A building fabric is referred to as environmental cover because it is how the natural or external environment may be adjusted to produce an adequate internal environment for people to live in. When the building is not protected for better performance this affects the building functionalities, values, appearance, and durability. It is thus important to ensure appropriate maintenance to preserve building performance. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate how maintenance operations are done to ensure the performance of buildings in Kigali city. The data used in this study were obtained from primary and secondary sources. The secondary data was attained through an elaborated literature review of various books, articles, and papers related to this research to outlining and describing the chief ideas of this research title. The primary data was compiled through a questionnaire survey that was directed to 95 selected professionals in the construction projects in Rwanda to collect data from the different types of commercial buildings for statistical analysis of the research to test the hypothesis. However, a total of 81 usable responses were received within the scheduled period representing the response rate of 85.26%, which is likely to be representative and acceptable. Data collected from the questionnaire surveys were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS), excel spreadsheets, and Relative Importance Index (RII), which provide more merit presentations. The research results show that even if the deterioration of commercial buildings exist in Rwanda with Human (RII=80.56%), Chemical (RII=77.47%), Atmospheric (RII=68.83%), Structural (RII=59.26%), and Moisture causes (RII=57.41%), the maintenance operations are undertaken to prevent problems or risks which can happen predictably within the life of a building to ensure service life, reduce costs and increase the value of the building. The planned maintenance concept is used at 40%, unplanned at 24%, collective at 16%, condition-based at 8%, and 12% for the use of all of the concepts together. Hence, as maintenance is done to restore the condition of the building, this means that building performance is affected also. The researcher provided recommendations if this is put under practice; the commercial buildings will be maintained at a high level and increase the productivity of the business because these are business assets. These recommendations include; (i) maintain the building at a regular interval (ii) consider maintenance during the design and construction stage (iii) provide a maintenance plan for building and (iv) to regular maintenance works (v) building maintenance should be done in accordance of standards in building maintenance.
Citation: Elysé Masengesho, Nadine Umubyeyi, Theoneste Bigirimana, Marie Judith Kundwa, Theogene Hakuzweyezu, Rosette Niyirora, Charles Ntakiyimana, Nura Ineza (2021) Impact of Maintenance Operations in Buildings Performance, Kigali Commercial Buildings Case Study, International Journal of Civil Engineering, Construction and Estate Management, Vol.9, No.1, pp.1-20
Keywords: Kigali City, buildings performance, commercial buildings, maintenance operation and management
