industry best practices. The semi-structured interviews provided a platform for the documents, lessons learned, and the techniques and strategies used for occupied construction by the construction industry. The information obtained in the interview process identified six themes that are critical to achieving and maintaining quality in occupied construction. These themes of the schedule, cost, customer satisfaction, planning, fire/life safety and utilities, and contractor management are reviewed in detail, and the paper discusses how to manage each element. The analysis and extracted management techniques, procedures and strategies can be used by the construction industry for future projects by focusing on the critical aspects of occupied construction and the manner in which to succeed with it.

Construction in Occupied Spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Andrew E.; Azhar, Salman; Khalfan, Malik

2017-06-01

Conducting construction activities in occupied environments presents a great challenge due to the additional logistical requirements and the presence of the building occupants. The aim of this research is to gather and evaluate the means and methods to successfully plan, manage, and execute construction activities in occupied spaces in an effort to provide consolidated industry tools and strategies for maintaining a schedule and minimizing the impact on the occupants. The methodology of the research utilizes an exploratory approach to gather qualitative data. The data was collected through interviews with industry professionals to identify industry best practices. The semi-structured interviews provided a platform for the documents, lessons learned, and the techniques and strategies used for occupied construction by the construction industry. The information obtained in the interview process identified six themes that are critical to achieving and maintaining quality in occupied construction. These themes of the schedule, cost, customer satisfaction, planning, fire/life safety and utilities, and contractor management are reviewed in detail, and the paper discusses how to manage each element. The analysis and extracted management techniques, procedures and strategies can be used by the construction industry for future projects by focusing on the critical aspects of occupied construction and the manner in which to succeed with it.

Impact of product configuration systems on product profitability and costing accuracy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Myrodia, Anna; Kristjansdottir, Katrin; Hvam, Lars

2017-01-01

in control of their product assortment, making the right decisions in the sales phase and increasing sales of optimal products. These benefits should have an impact on the company's ability to make more accurate cost estimations in the sales phase, which can positively affect the products’ profitability......This article aims at analyzing the impact of implementing a product configuration system (PCS) on the increased accuracy of the cost calculations and the increased profitability of the products. Companies that have implemented PCSs have achieved substantial benefits in terms of being more...... and after a PCS was implemented. The comparison in the case study revealed that increased accuracy of the cost calculations in the sales phase and consequently increased profitability can be achieved by implementing a PCS....

A Conceptual Cost Benefit Analysis of Tailings Matrices Use in Construction Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmood Ali A.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available As part of a comprehensive research program, new tailings matrices are formulated of combinations of tailings and binder materials. The research program encompasses experimental and numerical analysis of the tailings matrices to investigate the feasibility of using them as construction materials in cold climates. This paper discusses a conceptual cost benefit analysis for the use of these new materials. It is shown here that the financial benefits of using the proposed new tailings matrices in terms of environmental sustainability are much higher when compared to normal sand matrices.

Environmental management systems - before, during and after construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braun, T.L.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe an operational environmental managment system (EMS) as developed by TransCanada PipeLines, including an example of the application and concomitant benefits. The focus will be on the planning, construction, inspection and post-construction monitoring programs, covering approximately 3,190 kilometers of large diameter pipeline constructed between 1990 and 1996, across a wide range of Canadian land-uses and ecosystems. With the implementation of such systems, governments have recognized that corporate responsibility and self-management on environmental matters can result in effective, environmentally sound programs that minimize impacts and allow for a more cost-effective and streamlined regulatory approach. (au)

Cost, performance, and esthetic impacts of an experimental forest road in Montana

Science.gov (United States)

Rulon B. Gardner

1978-01-01

An experimental logging road designed to minimize environmental and esthetic impact was constructed in northwest Montana. The road was single-lane (14-foot finished surface, 3-foot ditch), constructed along the contour. Esthetically, the single-lane experimental road was judged far superior to existing roads on the forest.

Integrated waste management system costs in a MPC system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Supko, E.M.

1995-01-01

The impact on system costs of including a centralized interim storage facility as part of an integrated waste management system based on multi-purpose canister (MPC) technology was assessed in analyses by Energy Resources International, Inc. A system cost savings of $1 to $2 billion occurs if the Department of Energy begins spent fuel acceptance in 1998 at a centralized interim storage facility. That is, the savings associated with decreased utility spent fuel management costs will be greater than the cost of constructing and operating a centralized interim storage facility

ESTIMATING INJURIOUS IMPACT IN CONSTRUCTION LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McDevitt, James E.

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This paper is the result of a desire to include social factors alongside environmental and economic considerations in Life Cycle Assessment studies for the construction sector. We describe a specific search for a method to include injurious impact for construction Life Cycle Assessment studies, by evaluating a range of methods and data sources. A simple case study using selected Accident Compensation Corporation information illustrates that data relating to injury could provide a compelling evidence to cause changes in construction supply chains, and could provide an economic motive to pursue further research in this area. The paper concludes that limitations notwithstanding, the suggested approach could be useful as a fast and cheap high level tool that can accelerate the discussions and research agenda that will bring about the inclusion of social metrics in construction sector supply chain management and declarations.

COUNTERBALANCING BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF CONTEMPORARY STABLISED EARTH CONSTRUCTION BY CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Sharif Zami

2011-07-01

Full Text Available It is debatable among the construction professionals whether contemporary stabilised earth construction is beneficial in urban low cost housing. Existing literature recorded a lot of benefits and drawbacks from construction professionals, which is empirically substantiated. But there are drawbacks found in the literature that seemingly are conflicting, and construction professionals are divided in their opinion. This paper seeks to address these conflicts and division by validating the controversial drawbacks of contemporary stabilised earth construction in urban low cost housing.

Analysis of the cost impact of the new technologies in e-tail

OpenAIRE

Cristina DRUMEA

2015-01-01

The impact of new technologies on retail is studied in terms of costs. Starting from the idea that reducing costs should have a significant effect of the new technologies in retail, it is investigated the possibility that it actually constitutes the basis of a new facette of the cost leadership generic strategy. Exploratory research tracks some automation effects on transaction costs and labour costs in retail. General business models in the field are analysed, with a focus on some concrete w...

Radioactive environmental impact assessment for a highway construction project in Guangdong province

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu Guohua

2009-01-01

Based on the field environmental investigation and monitoring result, the radioactive environmental impact for a highway construction project in Guangdong province has been analyzed and assessed and forecacted. (authors)

AP1000 design and construction integration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winters, James W.; Clelland, Jill A.

2004-01-01

Construction costs of commercial nuclear generating plants must be reduced in order to expand the future use of nuclear energy. Two of the drivers of plant construction costs are the cost of financing during the construction duration and the substantial amount of skilled craft labor hours needed on site during construction. The application of information technology (IT) has been used to understand and reduce both of these drivers by establishing parallel construction paths using modules and integrating construction sequence review into the design process. In a program sponsored by EPRI, Westinghouse has modeled the construction of AP1000 in '4D' to show its viability, to improve its logic, to improve the plant design for constructibility and overall to reduce time and risk in the construction schedule. The design of most of AP1000 was constrained to be a duplicate of AP600 except where components required expansion for the higher power level. As a result, the construction schedule for AP1000 is as mature and as robust as that for AP600. Two areas important to the construction of AP1000 did require some design work because they could not remain the same as AP1000. First, the turbine building had to be redesigned to accommodate the larger turbine and its support systems. Again, as much of the AP600 design and philosophy as possible was retained. The building required enlargement and the basemat, foundations, steel structure and structural modules required modification. As concrete, steel, and equipment were defined by the designers, they were matched to the original AP600 turbine building schedule. This forced designers to assemble files to be consistent with building assembly activities and to think about constructibility as they defined the final design. Second, the reinforcement structure within the concrete under and supporting the containment vessel required detail design. Westinghouse was fortunate to have the constructor Obayashi of Japan recommend a detailed

Innovative Materials and Techniques in Concrete Construction : ACES Workshop

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

Recent years have seen enormous advances in the technology of concrete as a material, through which its strength, compactness and ductility can reach levels never dreamed of before. Thanks to these improved material properties, the strength and durability of concrete structures is greatly improved, their weight and dimensions reduced, the scope of concrete as a structural material is widened and – despite the higher material costs – overall economy is possible, with positive impacts on sustainability as well. Similar advances are underway in reinforcing materials, notably high strength steel and fibre-reinforced polymers, and in the way they are combined with concrete into high performance structures. Developments in materials and equipment, as well as new concepts, have lead to innovative construction techniques, reducing cost and construction time and making possible the application of concrete under extreme conditions of construction or environment. All these advances will be highlighted in the book by...

