CAUSES AND MAGNITUDE OF DAMPNESS OF BUILDINGS IN COASTAL REGION OF BANGLADESH; A STUDY IN KHULNA CITY

Abstract

Salinity has been considered as one of the major problems for building all over the world. The effect of salinity can be observed through the presence of dampness in building materials. Buildings in the coastal regions of Bangladesh are facing serious problems with dampness. Raised sub-soil water level and the presence of higher percentage of salinity in ground water are the common phenomena in this region. The building materials available in this region also contain higher percentage of salinity, which causes deterioration of the building materials. Khulna, one of the largest cities in Bangladesh is facing this problem. In recent years the sub-soil water level and saline intrusion into the soil has been increasing gradually. These factors are causing huge wastage of money yearly for protecting the buildings from dampness. Different attempts have been taken at the government and private levels for the prevention of dampness in structures. It has been observed that the conventional methods cannot cope with the increasing rate of the dampness. A proper research is very much needed to find out a sustainable solution and strategy to check dampness in the buildings. In doing this, it is important to find out the reasons for dampness and its magnitude so that the effective preventive measures may be taken. This paper intends to identify the source, distribution and magnitude of dampness in building materials in coastal regions of Bangladesh.