Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) Analysis of Thermoplastic Composites for Panelized Contruction
The use of composite materials in construction has been and still limited due to their high initial cost compared to that of traditional construction materials. The limitation could be also attributed to the limited studies on the life-cycle cost of the composites. Composites are divided into two main categories: thermoset and thermoplastic. Thermoplastics offer promise in terms of short processing time, extended shelf life, recycled by reheating, superior impact properties and low-cost raw material. Thus, thermoplastics will be the focus of this study. This paper presents a LCC study for construction using thermoplastic composite and traditional materials including seismic hazard effect. The future costs were converted to their present value in dollars and summed to yield LCC. LCC analysis is used to compare, in economic terms, the advantages of alternative construction materials (i.e., composites versus conventional construction materials). Two case studies were considered for construction using thermoplastics composites for bridge and housing applications. The study is based on the available information about the cost of the individual materials as well as the cost of the manufacturing. The analysis indicated that construction using the proposed thermoplastic composites panels is LCC-effective than the conventional ones.