Calculation Rules Research Articles

Minimum income schemes for the elderly: A comparative analysis of benefit conditions that may affect their right to live in dignity

The Union recognises and respects the right to lead a life in dignity (Article 25 Charter of Fundamental rights). This right, it is argued, not only requires an adequate income protection, but also addresses the conditions under which this is provided. In view of the conditions that are often linked to minimum income schemes for the elderly—waiting periods, entitlement to other pensions, calculation rules, means tests, restrictions on the possibilities to move abroad—we studied the minimum income schemes for the elderly of nine EU Member States in order to examine how they work out for persons who have been insured in more than one Member State and those who move to another country after retirement. It appears that minimum income protection sometimes has to be claimed from more than one scheme, that the conditions and calculation rules are extremely complicated, and that frequently the relationship with coordination rules for social security is unclear or even ignored. It is also hard to understand the need for the distinction between the schemes. It is argued, on the basis of these findings, that minimum income schemes for the elderly need particular attention from EU institutions and Member States, because of their present lack of transparency, the problematic coordination of national schemes, the impact on the possibilities of free movement and the (probable) problems with take-up. The article thus wants to contribute to the further development of the concept of living in dignity and provides materials for elaborating the Council recommendations on minimum income and on access to social protection.

Assessment of Canal Storage Dynamics for Sustainable Water Management in Thrissur North Kole Lands

Aims: The aim of this study is to estimate the canal storage capacity in Thrissur North kole lands to support effective water management for irrigation, drainage and flood control. Study Design: The study involves estimating canal storage in Thrissur North kole lands using water depth measurements, bed slope data and trapezoidal rule calculations, conducted on a decadal basis. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Thrissur North kole lands, located in Kerala, India, during 2022. Methodology: Accurate estimation of canal storage capacity in Thrissur North kole lands is essential for managing water resources to support irrigation and mitigate floods. The study measured water depths in canals while the Enamakkal and Idiyanchira regulators were fully closed and calculated depth variations along the canals using bed slope data and measurements taken at multiple points (start, middle, and end). All canals were digitized within an ArcGIS environment to determine their total length. The trapezoidal rule was applied to estimate the storage capacity of each canal, enabling an accurate evaluation of the canal system's overall storage potential. Results: The total canal length in the Thrissur North kole lands was determined to be 77.02 km. Decadal storage capacity estimations for 2022 revealed a range of 29.0 to 53.86 Mm³, with an average storage capacity of 42.40 Mm³. Additionally, a relationship between the water level at the Enamakkal regulator and canal storage capacity was developed. Conclusion: The study concludes that accurate estimation of canal storage capacity using water depth measurements, bed slope data, and trapezoidal rule calculations offers valuable insights for optimizing water management strategies, ensuring effective irrigation and mitigating flood risks in the Thrissur North kole lands.

Inhibition of Human Acetylcholinesterase (4EY7) using Bioactive Compound from Moringa oleifera: Molecular Docking and Dynamic Studies

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by acetylcholine hydrolysis that impairs cognitive brain function. This research aims to determine the interaction and dynamic of ligands from Moringa oleifera on AChE through Lipinski's Rule, ADMET properties, molecular docking calculations, and molecular dynamic simulations. Lipinski's Rule calculation provided ligand limits that adhere to druglikeness properties. ADMET results also showed that several ligands satisfy ADMET properties. Pterygospermine has lower binding energy than the ligand control (-10.28 kcal mol-1) with amino acid residues of TYR133 and GLU202. It indicates a favorable interaction between the AChE receptor and ligand in the inhibition process. Based on molecular docking calculations, pterygospermine inhibits the AChE receptor at the Long, narrow aromatic gorge active site. According to molecular dynamic simulations, the MMPBSA energy for pterygospermine is 37.377 kJ mol-1. The samples showed a total average RMSD of 2 Å, suggesting no significant conformational changes throughout the simulation. The sample's average RMSF value is around 2 Å, suggesting favorable interactions with the receptor during simulation. However, this data is different from the ligand control interaction mode. Molecular dynamic investigations of the pterygospermine ligand in the complex revealed the stability and unfolded effect on the protein. The results of this study propose a candidate anti-Alzheimer's ligand from Moringa oleifera against the AChE receptor. In practice, these results can contribute to research studies exploring natural ingredients from plants with medicinal potential in drug discovery. These results can be validated using further research in vitro and in vivo.

