scholarly journals Cost-Effectiveness of Stronger Woodframe Buildings

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 239-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith A. Porter ◽  
Charles R. Scawthorn ◽  
James L. Beck

We examine the cost-effectiveness of improvements in woodframe buildings. These include retrofits, redesign measures, and improved quality in 19 hypothetical woodframe dwellings. We estimated cost-effectiveness for each improvement and each zip code in California. The dwellings were designed under the CUREE-Caltech Woodframe Project. Costs and seismic vulnerability were determined on a component-by-component basis using the Assembly Based Vulnerability method, within a nonlinear time-history structural-analysis framework and using full-size test specimen data. Probabilistic site hazard was calculated by zip code, considering site soil classification, and integrated with vulnerability to determine expected annualized repair cost. The approach provides insight into uncertainty of loss at varying shaking levels. We calculated present value of benefit to determine cost-effectiveness in terms of benefit-cost ratio (BCR). We find that one retrofit exhibits BCRs as high as 8, and is in excess of 1 in half of California zip codes. Four retrofit or redesign measures are cost-effective in at least some locations. Higher quality is estimated to save thousands of dollars per house. Results are illustrated by maps for the Los Angeles and San Francisco regions and are available for every zip code in California.

2020 ◽  
pp. 096228022095817
Author(s):  
Linchen He ◽  
Linqiu Du ◽  
Zoran Antonijevic ◽  
Martin Posch ◽  
Valeriy R Korostyshevskiy ◽  
...  

Previous work has shown that individual randomized “proof-of-concept” (PoC) studies may be designed to maximize cost-effectiveness, subject to an overall PoC budget constraint. Maximizing cost-effectiveness has also been considered for arrays of simultaneously executed PoC studies. Defining Type III error as the opportunity cost of not performing a PoC study, we evaluate the common pharmaceutical practice of allocating PoC study funds in two stages. Stage 1, or the first wave of PoC studies, screens drugs to identify those to be permitted additional PoC studies in Stage 2. We investigate if this strategy significantly improves efficiency, despite slowing development. We quantify the benefit, cost, benefit-cost ratio, and Type III error given the number of Stage 1 PoC studies. Relative to a single stage PoC strategy, significant cost-effective gains are seen when at least one of the drugs has a low probability of success (10%) and especially when there are either few drugs (2) with a large number of indications allowed per drug (10) or a large portfolio of drugs (4). In these cases, the recommended number of Stage 1 PoC studies ranges from 2 to 4, tracking approximately with an inflection point in the minimization curve of Type III error.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Li ◽  
Hanting Liu ◽  
Christopher Kit Fairley ◽  
Zhuoru Zou ◽  
Li Xie ◽  
...  

Background: Over 86% of older adults aged ≥65 years are fully vaccinated against SARS-COV-2 in the United States (US). Waning protection of the existing vaccines promotes the new vaccination strategies, such as providing a booster shot for those fully vaccinated. Methods: We developed a decision-analytic Markov model of COVID-19 to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a booster strategy of Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 (administered 6 months after 2nd dose) in those aged ≥65 years, from a healthcare system perspective. Findings: Compared with 2-doses of BNT162b2 without a booster, the booster strategy in a 100,000 cohort of older adults would incur an additional cost of $3.4 million, but save $6.7 million in direct medical costs in 180 days. This corresponds to a benefit-cost ratio of 1.95 and a net monetary benefit of $3.4 million. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicates that with a COVID-19 incidence of 9.1/100,000 person-day, a booster strategy has a high chance (67%) of being cost-effective. The cost-effectiveness of the booster strategy is highly sensitive to the population incidence of COVID-19, with a cost-effectiveness threshold of 8.1/100,000 person-day. This threshold will increase with a decrease in vaccine and booster efficacies. Doubling the vaccination cost or halving the medical cost for COVID-19 treatment alone would not alter the conclusion of cost-effectiveness, but certain combinations of the two might render the booster strategy not cost-effective. Interpretation: Offering BNT162b2 boosters to older adults aged ≥65 years in the US is likely to be cost-effective. Less efficacious vaccines and boosters may still be cost-effective in settings of high SARS-COV-2 transmission. Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China. Berlina and Bill Gates Foundation


2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nauman Ali ◽  
Muhammad Farooq ◽  
Muhammad Ahmad Hassan ◽  
Muhammad Shakeel Arshad ◽  
Muhammad Kamran Saleem ◽  
...  

