ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Built Environ.
Sec. Sustainable Design and Construction
Field - Based Comparative Study of Buildings Affected by Salinity along Barrier Island and Mainland Areas of Lagos State: A Correlational Analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Bells University of Technology, Ota, Nigeria
- 2University of Lagos, Yaba, Nigeria
- 3University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Purpose – To quantify how soil salinity relates to observed building defects in Lagos, comparing the barrier island (Lagos Island) and the mainland, and to draw out adaptation measures relevant to coastal megacities. Design/methodology/approach – Electrical conductivity (EC) tests were performed at 20 locations between March and May 2024; a stratified visual survey documented defects in 61 buildings across Lagos Island and the Mainland. Descriptive statistics, spearman's rank correlation, and a non-parametric tests explored the association between salinity and defect prevalence. A structured literature review benchmarked the findings against global standards. Findings – Measured EC was higher on the island than the mainland. Buildings nearer the Atlantic showed a higher defect prevalence than those inland. The analysis indicates salinity is positively associated with defect severity. Practical implications – The evidence supports adoption of salt‑resistant materials and protective systems, routine monitoring of EC in coastal projects, and urban drainage and detailing improvements. Originality/value – This study provides one of the first empirical linkages between in-situ measured salinity and observed building pathology in a West African megacity, offering actionable evidence for coastal adaptation where data are scarce.
Keywords: Building pathology, Chloride‑induced corrosion, coastal adaptation, geopolymer concrete, Lagos Island, Physical salt attack, Salinity
Received: 16 Sep 2025; Accepted: 26 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Okuntade, Adebayo, Anukwu and Abisuga. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Tope Femi Okuntade
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