Chapter One: 1.0 Background Information

Mahamadu, Abdul-Majeed, (2008) Maintenance Appraisal of SSNIT Flats at
Asuoyeboah, Kumasi; Bsc. Thesis Building Technology Department, KNUST.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Due to the large housing deficit of about 300,000 units in Ghana

(www.habitat.org), there has been great government intervention in
the provision of housing units trough various housing schemes
managed by public institutions such as the Social Security and National
Insurance Trust (SSNIT) (www.intlhc.org).
The emergence of these schemes in recent times has led to the

construction of massive structures in planned areas in the form of
housing estates and residential flats all over the country. The
sustainability of these schemes however is largely dependent on the
ability of the various stakeholders to keep the structures in good
physical state right from construction and during the entire lifespan of
the building hence the need for maintenance. The main objective of
maintenance is to preserve a building, so as to continue to serve the
purpose for which it was put up (Hall, 1986).
There is generally a common failure to recognize the extent to which a

property represents an investment requiring protection throughout its
life (A. M. Sowden et. al, 1990). One striking feature or observation in
developing countries particularly in Africa is that even the limited
infrastructure bequeathed to these nations by colonial powers and the
few acquired after independence are not maintained and often times
left to deteriorate beyond rehabilitation (Gyan-Boakye P. Daily Graphic
Thursday, August 16th 2001, Pg.7).
Ghana’s own share of this poor maintenance culture has been
bemoaned by many including President J.A Kuffour during his annual
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address to parliament in 2001(Dapatem, D.A. Daily Graphic. Tuesday,

January 22nd, 2002. Pg. 22). From visual inspection, the state of many
public buildings have been found to be affected by the lack of
maintenance, especially with public residential facilities including
residential units in police and military barracks and estates belonging
to other public institutions such as SSNIT.
Housing units belonging to Social Security and National Insurance Trust

(SSNIT) including their residential flats at Asuoyeboah in Kumasi is
occupied by various tenants. These tenants range from workers of
various government and non-governmental organizations to private
individuals who have either purchased these buildings or are renting
them. Maintenance of these structures is therefore not directly
incumbent on the occupants.
In summary, it must be emphasized that construction of infrastructure

such as residential flats is capital intensive; the buildings are also great
national assets, there is therefore the need to maintain them
throughout their life span so as to be able to enjoy their full benefit.
This calls for studies into the causes of the lack of maintenance of
most national assets in order to suggest remedies towards
implementation of efficient maintenance for these buildings including
Asuoyeboah SSNIT FLATS.
1.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
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Governmental intervention in the housing sector has led to the

construction of several housing units providing descent
accommodation for quite a large section of the populace. These
structures therefore need to be well maintained to keep them in good
physical condition so as to maintain functionality and appearance. The
SSNIT flats at Asuoyeboah in Kumasi is no exception.
However, like many public buildings, some features associated with

lack of maintenance could be noticed at first glance. Walls generally
lack painting with algae growing on terrazzo surfaces, sewage system
also has problems causing blockages, dampness in masonry walls,
detached rendering and overflow of septic tanks and main sewers. The
lack of maintenance is however most evident in external areas with
overgrown grass gradually taking over paved areas. This has health
implications on occupants of the housing units making living in them
quite uncomfortable.
Lack of maintenance causes gradual deterioration of the buildings

which has the ability of reducing its working life thereby causing loss of
investment or causing the commitment of extra resource into
reconstruction and major renovation which hitherto could have been
put to profitable use such as construction of additional housing units.
1.2 AIM OF STUDY
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The aim of the study was to appraise the maintenance culture of the
SSNIT flats at Asuoyeboah so as to outline possible remedies or
recommendations towards the improvement of maintenance of the
facility.
1.3 OBJECTIVES
The following were the specific objectives of the study:
• To identify whether or not there was a maintenance policy;
1. If there was, analyze the maintenance policy, and
2. If there was no policy, find out how maintenance was
carried out so as to make documentation for analysis;
• To undertake a physical examination of the buildings so as to
ascertain their physical condition or state;
• To identify factors causing maintenance problems; and
• To suggest possible remedies or recommendations with the aim
of improving maintenance of the structures at the flats.
1.4 METHODOLOGY
Data relevant to the study was basically collected through the

following:
• An extensive literature review of available material relevant to
the research;
• Design and administration of questionnaires which solicited for
specific information addressing objectives;
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• Conduction of interviews with relevant stakeholders and

personnel with some knowledge of the management and
maintenance of the facility; and
• Physical examination of facility to ascertain current condition.
1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY
The research mainly focused on the maintenance of SSNIT residential

blocks of flat at Asuoyeboah in Kumasi in the Ashanti region of Ghana.
1.6 LIMITATIONS
The following were the limitations which affected to some extent the
smooth conduction of the research:
• Inability to have fruitful discourse with some tenants because of
backgrounds;
• The level of education of artisans who directly undertake
maintenance works affected their appreciation of the process
hence caused some lack of corporation;
• The unavailability of records of minor maintenance works carried
due to poor documentation of such activities.
• Difficulty in assessing other documents which were regarded by
SSNIT to be confidential despite their relevance to the study
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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 DEFINITION OF MAINTENANCE
Maintenance is defined in BS 3811: 1984 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
functions; to ‘retain’ implies that defects are prevented from
developing while to ‘restore’ means that minor defects are allowed to
occur before they are corrected (Lee How Son and George C.S. Yuen,
1993).
It could also be defined as being synonymous with controlling the

condition of a building so that its pattern lies within a specified region
(White, 1969). The term ‘specified region’ presumably has a meaning
similar to ‘acceptable standards’ and will be determined in a similar
way (Reginald Lee, 1986). The British Committee on building
maintenance in 1965 defined ‘acceptable standard’ as ‘one which
sustains the utility and value of the facility’ (Ivor Seeley, 1993).
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2.1 CLASSIFICATION OF MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS

