A User-Friendly Web-Based Interface for Integrated Life-Cycle Cost Analysis and 3D Asset Visualisation in Real Estate Management

The operation and maintenance of buildings and facilities present multifaceted challenges, with significant impacts on environmental sustainability and operational costs. Asset managers require up-to-date, pertinent, and comprehensible information to facilitate data-driven decision-making aimed at enhancing the energy and financial efficiency of their facilities. This paper introduces a novel approach by applying life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) through a web-based knowledge-graph database. This application enables facility managers to make data-driven decisions, expanding the use of LCCA beyond the initial design phase to the operational phase. Unlike existing methodologies, this approach provides a user-friendly web interface that accommodates professionals, prioritises reliability, and optimises performance metrics. The interface includes an asset manager, comparative LCCA, and a 3D model viewer, enhancing interactive exploration of assets and cost data representation. To ascertain the interface effectiveness, feedback was solicited from industry professionals, and telemetry data underwent a thorough assessment using a defined set of metrics. This study fills a critical gap in LCCA software and holds the potential to improve the environmental efficiency of building operations, addressing the global energy crisis.