A Novel Approach for Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Problem with Linguistic q-Rung Orthopair Fuzzy Attribute Weight Information

Linguistic q-Rung orthopair fuzzy set is a new extension of the linguistic Pythagorean fuzzy set, which effectively represents the fuzzy and uncertain decision-making information based on qualitative modeling. However, its operational rules are unable to process pure linguistic exponential calculations, in which the exponents are represented using linguistic q-Rung orthopair fuzzy values and the bases are represented as linguistic terms or interval linguistic numbers. This greatly restricts its application in decision making under complex environments. As the complement of the existing linguistic q-Rung orthopair fuzzy operational rules, this paper defines linguistic q-Rung orthopair fuzzy calculation rules, including division, subtraction, and exponent operations. Based on theorem-based proofs, the relevant properties of the calculation rules have been analyzed, such as commutative law, distributive law, symmetry, and so on. Moreover, in order to facilitate the application of linguistic q-Rung orthopair fuzzy theory, this paper introduces the concept of dual linguistic q-Rung orthopair fuzzy value. Building on this foundation, a series of weighted aggregation operators for the calculations involving linguistic q-Rung orthopair fuzzy values and dual linguistic q-Rung orthopair fuzzy values have been designed. In conclusion, a novel pure linguistic multi criteria decision-making methodology is introduced in this work. The validity and utility of the proposed method are demonstrated via a real-world application in the decision process of energy resource exploitation.

Mapping and Prediction Analysis of Rice Fertilizer Use in Paron District, Ngawi Regency using K-Means and Fuzzy Sugeno Methods

Clustering and prediction methods are effective tools in overcoming this problem. In this research, the K-Means method was used to map fertilizer needs based on regional characteristics, such as soil type, planting patterns and land productivity levels. This method is able to group regions that have similar characteristics, making it easier to determine optimal fertilizer allocation. Next, the Fuzzy Sugeno method is applied to predict fertilizer needs in the next planting season based on historical data and the results of the grouping that has been carried out. By combining these two methods, it is hoped that the results of this research can provide accurate recommendations for the effective and efficient use of fertilizer. Mapping and predictive analysis on the use of rice fertilizers in Paron District, Ngawi Regency in 12 villages were carried out by referring to the K-Means and Fuzzy Sugeno methods. Mapping with the K-Means Method is done by determining the centroid and clustering, while the prediction mapping using the Fuzzy Sugeno Method is done by determining the variables and fuzzy sets as well as the condition calculation rules. The results obtained are that 2 villages are in the category of low fertilizer use, 3 villages are in the category of medium fertilizer use and 7 villages are in the category of high fertilizer use. Based on the prediction calculation using the Fuzzy Sugeno Method, it was found that the level of error in the comparison of data was 5.36%, meaning that from 100% of the error rate difference, the truth value in calculating the prediction of the use of urea fertilizer using the fuzzy Sugeno method was 94.64%.

Neural Solving Uninterpreted Predicates with Abstract Gradient Descent

Uninterpreted predicate solving is a fundamental problem in formal verification, including loop invariant and constrained horn clauses predicate solving. Existing approaches have been mostly in symbolic ways. While achieving sustainable progress, they still suffer from inefficiency and seem unable to leverage the ever-increasing computility, such as GPU. Recently, neural relaxation has been proposed to tackle this problem. They treat the uninterpreted predicate-solving task as an optimization problem by relaxing the discrete search process into a learning process of neural networks. However, two bottlenecks keep them from being valid. First, relaxed neural networks cannot match the original semantics of predicates rigorously; second, the neural networks are difficult to train to reach global optimization. Therefore, this article presents a novel discrete neural architecture with the Abstract Gradient Decent (AGD) algorithm to directly solve uninterpreted predicates in the discrete hypothesis space. The abstract gradient is for discrete neurons whose calculation rules are designed in an abstract domain. Our approach conforms to the original semantics of predicates, and the proposed AGD algorithm can achieve global optimization satisfactorily. We implement the tool Dasp in the Boxes abstract domain to solve uninterpreted predicates in the QF-NIA SMT theory. In the experiments, Dasp has outperformed seven state-of-the-art tools across three predicate synthesis tasks.

