The document discusses maintenance of structures and the importance of quality construction for quality maintenance. It states that maintenance includes routine, annual, and special repairs to keep structures functioning well. The foundation of good maintenance is planning, execution, and construction quality. One and a half brick wall construction requires less maintenance than one brick construction and provides better insulation. Attention to details like waterproofing, drainage, and material quality can prevent issues requiring expensive repairs. Proper training and coordination between teams is important for effective maintenance.

1. Dr K M Soni
Chief Engineer, WZ-I, CPWD,
Mumbai

2. Maintenance is a required set of works
undertaken to upkeep, restore or improve
an entity.

3. The objective of the maintenance is to
keep the entity in good operating
conditions, sometimes to improve it or
restore it to its originality.

4. As per CPWD maintenance manual,
maintenance is classified as;
• routine or day-to-day maintenance,
• annual repairs and
• special repairs.
Additions and alterations, restoration and retrofitting
works are carried out occasionally as per the
requirements. Hence these are not classified in
general maintenance.

5.  In maintenance works, it is very difficult to
satisfy a customer as the level of satisfaction
always goes up as the level of maintenance
goes up.
 Quality must meet the requirements of the
customer and should satisfy the customer.
 Quality and specifications are entirely
different. However once specifications are
fixed, the work conforming to the
specifications must meet the quality
standards. Still sometimes quality is
misunderstood to be same as specifications.

6.  A Structure on weak foundation always
remains weak. The foundation of the
maintenance is the construction and that of
construction, planning and execution.
 Poorly planned and poorly executed works
will never lead to satisfaction to the users
during maintenance period.
 Thus good planning and quality construction
are the basic requirements of the quality
maintenance.

7.  Load bearing structures with external walls of one
and half brick wall or more was adopted before
1940s in many places. One brick wall construction
was adopted thereafter for economizing the
construction.
 Total brick component in a building costs about
10.5% as per CPWD cost index norms and
therefore as rough calculation additional half
brickwork may cost about 7 to 8% of the building
cost.
 Practically it is observed that one and half brick
wall construction requires less maintenance
compared to one brick wall construction.

8.  Sometimes exposed brickwork is provided in one brick wall.
Class 75 bricks are normally used in construction. These
bricks and mortar even if pointing has been done, particularly
after 10-15 years absorbs considerable water (Permissible
limit of water absorption in case of such bricks is 20% by
weight). Ingress of moisture starts from weak/deteriorated
portions of the plaster and leads to seepage inside the houses
and results in peeling of paint/distemper and weakening of
plaster apart from making rooms uncomfortable for living due
to foul smell. Also, it is difficult to assess exact location of
ingress of water. No exposed brickwork should be provided in
one brick wall. One and half brickwork cuts off the joints.

9.  One brick wall construction gets disturbed
while fixing clamps in rain water pipes and
stacks particularly with the methods prevalent
in the country and also in case of chase
cuttings for the services creating small
cracks, which become the source of seepage.
Shafts are therefore highly vulnerable to
seepage in one brick wall construction. Such
problems are minimum in one and half brick
wall construction.

10.  One and half brickwork is also economic
considering life cycle of the structure. Load bearing
construction is considered to be lasting for about
50 to 60 years while one brick wall construction
has shown deterioration even in 25 to 30 years
while it has been observed that one and half brick
wall construction is still in good conditions even
after 60 to 70 years and at some places even after
100 years. Repair, rehabilitation and reconstruction
of one brick wall construction require a huge
expenditure after such period.

11. Also, one and half brick wall construction
provides better insulation than one brick
wall construction making it to be more
energy efficient both in summer as well as
in winter.

13.  Normally brickwork is plastered on outer surface with
cement mortar of mix 1:6. Places remaining moist for
longer periods like portion up to DPC level, external
surface of the parapet wall, shafts and portion above
chajjas get deteriorated fast.
 On deterioration, it becomes expensive and very
difficult to re-plaster the surfaces except plinth. In
shafts, plastering is extremely difficult in occupied
quarters and due to number of pipes in the shaft.
Plaster in such places should be adopted with a richer
mix, say 1:4 and with chicken wire mesh/ PVC net
below the plaster or permanent finish or stone/tile
cladding should be provided in such places.

14.  Such construction was adopted in government buildings
during late seventies and early eighties with the provision of
projected roof slab without rain water pipes at many places.
 A drip course was provided in slab projection and water
proofing treatment done over the roof. Since material used in
the water proofing and slab are different and drip course has a
limited life, water started flowing below slab in the projected
slab portion.
 It not only resulted to seepage at the junction of wall and the
slab but also started rusting the reinforcement of the slab and
spalling of concrete.
 Maintenance and repair of such slab is very difficult and
expensive. Parapet should always be provided along with rain
water pipes.

16.  CTD bars were adopted due to high strength criterion
to have an economy in construction. Practically it has
been observed that the construction with mild steel is
not showing distress even after 60- 70 years but
structures with CTD bars has shown distress even
after 20-25 years of the construction. Poor quality
enhances the problem.
 Such construction has proved to be very costly as it
has resulted in spalling of concrete and distress in
beams, columns and slabs.
 Repair and rehabilitation of RCC members has
become very costly and still not so durable.
 Maintenance of such structures is very difficult and
expensive. Sometimes it is better to demolish such
structures and rebuild them.

