THE IMPORTANCE OF DESIGN LECTURE 4

IN BUILDING MAINTENANCE RES617

INTRODUCTION

Essentially the ease of the task of property

management is determined by the design
of the building.
Good design encourages good
management
 RICS REVISED AND REISSUED ITS PRACTICE NOTE NO.4
ON BUILDING PLANNED MAINTENANCE (IN THE 1990S)
The institution argued that:-
“……..the design and maintenance processes in the construction industry need to
be more closely allied as in the motor industry where design and subsequent
maintenance frequently have an equal consideration. Early discussion between the
design and maintenance organizations can result in a building with lower
maintenance liability at a marginally increased initial cost, the economics of which
can be easily demonstrated.”

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IF MAINTENANCE COSTS ARE TO BE CONTROLLED, THERE ARE
IMPLICATIONS THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED AT THE DESIGN STAGE.

Durability of Maintenance
materials and demand of How building is
components materials and going to be used
components

The potential abuse

of the building and Building flexibility
its fabric / and adaptability
components

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 SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN CONCEPT
The concern and care for the Significant determinants of the
stewardship of “Planet Earth” and the sustainability or otherwise of a
use of its finite resources requires building include the followings:-
attention to be given at design stage  Location
to the anticipated life of building  Materials
components throughout the whole life  Maintenance
of buildings.  Construction
 Energy use
 Meeting user needs

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FOUR SEASON CLIMATE
COUNTRIES
Eastern & oriental
influences
ISSUES

In the design stage the project team often

excludes property management
The various consultants want to be innovative ,
architects come up with aesthetically appealing
designs which could prove to be costly in long-
term maintenance of building
 WHY IS THE PROPERTY MANAGER
SIGNIFICANT AT THE DESIGN STAGE?
 Suggestions regarding materials and
layout
 Intelligent building, automation involved
increased maintenance cost? The
increased maintenance cost will be
transferred into the service charges and
then imposed on tenants.
 Design and maintenance issues require a
practical approach, a problem-solving
orientation and a “learning from
experience” to produce a comprehensive
approach to improving building
performance and reducing LCC
Building can be automated but the
degree of automation must be
practical with the end user in mind.
Building which have extensive
external wall cladding, the
impact…
These are examples of issues which
fail to be considered by design
consultants in designing buildings.
 WHY SEPARATION OF DESIGN AND
MAINTENANCE??
 Lack of feedback and support
 Lack of knowledge and understanding among design professionals
 Lack of data on operational requirements
 Difficulties in forecasting future conditions and changes
 ‘First cost’ mentality
Ref: Stanford, H. Effective Building Maintenance
20
DESIGN & MAINTENANCE COST
Good design, sound construction Admittedly, it is hardly possible
and correct use of materials can to design a building that would
reduce maintenance costs without be completely maintenance-free.
necessarily increasing new
building cost.
However, it is feasible to design
a building for minimum
Although the designer should be maintenance, and it is sensible for
part of the solution, all too often, designers to examine concepts
s/he is part of the problem. such as cost in use and look
carefully at the trade-off
between initial cost and
maintenance cost.

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 DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE
Similarly, if a building is to be
operated with minimal
maintenance / or to be
maintenance free, it will be
helpful if it starts its life without
defects.

Make a Detail and choose

deliberate effort materials and
to minimize components in such a
defects during way that the job of
design and maintenance would
construction be less difficult

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO MAKE BUILDING CHEAP TO

MAINTAIN:-

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WHAT ARE DEFECTS?

Building defect is a shortfall in performance

as a result of a building fault

Why does it occur?

Defects occur in buildings for a range of
reasons.

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DEFECTS: DEFINITIONS
The Oxford English The Building Research
Dictionary definition: “the Establishment (1982) definition: a
building defect is a shortfall in
fact of being wanting or performance as a result of a
falling short; lack of building fault.
absence of something
essential to completeness,;
deficiency; a shortcoming BS EN ISO 8402:1995 definition:
or failing; a fault, blemish, defect is non-fulfillment of an
flaw, imperfection…” intended usage requirement or
reasonable expectation,
including one concerned with
safety.

