CHAPTER 2: PRINCIPLES AND IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING MAINTENANCE.

2.1 Principles of maintenance

Before discussing how to carry out maintenance and basic repairs, here are some simple
conservation principles that will help to establish the approach that should be adopted.

1. Understand your building

Understanding the different stages in a building’s development can help to explain why problems
might occur, such as cracking at the joint between old and new parts of a building.

Understanding the materials used and how they work is also important as it can prevent costly
mistakes from being made. For example, repointing soft stone or brickwork using a hard cement
mortar, rather than a soft lime mix will trap moisture within the stone or brick, rapidly
accelerating the process of decay. Lime mortars and renders are intended to be sacrificial by
being softer than the basic building material. They help a building to breathe and to tolerate a
degree of movement, but they will need to be repaired or replaced periodically. Nevertheless, it
is far easier to repoint a wall than it is to rebuild it once the stone or brick has lost structural
strength.

2. Understand the causes of decay

Correct analysis of problems can save a considerable amount of money and prevent unnecessary
damage or loss of building. Before undertaking any repair it is essential that the underlying cause
of the problem is properly understood and addressed.

3. Minimum intervention

The main purpose of maintenance and repair is to restrain the processes of decay without
damaging the character of a building. Repairs should be kept to the minimum required to
conserve the building without unnecessarily disturbing or destroying the building.

4. Use tried and trusted materials and techniques

The use of inappropriate modern materials in traditionally constructed buildings can cause more
serious problems than they are intended to solve. Repairs should generally be carried out on a
like-for-like basis using materials and techniques that match those originally used. This will help
to ensure that the old and new are compatible in terms of their performance and appearance. The
only exception is where there is a fundamental design fault.

5. Keep a record

It is good practice to keep a logbook and photographs to record the findings of your maintenance
inspections and to record repairs that are undertaken. It also allows you to note and monitor any
defects that may not require immediate action, such as the appearance of small cracks in plaster

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finishes, which may be due simply to shrinkage or may indicate more serious structural
movement.

2.2 TYPES OF MAINTENANCE

British Standard 3811 classified building maintenance as the followings:

1. Planned Maintenance:“The maintenance organized and carried out with forethought, control
and the use of records to a predetermined plan.”

2. Unplanned Maintenance:“The maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan.”

3. Preventive Maintenance:“The maintenance carried at predetermined intervals or

corresponding to prescribed criteria and intended to reduce the probability of failure or the
performance degradation of an item.”

4. Corrective Maintenance:“The maintenance carried out after a failure has occurred and
intended to restore an item to a state in which it can perform its required function.”

5. Emergency Maintenance:“The maintenance which it is necessary to put in hand immediately

to avoid serious consequences.” This is sometimes referred to as day-to-day maintenance,
resulting from such incidents as gas leaks and gale damage.

6. Condition-based Maintenance:“The preventive maintenance initiated as a result of

knowledge of the condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring.”

7. Scheduled Maintenance: “The preventive maintenance carried out to a predetermined

interval of time, number of operations, mileage, etc.

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In general maintenance classification could be as:

1. Major repair or restoration

2. Periodic maintenance

3. Routine or day-to-day maintenance

A system which is based on planned inspections and maintenance will have higher overhead
(fixed) costs than the one that is not, but the planned lead to lower maintenance expenditure (See
below figure).

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2.3 FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DECISION TO CARRY OUT MAINTENANCE

1. MAINTENANCE NEEDS

The prime aim of maintenance is to preserve a building in its initial stage, as far as practicable,
so that it effectively serves its purpose.

Some of the main purposes of maintaining buildings are:

1. Retaining value of investment

2. Maintaining the building in a condition in which it continues to fulfill its function.

3. Presenting a good appearance.

The amount of necessary building maintenance work could be reduced by improved methods of
design, specification, construction, and feed back of maintenance data to designers.

Also, effective maintenance management embraces many skills including:

* The technical knowledge and experience necessary to identify maintenance needs and to
specify the right remedies.

* An understanding of modern management techniques.

* A knowledge of property and contract law

* An appreciation of the relevant sociological and economic aspect: Every building, through
neglect and deterioration, faces certain death from progressive decay. Proper maintenance is
cheaper, quicker and easier than major repairs.

2. PRINCIPAL CRITERIA INFLUENCING THE DECISION TO CARRY OUT

MAINTENANCE

These could be listed as follows:

1. Costs

2. Age of property

3. Availability of Physical resources

4. Urgency

5. Future use

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6. Social considerations

3. Reasons for Maintenance

Maintenance serves to protect the owners’ real estate investment in a number of ways.

l . Physical Integrity. To keep the assets in good working order so as to minimize disruptions
and downtimes.

2. Risk Management. To keep the assets in a state of good repair for the owners’ health and
safety.

3. Aesthetic Preservation. To keep the assets from deteriorating in appearance and becoming
unsightly.

4. Responsible Stewardship. To ensure that the assets achieve their full potential service life.

5. Fiscal Responsibility. To leverage efficiencies that can be reflected on the owners’ balance
sheet.

6. Duty of Care. To satisfy a legislated duty that is owed to owners, occupants and guest on the
property.

7. Duty to Mitigate. To prevent unnecessary damage to assets that may result in their premature
failure.