[Themaintainers] The dark side of maintenance

Wed Oct 28 09:24:53 EDT 2020

I have thought about this topic a lot recently— we also just finished a paper literally called ‘dark maintenance’, so maybe I can de-academize it a bit for a blog post. In our site of investigation (HVAC maintenance and repair in context of energy transition in Switzerland), it touches on many issues you all mentioned so far — maintaining unsustainable ways of living, who these maintainers are and under which conditions they work, failing coordination between different infrastructure actors, etc.

In this sense: Yes, maintenance is never innocent and would benefit from being troubled. A laudatory treatment is not unproblematic, in particular when it comes to promises of restoration, coherence, durability and other reparative imaginaries.

Moritz

> Am 28.10.2020 um 12:13 schrieb Andrew Rabeneck <rabeneckandrew at mac.com>:
> 
> Excellent topic deserving of more investigation.
> Because maintenance is unglamorous and people would rather not think about it, it is
> highly vulnerable to dishonest behaviour, and there is indeed a dark side to it.
> In construction one should cite monopolistic cartels in elevator and HVAC maintenance.
> Consumable products used in maintenance are also a source of significant corruption
>  
> A N D R E W  R A B E N E C K
> 
>> On 28 Oct 2020, at 11:00, themaintainers-request at lists.stevens.edu wrote:
>> 
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>> Today's Topics:
>> 
>>   1. Re: Maintenance & Underground Damages (Shu Chang-Xue)
>>   2. Re: Maintenance & Underground Damages (Varun Adibhatla (ARGO))
>> 
>> 
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> 
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2020 14:38:31 +0100
>> From: Shu Chang-Xue <shuchangxue at gmail.com>
>> To: lee vinsel <lee at themaintainers.org>,	"Varun Adibhatla (ARGO)"
>> 	<varun at argolabs.org>
>> Cc: themaintainers at lists.stevens.edu
>> Subject: Re: [Themaintainers] Maintenance & Underground Damages
>> Message-ID:
>> 	<CAHLmT8-gg_Pp4hyB0jeHahT7uKuRfoxpYru6VZkSRAGmjmDu5Q at mail.gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>> 
>> Hi Vroon and Lee,
>> 
>> Thanks for sharing. Please count me in for potential discussions about leaks,
>> cracks, and holes and digital systems that offer preventative maintenance
>> at scale. I am thinking of engaging young engineer-architects (or students) in
>> these topics. I will certainly share your blog post within my milieu of
>> engineers and architects.
>> 
>> I am also wondering what does it mean when you say "dark side" of
>> maintenance. As you mentioned the damages caused by excavators, I would
>> like to understand what kinds of projects (and purposes) the "excavators"
>> were really doing for? Are they really "maintenaners"? or, are they just
>> conducting projects while carelessly caused (potential) damage on nearby
>> facilities like the gas utilities you work on. I feel that in many cases,
>> the damages in question are actually caused by the bad coordination between
>> different systems of infrastructure, or whatever responsible
>> stakeholders/authorities.
>> 
>> Just a thought.
>> 
>> Changxue Shu
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Mon, Oct 26, 2020 at 16:02 lee vinsel <lee at themaintainers.org> wrote:
>> 
>>> Vroon!
>>> 
>>> I like this a lot. I'm copying the whole list on my reply because several
>>> people have mentioned over the past few years that they would like to
>>> explore the dark sides of maintenance. (As Andy and I try to make clear in
>>> our book, acting as if maintenance is implicitly good is as silly/blind as
>>> acting as if innovation is implicitly good - after all, systems of
>>> injustice and, for instance, greenhouse gas emissions also have their
>>> maintainers.)
>>> 
>>> I'm wondering if you'd be willing to write your email up into a brief blog
>>> post. It needn't even be much longer than your original message. Then we
>>> could share it with a wider audience. And maybe even start a series on
>>> maintenance's dark sides.
>>> 
>>> Lee
>>> 
>>> On Mon, Oct 26, 2020 at 8:47 AM Varun Adibhatla (ARGO) <varun at argolabs.org>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Hello there kindred maintainers,
>>>> 
>>>> Varun here. Hope all of you are well and maintaining thyselves through
>>>> trying times.
