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Using stainless steel in concrete reiforcement structures
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ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
The problems linked to infrastructure deterioration are to be considered along with high repairs cost.
Often such repairs are already necessary only a few years after the structure start up; therefore it is becoming more and more important to evaluate the structure life cycle costing rather than valuing only the initial costs.
The main factors that are part of a Life Cost Analysis are as follows:
- Initial costs:building and design costs.
- Future costs:maintenance, restructuring and disruption effects.
- Operation period:number of years gone by between the start up and the dismission.
- Life cycle period:number of years the structure has been going on without needing any extra maintenance (important repairing).
- Discount rate:statistics show that the discount rate that can be applied to infrastructures usually ranges between 3% and 5%.
- The Net Present Value: value obtained adding the future actual costs to the initial costs.
i: discount rate.
n: years number.
How to optimise stainless steel use.
A complete replacement of a carbon steel reinforcement would imply an increase of up to 30% of the structure initial cost. Stainless steel reinforcements should be selective. Its use is particularly relevant in some cases as you will see in the following chapter.
The selective use of stainless steel reinforcements implies an increase equal to 10% of the structure’s initial cost.
That slight increase compared with the initial cost is easily and broadly balanced by the future costs decrease.
Below is the difference between the global costs of the work if using stainless steel and carbon steel illustrated in the graphics.
Picture 10 - Work costs components over the whole life course