Assessment or Controlling of Dampness in Existing Building in Nigeria
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the Study
The broad objective of this study is to investigate the assessment for controlling of dampness in an existing building in Nigeria. The specific objectives include:
- To identify the prevalence of dampness in an existing building in Nigeria.
- To survey the effects of dampness in an existing building in Nigeria.
- To inquire the reasons for dampness in an existing building in Nigeria
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual Overview
According to World Health Organization, the definition of moisture is “any visible, measurable, or perceived outcome caused by excess moisture indication indoor climate or problems of durability in building assemblies caused by various leaks of water”. Furthermore, it also said that “moisture can be transported in both liquid and vapor phases by capillary suction, wind pressure, diffusion, convection and gravity (water pressure)”.
Moisture problems are common in buildings. According to the studies, 76 percent of the buildings have moisture problems. Due to building envelopes defects, moisture problems are more common. Around 75-80 percent of studied houses, had moisture problems due to building defects.
A lot of money is used to fix this issue. A study was carried out in Finland in 450 buildings which were built in different decades. They had the same moisture problem. In 80% of studied houses leakage problem was noticed. Surveyors admitted that one part of water leakage was due to flaws in the construction and another half was due to the aging of the materials. Furthermore, certain defects were characteristic for houses build in a certain decade. Especially it was seen on the construction side. Water in the building is also one of the reasons that can lead to the sick building syndrome. Moisture in the building is the main source of poor indoor quality, mold growth and a symptom of the unhealthy building. There are many ways for moisture to enter the building like rainwater that can enter through windows, walls, doors, and roof. It is possible for groundwater entering through the basement. The investigation of these defects in building structure and moisture problems will be carried out in this project.
The first part of this bachelor thesis is theoretical. In this part, moisture problems and building defects are investigated in the buildings that could be caused by rainwater, condensation, and groundwater. While explaining the existing problems also, possible solutions are carried out to solve these problems.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
This chapter covers the description and discussion on the various techniques and procedures used in the study to collect and analyze the data as it is deemed appropriate.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Characteristics of buildings
It shows the characteristics of the buildings surveyed in the four area lagos states of Nigeria. The results show that 71% of the respondents interviewed in the South Western Lagos state, 77% in the Dry northern lagos state and 56% in the Wet Semi Climate Lagos state live in detached buildings. In the Tropical Continental Lagos state, 62% of the respondents live in compound houses.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
CONCLUSION
The study sought to identify the symptoms and control associated with dampness in walls of residential buildings and to identify the most dominant type of dampness associated with the walls of these buildings. The results has shown that the major symptoms associated with walls of residential buildings are hygroscopic salts, decayed skirting, dampness below 1.5m and mold growth on walls up to 1m high. The results have further shown that the most dominant type of dampness in the walls of buildings in the four climatic zones is raising dampness. This was confirmed in the survey when 81% of buildings in the WSE, 69% in the TC, 92% in the DE and 46% in the SWE climatic zones showed symptoms such as hygroscopic salts, moist timber skirting, damp base of walls, etc associated with rising dampness.
RECOMMENDATION
The recommendation for this situation would be simple. In order to ventilate building with outside air, it should be done during winter, spring and autumn seasons because the moisture content outdoors is the smallest. It actually can help to remove moisture from the building. During summer time, it is not recommended to ventilate building with outside air because moisture ratio is very high. The fan has to run with minimum power 30 percent of its full capacity. During other seasons, the fan can be boosted in order to dry the building.
The air handling unit with heat recovery and dehumidifiers could be installed too. The solution is more expensive but very effective. Not only energy would be recovered but also, it would be dehumidified and the building would be dry.
One of the less expensive solutions for moisture problems in the building would be to use membrane or coating inside of the walls in the building. The water remains there but this kind of coating forces water to move to another direction.
REFERENCES
- Abass, K. (2009). A regional geography of Nigeria for senior high schools and undergraduates. Pictis Publications, Accra. ISBN: 978-9988-02796-6.
- Ahmad, A.G., and Abdul-Rahman, H. F. (2010).Treatment of Salt Attack and Rising Damp in Heritage Buildings in Penang, Malaysia. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 15(1), pp. 93-112.
- Asamoah, A.S., Forson, A.G., and Boakye, D. A. (2012). A review of epidemiological studies of asthma in Nigeria. Nigeria Medical Journal, 46 (2), pp. 23-28.
- Bank of Nigeria (2007).The Housing Market in Nigeria. ISBN: 0855-658X. Available www.bog.gov.gh/index.php?…housing-market-in-Nigeria.
- Beall, C. (2000). Water penetration in building envelopes. Available www.rci-online.org/interface/2000-10-beall.pdf.
- Burkinshaw, R., and Parrett, M. (2004). Diagnosing damp. Coventry: RICS BOOK, ISBN-13: 978-1842190975.