Agronomic biofortification by seed treatments is a convenient way to harvest improved yields of micronutrient-enriched grains. This 2-year field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of seed priming with zinc (Zn), boron (B) and manganese (Mn) alone and in combinations on stand establishment, grain yield and biofortification of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Seeds of wheat cv. Faisalabad-2008 were soaked in aerated solutions of 0.5 m Zn, 0.01 m B and 0.1 m Mn, alone and in different combinations, for 12 h. Seed priming with the micronutrients was quite effective in improving stand establishment, yield-contributing traits, grain yield, and straw and grain micronutrient contents during both years. Best stand establishment was achieved from seed priming with Zn+B, followed by seed priming with Zn+Mn. Grain yield improvement from different seed priming treatments was in the order Zn+B > Zn+Mn > Zn > B > Mn > Zn+B+Mn, with respective increases of 34%, 33%, 21%, 19%, 18% and 8% relative to untreated seeds. Seed priming with Zn, B and Mn alone and in combinations also improved the contents of the respective micronutrients in straw and grain. All seed priming treatments were economically profitable except Zn+B+Mn, which was not cost-effective. The highest benefit : cost ratio accrued from seed priming with Zn+B. In conclusion, seed priming with micronutrients was generally cost-effective in meeting the crop micronutrient requirements, and in improving crop stand, grain yield and grain micronutrient contents in bread wheat. Seed priming with Zn+B was the most effective in this regard.


1970 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Halim ◽  
MA Kashem ◽  
JU Ahmed ◽  
M Hossain

The study was carried out in 5 Upazilas under Chittagong district with a view to analyze the present socio-economic status of RCC farming practices on 100 RCC rearers (Potiya, Raujan, Chandanaish, Anowara and Satkania Upazila). The study showed that, about 39.00 percent of RCC farm owners were landless, 31.00 percent were small and marginal farmers, 17.00 percent were medium and 13.00 percent were large farmers according to their landholding sizes. The cost of rearing RCC per cattle per year was found to be Tk. 17503.76, Tk. 15540.27, and Tk. 33044.03 as cash cost, non cash cost and total cost respectively. The study also revealed that, average daily milk yield, lactation yield and lactation length of RCC were found to be 2.71 liters, 581.61 liters and 215.41 days, respectively. The average per year per cattle gross return of RCC was found Tk. 25390.41. The gross returns over cash cost and full cost basis of rearing per lactation per cattle of RCC were found at Tk 8058.642 and Tk.-7501.53, respectively. The benefit cost ratio on the basis of cash cost and full costs per year per cattle was found 1.47 and 0.77, respectively. The study also revealed that, the rural farmers prefer RCC farming than other breeds due to high conception rate, each year calving, disease resistance, high milk fat per cent and cost effective farming. Keyword: RCC; Cost; Return; Profitability; Disease Occurrences DOI: 10.3329/jbau.v8i2.7937 J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 8(2): 271-276, 2010  


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve J. Merrill ◽  
Alexander Paz ◽  
Victor Molano ◽  
Pramen P. Shrestha ◽  
Pankaj Maheshwari ◽  
...  