Bs 3811:1984 subdivides maintenance activities in two broad ways:
1. Planned maintenance; and
2. Unplanned maintenance.
These two classifications and their subdivisions have been illustrated in
figure 2.0.
Maintenance
Planned Maintenance Unplanned

Maintenance
(Including emergency maintenance)
Preventive
Maintenance Corrective Maintenance
(Including emergency Maintenance)
Scheduled condition based

Maintenance Maintenance
Figure 2.O Types of maintenance

Source: BS 3811: 1984
2.1.1 Planned Maintenance

This is maintenance organized and carried out with forethought,
control and the use of records to a predetermined plan (Milne, 1985).
A. M. Sowden et. al, (1990) defines it as work undertaken in
accordance with a soundly based system of priorities, each operation
properly organized in advance.
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2.1.2 Unplanned Maintenance

This is maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan (Ivor Seeley,
1993). It refers to work necessitated by unforeseen breakdown or
damages (Aftane S, 1999).
2.1.3 The Other Categories of Maintenance

The various categories of maintenance are explained as follows:
1. Preventive Maintenance:
The maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals or
corresponding to prescribed criteria and intended to reduce the
probability failure of a facility (Ivor Seeley, 1993). It comprises of
removal of features which could initiate trouble and the rectification of
incipient defects before they cause real harm (A. M. Sowden et al,
1990)
2. Scheduled Maintenance:
The type of preventive maintenance carried out to a predetermined
interval of time, number of operations, mileage, etc (Ivor Seeley,
1993). It is preventive maintenance done when deemed necessary
through regular inspections of a building (Smith R. G, 1993).
3. Condition-based Maintenance:
The preventive maintenance initiated as a result of knowledge of the
condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring (Ivor
Seeley, 1993). It is done when deemed necessary through regular
inspections of the building (Smith R. G, 1993).
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4. Emergency Maintenance:
According to Ivor Seeley, (1993) it is maintenance which is necessary
to put in hand immediately to avoid serious consequences; it could
also be referred to as day-to-day maintenance.
5. Corrective Maintenance:
Smith R. G, (1993) defines this kind of maintenance as that carried out
after a failure has occurred and intended to restore an item to a state
in which it can perform its required functions. It can be said to be the
work done to restore the integrity of a damaged part (A.M.Sowden,
1990).
Another approach to maintenance classification has been adopted by

Speight, (1982) who subdivided maintenance into four broad
categories stated as follows:
• Major repair or restoration: ‘such as re-roofing or rebuilding

defective walls and often incorporating an element of
improvement’.
• Periodic maintenance: ‘a typical example being annual
contracts for decorations and the like’.
• Routine or day to day maintenance: ‘which is largely of
preventive nature, such as checking and servicing mechanical
and electrical installations’.
• Running maintenance: ‘maintenance which can be carried out
while an item or facility is in service’.
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2.2 COMPONENTS OF MAINTENANCE

Ivor Seeley, (1993) categories the main components as servicing,
rectification and replacement.
2.2.1 Servicing
It is essentially a cleaning operation undertaken at regular intervals of
varying frequency and is sometimes termed day-to-day maintenance
(Ivor Seeley, 1993). It may include activities such as cleaning and
inspection of facilities and components (Lee How Son and George C. S
Yuen, 1993).
2.2.2 Rectification
Rectification work may be needed quite early in the life of the building
because of design shortcomings, inherent faults in the use of materials
or faulty construction (Lee How Son and George C. S Yuen, 1993). It
represents a fruitful point at which maintenance cost can be reduced
because it is avoidable (Afrane S, 1999).
2.2.3 Replacement
Replacement is inevitable because service conditions cause materials
to decay at different rates (Ivor Seeley, 1993). Physical breakdown of
materials or elements as well as deterioration in appearance may
necessitate replacement (Afrane S, 1999). According to Ivor Seeley
(1993) the frequency of replacement could often be reduced by the
use of better quality material and components, but the economics of
this however, merit careful study.
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2.3 OBJECTIVES OF MAINTENANCE
A prime aim of maintenance is to preserve a building in its initial state

as far as practicable, so that it effectively serves its purpose (Ivor
Seeley 1993). Alternatively Hall, (1986) states that the main objective
of maintenance is to preserve a building so as to continue to serve the
purpose for which it was put up. Ivor Seeley, (1993) further states
some of the main purposes of maintenance are as follows:
• Retaining value of investment;

• maintaining the building in a condition in which it continues to
fulfill its functions; and
• presenting a good appearance.
2.4 FACTORS AFFECTING DECISION TO CARRY OUT

MAINTENANCE WORK
Chudley (1981) identifies the following as principal criteria which could

influence the decision to carry out maintenance work:
• Cost of the maintenance work;

• Age and condition of building;
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• Availability of resources to carry out the maintenance works;

• Urgency of work to be undertaken; and
• Future use of facility.
2.5 ROLE OF MAINTENANCE IN THE BUILDING