Supplier managed inventory in the OEM supply chain : the impact of relationship types on total costs and cost distribution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nyen, van P.L.M.; Bertrand, J.W.M.; Ooijen, van H.P.G.; Vandaele, N.J.

2009-01-01

We investigate the impact of four variants of supplier managed inventory on total costs and cost distribution in a capital goods supply chain consisting of a parts supplier who delivers parts to an original equipment manufacturer’s assembly plant. The four supplier managed inventory variants differ

THE IMPACT OF THE CONVERSION OF HISTORICAL COST TO CORRECTED CURRENT COST ON RETURN ON ASSETS AND EQUITY: ANALYSIS FROM DUPONT SYSTEM.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Silva da Penha

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Historical cost is the most used form of accounting valuation, but it does not reflect the effect of currency in time. The Theory of Corrected Current Cost, albeit with limitations, may show evidence of real and relevant accounting information of the entity. In this context, a question can be formulated: What is the impact of the conversion of historical cost to corrected current cost in return on assets and equity? In order to answer this question, the DuPont system was applied in a model company as a tool for analysis. The results showed that the return of assets at historical cost and corrected current cost were 12.11% and 3.14%, respectively, a decrease of 74.07%, and the result of the return on equity, the historical cost and corrected current cost were 20.59% and 4.96%, respectively, decreased 75.91%. Based on these variations it is observed that the impacts of the conversion of the corrected current cost were significant,confirming the importance of the adoption of this practice, whenever possible.

The impact of two Department of Energy orders on the design and cost of select plutonium facilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rey, V.C.

1999-01-01

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a research and development facility in northern New Mexico, owned by the federal government and operated for the US Department of Energy (DOE) by the University of California (UC). LANL conducts research and experiments in many arenas including plutonium. Its plutonium facilities are required to meet the facility design and safety criteria of applicable DOE orders as specified in the UC contract. Although DOE 420.1, Facility Safety, superseded DOE 6430.1A, General Design Criteria, the UC contract requires LANL to adhere to DOE 6430.1A, Division 13 in its special nuclear facilities. A comparison of costs and savings relative to installation of double-wall piping at two LANL plutonium facilities is demonstrated. DOE 6430.1A is prescriptive in its design criteria whereas DOE 420.1 is a performance-based directive. The differences in these orders impact time and design costs in nuclear construction projects. LANL's approach to integrated quality and conduct of operations for design, needs to be re-evaluated. In conclusion, there is a need for highly-technical, knowledgeable people and an integrated, quality/conduct of operations-based approach to assure that nuclear facilities are designed and constructed in a safe and cost-effective manner

Mass of materials: the impact of designers on construction ergonomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Smallwood, John

2012-01-01

Many construction injuries are musculoskeletal related in the form of sprains and strains arising from the handling of materials, which are specified by designers. The paper presents the results of a study conducted among delegates attending two 'designing for H&S' (DfH&S) seminars using a questionnaire. The salient findings include: the level of knowledge relative to the mass and density of materials is limited; designers generally do not consider the mass and density of materials when designing structures and elements and specifying materials; to a degree designers appreciate that the mass and density of materials impact on construction ergonomics; designers rate their knowledge of the mass and density of materials as limited, and designers appreciate the potential of the consideration of the mass and density of materials to contribute to an improvement in construction ergonomics. Conclusions include: designers lack the requisite knowledge relative to the mass and density of materials; designers are thus precluded from conducting optimum design hazard identification and risk assessments, and tertiary built environment designer education does not enlighten designers relative to construction ergonomics. Recommendations include: tertiary built environment designer education should construction ergonomics; professional associations should raise the level of awareness relative to construction ergonomics, and design practices should include a category 'mass and density of materials' in their practice libraries.

Projected costs for mined geologic repositories for dispoal of commercial nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waddell, J.D.; Dippold, D.G.; McSweeney, T.I.

1982-12-01

This documen reports cost estimates for: (1) the exploration and development activities preceding the final design of terminal isolation facilities for disposal of commercial high-level waste; and (2) the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of such facilities. Exploration and evelopment costs also include a separate cost category for related programs such as subseabed research, activities of the Transportation Technology Center, and waste disposal impact mitigation activities

Cost and impact of a quality improvement programme in mental health services.

Science.gov (United States)

Beecham, Jennifer; Ramsay, Angus; Gordon, Kate; Maltby, Sophie; Walshe, Kieran; Shaw, Ian; Worrall, Adrian; King, Sarah

2010-04-01

To estimate the cost and impact of a centrally-driven quality improvement initiative in four UK mental health communities. Total costs in year 1 were identified using documentation, a staff survey, semi-structured interviews and discussion groups. Few outcome data were collected within the programme so thematic analysis was used to identify the programme's impact within its five broad underlying principles. The survey had a 40% response. Total costs ranged between pound164,000 and pound458,000 per site, plus staff time spent on workstreams. There was a very hazy view of the resources absorbed and poor recording of expenditure and activity. The initiative generated little demonstrable improvements in service quality but some participants reported changes in attitudes. Given the difficult contexts, short time-scales and capacity constraints, the programme's lack of impact is not surprising. It may, however, represent a worthwhile investment in cultural change which might facilitate improvements in how services are delivered.

Environmental footprint of constructed wetlands treating wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Gkika, Dimitra; Gikas, Georgios D; Tsihrintzis, Vassilios A

2015-01-01

The aim of the study is to determine environmentally friendlier construction materials for constructed wetland facilities treating wastewater. This is done by computing the environmental footprint of the facility based on the methodology of life cycle assessment (LCA). This methodology reveals the dominant aggravating processes during the construction of a constructed wetland (CW) and can help to create alternative environmentally friendlier solutions. This methodology was applied for the determination of the overall environmental profile of a hybrid CW facility. The LCA was applied first to the facility as originally designed, where reinforced concrete was used in some components. Then, alternative construction materials to reinforced concrete were used, such as earth covered with high density polyethylene (HDPE) or clay, and LCA was applied again. Earth structures were found to have reduced environmental impact compared to concrete ones, and clay was found environmentally friendlier compared to HDPE. Furthermore, estimation of the construction costs of the three scenarios indicate that the last scenario is also the least expensive.

Relationship between degree of risk, cost and level of compliance to occupational health and safety regulations in construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abimbola Olukemi Windapo

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the role of statutory health and safety (H&S regulations in managing construction project risks. The study examines whether the decision made by contractors to comply with the regulations, the cost of compliance and savings of H&S regulatory requirements is influenced by the degree or level of risk, which the regulations are trying to prevent. The rationale for the examination stems from previous studies which establish that building designers and contractors perceive the cost of complying with regulations as additional burdens, which they have to conform to, and which are in some cases unnecessary, and also the fact that construction related injuries and fatalities are on the increase. Qualitative and quantitative data obtained from a descriptive survey and H&S site audit by the Master Builder Association of the Western Cape (MBAWC were used as the measurements of risk, level of compliance to regulations, cost of compliance and savings. By correlating the quantitative and qualitative data, there is empirical evidence to support a negative relationship between the degree of risk, level and cost of compliance and cost savings. Based on the study’s findings, this paper concludes that the decision made by contractors to comply with H&S regulatory requirements is influenced by the perceived cost saving on account of compliance and that cost savings are influenced by the probability of accident occurrence which is an element of the degree of risk which the regulation is trying to prevent or control. 

