Lavy, collaborators earn Literati Award
for top papers on facility management

Two papers written by Sarel Lavy, assistant professor of construction science at Texas A&M, with collaborators at the College of Architecture, were recognized for their achievements in addressing the state of facilities management at public schools in Texas and identifying healthcare facility managers' choices for interior wall finishes.

The Emerald Group Publishing Limited awarded a paper written by Lavy and David Bilbo, professor of construction science, with a Highly Commended Award at its Literati Network Awards for Excellence in 2010.

The paper, "Facilities Maintenance Management Practices in Large Public Schools, Texas," indicated a poor quality of facilities maintenance management practices exists in large public schools in Texas.

"Nevertheless," they wrote, "the study also found that schools following the guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Education tend to have comparatively more detailed and contemporary information about their facilities' conditions."

As a result, they wrote, these schools are able to predict their projected needs, including maintenance needs.

To gather information, Lavy and Bilbo sent questionnaires to 320 facilities managers at elementary, middle and high schools with enrollments of 750 students or more in four major metro areas in Texas.

Lavy's collaboration with Manish Dixit, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in architecture, won a best paper award in the facilities management and maintenance track at the 2010 International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction's World Congress May 10-13 in Salford, England. The award is also sponsored by the Emerald Group.

In their paper, “Facility Managers’ Preferred Interior Wall Finishes in Acute-Care Hospital Buildings,” Lavy and Dixit surveyed 48 healthcare facility mangers, analyzed their responses with descriptive statistics, and identified vinyl type II (medium-duty vinyl for wall covering), and latex paint as the finishes most often used.

Lavy and Dixit also found the three major characteristics driving the selection of interior wall covering materials are infection control, gas emission of volatile organic compounds, and ease of maintenance.

"The results of this study," they wrote, "can be used to enhance the discussion and improve the collaboration between facility managers and designers, in terms of understanding later maintenance needs, in the selection of interior wall finishes.”

- Posted: June 9, 2010 -