Expert: Dr. Abdulaziz Jarkas - 10/28/2006

Question
Hello,
I have often been confused about maintenance, as it relates to Civil Engineers. How can Civil Engineers maintain Buildings, Structures and Immovable Assets? In other words, what are their functions and roles in Structure maintenance?

Answer
Dear Idahor,

Usually, Civil Engineers assess, from a technical standpoint, the required measures to be taken in order to preserve the "Technical and Serviceability" aspects of Buildings, e.g. structural damage, excessive settlement in a floor, roof leakage, etc. Other regular maintenance is usually done by property or facility management firms where certain superintendents, foremen, or trained maintenance personnel respond to tenants complaints, e.g. HVAC, Plumbing, Water supply, etc, and rectify, each in his/her field, accordingly.

Hope this helps!

Dr. Jarkas