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This paper presents part of an EPSRC research project carried out by the Construction Management Research Unit at Dundee University. The objective of the research was to apply integrated logistics support, to the development of cost‐effective maintenance strategies for existing building stock. Techniques such as failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and reliability centred maintenance (RCM) were tailored for application to construction projects and a pilot study was carried out on a sample of 18 houses drawn from Dundee City Council housing stock. A comparative analysis of condition survey, FMEA and RCM is provided. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the benefits of applying RCM to existing building stock. The pilot study shows that the use of RCM can lead to a reduction of 18.5 per cent in maintenance costs.

One of the findings of the research looking at the application of integrated logistics support (ILS) to the existing building stock carried out by the authors was that many factors have an effect on maintenance cost. In an attempt to uncover the underlying factors, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 50 local authority and housing associations throughout Scotland. The aim of the questionnaire was to identify the extent to which 24 factors impede the optimum application of maintenance cost. This paper describes the objectives of building maintenance and the principal elements of housing maintenance cost. The study revealed that maintenance cost is greatly influenced by factors which can only be evaluated subjectively, such as high expectations of tenants and improper use of the property.

Whole life costing analysis is becoming much more important as long‐term building owners and clients start to demand evidence of what their costs of ownership will be. It is also becoming more important as more private companies invest in private finance initiative (PFI), public private partnership (PPP) and prime contracting (PC) projects. One of the main barriers to the successful implementation of whole life costing (WLC), is the lack of reliable and consistent data on elements of whole life cost (capital, facilities management, and disposal) and the performance of building elements and services. The objective of this paper is to discuss the development of a consistent and flexible framework for collecting whole life cost data for buildings. A description of the taxonomy of the cost breakdown structure is given. The proposed data structure will be of value to all the project team (designer, contractor, facilities manager, supplier, etc.) who might be involved in traditional procurement or PFI, PPP, and PC projects. When the cost data structure is populated, it will provide the foundation from which the whole life costs of different alternatives can be estimated and from which the risks such as the technical and financial risks related to WLC elements, operational risks, etc. associated with, PFI, PPP and PC projects can be assessed and minimised.

Sustainability action plans are emerging as a management tool to facilitate the delivery of sustainability objectives which are planned, measured and achievable in practice. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential to support an integrated approach to delivering sustainability across the phases of a construction project. A holistic approach to sustainability is promoted which aims to be understandable, managed and aligned with available sustainability assessment methods.

The application of a sustainability action plan is explored in the Greater Middlehaven Regeneration Project (UK). Six key stakeholders were interviewed to consider the rational of its application, structure, role of sustainability assessment and contribution to project development and delivery. Two workshops involving practitioners and experts in sustainable construction explored the implications for the wider context.

A framework around which sustainability can be managed through a series of integrated tailored action plans applied across each project phase was highlighted. Clear benefits were presented in facilitating the sharing of knowledge, communicating aspirations and in providing leadership to project members.

The case study enjoys a supportive environment to embed best practice and thus full appreciation of potential barriers to implementation in other contexts was not possible.

The research illustrates the need to promote a common sustainability legacy across the project phases and highlights the role of a sustainability action plan in facilitating this consistency.

A holistic approach founded on an understandable philosophy remains innovative in practice and explored are its value and implications.

The private finance initiative (PFI) is a means of using private finance and skills to deliver capital investment projects traditionally provided by the public sector. Traditionally, public sector bodies have been responsible for the procurement, operation and regulation of capital assets. In PFI, the private sector has the primary role in the operation of constructed facilities, whereas the public sector has a larger role in regulation. There are two parties to a PFI contract: the public sector body or authority, and the private consortium responsible for the delivery of the facility or project. Part of the contract specifies that the private consortium takes on a considerable degree of risk associated with that facility. This paper reassesses the role of the facilities manager as the party responsible for the co‐ordination of planning, design and management of facilities within the PFI regime. The development of strategic long‐term partnerships between client organisations and FM service providers requires the fundamental reassessment of appropriate risk management strategies informed by an integrated information management system that ensures the timely capture and exchange of life cycle data throughout the key stages of the PFI contract.

The maintenance of hospital buildings is often acknowledged as challenging tasks yet inevitable to ensure effective delivery of health-care functions. This study aims to investigate the rationale behind the execution of maintenance which provides essential input for better prioritization of maintenance tasks.

This study evaluated the determinants of building maintenance of public hospitals in Malaysia from the perspectives of key personnel appointed to monitor, supervise and inspect the activities of the privatised support services in public hospitals. A total of 66 questionnaire survey responses were analysed.

Findings revealed that the maintenance practices in public hospitals are user-centric with high emphasis on user’s expectations and complaints. Comparatively, vandalism and improper use of facilities were less of concerns.

This paper reveals the key determinants that influence decision-making in building maintenance of the Malaysian public hospitals from the perspective of maintenance personnel. It adds value to the under-researched topic of privatised hospital support services, which is currently outsourced to five concession companies nationwide.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the accuracy of life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for institutional (higher education) buildings as a predictor of actual realised facility costs.

Research methodology includes a comprehensive literature review to identify issues, best practices and implementation of LCCA in the construction industry. A case study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of LCCA in predicting facility costs.

