FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI,

SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES (SOES),

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING.
SESSION: 2023/2024. SEMESTER: Harmattan Examination. Course Title:
Building Maintenance I. Course Code: BLD 325.
Unit: 2Units Date: 12/08/2024

Time: 2hrs.

Instruction: Answer Question one (1) and any other three (3).

1. (a) In your opinion why is this course pertinent for students of Building and Quantity

Surveying, FUTO. Fully explain in NOT less than three sentences. In order for the students

to be acquainted with maintenance issues and solution (3marks)

b. Contrast building maintenance technology from building maintenance. Building
maintenance technology essentially deals with the study of the occurrence of building
defects and the remedies which such defects would require. However, building

maintenance technology is different from building maintenance. BS3811 defines

maintenance as work undertaken in order to keep or restore every facility i.e., every part

of the site, building and contents to an acceptable standard. BS3811 also defines

maintenance as the combination of all technical and associated administrative actions

intended to retain an item in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform its required

function. Maintenance can also be defined as "work undertaken in order to improve any

facility, i.e., every part of a building, its services and surrounds to a currently acceptable

standard and to sustain the utility and value of the facility". (3marks)
c. What do you understand by the BS convention which is widely used in building and

engineering amongst other disciplines. British standard (2marks)

d. Why is sweeping, an example of building maintenance? Explain in details. This is because

maintenance is a work undertaken to improve a facility. Sweeping improves a facility and

prevents deterioration and decay (3marks)

e. In your opinion, why is it impossible to produce buildings that are maintenance free.

Detailed and clear explanation is expected. This is because all elements of a building

deteriorate. In fact, all elements and components that make up a building unavoidably

deteriorate with time, because of inherent defects in design, construction and the effects
of environmental agents and users’ activities (2marks)
f. Write exhaustively on change of use. Also, give one example. Change of Use: The first

type of the building alterations is the change of use. Change of use has to do with turning

a building use or category into another (2marks). For example, changing an office space

into residential unit, changing a residential building into a bank building (1mark for any

of the examples).
g. List the two forms of construction defects? design defects and workmanship defects

(2marks)
h. In the context of building maintenance, what do you understand by existing building. In the

context of building maintenance, existing buildings are buildings that has been built (1mark)
i. List any two consequences of failure to maintain buildings. Disrepair, decay, serious

failure, collapse, deterioration (1mark each for any two)

j. What is the full meaning of HVAC and also, what do you understand by it. Heating,

ventilation, air conditioning (2marks). It has to do with mechanical system (1mark)

k. What do you understand by Vandalism? In the contest of this course, vandalism has to do

with the willful destruction a building (1mark)

2. (a) Adduce reasons and exhaustively discuss why building maintenance is often neglected

by building users and building owners, despite the importance and fundamentality of building

maintenance. Building maintenance despite its enormous importance, is often neglected by

building users and building owners, because they consider maintenance to be an

undesirable overhead and as a result give it low priority. (4marks)

b. List five objectives of building maintenance. 1. To retain the value of the investment 2.

Maintaining the building in a condition in which it continues to fulfil its functions. 3.

Presenting a good appearance. 4. To comply to statutory requirement e.g. safety, health and

welfare provisions 5. To obtain high level of security 6. To exist in a good environment for

user and occupier 7. To maximize the efficiency of services available 8. To prolong the

building life (1mark each for any five. 5marks totally)

c. Discuss the following causes of building maintenance exhaustively.
i. Not hiring skilled professionals. Not Hiring Skilled Professionals: Building

maintenance should not be left in the hands of unqualified individuals. This is

 because, it involves a lot of work and requires a certain level of expertise

across a wide range of disciplines. Thus, building owners should see to it that

they hire skilled maintenance professionals to aid them. Leaving it to non-

professionals could only end in disaster. (2marks)

ii. Limited maintenance budget. Limited Maintenance Budget: Building

maintenance demands an adequate budget. Maintenance work does not come

free — it requires quality materials and tools as well as qualified workers.

But, as owners wish to cut back on expenses, many fail to allocate sufficient

funds to building maintenance. And, with no money in the budget, no work

can be done. Even the smallest of problems can quickly snowball into

expensive ones. To avoid this, property owners should always make room in

the annual budget for maintenance and repairs. (2marks)

iii. Poor treatment by occupants. Poor Treatment by Occupants: One of the

causes of building maintenance that owners have little to no control over is

poor treatment by occupants. For instance, an apartment building is home to

many tenants, not all of whom will take care of the property as if it was their

own. The same goes for the tenants of a commercial building. (2marks)
3. (a) There are many definitions of building maintenance. However, focusing strictly on the

provisions of BS3811, define building maintenance. BS3811 defines maintenance as work

undertaken in order to keep or restore every facility i.e., every part of the site, building

and contents to an acceptable standard. BS3811 also defines maintenance as the

combination of all technical and associated administrative actions intended to retain an

item in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform its required function. (3marks)
b. Write exhaustively on Unplanned Maintenance. Contingencies maintenance. The
alternative maintenance system is the contingency system. It is also known as unplanned
maintenance. I t is the maintenance carried out with no predetermined plan.
Contingencies maintenance can also be defined as maintenance resulting from unforeseen
breakdown or damage due to external causes such works are accidental and may include
power failure, broken water pipes or vandalized building facilities. (4mark)
c. Mention two situations that could warrant the need for corrective maintenance after
preventive maintenance has been successfully carried out. Corrective maintenance does
occur even after preventive maintenance is done because of the following: i. Defective of
substandard parts ii. Misuse of mechanical and electrical equipment iii. Mistakes by
technicians and contractor (4marks)
d. Write exhaustively on predictive maintenance. Predictive maintenance: This is

preventive in nature. Recent advancements in sensing technology have given rise to

predictive maintenance. This maintenance strategy relies on data analysis and monitoring

to predict when equipment or systems are likely to fail. By using sensors and advanced

technologies, maintenance professionals can detect early signs of deterioration and

perform proactive repairs or replacements. In other words, this maintenance strategy uses

sensors to monitor the key parameters within a machine or system and uses this data in

conjunction with analyzed historical trends to continuously evaluate the system health

and predict breakdown before it happens e.g., Half-cell Potential HCP, Electro Magnetic

wave (radar). This system allows efficient maintenance to be carried out since more up to

date data can be obtained regarding how close the structure is to failure. (4marks)

