PART II

MAINTENANCE AND FACILITY MANAGEMENT

AIM/GOAL: This is to Acquaint Students and Practitioners with the

Background Knowledge of:
1. Understanding the Importance of Planned, Preventive and Organised
Maintenance and Improvement Projects
2. Knowing How to Plan and Prepare Contract Documents and Programmes
for Maintenance and Improvements Works
3. Knowing the Essentials of Estate Management

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 Purpose of Maintenance
Topic Summary

For knowledge acquisition and skill application, this topic broadly:

Provides and discusses purposes of facility maintenance with practical examples

Topic’s Practice Questions

1. One of the following is not a purpose of facility maintenance: (a) ensuring

continuous service delivery, (b) preventing total service failure in a systemic
facility, (c) distorting market values of rented facilities, (d) forecasting or
predicting a facility's service state.

2. Which of the following is not valid? (a) regular maintenance enhances market
values of rented facilities, (b) regular maintenance activities retain values of leased
premises, (c) maintenance activities retain market values of hired property, and (d)
packaging is not essential to property marketing strategies.

3. Periodic property maintenance is a contractual requirement between ________ (a)

lessee and the lessor, (b) the property owner and the tenant, (c) the property owner
and the occupants, (d) all of the above.

4. Which of the following is not valid? (a) one of the maintenance bylaws stipulates
that maintenance of rented facilities is vested in the tenants, (b) the tenants bear the
cost of repairing, (c) the tenants bear the cost of replacing, (d) all the above are
valid.

5. Preventive maintenance strategies ensure the following except_______ (a)

elimination of downtime, (b) non-failure of industrial escalators, (c) non-reliability
of the elevator, (d) availability of facility services.

6. Which of the following is not a preventive maintenance strategy? (a) time-based,

(b) risk-based, (c) emergency maintenance, (d) predictive maintenance.

7. Briefly explain the following maintenance strategies and provide examples for
more straightforward explanations. (a) time-based, (b) condition-based, (c)
predictive maintenance, (d) risk-based.

8. Continuous updating of historic facilities ensures retention of their values. Discuss.

Cite five examples.

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 9. One purpose of facility maintenance is discouraging slum development in private
properties. Discuss and cite five examples.

[Link] perpetuates trending styles and vogues in building assets. Discuss and
cite five examples.

[Link] the advantages or otherwise of regular facility maintenance.

[Link] the following replacement strategies and illustrate each with examples. (a)
group replacement, (b) age replacement, (c) optional replacement, and (d) block
replacement.

READING NOTE

1. Introduction

Buildings and other infrastructural facilities are provided to meet one objective
performance or the other. These infrastructural facilities perform maximally when newly
installed. With ageing, the facilities begin experiencing reduced service outputs due to
several factors. The environments surrounding the facilities in their installed positions,
their inbuilt flaws resulting from design or construction, the impact of facility users, and
natural phenomena such as wars, earthquakes or vandalism are some of the deterioration
agents inhibiting the facility’s maximum service outputs. Continuous reduction in a
facility's service outputs reduces the value (economic, social or structural) of the facility.
Therefore, regular facility maintenance optimises service delivery and retains or improves
values throughout its lifespan.

