Service life assessment and Value Engineering

Value engineering (VE) and service life assessment are complementary methods of achieving the client's functional requirements for a building and adding value to the construction process.

Value engineering (VE) is a pro-active, creative, team approach to problem-solving in construction projects to provide the best value for money. It considers alternative solutions to provide the desired function, which include options other than construction solutions, assessing these solutions in terms of value for money. VE accounts for both capital and operating costs of construction solutions in order to provide value for money over the life-time of the building.

VE uses facilitated brainstorming sessions involving project stakeholders to determine all the required functions of the building. Construction solutions are only considered of value if they fulfil these functions. Additionally, VE is used throughout the design process to ensure all design solutions are within agreed objectives and priorities to achieve best value for money.

VE focuses on the primary stages of construction procurement, from inception through to final design decisions. Service life assessment is used in these project phases, but is also used throughout the construction and operation phases of the building. Service life assessment of best value design solutions can highlight areas critical to the service life of the building and transfer this information to the construction team. Additionally, service life assessment will provide a life-care strategy for the building when in operation, assessing that the strategy is feasible but is not excessive.

Both VE and service life assessment provide a better understanding of the client's basic needs and facilitate transfer of this understanding throughout the construction supply chain. VE and service life assessment are stand alone approaches to tackle different aspects of added value construction procurement, but the approaches are complementary. Both aim to achieve required function. As the required function is the benchmark in all stages of VE and service life assessment, both approaches place vital importance on defining function as the first stage in construction procurement.

Further information on Value Engineering and Value Management for construction can be found in BRE's Value management: a series of four documents (Value from construction, The value workshop, Value for social housing and The F.A.S.T. approach)⁷ available from BRE's bookshop.

Service Life Assessment and Value Engineering