dc.description.abstract | Land in an urban area can be put to various uses. However, a problem is
bound to arise when incompatible land uses are located together.
This work sets out to study the impact that the industries in Shimanzi have had
on the built environment, special emphasis being given to the structural state
of building materials.
In Shimanzi area of Mombasa Island, conflicting land uses are the order of the
day, as a result of lack of initial planning of the town. Heavy manufacturing
industries and open air soda mills share boundaries with residential estates.
Buffer zones are an alien concept in this area and it has rarely been
considered .:
The effect of these industrial activities on building materials- that on health
notwithstanding- is immense. Common features in this area include rusted iron
sheets and metal components, spalling concrete, discolored wood and flaking
paint.
This study sought to find out the possible causes and effects of building
material deterioration in the area, and to isolate the rate of building materials
deterioration in different parts of the same area.
Four subsections of Shimanzi were selected, i.e. Makande, Makupa, Majengo
and Shimanzi, with the first two being used as the control areas since they
have a lower concentration of industries.
It was found out that pollution due to the industries nearby was the main cause
of building material deterioration. This conclusion was arrived at due to the
fact that building materials deteriorated faster in Shimanzi and Majengo as
compared to the control areas, with the only difference between them being
the concentration of industries.
Among the recommendations include; relocation of some of the industries,
changes in some specific policies and proper enforcement of the same. | en |