INVESTIGATING QUALITY DEFECTS IN THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE STAGES OF GREEN BUILDINGS: DEFECTS, CAUSES OF DEFECTS, AND SOLUTIONS

Abstract

Buildings consume a large amount of resources and given the finite resources, there is a need to venture into green building development with environmental friendly features. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has decided to further incentivize organizations, implementing the $20 Million Green Mark Incentive Scheme for New Buildings in 2006 for a period of 3 years. Although studies have shown that green buildings have reduced energy consumption tremendously, little research is done on the issues faced while operating and maintaining green facilities and their repercussions. Recently, it is reported that green buildings tend to encounter various defects in their operations and maintenance (O&M) stages, thereby further discouraging organizations to go green. Hence, it is important for organizations to gain a better understanding on quality defects during the O&M stages of green buildings, as part of mitigating the defects in the long run. This study aims to analyze the defects occurring throughout the life cycle of green buildings by identifying which defects are the most significant as well as what the magnitude of their severity is. In addition, the study also aims to explore the most significant causes of the defects, and some effective solutions to reduce defects in green buildings are proposed. A comprehensive literature review was carried out to identify a set of quality defects specific to green buildings, followed by pre-interviews to verify and fine-tune the set. A questionnaire survey was also conducted and 50 companies sent back the complete questionnaires. Furthermore, post-survey interviews were performed to obtain greater understanding to the responses indicated in the questionnaire survey. The analysis results showed that the most significant defects based on criticality were “challenges in maintaining and replacing BIPV solar panels”, “low efficiency of panels”, “structural cracks of green walls and roofs”, and “pests attraction”. In addition, “poor design and implementation of green walls and roofs”, “lack of accessibility for maintenance”, and “the lack of knowledge on green materials” were ranked as the top causes of the defects. The most efficient solutions to reduce the defects were also found to be “periodic and regular inspection of drainage systems”, “regular checks on structural rigidity of supporting frame”, and “installation of timers and sensors to control moisture level”. i This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing a better understanding of the major defects occurring in green buildings’ O&M stages. This will be a stepping-stone to improve the performance of future green buildings.