Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/N01811/01
Title:	A GENERIC APPROACH TO MINIMISING WHOLE LIFE COSTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
Principal Investigator:	Horner, Professor RMW
Other Investigators:	Smith, Dr F Munns, Mr A
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Gowrie Housing Association Ltd Home Ltd Kvaerner Technology Psdi (UK) Ltd U K Detention Services Ltd WS Atkins
Department:	Civil Engineering
Organisation:	University of Dundee
Scheme:	LINK
Starts:	01 August 2000	Ends:	30 September 2003	Value (£):	315,397
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Construction Ops & Management
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Construction
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
In construction projects, operating and maintenance costs may be many times the capital costs, yet until recently, most designers have focussed on minimising capital costs rather than whole life costs. The growing popularity of PFI and other more integrated forms of procurement provide the incentive to address this complex problem. Integrated Logistics Support, developed and applied with considerable success in the petrochemical, aircraft and defence industries, is a highly structured management approach encompassing a powerful suite of special tools. Our previous work has shown that the application of the ILS approach to existing housing stock can yield savings in maintenance costs approaching 20%, but the earlier in the project life-cycle it is applied, the greater the savings that accrue. The principal objectives of this proposal are to design a consistent and flexible framework for collecting whole life data, and to quantify the benefits of implementing ILS at the design stage of construction projects. Through a comprehensive process of consultation, and with the help of our collaborating industrial partners, we will: develop a framework for capturing and analysing whole life data; determine which ILS tools will benefit different types of construction projects; apply the tools to three live projects and evaluate the savings which would arise; and prepare a generic guide showing how the techniques can be tailored for application in the construction industry.
Key Findings
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Organisation Website:	http://www.dundee.ac.uk