Relationship between degree of risk, cost and level of compliance to occupational health and safety regulations in construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abimbola Olukemi Windapo

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the role of statutory health and safety (H&S regulations in managing construction project risks. The study examines whether the decision made by contractors to comply with the regulations, the cost of compliance and savings of H&S regulatory requirements is influenced by the degree or level of risk, which the regulations are trying to prevent. The rationale for the examination stems from previous studies which establish that building designers and contractors perceive the cost of complying with regulations as additional burdens, which they have to conform to, and which are in some cases unnecessary, and also the fact that construction related injuries and fatalities are on the increase. Qualitative and quantitative data obtained from a descriptive survey and H&S site audit by the Master Builder Association of the Western Cape (MBAWC were used as the measurements of risk, level of compliance to regulations, cost of compliance and savings. By correlating the quantitative and qualitative data, there is empirical evidence to support a negative relationship between the degree of risk, level and cost of compliance and cost savings. Based on the study’s findings, this paper concludes that the decision made by contractors to comply with H&S regulatory requirements is influenced by the perceived cost saving on account of compliance and that cost savings are influenced by the probability of accident occurrence which is an element of the degree of risk which the regulation is trying to prevent or control.

The effect of span length and girder type on bridge costs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Batikha Mustafa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Bridges have an important role in impacting the civilization, growth and economy of cities from ancient time until these days due to their function in reducing transportation cost and time. Therefore, development of bridges has been a knowledge domain in civil engineering studies in terms of their types and construction materials to confirm a reliable, safe, economic design and construction. Girder-bridge of concrete deck and I-beam girder has been used widely for short and medium span bridges because of ease and low-cost of fabrication. However, many theoretical and practical investigations are still undertaken regarding the type of beam girder; i.e steel composite or prestressed concrete. This paper evaluates the effect of bridge span and the type of girder on the capital cost and life cycle costs of bridges. Three types of girders were investigated in this research: steel composite, pre-tensioned pre-stressed concrete and post-tensioned pre-stressed concrete. The structural design was analyzed for 5 span lengths: 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40m. Then, the capital construction cost was accounted for 15 bridges according to each span and construction materials. Moreover, the maintenance required for 50 years of bridge life was evaluated and built up as whole life costs for each bridge. As a result of this study, the influence of both span length and type of girder on initial construction cost and maintenance whole life costs were assessed to support the decision makers and designers in the selection process for the optimum solution of girder bridges.

Impact of Research and Development, Analysis, and Standardization on PV Project Financing Costs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feldman, David J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Margolis, Robert M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Jones-Albertus, Rebecca [U.S. Department of Energy

2018-04-02

The technical report discusses how R and D efforts focused on removing perceived risk from cash flows to investors have the potential to lower the cost of capital and increase the amount of leverage in a solar project. It also discusses how creating business efficiencies that allow financing transactions to occur more quickly with less effort can reduce the upfront costs associated with arranging financing for a solar project or group of projects. The paper then assesses the impact that these R and D activities might have on the volatility of PV asset cash flows and asset value, as well as the upfront costs of arranging a financial transaction. Finally, we insert these assumptions into financial models to analyze their impacts on the cost of capital for equity and debt investors, project leverage, and upfront financial transaction costs.

Impact of individual resilience and safety climate on safety performance and psychological stress of construction workers: A case study of the Ontario construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yuting; McCabe, Brenda; Hyatt, Douglas

2017-06-01

The construction industry has hit a plateau in terms of safety performance. Safety climate is regarded as a leading indicator of safety performance; however, relatively little safety climate research has been done in the Canadian construction industry. Safety climate may be geographically sensitive, thus it is necessary to examine how the construct of safety climate is defined and used to improve safety performance in different regions. On the other hand, more and more attention has been paid to job related stress in the construction industry. Previous research proposed that individual resilience may be associated with a better safety performance and may help employees manage stress. Unfortunately, few empirical research studies have examined this hypothesis. This paper aims to examine the role of safety climate and individual resilience in safety performance and job stress in the Canadian construction industry. The research was based on 837 surveys collected in Ontario between June 2015 and June 2016. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used to explore the impact of individual resilience and safety climate on physical safety outcomes and on psychological stress among construction workers. The results show that safety climate not only affected construction workers' safety performance but also indirectly affected their psychological stress. In addition, it was found that individual resilience had a direct negative impact on psychological stress but had no impact on physical safety outcomes. These findings highlight the roles of both organizational and individual factors in individual safety performance and in psychological well-being. Construction organizations need to not only monitor employees' safety performance, but also to assess their employees' psychological well-being. Promoting a positive safety climate together with developing training programs focusing on improving employees' psychological health - especially post-trauma psychological

Impact of increased fuel costs and inflation on the cost of desalting sea water and brackish waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, S.A.

1976-01-01

The combined increases in the cost of fuel, equipment, and money during the past four years have had a marked impact on the cost of desalting saline waters. The current costs of desalting seawater by distillation and reverse osmosis and brackish waters by reverse osmosis and electrodialysis as a function of plant size and feedwater chemistry are estimated. Typically, distillation plant capital costs have increased from dollar 1 per daily gallon to dollar 3 per daily gallon for large plants (100 Mgd) and from approximately dollar 1.40 per daily gallon to approximately dollar 5 per daily gallon per plant sizes of 5 Mgd or less. Consequently, water costs are now ranging from dollar 3 to dollar 4 per 1000 gal when oil is used to generate steam. Similarly, the costs of desalting inland brackish waters using reverse osmosis or electrodialysis have increased significantly

Iliac crest autograft versus alternative constructs for anterior cervical spine surgery: Pros, cons, and costs

Science.gov (United States)

Epstein, Nancy E.

2012-01-01

Background: Grafting choices available for performing anterior cervical diskectomy/fusion (ACDF) procedures have become a major concern for spinal surgeons, and their institutions. The “gold standard”, iliac crest autograft, may still be the best and least expensive grafting option; it deserves to be reassessed along with the pros, cons, and costs for alternative grafts/spacers. Methods: Although single or multilevel ACDF have utilized iliac crest autograft for decades, the implant industry now offers multiple alternative grafting and spacer devices; (allografts, cages, polyether-etherketone (PEEK) amongst others). While most studies have focused on fusion rates and clinical outcomes following ACDF, few have analyzed the “value-added” of these various constructs (e.g. safety/efficacy, risks/complications, costs). Results: The majority of studies document 95%-100% fusion rates when iliac crest autograft is utilized to perform single level ACDF (X-ray or CT confirmed at 6-12 postoperative months). Although many allograft studies similarly quote 90%-100% fusion rates (X-ray alone confirmed at 6-12 postoperative months), a recent “post hoc analysis of data from a prospective multicenter trial” (Riew KD et. al., CSRS Abstract Dec. 2011; unpublished) revealed a much higher delayed fusion rate using allografts at one year 55.7%, 2 years 87%, and four years 92%. Conclusion: Iliac crest autograft utilized for single or multilevel ACDF is associated with the highest fusion, lowest complication rates, and significantly lower costs compared with allograft, cages, PEEK, or other grafts. As spinal surgeons and institutions become more cost conscious, we will have to account for the “value added” of these increasingly expensive graft constructs. PMID:22905321

Contractors perspective for critical factors of cost overrun in highway projects of Sindh, Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

Sohu, Samiullah; Abdullah, Abd Halid; Nagapan, Sasitharan; Fattah, Abdul; Ullah, Kaleem; Kumar, Kanesh

2017-10-01

Construction industry of Pakistan is creating a number of opportunities in employment as well as plays a role model for economy development of the country. This construction industry has a serious issue of cost overrun in all construction projects especially in construction of highway projects. Cost overrun is a serious and critical issue in construction of highway projects which gives negative impact to construction practitioners because it is not only cross the approved budget but also approved time of the project. The main objective of this study is to find out critical factors causing cost overrun in highway projects of Sindh according to contractors' perspectives. Deep literature review was carried out and a total of 64 factors of cost overrun were identified. To achieve the objective, a questionnaire was designed and distributed among 16 selected respondents who have more than 20 years of experience in construction of highway projects. The results from analysis found that most critical factors of cost overrun in the order of importance include financial and cash flow difficulties faced by contractor, frequent changes in design, changes in price of materials, poor planning by client, change in scope of project, change in specification of materials and delay in taking decisions. This study will assist contractors to narrow down some of the critical factors that would lead to cost overrun, and therefore be prepared with the ways to mitigate these problems in construction of highway projects of Sindh province.