PROCESS
According to Lee How Son and George C.S. Yuen, (1993) the
performance of any building can be affected by decisions taken and
actions performed at any stage of the building process; right from its
initial conception to its final completion. This reflects the importance of
maintenance throughout the life of a building:
• BRIEF STAGE
The building process starts when a brief is provided to the designer
stating his requirements and constraints; the client should determine
his maintenance objectives such as economy and efficiency. A
maintenance policy can then be formulated to allow the objectives to
be achieved (Lee How Son and George C.S. Yuen, 1993).
• DESIGN STAGE
According to Ivor Seeley, (1993) good maintenance starts on the
drawing board; a skilful design can reduce the amount of maintenance
and also make it easier to carry out the maintenance work. Design
details will also affect the performance and life of components of a
building (Smith R.G, 1993). Major decisions at this stage include,
among other things selection of materials, choice of forms of
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construction, orientation of building and user requirements (Lee How

Son and George C.S. Yuen, 1993).
• CONSTRUCTION STAGE
The construction stage is the most vulnerable to the occurrence of
building defects; it requires therefore, a high level of supervision to
ensure good standards of materials and workmanship as well as
correct detailing and specification (Lee How Son and George C.S. Yuen
(1993).In weighing up the advantages of different methods of
construction, the effect of each upon ageing characteristics should
rank high among relevant factors (A.M. Sowden et al, 1990).
• USAGE AND OCCUPATION STAGE

Maintenance is needed throughout the entire period that the building
remains in use or occupation, so that its facilities are kept to a
standard consistent with overall policy (Lee How Son and George C.S.
Yuen, 1993).
• IMPROVEMENT
Eventually, a decision has to be made as to whether to demolish the
building and replace it with a new one or to improve or adapt it to
make it suitable for a new use (Reginald Lee, 1987). A survey is carried
out to determine the cost of repairs and adaptations before the
building is demolished or redeveloped (Lee How Son and George C.S.
Yuen, 1993).
In conclusion, maintenance is a very important consideration in the

building process; there is therefore a strong case for rejecting any
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functional split between those engaged on design, construction and

maintenance, for the integration of all aspects of the provision and
management of structures, especially within a single organization (A. M
Sowden et al, 1990).
2.6 DETERIORATION OF BUILDINGS

Buildings deteriorate from the moment they are constructed and will
provide progressively poorer shelter unless maintained (Smith R.G,
1993). It is not surprising therefore that defects and failures occur
frequently (Lee How Son and George C. S Yuen, 1993).
2.6.1 Building Defects

A building defect may be defined as an imperfection, deficiency or fault
in a building element or component which adversely affects functional
performance or appearance (Reginald Lee, 1987).
2.6.2 Diagnosis of Defects

Building diagnostics: involves a process in which relevant experts
investigate the existing conditions of a building, carry out the
necessary tests, evaluate the data collected, make recommendations
professionally and predict the future performance of the building (Lee
How Son and George C.S. Yuen, 1993). The general approach is to
examine carefully all symptoms, consider all the probable causes by a
process of elimination, identify the true cause and its sources and
decide on the appropriate remedial action (Reginald Lee, 1987).
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2.6.3 Causes and Sources of Deterioration and Defects on

Buildings
Afrane S, (1999) names the two potential causes of deterioration and
defects as primary causes and primary source.
1. Primary causes :
Faulty design: a variety of unrelated design decisions may result in
defects in the fabric of a building; for example unsuitable material,
incorrect assessment of load and orientation of building can contribute
to faster deterioration (Afrane S, 1999). Research by the Building
Research Advisory Service (Great Britain) in the 1970’s confirmed that
the single type of fault in buildings was in making wrong choice of
materials or components for a particular situation (Building Research
Establishment Digest, 176, April 1976)
Faulty execution: site personnel can be just as guilty of promoting

deterioration of buildings by bad workmanship, inadequate supervision
and substitution of poor materials, components or fittings (Lee How
Son and George C. S Yuen, 1993). Resultantly, the intentions of the
designer may not be properly realized (Afrane S, 1999).
Vandalism: is usually caused by intentional damage and

disfigurement resulting in the natural life of material or component
being reduced (Afrane S, 1999). Any act of vandalism will affect the
aesthetic appearance of the material or component and reduce its
lifespan (lee How Son and George C. S Yuen, 1993).
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2. Primary sources
Biological agents: include attack by rodents insects, fungi, algae and
plants may cause serious deterioration in various parts of a building
(Lee How Son and George C. S Yuen, 1993). These are usually
corrected by correct detailing, use of resistant materials and suitable
pre-treatment of affected materials (Afrane S,1999).
Abrasion and impact: according to Afrane S, (1999) relate mainly to

wall, floor finishes and doors; and are usually caused by: pedestrian
traffic, vehicular traffic and dragging of furniture and Equipment on the
floor.
Corrosion: is the result of the inability of some metals which tend to

achieve a more stable state by combining with certain environmental
elements such as air, water soil and carbon dioxide. (Lee How Son
1993). Carbon dioxide for example can allow corrosion of
reinforcement especially in moist conditions (Smith R .G, 1993).
User activities: cause defects through unintentional misuse because

of lack of information on the correct use (Reginald Lee, 1987). The
daily use of building by its occupants imposes loads which cause the
structure to deteriorate (Smith R.G, 1993).
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2.7 MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT
The various components of Building Maintenance Management is

illustrated in Figure 2.1 below:
Activities of Management
Estate management Other forms of management
Maintenance Property
management management
Figure 2.1 Components of Building Maintenance Management
Source: Building Maintenance Management 3rd Edition by Reginald

