Tracking architectural defects in university building in Malaysia

Building defects are always the key concern in the construction industry. Defects represent not only a loss to the project but also hamper the smooth operation of a building. Recognising the need to resolve these continuing problems, a research was mooted to track from the study of defects that occurred during the Defects Liability Period in a public university in Malaysia. This paper presents part of the research which investigates what can be learnt from the analysis of architectural defects in these projects. Two research objectives were developed (1) to investigate types of architectural defects that occurred and (2) to analyse the causes of the defects. A mixed methods approach is adopted. Data for the quantitative element of the research was drawn from defects audit records of the project. They were sorted, grouped and transferred into the SPSS software for analysis using the measure of central tendencies and frequency analysis. The findings suggest that with a proper methodology in place, defects can be effectively traced and categorised. This can provide very useful insights to their root cause and how this can be avoided in future projects