Information’s role in the great PFI handback challenge
Press Release version of article published in BIM PLUS– November 2024 As hundreds of the UK’s PFI contracts approach their expiry…
Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) Survey
What is a Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) Survey
A Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) survey, also known as a Lifecycle survey, involves a comprehensive assessment of a building’s condition, which includes both fabric and mechanical and electrical (M&E) elements.
These surveys are crucial for building owners and occupiers. It helps identify potential issues before they become critical, allowing for proactive maintenance and repairs, that maximise the asset’s lifespan. Additionally, they assist in formulating investment strategies that outline necessary works, indicative costs and timing for repairs or replacements.
Why choose Sircle?
At Sircle, our Building Surveying team have the experience to ensure a detailed PPM survey is undertaken. We will guide our clients through the survey process and present the output so the information can be used most effectively.
Sircle also has effective bespoke report and data dashboard outputs, allowing our clients to access the information they require quickly and in a user-friendly format. We will also use our developed interconnected imagery to ensure our clients understand the true descriptive maintenance items.
The Benefits of a PPM survey
- Improved Financial Planning
PPM surveys allow property managers to forecast future maintenance costs, helping to allocate budgets more effectively and avoid sudden, high-cost repairs. - Extended Asset Lifespan
Timely identification and resolution of wear and tear help delay costly replacements and preserve the value of building components over the long term. - Enhanced Operational Reliability
By ensuring regular upkeep of equipment and infrastructure, PPM surveys minimise unexpected breakdowns and disruptions to business operations. - Informed Maintenance Prioritisation
PPM surveys provide a clear, risk-based overview of asset conditions, enabling maintenance tasks to be prioritised according to urgency and potential impact.
Sircle at Work
In this video, learn how the PPM surveys we carried out at WWT gave them the insight needed to clearly forecast their budgets for the next five years.
Example of a PPM Dashboard Report
Data includes the breakdown of the indicative inclusive costs for each year to address the condition-related matters set out within the report.
PPM Survey at WWT Washington
A photo taken during a recent PPM survey at WWT Washington.
PPM Survey at WWT Washington
Here is another photo that was taken during a PPM survey at WWT Washington- a really beautiful place.
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Your questions answered
Why is a PPM / Lifecycle Survey important?
Regular maintenance and lifecycle planning help reduce unexpected breakdowns, extend asset lifespan, improve safety, and ensure compliance with regulations. It also allows for better budgeting by forecasting future maintenance costs.
What does a PPM / Lifecycle Survey include?
The PPM building survey process involves the following steps:
- Pre-survey planning – Reviewing existing documentation like previous survey reports, maintenance records, and building plans.
- Site survey – Conducting a thorough inspection of the building’s interior and exterior to capture building condition data, pictures, and measurements. Any immediate health and safety issues are reported to the client on-site.
- Post-survey – quality assurance: Cross-checking the survey data to review its quality.
- Reporting – Finalising survey outputs, including reports in PDF format, Excel spreadsheets and potentially Power BI dashboards.
- Issue survey outputs – Delivering final reports to the client.
What are the frequency and timeframes of a PPM / Lifecycle survey?
PPM building surveys are typically conducted every five years (quinquennially), although the optimal frequency may vary based on several factors, including:
- Building age Older buildings may necessitate more frequent surveys due to ageing infrastructure and materials.
- Building type Different types of buildings (e.g. schools, hospitals and warehouses) have varying maintenance needs.
- Usage intensity Buildings with high foot traffic or intensive use may require more frequent assessments.
- Environmental conditions Structures in harsh climates or polluted areas may need more regular inspections.
- Construction method Certain building types, such as those with 1950s-1970s prefabricated concrete panels, and reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) may deteriorate more quickly and require more frequent surveys.
Who should consider a PPM / Lifecycle Survey?
A PPM / Lifecycle survey is ideal for property owners, facility managers, commercial landlords, and organisations responsible for maintaining buildings, infrastructure, and equipment.