4. (a) What do you understand by building deterioration. Deterioration is the gradual

disintegration of the fabrics or parts of a building on account of destructive action from

aggressive external agents and relative movements of components. (1marks)

b. List two reasons why buildings deterioration over time is inevitable. It is important to note

that, all elements of a building deteriorate at a greater or lesser rate, depending on the

materials, design adequacy, quality of workmanship, environmental conditions, function

and use of the building. In fact, all elements and components that make up a building

unavoidably deteriorate with time, because of inherent defects in design, construction and

the effects of environmental agents and users’ activities. (1mark each for any of these.

2marks totally)
c. List all the building decay agencies you know. 1. Mechanical Agents 2. Electromagnetic

Agents 3. Thermal Agents 4. Chemical Agents 5. Biological Agents 6. Human agents

(6marks)
d. Mention four categories of biological agents. i. Surface growths ii. Insect vermin iii.

Animal vermin iv. Plant agents (4marks)

e. Discuss exhaustively, how building users could cause deterioration of a building. In regards
to actions of building occupants, the following could cause deterioration, the failure to carry

out routine maintenance (e.g., sweeping, mopping etc.). One of the causes of building

maintenance that owners have little to no control over is poor treatment by occupants. For

instance, an apartment building is home to many tenants, not all of whom will take care of the

property as if it was their own. The same goes for the tenants of a commercial building.

(2marks)

5. (a) In details, explain everything you understand by building alterations. Alterations refer to

works carried out on an existing building in order to meet new requirements. Alteration

includes, but is not limited to, all minor construction; changes in facilities configuration;

fabrication, modification, removal, or installation of hardware and equipment; signs and

banners; erection, relocation, or removal of partitions, doors, and windows; changes in type of

finishes on walls, ceilings, and flooring materials, interior signage (including changes in room

numbers); installation or placement of site furnishings (for example bus shelters, benches,

bike racks, newsstands, special fencing, picnic, recreation shelters, and flagpoles); changes in

use of space (for example changing the use of a conference room to office space); installation

of equipment requiring connection to building or site utilities; and new construction or

alteration of exterior recreation areas.

An alteration could be a change from one occupancy to another, or a structural change, such

as an addition to the area or height, or the removal of a portion of a building, or any change to

the structure, such as the construction of, cutting into, or removal of any wall, partition,

column, beam, joist, floor, or other support, or a change to or closure of any required means

of ingress or egress. (3marks)

b. Mention three situations that could warrant alteration of a building. 1. Factors

unforeseeable at the design stage become possible. 2. Total or partial change of use. For

example, an office block converted to church building. 3. Change of ownership necessitating

enlargement, extension or other changes. 4. Failure of building components. 5. Changing

technological possibilities. (1mark each for any 3 = 3marks)

c. List two examples of building alteration. Common examples of alterations include:

Extension, partial demolition, linking or separating spaces, retrofitting a new component or

feature, refurbishing an existing component or feature, renovating an existing component or

feature, repairing an existing component or feature etc. (1mark each for any 2 = 2marks)
d. Mention two Initiators of alteration. 1. The building owner. 2. The building tenant (with the

owner’s permission). 3. The local authority (e.g., if it needs to take urgent action or has

instigated a compulsory purchase order). 4. Central government (e.g., changes in regulations).

(1mark each for any 2 = 2marks)

e. What do you understand by 'permitted developments'. Explain in details. Some alterations

may be considered 'permitted developments' for which planning permission is not

required (3marks)
f. What do you understand by building permit. Explain in details. Building permits is a type

of authorization that must be granted by a government or regulatory body before the

construction of a new or modification of an existing building can legally occur (2marks)

6. (a) Define building defect. Building defect is a defect or design mistake that reduces the

value of the building and could be source of danger to building users if neglected. (2marks)
b. Mention four reasons for defects in buildings. Defects occur for a vast range of reasons

such as poor workmanship, defective designs, natural deterioration and inappropriate

selection or use of materials. Other reasons include: lack of maintenance culture, ageing

of building, poor quality control and negligence. (1 mark each for any 4 = 4marks)
c. Define design defects. Design Defects: Design defects are flaws in the design of a building.

Designs are usually checked extensively for problems before construction starts, but it’s

possible to miss potential problems. If this happens, it can result in serious issues with how

the building functions. For example, every building must be able to handle water runoff. If

there is a flaw in how that runoff is handled, the building may experience flooding issues.

(2marks)
d. List all the building professionals that could be responsible in the situation of design defect.

The responsibility for defective building design lies on architects and design professionals

(structural Engineers, electrical Engineers, and mechanical Engineers) (4marks)

e. How does poor quality materials contribute to defects in buildings. Explain clearly and in

details. Poor quality materials. The use of substandard materials that do not meet required
specifications can result in defects. For example, using low-grade concrete can lead to

structural weaknesses or premature deterioration. (3marks)