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UK COMMITTEE ON BUILDING MAINTENANCE
DESIGN DEFECTS IN BUILDINGS ARE CAUSED BY THE FOLLOWING REASONS: -

Inadequacies of design;
most design errors are errors of Inadequacy of the client brief;
specification, or choice of materials, the architect as a professional is
incompatible materials or expected to assist the client in
components, and inadequate developing an adequate brief
provision of safe access for
maintenance

Construction errors, due to ambiguity

or inadequacy of specification or Defects in material and components
supervision

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When buildings are in use, the rate of deteriorations
is affected by elements of the climate, user activities
and changing tastes and preferences.
The extent to which these agencies caused
deterioration and thus create a need for remedial
treatment will depend on
the adequacy of design

the suitability of the materials specified

the standard of workmanship in the initial construction and

subsequent maintenance

the extent to which designers anticipated future needs

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BEST WAY TO OVERCOME:
According to Stanford (2010), improved design and construction
techniques ideally determined and incorporated via the integrated
design process remain the best way to achieve good quality buildings
Design and construction make up only 1-10% of the LCC; the rest is
made up by operation and maintenance
SUGGESTED REMEDY

Need to involve:
• designers, developers and users / maintainers

…..so as to take into account the

complexities and interdependencies of
• social, economic and technical considerations

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 IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION
Designers need the participation The flowchart below depicts the feedback
of users and maintenance cycle that may provide designers with
managers to obtain feedback on information for future guidance in designing
use of performance of the buildings.
buildings; whether or not it meets
the requirements and expected
standards.

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THE FEEDBACK CYCLE

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 THE EFFECT OF FAULTY DESIGN ON
BUILDING MAINTENANCE
Types of Defects in Design Civil design

Due to Architectural
construction design
specification

Due to Maintenance
consultant practicality
firm & staff & adequacy
 EXAMPLES OF FAULTY DESIGNS
Civil design Architecture Construction
Ignoring variation Narrow passages, Unclear
in soil condition stairs & doorways specifications

Inadequate Ignoring climate Inadequate

structural design effects on exterior definition of
shapes materials

Exceeding load on Inadequate joints Lack of /

structural stability between finished conflicting details
surfaces
 IMPORTANT ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER
Main fabric:
Walls, floors, roofs, doors & windows

Internal finishes:
Ceiling, walls and floors

Special design features: decorative elements for

doors, windows, glass, air vents and stonework

Cleaning and housekeeping of all building

components
 IMPLICATIONS OF DESIGN DEFICIENCY
ON BUILDING MAINTENANCE
Thermal expansion,
Cracks & Surface
decay
Improper material
selection
Dampness, Staining,
Rot in wood & Fungi
EXAMPLES growth

Faulty construction,
Poor specification poor workmanship and
disintegration
MITIGATION APPROACHES
Maintenance must be fully considered at design stage
 Integrated design – coordination of design by a single group
comprising designers, contractors & owner’s operations and
maintenance staff (example?)
 Designers need the participation of users and maintenance
managers to obtain feedback on use of performance of the
buildings; whether or not it meets the requirements and expected
standards
 Enforcement of legal responsibilities to designers and developers
(example?)
 The suitability of the materials specified
 The standard of workmanship in the initial construction and
subsequent maintenance
 The extent to which the designer has allowed for present and
anticipated future needs
THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND
ENVIRONMENT ISSUES
Sustainable development requires companies to integrate
environmental considerations and decision making.

