The effect of industrial emissions on building materials

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.