Multi-criteria decision analysis in building maintainability using analytical hierarchy process

A building maintainability (BM) approach is the only plausible solution to balance a decreasing budget and increasing standards of modern commercial buildings. There is no decision-analysis framework for BM management while many objective and subjective parameters add to its complexity and hinder direct comparison of various building systems contributing to overall BM. A model was developed to compare nine major building systems, namely: basement, facade, wet area, roof, sanitary plumbing, HVAC, elevator, electrical and fire protection system. Analytical hierarchy process was chosen to address complex BM parameters. From a questionnaire survey and face-to-face interviews with 37 experts in facilities management, BM was found to depend on technical viability of services and business profile controlled by building height and location respectively. For various location-height combinations, individual sets of priorities were derived for each building system and the results were supported logically. HVAC was the highest contributor to BM followed by elevator and facade. The proposed generic method can be directly applied to both new and existing commercial buildings in Singapore and extended to other building types or climate. This precise but simple platform for multi-criteria decision analysis promises higher BM and economic returns for any commercial property.