Cost Optimization: LCC Design of Buildings, Structures and Engineering Processes

The real cost of an engineering project is not decided in the construction budget. It is decided over its 30–50 years of operation, in the cubic metres of concrete that went in without being needed, and in the man-hours lost on processes that could be running automatically.

My work is to turn these three into measurable gain: optimal design based on life cycle cost, material optimization in structural elements, and custom software that automates technical operations.

Optimal building design based on life cycle cost (LCC)

Designing a building with initial cost as the only criterion is almost always the most expensive option in the long run. The cost-optimal methodology (EU Delegated Regulation 244/2012) answers the real question: which combination of measures minimises the total cost of construction, energy, maintenance and replacement.

• Calculation of energy demand according to EN ISO 13790, using climate data for the project location
• Parametric investigation of the building envelope: thermal insulation, openings, shading, ventilation, heating and cooling systems
• Net present value over a 30-year reference period, with scenarios for discount rate and energy prices
• Cost–energy Pareto front: not one «correct» solution, but the map of optimal options so you can decide with numbers

The deliverable is not an opinion. It is a curve showing how many euros each additional step of energy performance costs, and exactly where it stops paying off.

Material and cost optimization in structural elements

Every structural element has infinite solutions that «pass» the checks. Very few of them are economical. I use optimization algorithms on top of the codes, not trial and error.

Retaining walls

Algorithmic search for geometry and reinforcement with full EC2, EC7 and EC8 checks: earth pressures according to Coulomb/Rankine, seismic loading according to Mononobe–Okabe, and checks for sliding, overturning and bearing capacity of the soil. Optimising the cross-section and the reinforcement spacing typically yields noticeably lower concrete and steel consumption than conventional preliminary sizing, with the same or greater safety.

Reinforced concrete swimming pools

Sizing of the basin under hydrostatic and geostatic loading, uplift checks in high groundwater conditions, and crack control for watertightness. Optimization of wall and base thickness where conventional practice oversizes.

Buildings and structural systems

Finite element analysis (FEM) and comparison of alternative structural scenarios based on material cost, constructability and long-term behaviour.

Custom software for the optimization of operations

Most engineering companies and departments do not lose money on materials. They lose it on manual, repetitive processes that nobody has sat down to measure. I develop tools that eliminate them:

• Automation of engineering calculations, quantity take-offs and report generation
• Integration of CAD, GIS, databases and field data into a single flow, without duplicate entry
• Use of drone photogrammetry, LiDAR and RTK/GNSS for digital registries and as-built documentation
• Field applications that replace paper and reduce unnecessary site visits
• Decision tools adapted to your own process, not an off-the-shelf package you have to follow

Before we automate a process, we examine whether it needs to happen at all.

Background

Civil Engineer (BEng, University of Bradford) with a PhD in Operations Research and Optimization (Technical University of Crete), an MSc in Environmental Protection and an MBA — and research work with 450+ citations in structural optimization.

In practice this means the problem is not treated in isolation, but as a system in which cost, time, materials, data and regulatory constraints all interact.

Frequently asked questions

What is the life cycle cost (LCC) of a building?

It is the total cost of construction, energy, maintenance and replacement over its entire life, discounted to present value. Two buildings with the same construction cost can differ dramatically over 30 years.

How much does optimising a retaining wall cost?

The cost of the optimization study is as a rule a small fraction of the savings in concrete and reinforcement, particularly on projects with repeated cross-sections or long runs.

Can optimization be applied to a project that has already been designed?

Yes. Assessment of an existing design identifies the points of oversizing before construction, while changes still cost very little.

From engineering data to better decisions.

From lost man-hours to real savings.