Maintenance of plastered and painted facades for Singapore public housing: A predictive life cycle cost-based approach

Abstract

A major component of building maintenance costs is spent on the maintenance and repair of building façades. With maintenance budgets escalating day by day, in order to reduce the overall building maintenance expenditure, it has become necessary to minimise the total maintenance cost incurred during the lifetime of the façade while adhering to the specified performance requirements at the same time. This paper describes the framework for the development of a life cycle cost based model for maintenance of plastered and painted facades in the public high-rise residential sector in Singapore. A two-pronged approach is presented whereby: a) the onset and extent of spread of different defects in the paint and plaster layers is predicted and b) the optimum timing and the corresponding minimum maintenance/repair costs that would be incurred to rectify these defects are determined in order to satisfy prescribed maintenance standards. The envisaged life cycle cost model would serve as a valuable tool for property and building managers by providing a cost effective maintenance programme for plastered and painted facades.