This study provides an economic evaluation for a Land Ferry, which is a rail system capable of carrying trucks and all other types of vehicles, passengers, and cargo. The Land Ferry system involves a sliding loading system to roll heavy loads onto a flatbed; as a result, loading and unloading of all vehicles and cargo could be accomplished simultaneously. The evaluation for this system included (1) the design of a new track alignment over which the Land Ferry system would run, (2) evaluation of various sources of power, (3) estimation of how many local jobs the Land Ferry would generate, and (4) a benefit-cost analysis. It was estimated that the Land Ferry would create over 45,788 temporary jobs in Nevada during the three-year construction period and 318 permanent jobs during operation. The majority of the benefits were attributed to savings in travel time ($356.4 M), vehicle operating costs ($1000.4 M), reduction of accidents ($544.6 M), and pavement maintenance ($503.2 M). These benefits would be a consequence of the shift of trucks from the highway, thus resulting in higher speeds, decrease fuel consumption, and decrease vehicle maintenance costs. The overall benefit-cost ratio of 1.7 implies a cost-effective project.


2014 ◽  
Vol 663 ◽  
pp. 596-603
Author(s):  
Zulhaidi Mohd Jawi ◽  
Aqbal Hafeez Ariffin ◽  
Yahaya Ahmad ◽  
Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim ◽  
Norlen Mohamed ◽  
...  

The newly established New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) has incorporated Safety Assist Technologies (SATs) in its automobile safety rating scheme. In order for any assessed car to be eligible for the maximum 5-star rating, it should first be equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and fitted with seatbelt reminder (SBR). However, since these SATs are not being evaluated in their performance by the means of field testing, this paper explains the benefit of having these SATs through Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) which help to rationalize the importance of SATs in preventing road accidents or mitigating severity of injuries. Due to data limitation, this preliminary CBA assessment will only be focusing on Malaysia’s situation and is based on published sources and the authors’ best estimates. This study also includes the Cost-Benefit Analysis on Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), which is the basis for ESC technology, in preparation for its inclusion in the future rating scheme to expedite the vision of making ABS as standard fit in all ASEAN’s passenger cars. The preliminary result shows that all technologies – ESC, SBR and ABS – appear to be cost-effective (benefit/cost-ratio > 3) or most likely cost effective (1 < benefit/cost-ratio < 3) in Malaysia’s road safety situation per se.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e66991110251
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Taboada Sobral ◽  
Sergio de Sousa Sobral ◽  
Glaucia Gurnhak Giacon ◽  
Thalita Molinos Campos ◽  
Anna Carolina Ratto Tempestini Horliana ◽  
...  

Objective: To compare the efficacy of photobiomodulation and occlusal splint in patients with TMD-associated myofascial pain. Material and methods: 23 patients were randomized into 2 groups: laser group (LG) (n = 12) and occlusal splint group (OSG) (n=11). For the LG, laser was applied to 3 points on each side of the face. Twelve applications were made, 2 sessions per week. In the OSG, patients were instructed to use the device during sleep, 8 hours per night, for a period of 6 weeks, and 12 adjustment and follow-up sessions were performed. Patients in both groups were reevaluated 30 days after the end of the treatments. Results: There was a decrease in pain intensity, according to a visual analogue scale, in both groups before and after 1 month (LG, p = 0.008 and OSG p = 0.002), but with no difference between groups. For the quality of life, both treatments had a positive impact, with this impact being higher in the LG compared to the OSG (p <0.05). Regarding the cost-effectiveness analysis, laser was more cost-effective than the occlusal splint in the clinical trial. The incremental cost of the laser was $3,483.45 compared to the splint, but it had a cost ratio of $4,569.02 for controlled pain intensity while the splint showed $6,691.91 ratio for controlled pain intensity. Conclusion: The photobiomodulation was more cost-effective in controlling painful symptoms in patients with TMD and myofascial pain.


