Introduction
Under British ‘s Factories Act 1961, “ maintained ” is defined as: maintained in an efficient province, in efficient working order and in good fix. Efficient or more precise, efficiency, as defined by the Learner ‘s Dictionary of Times-Chambers, means working good, without any waste of clip, money, etc. If seen under constructing care context, constructing care ‘s premier purpose is to obtain value for the money spent on care ( Baronial, 1972 ) , every bit good as bettering efficiency and productiveness of the residents and the edifice ( Seeley, 1976 ) . Theoretically, it is non impossible to accomplish this efficiency. However, proprietors ‘ effort at maintaining care cost at bay, have resulted inauspicious long-run effects towards the edifice ( Seeley, 1976 ) .
There is a call to better the agencies to pull off and the executing of constructing care ( Seeley, 1976 ) . Sing the ever-changing engineerings we have today, it is known that this industry takes on new engineerings slower compared to others ( Lee, Akin, 2009 ) . Despite it all, care will stay a important work in the building industry. Allen in his article defined care direction as embracing operations and maps, and described as “ the effectual and efficient use of resources to guarantee that the procedure and its installations are kept operable to criterions required by the users ” ( 1993 ) . Owners and belongings directors likewise need to understand that in order to guarantee efficiency throughout constructing care ; a batch of factors need to be considered, such as:
Design phase
Knowledge and experience
Planned preventative care ( PPM )
Guaranting Efficiency in Building Maintenance
Design Phase
Interior designers ‘ deficiency of consideration in care facets and spreads between design and care might be one of the causes in the failure of accomplishing efficiency. An apprehension of how the design of a construction to be used and maintained and care policy must be known in order to accomplish efficient design ( Allen, 1993 ) . Harmonizing to Wood ‘s research “ Approaching the Care-Free Building ” , care plants of a edifice is influenced at the design phase even though non specifically determined ( 2003 ) . The thought of a care-free edifice is to avoid care one time and for all, and in order to accomplish that, a thorough consideration must be given during design phase where it must be reclaimable, intelligent, green, high engineering ( Wood, 2000 ) . The most effectual manner to accomplish that, the edifice must designed for lastingness ( Elkin, et Al, 1991 ) . It is safe to state that a design of a edifice plays a critical function in guaranting the efficiency of the edifice care in the hereafter.
Mistakes caused by design can non be treated for good and will stay a go oning job for the edifice ( Seeley, 1976 ) . For illustration, deficiency of consideration in taking stuff such as asbestos will ensue in assorted jobs, non merely to the edifice, but besides the residents in footings of wellness jeopardies. Poor detailing during design phase may consequences in higher care cost ( Seeley, 1976 ) which contradicts with the kernel of efficiency that focuses on being persevering with clip and money. Harmonizing to Seeley in his book, Building Maintenance ( 1976 ) , interior decorators ‘ parts are important towards care cost decrease during planing if they take into consideration these four inquiries:
How can it be reached?
How can it be cleaned?
How long will it last?
How can it be replaced?
Preferably, the design squad must take to make an attractive, functionally efficient and constructional sound edifice with a minimal care ( Institute of Building, 1975 ) in order to accomplish the efficiency in edifice care. Keeping a edifice ‘s wellbeing is every bit of import as the aesthetic value of the edifice itself as it undertook the work needed to keep the exterior facade every bit good as the inside to retain value of investing and carry throughing edifice ‘s map ( Anderson, 1969 ) . From the old researches and sentiments, it is safe to state in order to guarantee efficiency in edifice care ; belongings director must move proactively during planing phase. The liability besides lies on the interior decorators, where feedbacks from residents must be taken into history in order to better hereafter designs ( Seeley, 1976 ) . Organizing duologue between research and development workers every bit good as designers, surveyors, care forces and contractors will guarantee the relevancy of research in the pattern of constructing care ( Seeley, 1976 ) .
Knowledge and Experience
Prime purpose in edifice care is to accomplish good value for money spent on care outgo although there are some differing positions on it, such as national/private, long/short term, and landlord/tenant ( Baronial, 1972 ) . This contradiction may takes it affects on care. For illustration impairment of the cloth and coatings of a edifice, followed by harmful effects on the contents and residents of the edifice ( Seeley, 1976 ) . It shows that deficiency of cognition of the edifice current province and status is one of the causes why efficiency in edifice care is difficult to hold on. It is difficult to pin-point who is more deserving of belongings director ‘s place but we can hold that without cognition and experience, keeping a edifice is non a walk in the park. Harmonizing to Seeley, care manual consisting of stuffs, equipment used and care needed for the efficient and economic usage must be provided to residents of a peculiar edifice for future mention ( 1976 ) .
