Design considerations

at design stage
 MAINTENANCE FACTOR DESIGN B
STAGE
Common Faults by Engineers
 most designers claimed to have knowledge and experience on
building maintenance aspects but only few are aware of the
importance to consider maintenance factors during design stage
 main problems that the maintenance firms are currently facing are
caused by building design deficiencies, poor construction quality
and poor performance of building which is directly related to
functional layout, choice of building material and choice of building
equipment

 Lack of communication between designer firms and maintenance

firms as well as building users or owners resulted in designer firms
not fully aware of the maintenance-related problems frequently
reported by building owners
 neglecting the benefits of designing for ease of maintenance
that can prolong the building lifespan, reduce defects rate and
therefore reduce maintenance costs.
 to develop awareness and policy from the very early start of
project to ensure the concept for ease of maintenance can be
understood and implemented successfully
 MAINTENANCE FACTOR DESIGN
STAGE

Critical factors for designers to take into

account during design stage
• A design shall be executed perfectly well within the Code of Practice

•to practice total building performance audit, benchmarking and

quality management procedures in guiding developments towards
improved maintainability

• Adopt Ease of maintenance concept

•To reduce the number of design defects, thus amount of

maintenance expenditure can be reduced

•Consultation with users, Property / maintenance managers /

maintenance consultants in design stage

•Consultation with the system manufacturer to provide information

relevant to the education and training required for the proper operation
and maintenance of the systems being considered
 MAINTENANCE FACTOR DESIGN
STAGE

Design Life and Serviceability

o The design life of a structure is that period for which it is

designed to fulfill its intended function when inspected and
maintained based on agreed procedures

o A design life for a structure or component

does necessarily mean that the structure will
no longer be fit for its purpose at the end of
that period

o Necessary continue to be serviceable

with adequate and regular inspection
and routine maintenance

Sultan Ahmed Mosque,

Turkey
 MAINTENANCE FACTOR DESIGN
STAGE

Serviceability of Civil Engineering and Building Works

• Exposed structures must be attractive appearance and carefully designed and
detailed to ensure long term durability
• Structural elements or components not accessible, shall be designed to be
maintenance free through intended design lives
• Dense, durable high strength concrete must be used in structural elements
constructed of concrete
• Area of severe exposure, secondary cementitious materials e.g. pulverized fuel
ash shall be used if feasible and if it assists to achieve required durability
• Reinforced Concrete not exposed to rainwater or ground
water must have a minimum characteristic concrete
strength of 30 kN/mm^2
• Paint systems for steelwork shall ensure a minimum life of
10 years before full maintenance painting is required
• Corrosion protection of non-structural steel items shall
be appropriate to the accessibility of the item for
inspection and maintenance
 MAINTENANCE FACTOR DESIGN
STAGE

Durability And Maintenance

The design shall ensure, by means of the appropriate choice of structural
forms, details and materials, that the structure and building shall remain
in a serviceable condition over its life

a) Only materials and details having a proven record of durability in

similar conditions shall be used
b) Access shall be provided for inspection and maintenance to all elements
of
the structure
c) Maintenance requirements shall be minimised by appropriate detailing
and the
selection of suitable materials
d) Structures and Buildings shall be detailed so as to shed surface water in
such a way that ponding and streaking do not occur and
details which encourage the accumulation of
debris shall be avoided

e) Details shall be designed for ease of maintenance

 MAINTENANCE FACTOR DESIGN
STAGE

Building Maintenance Problems

Associated with Building Defects
Understanding the common cause of building
defects and learn to develop a framework for the
management of maintenance required to provide a
consistent approach to the planning, management
and reporting of building maintenance

• Defects Due to Design Failures

• Defects Due to Construction Failures

• Defects Due to Material Failures

Defects
Due to
Design
Failures
 DEFECTS DUE TO DESIGN
FAILURES

Defects within new buildings are areas of non-

compliance with the Building Code of Practice, Prevailing
Design Codes and published acceptable tolerances and
standards. Older buildings, or buildings out of warranty period,
may not comply with these standards but must be judged
against the standard at the time of construction or
refurbishment
• Settlements Clients incur
• cracked huge
• damaged or deteriorated brick maintenance &
walls repair costs due
• Leaking showers to professional
• dampness to a building negligence
• excessive sagging to a roof or
ceiling
• Drainage blockage / backflow
• Sewerage blockage / backflow
Historical / Older buildings, or buildings out of warranty period,
may not comply with these standards but must be judged
against the standard at the time of construction or
refurbishment
 DEFECTS DUE TO DESIGN
FAILURES

If a building collapses due to

structural failures, who is
responsible?
Civil or Structural Engineer is the primarily responsible for
it. But then we need to investigate the construction
quality if it is constructed as per design and
specifications?