2. Purposes of Facility Maintenance

Maintenance operations are carried out on infrastructural facilities for several reasons,
some of which are highlighted below.
a. Maintenance Prevents Service Breakdown in Facilities
Preventive or proactive facility maintenance ensures continuous and uninterrupted quality
services from the facilities. A facility manager has different preventive maintenance
options to meet the required service challenges.
i. A time-based maintenance policy ensures continuous service delivery of age-
related facilities, especially those with known service lifespans. Maintenance
operations involve scheduled replacement or cleaning of frequently failed facilities
with known service lifespans. Four methods of time-based maintenance operations
are group replacement, age replacement, optional replacement, and block
replacement.
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ii. The finding maintenance method aims to prevent total service failure in a systemic
facility (such as a power supply) by identifying, detecting, and replacing subset
items (e.g., fuse, engine oil, piston, and rings) before failure occurs.
iii. The purpose of the condition-based preventive maintenance method is to identify
physical signs or evidence of potential failure of facilities to intervene in their
deterioration process before failure occurs. Such service deterioration signs or
evidence include possible changes in the facility's colour, texture, weight or shape.
iv. The predictive maintenance method aims to forecast or predict a facility's service
state, using appropriate technology to forestall future breakdowns in service
delivery. Non-destructive tests on concrete determine its reliability and the possible
remedial actions to be taken.
v. The risk-based maintenance policy addresses a facility whose likely failure
negatively affects the rest of the facilities. For example, a failure of foundation,
staircase or roof will render substantial parts of a building out of service. This
maintenance policy effectively reduces, in the most economical way, the total risk
of complete downtime of the facilities.
Preventive or proactive facility maintenance policy guarantees continuous availability
and reliability of optimised service delivery of the facilities.
b. Maintenance Restores Services to Defective Facilities
One of the purposes of facility maintenance is to restore services to previously broken
down or failed facilities at currently acceptable standards. Restoring facility services after
failure is costlier than preventing the failure. This maintenance method assumes that
allowing the facility to fail will not significantly impact the facility's use and safety and
that preventing such failure is not economical or outrightly possible. Currently, there are
two ways of implementing this maintenance policy. Service restoration policy can either
be informed of deferred or corrective emergency maintenance.
i. A deferred corrective maintenance strategy aims to restore or replace failed
facilities when appropriate resources are available. The policy sorts piled-up
maintenance requests and prioritises them until resources are available. This
maintenance policy promotes more extended downtime in facility management but
allows for proper planning and scheduling.
ii. An emergency corrective maintenance option is considered When a facility
suddenly experiences an obstructing end to its service delivery status. Though the
policy upsets the organisation's plans, schedules or finances, it ends facility
downtime by providing immediate intervention to restore the obstructed services.

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 c. Regular Facility Maintenance Guarantees the Availability, Health and Safety of All
Concerned
Regular facility maintenance guarantees the safety, health and availability of the users or
inhabitants, the nearby facilities and the facility itself. Therefore, a facility enjoining
regular maintenance will;
i. Provide a healthy living environment for its inhabitants, users or nearby facilities.
ii. Provide a safe and secure service environment for the inhabitants, users or nearby
facilities.
iii. Protect itself against adverse deterioration, making it readily available, reliable, and
dependable in-service delivery.

d. Facility Maintenance Accommodates Changes in Use, Appearance, or Social

Status
Living is dynamic, so facilities are expected to respond to the constant changes
experienced in life. Maintenance operations bring about changes in facility configurations
to meet predetermined desires. A Client may desire changes in facility shapes, size or
colour to satisfy the current needs. For instance, converting a student's hostel to a lecture
room is maintenance work. Refurbishing, updating or improvement of facilities are all
aspects of maintenance. Where there are changes in users or occupiers, facilities are
renovated to meet the yawning and status of the new users or occupiers (new king in
palace, new president or governor in government house or new rector in rector's office).
e. Continuous Updating of Historic Facilities Ensures Retention of Their Values
Unique values depicting people’s cultures, religions, traditions, and festivals, among
others, are always incorporated into historic facilities. The marked differences between
the configurations of mosques, churches or shrines are examples of religious values
attached to these facilities. The existence and appearances of Osun Grooves, Kano City
Gate, National Theatre Iganmu or Cocoa House Ibadan indicate people’s historical past,
beliefs, cultures and values, among other ways of their life. Regular maintenance
operations retain, sustain and update these historic facilities' initial standards and values.
f. Optimises Services Derive from Facilities
Each facility is constructed or installed to provide predetermined services. A dilapidated
facility will bring discomfort and inconvenience to its users. Partially blown roof
coverings reduce protective services for the occupants below. Furthermore, the
continuous presence of several dead or burned lamps reduces the lighting services
required in children's wards. The above scenarios eventually result in inconveniences for
the respective facility users. Maintenance operations, therefore, keep or restore optimised