Lee, 1987.
Estate management: which involves the management of built asset

embraces two main forms of management: Property management
and Maintenance management (Lee How Son and George S. Yuen,
1993).
According to Lee How Son and George C. S Yuen, (1993) property
management is an economic service designed to create the greatest
possible net return from a land and its buildings, taken together over
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their remaining economic life; while maintenance management on

the other hand involves the organization of resources to deal with the
problem of maintenance. Maintenance management has also been
defined as the organization of maintenance within an agreed policy (A.
M Sowden et al 1990).
2.7.1 Maintenance organization

Organization is alternatively defined by the Cambridge Advanced
learner’s dictionary as “a group people who work together in a
structured way for a shared purpose or the planning of an activity or
event. In the maintenance context, it is used to describe the person or
persons responsible for planning and controlling of maintenance
operations (Reginald Lee, 1986).
Planning: Despite the common approach of waiting until a defect is

reported to the maintenance organization, there is growing interest in
applying planned preventive maintenance (Ivor Seeley, 1993).
Maintenance plans are schedules usually in tabulated form, which set
out realistic action plans (in terms of time) for anticipated regular
repair, maintenance and sustained enhancement of a building
(www.rics.org).
Control: according to Ivor Seeley, (1993) the management process of

control should incorporate the following activities:
1. Setting performance standards;
2. Measuring actual performance and comparing it with the
standard; and
3. Taking appropriate remedial action in the event of actual
performance deviating standard.
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2.7.2 Maintenance Organization for Large Residential Facilities

Any large housing authority should have a plan for maintenance, and
keep a record of maintenance actually carried out on each property so
as to facilitate the reporting and dealing with maintenance request
from building occupiers (Smith R.G, 1993). These requests from
occupiers According to Ivor Seeley, (1993) could be in the form of the
following:
1. Telephone calls;
2. Tenants returning pre-paid complaint card;
3. Letter from tenant;
4. Officer of local authority finding defect; and
5. Tenants notifying defect in person to officer in-charge.
2.7.3 Maintenance Policy
BS 3811: 1984 defines maintenance policy as a strategy within which

decisions on maintenance are taken. Alternatively, it may be defined
as the ground rules for the allocation of resources between the
alternative types of maintenance actions that are available to
management (Reginald Lee, 1987). Based on a study on local authority
housing in Britain, Ivor Seeley (1993), groups the criterion that
influences maintenance policy as follows:
• Social: to provide a quick maintenance service to high standards

of quality;
• Financial: to invest funds in activities in the most efficient
manner;
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• Technical: to maintain property at a level deemed necessary

after thorough and regular technical survey; and
• To provide continuous employment for certain operatives within
a fixed budget.
2.8 ECONOMICS OF MAINTENANCE

According to Ivor Seeley, (1993) economics examines the process
whereby scarce resources such as finance and capital are allocated
among the various competing claims on their use; therefore it follows
that decisions will have to be made as to the level and nature of
maintenance expenditure all the time. A building owner can reasonably
expect a designer to provide a building which will satisfactorily meet
his needs and will secure a reasonable balance between first (initial)
and future costs (Ivor Seeley, 1993); the basic concept is that decisions
on design and acquisition of durable assets should take into account
the long term financial consequences and not be based solely on initial
costs (Reginald Lee, 1987).
Smith R.G, (1993) groups the cost of ownership of a building

throughout its serviceable life as initial cost, occupancy cost and
maintenance cost. As further explain by Reginald Lee (1987), it is
called life cycle costs (LCC). Life cycle costing as a technique takes
account of all the groups of cost during the buildings lifespan; makes
allowances for anticipated inflation rates and interest rates in
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calculating the cost of works to be done in later years (Smith R. G,

1993).
The interdependence and interrelationship of initial and user costs are

of prime importance when planning maintenance expenditure (Ivor
Seeley, 1993). It is also worthy of noting that maintenance
management depends not only upon such technical aspects as the
nature, extent and timing of work but equally critically upon proper
planning and control of resources especially finance (A . M .Sowden et
al, 1990).
2.9 BUILDING MAINTENANCE IN GHANA

Ghana has a very rich culture in terms of tradition
(www.wikepidia.com). Unfortunately same cannot be said about the
Ghanaian maintenance culture (Kisseih-Kwao, P. Weekly Spectator,
Saturday, 14th Oct. 2006 Pg. 2). A report by Afrane S, (1999) on
building maintenance in Ghana confirmed there is a real housing
maintenance problem in Ghana.
In Ghana governmental intervention and policies has been in respect

of the provision of new building to the detriment of the old stock (Seg-
ib S. M, 2007). Due to the neglect of the maintenance aspect, most of
the housing stock in the country is characterized by disrepair and
breakdown of services (Afrane S, Journal of Applied Sciences and
Technology, Volume 7, 2002: Pg 95). Resultantly, this low response to
maintenance has lead to the deplorable state of structures (Bilal
Nurudeen, 2007). Typically of the Ghanaian attitude, state property
and other private property is left to waste only for huge sums of money
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to be pumped into their renovation and rehabilitation (Kesseih-kwao, P.

