Maintenance Management Program Research Articles

Enhancing Pavement Sustainability: Prediction of the Pavement Condition Index in Arid Urban Climates Using the International Roughness Index

Municipalities and transportation departments worldwide are striving to keep road pavement conditions acceptable, thus enhancing pavement sustainability. Although the pavement condition index (PCI) is widely used to assess distress conditions, traditional visual surveys used for PCI estimation can be laborious, expensive, and time-consuming. The international roughness index (IRI) can be measured more economically and conveniently than PCI; however, it does not directly indicate the surface condition of the pavement. In this study, a PCI–IRI correlation is proposed for urban roads located in the New Beni-Suef region, Egypt. For this purpose, a total of 44 km of urban roads was divided into homogenous sections. A visual distress survey was conducted to measure PCI considering typical distress patterns. The IRI values for the same sections were measured using an ultrasonic distance sensor mounted on an automobile. An exponential model was proposed to capture the relationship between IRI and PCI. With a coefficient of determination of 0.82, the exponential model seems to outperform reported IRI-PCI correlations. Model validation, along with a comparison to the existing models, supports its applicability to a wide range of roads. The proposed model provides a cost-effective means for accurately predicting PCI based on IRI, which is particularly useful for pavement maintenance management programs on limited budgets.

A Review: Nutrition Stimulation with in Ovo Feeding Technology for Optimization of Growth and Development of Prenatal and Postnatal Periods of Chicken

The improvement in broiler chicken performance is currently thanks to the genetic selection, nutrition, maintenance management, and health and biosecurity programs that have succeeded in improving the maintenance performance of broilers. Such rapid development in the cycle after hatching is undoubtedly also influenced by the embryo's development or the prenatal phase. Unlike other mammals, the process of breeding poultry has its characteristics where the process of embryonic development occurs outside the body of livestock or inside poultry eggs. Chicken embryos rely heavily on the nutrients inside the egg, which provide the energy and amino acid makeup needed for the metabolic needs of the growing embryo during the 21-day incubation process. Chicken embryos are susceptible to a lack of energy during the hatching process. This deficiency can result in weak embryos and, in more severe conditions, embryo death and failure to hatch. The nutritional needs of embryos during incubation can be added to the egg with the in ovo feeding technique. The in ovo feeding technique is a technique that allows the addition of outside nutrients injected into the egg during incubation for the developmental and metabolic needs of the embryo, as well as to improve the nutritional status of the egg. Nutrition stimulation with in ovo feeding technique produces many benefits, such as increasing hatchability, hatching weight, immunity level, reduced bone system disorders, reduced morbidity and mortality after hatching, feed efficiency and weight gain.

A multiple criteria sorting method for supporting the maintenance management of medical ventilators: The case of Hospital da Luz Lisboa

Medical equipment is characterized by a constant flow of innovations, which is transforming the delivery of healthcare. This creates the need for healthcare organizations to incorporate methodologies to support the maintenance management of these equipment. Within this context, Luz Saúde, the holding company of one of the largest healthcare groups in Portugal, intends to complement the medical equipment maintenance management program of the biggest hospital in its network, Hospital da Luz Lisboa. To this aim, we develop a decision aiding tool for assessing the maintenance condition of medical ventilators and recommend a plan of action. For that, we apply a multicriteria decision aiding methodology, utilizing the Electre Tri-nC method. In interaction with the decision makers, we construct a model using twelve criteria for assigning ventilators to one of the five ordered categories representing the current condition (excellent, very good, good, adequate, and poor). Most of the medical ventilators in the analysis were considered in adequate or good maintenance conditions, which was consistent with the decision makers’ expectations. A detailed analysis of the results evidenced the robustness of the model. This study constitutes the first step toward the use of multicriteria methodologies for supporting decision processes in Hospital da Luz Lisboa.

