A value engineering analysis of timber windows

Abstract

Cost effectiveness of products and services has become very important in today’s highly competitive market. The customer needs a product that accomplishes its required functions with economy. Value engineering is a very interesting management technique that analyses alternative solutions and identifies the best possible option. The presented work analyses various designs of timber and aluminium clad timber windows on value energy parameters to determine their overall functional performance and cost effectiveness. Life-cycle costing of windows has been carried out over a 40-year life span taking into account all the major cost factors involved. Running cost, the dominant element in life-cycle cost of windows, has been calculated for four possible maintenance options. Results have indicated that an ‘air-filled triple-glazed aluminium-clad timber window’ is the value engineered choice amongst the range of window designs studied; it is the most cost effective when employed with gas and paint for space heating and maintenance purposes respectively.