The ways which capital values of companies are determined in the

market place will begin to change as environment costs begin to be
internalised.
GREEN BUILDING
Areas evaluated for green building
awards :
 energy efficiency- use of renewable energy, low energy consumption
 Indoor environment quality- natural lighting, thermal comfort
 Sustainable site planning and management- open space &
landscaping, storm water management
 Materials & resources- use of environment-friendly and recycled
materials
 Water efficiency – rain water harvesting, water recycling
 Innovation- innovative design and initiatives
Collapse of Highland Towers, Kuala Lumpur

1993 2 types of design errors

• The collapse of Highland

• Preconstruction site
Towers resulted in 48 Improper visit ?
deaths with reported soil bearing • Failure to identify
causes as: testing the peripheral
– Improper soil testing conditions
– Peripheral conditions of
site resulted in
undermining Failure to • Unable to contain
– Failure of retaining walls design the site
under heavy rains caused adequate • Unable to hold the
landslide leading to building
building collapse
retaining
wall
Highland Towers collapse
The Highland Towers collapse was an apartment building collapse that occurred on
11 December 1993 in Taman Hillview, Ulu Klang, Selangor, Malaysia. The collapse of
Block One of the apartments caused the deaths of 48 people and led to the
complete evacuation of the other two blocks due to safety concerns.
 Why it happens?

Behind the Towers was a small

stream of water known as
'East Creek'. East Creek flowed
into the site of the Towers
before the Towers'
construction. Later, a pipe
system was built to divert the
stream to bypass the Towers.
In 1991, a new housing
development project, known
as 'Bukit Antarabangsa
Development Project',
commenced on the hilltop
located behind the Towers. As
a result, the hill was cleared of
trees and other land-covering
plants, exposing the soil to
land erosion that will cause
land slide .
 • The water from the construction site was
diverted into the same pipe system used to
divert the flow of East Creek. Eventually, the
Cause of structural failure pipe system became overly pressurized with the
water, sand and silt from both East Creek and
the construction site. The pipes burst at various
locations on the hill, and the soil had to absorb
the excessive water. The monsoon rainfall in
December 1993 further worsened the situation.
• The water content in the soil had exceeded a
dangerous level, and the soil had literally turned
into mud. By October 1992, the hill slope had
been almost flooded with water, and it was
reported that water was seen flowing down the
hill slopes and the retaining walls.
• Soon after, a landslip took place and destroyed
the poorly-constructed retaining walls. The
landslide contained an estimated 100,000
square metres of mud - a mass equivalent to
200 Boeing 747 jets. The soil rammed onto the
foundation of Block One, pushing it forward for
a while before causing it to snap and bringing
down the apartment block.
• A month before the building fell, in November
1993, residents began to see cracks forming and
widening on the road around the Highland
Towers, a sign of collapse but unfortunately, no
further investigation was carried out.
 Sinking of Kansai Airport, Japan

• Japan opened the airport,

regarded as an engineering
marvel
• Situated on 1,300 acre
artificial island in Osaka
• First large-scale airport built
on reclaimed land
• The complex consists of a
runway, air terminal, train
station, shopping mall and
hotel
1994
• The airport started to sink: since
its construction began in 1987, it
has subsided 38feet due to the
man-made island sinking.
• $2.21bn spent on repairs and
building of concrete wall in
terminal’s basement to avoid
seawater seepage
• Doubts about safety &
maintenance of Kansai
International airport were raised:
was the most expensive airport
worth the price?
 Collapse of terminal 2E at
Paris Charles de Gaulle
International Airport

23rd May, 2004

• The new terminal fell onto a
boarding footway
• The passage collapsed onto
airport service vehicles
parked underneath, 4 died.
• Design was said to be at
fault due to small margins
of “safety”
 Numerical faults in design:

