MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
Arch- 42013
Building Economics and Construction Management
Dr. Moe Moe Khine
Associate Professor
Department of Architecture
W.Y.T.U
Chapter 7. Maintenance and Running Costs
❖ Reduction of initial expenditure (first cost) usually leads to higher maintenance and running
costs.
❖ Annual maintenance cost of the main structure of a building is usually depend on its
fittings, finishes, and services.
❖ It is important to pay attention in design that the components which give rise maintenance
cost when it is desired to produce a building economically.
❖ By improving the standard of such items of the whole building that the maintenance cost
can be reduced.
❖ Maintenance cost may not be the same because of the different kind of material and
forms of construction.
Approximate Percentage of total Maintenance Cost of a building
Item Main Cause Percentage of Total
Maintenance Cost
Structural and cladding repairs Roofs, 10%
Windows and external door
External redecoration Protection of wood and 25%
iron work
Internal repairs and Redecorations 25%
renovations
Service installations and Ball valves 40%
sanitation Thanks and cylinders
Burst and block pipes
7.1 Maintenance of Frame
❖ There is little different maintenance cost between steel structure and
reinforced concrete frame.
❖ Reinforced concrete frames require little maintenance when it should have
1 ½ cover.
❖ Encased steel requires repainting at intervals.
❖ The maintenance cost of the encased steel is likely to be at least four
times larger than reinforce concrete frame.
7.2 Maintenance of Roofs
❑ Roof maintenance is the periodical checking of all the
vulnerable areas on a roof that could be susceptible to
having a problem. Depending on the type of roof,
whether it be residential or commercial, it will be
annual, biannual, or quarterly maintenance.
Asphalt Shingles Roofing
Durability : Less durable (about 25-30 years)
weight: pretty lightweight
Slope: Low to steep slope
Fire & Wind: good fire resistance,
Fair wind resistance
Cost: economic to moderate
Easy to install
Easy to replace the faulty shingles
Available in different colours
Metal Roofing
Durability: Last up to 50 years (depend on types of
metal)
weight: light weight (50% lighter than an asphalt
shingle roof, and 75% lighter than concrete
tile
Slope: Low or steep slope
Fire & Wind: Good fire and wind resistance (Can
withstand a range of climates and weather
conditions)
Cost: Moderate to expensive (e.g.. Steel, copper
and aluminium)
Low maintenance
Clay Tiles Roofing
Durability: Long lasting (more than 50 years)
Weight: heavy weight (require R.C frame to
support)
Slope: Moderate to steep slope
Fire & Wind : Excellent fire resistance,
Fair to low wind resistance
Cost: Expensive
Environmentally friendly
Low maintenance
Concrete Tiles Roofing
Durability: can last for decades, if not 100 years, if they’re
of a high quality
Weight: heavy weight (require R.C frame to support)
Slope: Moderate to steep slope
Fire & Wind: excellent fire resistance, fair to low wind
resistance
Cost: Moderate
Easy to Maintain
Poor Weather Resistance
Plastic Polymer Roofing
Durability: Long lifespan
Weight: Light weight
Slope: Steep slope
Fire & wind: Good fire and Wind resistance
Cost: Moderate
It is important that a highly trained contractor is
chosen to install this type of roof
Slate Tiles Roofing
Durability: Long-lasting roof systems
Weight: Heavy and require R.C frame to support
Slope: steep slope
Fire & Wind: Good fire and wind resistance
Cost : Very expensive
Require special skill workers to install
Wood Shingles Roofing
Durability: short lifespan (about 50 years)
Weight: moderate
Slope: Steep slope
Fire & wind: Good wind resistance,
poor fire resistance ( some
municipalities do not allow)
Cost: moderate
Height maintenance
7.3 Maintenance of Walls
❑ Walls could be made of different types of walls materials like Glass,
Brick Wall Wood, Plywood, Cinder Blocks, Steel sheets, etc.
Glass Wall Wood Wall
Steel Sheet Wall
Cinder Block Wall
Plywood Wall
Stone Wall
Source : [Link]
❖ Maintenance of walls consists of: cleaning glass, flat or formed steel and wood; painting
wood and steel; sandblasting block, brick or concrete; tuck pointing mortar joints in brick
and block; and repairing or replacing damaged glass, plastic, steel, or masonry sections.
❖ non-load bearing wall are design flexibility, low to moderate cost, fast construction, and
moderate maintenance costs.
❖ Concrete or brick load-bearing structures have the advantages of long life and low
maintenance costs.
❖ Hard facing bricks require little maintenance, sand-lime bricks may sometimes cracks.
❖ Stone wall relatively high first cost, maintenance depends on the types of stone.
❖ Repair cost is greater than repointing of brickwork.
Source; [Link]
Maintenance-Depends-on-Construction-Type--10226
7.4 maintenance of Windows and Curtain Walling
❖ Timber windows may open at joins and accelerate paint
deterioration unless put together with resin glue.
