The first crucial step in developing infrastructure project is not arranging funds but carrying out project appraisal on the basis of life cycle cost. The lower the life cycle cost, the easier will be the financing of the project and hence the life cycle cost must be an important consideration for project preparation. There are various factors which influence the life cycle cost. By a judicious selection of these parameters it is possible to optimise the life cycle cost. Life cycle cost can be arrived at in several ways. For example, mass rapid transit system, the break even fare, covering various cost during the concession period , would be an appropriate indicator of life cycle cost. Optimisation of life cycle cost and its importance during project preparation have been attempted in this paper. (A) The French title of the paper is: "Coût global des projets d'infrastructure".
Abstract