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services to those mentioned above and other facilities in their most convenient service
state.
g. Discourages Slum Development in Private Properties
Maintenance activities renew dilapidated and abandoned residential facilities, foreclosing
neighbourhood slum development. The presence of abandoned properties, blocked,
overflown and dirty drains, weeds and overgrown bushes, and hazardous development
patterns are signs of a slum in residential areas. A poorly drained gutter retains a pool of
water, which, if the pool is allowed to persist, becomes a source of health challenges to
the residents. Abandoned or uncompleted buildings become safe abodes for criminals and
their activities. Overgrown lawns or bushes offer cover for dangerous pests, reptiles and
insects, which, as deterioration agents, inhibit service deliveries of the residential
facilities. The presence of bush trees with wide branches and foliage is dangerous to the
residents and their property. Windstorms uproot trees, break tree branches or roofs, and
deposit them in other estate facilities. Effective and regular facility maintenance takes
care of the characteristics of the slum mentioned above.
h. Maintenance Perpetuates Trending Styles and Vogues in Building Asset
Property owners want to be up-to-date with the current trending styles or vogues.
Updating, renovating, and refurbishing facilities are maintenance activities that target
replacing old or obsolete components with trending ones that perform similar functions.
Replacing old zinc roof covering with longs-paned aluminium, flush timber doors with
aluminium framed doors, wooden casement windows with aluminium casement or
louvred with sliding windows are familiar maintenance works in estate buildings. Steel
water reservoirs are being replaced with plastic or rubber reservoirs. Asbestos ceilings are
gradually giving way to Plaster-of-Paris (POP) ceilings. Also, high solid-cored fencings
are being replaced with shorter steel-finished-transparent fences.
i. Regular Maintenance of Facilities Prevents Total Downtime of the Facilities
Adopting preventive maintenance strategies ensures continuous facility service delivery,
eliminating downtime. Continuous service availability and reliability are germane to
multistory buildings' stairs, lifts and escalators. Again, failure of industrial escalators,
chains or conveyor systems means total shutdown of the production process.
Furthermore, the consequences of facility failure in prisons, airport control towers,
hospitals, military installations, aviation, and other sensitive human endeavours can be
better imagined.
j. Maintenance Activities Fulfill Requirements of the Law
Periodic property maintenance is a contractual requirement between the lessee and the
lessor, the property owner and the tenant, or the property owner and the occupants. Some
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bylaws define standards of services expected from rented apartments to meet the safety
and health requirements of the inhabitants. Regular facility maintenance ensures the
sustenance of standard services. One of the bylaws states that tenants are to return their
rented property to their landlords with the same standard they rented it. This bylaw
stipulates that maintenance of rented facilities is vested in the tenants. Therefore, the
tenants bear the cost of repairing, replacing or cleaning defective items.

k. Economic Purpose

Regular maintenance activities retain or enhance the market value of rented facilities,
premises, or hired property. Appearance and packaging are essential to property
marketing strategies.

Functional Requirements of Estate Facilities

Topic Summary

For knowledge acquisition and skill application, the topic above broadly:

i. Identifies and defines functional requirements of some estate facilities. This

knowledge becomes the tool needed by the users to determine the functional state
of the facilities

ii. Identifies and evaluates the lifespans of some frequently failed building items

iii. Identifies, discusses and illustrates some estate facilities for their design,
construction and ease of maintenance that would ensure optimal performance
during the occupancy stage

Topic’s Practice Questions

1. The MTBF of a septic tank is ________ years. (a) 5, (b) 30, (c) 10 (d) 15

2. One of the following is not a functional requirement of a building: (a) measuring

the success of its owner, (b) securing the occupants, (c) serving as a collateral and
social asset, and (d) protecting against adverse weather elements.

3. The presence of the following is a sign of foundation failure except for ________
(a) adjacent ground heaves, (b) underpinning technology, (c) water or moisture
patterns on the lower end of external walls, (d) a v-shaped crack on the external
wall.

4. Which of these materials is not suitable for wall construction? (a) concrete, (b)
metal, (c) wooden, (d) Plaster-of-Paris.
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 5. Which of these materials is not suitable for wall finishing? (a) tiles, (b) colour
paints, (c) mortal plaster, (d) concrete.