Estimation of costs for applications of remediation technologies for the Department of Energy's Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villegas, A.J.; Hansen, R.I.; Humphreys, K.K.; Paananen, J.M.; Gildea, L.F.

1994-01-01

The Programmatic Environmental impact Statement (PEIS) being developed by the US Department of Energy (DOE) for environmental restoration (ER) and waste management (WM) activities expected to be carried out across the DOE's nationwide complex of facilities is assessing the impacts of removing, transporting, treating, storing, and disposing of waste from these ER and WM activities. Factors being considered include health and safety impacts to the public and to workers, impacts on the environment, costs and socio-economic impacts, and near-term and residual risk during those ER and WM operations. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the methodology developed specifically for the PEIS to estimate costs associated with the deployment and application of individual remediation technologies. These individual costs are used in developing order-of-magnitude cost estimates for the total remediation activities. Costs are developed on a per-unit-of-material-to-be-treated basis (i.e., $/m 3 ) to accommodate remediation projects of varying sizes. The primary focus of this cost-estimating effort was the development of capital and operating unit cost factors based on the amount of primary media to be removed, handled, and treated. The unit costs for individual treatment technologies were developed using information from a variety of sources, mainly from periodicals, EPA documentation, handbooks, vendor contacts, and cost models. The unit cost factors for individual technologies were adjusted to 1991 dollars

Health and cost impact of air pollution from biomass burning over the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Eslami, E.; Sadeghi, B.; Choi, Y.

2017-12-01

Effective assessment of health and cost effects of air pollution associated with wildfire events is critical for supporting sustainable management and policy analysis to reduce environmental damages. Since biomass burning events result in higher ozone, PM2.5, and NOx concentration values in urban regions due to long-range transport, preliminary results indicated that wildfire events cause a considerable increase in incident estimates and costs. This study aims to evaluate the health and cost impact of biomass burning events over the continental United States using combined air quality and health impact modeling. To meet this goal, a comprehensive air quality modeling scenarios containing biomass burning emissions were conducted using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system from 2011 to 2014 with a spatial resolution of 12 km. The modeling period includes fire seasons between April and October over the course of four years. By using modeled pollutants concentrations, the USEPA's GIS-based computer program Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program-Community Edition (BenMAP-CE) provides an inclusive figure of health and cost impact caused by changing gaseous and particulate air pollution due to fire events. The basis of BenMAP-CE is the use of a damage-function approach to estimate the health impact of an applied change in air quality by comparing a biomass burning scenario (the one that includes wildfire events) with a baseline scenario (without biomass emissions). This approach considers several factors containing population, exposure to the pollutants, adverse health effects of a particular pollutant, and economic costs. Hence, this study made it capable of showing how biomass burning across U.S. influences people's health in different months, seasons, and regions. Besides, the cost impact of the wildfire events during study periods has also been estimated at both national and regional levels. The results of this study demonstrate the

Modelling the impact of EVs on electricity generation, costs and CO2 emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calnan, P.; Deane, J.P.; Ó Gallachóir, B.P.

2013-01-01

This paper focuses on the impact of electric vehicles on electricity generation in Ireland in 2025 based on five alternative generation portfolios. The year 2025 was selected for assessment due to the information on the composition of the five generation portfolios from Eirgrid the system operator in Ireland being provided. Detailed market simulations were undertaken on the five possible generation portfolios to assess the impact of the Government targets for electric vehicles on the generation costs, emissions, generation stack and the cost to load of this additional demand. This paper also studied the impact between a standard and least cost electric vehicle loading regime to ascertain the benefits that could be achieved. The results show that gas will be the dominant source of electricity generation to load electric vehicles and that wind as an electricity source will experience a minor reduction in curtailment, with the least cost charging profile showing a more pronounced reduction. The capital benefits of the Standard and Least Cost EV load are found to be negligible. The portfolios studied generated CO 2 emissions per kilometre between 52 and 70 gCO 2 /km. All portfolios with the exception of coal were found to comply with EU regulation 443/2009. - Highlights: • This paper focuses on the impact of electric vehicles on electricity generation in Ireland in 2025. • It uses the PLEXOS software package by Energy Exemplar to model the Irish electricity market. • Government targets for electric vehicle penetration have a limited impact on the power system. • Electric vehicles will meet EU requirements in terms of emissions created per kilometre

Long-term impact of war on healthcare costs: an eight-country study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sabes-Figuera, R.; McCrone, P.; Bogic, M.; Ajdukovic, D.; Franciskovic, T.; Colombini, N.; Kucukalic, A.; Lecic-Tosevski, D.; Morina, N.; Popovski, M.; Schützwohl, M.; Priebe, S.

2012-01-01

Objective Exposure to war can negatively affect health and may impact on healthcare costs. Estimating these costs and identifying their predictors is important for appropriate service planning. We aimed to measure use of health services in an adult population who had experienced war in the

Impact of comorbidities on hospitalization costs following hip fracture.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikkel, Lucas E; Fox, Edward J; Black, Kevin P; Davis, Charles; Andersen, Lucille; Hollenbeak, Christopher S

2012-01-04

Hip fractures are common in the elderly, and patients with hip fractures frequently have comorbid illnesses. Little is known about the relationship between comorbid illness and hospital costs or length of stay following the treatment of hip fracture in the United States. We hypothesized that specific individual comorbid illnesses and multiple comorbid illnesses would be directly related to the hospitalization costs and the length of stay for older patients following hip fracture. With use of discharge data from the 2007 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 32,440 patients who were fifty-five years or older with an isolated, closed hip fracture were identified. Using generalized linear models, we estimated the impact of comorbidities on hospitalization costs and length of stay, controlling for patient, hospital, and procedure characteristics. Hypertension, deficiency anemias, and fluid and electrolyte disorders were the most common comorbidities. The patients had a mean of three comorbidities. Only 4.9% of patients presented without comorbidities. The average estimated cost in our reference patient was $13,805. The comorbidity with the largest increased hospitalization cost was weight loss or malnutrition, followed by pulmonary circulation disorders. Most other comorbidities significantly increased the cost of hospitalization. Compared with internal fixation of the hip fracture, hip arthroplasty increased hospitalization costs significantly. Comorbidities significantly affect the cost of hospitalization and length of stay following hip fracture in older Americans, even while controlling for other variables.

The impact of fixed and variable cost on automobile demand: Evidence from Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mulalic, Ismir; Rouwendal, Jan

2015-01-01

and derive an expression for the full willingness to pay for characteristics that takes into account the impact on fixed as well as variable costs. We apply the model to the demand for automobiles using rich Danish register data. Estimation reveals considerable heterogeneity and a non-negligible contribution......Many car characteristics, for instance cabin space and engine power, have a positive impact on fixed and variable costs. We extend the hedonic model, that considers only one type of cost, to the situation in which fixed as well as variable costs depend on the characteristics of the durable...... of the variable costs in total willingness to pay. Next we show that under suitable assumptions a structural interpretation of our estimates is possible. We show that the willingness to pay per kilometer driven can be interpreted as a parameter of the utility function and study how it is related to household...

