Mid-Term Performance Analysis of Plumbing Systems in High-Usage Buildings

Abstract

The literature identifies plumbing systems as one of the main sources of maintenance demands throughout a building’s service life, often presenting significant performance loss and recurring pathological manifestations. This article aims to perform a comparative evaluation of the maintenance demands in the plumbing systems of two public buildings during the post-construction period (first 5 years of use) and between 2023 and 2024, when the systems have reached a more mature operational stage. This analysis was carried out using the Bathtub Curve model and the development of a failure rate index. The results indicated a reduction in maintenance interventions in all buildings. The behavior of the plumbing systems followed a pattern similar to the Bathtub Curve model, with a high number of failures at the beginning of operation, followed by a stabilization phase. However, failure rates stabilized at relatively high levels, highlighting the need for continuous attention to the performance of the evaluated systems and to the quality of the maintenance processes to which these buildings are subjected.