6. The following are signs of failure of a concrete ground gutter except ______ (a) silt
deposits, (b) content overflow, (c) bursting, (d) collapsed drain walls.

7. Estate walkways cannot (a) shelter a car, (b) provide pedestrian traffic, (c) direct
pedestrian traffic, (d) be restricted by hedges or shrubs.

8. The following failures are associated with the power supply to Nigerian estates
except: (a) damaged electricity poles, (b) non-sagging cables or wires, (c) use of
poor-quality material, (d) poor workmanship.

9. Which of the following is not a water supply failure to Nigerian estates? (a)
unyielding borehole, (b) low-action submissive pump, (c) cracked concrete slab,
(d) insufficient power voltage.

10. (a) Give a descriptive definition of floor and floor finish. (b) What symptoms
suggest a floor failure, and what are their remedies? (c) Classify floors in terms of
their construction materials. (d) List five-floor finishes and their functional
requirements.

11.(a) Give a descriptive definition of doors and windows. (b) What are the functional
requirements for (i) doors and (ii) windows? (c) Doors and windows are classified
according to method/materials of construction or mode of operations; discuss.

12.(a) Differentiate between hard and soft landscapes. (b) For each landscape type, list
and discuss five examples.

READING NOTE

1. Introduction

Every infrastructural facility is provided to satisfy predetermined aims or objectives. An

infrastructural facility is any item or amenity deliberately designed, constructed or
installed on the land or beneath it to provide predetermined functions by the aim and
objectives of the owner. Each facility is considered to have failed if it cannot
satisfactorily meet the predetermined objectives at any point during its service life. For a
facility to satisfactorily meet its installed objectives, it must be readily available and
reliable to perform its functions optimally throughout its lifespan. The useful lifespan of a
facility is the period of service delivery between its point of installation and its failure
occurrence. A facility performs optimally when its service output satisfies its objectives
with minimum inputs. Some estate facilities include buildings, internal roads, lawns,

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hedges, flowers, and power and water supplies. Others include car parks, swimming pool
fences, drainage, sewer, etc. This chapter discusses some of these facilities and their
performance objectives.

1. Building

A building is considered a protective structure with walls along its perimeter and a roof at
its top, providing shelter and accommodation to people, goods and services. Some are
residential, educational, civic, and industrial buildings. Others are commercial,
recreational, sports, health, and many more, see Plates 1, A & E. Every building item or
facility has its lifespan within which it is expected to function. This service period is
calibrated in the year. It is the mean (average) recorded time between a series of item or
facility failures (MTBF). Some known MTBF of construction materials are summarised
in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Mean Recorded Time Between Series of Failures of Item

S/N Observed Building Items MTBF in Years
1 Aluminum Projected window 10
2 Bulb 3
3 Ceiling Fans 10
4 Ceramic Tiles 15
5 Glass-panelled steel door 10
6 HDF Lecture Desks with Benches 15
7 Long-span Aluminum Roofing Sheet 30
8 Louvered Window 4
9 Septic tank 10
10 Single Lecture Seat with Pad 8
11 Split Air Conditioner Unit 12
12 Synthetic Carpet (Rug) 5
13 Tap 5
14 Terrazzo floor finish 20
15 Timber batten wall/Soffit finish 30
16 Timber Board Roof Trusses 30

Each building type has its functional objectives, but generally, a building;
i. Secures the occupants against unauthorised access (both physical and visual)
ii. Protects the occupants against adverse weather elements
iii. Serves as a collateral and social asset
iv. Serves as a landmark of reference
Every building's component, part or item has functional objectives or requirements. The
functional requirements/objectives of each item are:

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 a. Foundation

The foundation is expected to carry, distribute and sustain the imposed loads without
failure. Sinking, water or moisture penetrations, roots or pests’ penetration and ground
heaves are signs of foundation failure.

b. Floor

The floor is the horizontal structure in a room, providing a platform upon which the
occupants perform their choruses. Items of furniture are displayed on the floor, and
people walk, sleep, and perform other activities on the room floor. A floor that cannot
offer these services efficiently is said to have failed. Furthermore, the continuous
presence of heaves, moisture, insects, and pests, among others, are symptoms of floor
failure. Floors are classified according to construction materials, such as wooden floors,
concrete floors, steel floors, and timber floors, among others.