Rectification of Ground Water Leakage During Metro Tunnel Operation

It has been more than 20 years since the Taipei Metro Danshui Line of Taipei City was put into commercial operation and, the tunnels and underground metro stations experience structural aging along with possible deterioration of structural components, which can result in water seepage and sand ingress. In an effort to avoid any adverse influences on the metro operation, including possible passenger safety issues and potential damage to adjacent third-party buildings, Taipei Metro conducted a comprehensive maintenance management program including daily inspection patrols. This paper describes a rectification case of sealing underground water leakage using a controlled low pressure continuous grouting technique, the double-packer grouting. The retrofit work was conducted while the metro remains in normal operation with no interruption. Details of the rectification and instrumentation works are described in this paper. As a result of this retrofit work, the strength of the site stratum has been improved considerably, and the potential structural aging process has been delayed with an improved water tightness. Service life of the underground structure is expected to be extended. The double-packer grouting method proved to be adaptable to relevant underground retrofitting projects.

Ageing management of research reactors instrumentation using neutron radiography applications

This paper introduces the applications of neutron radiography and tomography to improve maintenance and aging management programs in research reactors. Egypt second research reactor (ETRR-2) has an advanced neutron radiography/tomography facility and it is used to shoot and test different objects such as concerning antiquities, industry and applied research in various fields. Neutron radiography/tomography (NR/T) techniques offer ideal opportunities for nondestructive testing (NDT) evaluations. It has been possible to benefit from the applications and use of radiography to help improve maintenance of components and systems as well as aging management programs for the ETRR-2. This work proposes successful applications of NR/T to inspect and test different safety and safety related components such solenoid valves and the shielding tube of the defective fuel instrument to predict both damage and edging of these systems. Also, the NR technique monitored successfully the behavior efficiency of an air filtering unit (AFU) for dust removal from ventilation system in the research reactors. Additionally, we measured the capability of protective maintenance procedures to remove impurities or blockage from a stainless steel filter (SSF) used in water treatment system. NR/T techniques are successfully applied and enhanced both maintenance and ageing management programs of ETRR-2 instrumentation, equipment and systems.

Development of strategic maintenance prediction model for critical equipment maintenance

Abstract Manufacturing industries deploy a number of equipment which are functionally critical to the daily operations of the system and as such requires effective maintenance, and monitoring for high productivity to be achieved. Though maintenance of facilities has gained impressive recognition in many industries, the implementation of inappropriate maintenance practices has increased level of frustrations due to little result from huge financial commitment to maintenance in many production systems. In this work a programmable method was developed for the determination of appropriate maintenance strategy for critical machine in a manufacturing company. The system tagged C3MPS (critical machine maintenance management program software) was developed on the strength of Parallel Criteria Model (PCM), Equipment Criticality Rating (ECR) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as subroutines for the establishment of effective maintenance practice. An application of the resulting software in a plastic production company suggested a predictive maintenance as the most effective compared to the existing strategies in practice by the company. The software developed has capacity to effectively evaluate the criticality of equipment and maintenance practice.

Walking on the safe side: a methodology to assess pavements quality conditions for pedestrian

Irregularity of maintenance operations to restore evenness conditions after damages from shocks, weather phenomena or due to the installation of equipment, and substandard execution of the sidewalks are all factors contributing to walking unsuitability, thus to poor comfort and safety levels for pedestrians. All of the above can be solved by appropriate maintenance management programs and the choice of the adequate type as well as the timeliness of maintenance works can optimize the quality of maintenance interventions. The paper deals with a methodology specifically developed to highlight priorities in this type of maintenance programs for pavements, partly derived from the most-known Road Management System, and integrated by walkability checklists. The methodology includes, on the one hand, survey, classification and analysis of sidewalk distresses, adapting the PCI – Pavement Condition Index, here specifically reformulated to detect the different types of distresses typically surveyed on sidewalks. On the other hand, a complementing walkability analysis assesses sidewalks quality according to the pedestrians’ requirements, and contributes to highlight the distresses severity and consequently how to prioritize maintenance interventions. A case study in Rome, where the lack of regular maintenance results into a network of unsafe sidewalks, was also developed, with a focus on home-to-school trips. Starting from some preliminary outcomes observed in a nearby test field, usual detours when approaching school premises were surveyed, related to the levels of distresses and linked to the poor comfort and safety levels. The goal of the research is to validate the methodology with consolidated results and eventually to provide advanced knowledge for further applications.

