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The Effect of Poor Maintenance on the Functional Life of Public Buildings

Abstract

Building maintenance plays a critical role in preserving the functionality, safety, and service life of public buildings. Public facilities such as schools, hospitals, government offices, libraries, and community centres are exposed to continuous use and environmental conditions that can accelerate the deterioration of building components. Poor maintenance can allow minor defects to develop into major problems, reducing building performance and shortening its functional life. Assessing this relationship is therefore important for ensuring that public buildings remain useful, safe, and operational over extended periods. This study examines the effect of poor maintenance on the functional life of public buildings, focusing on how inadequate maintenance practices influence the condition and usability of building components and spaces. It considers common maintenance deficiencies involving roofs, walls, floors, doors, windows, plumbing systems, electrical installations, drainage systems, mechanical equipment, and external works. The study also explores how delayed inspections, insufficient maintenance budgets, poor management practices, and reactive maintenance approaches contribute to building deterioration. Particular attention is given to the progression of building defects resulting from inadequate maintenance. Problems such as water leakage, dampness, corrosion, cracked finishes, blocked drainage, faulty services, damaged surfaces, and deteriorated fittings can gradually affect the performance of buildings when they are not addressed promptly. The accumulation of these defects may reduce the functionality of spaces, increase repair requirements, and create conditions that interfere with normal building operations. The study further examines the effect of poor maintenance on health, safety, comfort, and user satisfaction. Deteriorated building components can create hazards, reduce indoor environmental quality, limit accessibility, and negatively affect the perception of public facilities. In buildings such as healthcare facilities and educational institutions, prolonged maintenance deficiencies may also interfere with essential services and daily activities. The study therefore considers functional life as extending beyond structural survival to include the continued ability of buildings to meet their intended purposes. The relationship between maintenance practices and lifecycle costs is also considered. Although deferred maintenance may initially appear to reduce expenditure, prolonged neglect can increase the scale and cost of future repairs, replacements, and rehabilitation. Poor maintenance may also accelerate the obsolescence of building systems and reduce the adaptability of public facilities to changing functional requirements. Effective preventive and planned maintenance can help identify defects at an early stage and preserve building performance more efficiently. The study aims to establish the effects of poor maintenance on the functional life of public buildings and identify maintenance practices that can support longer-lasting and more reliable facilities. Its findings are expected to provide useful guidance for architects, facility managers, public-sector authorities, building owners, and maintenance professionals. Strengthening preventive maintenance, inspection procedures, budgeting, and facility management can help preserve public buildings, reduce avoidable deterioration, and sustain their functional value throughout their intended service life.

Keywords: Building maintenance, Public buildings, Functional life, Building deterioration, Preventive maintenance, Maintenance management, Building defects, Facility management, Lifecycle costs, Building performance, Public facilities, Building durability, Repair strategies, Service life.