Exploring the impact of the constructs of the three-domain approach ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article explores the constructs of private social and commercial hospitality in a panoramic examination of the impact and potential future development of the three-domain approach. Focused primarily (but not exclusively) on the books In Search of Hospitality: theoretical perspectives and debates, and Hospitality: A ...

Economic impact analysis for global warming: Sensitivity analysis for cost and benefit estimates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ierland, E.C. van; Derksen, L.

1994-01-01

Proper policies for the prevention or mitigation of the effects of global warming require profound analysis of the costs and benefits of alternative policy strategies. Given the uncertainty about the scientific aspects of the process of global warming, in this paper a sensitivity analysis for the impact of various estimates of costs and benefits of greenhouse gas reduction strategies is carried out to analyze the potential social and economic impacts of climate change

Impact of Chronic Conditions on the Cost of Cancer Care...

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — According to findings reported in Impact of Chronic Conditions on the Cost of Cancer Care for Medicaid Beneficiaries, published in Volume 2, Issue 4 of the Medicare...

Minimization of Construction Costs for an All Battery-Swapping Electric-Bus Transportation System: Comparison with an All Plug-In System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shyang-Chyuan Fang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The greenhouse gases and air pollution generated by extensive energy use have exacerbated climate change. Electric-bus (e-bus transportation systems help reduce pollution and carbon emissions. This study analyzed the minimization of construction costs for an all battery-swapping public e-bus transportation system. A simulation was conducted according to existing timetables and routes. Daytime charging was incorporated during the hours of operation; the two parameters of the daytime charging scheme were the residual battery capacity and battery-charging energy during various intervals of daytime peak electricity hours. The parameters were optimized using three algorithms: particle swarm optimization (PSO, a genetic algorithm (GA, and a PSO–GA. This study observed the effects of optimization on cost changes (e.g., number of e-buses, on-board battery capacity, number of extra batteries, charging facilities, and energy consumption and compared the plug-in and battery-swapping e-bus systems. The results revealed that daytime charging can reduce the construction costs of both systems. In contrast to the other two algorithms, the PSO–GA yielded the most favorable optimization results for the charging scheme. Finally, according to the cases investigated and the parameters of this study, the construction cost of the plug-in e-bus system was shown to be lower than that of the battery-swapping e-bus system.

Prototype Environmental Assessment of the impacts of siting and construction of an SPS ground receiving station

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, J.

1980-01-01

A prototype assessment of the environmental impacts of siting and constructing a Satellite Power System (SPS) Ground Receiving Station (GRS) is reported. The objectives of the study were: (1) to develop an assessment of the nonmicrowave related impacts of the reference system SPS GRS on the natural environment; (2) to assess the impacts of GRS construction and operations in the context of actual baseline data for a site in the California desert; and (3) to identify critical GRS characteristics or parameters that are most significant in terms of the natural environment.

The cost and impact of scaling up pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention: a systematic review of cost-effectiveness modelling studies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela B Gomez

Full Text Available Cost-effectiveness studies inform resource allocation, strategy, and policy development. However, due to their complexity, dependence on assumptions made, and inherent uncertainty, synthesising, and generalising the results can be difficult. We assess cost-effectiveness models evaluating expected health gains and costs of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP interventions.We conducted a systematic review comparing epidemiological and economic assumptions of cost-effectiveness studies using various modelling approaches. The following databases were searched (until January 2013: PubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination databases, EconLIT, and region-specific databases. We included modelling studies reporting both cost and expected impact of a PrEP roll-out. We explored five issues: prioritisation strategies, adherence, behaviour change, toxicity, and resistance. Of 961 studies retrieved, 13 were included. Studies modelled populations (heterosexual couples, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs in generalised and concentrated epidemics from Southern Africa (including South Africa, Ukraine, USA, and Peru. PrEP was found to have the potential to be a cost-effective addition to HIV prevention programmes in specific settings. The extent of the impact of PrEP depended upon assumptions made concerning cost, epidemic context, programme coverage, prioritisation strategies, and individual-level adherence. Delivery of PrEP to key populations at highest risk of HIV exposure appears the most cost-effective strategy. Limitations of this review include the partial geographical coverage, our inability to perform a meta-analysis, and the paucity of information available exploring trade-offs between early treatment and PrEP.Our review identifies the main considerations to address in assessing cost-effectiveness analyses of a PrEP intervention--cost, epidemic context, individual adherence level, PrEP programme coverage

Emissions trading to combat climate change: The impact of scheme design on transaction costs

OpenAIRE

Betz, Regina

2006-01-01

This paper explores the likely impact of emissions trading design on transaction costs. Transaction costs include both the costs for the private sector to comply with the scheme rules and the costs of scheme administration. In economic theory transaction costs are often assumed to be zero. But transaction costs are real costs and there is no reason for treating them differently to other costs. Thus, in setting up an emissions trading scheme, transaction costs have to be taken into account in ...

The impact of Pulpwood Rail Freight Costs on the Minnesota-Wisconsin Pulpwood Market

Science.gov (United States)

David C. Lothner

1976-01-01

Transportation costs affect the marketing and utilization of pulpwood. Their impact on the procurement and utilization of pulpwood often prove difficult to measure because deriving an average annual measure of the transportation cost is difficult. This note, by means of a simple index method for measuring regional interstate pulpwood rail freight costs, illustrates...

Impact of Nuclear Power and Desalination Plant Construction Toward National and East Java Economic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ratya-Anindita; Sriyana; M-Nasrullah

2006-01-01

The objective of this study is to determine the economic impacts of the construction of the nuclear power plant 2 x 100 MW(e) SMART type with desalination 4 x 10,000 m 3 which would conduct in years 2008 to 2017 in Madura Island, East Java. The predicted IO tables of 2008-2017 have been created by the application of dynamic IO projection. The economic impact was estimated through multiplier effect which covers direct impact and indirect impact as well as the induced effect. The expenditures of SMART nuclear power and desalination plant to the domestic contractors is estimated to amount to 88.2 million US dollar or 25.6 % of the whole expenditures. The total impact of the project to the national economy would be Rp. 6,329,347 million, Rp. 8,439,130 million, and Rp. 12,658,695 million for each scenario of the exchange rate as high as Rp. 7,500/US dollar, Rp. 10,000/US dollar, Rp. 15,000/US dollar, respectively for the scenario of dynamic growth. The total impact of the project to the provincial economy of East Java would be as much as Rp. 3,253,498 million, Rp. 4,337,997 million, and Rp. 6,506,995 million for each scenario of the exchange rate as high as Rp. 7,500/US dollar, Rp. 10,000/US dollar, Rp. 15,000/US dollar, respectively under the former scenario. Cumulative direct impact since pre-construction to construction period had been calculated as much as US dollar 101.8 million for sectors number 48.52 and 62. This have brought much impact on other sectors in national or provincial levels of economy. (author)

Design to Cost and Life Cycle Cost.

