Building maintenance strategies: planning under uncertainty

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to critically evaluate maintenance strategies and determine to what extent models from other sectors can be applied to building maintenance. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a theoretical paper based on a number of Swedish studies, both case studies and questionnaires. From these a number of stylized facts have been identified and the purpose is to explain and draw conclusions from these. Findings – The main finding is that there are a number of specific uncertainties that affect building maintenance planning making more detailed long‐term plans less meaningful. A new structure for maintenance is proposed focusing on long‐term strategies goals for various buildings/components and then short run adjustments when new information comes up. Research limitations/implications – The case for the new model needs to be strengthened by further studies, including studies from other countries. Practical implications – Maintenance activities will be more important as the large building stock from the 1950s and 1960s needs to be renovated or demolished. A rational structure and realistic expectations concerning maintenance planning is then important. Originality/value – The most important contribution of the article is to underline the importance of different types of uncertainty for the structure of maintenance planning for building.