Application of Christer’s Inspection Model for Building Maintenance

Abstract

This work applies the Christer’s inspection model in building maintenance. The model estimates the effect of inspection intervals on total maintenance costs, which include inspection, material and down time cost. An experimental collection of data designed to test tradesmen’s ability to comprehend with what was needed to provide the required subjective information was conducted chiefly within the maintenance Department of Benue State Ministry of Works Makurdi, and Maintenance section of the Ministry of Environment. Both organizations operated a contingency system. Information was collected by means of forms and 100 were completed for trades including painter, plumber, electrician, slaterer, plasterer and others. Tradesmen were requested to select a lapse time from within a discrete set and not on a continuum, as supposed so far. The cost of repairs was measured in terms of time and material which tradesmen felt able to readily state or estimate. Numerical results show that the optimal maintenance policy for the housing estate is inspection policy, as opposed to the contingency policy which is in use. It was also observed that the inspection frequency of six (6) months is the best for the housing estate as it gave cost savings of three million one hundred and twenty thousand naira (N 3,120,000.00) in a period of 5year.