Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
conditions, and therefore, the construction schedule should have some time
reserved to address these problems as they arise in the project (Herroelen and Leus
2005
). In addition, the integration of new and old building systems might impact
the construction schedule and costs (Cattano et al.
2012
). This is also highly
affected by the selection of construction materials. Using a specific thermal
insulation material that is not accessible to suppliers could pose a risk to costs or
project duration; a similar less-performing material that is more accessible should
be selected to prevent problems during the construction and reduce the associated
risks. That is why it is important that stakeholders develop a detailed plan to
manage
the
impact
and
implement
solutions
if
such
problem
arises
during
construction.
Another important consideration during the construction phase is that the
building to be refurbished is typically occupied. This is another situation where all
building stakeholders need to have a good plan to relocate the occupants while the
building is being refurbished. This plan should minimize the disruption in
the occupants' daily operations and productivity. In large NZER building projects,
this can become complex and having a good occupant mobilization plan can
significantly reduce the costs and duration of the refurbishment.
4.3 Risk Management During Operation and Maintenance
Phase
Finally, there are several ways to manage the risks that stakeholders will face
during the operations and maintenance phase of NZER. For example, proper
maintenance programs will reduce the probability of major breakdowns and
improve the reliability of the systems' performance. In addition, the maintenance
personnel should be properly trained to be able to service the building systems. As
more technology is implemented in buildings, complexity and risks of severe
problems due to errors and lack of training of maintenance personnel increase
(Danfoss
2010
). Facility managers should have well-established plans to operate
and service the building systems to maintain an optimal performance.
To account for risks associated with the expected revenue from the building
operation, building stakeholders should develop models of real estate market
conditions to determine the best price that they could rent the available space. The
goal is to reduce the risks of vacancy while ensuring that tenants are willing to pay
the extra premium for NZER (LaSalle
2011
). One last example is to promote the
participation of occupants in the building operation. Occupants might not know
how the building operates and could become too dependent on technology. This
could lead to careless behavior toward reducing their energy consumption because
they think that the building is well equipped to be energy efficient without any
effort on their part.