Sociodemographic and health risk profile associated with participation in a private health insurance weight loss maintenance and chronic disease management program.

Objective Identifying who participates in chronic disease management programs yields insights into program reach and appeal. This study investigated sustained participation in a remotely delivered weight loss maintenance program offered to Australian private health insurance members. Methods All participants completing an initial 18-week weight loss program were eligible for a maintenance phase. A pre-post test design was used and sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics of those who did and did not opt in to the maintenance phase were compared using binary logistic regression. Results Maintenance phase participants lost more weight during the initial weight loss program (-2.2kg (P<0.001); body mass index -0.8kg/m2 (P<0.001)) than those who did not opt in. Participants who were obese (v. overweight) upon completion of the initial weight loss program were less likely to opt in to the maintenance phase (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.35-2.30, P<0.001) and participants aged ≥55 years were more likely to opt in (aOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.44-0.80, P<0.001) than those aged <55 years. Conclusions Understanding why health insurance members opt in to maintenance programs can assist the development of strategies to improve program reach. Younger participants and those who remain obese following a weight loss program may be targeted by private health insurers and service providers to increase weight loss maintenance program participation. What is known about the topic? Australian private health insurers offer chronic disease management programs to support members to manage obesity-related chronic disease. An 18-week weight loss and lifestyle modification program was extended to assist participants maintain weight loss and health benefits resulting from the initial program. This weight loss maintenance phase is novel in the private health insurance setting and is thought to be important to sustained health improvement. Although program reach is important to benefit those most in need, little is known about who sustains the use (or does not) of such programs. What does this paper add? This study provides an insight to the characteristics of participants more likely to opt in to a weight loss maintenance program. It highlights the sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics associated with maintenance program uptake, identifying the subgroups less likely to opt in. These study findings are novel because they report on participation in a chronic disease management program with a focus on maintenance of weight loss. What are the implications for practitioners? These results will benefit private health insurers and service providers implementing maintenance programs for weight loss, providing an awareness of which participant groups to target to increase maintenance and reach. In addition, they offer avenues for future exploration, such as the generalisability and sustainability of chronic disease management programs. Although those not opting in are a difficult-to-access group, a qualitative study of reasons for not opting in to such a program would provide further information for program design, recruitment and retention.

A Review on Problems of the Public Building Maintenance Works with Special Reference to Nepal

The study was conducted during the period from the month of March to April 2020. Published literatures such as thesis, paper, manuals, reports, and database were collected from different sources and studied thoroughly. The conclusions were drawn on the basis of the studied materials. The study found that the public buildings of any nation are too valuable assets and maintaining them at regular functional state is becoming challenging job for developing countries like Nepal. The most significant building maintenance problems are: plumbing and w/s, toilet, bathroom and sanitary, electrical problems, poor maintenance management and practices, peeling of paint, dampness, surface cracking, growth of fungi or small plants and decay or breaking of floor/tile. Decay, deterioration and failure of the fabric and finishing of a building due to negligence of maintenance have harmful effects on the contents and occupants. Causes of maintenance problems can be grouped as managerial, technical, building user related and natural causes. There are major causes such as design defects, inadequate contractor and construction supervision, use of low quality materials and workmanship, unavailability of qualified human resources and quality materials, poor maintenance management, insufficient maintenance fund but high and unexpected cost, age of building, natural disaster and earth settlement and so on. Lack of proper maintenance department, programs, plan and policy are the critical issues of improvement by public institutions. Patent and latent defects in buildings are serious issues and failure to address them would contribute to additional rectification cost, hamper the smooth operation of the building and reduce its service life. Buildings and facilities that are not properly maintained can cause discomfort and lead to accidents and injury to the users. The study would like to suggest that the handling of maintenance problems should be minimized by identifying the root causes and applying the effective and efficient maintenance management program. Precaution should be applied at design and construction stage ensuring quality construction and delivery with all building documents. Furthermore, each public institution should formulate maintenance objectives, apply suitable strategy, manage adequate resources, develop maintenance action plan, periodic review of performance and strategy at service stage.