Weekly Spectator, Saturday 14th October, 2006, Pg. 2).
2.9.1 Statutory Regulations Affecting Maintenance in Ghana

Section 2 (1) (b) of the local government Act 1993 (Act 462) authorizes
assemblies (local government councils) to make building by-laws which
must affect the execution of work on and in relation to existing
structures and streets (John Akatse, 2006).
2.9.2 Causes of Lack of Maintenance in Ghana

The following factors were identified as some of the factors causing the
maintenance problem in a research by Afrane S, (1999) on Building
Maintenance in Ghana.
• Lack of maintenance culture

It is generally not in the mind-set of property owners that the building
they put up requires regular maintenance (Afrane S, 1999). The
general perception has been to acquire property without schedules or
plans to maintain them during the service period (Afrane S, Journal of
Applied Science and Technology, Volume 7, 2002 Pg. 100).
• Lack of funds and high maintenance cost

Although many authorities pay lip service to the notion of
maintenance, few have the resources to carry it out (Smith R.G, 1993).
Poor maintenance in Ghana can be attributed to lack of and
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inadequacy of funds probably because of very high cost of

maintenance (Afrane S, 1999).
• Poor construction work

Construction personnel can be as guilty of promoting deterioration of
buildings through bad workmanship, inadequate supervision and the
substitution of poor materials, components or fittings (Lee How son
and George C. S Yuen, 1993). In Ghana it can be observed in poor
quality government built residential areas (Afrane S, 1999).
• Occupancy
Documentary evidence indicates that Ghana’s accumulated housing
backlog is over 300,000 units with a majority of Ghanaians living in
overcrowded houses (www.habitatghana.org). The high occupancy
level in certain areas is characterized by relatively poor maintenance
as compared to less crowded areas, giving credence to the negative
effect of high occupancy (Afrane S, Journal of Applied Science and
Technology, Volume 7, 2002, Pg. 101).
• Lack of maintenance skill

There is no doubt that the ability to identify symptoms for premature
failure has an impact on the scope and quality remediation. (Kangwa
and Olubodun, 1999). In Ghana however research in 1999 by Afrane. S
revealed that most house owners lack basic maintenance skills; the
implication therefore is that all maintenance problems have to be
attended to by someone else, which does not only delay maintenance
activity but also aggravates the cost of maintenance.
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2.10 BUILDING MAINTENANCE IN OTHER DEVELOPING

COUNTRIES
Housing is one of the most valuable assets of any country (Smith R.G,
1993). Generally, in developing countries the construction sector
ranks among the largest sectors of the economy (Lee How Son and
George C. S Yuen, 1993). However many of the housing authorities in
these countries have allocated the major part of the budget to
construct of new building and minimal amounts have been set aside
for maintenance purposes (Smith R.G, 1993).
A casual stroll around a city or town or village in almost every

developing country today suggests that, many important national
capital assets, such as school and civic buildings are dilapidated
beyond the point of repair (Miles, D. and P. Syagga, 1987). For
example, a housing condition survey on 600 houses in Nairobi Kenya
by Syagga and Aligula, (1993) ranked lack of maintenance highest
among the causes of defects in Kenyan buildings. This is illustrated in
the table 2.0 below:
Causes Proportion
%
Lack of maintenance 25
Poor materials choice or 20
quality
Poor standard of workmanship 17
Misuse by occupants 17
Vandalism 7
Advanced age 7
Poor design 5
Dampness 2
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Table 2.0 Causes of defects in Nairobi (Kenya) Buildings

Source: Nairobi housing condition survey report for the University of
Nairobi and Building Research Establishment (BRE) 1993).
2.11 THE APPROACH TO BUILDING MAINTENANCE IN

DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
According to Lee How Son and George C. S Yuen (1993), the most
direct detriment in developed countries is the increasing stock of
buildings which need to be maintained. This they say is because as a
country becomes developed new construction will slow and the upkeep
of existing buildings and other facilities becomes increasingly more
important. The following is the various approaches adapted by certain
developed countries to aid in the maintenance of buildings.
2.11.1 Management of Public Residential Facilities (Singapore)

Over 80% of Singaporeans live in Public housing units managed mainly
be the Housing Development Board (HDB) (www. wikipedia.org).
The Board Builds and maintains houses commonly called HDB flats,
however in 1988 when Town Councils were formed the responsibility in
the area of maintenance was handed over to them
(www.unpan1.un.org).
The following activities are undertaken by town councils in Singapore.

• Daily refuse removal, sweeping and washing of common areas;
• Fortnightly lift services;
• Re-roofing every 10 years;
• Re-painting every 3 – 5 years; and
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• Water pump servicing every 45 days (www.unpan1.un.org).
Condominium Housing: the Oxford Advanced Learners dictionary

defines condominium as an apartment building in which each flat or
apartment is owned by the person living in it but the building and
shared areas are owned by everyone together. Many large
condominium housing developments took place in the 1970’s in
Singapore (Ivor Seeley, 1993). According to Ivor Seeley (1993), these
condominiums are managed by management corporations (HDB),
whose main duties include maintaining the common property to keep
them in serviceable repair; recovery of sums expended by the
corporation from flat owners in respect of their apartment and
establish a management of a fund to cover for administrative charges.
2.11.2 Information on Building Maintenance (Great Britain)

Information is very vital in the management of any process.
Maintenance information has to be collected, collated, presented and
be easily retrieved; capable of direct application in problem solving
and decision taking (Ivor Seeley, 1993). In recognition of this, the
Building Maintenance Information Limited (BMI) was established in
Britain. It is a non trading company and was incorporated in 1974
(www. ukdata.com). The building maintenance information limited is
administered by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to
help maintenance mangers and property administrators in Britain in
the maintenance of property; providing information and feedback (Ivor
Seeley, 1993).
Information is a key component of long term maintenance care

