Improving conventional method on precast concrete building maintenance. Towards BIM implementation
| Pages | 1485-1502 |
| Published date | 14 August 2017 |
| Date | 14 August 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-09-2016-0380 |
| Author | Zul-Atfi Ismail |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information systems,Data management systems,Knowledge management,Knowledge sharing,Management science & operations,Supply chain management,Supply chain information systems,Logistics,Quality management/systems |
Improving conventional method
on precast concrete
building maintenance
Towards BIM implementation
Zul-Atfi Ismail
School of Environmental Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Arau, Malaysia
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to discuss the principles for managing precast concrete (PC) building
in the context of Malaysian maintenance practice. A large number of clients/contractors in a PC building
maintenance project faced many issues due to poor service delivery, less-competent contractor and defect
repetition. Meanwhile, conventional method practices tend to be ineffective in Malaysian PC building.
Design/methodology/approach –Case studies were used to investigate the practice of maintenance
management with eight professional engineers working in the Malaysian PC building maintenance departments.
Findings –Interviews were held with these departments and content analysis was used to identify themes
that demonstrate effective PC building maintenance management practice. The frontline approaches
(new system development with the integration of BIM) and underlying approach such as decision making in
defect diagnosis are presented to address the maintenance management problems on PC building such as
defect repetition and less-competent contractor.
Originality/value –The underlying approaches include sustaining existing maintenance quality and
providing decision making in diagnosis support while the frontline approaches include the use of emerging
technologies, efficient control of building performance-based design and monitor the defect component
operation in maintenance.
Keywords Maintenance management, Conventional method, Maintenance management system,
Knowledge, Building information modelling, Malaysian PC building
Paper type Technical paper
1. Introduction
Conventionalsystem is defined as “the decision makingmethodology and related actionswith
administrative and technical services for maintenance management”(Boddy et al., 2007;
Chanter and Swallow, 2007). The application of system mentioned in the definition is
recognised in this research as a paper-based report or unsystematic database for precast
concrete (PC) building. Therefore, a conventional system is concerned with application that
helps to plan, implement, control and measure the maintenance performance of the facilities
towards efficiency throughout its operation. The conventional system also focused on the
system that can diagnose the real situation of PC building and infrastructure including
treating the defect for heritage or old building structure (Ahmad et al., 2011).
Nowadays, most developers still implement the conventional system rather than
coordination within the team (e.g. contractors and consultants) in managing a database of
information regarding the maintenance of PC building structure (Baiden et al., 2012).
Furthermore, the knowledge sharing and transfer for assessment proces s in the
maintenance management of PC building projects between the parties (e.g. contractors
and consultants) is limited while using the conventional system application (paper-based
form/unsystematic database) with no integration between these systems in order to improve
the communication and collaboration between all parties in the maintenance management.
Meanwhile, the knowledge sharing and transfer is related to building design, plan, as-built
drawing and specification in the two-dimensional (2D) digital format. This approach is
currently dependent on the initial drawing plan without sufficient information about the
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 117 No. 7, 2017
pp. 1485-1502
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/IMDS-09-2016-0380
Received 19 September 2016
Revised 2 November 2016
29 March 2017
Accepted 5 April 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0263-5577.htm
1485
Precast
concrete
building
maintenance
specification of PC building components except the standard code, and also placed in
permanent storage. Thus, a conflict is potential to occur with the improper assessment of the
performance-based specification and impact on the success of the project implementation
(Glick and Guggemos, 2009). The management system implemented also faces many
problems due to the ineffective and complicated maintenance system (e.g. defect repetition
and excessive costs) (Begum et al., 2010). These approaches affect the sustainability of PC
building maintenance in Malaysia (Kamar et al., 2012; Sadafi et al., 2012).
2. Issue of PC building maintenance
The objective of maintenance management systems of PC buildings and prefabrication in a
controlled environment is to support coordination, maintenance monitoring, maintainability,
automation and robot control systems. Maintenance management systems can increase data
acquisition and monitoring for maintenance building and can contribute to good quality,
productivity and performance in PC construction projects (Vaha et al., 2013; Kamaruddin
et al., 2013). They are also easy to implement and efficient in handling the information and
integration of data of maintenance components within a post-construction site activity
(Babic et al., 2010). Most of the maintenance management processes till now use
conventional methods with little emphasis on decision making and defect diagnosis tools
(see Figure 1). In the conventional methods, all the design and construction processes are
conducted in a sequential manner to help maintenance teams in assessing building
degradation and choice of optimal maintenance strategies for component or materials in a
PC building with the minimal life-cycle analysis of projects (e.g. requirements, operational,
and maintenance information) (Ismail, 2014; Nawi, Lee, Azman, and Kamar, 2014).
The conventional methods mainly lack in coordination between design and construction
and are carried out in a sequential manner ( Jabar et al., 2013). These approaches to
maintenance have been criticised for various inadequacies such as aesthetic and functional
defects, resulting from inadequate technical knowledge, shoddy workmanship and poor
quality control. The defects include cracks, blemishes, moisture penetration and water
leakage due to improper joints and poor thermal insulation (Onyeizu et al., 2011). In addition,
they lead to higher maintenance costs and subsequently cause in project reworks and
unacceptable qualities (Kamar et al., 2012). Due to the weakness of the conventional system,
the PC building maintenance management staff usually face difficulties to analyse the
No integration
between database
Planning
Execution
• MS Word
• MS Excel
• MS Word
• MS Excel
Knowledge of diagnosis for PC
building defect
Decision-making process
• Level of index and PC defect
risk
• Analysis of defect for PC (e.g.
material and method of repair)
• CMMS
• CAFM
• MS Word
• MS Excel
Identification
Assessment
Specification of information on design
and construction for PC defect
Knowledge of transfer among
PC building maintenance
Team members (e.g. engineer
and consultant)
No integration
between database
No integration
between database
Figure 1.
Key problems for PC
building maintenance
management practices
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