Notwithstanding the benefits of LCCA, its adoption has been relatively slow for institutional buildings. The case study revealed that the average difference between estimated and actual construction cost is 37 per cent, whereas the average difference between the actual and estimated maintenance cost is 48 per cent. There is an average difference of 85 per cent in the actual and estimated administration cost.

While limited to a few buildings, the case study underscores that LCCA methods should not be used for cost predictions of facility performance but rather for comparing total costs of alternative building features and systems, as well as building types. Sensitivity analysis also revealed that the selection of a discount rate would have less impact on recurring costs estimates compared to non‐recurring cost estimates. Facilities managers' involvement in LCCA technique developments and implementations will likely improve its performance during programming phases.

The value of LCCA procedures is limited as a predictor of actual realised facility costs. Educational institutions can use the methods described in this paper to replicate the study and arrive at their own conclusions regarding the LCCA techniques and their potential use in programming stages.

The paper evaluated the accuracy of LCCA for institutional buildings and the potential of LCCA as an asset management tool for institutional buildings and provided suggestions to improve its adoption in facilities management.

The purpose of this study is to develop a process model for inspection management of building facilities based on a financial analysis process using a facilities assessment index (FAI).

A piping system is surveyed using financial analysis to implement optimal inspection time and cost based on limited costs. Inspection technical sheets were sent to 30 installation consultant companies in Iran. Financial sheets were sent to hotel financial managers. There are three main stages in the development of the building facilities inspection management process: Stage I: gathering data, Stage II: developing a draft process model, Stage III: testing the process model and Stage IV: verification of process model. The research applies decision-making techniques to resolve various issues using cost data.

By analyzing historical data and using a process model, the author determined that the most cost-effective approach is to inspect and repair pipes when the FAI (condition index [CI]) reaches 70. At this point, the saving to investment ratio (SIR) is 1.69, indicating substantial economic benefits. For pipes with a CI below 55, replacement is recommended due to lower economic benefits from repair. When the CI reaches 40, the pipes are considered to be at the end of their useful life, and replacement is the optimal course of action. The process model was rigorously tested to ensure its accuracy in predicting future scenarios. By comparing model predictions with historical data and established solutions, the author found a strong correlation between the highest SIR and a CI of 70 in both historical and predictive data analyses. This consistency suggests that the model can effectively predict optimal inspection timing for the wastewater system.

Any decision-making is based on the existing cost and resource allocation of the buildings in inspection activities. This issue is very important: how to allocate the limited costs available for facilities inspection to achieve the best return on spending. This method helps building managers and engineers make better decisions to reduce inspection costs and increase facilities’ service life.

The purpose of this paper is to review the status of knowledge on the subject of building maintenance from an integrated perspective that incorporates the building lifecycle, that is, from the design stage to the end of life. This work considered the main aspects to be taken into account in determining and implementing maintenance strategies, which requires a cross-sectional view of the entire construction process. At the same time, this approach contributes to the organisation of building management.

Bibliometric review has been carried out to identify relevant subjects and topics about scientific production on building maintenance by analysing the contents of about 745 publications, over the last 15 years, between 2000 and 2016 (first quarter). The survey results were gradually organised into a database grouped into seven main themes which were found to be more discussed and others six emergent themes with topics on building maintenance research.

This research enabled a synthesis of the focal points in the literature on building maintenance, as well as debates among researchers and institutions in the field. The result is a view to the future regarding what issues merit further research and what content requires greater depth of understanding, allowing us to envision research directions that encompass topics and sub-topics for future development. To this end, this bibliometric study draws on knowledge developed over the last 15 years, using research studies published in refereed journals indexed in ISI/SCOPUS as its data source.

The novelty of this topic, and the aspect in which it differs from existing studies, is that the researchers analysed a single sub-topic: that is, content regarding maintenance. Thus, this bibliometric literature review allows us to achieve a comprehensive and integrated view of key issues developed in the field of building maintenance. The results show which topics have been more thoroughly developed and which still exhibit gaps and weaknesses. This review allows us to envision well thought out guidelines for future development that have the potential to be relevant to progress in building maintenance research. It also contributes to our understanding of the state of the art in this field of knowledge.

Facilities management plays a significant role in the housing industry to support human daily routine and enhancing the productivity of the activities in and around the residential. Nonetheless, facilities management has not been readily encouraged or adopted by the Government in Malaysia in any structured way. The maintenance approaches adopted are mostly corrective which resulting poor service delivery, poor user satisfaction and endless maintenance backlogs. Thus, this paper aims to review the implementation of preventive maintenance and importance of routine maintenance frequency for the building facilities and services in high-rise residential buildings.

An extensive literature review published in between 1987 to 2016 has been carried out on the implementation of preventive maintenance strategy specifically routine maintenance. The building facilities and services which are divided into essential and value-added were identified and tabulated systematically to further form a theoretical framework to demonstrate the association between routine maintenance of building facilities and services and maintenance outcome.

The findings of the study argued that the routine maintenance might affect the maintenance performance. Future research is proposed to investigate the optimal frequency of routine maintenance to enhance maintenance performance.

This study identified the importance of routine maintenance by providing the classification of facilities and services, which fundamentally support future research to improve the maintenance management of high-rise residential building.