Using an objective measurement model to determine the corrective maintenance demand in the field of hospital engineering

In this work, the use of an objective method, the formulation of the Rasch measurement model, which synthesizes data from different susceptible elements for maintenance (SEM) and healthcare units (HU) into a uniform analytical framework, is considered to get representative measures of corrective maintenance demand in an hospital. Thus, information about 10 SEM and 33 HU were obtained from two hospital located in Badajoz (Spain) to be treated. A latent variable, denominated corrective maintenance demand, was defined. It is supposed, and later it is verified, that all SEM previously indicated have a marked influence on the latent variable. The adequate assignment of categorical values across SEM measures and the good fit of the data are checked as a previous phase to properly compute the Rasch measures. After applying the Rasch methodology, it was obtained that the mean corrective maintenance demand of HU is lower than expected, but significative differences between units are apparent. Those which care for high risk patients, as liver transplant, intensive care, and internal medicine, are the most influential units on corrective maintenance demand, getting moreover a ranking of all HU according to their corrective maintenance demand. Similarly, another ranking of all SEM is provided, being hospital furniture the item that exerts the highest influence on corrective maintenance demand. Moreover, the unexpected behaviors, called misfits, of some HU and SEM constitute a very useful information to better know the hospital requirements and correctly allocate the work hours in the maintenance management program. Consequently, the Rasch measurement model is a very useful tool for decision making related to corrective maintenance cost management and their correct attribution to each healthcare unit.

Building Maintenance Management for Steel Structures in Industrial Facilities

ABSTRACTThe building infrastructure in Europe is becoming older and older. Steel structures in industrial facilities and plant constructions are also affected by this ageing process. With a Building Maintenance Management (BMM) program it is possible to prevent the reduction of the load‐bearing capacity of the structure with increasing age. Repair and remediation costs can also be reduced if defects are detected by BMM in time.In Germany guideline VDI 6200 (1) provides a framework for the procedure of BMM pertaining to public buildings as well as industrial and plant buildings, but it does not take into account the type of construction. The special characteristics of steel structures such as those found in industrial prefabrication, with minor variations in the execution, or the generally favourable accessibility of critical joints and the time‐dependent corrosion effects are, therefore, not considered within the procedures of BMM in guideline VDI 6200 (1).HOCHTIEF Engineering has gained a wealth of experience in recent years with regard to steel structures in industrial facilities and plant constructions through the BMM program. Within this paper the special issues for these steel structures in BMM are summarized. The main focus lies in the implementation of a BMM program for these steel structures and in the preparation of regular inspections by experts according to the type of structure. In addition, typical defects and remediation measures for industrial steel structures are compiled and presented within this paper.

Application of total productive maintenance in service organization

This paper discusses the application of TPM in copy centre in Woldia University located in Woldia town, north wollo, Amhara region, Ethiopia. The problem encountered in the centre includes long waiting time due to frequent breakdown of equipment, unpleasant work environment, defective product etc. This leads to disrupt of the university programs such as exams, trainings and so on. This paper uses TPM for solving the above mentioned problem by employing Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). The OEE value on the centre is 35% which is less than world class standard of 85%. Therefore, the center needs urgent improvement in typical equipment maintenance management program. Advantages of TPM for the center includes better utilized equipment, clean and pleasant workplace, highly motivated employee, and satisfied customer.

Pre-Dispatch of Load in Thermoelectric Power Plants Considering Maintenance Management Using Fuzzy Logic

This paper presents a new method for load pre-dispatch considering the technical conditions of engines in thermoelectric power plants by combining several maintenance and diagnostic techniques and using computational intelligence. A diagnosis of the technical conditions of the engines is performed using a lubricant analysis, vibration analysis, and thermography. With these data from a statistical analysis, it is possible to predict when an engine will fail and to consider this phenomenon in the load pre-dispatch. To increase the engine reliability and power supply, a maintenance management program is developed using MANAGEMENT tools, applying only 4 total productive maintenance pillars and combining them with predictive maintenance and diagnostics, thus reducing failures in plant equipment. Some results achieved after this implementation are as follows: a reduction in the annual cost of maintenance, a reduction in the corrective maintenance, an increase in the mean time between failures, and a decrease in the mean time to repair in all areas. In addition, the pre-dispatch ensures that the demanded power is met with a high degree of reliability and quality, and at minimal cost.

