1.0 Introduction

Buildings constructed for different purposes require some

amount of maintenance work. Building elements begins to

deteriorate immediately they are incorporated into a building

and the amount of maintenance required during the life time

of the building depends on the type of materials used

method of construction weather condition as well as the use

to which the building is put. Nevertheless the maintenance

of the built environment 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 builders leave the

site.

Furthermore the client’s economic interest may mark against

the elimination of high maintenance cost in the design. Case

studies undertaken by the (DOE) Committee on building

maintenance have shown that about one-third of the

maintenance work on the building investigated could have

been avoided if sufficient care had been taken at the design

stage and during construction. The design faults resulted

either from failure to appreciate how various constructional

details would perform in use or because certain parts of the

buildings that failed through normal wear and tear could not

be replaced without extensive repairs to adjacent parts. A

spokesman for the building research establishment has also

commented on the frequent failure by designers to make use

of authoritative design guides such as British Standards and

Code of Practice and the tendency to adopt a careless

attitude detail design.

Effective building requires the correct diagnosis of defects

and implementation of the correct remedial measures all

base on sound technical knowledge otherwise there can be

additional waste of materials labour and money; since the

work will in all probability have to be done again. We need

more uniformity in the method of recording maintenance

data and greater feedback of information of the performance

of materials and running cost of building in particular. In

addition the use of maintenance manuals and more regular

inspection and schemes of planned maintenance will assist in

producing more efficient maintenance work.

From the definition of maintenance it can be deduced that

need or purpose of undertaking maintenance work in the

construction industry included presenting a good

appearance retaining the value of investment ensuring

safety of the occupants maintaining the building in the

condition in which it will continue to fulfill its function.

There is no doubt that we have a poor maintenance culture

in Nigeria (Chinwokwu 2006). But just as different parts of

a vehicle or parts of human body needs to be maintained to

continue to perform there function it is at that same rate a

building needs to be maintained to enable it continue to

perform the functions for which it was originally designed.

Unfortunately there is no building that can be constructed

which requires no maintenance. If anything at all it is the

frequency and extent that differs.

Neglect of maintenance has accumulative increase in

deterioration of fabric and finishes of a building accompanied

by harmful effects on the contents and occupants. Buildings

are too valuables assets to be neglected in this way (Seeley

1987).

1.1 Aim

The aim of the study is to appraise the maintenance practice

in public building.

1.2 Objectives

The objective of this research includes:

i) To analyse the procedures for maintenance practice in

Kaduna Polytechnic

ii) To examine various formats used for maintenance

practice in Kaduna Polytechnic

iii) To identify the problems militating against maintenance

practice in Kaduna Polytechnic.

1.3 Scope

The scope of this project is basically on the assessment of

maintenance policies to public buildings (Kaduna

Polytechnic).

1.4 Significance

The study will find better maintenance policies to the

organization.

1.5 Methodology

The methods employed for carrying out this study are by use

of test books journal handout for maintenance and data

collected from the case study.