Abstract
Building defects are always the key concern in the construction industry. Defects represent not only a loss to the project but also hamper the smooth operation of a building. Recognising the need to resolve these continuing problems, a research was mooted to track from the study of defects that occurred during the Defects Liability Period in a public university in Malaysia. This paper presents part of the research which investigates what can be learnt from the analysis of architectural defects in these projects. Two research objectives were developed (1) to investigate types of architectural defects that occurred and (2) to analyse the causes of the defects. A mixed methods approach is adopted. Data for the quantitative element of the research was drawn from defects audit records of the project. They were sorted, grouped and transferred into the SPSS software for analysis using the measure of central tendencies and frequency analysis. The findings suggest that with a proper methodology in place, defects can be effectively traced and categorised. This can provide very useful insights to their root cause and how this can be avoided in future projects.
Highlights
Defects can be associated to construction failures emanating from shortcomings during the project implementation process
Similar defects re-appear even the building is constructed by the same contractor. This phenomenon is common in the Malaysian construction projects
The audit provides a platform for a post-mortem study to learn weaknesses in the project implementation process for future improvement
Summary
Defects can be associated to construction failures emanating from shortcomings during the project implementation process. Similar defects re-appear even the building is constructed by the same contractor This phenomenon is common in the Malaysian construction projects. Most defects in these projects are not properly recorded and tracked, which lead to the client ending up rectifying the defects themselves and at their own cost [3]. This has left many clients unable to realise the full value of their investments. In contending to this problem, a research was mooted to show how defects data recorded can be re-learnt in a more systematic way to provide insights in managing future projects
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