The Sub-Committee on Whole-Life Performance of PIARC Technical Committee 8, Flexible Pavements, has prepared this comprehensive review of the components of a whole-life cost methodology and the major issues associated with its use. It includes an analysis of the replies to a questionnaire about the use of this concept in various countries, and the text of the questionnaire itself. Whole-life costs include costs to highway authorities and road users, costs of road accidents, and environmental costs. Whole-life cost analyses include the identification of future treatments for maintaining pavements and other parts of roads, whole-life costing systems, and project and network level analyses. Several mathematical models are used, together with deterministic and probabilistic analyses. The first part of the questionnaire examined the use of whole-cost techniques, and the second assessed the use of different measures of the remaining life of a road pavement. The uses and aspects of whole-life costing include: standards and specifications, recommended designs for new pavements, new methods and materials, implications of different maintenance strategies, application of tender alternatives, performance-based specifications, and road network management. 25 issues affecting the use of whole-life costing are outlined, including best value for money.
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