Optimal Performance‐Based Building Facility Management

Abstract

Abstract: It is a great challenge to efficiently manage and operate the facilities of a set of buildings, which are of different structural types, ages, and locations and serve for different functions required by different users, over a long‐term planning horizon using limited resources to achieve multiple and often conflicting objectives. This article proposes an optimization system for the management of facilities in a set of buildings. First, a systemic approach is taken to standardize the various kinds of facilities in the set of buildings into a hierarchical structure, the condition states of these facilities into a state space, and the alternative management actions on different facilities in different condition states into an action set. Second, infinite‐ and finite‐time linear programming models are formulated to maximize the long‐term performance of the set of buildings subject to a number of technical and economic constraints. Third, life‐cycle management policies are established for both infinite‐ and finite‐time planning horizons. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to discuss the application and usefulness of the proposed optimization system for facility management in a set of buildings.