ABSTRACT
Inevitably, inexorably, all structures deteriorate towards a state of unserviceability and collapse. Maintenance is the art of controlling the rate at which they do so. Its objective is to ensure that, throughout their required life span, they are preserved in a satisfactorily functional condition with a proper regard for safety and economy. Proficiency in this field relies upon the exercise of skills and judgement derived from experience rather than theory; above all, it calls for an understanding of the long-term behaviour of structures and materials and for ingenuity based on a knowledge of a wide range of remedial techniques.
