Impacts of Dampness on Structural Stability of Public Secondary School Buildings in Adamawa State, Nigeria

This research assessed the impact of dampness on the structural stability of public secondary school buildings in Adamawa state. Dampness as it were is the infiltration of water through the structural elements (interior and exterior) of an edifice, wetness of structural elements through moisture rise by capillary, or extreme quantity of moisture contained in building materials or the building components (Agyekum, Ayakwa, Koranteng & Adinyira, 2013a; Wilkowska, 2017). A percentage of building structures that deteriorate during wetness, dampness, or excessive moisture movements are perceived, visible, or measurable (Soldatova, Sansone, Stephens & Shah, 2011). A building is described as being affected by dampness when there is moisture that is not wanted to a certain degree in the building than its water- retaining capability such that finishes and structural members are stained or discoloured and certain secondary elements are either upturned or lifted (Ishak, Che Ani, Akashah &Kayan, 2013). The primary sources of moisture in buildings according to Sulaiman and Beithou (2011) are liquid water from precipitation or plumbing leaks; water vapour from the building exterior or activities/processes within the building; liquid and vapour from the soil adjoining a building; and moisture built-in with the materials of construction or brought in with goods and people. Young (2007) and Agyekum et al. (2013), categorise the primary sources of moisture into three types: penetration dampness, condensation, and rising dampness. Specifically, it; determined the common types of dampness and common causes of dampness, it also determined the extent of the impacts of dampness and suggested suitable procedures for treating the impact of dampness. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study. Four purposes and four research questions were raised to guide the study, the population for this study is Grade A public secondary schools in Adamawa State. Three sampling techniques were employed in this study, these are stratified sampling, purposive sampling, and simple random sampling. A checklist and a structured questionnaire were developed.