AAAE ACE Operations Module 2 Practice Exam

Life-cycle cost compares the total cost of owning and operating a pavement over a defined period, including initial construction, ongoing maintenance, rehabilitation, and eventual end-of-life costs. Concrete pavements typically have a higher upfront cost due to materials and construction methods, but they offer a much longer service life and require less frequent major rehabilitation. Because you spread out the expensive work and interruptions over a longer period with fewer major repairs, the overall cost over the analysis horizon is often lower for concrete than for asphalt. That combination—longer life, lower ongoing costs, and fewer major overhauls—drives a lower lifetime cost despite the higher initial price. Asphalt, on the other hand, usually starts cheaper but needs more frequent resurfacing and maintenance, which can add up to higher total costs over the SAMPLEsame planning period. It also generally does not last as long under the same conditions. So the statement that concrete has a longer service life and lower lifetime cost, albeit with higher upfront cost, best reflects typical life-cycle outcomes.