Science.gov (United States)

1980-07-01

MANAGEMENT TASK ORIENTATED COST STRUCTURE 5. COSTS OF CONSTRUCTION INIFRA 2. COSTS DURING DEVELOPMENT -6. COSTS OF TRAINING 3. COSTS DURING TESi ...de r~duction des coats, ii faut disponer de ?!vyenr. performants d’eetimation des coats en main-d’oeuvre et en applrvininrinesent. Cam moyenm doivent

Development of a Blueprint Impact System of the risks on construction projects Implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Entisar Kadhim Rasheed

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In Production and Operations Management the specialists have tried to develop a strategy to counter the risks arising from the activities of the organization and of waste of various types and therefore the risk management in the contemporary framework represents a phenomenon of new quality, and can not be this phenomenon to take practical dimensions, but the development of culture of the organization towards the risks and deal with all aspects and paint ways to address them within an integrated program, and requires new skills and systems provide accurate information capable of coordination between the various parties within the organization. The research aims to develop a blue print to analyze the relationship between the impact of risk and stages of implementing of the project and, the effect of risk relationship with the type of contract, and the impact of risks to do with the type of construction works. In this paper a number of risks has been identified that have already occurred from the study of a number of construction projects completed and theoretical studies and interview a number of construction industry experts to determine the extent of the impact of these risks in each of these three axes in construction projects in Iraq for the purpose of responding and management. The study found a set of conclusions such as existing of priority in happiness of risks which proof that there is an relationship between the risks and sort of stage, contract and constructional work. In the light of what has been reached for the purpose of benefiting from the computer automated features a program have been used ( Vanguard Software System to build the decision tree in order to manage the risks according to their priority in happiness.

The Impact of Project Organizational Culture on the Performance of Construction Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luong Hai Nguyen

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Cultural influence has recently received significant attention from academics due to its vital role in the success or failure of a project. In the construction industry, several empirical investigations have examined the influence of culture on project management. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of project organizational culture on the performance of construction projects. A total of 199 completed construction projects in Vietnam with specific data gathering through questionnaires were analyzed. The findings reveal that contractor commitment to contract agreements is the most significant cultural factor affecting project performance. Goal alignment and reliance, contractor commitment, and worker orientation (i.e., commitment to workers contribute to improved overall performance and participant satisfaction. Contractor commitment and cooperative orientation enhance labor productivity, whereas goal alignment and trust and contractor commitment ensure learning performance (i.e., learning from experience. The findings of this study may assist construction professionals in implementing practices that can contribute to the sustainability and success of construction projects.

African Programme For Onchocerciasis Control 1995-2015: model-estimated health impact and cost.

Science.gov (United States)

Coffeng, Luc E; Stolk, Wilma A; Zouré, Honorat G M; Veerman, J Lennert; Agblewonu, Koffi B; Murdoch, Michele E; Noma, Mounkaila; Fobi, Grace; Richardus, Jan Hendrik; Bundy, Donald A P; Habbema, Dik; de Vlas, Sake J; Amazigo, Uche V

2013-01-01

Onchocerciasis causes a considerable disease burden in Africa, mainly through skin and eye disease. Since 1995, the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) has coordinated annual mass treatment with ivermectin in 16 countries. In this study, we estimate the health impact of APOC and the associated costs from a program perspective up to 2010 and provide expected trends up to 2015. With data on pre-control prevalence of infection and population coverage of mass treatment, we simulated trends in infection, blindness, visual impairment, and severe itch using the micro-simulation model ONCHOSIM, and estimated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to onchocerciasis. We assessed financial costs for APOC, beneficiary governments, and non-governmental development organizations, excluding cost of donated drugs. We estimated that between 1995 and 2010, mass treatment with ivermectin averted 8.2 million DALYs due to onchocerciasis in APOC areas, at a nominal cost of about US$257 million. We expect that APOC will avert another 9.2 million DALYs between 2011 and 2015, at a nominal cost of US$221 million. Our simulations suggest that APOC has had a remarkable impact on population health in Africa between 1995 and 2010. This health impact is predicted to double during the subsequent five years of the program, through to 2015. APOC is a highly cost-effective public health program. Given the anticipated elimination of onchocerciasis from some APOC areas, we expect even more health gains and a more favorable cost-effectiveness of mass treatment with ivermectin in the near future.

African Programme For Onchocerciasis Control 1995-2015: model-estimated health impact and cost.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luc E Coffeng

Full Text Available Onchocerciasis causes a considerable disease burden in Africa, mainly through skin and eye disease. Since 1995, the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC has coordinated annual mass treatment with ivermectin in 16 countries. In this study, we estimate the health impact of APOC and the associated costs from a program perspective up to 2010 and provide expected trends up to 2015.With data on pre-control prevalence of infection and population coverage of mass treatment, we simulated trends in infection, blindness, visual impairment, and severe itch using the micro-simulation model ONCHOSIM, and estimated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs lost due to onchocerciasis. We assessed financial costs for APOC, beneficiary governments, and non-governmental development organizations, excluding cost of donated drugs. We estimated that between 1995 and 2010, mass treatment with ivermectin averted 8.2 million DALYs due to onchocerciasis in APOC areas, at a nominal cost of about US$257 million. We expect that APOC will avert another 9.2 million DALYs between 2011 and 2015, at a nominal cost of US$221 million.Our simulations suggest that APOC has had a remarkable impact on population health in Africa between 1995 and 2010. This health impact is predicted to double during the subsequent five years of the program, through to 2015. APOC is a highly cost-effective public health program. Given the anticipated elimination of onchocerciasis from some APOC areas, we expect even more health gains and a more favorable cost-effectiveness of mass treatment with ivermectin in the near future.

Evaluation of trade-offs in costs and environmental impacts for returnable packaging implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Jarupan, Lerpong; Kamarthi, Sagar V.; Gupta, Surendra M.

2004-02-01

The main thrust of returnable packaging these days is to provide logistical services through transportation and distribution of products and be environmentally friendly. Returnable packaging and reverse logistics concepts have converged to mitigate the adverse effect of packaging materials entering the solid waste stream. Returnable packaging must be designed by considering the trade-offs between costs and environmental impact to satisfy manufacturers and environmentalists alike. The cost of returnable packaging entails such items as materials, manufacturing, collection, storage and disposal. Environmental impacts are explicitly linked with solid waste, air pollution, and water pollution. This paper presents a multi-criteria evaluation technique to assist decision-makers for evaluating the trade-offs in costs and environmental impact during the returnable packaging design process. The proposed evaluation technique involves a combination of multiple objective integer linear programming and analytic hierarchy process. A numerical example is used to illustrate the methodology.

Energetic and economic cost of nuclear heat − impact on the cost of desalination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dardour Saied

2017-01-01

Full Text Available An exploratory study has been carried out to evaluate the cost of heat supplied by a pressurized water reactor type of nuclear reactors to thermal desalination processes. In the context of this work, simplified models have been developed to describe the thermodynamics of power conversion, the energetics of multi-effect evaporation (MED, and the costs of electricity and heat cogenerated by the dual-purpose power plant. Application of these models show that, contrary to widespread belief, (nuclear-powered MED and seawater reverse osmosis are comparable in terms of energy effectiveness. Process heat can be produced, in fact, by a relatively small increase in the core power. As fuel represents just a fraction of the cost of nuclear electricity, the increase in fuel-related expenses is expected to have limited impact on power generation economics.

Does Accumulated Knowledge Impact Academic Performance in Cost Accounting?

Science.gov (United States)

Alanzi, Khalid A.; Alfraih, Mishari M.

