Discovering Water- and Fuel-System Maintenance Requirements Using Historic Work Order Cost Data: Data and Text-Mining Approach

Abstract

Ensuring reliable facility services with aging infrastructure and growing deferred maintenance backlogs in water and fuel systems requires properly managing the maintenance of these critical systems. Dormitories safeguard the comfort and health of their occupants, but they rely on proactive management of and response to infrastructure failures. This study employed a data and text-mining approach to analyze 43,704 water and fuel work orders queried from a military maintenance database to identify the most common and costly failure types and the components that most frequently fail in dormitories. Statistical and correlation analysis indicated that leaks, clogs, and temperature regulation are problems that cost the most and occur most frequently, and toilets, sinks, and showers are the components that most often need repair. This study provides an intellectual framework for analyzing past maintenance work orders to reveal trends in failure types and components. The study contributes to the practice of infrastructure management by revealing that design and maintenance management should focus on preventing and repairing these common and costly failures.