Inspection Method for Building Maintenance Management in Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

In Brazil’s public university sector, there is a lack of information regarding the building inspection activity; besides, there is a normative gap in this area. This paper’s objective was to develop and validate an inspection management method focused on the management of building maintenance in universities. Design science research was adopted to develop the artifact called the inspection method for maintenance management, which was evaluated in a university in Brazil. This method consists of scope, planning, inspection, verification, prioritization, and recommendation steps. It was found that the application of the inspection method in the case study provided a maintenance inspection guided by scope and prioritization. However, it is necessary to align design information, especially for new buildings, with the maintenance strategies to meet the required performance criteria. The inspection method for maintenance management could be experimented in other commercial buildings, as long as the design needs were adjusted.