A Proposal for the Development of a Building Management System for Extending the Lifespan of Housing Complexes in Japan

Abstract

A modified periodic inspection reporting system based on Article 12 of the Building Standards Act was enforced on 1 April 2008 in Japan. The Periodic Inspection Reporting System based on the article entered its 11th year since its enforcement in 2019. We investigated more than 100 residential building inspection reports based on this article in Kitakyushu of Japan and found what kind of defects can be reported in this investigation system. In this paper, we show the typical defects and related problems of Japanese residential buildings. According to the data, we scrutinized existing building inspection and maintenance procedures defining the problematic areas of older housing complexes and outlined some deterioration trends. We analyzed, in particular, the state of building foundations, exterior and interior walls, roofs, evacuation passages, facilities, and the state of exterior tiles in the function of solar orientation, and quantified the number of problems correlated to the age of the buildings. In parallel, we reviewed the current state of the laws and policies applied to building quality and management in Japan. We analyzed the whole building inspection process, identifying some flaws that limit its effectiveness and reach, due mostly to miscommunications between the property owners, local government, and the contractors. Based on that, we proposed an alternative and improved building management system.