1. The concrete vaulted

roof was not resilient
enough and pierced by
metallic pillars
2. Some openings had
weakened the roof
structure
3. The whole building chain
has pushed too far to
reduce costs
4. Paul Andreu denounced
the companies having
not correctly prepared
the reinforced concrete
 Collapse of terminal 3, Dubai
International Airport
Consequences 27th September 2004
• 8 people killed & others • The terminal was designed
injured by French architect Paul
• Parts of the terminal Andreu who also designed
collapsed during the Terminal 2E in Paris, Charles
preparation of a wall de Gaulle International
• A section of the Airport (that also had part
reinforcement cage fell, of the structure collapse)
trapping workers during
construction
• At least five people were killed and a dozen were injured
Monday after an unfinished wall collapsed during
construction of a multi-billion-dollar expansion of the
Dubai International Airport, airport authorities said.
• The accident occurred at a site adjacent to Terminal 3, a
1,000-meter tubular concourse, which is also under
construction. Construction of the new terminal is being
overseen by Aéroports de Paris, the state-owned operator
of the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, where the
partial collapse of a passenger terminal killed four
travelers and injured half a dozen others in May.
• Witnesses at the Dubai site said they had seen rescue
workers evacuate as many as 40 injured people from the
scene, according to news agency reports from Dubai. But a
spokeswoman for the emirate's civil aviation agency said
the toll was much lower. See the completed photos of the
terminal.
 Florida high-rise collapse (2006)
• Failure of formwork during construction at One Bal
Harbour in Miami Florida caused deaths of 3 workers.
• Construction workers was pouring quick drying
concrete on 27th level floor when the formwork
partially collapse and dropped them to the 26th floor.
• Failure was attributed to the quality and stability of the
formwork.
• Accuracy of formwork is important for future
performance as concrete floor structure.
• Errors in its dimensions, set out or structure may have
serious implications.
 High-rise construction frame collapses in
Florida, 3 killed (Sunday, May 07, 2006)
BAL HARBOUR, Florida (AP) - A wooden frame
collapsed at a high-rise construction site Saturday,
and the workers who were standing on it fell into
wet concrete, authorities said. Three were killed and
another worker was missing.
• The men were standing on the frame, working on the
building's 26th floor, when the frame gave way, fire
Chief Richard Martin said.
• The men fell into a thick layer of concrete that was
drying on the floor below them, and they became
trapped, Martin said.
• Search teams were using dogs to look for the missing
worker.
• Bal Harbour is just north of Miami Beach.

• Read more:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/104085_Hig
h-rise-construction-frame-collapses-in-Florida--3-
killed#ixzz2OhyKlSmf
 Summary:
All buildings need regular maintenance to
ensure a useful and economic life
It is essential that owners / users of any building
have a planned approach towards its
maintainability during its early design inception.

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TUTORIAL
Maintenance is not just about care. The new paradigm of building
maintenance requires a more effective initial design, sustainable
development techniques and usage of building materials.
Discuss the appropriate strategies of building care towards achieving
building sustainability. (25 marks) Jan 2013
 Summary:
All buildings need regular maintenance to
ensure a useful and economic life
It is essential that owners / users of any
building have a planned approach
towards its maintainability during its
early design inception.

53
 Important issues relating to design and its relationship to
building maintenance could be concluded as follows:-

1st point: 2nd point:

• Design of a building can • The choice of materials and
influence the COST of the structural technique must
inevitable maintenance be carefully considered in
programme during the relation to foreseeable
formulation of the design patterns of use and possible
brief. changes in those patterns
• This will automatically
determine the life-cycle of
any building before it is
built.

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 Continuation….
Important issues relating to design and its relationship to
building maintenance could be concluded as follows:-

3rd point 4th point

• Importance of the detailing • Design of access, both
of the building which can be inside and outside of a
the cause of failure or building.
success in any building • This is most important if
design maintenance, repair,
replacement work is to be
carried out economically
and without interference
with the occupants of the
building.

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 Continuation…
Important issues relating to design and its relationship to
building maintenance could be concluded as follows:-

Final point Conclusions

• The availability of • Designing and detailing are
replacement parts for increasingly NOT just about
building components, good practice.
machinery and equipment • Planned maintenance, from
when they have reached the inevitable daily routine
the inevitable end of their to the annual and yearly
programmes is increasingly
useful life. becoming an integral part of
the design brief, and the
economic life of the
building.

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