c. Floor Finishes

The topmost layer of material on the floor is an interface between the occupants of the
floor or users and the floor fabric. The floor finishes offer a user-friendly interface that
encourages physical contact, visual appreciation, and aesthetics. The finish also protects
against absorption, shock, abrasion, wear, or tears on the floor. Some floor finishes are
PVC tiles, ceramic tiles, glazed tiles, cement screed, plywood sheets, wooden palettes,
and many more. The floor finish is said to have failed if it can no longer perform the
services above optimally.

d. Wall

Walls are vertical or near-vertical structures constructed to enclose a space (with a roof)
to form a room. Walls are classified according to construction materials, such as wooden
walls, concrete walls, glass walls, metal walls, and timber walls, among others. Wall
demarcates the interior from exterior environments such as solar radiation, windstorms,
moisture movement, dust and adverse exterior elements. It directs, restricts and inhibits
both physical and visual access. How does a wall fail?

e. Wall Finishes

Mortal plaster, paper rendering, colour paints, tiles, flysheets, wooden battens and
artworks are some of the wall finishes provided to beautify the wall and protect it against
adverse weather elements or impacts of the user or service environments. A failure in
paint, plaster, battens and other wall finishes must be prevented or restored to ensure
uninterrupted service delivery of the beneath wall.
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 f. Doors

Doors are openings in walls which allow or disallow entrance into or out of a room. It
allows access when it opens and disallows when it closes. A door consists of a flat panel
called a door leaf, an installation frame and ironmongery. The door leaf is made up of
top, middle and bottom rails. The inclusion of additional rails (intermediate rails)
enhances strengths and appearances. Panels filled the space between the rails. The
installation frame includes hanging and locking stiles and top and bottom rails.
Ironmongeries are the hinges for leaf hanging and locking devices for access control.
Decorative or ornamental elements may be mounted on the door panels. In addition to the
functional requirements of allowing or disallowing physical or visual access by the door,
each unit item mentioned above performs its unique functions. It should be noted that a
failed unit of a door can render the whole door out of service. Doors are classified
according to method/materials of construction or mode of operations. There are wooden,
batten, bamboo, and ledged doors. Others are steel doors, aluminium doors, panel doors,
flush doors and concrete doors. According to the mode of operations, door classification
includes swinging door, sliding door, revolving door, rolling door, and collapsible door,
among others.

g. Window

Windows are openings in walls, which are expected to perform the following functions;
i. Allowing visual communication between the room and the exterior
ii. Allowing ventilation of the room occupants
iii. Allowing natural light penetration into the room
iv. Fenestration: giving characteristic identity to a building, i.e. the arrangement of
windows to identify building type, for example, churches, warehouses, schools,
and industrial buildings, among others.
Like doors, windows are made up of frames and panels. They are also classified
according to their construction materials or mode of operations. Again, a defective unit
within a window can render the whole window unsafe to use.

h. Stairs

Stairs are constructed to provide safe and reliable vertical movement between building
floors. A stair can consist of one or more flights and landings with protective elements
such as handrails, balustrades and dowels. A flight comprises a series of steps or ramps
attached to their strings. The space-accommodating stair is referred to as a staircase or
stairwell. Flights are finished with hard or soft materials that ensure adequate foot grip on
the steps. Their rigidity, stability and strengths characterise self-sustaining stairs. They
11
are easily accessible during emergencies. Openings must be provided strategically to
admit natural lighting into the staircase to prevent missing steps (resulting in injuries)
during light-outs. Stairs must be
i. Wide enough to allow mass escape during emergencies
ii. Stable and reliable enough to ensure confidence in the users
iii. Easily and openly accessible by all inhabitants, especially during emergencies
iv. It must originate and terminate at wide landings with a wide door that operates by
pushing. People only push during any emergency
v. All construction materials must be highly fire-resistant and have poor heat
conductors. These properties will inhibit heat conduction during a fire outbreak and
allow the occupants enough time to escape.
vi. The shape and balusters must be aesthetic enough for visual appreciation

i. Ceilings

The ceiling is the platform that separates the room below from the roof above. The ceiling
regulates the heat exchange between the room and the roof. It also offers bases for
hanging fans, lamps, cables and decorative elements. Service mains are concealed in the
ceiling, preventing the roof carcass's ugly sight. A ceiling is said to have failed if it can no
longer meet the above objectives.