(Kangwa and Olubodun, 1999). As cited in Building maintenance by
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Ivor Seeley (1993), Building Maintenance Limited (BMI) provides the

following services to the maintenance managers in Britain:
• Supply of general information on cost, labour, material and
equipment control, legislation and statistics on maintenance;
and
• Factual Reports on typical situations and remedial actions.
2.11.3 Maintenance Manuals (Finland)

When a building is completed and handed over, at least the essential
information for maintenance should made available to the building
user (Kangwa J and Olubodun F, 1999). A convenient form of doing
this as prescribed by Ivor Seeley, (1993) is the use of the maintenance
manual. The members of the design, cost management and
construction team on any project should be responsible for compiling a
building maintenance manual for handing over to a building owner who
takes possession of newly-completed project (www.rics.org).
In recognition of the importance of maintenance manuals, it has been

mandatory for all state buildings, and privately owned buildings to
have them since the year 2000 in Finland (www. ymparisto.fi).
27 | P a g e
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.0 RESEARCH APPROACH
The collection of data necessary for this research generally followed
the procedure outlined below:
Preliminary Survey: General information and data pertaining to

Asuoyeboah and the SSNIT flats was sourced through visual inspection,
interviews and review of relevant written data on the area. This
formed basis for design of further mechanisms necessary for data
collection such as design of questionnaire.
Design and Development of questionnaire: The questionnaires

were designed to solicit for information towards addressing the
28 | P a g e
objectives of the study. Their design was such that they would solicit
information on how maintenance is carried out and managed; factors
causing lack of maintenance and identification of common
maintenance problems. There were two main categories of
respondents:
a. To personnel responsible for maintenance of the flats; and
b. Occupants of the flats.
Development of Physical Examination Procedure: An appropriate

procedure was developed based on study of inspection procedure for
certain institutions in The United Kingdom. Inspection sheets were then
designed for this purpose. Per this procedure the elements within the
buildings were given condition ratings to ascertain the general physical
state of the entire building.
Sampling: Various sampling techniques were used to get adequate

samples, representative of the entire population. Different sampling
techniques were used because the various elements within the
population exhibited peculiar characteristics which made one
technique more suitable than the other.
Filed Survey: A pilot survey was conducted first of all in order to test
the questionnaires; correct all ambiguities and add omitted aspects.
The actual field survey was then conducted to solicit data for analysis.
In addition to the questionnaire administration and physical
examination of the buildings, interviews were conducted with
individuals thought to have knowledge relevant to the study.
3.1 PRELIMINARY FIELD SURVEY
29 | P a g e
Kumasi is the capital of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Asouyeboah can

be found within the Kumasi Metropolis. Its population as at the
beginning of the year 2008 stood at 36,167 (source; Ghana Statistical
Service). Asuoyeboah has a housing stock of 1,358 houses,
accommodating 3,217 households (source; Population and Housing
Census- PHC 2000).
The SSNIT flats at Asuoyeboah consist of 23 blocks, 544 flats housing

an estimated 544 households. The 23 blocks of flats is made up of two
main types, the first consisting of 13 blocks being the old blocks (built
in year 1990) with an average of 30 apartments within each block
consisting of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three- bedroom
apartments. The remaining 10 blocks are the new blocks of flats (built
in the year 2000) and contain 16, 2-bedroom apartments each. The
occupants of these flats range from workers of Government and Non-
Governmental organizations to private individuals who have either
purchased or are renting them (source; SSNIT Estate Department).
Maintenance of the flats is managed by a four-man estate team in the
Area Office of SSNIT in Kumasi headed by an Estate Manager.
3.2 SAMPLING
The sampling methods used were cluster sampling for the
administration of questionnaire to occupants of the flats and
judgmental sampling for administration of questionnaire to personal
responsible for maintenance. The entire population (complete
census) comprising all the blocks within estate was however used
during physical examination of the buildings.
30 | P a g e
Cluster Sampling: The entire flats were divided into 23 clusters

each block representing a cluster because there are 23 blocks at the
flats.
Judgmental sampling: Based on preliminary survey only the Estate

Manager was used as a respondent. This was because all other
personal lacked knowledge of critical information needed for the study.
This was due to factors such their general understanding of
maintenance, their level of education and the extent of their
involvement in the management of maintenance at the flats.
Complete Census: The entire population was used in the physical

examination of the buildings. This was because the number of
buildings (blocks) which is 23 was thought not to be too much to
warrant any sampling.
3.2.1 Determination of Sample Size