IMPACTO DA REFORMA DA PREVIDÊNCIA NA APOSENTADORIA POR INCAPACIDADE PERMANENTE PREVIDENCIÁRIA: UMA ANÁLISE JURÍDICA DA INCONSTITUCIONALIDADE DO ART. 26, § 2º, III DA EC 103/2019

The present study analyzes the impacts of the Pension Reform introduced by Constitutional Amendment No. 103/2019 on the granting of permanent disability retirement, with a focus on Article 26, §2, item III. The topic is justified by the need for a deeper understanding of the history of social security and the evolution of this benefit, analyzing the calculation rules before and after the promulgation of the Constitutional Amendment, and the various ways in which insured individuals under the general social security system are affected. The study aims to provide an accurate analysis of current legislation to evaluate the fairness of the calculation method established by the Pension Reform. The methodology employed involves a rigorous examination of the 1988 Federal Constitution and its constitutional principles, the referenced Constitutional Amendment, Law No. 8.213/91, Decree No. 3.048/99, case law from regional courts and the Federal Supreme Court, and scholarly interpretations from experts such as José Antônio Savaris, Hugo Goes, and Gustavo Beirão Araújo. The main findings indicate that, despite the approval of the Constitutional Amendment, several constitutional principles and laws have been violated by the new calculation rules for permanent disability retirement benefits. These rules disadvantage insured individuals in various aspects, a view that has already been adopted by courts and supported by legal scholars, although a decision is still pending before the Federal Supreme Court. In conclusion, Article 26, §2, item III of Constitutional Amendment No. 103/2019 is inconsistent and should be declared unconstitutional, as it imposes a scenario of true social regression.

Modified Use of the Component Method to Get More Realistic Force Distribution in Joints of Steel Structures

According to the EN 1993-1-8 Standard, the moment resistance of end-plated connections can be calculated with the use of the component method. In this, a pair-of-force defines the moment resistance. The magnitude and the location of the compression force can be accurately identified. The tension force part is usually the resultant of parallel forces appearing in line with the bolt rows. Following the rules of manual calculation and using a mechanical finite element model, where each component is modelled with spring elements, in some—easily identifiable—cases, leads to different force distribution. The simplifications defined in the Standard provide a longer arm for the same force, and because of this, larger moment resistance at the expense of safety. In this work, an alternative calculation method will be presented that provides the same force values in each bolt row, as the mechanical model of the connection, without constructing the finite element model.

Estimating the health of turbine engine based on the relationship between torque margin and density altitude

We present an anomaly detection method developed for the PHM North America 2024 Conference Data Challenge. This competition is aimed at estimating the health of helicopter turbine engines (PHM Society, 2024). The task includes the estimation of the torque margin (regression) and the health state (binary classification) of turbine engines. We developed an estimation model using a hybrid algorithm that combines data-based machine learning and domain knowledge-based processing. Our method achieved scores over 0.99 for both the testing and validation datasets. based on the calculation rules provided by PHM Society. These results were ranked first among all the participating teams.

The Avoidance of Purine Stretches by Cancer Mutations

Purine stretches, sequences of adenine (A) and guanine (G) in DNA, play critical roles in binding regulatory protein factors and influence gene expression by affecting DNA folding. This study investigates the relationship between purine stretches and cancer development, considering the aromaticity of purines, quantified by methods like Hückel’s rule and NICS calculations, and the importance of the flanking sequence context. A pronounced avoidance of long purine stretches by typical cancer mutations was observed in public data on the intergenic regions of cancer patients, suggesting a role of intergenic sequences in chromatin reorganization and gene regulation. A statistically significant shortening of purine stretches in cancerous tumors (p value < 0.0001) was found. The insights into the aromatic nature of purines and their stacking energies explain the role of purine stretches in DNA structure, contributing to their role in cancer progression. This research lays the groundwork for understanding the nature of purine stretches, emphasizing their importance in gene regulation and chromatin restructuring, and offers potential avenues for novel cancer therapies and insights into cancer etiology.

A Study on the Error Patterns of Sixth-Grade Elementary School Students in the Unit of Ratio and Proportion

