Impact of Maintenance of Buildings and Infrastructural Facilities to the National Economy
CHAPTER ONE
Aim and Objectives of the study
The aim of this research work is to discover how maintenance of buildings and infrastructures can be effected, effectively to help increase the workers output thus increasing labour efficiency and increasing the income of the nation leading to increased income per capita of the populace.
The objectives of this research work are as follows:
- Have a proper look at the level of maintenance attention that buildings and infrastructures within Nigeria
- Now the current building and infrastructural maintenance practice with a view to improve on
- To pin-point the various difficulties and problems that hamper the efficient execution of an effective maintenance management on buildings and infrastructure in
- To examine the causes that lead to the deterioration and dilapidations of buildings and
- To proffer solutions to the menace of lack of maintenance of buildings and infrastructures within
In emphasis, this project will show the need for proper maintenance schemes for buildings and infrastructures, that will help reduce maintenance cost, minimize loss of use, improve safety conditions, improve aesthetic values and improve appearance of buildings thereby reduces the cases of collapse of structures and the inherent dangers to life and investment.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Maintenance as a service covers every aspect of the building environment particularly the building assets and infrastructural facilities, such facilities spread across projects in several sectors of the national economy which includes agriculture, health, education, commerce, industry, energy, environment and defense. The spread also extends t\o social sectors such as roads, water supply, housing, electricity, and telecommunication. It is noteworthy that such projects have implications for regular maintenance for sustainability.
Maintenance has been a neglected field of technology in Nigeria (Amobi C.O. 2006); yet every infrastructure or equipment requires being maintained to remain in functionality and in up-to-date standard. Buildings and infrastructures are the nation’s most valuable assets, providing people with shelter and facilities for work and leisure. Maintenance starts the day the contractor leaves the site, having completed the project. The design, material specification, construction including workmanship, function and use will determine the amount of maintenance required during the life time of the building or infrastructure.
According to Amobi C.O. (2006) Maintenance is defined in engineering terminology as the continuous upkeep, in good condition of a system(s) to achieve operational reliability with maximum designed output result, endurance and stability. This definition has been adapted for building maintenance as work undertaken to keep or restore every facility, that is, every part of a site, building and contents to an acceptable standard.
Thus maintenance aims at retaining components, equipment as well as the entire structure at specified level of performance. The acceptable standard inferred must be no less than the statutory requirements and one which sustains the utility and value of the facility. This may include some degree of improvement over the life of the building as acceptable comfort and amenity standards rise.
The principal objective of building and infrastructural maintenance is the upkeep of the building for continuous and reliable use. The wear and tear arising from use or misuse, weathering and other agencies must be anticipated and appropriate measures put in place to adequately take care of them. The concept of maintenance involves taking appropriate measures put in place to adequately take care of them. The concept of maintenance involves taking appropriate steps and precautions to ensure that a given piece of a capital asset (equipment and infrastructure) attains its possible life span.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter deals with the various methods or sources of data used in obtaining materials and information needed by the researcher for writing the project so as to obtain and achieve meaningful, accurate and correct results in carrying out the research work. The following measures stated below were taken, the process involved in this write up include practical test being carried out through direct discussion/interviews, questionnaires of about 25 copies were distributed, direct inspection were also carried out on selected buildings in shell camp, Housing Estate, Owerri in order to find out the impact of maintenance of buildings and infrastructure on the economic wellbeing of the residents within the estate. The surveys are carried out on residential buildings, shell camp primary school, the road network within the estate and the water supply facilities.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
Case study
Once a building or infrastructure is put to use the initial capital is completed. Though, the cost, however, does not end there because “house keeping” aspect of maintenance continues throughout the life cycle of the building. There are items that are considered significant and the design team must give due consideration to their implication and it is here that time value should be judged. These items will affect the cost of maintenance. It is better to spend more at the initial stage to incur lower maintenance charge later. The maintenance cost of buildings and infrastructures represents a substantial drain in their resources. It is important that buildings are maintained to a suitable standard so that buildings are maintained to a suitable standard so that they do not deteriorate pre-maturely and decline in value.
The approach to this project work, as described before, was such that the end it would give a comprehensive analysis of the problems already set out in the objective.
The study was conducted with the use of questionnaire containing expository questions; it was directed to the occupants and residents of the buildings at Shell Camp, Housing Estate, Owerri. Verbal interviews were also carried out/conducted on people in order to get more facts about buildings and infrastructures in the vicinity. With these, it was possible to get to the causes of maintenance problems with respect to buildings and infrastructures in Shell Camp, Housing Estate, Owerri and this method also reveals the various solutions to the various problems of maintenance.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of findings
From the analysis it was discovered that the impact of maintenance of buildings and infrastructural facilities has a major effect in the National economy.
This is the evidenced by the nature of responses received from the respondents. For all responses received the opinion of the respondents was that the impact of buildings and infrastructural maintenance contribute positively to the economy growth on and national development. It is therefore appropriate to note that maintenance is paramount in economic life of the nation.
conclusions
The maintenance of buildings and infrastructural facilities in Nigeria requires attention at the highest level. This attention is of basic importance of which the objective must be to keep buildings and infrastructural facilities to acceptable standard in order to make them functional and reliable.
It was seen during research process that the level of maintenance activities in Nigeria is inadequate. Financing by both government and property owners which could have helped to increase buildings and infrastructural maintenance has not be properly implemented.