>>>> I work at a company that uses Machine Learning and Spatial Analysis to
>>>> prevent Damages to Underground Gas Distribution Assets.
>>>> 
>>>> Thought I'd share some insights from the 2 years I've spent working
>>>> alongside some of the largest underground (and oldest) utilities.
>>>> 
>>>> The Common Ground Alliance publishes the appropriately named DIRT report
>>>> that illustrates the scale of the Underground damage problem. They cause
>>>> the US Economy upwards of $30 Billion every year.
>>>> 
>>>> A lot of these damages are caused by excavators (the folks probably
>>>> opening up your street right now) who "move too fast and break things"
>>>> (quite literally). Here's what I found interesting though. A lot of these
>>>> damages are caused by maintenance work.
>>>> 
>>>> Specifically, the installation and replacement of road, water and sewer
>>>> infrastructure that tends to be deeper underground than Gas / Electric or
>>>> Fiber Infrastructure. Often this maintenance work has led to not only fatal
>>>> gas explosions, but also  taken out critical fiber infrastructure that
>>>> recently took out Virginia's Voter registration system.
>>>> 
>>>> I share this story because it offered me some pause in what has otherwise
>>>> been a celebration of everything maintenance. If any of you are interested
>>>> in talking about leaks, cracks, and holes and digital systems that  offer
>>>> preventative maintenance at scale, give me holler @vr00n on Twitter!
>>>> 
>>>> Stay well.
>>>> Varun
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Themaintainers mailing list
>>>> Themaintainers at lists.stevens.edu
>>>> https://lists.stevens.edu/mailman/listinfo/themaintainers
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Co-Director
>>> The Maintainers
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Themaintainers mailing list
>>> Themaintainers at lists.stevens.edu
>>> https://lists.stevens.edu/mailman/listinfo/themaintainers
>>> 
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>> 
>> ------------------------------
>> 
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2020 10:02:08 -0400
>> From: "Varun Adibhatla (ARGO)" <varun at argolabs.org>
>> To: Shu Chang-Xue <shuchangxue at gmail.com>
>> Cc: themaintainers at lists.stevens.edu,	"Varun Adibhatla \(ARGO\)"
>> 	<varun at argolabs.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Themaintainers] Maintenance & Underground Damages
>> Message-ID:
>> 	<CACQpXG7ktfHF0D6ibw+b4bokY2yCqJ7Tfmm6w7Xjr0GQOfQ2Ew at mail.gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>> 
>> Hello Lee & Hello Changxue! Nice to meet you!
>> 
>> @Changxue - You are absolutely right. It's gaps in the coordination of the
>> (often maintenance work) that is causing the issue.
>> Not sure if you are based in or outside the US / but here every state has a
>> one call center that coordinates excavation work. Anyone who digs must call
>> 811 to call in their dig so that underground utilities can mark their
>> assets. Asset Owners are liable and responsible to mark.
>> However, In many states, Municipal Excavations are exempt from this process
>> and even if they are not - data quality on the location of water & sewer
>> assets is notoriously bad.
>> So while the governor of Michigan may be spending $10s of Billions in
>> repairing water and sewer, due to the bad data, no standards, and poor
>> coordination, the very repair breaks other infrastructure leading to
>> overall low returns on the investment.
>> If a tenth of any government sponsored infrastructure project was also
>> invested in building associated data, standards, and coordination
>> infrastructure - future maintenance needn't be tainted.
>> 
>> @Lee - Broadening the discourse to explore maintenance's dark side only
>> serves the cause even further by maintaining the maintenance narrative? ;)
>> Too meta this early in the morning?  Ha!
>> 
>> Vroooooon
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 8:39 AM Shu Chang-Xue <shuchangxue at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi Vroon and Lee,
>>> 
>>> Thanks for sharing. Please count me in for potential discussions about leaks,
>>> cracks, and holes and digital systems that offer preventative maintenance
>>> at scale. I am thinking of engaging young engineer-architects (or
>>> students) in these topics. I will certainly share your blog post within