2017-01-01

Purpose: This quantitative study aims to examine the impact of accumulated knowledge of accounting on the academic performance of Cost Accounting students. Design/methodology/approach The sample consisted of 89 students enrolled in the Accounting program run by a business college in Kuwait during 2015. Correlation and linear least squares…

ERGONOMIC AND ECOLOGICALSAFETY - FACTORSNESSARY TO IMPROVETHE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE DOMESTIC CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volkov Andrey Anatol’evich

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The analysis of output and domestic used construction machinery showed that the most vulnerable link remains a problem of underreporting of ergonomics and environmental safety requirements. Compliance with ergonomic requirements enhances the performance of mechanized operations, leading to a decrease in construction costs. Increased environmental requirements reduce the negative impact on air basin. These results suggest the need to improve the structures of building machines. Made recommendations for a comprehensive solution to the problem. The measures to improve environmental safety, ergonomic design requirements of construction machinery, mechanisms of the optimal development of the domestic construction machinery, through the development and implementation of appropriate measures. Keywords: ergonomics of construction equipment, environmental safety of construction equipment

The hidden cost of investment. The impact of adjustment costs on firm performance measurement and regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nick, Sebastian; Wetzel, Heike

2014-01-01

In this study, we address a major problem in the measurement of firm performance and the regulation of natural monopolies, namely the intertemporal character of long-term investment decisions. In specific, we focus on the impact of adjustment costs of investments on estimates of firms' technical and cost inefficiency. We apply nonparametric dynamic data envelopment analysis to investigate the dynamic inefficiency of electricity distribution and transmission companies in the US during the years 2004 to 2011 and compare our results with their static counterparts. Our empirical findings reveal that ignoring long-term investments and their corresponding adjustment costs does significantly distort both firm-specific and industrial inefficiency estimates and may thus create misleading incentives for the regulated firms to cut investments.

Beyond the material grave: Life Cycle Impact Assessment of leaching from secondary materials in road and earth constructions.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, Oliver; Bayer, Peter; Juraske, Ronnie; Verones, Francesca; Hellweg, Stefanie

2014-10-01

In industrialized countries, large amounts of mineral wastes are produced. They are re-used in various ways, particularly in road and earth constructions, substituting primary resources such as gravel. However, they may also contain pollutants, such as heavy metals, which may be leached to the groundwater. The toxic impacts of these emissions are so far often neglected within Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) of products or waste treatment services and thus, potentially large environmental impacts are currently missed. This study aims at closing this gap by assessing the ecotoxic impacts of heavy metal leaching from industrial mineral wastes in road and earth constructions. The flows of metals such as Sb, As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, V and Zn originating from three typical constructions to the environment are quantified, their fate in the environment is assessed and potential ecotoxic effects evaluated. For our reference country, Germany, the industrial wastes that are applied as Granular Secondary Construction Material (GSCM) carry more than 45,000 t of diverse heavy metals per year. Depending on the material quality and construction type applied, up to 150 t of heavy metals may leach to the environment within the first 100 years after construction. Heavy metal retardation in subsoil can potentially reduce the fate to groundwater by up to 100%. One major challenge of integrating leaching from constructions into macro-scale LCA frameworks is the high variability in micro-scale technical and geographical factors, such as material qualities, construction types and soil types. In our work, we consider a broad range of parameter values in the modeling of leaching and fate. This allows distinguishing between the impacts of various road constructions, as well as sites with different soil properties. The findings of this study promote the quantitative consideration of environmental impacts of long-term leaching in Life Cycle Assessment, complementing site-specific risk

Impact of social determinants on well-being of urban construction workers of Hyderabad.

Science.gov (United States)

Bala, Sudha; Valsangkar, Sameer; Lakshman Rao, Reshaboyina Lakshmi Narayana; Surya Prabha, Manem Lakshmi

2016-01-01

Hyderabad has witnessed one of the largest labor immigration in recent years and these construction workers are highly vulnerable in terms of health. Social determinants of health (SDH) arise from conditions in which they live and these factors interact with each other to produce direct impact on health. (1) To evaluate the sociodemographic and job characteristics of the construction workers. (2) To assess the impact of social determinants on well-being. A sample size of 135 construction workers working at three sites of HITEC city were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire. Health perception and the impact on well-being was measured using the Healthy Days Module and Kessler's Psychological Distress Scale. SDH were measured on a 27-item questionnaire with responses on a Likert scale ranging from 0 to 4. Proportions, percentages, P values, and mean scores were obtained. The mean age of the sample was 35.4 ± 11.94 years. Seventeen (12.6%) of the workers reported a high risk score on the Kessler's Psychological Distress Scale. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify significant domains of social determinants independently associated with the well being of construction workers and significant among the nine domains of social determinants were addiction score domain with odds of 2.259 and a P value of 0.015 and the distress domain with odds of 1.108 and a P < 0.001. There is a significant impairment of physical and mental health due to various factors including SDH, such as addictive habits and psychological distress, which are amenable to prevention.

Economic impacts of oil spills: Spill unit costs for tankers, pipelines, refineries, and offshore facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The impacts of oil spills -- ranging from the large, widely publicized Exxon Valdez tanker incident to smaller pipeline and refinery spills -- have been costly to both the oil industry and the public. For example, the estimated costs to Exxon of the Valdez tanker spill are on the order of $4 billion, including $2.8 billion (in 1993 dollars) for direct cleanup costs and $1.125 billion (in 1992 dollars) for settlement of damages claims caused by the spill. Application of contingent valuation costs and civil lawsuits pending in the State of Alaska could raise these costs appreciably. Even the costs of the much smaller 1991 oil spill at Texaco's refinery near Anacortes, Washington led to costs of $8 to 9 million. As a result, inexpensive waming, response and remediation technologies could lower oil spin costs, helping both the oil industry, the associated marine industries, and the environment. One means for reducing the impact and costs of oil spills is to undertake research and development on key aspects of the oil spill prevention, warming, and response and remediation systems. To target these funds to their best use, it is important to have sound data on the nature and size of spills, their likely occurrence and their unit costs. This information could then allow scarce R ampersand D dollars to be spent on areas and activities having the largest impact. This report is intended to provide the ''unit cost'' portion of this crucial information. The report examines the three key components of the US oil supply system, namely, tankers and barges; pipelines and refineries; and offshore production facilities. The specific purpose of the study was to establish the unit costs of oil spills. By manipulating this key information into a larger matrix that includes the size and frequency of occurrence of oil spills, it will be possible' to estimate the likely future impacts, costs, and sources of oil spills

The impact of unit cost reductions on gross profit: Increasing or decreasing returns?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ely Dahan

2011-09-01

Full Text Available We suggest that marketers actively participate in reducing unit costs during new product development, consistent with the theme of integrated marketing and manufacturing. Most marketing managers misjudge the impact on gross profit of reducing variable unit manufacturing costs, mistakenly believing that such cost reductions yield decreasing or linear returns while they actually generate increasing returns.

Using 4D CAD to visualize the impacts of highway construction on the public

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zanen, P.P.A.; Hartmann, Timo; Al-Jibouri, Saad H.S.; Heijmans, H.W.N.

2013-01-01

Highway construction activities have a multitude of impacts on the public that change over time and with location. In devising strategies to manage and minimize these impacts, gaining an in-depth understanding about timing and spatial extents of them is crucial. However, in practice gaining such

VE of construction industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1987-10-15

This book gives descriptions of basic of VE of construction industry including doing away with mannerism, necessity of cost reduction, management method of cost reduction, thinking of idea, target of VE, starting VE activity, technical method of VE of construction industry such as thinking of idea with brainstorming, function trade method, new brainstorming, MM method, morphology analysis and lateral thinking, cases of VE of construction industry.

VE of construction industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-10-01

This book gives descriptions of basic of VE of construction industry including doing away with mannerism, necessity of cost reduction, management method of cost reduction, thinking of idea, target of VE, starting VE activity, technical method of VE of construction industry such as thinking of idea with brainstorming, function trade method, new brainstorming, MM method, morphology analysis and lateral thinking, cases of VE of construction industry.

Calculating utility prudency issue costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, K.R.

