Lack of Maintenance Culture of Public Buildings in the Capital City of Ghana- Accra

Abstract

Buildings in disrepair or unsanitary conditions, unauthorized building works and dilapidated signboards are potential hazards to the public, the responsibilities for maintaining and managing buildings safe and in sanitary conditions rest with owners.

Timely maintenance and proper management of buildings prevent their deterioration keep them safe and tidy, provide a pleasant and comfortable living environment and uphold their value. (Chin-man June 2002)

The maintenance of the built environments affects everyone continually, for it is on the state of our homes, offices, and factories that we depend not only for our comfort, but for our economic survival.

Maintenance starts the day the builder leaves the site. Design, materials, workmanship, function, use and their interrelationship, will determine the amount of maintenance required during the life time of the building.

Furthermore, the client’s economic interest may work against the elimination of high maintenance cost in the building design.

The building fabrics have to satisfy different user needs and occupational factors. The designer should identify what performance is required from the fabrics in terms of weather tightness, noise reduction, and durability resistance to heat loss and other relevant criteria, in addition to comfort and visual requirements.

Many of the design faults which results in high maintenance expenditure could conceivably be avoided if a maintenance manager or someone with similar technical knowledge, joined the design team.

Not many architect or builders revisit their jobs after the expiry of the defects liability period and few have a continuance responsibility for maintenance.

Keywords: Maintenance, Design, disrepair, dilapidated, unsanitary, potential hazards deterioration, environment, performance.