• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.640-648
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• 2022

In the United States, the Safety Rest Areas (SRAs) were introduced as highway roadside infrastructures in the early 1900s. The State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) operate/maintain their SRAs using different methods. The Washington DOT used the in-house workforce method for over 20 years, whereas some states moved to Performance-Based Contracting (PBC) from the in-house workforce to save cost primarily. Several existing studies claimed that using the PBC approach saved costs on several highway assets. Thus, the principal objective of this study is to compute and compare the unit operating/maintenance cost of SRAs using the in-house workforce method (in Washington state) with the PBC approach (in other states). The findings of this study show that the average annual cost using the PBC approach was much more than the average annual cost using the in-house workforce approach. The findings also show that in Washington state, the 'Labor Cost' category was a key expenditure, which is statistically higher than other categories. The 'Labor Cost' was followed by the 'Other Services', and then 'Materials and Supplies' and 'Equipment.' The study's findings indicated that outsourcing does not always save costs for agencies. The study findings may help transportation construction/maintenance professionals select a cost-effective approach for their future planning.

• Journal of Appropriate Technology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2019

Solar pumps, for water lift systems, is becoming popular in rural areas for supplying drinking water in dry seasons when its need is elevated. The development in technology has also made solar pumps readily available and cheap which has increased its demands. So, for scattered settlements having a limited budget for operation and maintenance costs, solar pump is preferred over grid connected electrical pumping systems. This primary objective of the study was to design a solar photovoltaic pumping drinking water supply system for a small health post which is about 45 km east from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. The study also compared and verified the final design with the system's existing design prepared by a development agency. The water source for this study was a confined aquifer 115m below the surface. The water demand was calculated to be 11m³ per day. A 1500 kPa submersible pump attached to a motor was selected and installed. Along with that twelve solar panels, reservoir, transmission main and distribution main was designed. The outcomes conclude solar photovoltaic pumping water supply systems to be cost-effective with an estimated cost of only USD 0.84 million per MLD. Solar pumps require low maintenance and operation costs and its repairs can quickly be done by the local people. The study also shows that solar technology produces no sound, needs no fuel making it environmentally friendly.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.159-176
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• 1996

This study is aimed at reviewing the methods of joint cost allocation and allocating the joint cost of estuary dam with specially repect to Kumgang Large-scale Agricultural Comprehensive Development Project. Apart from the water resource development project propelled by Water Resource Development Corporation in connection with Law of Multipurpose Dam Development, the Largescale Comprehensive Agricultural Development Projects couldn't ins-titutionally be carried out cost allocation of common facilities, even though it were concerned with irrigation, municipal and industrical water supply, flood control, sightseeing and industrial zone development components. To decrease farmer's burden of the project costs and, operation and maintenance costs, the joint costs of common facilities like estuary dam included in agricultural development projects have to be allocated by suitable method as alternative cost-remaining benefit method and the analytical activity should be supported by revising the concerned laws as Rural Development and Promotion and, Rural Rearrangement conpatible with the law for multipurpose dam development. Kumgang Agricultural Comprehensive Development Project was selected as a case study for the estimation of socio-economic benefits by project components and joint cost allocation of the estuary dam. The main results of the study are as follows; Joint cost allocation and unit charges by components 1. The project area will be 25,554ha with total project cost of 624,860 million won including the estuary dam cost of 120,843 million won. The project costs were ex-pressed by 1994 constant price. 2. Total quantity of water was estimated 365 million tons which were consisted of 245 million tons for irrigation, 73 million tons for municipal water and 47 million tons for industrial water. 3. The rates of joint cost allocation were amounted to 34.2% for agriculture, 2.5% for sightseeing, 45.7% for transportation, 11.8% for M & I water supply and 5.8% for flood control respectively. 4. The unit financial charges by project components were estimated at 7.88 won per ton for irrigation, 16.11won for M & I water, 1,686won per vehicle one pass, 977won per Pyeong according to the capital recovery method. The financial charges using straitline method for depreciation were estimated at 7.88won per ton for irrigation, 9.12won per ton for M & I water, 624won per vehicle one pass for transportation and 331won per Pyeong for sightseeing area. 5. The unit economic charges by project components were estimated at 21.1 won per ton for irrigation, 15.2won for M & I water, 977won per vehicle one pass, 977won per Pyeong according to the capital recovery method. The economic charges using straitline method for depreciation were estimated at 11.72won per ton for irrigation, 8.61won per ton for M & I water, 331won per vehicle one pass for transportation. Policy recommendation 1. The unit operation and maintenance costs for irrigation water in the paddy field couldn't be imposed as the water resource cost untreated. 2. The dam costs including investment cost and O & M cost, as a joint cost, had to be allocated by each benefited components as transportation, M & I water supply, flood control, irrigation and drainage, and sightseeing. But the agricultural comprehensive project have been dealt as an irrigation project without any appraisal socio-economic benefits and any allocating the joint cost of estuary dam. 3. All the associated project benefits and costs must be evaluated based on accounting principle and rent recovery rate of the project costs and O & M costs should be regulated by the laws concerned. 4. The rural development and promotion law and rural rearrangement law have to be revised comprising joint cost allocation considering free rider problems. 5. The government subsidy for the agricultural base development project has to be covered all the project costs. In case of common facilities representing joint cost allocation problems, all the allocated casts for other purposes like transportation and M & I water supply etc. should be recovered for formation in investment fund for agricultural base development and to procure O & M costs for irrigation facilities.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.383-397
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• 2012