Maintenance Tools applied to Electric Generators to Improve Energy Efficiency and Power Quality of Thermoelectric Power Plants

This paper presents a specific method to improve the reliability of the equipment and the quality of power supplied to the electrical systems with the frequency and voltage control of a thermoelectric plant, to guarantee a more stable system. The method has the novelty of combining Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) using only four pillars, with Electrical Predictive Maintenance based in failure analysis and diagnostic. It prevents voltage drops caused by excessive reactive consumption, thus guaranteeing the company a perfect functioning of its equipment and providing a longer life of them. The Maintenance Management Program (MMP) seeks to prevent failures from causing the equipment to be shut down from the electrical system, which means large financial losses, either by reducing billing or by paying fines to the regulatory agency, in addition to prejudice the reliability of the system. Using management tools, but applying only four TPM pillars, it was possible to achieve innovation in power plants with internal combustion engines. This study aims to provide maintenance with a more reliable process, through the implantation of measurement, control and diagnostic devices, thus allowing the management to reduce breakdown of plant equipment. Some results have been achieved after the implementation, such as reduction of annual maintenance cost, reduction of corrective maintenance, increase of MTBF (Mean Time between Failures) and reduction of MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) in all areas. Probabilistic models able to describe real processes in a more realistic way, and facilitate the optimization at maximum reliability or minimum costs are presented. Such results are reflected in more reliable and continual power generation.

Maintenance management program through the implementation of predictive tools and TPM as a contribution to improving energy efficiency in power plants

This paper presents an application method of a Maintenance Management Program through the implementation of predictive tools and the Total Productivity Maintenance (TPM) methodology as a contribution for the energy efficiency improvement in thermoelectric power plants. The results of the vibration analysis, lubricating oil condition and of the thermograph analysis are registered as diagnostic methods. The innovative advance in this paper was the application of four pillars from the TPM methodology at the control of the internal combustion engines efficiency at a thermoelectric power plant. This research has the objective to provide a more reliable maintenance process through the implementation of the measurement and control of the operating parameters of the plant resulting in a better management by reducing the stops due unforeseen problems. Some results of the methodology application were shown like: annual maintenance cost reduction due corrective maintenance, increase of the mean time between failure (MTBF) and reduction of the mean time to repair (MTTR) in all applied areas. These results reflected in a more reliable power generation without putting the facilities of the plant at risk with an annual cost reduction for the company.

A hybrid model for economic design of MEWMA control chart under maintenance policies

Statistical process control (SPC) is a useful technique for process monitoring that draws heavily on control charts as its important tools. Designing effective control charts, in turn, requires their relevant parameters to be determined through proper cost functions. In nearly all the methods used for this purpose, a major drawback is the negligence of type II errors, which causes the process to function out of control, and thereby imposing too high, or at times irrecoverable, costs on the system. One way to decrease this error and the associated out-of-control times and costs is to combine control charts with maintenance management (MM) programs. In this paper, a hybrid model is used to combine the control chart and a planned maintenance (PM) system for rapid detection of out-of-control states and reduction of the costs associated with system control. Accordingly, the multivariate exponentially weighted moving average (MEWMA) control chart is used for controlling the process variability, and the maintenance plan can stop the process at specific times and check whether the process is in- or out of control. In addition, if the control chart signals an out-of-control state before the scheduled maintenance time, a reactive maintenance (RM) is implemented in order to restore the process to its in-control state. A numerical illustration is finally used, and comparisons are made to show the capability of the proposed hybrid model in yielding average reductions of 6.5 and 4.3 %, respectively, in the costs of monitoring-maintenance (MM) system compared to situations in which either the control chart method or the maintenance model is used alone.