This chapter introduces the concept of educational efficiency and its calculating formula to describe the effect, cost, and duration of an educational system composing learners, teachers, and learning content and instructional approaches. Then the formula is used to compare the cost-effectiveness of the blended learning with CSIEC system and that of the traditional teaching and learning approach. Given the fact that the intelligence improvement with CSIEC system is greater than that with the traditional approach and the performance-price ratio of the latest computer and Internet access is increased much, the cost-effectiveness with CSIEC system is much greater than that with the traditional approach. International comparison shows that the effectiveness-cost ratio in the case of blended learning with CSIEC is higher, and the feasibility analysis suggests a cost-effective way to make full use of the investment in education to improve the students' learning performances.


Author(s):  
Franklin E. Gbologah ◽  
Angshuman Guin ◽  
Roger Purcell ◽  
Michael O. Rodgers

Lighting provides one of the most effective night-time intersection safety countermeasures. However, lighting is also one of the main contributors to intersection maintenance and operation costs. For a public transportation agency with jurisdiction over many intersections, the system-wide lighting costs can significantly deplete already limited funds for other important maintenance projects. A sound framework for conducting benefit-to-cost trade-off analysis would be beneficial to transportation agencies. Unfortunately, published works on the benefit-to-cost analysis are few and mostly dated. This paper outlines a detailed framework for conducting benefit-to-cost analysis for rural intersection lighting. The framework uses intersection lighting simulation models to generate annualized operating and maintenance cost data for different lighting levels. The intersection lighting models were developed with DIALux® professional lighting software. This study used the framework to conduct a case study of rural conventional three-leg and four-leg intersections with at least an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 500 from Georgia. Based on the available Georgia case study data, this paper finds that for rural intersection locations that require no electrification, basically any illumination level, including those less than the recommended minimum of 8 lux, is likely to be cost-effective for any entering AADT. However, locations that require electrification need to be evaluated based on the overall costs, entering AADT, existing crash rate, and a target benefit-to-cost ratio that signifies the level of cost-effectiveness required by the state Department of Transport (DOT). Consequently, a companion spreadsheet benefit-to-cost model has been developed to facilitate the cost-effectiveness analysis at any rural uncontrolled or stop-controlled intersection.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Drakesmith ◽  
Brendan Collins ◽  
Kelechi Nnoaham ◽  
Angela Jones ◽  
Daniel Rhys Thomas

Objectives: To evaluate the cost effectiveness of an asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 whole area testing pilot. Design: Epidemiological modelling and cost effectiveness analysis. Setting: The community of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough between20 Nov and 21 Dec 2020. Participants: A total of 33,822 people tested as part of the pilot in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, 712 of whom tested positive by lateral flow test and reported being asymptomatic. Main outcome measures: Estimated number of cases, hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths prevented, and associated costs per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained and monitory cost to the healthcare system. Results: An initial conservative estimate of 360 (95% CI: 311 - 418) cases were prevented by the mass testing, representing a would-be reduction of 11% of all cases diagnosed in Merthyr Tydfil residents during the same period. Modelling healthcare burden estimates that 24 (16 - 36) hospitalizations, 5 (3 - 6) ICU admissions and 15 (11 - 20) deaths were prevented, representing 6.37%, 11.1% and 8.19%, respectively of the actual counts during the same period. A less conservative, best-case scenario predicts a much higher number of cases prevented of 2328 (1761 - 3107), representing 80% reduction in would-be cases. Cost effectiveness analysis indicates 108 (80 - 143) QALYs gained, an incremental cost ratio of &#163 2,143 (&#163 860-&#163 4,175) per QALY gained and net monetary benefit of &#163 6.2m (&#163 4.5m-&#163 8.4m). In the less conservative scenario, the net monetary benefit increases to &#163 15.9m (&#163 12.3m-&#163 20.5m). Conclusions: A significant number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths were prevented by the mass testing pilot. Considering QALYs lost and healthcare costs avoided, the pilot was cost-effective. These findings suggest mass testing with LFDs in areas of high prevalence (>2%) is likely to provide significant public health benefit. It is not yet clear whether similar benefits will be obtained in low prevalence settings.


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