ISO 15686-3:2002

Overview

ISO 15686-3:2002, "Buildings and constructed assets - Service life planning - Part 3: Performance audits and reviews", sets out the approach and procedures to ensure effective implementation of service life planning for buildings and constructed assets. The standard focuses on verifying that measures needed to meet intended performance over time are defined and implemented during pre-briefing, briefing, design, construction and - where required - life care and disposal. It emphasizes early-stage decisions (pre-briefing and brief) because many failures trace back to inadequate briefs and design information.

Note: ISO 15686-3:2002 does not develop cost implications or the broader sustainability metrics (e.g., embodied energy, land use).

Key topics and requirements

• Service life performance audits: independent (third-party) systematic examinations of requirements, designs and installation/commissioning instructions to assess adequacy for service life performance.
• Service life performance reviews: second-party or internal examinations that can be integrated into existing project review procedures.
• Minimum core activities: audits or reviews of pre-briefing, briefing and detailed design stages are required where conformance is claimed prior to construction.
• Audit lifecycle coverage: optional further audits/reviews can cover initial design, construction, commissioning, operation, alteration and disposal.
• Audit process elements: roles and responsibilities, auditor appointment, audit planning, documentation, change control, records and reporting, and audit quality control.
• Definitions and supporting concepts: life care (maintenance, repair, refurbishment), reliability, serviceability, availability, reference documents and recovery management.
• Integration options: formal external audits for independence vs internal reviews for project familiarity; the standard allows combining or integrating both approaches.

Practical applications

• Use ISO 15686-3 to verify that project briefs and designs contain clear, auditable service life requirements and life-care strategies.
• Apply audits/reviews at key procurement and design stages to reduce risk of premature failure, rework and high lifecycle costs.
• Integrate with quality and environmental audit procedures (e.g., ISO 19011) to align compliance, quality and longevity checks.
• Create audit plans, proformas and records that support decision-making for asset management, facilities management, and long-term maintenance planning.

Who should use this standard

• Construction clients and owners
• Service life auditors and reviewers
• Designers and design teams
• Facilities, asset and maintenance managers
• Constructors, project managers, inspectors, insurers and valuers

Related standards

• ISO 15686-1: General principles of service life planning
• ISO 15686-2: Service life prediction procedures
• ISO 19011: Guidelines for auditing management systems
• ISO 6707-1: Building and civil engineering vocabulary (general terms)
• Other parts of ISO 15686 (parts 4–8) provide complementary guidance on data presentation, whole life costing, environmental impacts and performance feedback.

Keywords: ISO 15686-3, service life planning, performance audits, performance reviews, life care, constructed assets, asset management, facilities management.