Modelling the work-as-done in the building maintenance using a layered FRAM : a case study on HVAC maintenance

Ivenio Teixeira de Souza, Ana Carolina Rosa, Ana Catarina Jorge Evangelista, Vivian W. Y. Tam, Assed Haddad

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Maintenance of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems has become one of the most relevant maintenance operations in public buildings. The intense interaction among human agents and equipment, aligned with information's distributed nature, exposes the maintenance workers to significant and complex risks during their routines. Prescribed procedures frequently differ from reality, which becomes essential the examination of the work-as-done. The functional resonance analysis method (FRAM) offers a promising perspective on analysing work-as-done in daily activities. However, the FRAM brings a limitation due to its complexity of representation. This study presents a layered FRAM as an alternate way of analysing the work-as-done in the maintenance of HVAC systems. This approach consists of cutting the couplings among functions in those presenting variability to clarify how the functions affect each other. The results show that the layered FRAM offers a better view of functions, decreasing the complexity and the analyst's cognitive workload. This contribution is a user-friendly and straightforward technique to facilitate the model analysis and explore a new perspective to popularize and spread the FRAM to treat complex issues.
Original languageEnglish
Article number128895
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Cleaner Production
Volume320
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

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