Professionals are liable

and “most likely” to
shoulder repair costs due
to professional negligence
 DEFECTS DUE TO DESIGN
FAILURES

Causes of errors in constructed

facilities
Design
stage
1. Fundamental errors in concept
2. Site selection and site development errors
3. Programming deficiencies
4. Design errors
5. Construction errors
6. Material deficiencies
7. Operational errors

Construction
stage
Service stage
 DEFECTS DUE TO DESIGN
FAILURES

1. Fundamental errors in
concept
The project may have been located in
an unusual environment where the
prediction of environmental effects
was unreliable
 DEFECTS DUE TO DESIGN
FAILURES

2. Site selection and site

development errors
Certain sites are more vulnerable than others to
failure. Recognition of the characteristics of particular
site conditions through appropriate geotechnical studies
can lead to decisions about site selection and site
development that reduce the risk of failure
 DEFECTS DUE TO DESIGN
FAILURES

4. Design errors
• Errors in design concept Fatal
errors
• Lack of structural redundancy
• Failure to consider a load or a combination of
loads
• Deficient connection details
• Calculation errors
• Misuse of computer softwares
• Detailing problems, including selection of
incompatible materials or assemblies that are not
• Failure to consider maintenance requirement or
constructable
durability
• Inadequate or inconsistent specifications for
materials
or expected quality of work
• Unclear communication of design intent
 Defects Due to
Construction Failures
 DEFECTS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION
FAILURES

What is Construction Failure?

Inability to construct a building structure in
accordance to drawings & specifications,
prevailing Standards and sound engineering
practice.

Leads to unnecessary building

maintenance, Technical & Financial
burdens….. Or worst still, Lost of
investment & profits / debts

What is Stractural Failure?

Structural Failure is when the basic support
system of a form has lost integrity resulting in
the inability of the form to perform its original
function.
 DEFECTS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION
FAILURES

What cause structural

failures on bridges? • Design errors
• Construction errors
• Excessive scour under
Either a design flaw or lack of proper
pier
maintenance.
• Continued flooding
• Materials defects
• Lack of maintenance
• Overloads
• Impact Accidents
• Landslides / poor soil
• Disputed
 5. Construction errors
• Improper construction sequencing

• Inadequate temporary support

• Excessive construction load

• Premature removal of shoring or

formwork

• Nonconformance to design intent

 DEFECTS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION
FAILURES

6. Material deficiencies
Manufacturing or fabrication defects
may exist in the most reliable
structural materials
 SUMMARY
SUMMAR
Y
Critical Factors When Designing A Building
1. Develop design for “ease of maintenance” concept at management level

2. Form a policy which include design for “ease of maintenance” objective,

commitment from management, funding from project owners and close linkage
to construction implementation

3. Identify current maintenance practices and opportunities for future

improvement. Benchmarking against industry standard will provide reference
points

4. Develop procedures which provide framework and assure consistent

implementation of design for “ease of maintenance” activities
5. Form design for “ease of maintenance” implementation committee to develop the
design process and implement it on projects
6. Define maintenance strategy based on current maintenance practices
be it corrective, planned, predictive or proactive maintenance

7. Conduct design for “ease of maintenance” meetings and discussions

according to schedule, to address specific issues in more detail
8. Checklists and reviews ensure that the project design team addresses
the design for “ease of maintenance” objectives
 SUMMARY
SUMMAR
Y

Prevention against structural failures

Most of the building / structural failures (other than those caused by
natural disasters) have occurred due to such faults, which are
controllable.

1. Good operational planning and detailed deliberations can save

the
failures of the valuable building / structures.
2. Well-designed structures, coupled with the hard effort of the
experts
3. correct materials can ensure the structure a complete success.
Important points of failure prevention are:

• Professionalism
• Increased antagonism during construction bidding

• Statutory bodies should be more proactive in imposing strict

regulations

• Integrated efforts by all parties