TERTIARY INSTITUTION FACILITIES

TERTIARY INSTITUTION FACILITIES

Most tertiary institution facilities are faced by unique challenges that puts treat in its very own existence (Stoltenberg, 2004). The structure of the public facilities, by their own nature lacks the capacity to compete in a market – driven economy as the case may be. This problem is further found to begin in institutions inherent government structure. This structure usually promotes inflexibility, the imposition of bureaucratic impediments to operational effectiveness.

According to Shohet, (2003), the performance of tertiary institution facilities and their various components, depends upon a large degree on continuous and planned periodical maintenance.

Historically, in both public and private sectors, maintenance is usually seen as a task that cannot be avoidable that is a task which is perceived as adding little to the quality of the working environment as the case may be, and expending scarce resources which would be better utilized (Higher Education Backlog Maintenance Review, 1998).

The Built environment expresses in physical form, the complex, social and economic factors, which give structure and life to a community (Lee, 1995). According to Banful (2004) the financial consequences of neglecting maintenance is often not only seen in terms of reduced asset life and premature replacement but also in increased operating cost and waste of related and natural and financial resources. Maintenance is related to the background of any project. Unfortunately, development plans and approved recurrent and capital estimates in public facilities in Nigeria have revealed that thought have not be given to maintenance work (Onifade, 2003).
In Nigeria, according to Iyagba and Adenuga, (2005), tertiary institution buildings are in poor and deplorable conditions of structural and decorative disrepairs. In spite of millions of Naira spent to erect all these buildings, they are left as soon as commissioned to face premature but steady and rapid deterioration, decay and dilapidation.

Maintenance management in the public sector in Nigeria has suffered from lack of funds for a considerable time. While the requirements for good practice in maintenance management of tertiary institution facilities stock have been established over a considerable period, Maintenance of the built environment has a significant impacts on the whole nation. The conditions of the surroundings in which we live and learn, is a reflection of the nation’s well being. (Lee, 1987). Maintainability of tertiary institution facilities has been identified as one of the key areas in which the construction industry must achieve significant improvement (Nayantharas deSilva et al, 2004).
Many maintenance decisions require the evaluation of alternative solutions in terms of complex maintenance criteria such as:
• Cost
• Repairability
• Reliability and
• Availability requirements

BASIC PRINCIPLE OF TERTIARY INSTITUTION FACILITY MAINTENANCE

Maintenance is mostly defined in BS 3811:1984 as “the combination of all associated and technical administrative actions intended to maintain an item in or restore it to, a state in which it can perform its required function to be carried out.

To retain usually implies that defects are prevented from developing by carrying out work in anticipated of failure. To restore means that minor defects are allowed to occur before they are corrected.

In order that an item or facility can perform its required function, some degree of improvement is needed over the life of the building as standards of comfort and amenity rise

Where there are statutory requirements for maintenance, the acceptable standard must be no less than that necessary to meet the acceptable standard must to sustain the utility and value of the facility and this is found to include some degree of improvement over the life of a building

Maintenance is sub-divided according to B.S 3811 into

• Planned maintenance

(i) Preventive

(ii) Corrective

• Unplanned maintenance