Certain government legislature and policies including taxation and property levies imposed on property owners have certainly affected the efficacy of maintenance activities.
The issue of every contractor being involved in project production with few engage in maintenance has been a major set- back because there are few maintenance professionals as against maintenance work requirement thus most infrastructural facilities are not optimally utilized.
The un-involvement of these few and far between maintenance professionals in the design stage of a project is another factor that negatively affect the efficiency of building/project production thus leading to recurrent maintenance work draining the pocket of both property owners and government-owned infrastructural facilities manage.
Poor attitude of workers and poor aptitude of the supervisory personnel during project development phase has also been a major problem. This has led to serious defects seen in the life span of buildings and infrastructural facilities which also affect the capacity output of the citizens.
Cutting cost in order to maximize profit by contractors through the use of sub- standard materials causes defects in the long run and subsequent maintenance requirement with its re-occurent maintenance cost affecting the economic output of citizens.
Lack of effective planning and scheduling also leads re-occurrence of faults due to defects thus subsequent re-occurrence of maintenance work and eventual lost of initial capital investment.
Inflation regards with regard to over blow appreciation in the value in the value of material cost and labour cost affects the efficacy of maintenance work requirement thus reduced economic growth.
Carelessness and recklessness of the users of the property are also a direct effect of defects and subsequent maintenance work which will affect the economic life of the owner, the user and even the environment.
Even-busy attitude of property owners and residents due to bustling and hustling of everyday life is also a cause of neglect especially house-keeping aspect of maintenance and thus has led to low maintenance attitude and subsequent run- down appearance of infrastructural facilities.
Recommendations
Series of investigations carried out by the researcher on the maintenance of buildings and infrastructures in Nigeria points to the fact that maintenance activities within Nigeria is at a low ebb and as such many buildings and infrastructures are in a state of disrepair. It was also observed that adequate attention s not given to maintenance in most departments, ministries and parastatals. Even where some attention is given, maintenance activities are left in the hands of administrator who possess little or no knowledge of maintenance works in general. This leads to little or nothing being done as and when due.
Therefore the numerous problem associated with maintenance could be solved if the following recommendations are adopted;
- The government should enact legislature mandating individual to maintain their properties at regular intervals. They should be told to keep maintenance record which must be submitted yearly to the public maintenance authority. Government should also establish and maintain central maintenance authority and create their offices at federal, state and local government level to ensure proper and adequate maintenance of government owned properties by the government maintenance officials. These officials will also ensure compliance to efficient and effective maintenance
- During annual fiscal budget presentation the government through the ministry of work should map out funds for engagement of professionals in effective maintenance of all government owned
- Maintenance professionals should be incorporated in the design team to advice other professional colleagues on the maintenance implication of their design alternatives and alternative methods of construction for easy
- All professionals in the built environment should diversify. Every one of them should not be competing in project production. They should take all maintenance works as an aspect of the construction industry to be able to carry out effectively and efficiently the teaming maintenance work requirement in Nigeria. Professional ethics should be imbibed by these professionals by avoiding cutting- cost in order to maximize profit through the use sub-standard materials in both construction and maintenance Quality workmanship and effective
supervision at every stage of project production should be optimal in order to effect quality project production and subsequent minimal maintenance requirement.
- Every facility and property should have a well detailed maintenance plan, program and schedule to aid in effective maintenance operation. Property owners should bear in mind the need for these maintenance activities and as such should map out a percentage of the initial cost of the property for subsequent maintenance cost in the life span of the property. Property owners of residents should also map out days in their busy life to effectively ‘house-keep’ their property and they should embark carefulness in the use of the property to reduce rate of defect and subsequent re-occurrence maintenance
- Choice of material is paramount in the provision of qualitative building with minimum maintenance problems. The professionals involved should recommend materials which have been tested and the property fully known at the design stage. They should also endeavor to be conversant with the behavior of material over various conditions and the economic life, choice of materials and recommendation for alternatives. They should as well advice or educate clients on the merit of primary use of superior materials which are eventually more costly in the long run. There should also be a bye-law regulating the quality of building materials and equipment to be marketed in Nigeria
Lastly, the syndrome of new government-new project promotes negligence to the maintenance industry in Nigeria. Each new government for reasons best known to them prefers such but this attitude should discontinue because it promote negligence and abandonment of quality properties already owned by the government and subsequent dilapidations.
REFERENCES
- Amobi C. O. (2003) – Building Surveying Practice and Maintenance Management.
- Achugo Publications, Owerri..
- Amobi C. O. (2006) – Fundamentals of Building Maintenance Technology and Management. Achugo Publications, Owerri.
- British Standards – Institute Of Building (1974) – Glossy of Maintenance Terms in Technology B. S 3811, 565.
- Chanter B. and Swallow P. (2007) – Building maintenance management.
- Blackwell Publishers. (UK).
- Chartered institute of Building (1982) – Building Maintenance – A Guide to good Practice, CIOB.
- Hill J. F (1969) – A Review of Maintenance Practical In property Management. Hutchinson (1975) – Maintenance and Repair of Buildings. Butter Worth and Co. (Publishers) Ltd. London.
- Ivor H. S (1970) – Building Maintenance. Macmillian Press Ltd, London.
- Ivor H. S (1974) – Building Economics J. Willey and Sons publishers Ltd. New York.