❖ Painted, rustproofed steel windows are cheaper than untreated
aluminum, but require periodic painting.
❖ Over 10 years aluminum can be competitive but they add from 15%
to 25% first cost.
❖ Plastic coated metal windows have a high first cost, but no
decoration is required.
steel window
aluminum window
7.5 External Redecoration
❖ External painting cost can be reduced by using specific materials and
component which do not require periodic painting. E.g. precast concrete
gutters, asbestos cement or vitreous enameled gutters and pipes, self-
colored cladding panels, etc..
❖ Down pipes can be placed inside the building to avoid maintaining cost.
❖ Maintenance cost can be saved by elimination of external items that do not
require painting.
❖ Cement painted large external walling may not require redecorating for 10
years in country areas but they become discolored after 5 years in polluted
atmospheres area.
❖ Roof anchor should be used to reduce scaffolding cost and anchorage
problem of subsequent maintenance work.
7.6 Floor covering
❖ It is important to choose suitable types of floor material according to the building class for few repairs
such as cleaning and maintenance.
Vitrified tiles
Porcelain tiles Ceramic tiles
Pre-polished marble tiles
Laminated flooring
Source : [Link]
flooring-materials-stsetivw-vs~125997217
Material Types System Unit Material Install Q&P Total Initial
Service Life Cost Cost Cost/SF
Years (PV)
Ceramic Tile, Porcelain, epoxy grout 50 SF $ 5.20 $ 2.57 $ 2.07 & 9.84
Hard Epozy, poured, polyurethane sealant 15 SF $ 2.75 $ 2.20 $ 1.70 $ 6.65
Terrazzo, thin-set epoxy resin, acrylic sealant 40 SF $ 5.85 $ 4.39 $ 2.44 $12.68
Resilient Linoleum sheet, urethane sealant 20 SF $ 3.59 $ 0.73 $ 0.80 $ 5.12
Luxury Vinyl Tile, urethane sealant 10 SF $ 2.50 $ 0.84 $ 3.06 $ 6.40
Rubber, sheet, urethane sealant 10 SF $ 6.45 $ 2.91 $ 1.14 $10.50
Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT) (Armstrong) 20 SF $ 2.21 $ 0.52 $ 0.55 $ 3.28
Vinyl, sheet, heat welded, urethane sealant 15 SF $ 4.25 $ 1.14 $ 1.13 $ 6.52
Soft Carpet, Broadloom, 26 oz, standard backing 10 SF $ 2.77 $ 0.39 $ 0.57 $ 3.73
Modular Carpet Tile 23 oz, standard backing 15 SF $ 2.78 $ 0.36 $ 0.50 $3.64
Source : [Link]
cycle_cost_analysis_for_flooring_materials_for_healthcare_facilities
7.7 Maintenance of Internal Decoration
❖ Redecoration of plaster wall and ceilings cannot be avoided.
❖ Gloss or semi-gloss paint treatment is more durable than washable
distemper (cement paint).(they stay good for more than 3 to 4 years)
❖ Emulsion paints (water based) have quite good wearing properties
while allowing walls to dry out without damage to the paint film.
❖ Wall tiles, ceramic mosaic, timber paneling and marble may be used
for appearance or durability and require little maintenance.
Photo source : [Link]
7.8 Maintenance of Services and Sanitation
❖ Mechanical services require regular maintenance and
replacement because of corrosion and moving parts.
❖ Quality standard ball valves should be used under the high
pressure water supplies.
❖ Pipe should be protect or placed explode
inside of the wall to prevent burst.
❖ Pipe should also be accessible.
glazed-stoneware-pipes
❖ Pitch fiber drain pipes compare
favorably in cost with glazed stone
ware since they do not require
concrete bed or casting. Pitch Fiber Drains & Pipes
Photo source : [Link]
7.9 Running Costs
hall porters
❖ Running costs influenced by design and building types including
electricity, heating fuel or power, the cost of labor necessary to
operate the building and fire insurance.
❖ Labor costs contain salary of cleaners, stokers and hall porters.
❖ Cleaning costs depend on types of finishes and circulation space.
❖ the work of carrying luggage or other loads (porterage) will vary
with the number of entrances provided.
stokers
porterage
❖ The amount of artificial light required depends upon the depth of rooms, e.g. a desk more than stay 16 ft.
from a window will require artificial light in the day time, with normal ceiling heights.
❖ Reduction in the circulation ratio by using deeper rooms to save cost per F.S. that may increase running cost.
❖ Heating cost can be reduced by using thicker walls, double glazing, and other forms of insulation but it must
be higher initial cost.
❖ Installation of sprinkler system may initial cost but they can reduce fire insurance.
Photo sources : [Link]
Photo source : [Link]
