Design for maintenance

The BIM Overlay to the RIBA Outline Plan of Work, published by the RIBA in 2012 suggested that design for maintenance involves: ‘Ensuring maintenance is factored into the design process to reduce whole-life cost. This should include the use of intelligent and smart (monitored and controllable) components.’

This definition was repeated in RIBA Plan of Work 2013, Designing for Manufacture and Assembly, published by the RIBA in 2016.

DfMA Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work, Mainstreaming Design for Manufacture and Assembly in Construction, 2nd Edition, published by the RIBA in 2021, defines design for maintenance as: ‘A formal process for ensuring that maintenance and intended service life is factored into the design process to reduce whole-life costs. It can include the use of smart components, i.e. ones that are equipped with sensors and are linked to the Internet of Things in a way that allows them to be monitored and controlled.’

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Business focused maintenance.
• Plan of work.
• RIBA Plan of Work.
• RIBA.
• Maintenance.
• Design for deconstruction.
• Design for manufacture and assembly.