ASHRAE Research Project 1237 developed an interactive Web-based database focusing on equipment service life and annual maintenance costs for a variety of building types and HVAC systems. Traditional survey methods used in previous research projects were unsuccessful in collecting comprehensive data on service life and maintenance costs required for use in life-cycle cost studies. An interactive Web-based database provides the best prospects for collecting and analyzing a potentially unlimited source of data. This paper describes the search for potential sources of HVAC equipment service life and maintenance costs, the development of the Web-based database including its structure and function, and the initial seeding of the database with 163 office building data sets.

Units: Dual