Life Cycle Costs Critical to Sustainable US Infrastructure
Report calls for federal funding to tie to transportation product performance
WASHINGTON, DC — Although some infrastructure projects may appear to have a high initial price tag, evaluating the long-term maintenance costs can provide safeguards to future federal budgets.
A report from the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Eno Center for Transportation calls for life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) and performance to be tied to federal discretionary funding. Additionally, there is a call to create an LCCA pilot program at the state level which would demonstrate the overall cost-effectiveness of data driven projects.
“Every federal dollar spent should ultimately be tied to the most cost-effective product, and LCCA supports a data decision-making process that saves taxpayer money over the long-term life of our nation’s infrastructure,” said Edward Sullivan, chief economist and group vice president at PCA. “We believe that the low life -cycle cost of concrete can be a major contributor to this new model.”
The Portland Cement Association (PCA) supports smarter methods for investing taxpayer dollars in sound infrastructure projects. PCA estimates that by utilizing concrete, states could save billions on roads built between from 2009 to 2015, based on the overall lifetime costs of the roads.
About PCA
Based in Washington, D.C., with offices in Skokie, Illinois, the Portland Cement Association represents cement companies in the United States. It conducts market development, engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs. More information on PCA programs is available at www.cement.org.