---
title: "Planned vs unplanned maintenance; maintenance plan"
subject: "Construction Management"
chapter: 9
key: "semester_8/construction_management:planned-vs-unplanned-maintenance"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/construction_management/planned-vs-unplanned-maintenance
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Planned vs unplanned maintenance; maintenance plan

Construction Management · Chapter 9: Project Maintenance

- Asked in: 2079 Jestha, 2+2 marks
- Video: [The Maintenance Plan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX3JfbGciJk) — Ask Efc
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/construction_management/planned-vs-unplanned-maintenance
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_8/construction_management/chapter-9

## Question

Differentiate between planned and unplanned maintenance with suitable examples. How can a good maintenance plan be formulated? Explain in brief.

## Short answer

Planned maintenance is scheduled in advance, lower cost, short downtime, and safer; examples are annual painting and crack sealing. Unplanned maintenance is triggered by breakdown or emergency, with higher cost and long sudden downtime; examples are burst pipe repair or flood-damaged road repair. A good plan requires inventory, priorities, schedule, resources, records, and regular review.

## Answer

#### Difference
| Point | Planned maintenance | Unplanned maintenance |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Work organised and scheduled in advance | Work done without prior planning, when a need suddenly arises |
| Trigger | Schedule, inspection, condition | Breakdown, failure or emergency |
| Cost | Lower and predictable | Higher, unpredictable |
| Downtime | Short and arranged | Long and sudden |
| Safety | Better | Risk of accidents |
| Examples | Annual painting, cleaning water tank, servicing lift, resealing road cracks | Repair of a burst pipe, collapsed wall, damaged road after flood |

#### Formulating a good maintenance plan
1. **Inventory and survey:** list all components, with their age, condition and importance (roof, walls, services, drainage).
2. **Set objectives and standards** for performance, safety and appearance.
3. **Identify tasks and frequencies:** daily, monthly, annual and periodic, from manufacturers' manuals and experience.
4. **Prioritise** by safety, risk and cost; critical items first.
5. **Estimate resources:** materials, labour, tools, spare parts, contractors and budget.
6. **Prepare a schedule** (calendar or bar chart) and assign responsibility.
7. **Implement** by work orders; supervise quality and safety.
8. **Keep records:** history cards, inspection reports, costs.
9. **Review and update** the plan regularly using feedback and performance data.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What triggers unplanned maintenance?
   A. A schedule
   B. An inspection finding
   C. Breakdown, failure or emergency
   D. A budget review
   Answer: C. Unplanned maintenance is done when a need suddenly arises from failure or emergency. (Key point: Trigger)

2. Which is a planned maintenance example?
   A. Burst pipe repair
   B. Collapsed wall repair
   C. Road damaged by flood
   D. Annual painting and cleaning the water tank
   Answer: D. Annual, scheduled work is planned maintenance. (Key point: Example)

3. What should come first when formulating a maintenance plan?
   A. Inventory and survey of components with age and condition
   B. Issuing work orders
   C. Reviewing the plan
   D. Paying contractors
   Answer: A. The plan starts with an inventory and condition survey. (Key point: Plan order)

4. How are tasks prioritised?
   A. By alphabetical order
   B. By cost only
   C. Randomly
   D. By safety, risk and cost, critical items first
   Answer: D. Priority is by safety, risk and cost, with critical items first. (Key point: Prioritising)

## Related in Construction Management

- [Planned maintenance, planning and scheduling](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Aplanned-maintenance-scheduling) — Construction Management, chapter 9, asked 2×
- [Preventive, corrective and breakdown maintenance](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Apreventive-vs-corrective-define) — Construction Management, chapter 9, asked 3×

## Related in other subjects

- [Maintenance vs rehabilitation; flexible failure causes](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Amaintenance-vs-rehabilitation-flexible-failure-causes) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 4
- [GOS vs blocking probability; E.164 plan](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Ftelecommunications%3Agos-vs-blocking-e164) — Telecommunications, chapter 6
- [TPQM and quality-related maintenance](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Findustrial_engineering_and_management%3Atpqm-total-planned-quality-maintenance) — Industrial Engineering and Management, chapter 7
- [Software maintenance and fixing common bugs](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Finstrumentation_ii%3Asw-maintenance-bugs) — Instrumentation II, chapter 9