<p>本研究旨在探討國小六年級學生在比與比值單元中的解題表現，並深入研究學生在該單元中常見的錯誤類型。研究採用紙筆測驗收集量化資料，對臺南市8所小學13個班級的237名學童進行施測，利用研究者自編的「比與比值成就測驗」。接著，對學生在比與比值單元中的錯誤類型進行分析，並探討可能形成這些錯誤的原因。研究結果如下：一、國小六年級學童在比與比值單元的整體表現以及各向度表現各有不同，其中在相等的比向度表現最佳，而在比的應用向度表現最差。二、國小六年級學生在比與比值單元常見的錯誤類型分為十七種，包括誤解題意、錯置前後項、前後項概念不清、比值概念不清、比與比值概念混淆、相等的比概念不清、最簡整數比概念不清、最簡單整數比認知不足未化至最簡、以一(多)步驟的方式解題、忽略題意資訊、列式錯誤或未完整、計算式錯誤、單位換算錯誤、單位錯誤、無計算過程、應用問題未寫出答案、計算錯誤。三、國小六年級學生在比與比值單元出現的錯誤類型可能形成的原因包括整體量或分量的概念不清、比與比值概念混淆、誤解題意、比的相關算則不清、比的概念不清、閱讀理解題目能力不足、基本運算能力不足、書寫粗心等八種原因。</p> <p> </p><p>The purpose of this study was to explore the problem-solving performance of sixth-grade elementary school students in the unit of ratio and proportion, explored the error patterns that students often made in this unit. This study adopted paper-and-pencil tests to collect quantitative data. The sample consisted of 237 students from thirteen classes of eight elementary schools in Tainan City. The students were tested by the researcher’s self-edited "Ratio and Proportion Achievement Test."Subsequently, organized the error patterns made by students in the ratio and proportion unit, and found out the possible reasons of the error patterns. The research results are as follows: 1.The performance of sixth-grade elementary school students in the ratio and proportion unit from the entirety and different dimensions was different. All of the students had the higest grade in the equivalent ratio dimension, and had the lowest grade in the application of the ratio dimension. 2..There were seventeen error patterns that commonly made by sixth-grade elementary school students in the unit of ratio and proportion: Misunderstanding the question, misplacing antecedent or consequent of the ratio, unclear concept of antecedent and consequent of the ratio, unclear concept of proportion, confusing concept of ratio with concept of proportion, unclear concept of equivalent ratio, unclear concept of irreducible ratio, not converting ratios into the lowest term by insufficient knowledge of irreducible ratio, solving the problem by using one or multiple steps, ignoring the meaning of the question, the wrong or incomplete of the equation, the incorrect formula of calculation, transferring the unit incorrectly, the incorrect unit, not calculating process, not writting the answer of the application questions, and the incorrect calculation. 6.There were eight possible reasons for the error patterns made by sixth-grade elementary school students in the unit of ratio and ratio: Unclear concept of the whole quantity or part quantity, confusing concept of ratio with concept of proportion, misunderstanding the question, unclear the calculation rules of the ratio, unclear concept of ratio, insufficient knowledge of reading comprehension, insufficient of basic arithmetic ability, and writing carelessly.</p> <p> </p>

Reaction Rate Rules of Intramolecular H-Migration Reaction Class for RIORIIOO·Radicals in Ether Combustion.

The intramolecular H-migration reaction of RIORIIOO· radicals constitute a key class of reactions in the low-temperature combustion mechanism of ethers. Despite this, there is a dearth of direct computations regarding the potential energy surface and rate constants specific to ethers, especially when considering large molecular systems and intricate branched-chain structures. Furthermore, combustion kinetic models for large molecular ethers generally utilize rate constants derived from those of structurally similar alcohols or alkane fuels. Consequently, chemical kinetic studies involve the calculation of energy barriers and rate rules for the intramolecular H-migration reaction class of RIORIIOO· radicals, which are systematically conducted using the isodesmic reaction method (IRM). The geometries of the species participating in these reactions are optimized, and frequency calculations are executed using the M06-X method in tandem with the 6-31+G(d,p) basis set by the Gaussian 16 program. Moreover, the M06-2X/6-31+G(d,p) method acts as the low-level ab initio method, while the CBS-QB3 method is utilized as the high-level ab initio method for calculating single-point energies. Rate constants at the high-pressure-limit are computed based on the reaction class transition state theory (RC-TST) by ChemRate program, incorporating asymmetric Eckart tunneling corrections for intramolecular H-migration reactions across a temperature range of 500 to 2000 K. It was found that the isodesmic reaction method gives accurate energy barriers and rate constants, and the rate constants of the H-migration reaction for RIORIIOO· radicals diverge from those of comparable reactions in alkanes and alcohol fuels. There are significant disparities in energy barriers and rate constants across the entire reaction classes of the H-migration reaction for RIORIIOO· radicals, necessitating the subdivision of the H-migration reaction into subclasses. Rate rules are established by averaging the rate constants of representative reactions for each subclass, which is pivotal for the advancement of accurate low-temperature combustion reaction mechanisms for ethers.