j. Roof Carcass

The structural members sustaining the roof's stability are known as roof carcasses. They
are timber or steel skeletons of trusses (wall plates, tie beams, rafters, king/queen posts,
and purlins). Apart from sustaining the stability of the entire roof, roof carcass sustains
and distributes the loads from the ceilings and roof coverings. The carcass is, therefore,
expected always to perform the functions mentioned above without failure.

k. Roof Covering

This is the protective topmost sheath capping a building. Roof coverings protect the
carcass, ceilings, room inhabitants and all other facilities in the house against rains, direct
solar rays, storms, dust, and other adverse weather elements. The shape and colours of the
roof covering are important factors in the overall beauty of a building. Sheets of
aluminium, zinc, slate, concrete, mud, and grass are some materials used as a roof
covering for buildings. A leaking roof covering has failed in service delivery. A partially
or completely detached roof covering materials has failed. The presence of distorted
shapes, fading colours and biological growths are signs of failures in roof coverings.

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 Buildings Walkways

Power Supply
Roads

A B

Car Park

Exterior Landscape

C D

Functionally Related Estate Facilities

E
Plate 1.1 A - E: Some Estate Facilities

2. Internal Roads

Estate roads are the network of access roads connecting each facility (buildings, lawns,
swimming pools, car parks, power and water supplies) in the estate. They are minor roads
13
designed to accommodate pedestrians and light vehicular traffic. Construction materials
include hard base solids of cored materials with lateritic, stone chippings, or coal-tarred
surface finishing. Estate roads must be free from potholes, falling trees, biological
growths, moisture, stagnant water, perks of dirt and other impurities. The presence of or a
combination of any of these will initiate the deterioration process in the road, see Plates 1
B & 1.2 A.

A. Estate internal roads provides traffic B. Gutters keep road surfaces free from
connections between facilities moisture which consequently inhibit
deterioration process processes

C. Estate walkways provides and directs D. Hedges, shrubs and trees direct traffic, purify
pedestrian traffics between facilities and beautify the exterior environments
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 E. Open car park F. Car port G. Car garage

Interlocking bricks provide paved facility for car parking

1. 1.2, A - G: Service States of Some Estate Facilities (A
Plate
- G)
2.
3. Drainage

Concrete gutters are provided on either side of the roads to evacuate foul water and other
wastes (effluents) from the buildings, road surfaces, and other estate facilities and to the
sump or treatment sites. Road gutters must be broad, deep, and sloped enough to prevent
silt deposits, blockages, and water stagnation. Construction materials and the applied
finishing must be solidly stable, with moisture and water repellants, keeping the surfaces
of the roads and the gutter itself dry and clean. Therefore, collapsed drain walls, bursting,
content overflow, silt deposits, and other stains are signs of drain failure, see Plates 1.2 B
& D.

4. Walkways

Walkways are passages or paths constructed for walking between different facilities in an
estate. Like estate roads, walkway floors are expected to be hard and clean, quickly
draining moisture or water from their surfaces. A typical walkway is about 1.2m to 2.4m
wide (depending on the expected traffic volume) and constructed of mass concrete,
interlocking bricks, stone chippings, wooden blocks, and other complex construction
units. Concrete curbs or bricks mark the walkway's ends, forming firm boundaries on
both sides. The presence of biological growths, moisture, stagnated water, and other
contaminants is a sign of the failure of the walkway. Furthermore, potholes and missing
or dismembered bricks on the floor constitute a failure of the walkway, see Plates 1.1 B
& 1.2 C