Extending Replacement Intervals of Elastomeric Components by Evaluating Samples Removed From Service

Elastomers play an essential role in pressure vessels as seals, hoses, gaskets, diaphragms, liners, and other critical components. Polymeric materials used for nonpressure applications such as electric power cable insulation have received more attention, with respect to the effects of aging and life management, than critical elastomeric pressure vessel components such as seals. Performance of these seals depends upon the effects of both time- and event-dependent aging. Understanding and addressing aging and degradation are fundamental to effective preventative maintenance and life cycle management programs. Proper management of elastomers is necessary for performance requirements and for cost containment. In one of the case studies presented, synthetic seals in engines were quite costly to change on the suggested OEM (original equipment manufacturer) maintenance schedule, where replacement intervals were based on assumed operating conditions applicable to other industries. When the actual service for these engines is as emergency diesel generators (EDGs, e.g., in nuclear power plants), the use is primarily in stand-by mode, and the usage is far different than that of the manufacturer's target application. In this investigation, the assessment of pressure seal performance was based on situation-specific operation and environmental parameters. This resulted in much longer replacement intervals. In another case study, alternate materials were identified that are expected to improve performance over the original material.

Ageing PSA incorporating effectiveness of maintenance and testing

This paper proposes a new approach to Ageing Probabilistic Safety Assessment (APSA) modelling, which is intended to be used to support risk-informed decisions on the effectiveness of maintenance management programs and technical specification requirements of critical equipment of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) within the framework of the Risk Informed Decision Making according to R.G. 1.174 principles. This approach focuses on the incorporation of not only equipment ageing but also effectiveness of maintenance and efficiency of surveillance testing explicitly into APSA models and data. An example of application is presented, which centres on a critical safety-related equipment of a NPP in order to evaluate the risk impact of considering different approaches to APSA and the combined effect of equipment ageing and maintenance and testing alternatives along NPP design life. The risk impact of the several alternatives is quantified and the results shows that such risk depends largely on the model parameters, such as ageing factor, maintenance effectiveness, test efficiency.

A Novel Approach to Evaluate the Time-Variant System Reliability of Deteriorating Concrete Bridges

Bridge time-variant system reliability is a useful measure to evaluate the lifetime performance of deteriorating bridge structures under uncertainty and is an influential performance indicator in bridge maintenance management programs. This paper proposes a computational methodology based on the Monte Carlo simulations for evaluating the time-variant system reliability of concrete bridges under environmental attacks. Methods related to the reduction of concrete sections and the variation of the load effects acting on the components are investigated using a finite element-based computational program, CBDAS (Concrete Bridge Durability Analysis System), to perform the assessment of lifetime structural performance. With regard to system reliability, a practical technique for searching the structural failure mode is also presented and a program, SRMCS (System Reliability by Monte Carlo Simulations), based on the Monte Carlo simulations is written to calculate and evaluate the structural system reliability of deteriorating concrete bridges. Finally, three numerical examples are presented to display the CBDAS and SRMCS functions.

A Study to Develop Critical Success Factors of Roads Maintenance Management System for Sustainable Facility Management

The issues of sustainability in road maintenance management have been widely discussed in recent years. In some countries the maintenance of roads were based on selected indicators or commonly known as key performance indicators. In some countries such as Indonesia the allocation of budget and road maintenance planning were based on the age of these roads. The budget for and the planning of roads based on age have resulted in poor road conditions in Indonesia. The main objective of this study is to develop a sustainable road maintenance and management model (SRMM model) for the city of Padang, West Sumatrea that are in consonant with the vision, mission and goals of road authority towards meeting sustainable road maintenance management program. Using data obtained from selected roads in that city, after reviews of literature to identify key factors that contributed to the sustainable maintenance and management of roads, an opinion survey was conducted. Eleven experts in the field of road infrastructure and facilities management were selected as respondents. These experts were asked to identify the key factors that contributed to the quality of road maintenance management. Using the cut-off point approach, ten KPIs listed from the reviews are connected with the vision, mission and goals of the Directorate General of Highways, Ministry of Public Works Republic of Indonesia as the road authority. Respondents were asked to provide an assessment of the criticality level of the KPIs to the vision, mission and goals. Based on the calculation results, ten CSFs were identified to develop the (SRMM) model. The use of SRMM model based on statistically selected CSFs by the road authority is anticipated to help develop a reliable and sustainable road maintenance management system in Padang.