19.  Sometimes very narrow and covered shafts are provided
without any considerations to maintenance. Such design
results in inherent maintenance problems. Sometimes shafts
are so narrow that even water supply pipes and stacks cannot
be accommodated in the shafts. Whenever due to any
problem sewer leaks, it overflows over water supply pipes and
in case water supply pipeline also require repair due to
leakage, intermixing is also there till pipes are repaired. In
such shafts, even plumber and other labour do not want to
work.
 Easy access to the shaft is also important for good
maintenance. At number of places, access to shafts is through
toilets of the quarters particularly in multi storeyed government
hostels/housing. Occupants many times do not allow
maintenance staff to enter their toilets.

20. Narrow Shafts
• Sometimes narrow projected slabs are provided in the
shafts where one cannot even stand in case of
overflow and such slabs start showing distress due to
corrosion and spalling of concrete in RCC projected
slab.
• Sometimes shaft are provided in the central portion in
the buildings with rooms all around the shaft. In case
of blockade, it becomes very difficult to maintain them
and foul smell can be noticed in such design almost
throughout the year.
• In fact, planning and execution of plumbing services is
considered of least importance while efficiency of a
maintenance engineer depends upon plumbing
services.

21.  Expansion joint in a building has a specific role but many a
times it is filled up with mortar or debris and no more it acts
like an expansion joint. In such circumstances cracks start
near expansion joints. Also treatment of expansion joint is not
done properly and seepage/leakage can be seen near
expansion joints.
 So far no standard design of treatment of expansion joint has
been evolved.
 When tile work is done, pieces are many times fixed near
expansion joint on floor, which are easily dislodged. In such
places either stone like marble, granite etc. should be fixed or
full tile should be properly fixed.
 Improper treatment of expansion joint poses a maintenance
problem particularly during rains.

22.  In some places, conventionally mud phuska treatment was being used. The
soil used in mud phuska treatment was clayey in nature i.e. impervious in
nature and when “bhusa” (straw) was mixed in clay, it was preventing cracks
as “bhusa” was acting as reinforcement in the soil. Mixing was done in manner
to make it homogenous having uniform moisture content. But now the
technology has been failing because of use of pervious soil in place of
impervious clay and also due to non-uniform mixing i.e. due to poor selection
of soil and poor workmanship. The mud phuska treatment also provided good
insulation properties.
 Integral waterproofing (coba treatment) has been adopted now in many places
but if it is not done in proper sequences and if adequate curing is not done,
minor cracks cannot be prevented. In such circumstances, even newly
constructed buildings seepage and leakage can be observed. Even chemical
treatment done thereafter on such inferior work does not last long.
 In some cases, bituminous sheet is laid on roof starting from the parapet and
continuing on the roof. Since the sheet comes under tension at the junctions
like at the junction of parapet and roof, cracks start at the junction after some
time and seepage starts. The sheet should be laid separately on roof with
covering flat surface and some portion of vertical surface and separate on
vertical surface with overlap on the sheet laid on horizontal surface.

23. Water Proofing
• So far main emphasis was given on water proofing
materials rather than on RCC. Probably due to the
idea of the economy, the slab was cast without slope
and slope was provided in water proofing materials.
Once, water proofing material fails, water get
stagnated on the slab and since evaporation is not
easy because of overlay of water proofing material
and brick tiles, seepage is common feature in such
construction. Therefore, the need is to give slope in
slab may be on the top so that aesthetic is not
disturbed from inside of the building. Water proofing
treatment of uniform thickness can then be provided
over the slab, even if it is little costly.

24.  Proper plinth protection works not only protects
foundation but also stops moisture to travel inside the
brickwork up to DPC level. If the quality of the plinth
protection is inferior, it defeats the sole purpose. Mostly
brick aggregates are specified in plinth protection
works. The quality and life of plinth protection works
with such specifications is not satisfactory. It is
essential that specifications of plinth protection be
modified to RCC or stonework.
 Vertical plinth protection with stonework or permanent
plaster or at least neat cement also helps to prevent
moisture ingress due to capillary action. Damaged
plinth protection damages plaster up to DPC level at a
very fast speed.

25. To achieve quality in any work, one must
 Know, understand and agree to the requirements
of the job.
 Know how to do the job and why it is being done.
 Have the knowledge of materials, process and
equipment to do the job.
 Know what to do when the things go wrong.
For above, it is essential that orientation and
development training to the engineers/supervisors
is imparted in new materials, methods, and
machinery in a systematic manner.

26.  Work is accepted not up to the standard may be
because of urgency or any other reason.
 Decision on rejecting the substandard work or
taking action against the contractor for a
substandard work is delayed.
 The responsibility is passed on to others stating
you do it somehow.
 Work is suspended till somebody else takes over
the charge.
 Others are only blamed before finding out what he
could do to solve the problem.
 One Refuses to listen others and solve the
problems.

27. People engaged in maintenance have the
right training, placement, and knowledge.
Proper contractors are selected for the
work.
Co-ordination and feedback system is
available.
A system is designed to guide the juniors
in which architects, engineers, quality
managers and trainers are involved.

28.  Quality in maintenance works is a function of
the architectural planning, quality during
construction, selection criterion of the
contractor, and attitude of the seniors towards
guidance to their juniors, maintenance
management policy and training during
maintenance.
 Good maintenance requires engineering and
management skill.
 Best results can only be achieved in
maintenance if the maintenance is taken up in
team spirit.