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5. Exterior Landscaping

This is the holistic and aesthetic scene of the visible features, such as land and landforms,
in conjunction with the natural or artificial activities within an estate. An estate may have
hard or soft or a combination of both landscapes. A hard landscape is a complex
landscape that covers the ground surface with concrete, interlocking bricks, stone
chippings, and other solid and ridged materials. Hard landscapes include roads,
walkways, car parks/ports, lawn tennis courts, badminton courts, and many more. Soft
landscape involves covering the exterior grounds of the estate with natural or synthetic
materials, which are primarily user-friendly. Examples are lawns, flowerbeds, and
hedges. Others are shrubs, trees, swimming pools, children's playgrounds (covered with
sand), and orchards. Each of these micro facilities provides complimentary services that
enhance the good living of the inhabitants; see Plates 1.1 D, E & 1.2 B, D & E.

6. Hedges and Trees

Hedges are soft landscape elements consisting of young trees of less than 1.2m in height.
Hedges are usually provided along the edges of waste treatment sites, walkways, and
footpaths, showing traffic directions. The young shrubs are generally trimmed to give
predetermined shapes, which satisfy the objective or desire of the owner. When closely
planted, hedges form barriers or fences directing traffic and restricting access to the
lawns, swimming pools, or any other micro facility on the landscape see Plates 1.2 B &
D. The warm carbon dioxide gas produced by the metabolic activities of the occupants,
foul odours from the waste treatment sites and any other harmful odorous gases are
absorbed by the shrubs (green leaves) in exchange for friendly oxygen through their
photosynthesis process. Soft landscape elements include trees with economic values or
beautiful foliage.

7. Swimming Pools

Estate swimming pools are constructed for the relaxation or sporting activity of the
occupants. It is a structure, usually below ground level, holding treated water for
swimming activity. The treated water is dischargeable and can quickly be drained in case
of drowning. The interior surfaces (sides and floor) are treated against water penetrations
and other impurities as a ground tank. The surrounding edges are tarred or carpeted to
prevent sand and other impurities from gaining access to the pool. Every swimming pool
is usually linked to the main building by a walkway.

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8. Car Park or Port

Car parks are open garages on hard or soft landscape floors where the visitors temporarily
park cars. Car spaces are marked on the floor showing directions for parking; see Plates
1.1 C & 1.2 E. Unlike car parks, carports are roofed, accommodating fewer cars, see
Plate 1.2 F. A car garage is a room providing permanent accommodation for cars, see
Plate 1.2 G

9. Fences and Gatehouses

Perimeter fences are constructed to;

i. Demarcate property
ii. Prevent unhallowed access
iii. Define the enclosed facility (prisons, schools, high-risk areas).
iv. Indicate the social or political status of the chief inhabitant
In most cities in Nigeria, a solid part of perimeter fences must not exceed 1.2m in height
to allow visual access to the ongoing activities within. Construction materials include
concrete blocks, timber, metal, or any other material duly approved by the control office
in the Council. Fences are finished with moisture, water or other repellant materials to
prevent the development of biological growths, moisture presence and other impurities,
which could hinder its performance objectives. A gatehouse is provided at the entrance to
a property to monitor movements to and from the property. The gatehouse must contain
amenities for the convenience of the gateman.