To accomplish effectual and efficient care direction, assorted expertnesss are clinched together. Here, proficient cognition and experience must travel manus in manus to rectify the care demand and stipulate the best solution. Aside from that, cognition in belongings, contract jurisprudence every bit good as grasp for sociology are welcomed ( Hill, 1969 ) . Allen in his article “ What Is Constructing Maintenance? “ stressed out on how of import information on the current province of edifice, user demands and plants carried out towards the quality and efficiency of a edifice care ( 1993 ) . However, information sing a certain edifice is ever made private and confidential due to possible embarrassment act as a restraint in roll uping informations ( Wood, 2003 ) . However, Wood believes that “ benchmarking nines ” and public presentation indexs are easy made known to public for the interest of shared acquisition and uninterrupted betterment. Although there is small literature on public presentation studies, doing it difficult to mensurate efficiency of care system
So belongings directors must trust on every bit much as possible cognition of managerial and societal scientific disciplines every bit good as traditional technique cognition base of edifice building and impairment ( Zawawi et al, 2011 ) . Harmonizing to a research done in Botswana, all the respondents agreed on the importance of records maintaining for the interest of direction of their installations ( Moseki et al. , 2011 ) . It proves that a batch of information can be extracted from analyzing old records and from at that place, efficiency can be achieved. Knowledge may be transferred from old working experiences or received in schoolroom or from reading stuffs. Continuous reappraisals and analysing on the public presentation operation must be carried out to guarantee high quality service ( Zawawi et.al, 2011 ) . However, when it comes to informations, it must be maintained and updated on a regular basis or it would non function its intent efficaciously.
It will move as a control mechanism in the care industry in order to guarantee efficiency in edifice care is achieved. Due to its debatable nature, care direction provides a potentially abundant country for farther operational research ( Seeley, 1976 ) . This will supply a medium for development participants to hold a duologue and academic treatment amongst them. Furthermore, it will spur farther research in constructing care facets among pupils and academician. Furthermore, this is a sod where progress research on care determination devising is desired, particularly in today ‘s universe where quality is a sought-after feature. Review on bing operations and care manuals should be done and besides developing a edifice information system in order to keep the edifice ( Moseki et al. , 2011 )
Optimum Maintenance Strategy
There is assorted care scheme adapted by belongings directors in order to guarantee efficiency
in keeping their several edifice. Examples are disciplinary care, preventative care and condition-based care. Nevertheless, taking which one is the best for a certain edifice would hold to see assorted factors such as the intent of the edifice, stuffs used and besides the residents. Harmonizing to Horner et. Al. in an article entitled “ Building care scheme: a new direction attack ” , they believed that in order to take an optimum care scheme, it is of import to integrate the three types of care scheme because:
Not every point is important ;
Not every important points can be status supervised ;
Condition monitoring techniques are non ever accessible ; and
The contraption of status detecting techniques is normally non cost-efficient.
Significant points are points that in which failure would impact wellness, safety, environment or public-service corporation ( including cost ) while non-significant points are whose failure has no important consequence ( Horner et. Al. 1997 ) .
Aside from that, there is besides Planned Preventive Maintenance ( PPM ) which is a recognized path to a better care ( Allen, 1993 ) . It focuses on bar of failure of a facilty, carried out within the expected life of the edifice to guarantee continuos operation ( Seeley, 1976 ) . In order to follow this scheme, it will trust on accurate informations and a status assessment in order to fix a complete profile of an estimation and its edifice ( Allen, 1993 ) . A profile will assist workers in mentioning for old history or solutions. The construct is rather similar to a patient ‘s record where physician will ever mention to the patient ‘s old status in order to handle him. In the article, “ What is Constructing Maintenance? ” besides mentioned that efficient care direction needs the readying and care of accurate belongings records and other related information. Allen besides added that with planned care, component of surprise can be removed ( 1993 ) . This shows that in order to expect for the hereafter, one must first analyze the history and current province of the edifice.
Progresss in engineering and direction scheme have enabled assorted agencies in keeping a edifice. One of the star-rising attack is the care-free attack. It is believed that the thought of “ right edifice ” can be achieved through “ right design ” , “ right clip ” , “ right topographic point ” which will ensue in a care-free edifice ( Wood, 2003 ) . Further in Wood ‘s article, he explored the possibility of ” self-maintaining ” edifice where it will be controlled by robotic devices which engineering has already existed particularly in office and concern developments. This may ensue in a hi-tech or low-tech solution, arousing and supplying which is appropriate to the user.
Wood besides argued how PPM is non relevant with the sustainability theory and the art prediction which is excessively obscure, citing Burke “ You can ne’er be after the hereafter by the yesteryear ” ( 1791 ) .Regardless, each and every scheme has its ain advantages and disadvantages. In the terminal, it will come down to how much budget we are allowed for care, the type of edifice and the aim of the edifice.
Decision
As a decision, efficiency is non an impossible thing to accomplish. The inquiry is, how far are we willing to travel for the interest of efficiency? Certain, it concerns with clip and money, two factors that are really of import in today ‘s universe but how many are willing to travel the excess stat mi? In order to guarantee efficiency in edifice care, a desperate attending must be given during design phase, while cognition and information sing the edifice must be gathered and updated when keeping it and in conclusion, taking the best scheme for each edifice as one edifice differs from one another. Every option has its ain advantages and disadvanatages, so it is up to us to to take the best option for the edifice.
