Facilities Manager's Desk Reference, 3rd Edition

29Fabric Maintenance

29.1 Introduction

The fabric of buildings comprises both the external envelope and the internal structures, such as the floors, partitions, doors, ceilings, and other fixtures, fittings and equipment (FF&E) components. Depending on the premises, it may also include guttering, drainage, shelters and canopies. Fabric accounts for about one‐third of the annual maintenance budget. The maintenance of premises includes buildings, the building’s mechanical and electrical (M&E) services and the building surrounds. This chapter focuses only on the structures and fabric of a building, as the M&E aspects are covered in other chapters.

29.2 Maintenance implications of building structures

Buildings comprise various structural elements such as roofs, framework, floors and fenestration. Maintenance has to take into account the number of floors; the height of the building; the roof type; special features such as canopies, external lift shafts and balconies; and drainage.

There are many materials used in construction, including timber, stone, concrete, cladding and curtain walling systems, brick, PVC, plastics and metal (steel or aluminium). Each has its particular maintenance requirements. Some materials are deleterious and may pose health hazards to both occupants and maintenance staff. Examples include lead, foam and asbestos.

When planning maintenance activities, it is useful to have an understanding of building components and typical building defects related to the ...