The President of the of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Bldr Kunle Awobodu has asserted that quality in building production, enhanced building performance and habitability are not chance events. Awobodu made this assertion at the recently concluded mandatory professional development workshop of the institute that held virtually from 26th to 27th May, 2021. The virtual workshop attracted participants from various parts of the world and had as its theme: Sustainable building services practices: enhancing performance and user satisfaction.
Awobodu explained the terms building services, otherwise known as electro mechanical services, to mean and include all that contribute to the comfort of users and utility of the buildings such as lighting and other electrical works, plumbing works, transportation systems in buildings such as lifts and escalators. In typical and simple buildings, the commonest are the lighting and plumbing systems. Plumbing systems include the pipework, the fittings, inspection chambers, septic tank and soak away pits among others. Awobodu further averred that these systems give major headache to end users of buildings where designs and installation are not properly done. It is the search for solutions to these nagging problems and the strategic position of the builder in the process that warranted the workshop, Awobodu further explained.
Resource persons included seasoned practitioners and researchers in the field of building services. Among them was the former Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency, Otunba Engineer Gbenga Daniel. Other resource persons included Ibikunle Ogunbayo, an Engineer and a former President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria; a Builder and Professor of Building Services at the Ahmadu Bello University, Ikemefuna Mbamali; an expert in construction Ergonomics, health and safety from Nelson Mandela University, South Africa, Professor John Smallwood; Professor Abimbola Windapo from the University of Cape Town, South Africa; and Dr Emmanuel Nkeleme, a post doctoral researcher in the Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. Other resource persons included Dr Alfred Olatunji from Curtin University, Australia and Graham Teede from the Australian Institute of Building. Other presenters included Aderonke Oyelami, a Quantity Surveyor; Dr Buhari Manzuma and Olugbenga Ayeni, who are both registered builders from Ahmadu Bello University. All the resource persons shared worthwhile and powerful insights on building services.
The Chairman of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria who is also the current Vice-Chairman Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Kabir Bala, commended the NIOB for organising the workshop in a search for solutions to the problem of services in buildings.
The President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engineer Babagana Mohammed displayed passion and vigour emphasising the necessity of the workshop. He further campaigned for increased cooperation and teamwork among the various professions in the construction industry. He equally pledged his support and cooperation for the growth of sister professions and eradication of quackery in the industry
Professor Ikemefuna Mbamali explained the building services ecosystem from the design, equipment and component, selection, optimisation and spatial coordination and user behaviour. Professor Smallwood emphasised the importance of health and safety explaining some of the hazards at the construction stage. Otunba Gbenga Daniel took time to explain the history of the development of escalators and elevators, standards, their design considerations, construction and installation requirements including operation and maintenance. He specifically said external elevators can be used in our environment only after careful consideration of relevant factors such as weather, power among others.
Professor Abimbola Windapo explained the practices of building services in South Africa and the relevance of regulations including trained and certified workers for installation. She equally dwelt on challenges in building services practices in Nigeria.
Engineer Ogunbayo equally took the audience through building services from the design stage up to maintenance. He argued that buildings are more than the structure; the performance of its services gives meaning and comfort. He further said that in some buildings, services may take up to 50 percent of the total cost of the building. He gave example of a typical hospital building which serves as both an hotel and a clinic. Ogunbayo further distinguished between the skills for installation and maintenance of building services.
Dr. Buhari Manzuma explained the Imperatives of testing and the various tests for electrical installations towards improving safety in buildings. Professor Myha Stanley, a builder, explained challenges of traditional building services design coordination and posited in the least a three dimensional presentation of services drawings through the Building Information Modelling platform.
Aderonke Oyelami, a Quantity Surveyor, lectured the delegates on practical challenges in the measurement and costing of building services. Graham Teede, a chartered building practitioner in Australia gave practical insights, using real life examples, on issues with installation of building services. He explained that installation of building services requires due diligence and compliance with standards. He further explained the challenges of congestion and tolerances im services installation.
Dr Dalhatu Abdulsalam emphasised the need for energy management through appropriate techniques for cost effective operation and maintenance of building services. Dr Emmanuel Nkeleme a post-doctoral researcher based in South Africa presented his research output in the development of a predictive controller for optimising energy consumption and reducing costs in the use of heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
Olugbenga Ayeni of the Department of Building, Ahmadu Bello University, proposed a checklist for building services installation to avoid rework.
Dr. Oluwole Olatunji, a registered Quantity Surveyor and researcher, took the audience through early stage pathology of building services, explaining defects and the cost implications on facilities operation and maintenance. He argued that there are no perfect designs; as built drawings may be the answer to the difference between designs and what is built. He further argued that builders translate designers imagination to reality and often fix design errors during construction. According to him, every defect makes the building worse. He further posited that Nigeria and indeed Africa do not lack capacity for building edifices citing examples of the pyramid of Egypt; according to him, the problem of Africa is just the challenging environment.
The Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Arc Ahmed Dangiwa, challenged builders on issue of materials inputs for housing development. Equally, the Managing Director of the Family Home Funds, Femi Adewole, reiterated the timeliness of the workshop and the target of the Family Home Funds in provision of housing in the next five years. The two chief executives enunciated the significant role of builders in property development and the value builders can add to housing developers.
Echoes of problems of services in completed buildings reverberated from the presentations. The well attended workshop ended on a high note with a call on governments and professionals to adopt the national building code with its compliance forms which would enable designers and builders to attest to their input in the building delivery process thereby blocking unprofessionalism in building services design and installation.
While Dr Samaila Adamu, Christopher Belonwu, Professor Martin Dada, Emmanuel Aladeloba, officers of the institute or officials at the workshop, took time to appreciate the resource persons and participants, the President of the Institute gave a parting shot. The parting shot is encapsulated thus: Builders are the professionals who are trained and recognised by law for the construction, maintenance and deconstruction of buildings including the assembly and integration of its various components and services. Consequently, the Builder must hone his skills and remain abreast of developments in all areas including building services to deliver products that are high performing with high value addition to clients, end users and all stakeholders.
