Scheduled maintenance of buildings

Maintenance is the process of ensuring that buildings and other assets retain a good appearance and operate at optimum efficiency. Inadequate maintenance can result in decay, degradation and reduced performance and can affect heath and threaten the safety of users, occupants and others in the vicinity.

There are a number of different types of maintenance. NRM3: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for building maintenance works, defines ‘scheduled maintenance’ as:

'...preventive maintenance carried out in accordance with predetermined intervals, number of operations, hours run, including allowances for access.'

Where preventative maintenance as:

'...the planned and controlled programme of maintenance and inspection carried out at predetermined intervals (or corresponding to prescribed criteria) and intended to reduce the probability of failure or degradation of the functioning of an item. This includes inspections, adjustments, cleaning, lubrication and/or selective replacement of components (e.g. filters) and minor repairs, as well as performance testing and analysis intended to maximise the reliability, performance and life cycle of building systems, equipment, etc. Preventive maintenance consists of many checkpoint activities on items that, if disabled, may interfere with an essential installation operation, endanger life or property, or involve high costs or long lead times for replacement.'

Other types of maintenance defined in NRM3 include:

• Unplanned maintenance (or unscheduled or reactive maintenance).
• Proactive maintenance.
• Reliability centred maintenance.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Business focused maintenance.
• Maintenance.
• Maintenance Repair Operations MRO.
• Predictive maintenance.
• Preventative maintenance.
• Proactive maintenance.
• Reference service life.
• Reliability centred maintenance.
• Repair and maintenance contract.
• Unplanned maintenance.
• Working with lighting maintenance contractors.