For the questionnaire administration to personnel responsible for
maintenance of the flats (Judgmental sampling) one (1) respondent
was chosen from these officials; for the physical examination
(complete census) Twenty Three (23) buildings being the entire
number of blocks at the flats was used. However for questionnaire
administration to occupants of the flats (cluster sampling) sample size
was determined using the Kish Formula recommended by Kish Leslie,
(1965).The computation is as flows:
n = n' ∕ (1+ n' ∕ N)

n' = S2 ∕ V2
31 | P a g e
Where,
n = Sample size
N = Total number of Apartments at SSNIT Flats, Asuoyeboah (544
flats)
V= The desired level of precision ±5%= (0.05)
S2= Max standard development of population element (using max
variability of p=.5 at confidence level of 95%)
p= the proportion of population elements that belong to the defined
class.
S2= P (1- P)
=0.5(1-0.5)
= 0.25
n'=S2 ∕ V2
0.25 ∕ 0.052
=
100
N = n' ∕ (1+n' ∕ N)
= 100
(1+ 100 ∕ 544)
= 84.47
= 85
Adjustment:
Based on review on similar research notably by Akatse John(2006) and
Bilal Nurudeen (2007) which had response rate of about 80%, an
assumption of 80% response rate was made; meaning 20 %( 0.2) were
likely not to respond to questionnaires. As a result the sample size will
be multiplied by a factor of 1.2 to cater for the likelihood of non
-response.
85×1.2
=102
32 | P a g e
3.3 QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTRATION

Based on the number of questionnaire required to be distributed as
determined in 3.2.1, the appropriate allocation to the various
elements within the population(s) was computed and is shown in this
section.
3.3.1 Official Responsible for Maintenance:

A questionnaire was given to the Estate Manager at the SSNIT Area
office in Kumasi.
3.3.2 Occupants of Flats

The total number to be distributed to the occupants of the flats was
102 however there are too main categories of flats. These are the new
blocks and the old blocks. The computation of the appropriate
allocation of the 102 questionnaires to residents in the old blocks and
new blocks is shown respectively below:
Total number distributed to apartments in old blocks of flats

Sample size (n) x Number of flats in old block
Population (N)
= 102 x 384
544
= 72 respondents/ apartments
Total number distributed to apartments in new block

Sample size (n) x Number of flats in old block
33 | P a g e
Population (N)
= 102 x 160
544
= 30 respondents/ apartments
OLD BLOCKS
There is an average of 30 apartments in each block in the old block of
flats and therefore 3 blocks were picked out of the 13 blocks to
achieve the distribution of questionnaires to the 72 respondents
(apartments) allocated for that section. The three flats were chosen
through randomly selected chits labelled from 1 to 13. Blocks 3, 7 and
10 were picked and per the procedure for cluster sampling,
questionnaires were distributed to every occupant within the three
blocks (3, 7 and 10).
NEW BLOCKS
There are 16 apartments in each block in the new block of flats and
therefore 2 blocks were picked out of the 10 blocks (block14 to 23) to
achieve the distribution of questionnaires to the 30 respondents
(apartments) allocated for that section. The two flats were chosen
through randomly selected chits labelled from 14 to 23. Blocks 16 and
20 were picked and per the procedure for cluster sampling,
questionnaires were distributed to every occupant within the two
blocks (16 and 20)
3.4 PHYSICAL EXAMINATION PROCEDURE

Each of the 23 blocks was carefully examined; defects noticed on each
element documented and photographed. The elements examined
were the:
1. Foundation;
34 | P a g e
2. Floors;
3. Walls;
4. Windows;
5. Doors;
6. Plumbing installation;
7. Electrical installation;
8. Roof; and
9. Immediate external areas.
Based on the condition rating adapted by East Sussex County
Council (United Kingdom) in their corporate building maintenance
policy, the condition of each of the elements was rated as in Table
3.0.
A Good Performing as intended and operating efficiently

B Satisfactor Performing as intended but showing minor
y deterioration
C Poor Showing major defects and/or not operating as
intended
D Bad Life expired and/or serious risk of imminent failure
Table 3.0: Condition Rating for Building Inspection

Source: East Sussex County Council, Corporate Building Maintenance
Policy, Strategy & Resources - www.eastsussex.gov.uk
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS AND JOURNALS
Afrane, S. (1999), “Building maintenance in Ghana: analysis of

problems, practices and policy perspectives”, Final Report submitted to
the World Bank under the Universities Research Fund Programme of
the Ministry of Education, Accra,
35 | P a g e
Afrane S (2002), Maintenance of residential Building in Ghana;

Analysis of problems, causes and policy interventions. Journal of
Applied Science and Technology, Volume 7.
A.M Sowden et al. (1990), The maintenance of Brick and stone

masonry structures. E and F. N SPOH
British Standards Institute, BS 3811:1984.
Building Research Establishment (BRE) ,Failure Patterns and

implications, Digest 176 (1975).
George T. Hall (1984), Revision notes on building maintenance.

Macmillan Press Ltd
Israel, Glenn D (1992). Determining Sample size. Program

Evaluation and Organizational Development, IFAS, University of Florida.
PEOD-6. October.
Ivor H. Seeley (1993), Building Maintenance (2nd Edition). Macmillan

Press Ltd.
James Douglas (2002), Building Adaptation. Butterworth Heinemann.
Kangwa, J., Olubodun, F (1999), "The jigsaw puzzle of housing

disrepair in the owner-occupied sector: searching for the missing
piece", RICS Research, Cutting Edge Conference, RICS 1999, London.
Kish, Leslie (1965), Survey Sampling. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Lee How Son and George C. S Yuen (1993), Building Maintenance

Technology ( 3RD Edition). Macmillan Press Ltd
Miles, D. and P. Syagga (1987), Building Maintenance: A

Management Manual. Intermediate Technology Publications.
Reginald Lee (1987), Building Maintenance Management (3rd

Edition). BSP Professional Books.
36 | P a g e
R. Chudley (1981), The Maintenance and adaptation of buildings.