In this study, a System Dynamics (SD) simulation model for the efficient operations of an industrial water supply system was developed by investigating the feedback loop mechanisms involved in the operations of the system. The system was modeled so that as demand is determined the water supply quantity of intake pumping stations and dams are allocated. The main feedback loop showed that many variables such as the combinations of pump operation, unit electric power(kWh/$m^3$), unit electric power costs(won/$m^3$), water level of water way tunnel, suction pressure and discharge of pumping station, and tank and service reservoir water level had causal effects and produced results depending on their causal relationship. The configurations of the model included an intake pumping station model, water way tunnel model, pumping station model (including the tank and service reservoir water level control model), and unit electric power model. The model was verified using the data from the case study industrial water supply system that consisted of a water treatment plant, two pumping stations and four dams with an annual energy costs of 5 billion won. It was shown that the electric power costs could have been saved 7~26% during the past six years if the operations had been based on the findings of this study.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.71-79
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• 2015

In South Korea, few researches have been conducted into the incidence of injury diseases and into their demographic and sociologic characteristics. This research has estimated and analyzed the results of an questionnaire investigation carried out by the Korea medical panel (2008) and the social economic costs. In particular, an estimation has been conducted of social costs for each type of accident, injury and intoxication and of medical use for the injuries. For the future, it is necessary to develop concrete programs customized for age, education level, economic income and to continually implement injury prevention education, with a view to reducing the injury incidence and medical expenses; and also, individuals' participation in and social and national efforts are required for an efficient operation of the health insurance, for the purpose of reducing social and/or economic costs for injuries in South Korea.

• Journal of Korean Port Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.39-49
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• 1995

Recently, the traffic volume has been greatly increased partly because of high growth rate of domestic and world economy, and partly because of increased transhipment demand resulting from the destruction of Kobe port by earthqwake early this year. So, container facilities in Pusan Port are under serious congestion. The congestion costs in connection with container traffic in Pusan Port is estimated to be 29.3 billion won in 1994. In 1995 the situation is still worsening. PECT has continued to grow annually by 35% in cargo handling exceeding more than 31% of the total container volumes handled in Korea. The BOR of container berths in PECT in 1994 is 75% reflecting extreme congestion in container traffic. The reason for such serious congestion in PECT is the shortage of container handling facilities in comparison with ever-increasing cargo traffic. In order to solve the provisional problem, the shortage of handling capacity, a model developed to optimize the operation of PECT is described and demonstrated. The model minimizes total port costs, including the costs of dock labour, facilities and equipment, ship, containers, and cargo. The object of this study is, through the model results, mainly to determine the optimal combination of berths and cranes under various circumstances and to show that total costs per ship or unit of cargo served can be reduced by increasing the number of cranes per berth and berth utilization above present levels. Eventually, the results obtained with this model in PECT suggest that increase to 3 in the number of cranes per existing berth could reduce the need for major investments in berths and even reduce operating costs.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.22-33
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• 1978

To maintain the self-sufficiency of food production , it is required to improved the productivity and increase the effective utilization of land in the double cropping areas using improved cultivation technology. The following reasons encourage this cours of action because the overlapping rice harvest and barely seeding seasons complete for labour, the lower price of barley makes it financially less attractive to grow and these two facts together are responsible for a decrease in barley being planted in certain more seasonably marginal double cropping areas. Fro these reasons, it is desirable to carry out tests to improve the current cultivation techniques . In this interest , the following studies were carried out in the experimental field located at Banweol-myeon, Whasung-jkun, Gyeonggi-do from October 1977 to July 1978 in order to establish the mechanical method of barley cultivation using the power tiller. The summarized results are as follows. 1. The work performance in the seeding operation using the rotary barley seeder was 68 minutes per 10 ares which compares favourably with 408 min/10a using the conventional method. This is only one sixth of the time required by th conventional method. The operating costs using the rotary barley seeder was 1, 463 won per 10 areas as against 3, 486 Won per 10 ares for the conventional method, showing a saving of about 50% in comparison with the conventional method. 2. In the manure spreading operation, the work performance was 25 min/10a for the manure spreading machine , compared to 1089 min/10a for the manual operations. This is about one fourth of the time required by the conventional method, The operating costs were 810 Won/10a for the machine and 857 Won/10a for the manual labour. This cost shows little advantage by the machine over the manual labor costs. The conventional method of manure spreading will continue pending decision which will develope and improve the machine.3. Work performance in the rolling operation using the barley rolIer was 30 min/lOa which compares favourably with 135 min/10a using conventional method. This was one fourth of the time required by the conventional method. The operating costs were 514 Won/103. for the machine and 1, 003 Won/lOa for manual labour. In the weed control operation, the work performance and operating costs were 45min/lOa, 1, 399won/10a for the herbcide application using the power sprayer, 1, 149min/10a 8, 541won/lOa for the conventional method respectively. This is 26 times higher efficiency in comparison to the conventional method. 4. In the harvesting operation using the reaper binder and tiller attachment, the work performance was 60min/lOa and represents a cost of 2, 039won/10a. The con\ulcornerventional method took 640min/10a at a cost of 4, 757won/lOa. The reaper binder showns a saving of one tenth over the conventional method. The automatic thresher is already recommended for the current situations, and is now being used. 5. From a comparison of the results of the above trials, the serial cultivation system using the attachment for the power tiller such as the rotary barley seeder is now to be recommended for the current barley cultivation system. It is also recommend from these results that the mechanized technology now available must be used to improve and maintain the increase in barley production. It is seen th1t this is the only course now avaihble to solve the peak seasonal requirements of labour needed for l11rvesting and seeding between rice and barley cultivation.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.66-94
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• 2004