WŁADZA NARODOWA PAŃSTWA I SPOSÓB JEJ OCENY NA PRZYKŁADZIE REPUBLIKI AZERBEJDŻANU

This study aims to analyze the national power of the state and its structural components including population, territory, economy, military power, scientific and technical progress, political will, and geopolitical factors. The research problem of the study was focused on estimating the state’s national power. The hypothesis of the study assumes that government policies should be based on real national power in order for policymakers to adopt rational policies. Research methods used in the study include comparative analysis, analysis and synthesis, and statistical data analysis. Additionally, the structural components of national power are reformulated into a new formula by reviewing the calculation rules. Furthermore, a mechanism for measuring the national power of the Republic of Azerbaijan is proposed using a fuzzy numerical scale based on expert opinion.

First-principles study on electronic and mechanical properties of Ru2XAl (X = Mn, Zr, Ti, Hf) alloys

The magnetic properties of Heusler alloys have been a hot research topic. However, the current understanding of the properties of Ru-based Heusler alloys is still very limited. The magnetic, electronic, and mechanical properties of four Ru-based Heusler alloys, Ru2XAl (X = Mn, Zr, Ti, and Hf) were calculated by the first-principles. This article studied the basic mechanical parameters of four types of Heusler alloys, such as bulk elastic modulus, Cauchy pressure, Pugh’s ratio, shear modulus, Kleinman parameter, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and elastic constant. The calculated results of the elastic constant prove that all four alloys are mechanically stable. Ru2MnAl alloy exhibits brittleness, while the other three alloys exhibit excellent ductility based on Poisson’s ratio and Pugh’s ratio. The Kleinman parameter of the four alloys are all greater than 0.5, indicating that they have stronger stability in the tensile state. In addition, the spin magnetic moment of Ru2MnAl alloy is 2.113 μB, which is consistent with the SP rule and other theoretical calculations.

Next-generation multicomponent SMAs: leveraging HEA empirical parameters

Empirical rule calculation, commonly used for phase selection of high entropy alloys (HEAs), provides valuable guidelines for designing multicomponent solid solutions. It is unknown whether the technique can offer a similar design strategy for multicomponent intermetallics that undergo B2−B19′ transformation. Establishing such guidelines can significantly accelerate the pace of discovery for new shape memory alloys (SMAs) by narrowing down the search area within the vast compositional design space of multicomponent alloys. In this study, we compiled hundreds of data on medium and high-entropy NiTi-based alloys exhibiting B2−B19′ transformation. Our objective was to construct a more comprehensive Ω−δ map and locate multicomponent SMAs on it. Additionally, we conducted a thorough analysis to establish a correlation between transformation temperatures and compositional features in medium and high-entropy SMAs (ME and HE-SMAs). This correlation can be leveraged to design SMAs with targeted transformation temperatures.

Direct ab initio calculation of the 4He nuclear electric dipole polarizability

The calculation of nuclear electromagnetic sum rules by directly solving for numerous eigenstates in a large basis is numerically challenging and has not been performed for A>2 nuclei. With the significant progress of high performance computing, we show that calculating sum rules using numerous discretized continuum states obtained with the ab initio no-core shell model in the harmonic oscillator basis is achievable numerically. Specifically, we calculate the 4He electric dipole (E1) polarizability, that is an inverse energy weighted sum rule, employing the Daejeon16 NN interaction. We demonstrate that the calculations are numerically tractable as the dimension of the basis increases and are convergent. Our results for the 4He electric dipole polarizability are consistent with the most recent experimental data and are compared with those of other theoretical studies employing different techniques and various interactions.

Определение стоимости обслуживания опасного производственного объекта профессиональными аварийно-спасательными формированиями

The existing methodologies to determine the costs of service for a hazardous production facility provided by emergency and rescue units have been analyzed. The issues hampering the calculations were identified, and the criteria to be incorporated into the calculation procedure, considering the identified shortcomings, have been proposed. Throughout the study, the following problems were resolved: The analysis of accidents at hazardous production facilities, federal laws in the sphere of industrial safety, and the existing methodologies to determine the cost of service for a hazardous production facility provided by emergency and rescue services or units; Identification of issues hampering the calculations; Proposing criteria incorporated into the procedure of calculation of costs of service for a hazardous production facility provided by emergency and rescue services or units. The authors refer to the statistics on emergencies at hazardous production facilities and focus on the fact that similar accidents cause devastating consequences requiring emergency and rescue operations. When operating a hazardous production facility, its operating company is required to enter into servicing agreements with professional emergency and rescue services or professional emergency and rescue units. Maintaining a servicing agreement with professional services is more cost-efficient compared with maintaining an in-house emergency and rescue unit. At the same time, the issue of determining a justified cost of the agreement with professional emergency and rescue services (units) for servicing a hazardous production facility becomes crucial. The article analyzes the Rules of calculation of costs of service for mining facilities provided by professional emergency and rescue services (units) and the Norms of minimum equipping of emergency and rescue units. The procedure of calculation of expenses on maintenance of personnel of professional services and the respective operational costs have been analyzed. It has been demonstrated that the calculated service cost is significantly higher than the service costs specified for tenders. The criteria incorporated into the cost calculation procedure for servicing a hazardous production facility by emergency and rescue services or units have been developed.

