The influence of design variables and environmental factors on life-cycle cost assessment of concrete culverts

The objective of this article is to evaluate the influence of material, structural design variables and exposure conditions on the service life and cost effectiveness of precast concrete culverts in Canada. This investigation will assist practicing engineers to account for long-term performance and integrate life cycle analysis into design and construction decisions. The design variables considered in this study include the percentage of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as cement replacement, reinforcing steel cover depth and culvert size. This study proposes the usage of a life-cycle cost assessment approach to compare different culvert designs on an economic basis which accounts for the design variables and the impact of CO2 production and uptake over the life of a culvert from cradle to grave. Analysis of each culvert scenario includes the cost of the initial production of CO2 during the manufacturing process as well as the cost savings that were incurred due to the uptake of CO2 through carbonation processes. Overall, the present cost of the culverts is controlled by the GGBFS content and the reinforcing steel cover depth while carbonation processes have a relatively small economic impact.