The study evaluates the factors confronting the present-day construction practices in South-East Nigeria. Being a survey research, questionnaires containing information relating to factors/challenges affecting construction practices were randomly administered to selected construction practitioners in South-Eastern States of Nigeria. Accordingly, a total of 240 questionnaires were administered to the selected respondents while 160 copies were completed, returned and found useful. Thus, giving a response rate of 66.67%. Data collected were analysed and presented using percentages, mean scores, principal and factor analysis, z-test and tables. The study found that the core factors that constrain present-day construction in the study area are issues related to inadequate/dearth of technical and managerial expertise, corruption and poor project planning and control; which significantly affect operational effectiveness of the construction industry in the study area. Therefore, the study concluded by recommending that thorough capacity building through training or retraining programme which should centre on areas of the issues identified should be religiously pursued in the study area.
This study assessed the acoustical performance of residential buildings in Awka, Anambra State to determine the level of satisfactions of the occupants. The study surveyed the residential buildings and distributed questionnaires to the users and occupiers of different classes of residential buildings. The results of the survey were analysed using Means Satisfaction Index (MSI) and Relative Performance Index (RPI) to assess the level of satisfaction of the occupants of the buildings and the acoustical performance of the buildings respectively based on 12 selected acoustic performance criteria. It further used Pearson Product Moment Correlation to establish the relationship between occupants’ level of satisfaction and acoustic performance of the buildings. The study found that the overall acoustic performance of the buildings was grossly poor and unsatisfactory with average RPI of 0.35. It also found that the residents were very dissatisfied with the acoustic performance of the buildings in which they live (average MSI =1.74). The study further found that there was significant positive relationship between the occupants’ level of satisfaction and acoustic performance of the buildings with a Coefficient Correlation (r) of 0.875 and a computed t-test value of 5.708 which is greater than the critical t- value (2.228) tested at 5% significance level. The Coefficient of Determination (R2 = 0.7567) then suggested that about 75.69% level of satisfaction of the occupants of the residential buildings in Awka could be triggered by the acoustic performance of the buildings in which they live. On this evidence, the study craves for the enforcement of the provisions of the National Building Code as regards to sound control in buildings. In addition, there is need for adoption of different strategies for improving acoustics performance of buildings such as absorption, mechanical decoupling, mechanical damping, blocking, covering, etc., so as to promote good acoustic practices that would improve sustainable performance of our buildings and decline the resulting consequences of sounds in our residential buildings.
This study examined the socioecological roles of music sounds towards achieving acoustically sustainable residential building. The study adopted a survey research approach where questionnaires were distributed to the occupants of different types of residential buildings in three urban cities of Anambra State Nigeria. The survey data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) Software. The results revealed that music plays significant roles towards acoustically sustainable building performance with the overall average mean score index of 4.36 and a range of 3.64 to 4.87. But the three most outstanding roles played by music towards acoustically sustainable building performance were: Enabling pleasant sound environment (4.87), improving quality of relaxation and resting (4.83), and increasing acoustic comfort and satisfaction (4.79). The result of one-way ANOVA revealed that music sounds significantly influence acoustical sustainability performance of residential buildings (p-value (.000) < α (0.05); F-ratio (148.377) > F-critical (3.020)); and that there was no significance difference between opinions of residents of the three urban cities in this regard (p-value (0.713) > α (0.05); F-ratio (0.338) < F-critical (3.020)). This study therefore, canvassed for integration of music principles and acoustics into sustainable building design processes as a way of achieving a sustainable building.
The prevalence of modern residential buildings without adequate consideration of changes in user's needs and preferences in urban centres of South-eastern Nigeria is becoming more worrisome. This study therefore, evaluated the level of knowledge and implementation of bioclimatic principles/practices in modern residential buildings by building design and construction professionals. It assessed the adequacy of bioclimatic elements and occupant level of satisfaction based on selected environmental performance criteria. It employed survey approach and analysed the survey data using mean score index, correlation coefficient and t-test statistics. The result showed a low level of implementation of bioclimatic principles/practices in spite of high level of knowledge about bioclimatic principles/practices by the building professionals. It also found that bioclimatic elements/features in modern residential buildings were inadequate and thus, high level of occupants' dissatisfaction with environmental performance of the buildings. The study further found that adequacy of bioclimatic elements was significantly and positively correlated with the level of implementation of bioclimatic principles/practices and occupants' level of satisfaction. However, a moderate and insignificant positive relationship was found between the level of knowledge and implementation of bioclimatic principles/practices. This therefore, suggested a need for building professionals to transform their knowledge of bioclimatic principles into practice for an improved performance. This would create a balance between traditional values and modernisation and a more comfortable home for living. The study then advocated for a revisit to existing building design and construction laws, policies and codes, and/or institutionalising new regulations that would accommodate bioclimatic peculiarities of South-eastern Nigeria.
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