BSRIA has launched the new Life Cycle Costing Guide (BG67/2016), which supersedes BG5/2008 Whole Life Costing.

The new guide presents a simple process for the practical calculation of life cycle costs, with examples to show how the different stages of the process relate to one another, to show how the results are obtained and what they really mean. Life cycle costing focuses on economic assessment using profiles of current and future costs and benefits to arrive at a discounted net present value of the life cycle costs.

Increasing emphasis being placed on life cycle costing studies as part of the decision-making process for new build, refurbishment and plant replacement projects, so that all the costs can be taken into account, rather than just those for capital investment.

The appreciation of life cycle issues is fundamental to the use of BIM Level 2 as mandated by the UK Government on its centrally procured projects and it is expected that similar standards will be applied by other parts of the public sector and by many private sector clients and asset owners.

The guide is compatible with the parts of ISO 15686 that provide recommendations for life cycle costing and will be relevant to clients, estate managers, engineers, consultants, quantity surveyors or cost advisers. It is available as part of BSRIA’s carbon and cost analysis set.

BSRIA marketing officer, Catherine England (pictured right), said: “The life cycle costing process forces the client and the project team to challenge their own assumptions and those of others. This will lead to proposed solutions that have been thought through more rigorously and which will stand up to scrutiny.”

The new guide is available to purchase from the BSRIA bookshop.