Impacts of maintenance in building and infrastructure

Classification of maintenance of buildings and infrastructures?

Maintenance of buildings and infrastructures can be classified under the following headings;

• planned maintenance
• unplanned maintenance?

Planned maintenance??

Planned maintenance is maintenance organized and carried out with fore thought, control and the use of records to pre-determined plan. It was also defined by BS 3811 as “work undertaken in accordance with sandy based system of priorities, each operation properly planned and organized in advance with necessary labour, plant and materials assembled ready for use when required” if this is properly applied it leads to a greater margin of safety and reduce the risk of having to resort to emergency work. Planned maintenance is further divided into;

• Planned preventive maintenance.
• Planned corrective maintenance

Planned preventive maintenance:

This is defined as work undertaken to reduce the possibility of an item not meeting an acceptable standard and also to prevent breakdown facility or service. It involves regular inspection and identification of signs anticipated breakdown and consequently carrying out of repairs on the building and its facilities. This is carried out at pre-determined intervals intended to reduce the probability of failure. Ivor H. Seeley also stated that this is work directed to the prevention of failure of a facility, carried out within the expected life of the facility to ensure continued operation. The maintenance official knows what he is aiming at and plans how to arrive at it. Other qualities of preventive maintenance include;

????????????It provides essential management records.

????????????The programme is flexible and subject to review.

????????????The work is organized and controlled.

????????????It is cost effective.

Planned corrective maintenance:

This is defined as work performed to restore a facility a facility to operation or to an acceptable standard. It involves replacement or rectification of damage or deteriorated facilities or parts. This type of maintenance is carried after a failure has occurred and intended to restore an item to state in which it can perform its required function. It involves those tasks to be performed as a result of failure to restore the component to its original state of performance. It may involve outright replacement or to remedy established defects. It is work needed to restore the integrity of a damaged or deteriorated structure and it includes the repair or replacement of defective parts or components.

Basically, the first step is to handle the cause of the problems. Because, most natural defects become critical only slowly and usually evidenced by visible signs whose development can be monitored over a considerable period of time.

This is to enable the observer to correctly identify their origin because, uninvestigated treatment of defects may not bring lasting solutions rather it may lead the maintenance personnel treating just the symptoms instead of the causes. The maintenance personnel must be able to ensure that the structure remain suitable for their intended use such as;

(a)?The critical point of disrepair which is recognized as the point at which the onset of progressive failures occurs. If the structure is before this point is reached its life may be extended. If the repairs are not carried out major loss of use and reconstruction will be inevitable, if the structure is to be returned to its functional level.

(b) The point at which the rate of expenditure needed to maintain serviceability escalates to such an extent as to be uneconomical by comparison with partial or complete replacement.

?It is important to note that however thorough investigation and diagnosis of defects have been and whatever the extent of careful details in overcoming it, it is not very possible to foresee the extent of remedial work involved until the defect is opened up and exposed to in-depth examination.

Unplanned maintenance

Unplanned maintenance is maintenance carried out in a pre-determined plan. This is maintenance work resulting from unforeseen breakdown of facilities requiring urgent attention. It is work resulting from unforeseen breakdown or damage due to external causes such as acts of nature, settlement in buildings and shrinkage of building components;

• avoidable maintenance
• predictable maintenance

Avoidable maintenance: I defined this as “work required to rectify failures caused by the use of incorrect or faulty materials, incorrect design and incorrect installation” the features of this includes;

????????????Essential estate management records are obtained.

????????????Work is organized and therefore controlled.

????????????Statutory, legal and professional responsibilities are met.

????????????Direct or correct labour can be used to execute the job.

Predictable maintenance: I also defines this as “Regular periodic work that may be necessary to retain the performance characteristics of a product/facility as well as that required to replace or repair the product after achieving a reasonable life span.

Objectives of maintenance of buildings and infrastructure on the economy

(a)??????It ensures the functional requirements of the building are attained at all times.

(b)?????It creates a conducive and tenantable accommodation for owners and occupiers

(c)??????It enhances the quality of building structure to meet modern day requirements.

(d)?????It prolongs the life span of buildings and infrastructures.

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(e)??????It preserves the physical characteristics of the building associated services so as to reflect fewer breakdowns and thereby reducing the probability of early failure.

(f)??????To ensure that assets are kept at reasonable standards and at least cost.

(g)?????To maximize the economic and financial returns from the use of the building.

(h)?????To ensure the safety of the users and occupants.?

Functions of maintenance

Maintenance functions comprise these separate components;

(a)??????servicing and cleaning

(b)?????rectification

(c)??????repair and replace

(d)?????renovation

(e)??????rehabilitation

(f)??????modernization

(g)?????adaptation

?Servicing

Servicing which is essentially a cleaning operation is undertaken at regular intervals of varying frequency and is sometimes termed day to day maintenance. As more sophisticated equipment’s is introduced, so more complicated service schedule becomes necessary. The frequency of cleaning varies but could be considered thus: floors swept daily and polished weekly, windows washed monthly, flues swept every six months, painting for decoration and protection every five years.

Rectification

Rectification work usually occurs fairly early in the life of the building and arises from short comings in design, inherent faults, and unsuitability of components, damage goods in transit or installation and incorrect assembly. Rectification is avoidable as all that is necessary is to ensure that the component and materials are suitable for their purposes and are correctly installed.

Repairs.

Repairs are carried out to restore components and parts to functional standards.

Replacement

Replacement is inevitable because service conditions cause materials to deteriorate at different rates. Much replacement work stems not so much from physical breakdown of the materials or elements but from deterioration of appearance.

??????The economic and social significance of maintenance of buildings and infrastructural facilities.

The aim and objective of maintenance to buildings and related infrastructures had been examined but there still exists the economic and social significance which includes:

(a)??????Dilapidated and unhealthy building depresses the quality of life and in some ways contributes to certain anti-social values. For instance; uncompleted abandoned buildings have continued to serve as hide out to criminals and social miscreants.

(b)?????Maintenance as has been shown arrests decay and failures thereby extending the physical life of a building and thereby delays replacement and deters expenditure on new construction.

(c)??????The appearance, quality and general physical conditions of a building normally reflect public pride or indifference, the level of prosperity in the area, social values and behavior.

(d)?????Certain buildings and infrastructural facilities by their appearance and location in the vicinity or street add or improve the beauty of the environs. So any actions geared towards the maintenance of such a structure will normally draw???public attention and sympathy.

?????Maintenance of infrastructural facilities

Infrastructural facilities represent the engine of social and economic activities. It is the major challenges of economic development. Services associated with the use of infrastructure accounts roughly 10%-15% of gross domestic product (G.D.P). The importance of infrastructure has strong links towards growth, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. These social infrastructures encompass education, health care, commerce, industry and almost all other facets of national life. Infrastructures can be said to be the umbrella term for many activities referred to as social over-head capital.?

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