>>> my milieu of engineers and architects.
>>> 
>>> I am also wondering what does it mean when you say "dark side" of
>>> maintenance. As you mentioned the damages caused by excavators, I would
>>> like to understand what kinds of projects (and purposes) the "excavators"
>>> were really doing for? Are they really "maintenaners"? or, are they just
>>> conducting projects while carelessly caused (potential) damage on nearby
>>> facilities like the gas utilities you work on. I feel that in many cases,
>>> the damages in question are actually caused by the bad coordination between
>>> different systems of infrastructure, or whatever responsible
>>> stakeholders/authorities.
>>> 
>>> Just a thought.
>>> 
>>> Changxue Shu
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Mon, Oct 26, 2020 at 16:02 lee vinsel <lee at themaintainers.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Vroon!
>>>> 
>>>> I like this a lot. I'm copying the whole list on my reply because several
>>>> people have mentioned over the past few years that they would like to
>>>> explore the dark sides of maintenance. (As Andy and I try to make clear in
>>>> our book, acting as if maintenance is implicitly good is as silly/blind as
>>>> acting as if innovation is implicitly good - after all, systems of
>>>> injustice and, for instance, greenhouse gas emissions also have their
>>>> maintainers.)
>>>> 
>>>> I'm wondering if you'd be willing to write your email up into a brief
>>>> blog post. It needn't even be much longer than your original message. Then
>>>> we could share it with a wider audience. And maybe even start a series on
>>>> maintenance's dark sides.
>>>> 
>>>> Lee
>>>> 
>>>> On Mon, Oct 26, 2020 at 8:47 AM Varun Adibhatla (ARGO) <
>>>> varun at argolabs.org> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Hello there kindred maintainers,
>>>>> 
>>>>> Varun here. Hope all of you are well and maintaining thyselves through
>>>>> trying times.
>>>>> I work at a company that uses Machine Learning and Spatial Analysis to
>>>>> prevent Damages to Underground Gas Distribution Assets.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Thought I'd share some insights from the 2 years I've spent working
>>>>> alongside some of the largest underground (and oldest) utilities.
>>>>> 
>>>>> The Common Ground Alliance publishes the appropriately named DIRT report
>>>>> that illustrates the scale of the Underground damage problem. They cause
>>>>> the US Economy upwards of $30 Billion every year.
>>>>> 
>>>>> A lot of these damages are caused by excavators (the folks probably
>>>>> opening up your street right now) who "move too fast and break things"
>>>>> (quite literally). Here's what I found interesting though. A lot of these
>>>>> damages are caused by maintenance work.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Specifically, the installation and replacement of road, water and sewer
>>>>> infrastructure that tends to be deeper underground than Gas / Electric or
>>>>> Fiber Infrastructure. Often this maintenance work has led to not only fatal
>>>>> gas explosions, but also  taken out critical fiber infrastructure that
>>>>> recently took out Virginia's Voter registration system.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I share this story because it offered me some pause in what has
>>>>> otherwise been a celebration of everything maintenance. If any of you are
>>>>> interested in talking about leaks, cracks, and holes and digital systems
>>>>> that  offer preventative maintenance at scale, give me holler @vr00n on
>>>>> Twitter!
>>>>> 
>>>>> Stay well.
>>>>> Varun
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Themaintainers mailing list
>>>>> Themaintainers at lists.stevens.edu
>>>>> https://lists.stevens.edu/mailman/listinfo/themaintainers
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> Co-Director
>>>> The Maintainers
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Themaintainers mailing list
>>>> Themaintainers at lists.stevens.edu
>>>> https://lists.stevens.edu/mailman/listinfo/themaintainers
>>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
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-- 
Moritz F. Fürst
Doctoral Fellow (SNSF)

Université de Lausanne
Faculté des géosciences et de l'environnement
Institut de géographie et durabilité

t: +41 76 812 34 09
e: moritz.fuerst at unil.ch