The objective of this study is to examine how to maximize the efficiency of hospital management by minimizing the unit cost of hospital operation. For this purpose, this paper proposes to develop a model of the profit maximization based on the cost minimization dictum using the statistical tools of arriving at the maximum likelihood values. The preliminary survey data are collected from the annual statistics and their analyses published by Korea Health Industry Development Institute and Korean Hospital Association. The maximum likelihood value statistical analyses are conducted from the information on the cost (function) of each of 36 hospitals selected by the random stratified sampling method according to the size and location (urban or rural) of hospitals. We believe that, although the size of sample is relatively small, because of the sampling method used and the high response rate, the power of estimation of the results of the statistical analyses of the sample hospitals is acceptable. The conceptual framework of analyses is adopted from the various models of the determinants of hospital costs used by the previous studies. According to this framework, the study postulates that the unit cost of hospital operation is determined by the size, scope of service, technology (production function) as measured by capacity utilization, labor capital ratio and labor input-mix variables, and by exogeneous variables. The variables to represent the above cost determinants are selected by using the step-wise regression so that only the statistically significant variables may be utilized in analyzing how these variables impact on the hospital unit cost. The results of the analyses show that the models of hospital cost determinants adopted are well chosen. The various models analyzed have the (goodness of fit) overall determination (R2) which all turned out to be significant, regardless of the variables put in to represent the cost determinants. Specifically, the size and scope of service, no matter how it is measured, i. e., number of admissions per bed, number of ambulatory visits per bed, adjusted inpatient days and adjusted outpatients, have overall effects of reducing the hospital unit costs as measured by the cost per admission, per inpatient day, or office visit implying the existence of the economy of scale in the hospital operation. Thirdly, the technology used in operating a hospital has turned out to have its ramifications on the hospital unit cost similar to those postulated in the static theory of the firm. For example, the capacity utilization as represented by the inpatient days per employee tuned out to have statistically significant negative impacts on the unit cost of hospital operation, while payroll expenses per inpatient cost has a positive effect. The input-mix of hospital operation, as represented by the ratio of the number of doctor, nurse or medical staff per general employee, supports the known thesis that the specialized manpower costs more than the general employees. The labor/capital ratio as represented by the employees per 100 beds is shown to have a positive effect on the cost as expected. As for the exogeneous variable's impacts on the cost, when this variable is represented by the percent of urban 100 population at the location where the hospital is located, the regression analysis shows that the hospitals located in the urban area have a higher cost than those in the rural area. Finally, the case study of the sample hospitals offers a specific information to hospital administrators about how they share in terms of the cost they are incurring in comparison to other hospitals. For example, if his/her hospital is of small size and located in a city, he/she can compare the various costs of his/her hospital operation with those of other similar hospitals. Therefore, he/she may be able to find the reasons why the cost of his/her hospital operation has a higher or lower cost than other similar hospitals in what factors of the hospital cost determinants.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.132-143
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• 2011

This paper deals with a coal supply planning problem for power plants. We propose a mathematical optimization model to make decisions for coal pile sections, movement of reclaimers, and operation time of conveyor belts. The objective of the proposed model is to minimize the total operation time of conveyor belts and total movement time of reclaimers. The algorithm firstly selects a pile section by considering both the location of reclaimers and the stock amount on that pile section. And then the shortest path from the selected pile section has to be put into the operation schedule and check whether the total operation time is satisfied. Then finally the new schedule is updated. To this end, we have tested the proposed algorithm comparing with the general standard optimization package for the simplified problem SCSPP. From the numerous test runs for comparing with the existing coal supply scheduling methods, We see that the proposed model may improve the coal supply operation by reducing significant coal supply costs.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.70-76
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyze of the operating characteristics of the Gas engine driven Heat Pump(GHP) and to reduce maintenance costs through the most Economical plan. As the zoning modifications that have economic effects were confirmed. Applications should be made with a similar purpose of the space. The combination of a modified space has led to reduced operating hours of the outdoor unit. The reduction of the outdoor unit operating hours, reducing maintenance costs accordingly. When analyzed at six years have elapsed, the amount of savings through zoning modifications is more than an additional construction cost. During the design phase, cost-effective operation of the GHP is required for the proper zoning plan.