Life Cycle Cost Analysis and the Decision of Concrete Durability Technology in the Coastal Regions: Evidence from China

Abstract

This paper carries on the analysis from the perspective of the life cycle cost of coastal concrete structures’ durability. On the first place, this paper defines the scope and stages of life cycle of concrete durability. Second, the paper studies the influence factors of life cycle cost, and constructs an analysis model. Finally, it constructs and analyzes five solutions of concrete durability of the Shenzhen expressway project. The analysis results reveal that the life cycle cost about coastal concrete is a complex and dynamic system, which may influenced by many factors. The change of each factor will inevitably affect the selection of technology. At the same time, compared with the United States, maintenance-related labor costs and the price of concrete is much lower in China, so the results from the analysis, it seems that the advanced technologies related to the durability are not the more economic solution currently. However, if the changes about these factors are considered, the analysis results are different.