Improvement of the secure routing model in software-configured networks

Currently, the deployment of such network architectures as Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is facing new cyber security threats that require the development and research of new specialized solutions to increase the level of network security. Despite its high openness and programmability, the SDN architecture replaces the traditional network, but it increases the number of potential network attacks, which leads to new security problems. The growing interest in SDN and the widespread deployment of software-configured networks of various types allow identifying their shortcomings in the process of combating cyber security threats. Obviously, security issues are closely related to the characteristics of SDN networks themselves. Furthermore, security issues in SDN can be divided based on three layers: data plane, control plane, and application plane. At the same time, devices of different SDN levels can be among the objects of attacks. Therefore, according to the multilayer architecture of SDN, security threats can be classified at the data transmission, management and application layers. For its part, the data plane consists of switches and other network devices and is mainly responsible for data processing, forwarding, discarding, and collecting statistics. The data plane functions on the basis of flow rules provided by the network controller. While the main causes of security problems are the SDN architecture itself, external malicious attacks, insufficient access control and encryption tools. Today, an important place in the complex of means of increasing network security, including SDN networks, is given to routing protocols, which require the systematic and coordinated interaction of a number of network elements at the same time – SDN switches and network controllers during the formation (calculation) of paths and flow rules, along which the required level of security must be ensured according to selected indicators or criteria. The paper analyzes how to modify route metrics in such a way that the resulting model acquires the properties of secure QoS routing. It is shown that the improvement of the model and the choice of the route should be chosen taking into account the basic metrics of the criticality of vulnerabilities and the bandwidth of the communication channels that make up this route.

Research on Key Technologies of Data Processing Mechanisms in Ternary Optical Computer

This paper introduces an arithmetic data file, a key technology for data processing in a ternary optical computer (TOC). The physical form of the ternary optical processor and its data processing characteristics are analyzed. Based on this analysis, the compution-data is constructed, and research is carried out on the format of the compution-data, its generation method, and the expansion of high-level languages transmitted to the ternary optical processor. The calculation rules and the raw data for the ternary optical computer are organized into a file that conforms to the calculation characteristics of the computer. A data processing mechanism based on the compution-data is proposed. Finally, an experimental test was conducted on the platform of a ternary optical computer using specific examples. The results showed that by organizing and transmitting data through the compution-data, the ternary optical computer could fully utilize its computational advantages in data processing while shielding the underlying complex hardware processing. This makes it convenient for users to apply this new type of computer. This data processing mechanism can offer a novel perspective for other heterogeneous systems in data processing.

Tool Development for Life Cycle Cost (LCC) of Wooden Building Envelope

The main goal of this study is to provide a platform for LCC calculation rules for timber buildings that comply with the Standards EN 16627:2015 and EN 15643-4, by employing a refined technical service life estimation. The database includes economic data for the building envelope and structural elements at the product level. In addition, the use phase of the building is included as maintenance, and the relevant economic data related to design failure, user preferences, and technical defects due to moisture. This model is under development as part of the WoodLCC project, with partners from Germany, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Slovenia, and Austria, aiming to implement advanced methods to calculate accurate technical service life estimations and give the users the opportunity to evaluate the differences in building and maintenance costs based on different parameters. In this study, a data structure is created based on the necessary indicators and parameters for LCC calculation. An Excel model is developed, which will be used as a base for a software development in the WoodLCC project. Only wooden material is being considered for building envelope and bearing system. All material price data and installation times for each element is taken from a Norwegian dataset. This data is then modified for the selected European country using country specific labour cost- and material cost-indexes, convertible to the inquired currency. Inflation and escalation rates are considered for calculating the maintenance or repair that will occur in future. Material prices for different species and modification are included. Improved service life input data will enable more precise LCC for wood-based products, resulting in improved economic impact. LCC finds common acceptance only if reliable input data are available and complemented with knowledge about user expectations. We will evaluate the possibility of future improvements of such models.