1985-01-01

The nuclear industry, particularly utilities and their construction, engineering and vendor agents, is faced with a surging increase in prudency management audits. What started as primarily a nuclear project-oriented requirement has spread to encompass most significant utility capital construction projects. Such audits are often a precedent condition to commencement of rate hearings. The cost engineer, a primary major capital construction project participant, is required to develop or critique ''prudency issue'' costs as part of such audits. Although utility costs in the broadest sense are potentially at issue, this paper concentrates on the typical project/construction management costs. The costs of design, procurement and construction are all subject to the calculation process

Prefabrication in Building Construction: A Perspective of Pakistan Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nafees Ahmed Memon

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Construction industry is facing many problems in terms of construction waste, quality, environment, durability, safety and higher construction cost. Adoption of prefabrication is a possible solution to such problems. Accordingly, there is a need to study the prospects that would stimulate the appropriate discussion of the suitability of prefabrication and other construction methods for concrete buildings. Therefore, this study investigates the significance of advantages in adopting prefabrication along with hindrances through questionnaire survey. The data has been analyzed using RIW (Relative Importance Weight method as a MCDM approach. The results depict that main advantages of prefabrication are ?Shorter construction time? and ?Less construction site waste?. The top hindrances in adopting prefabrication as identified in this study are: ?Higher initial construction cost? and ?Inflexible for design changes?. Based on the survey results and apparent progress in the adoption of prefabrication around the world, it is concluded that the use of prefabrication is likely to increase in developing countries like Pakistan

Prefabrication in building construction: a perspective of pakistan construction industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Memon, N.A.; Memon, F.A.; Khehro, S.H.

2014-01-01

Construction industry is facing many problems in terms of construction waste, quality, environment, durability, safety and higher construction cost. Adoption of prefabrication is a possible solution to such problems. Accordingly, there is a need to study the prospects that would stimulate the appropriate discussion of the suitability of prefabrication and other construction methods for concrete buildings. Therefore, this study investigates the significance of advantages in adopting prefabrication along with hindrances through questionnaire survey. The data has been analyzed using RIW (Relative Importance Weight) method as a MCDM approach. The results depict that main advantages of prefabrication are Shorter construction time and Less construction site waste. The top hindrances in adopting prefabrication as identified in this study are: Higher initial construction cost and Inflexible for design changes. Based on the survey results and apparent progress in the adoption of prefabrication around the world, it is concluded that the use of prefabrication is likely to increase in developing countries like Pakistan. (author)

Economic impacts of geothermal development in Malheur County, Oregon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sifford, A.; Beale, K.

1993-01-01

This study provides local economic impact estimates for a 100 megawatt (MW) geothermal power project in Oregon. The hypothetical project would be in Malheur County, shown in Figure 1. Bonneville Power Administration commissioned this study to quantify such impacts as part of regional confirmation work recommended by the Northwest Power Planning Council and its advisors. Malheur County was chosen as it has both identified resources and industry interest. Local economic impacts include direct, indirect, and induced changes in the local economy. Direct economic impacts result from the costs of plant development, construction, and operation. Indirect impacts result from household and local government purchases. Induced impacts result from continued responding as goods and services to support the households and local governments are purchased. Employment impacts of geothermal development follow a pattern similar to the economic impacts. Public service impacts include costs such as education, fire protection, roads, waste disposal, and water supply. The project assumption discussion notes experiences at other geothermal areas. The background section compares geothermal with conventional power plants. Power plant fuel distinguishes geothermal from other power sources. Other aspects of development are similar to small scale conventional thermal sources. The process of geothermal development is then explained. Development consists of well drilling, gathering system construction, power plant construction, plant operation and maintenance, and wellfield maintenance

A Prospective Analysis of the Costs, Benefits, and Impacts of U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mai, Trieu [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wiser, Ryan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Barbose, Galen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Bird, Lori [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Heeter, Jenny [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Keyser, David [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Krishnan, Venkat [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Macknick, Jordan [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Millstein, Dev [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-12-01

This report evaluates the future costs, benefits, and other impacts of renewable energy used to meet current state renewable portfolio standards (RPSs). It also examines a future scenario where RPSs are expanded. The analysis examines changes in electric system costs and retail electricity prices, which include all fixed and operating costs, including capital costs for all renewable, non-renewable, and supporting (e.g., transmission and storage) electric sector infrastructure; fossil fuel, uranium, and biomass fuel costs; and plant operations and maintenance expenditures. The analysis evaluates three specific benefits: air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and water use. It also analyzes two other impacts, renewable energy workforce and economic development, and natural gas price suppression. This analysis finds that the benefits or renewable energy used to meet RPS polices exceed the costs, even when considering the highest cost and lowest benefit outcomes.

The impact and cost-effectiveness of student counselling in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Research findings on the impact and cost-effectiveness of policies, organisational structure, collaboration between different institutional service centres and counsellor characteristics are reviewed. In particular, it was found that collaboration between student-directed services within the broader University context contribute ...

COST IMPACT OF ROD CONSOLIDATION ON THE VIABILITY ASSESSMENT DESIGN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D. Lancaster

1999-01-01

The cost impact to the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System of using rod consolidation is evaluated. Previous work has demonstrated that the fuel rods of two assemblies can be packed into a canister that can fit into the same size space as that used to store a single assembly. The remaining fuel assembly hardware can be compacted into the same size canisters with a ratio of 1 hardware canister per each 6 to 12 assemblies. Transportation casks of the same size as currently available can load twice the number of assemblies by placing the compacted assemblies in the slots currently designed for a single assembly. Waste packages similarly could contain twice the number of assemblies; however, thermal constraints would require considering either a low burnup or cooling. The analysis evaluates the impact of rod consolidation on CRWMS costs for consolidation at prior to transportation and for consolidation at the Monitored Geological Repository surface facility. For this study, no design changes were made to either the transport casks or waste packages. Waste package designs used for the Viability Assessment design were employed but derated to make the thermal limits. A logistics analysis of the waste was performed to determine the number of each waste package with each loading. A review of past rod consolidation experience found cost estimates which range from $10/kgU to $32/kgU. $30/kgU was assumed for rod consolidation costs prior to transportation. Transportation cost savings are about $17/kgU and waste package cost savings are about $21/kgU. The net saving to the system is approximately $500 million if the consolidation is performed prior to transportation. If consolidation were performed at the repository surface facilities, it would cost approximately $15/kgU. No transportation savings would be realized. The net savings for consolidation at the repository site would be about $400 million dollars

Importance of timely construction of new pipeline infrastructure to Canada and Canadians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-10-01

The results of 2 studies commissioned to quantify the economic benefits resulting from pipeline investment were presented, as well as details of the costs to Canadian residential, commercial and industrial consumers that will result from delays in the construction of new pipeline infrastructure in North America. A hypothetical $1.52 billion, 1000 km natural gas pipeline located in Alberta and British Columbia (BC) would increase Canadian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the order of $1.2 billion. Of the total, $202 million in GDP impacts would fall outside of the 2 provinces. In addition, a total of $856 million in labour income would be generated, including $130 million outside of Alberta and BC. The costs to Canadians from delays in the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, Alaska Gas Pipeline and new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals could be as much as $57.7 billion over the 2006-2025 period, with the impacts being felt mainly in Alberta and Ontario. Subsequent increases in the cost of gas to consumers will rise by $20.2 billion and $19.1 billion respectively, with a significant portion of the impact falling on Alberta's industrial sector. In Ontario, it was anticipated that 40 per cent of the impact will fall on residential gas consumers. The results of the studies highlighted the importance of timely regulatory reviews and approval of new pipeline infrastructure projects to ensure a competitive investment climate. It was concluded that when the impacts of reduced spending on other products because of higher gas bills are evaluated and combined with the first round results, the broad economic impact is expected to be profound. 6 tabs., 10 figs

Prevention program at construction worksites aimed at improving health and work ability is cost-saving to the employer: Results from an RCT

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oude Hengel, K.M.; Bosmans, J.E.; Dongen, J.M. van; Bongers, P.M.; Beek, A.J. van der; Blatter, B.M.

2014-01-01

Background: To prolong sustainable healthy working lives of construction workers, a prevention program was developed which aimed to improve the health and work ability of construction workers. The objective of this study was to analyze the cost-effectiveness and financial return from the employers'

78 FR 44137 - Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Construction of a Highway...