Paintmakers Association.
Smith R G (1993), Maintenance of Low cost Buildings, Overseas

Building Note, Building Research Establishment 013H200 Gatston, BRE.
Speight and G. Stone (1982), The law of defective premises, Pitman.
Syagga P. M and Aligula E (1993), Nairobi housing condition survey:

report for the University of Nairobi and the Building Research
Establishment (BRE), Garston.
THESIS
John Akatse (2006), An investigation into the factors inhibiting the
effective maintenance of public buildings-Case study: KNUST staff
bungalows. Unpublished Bsc. Thesis, Department of Building
Technology, KNUST, Kumasi.
Nurudeen Bilal (2007), Maintenace of Public Buildings: A case study
of some selected public structures in the New Juabeng Municipality-
Koforidua. Unpublished Bsc. Thesis, Department of Building
Technology, KNUST, Kumasi.
Seg-Ib Sylvester Mwinbeyiire (2007), Factors causing lack of
maintenance: Wa Regional Hospital. Unpublished Bsc. Thesis,
Department of Building Technology, KNUST, Kumasi.
WEB DOCUMENTS
Building Maintenance Information Ltd
http://www.ukdata.com/creditreports/viewcompanyDetails.do ?
37 | P a g e
(viewed 20th January 2008)
East Sussex County Council

Corporate Building Maintenance Policy, Strategy & Resources
http://www.eastssex.gov.uk (viewed 1st February2008)
Ghanaian Culture:
http:www.wikipedia.org/wiki/culture_of_Ghana.html (viewed 23rd
February 2008)
Housing Development Board (HDB)-Singapore:

http://en.wikepedia.org/wiki/Housing_and_Development_Board.
(viewed 22th January2008)
Land and Property Markets in Ghana

http://www.intlhc.org/wuf/land_property_ghana.pdf
Public Housing in Singapore - Functions of HDB:

http://www.unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/U
NPAN003582.pdf. (viewed 1st February2008)
Questionnaire on sustainable building in Europe–Finland:

http.w.w.w.ymparisto.fi (viewed 23rd February 2008)
The urgency of building maintenance management in South

Africa with specific reference to low cost housing:
http://www.rics.org/NR/rdonlyres/4363A464-064B-4461-9C45-
FDFF8B772874/0/urgency_of_building_maintenance_management_199
70101.pdf. (viewd 23rd February 2008)
38 | P a g e
Habitat for Ghana:

http://www.habitat.org/intl/ame/79.aspx.(viewed 23rd March 2008)
39 | P a g e

Chapter One: 1.0 Background Information

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Mahamadu, Abdul-Majeed, (2008) Maintenance Appraisal of SSNIT Flats at

Asuoyeboah, Kumasi; Bsc. Thesis Building Technology Department, KNUST.

Due to the large housing deficit of about 300,000 units in Ghana

The emergence of these schemes in recent times has led to the

There is generally a common failure to recognize the extent to which a

address to parliament in 2001(Dapatem, D.A. Daily Graphic. Tuesday,

Housing units belonging to Social Security and National Insurance Trust

In summary, it must be emphasized that construction of infrastructure

1.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Governmental intervention in the housing sector has led to the

However, like many public buildings, some features associated with

Lack of maintenance causes gradual deterioration of the buildings

1.2 AIM OF STUDY

Data relevant to the study was basically collected through the

• Conduction of interviews with relevant stakeholders and

1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY

The research mainly focused on the maintenance of SSNIT residential

It could also be defined as being synonymous with controlling the

2.1 CLASSIFICATION OF MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS

Planned Maintenance Unplanned

Scheduled condition based

Figure 2.O Types of maintenance

2.1.1 Planned Maintenance

2.1.2 Unplanned Maintenance

2.1.3 The Other Categories of Maintenance

Another approach to maintenance classification has been adopted by

• Major repair or restoration: ‘such as re-roofing or rebuilding

2.2 COMPONENTS OF MAINTENANCE

2.3 OBJECTIVES OF MAINTENANCE

A prime aim of maintenance is to preserve a building in its initial state

• Retaining value of investment;

2.4 FACTORS AFFECTING DECISION TO CARRY OUT

Chudley (1981) identifies the following as principal criteria which could

• Cost of the maintenance work;

• Availability of resources to carry out the maintenance works;

2.5 ROLE OF MAINTENANCE IN THE BUILDING

construction, orientation of building and user requirements (Lee How

• USAGE AND OCCUPATION STAGE

In conclusion, maintenance is a very important consideration in the

functional split between those engaged on design, construction and

2.6 DETERIORATION OF BUILDINGS

2.6.1 Building Defects

2.6.2 Diagnosis of Defects

2.6.3 Causes and Sources of Deterioration and Defects on

Faulty execution: site personnel can be just as guilty of promoting

Vandalism: is usually caused by intentional damage and

Abrasion and impact: according to Afrane S, (1999) relate mainly to

Corrosion: is the result of the inability of some metals which tend to

User activities: cause defects through unintentional misuse because

2.7 MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT

The various components of Building Maintenance Management is

Estate management Other forms of management

Figure 2.1 Components of Building Maintenance Management

Source: Building Maintenance Management 3rd Edition by Reginald

Estate management: which involves the management of built asset

their remaining economic life; while maintenance management on

2.7.1 Maintenance organization

Planning: Despite the common approach of waiting until a defect is

Control: according to Ivor Seeley, (1993) the management process of

2.7.2 Maintenance Organization for Large Residential Facilities

2.7.3 Maintenance Policy

BS 3811: 1984 defines maintenance policy as a strategy within which