10. Power Supply

Residents of estates enjoy public power supply through different electricity distribution
companies in Nigeria. These electricity distribution companies include Abuja Electricity
Distribution Company (AEDC), Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Eko
Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and many more, see Plate 1.1 A. Elites also
generate power individually using their generating set. I pass my neighbour, a generating
set commonly used in Nigerian estates. The public power supply is generated by central
power stations located in different geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The power is transmitted
with high voltage through cables mounted on poles. The cables are primarily made of
aluminium or copper, while the poles are made of steel, concrete, or wooden material.
Public power supply into estates is transmitted through aluminium cable carried by steel,
concrete or wooden poles. At the same time, distribution into individual property is done
through insulated copper or aluminium service cables. Power transmission cables or wires
are securely mounted on the electricity poles at 7.5m height, evidence of accidental
contacts. Power transmission within estates is done through four (4) lines called three-
17
 phase-and neutral (TPN). The uppermost line is called the red phase, the blue phase, and
the yellow phase, with the red phase having the highest voltage. The lowest line, called
neutral, returns the used power (electrons) to the mother earth at the transformer. Public
power supply facilities terminate at the fuse box (or any device provided to protect
appliances against erratic or improper power) mounted just before the consumer meter.
The functional power supply requirement is to provide quality, reliable and uninterrupted
energy to the estate's residents. The above services will be interrupted if one or a
combination of some of the failures highlighted below occurred.
i. Broken or damaged electricity poles
ii. Excessive distance between poles
iii. Using poor quality material for electricity poles
iv. Shorter lifespans of inferior materials make their service unreliable
v. Poor workmanship
vi. Poles mounted on shallow foundations
vii. Electricity cables or wires too close to the ground
viii. Sagging of cables or wires
ix. Knockdown poles by vehicles, falling trees or storms
x. Road constructions or rehabilitations affecting power lines
xi. Theft and vandalisation
Power supply to individual property is sourced from the public utility or private
generating set. Private power supply passes through a network of poles, cables, wires,
fixtures, fittings and appliances, commencing from the property's boundaries. Embedded
sleeved armoured cable can connect power from the public grids to the private properties.
The lack of as-laid drawings makes tracing faults in buried armoured cables a severe
problem. A defective generator (inadequate oil, lousy plug, worn-out parts) will obstruct
power generation. Dangling, detached or naked cables are sources of failure to power
transmission in homes. Dead lamps, burnt fans, and dilapidated air conditioning units are
products of poor power supply in homes. Damaged or exposed cables or wires are
potential sources of fire or electrocution. The failures above must be avoided to ensure an
uninterrupted power supply.

11. Water Supply

There are several sources of water for estate residents in Nigeria. Water supply could
come from shallow wells, deep wells (mechanised boreholes), streams, and dams, among
other sources. Shallow wells and streams provide water for domestic choruses, while
boreholes and public dams are potable water sources.

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A submissive pump is installed 50 to 70m into a borehole to evacuate portable water
through a network of pipes into a reservoir mounted above the highest water outlet in the
building or estate. The pressure to pump quality water through the needed height depends
on the capacity of the embedded submissive pump (1, 1 1/2, or 2 horsepower), the quality
of the power supplied (190 to 240 amp) and the diameter of the networking pipes. From
the borehole, potable water is pumped into an overhead reservoir, which must be located
at the highest level of the facility to ensure natural flow by gravity. Water reticulation
involves a network of pipes and accessories between the submissive pump and the
storage tank or reservoir. Each pipe is diced at both ends to ensure leak-free joints. Pipe
accessories consist of union connectors, sockets, tees, and elbows. Other accessories are
thread seal tapes, nipples, plugs and plumber’s gum. Control devices are introduced at
strategic points in the reticulation. The control devices are to allow, disallow or direct the
flow of water. Some devices are gate valves, stopcocks, no-return valves, ball valves,
taps, and faucets. The capacity of the storage tank or reservoir depends on the volume of
water required and the carrying strength of the stand (prop). Concrete, plastic, rubber, and
metals are materials for constructing water reservoirs. A borehole must be readily
available and reliable to supply all the required water when needed.
i. A borehole that can no longer yield water has failed its service delivery.
ii. The inserted pump has the responsibility of pumping portable water into the
reservoir at the lowest pressure
iii. Power voltage must be sufficient enough to energise the pump for action
iv. Any form of crack, depression, leakage or brokerage in the pipe network is a sign
of failure in the system
v. Expired, worn-out or damaged accessory is a source of failure in the water supply
vi. Leaking, collapsing, breaking, rusting, or dirty overhead tank has failed in its
service delivery
vii. Defective water fixtures (bathtubs, water heaters, water cisterns or reservoirs) are
sources of service failure in water supply
viii. Vandalized, missing, detaching, or broken water fittings (water fountains, wash-
hand basins, kitchen basins, or water closets) deny continuous water delivery to
these micro facilities.
The public water supply sources water from the dam and pumps it through public water
mains into estates and private properties. Unlike the power supply, the public water
supply is not metered; users are grouped into various classes with individual class rates.

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