Comparative life cycle costs for new steel portal frame building systems

Life cycle costs of a new steel portal frame building system incorporating energy efficient sandwich panels are compared with those of a conventional steel portal frame building system for use in industrial and commercial buildings. The economic benefits of the new building system have been demonstrated through cost assessment of energy in use. The results from life cycle cost analysis of both the new and conventional portal frame building systems indicate that, despite slightly higher initial costs, the new building system costs significantly less than the conventional system over its complete life cycle of 50 years. The new system provides improved economic performance along with a more energy-efficient model for commercial/industrial building design in the Australian climate.