1Department of Architecture, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port-Harcourt
2Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Rivers State University, Port-Harcourt
3D’Owems and Abe Consulting (Civil Engineers), Yenizue-Epie, Yenagoa
American Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture.
2021,
Vol. 9 No. 1, 34-41
DOI: 10.12691/ajcea-9-1-5
Copyright © 2021 Science and Education PublishingCite this paper: Warebi Gabriel Brisibe, Precious Ede, Christopher Aboh. Implications of Basement Inclusion in Buildings in High-Risk Flood Zones in Yenagoa, Nigeria.
American Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture. 2021; 9(1):34-41. doi: 10.12691/ajcea-9-1-5.
Correspondence to: Warebi Gabriel Brisibe, Department of Architecture, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port-Harcourt. Email:
briswares@yahoo.comAbstract
Recent and past studies have shown that buildings without cellars or basements are considered to be most appropriate for flood-prone areas. However, a number of buildings constructed with basements have been observed in High-risk flood areas in Nigeria such as Yenagoa. This paper uses a case study approach to examine some of these buildings in the selected areas and the implications or effects of having such subterraneous spaces in these locations without the proper waterproofing or basement tanking methods. The study showed that although knowledge of pluvial flooding and fluvial flooding exists in this region and are often taken into consideration during building construction, what seems to be lacking is a knowledge of groundwater or basement flooding and its implications in building design and construction. The study also showed the extent to which policies address flooding issues and the areas they fall short.
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