Project – Investigate the role of the local government authorities in minimizing the incessant building collapse in Nigeria

CHAPTER ONE

1.0    INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The Nigerian experience have shown that buildings collapse have taken a lot of lives and properties hence, the need to stop the large increase in the number of buildings collapsing in the country. In the last quarter of 2011, there was a catastrophic collapse of a 5-story hospital building under construction in pape Abuja that led to loss of lives and injuries. There has been series of buildings collapse in Nigeria from North to South, West to East, the story is the same. These ugly incidences that have now become some reoccurring decimal all over Nigeria have sent a lot of Nigerians to their early raves and have equally turned hundreds to disables and also make them homeless.

Whenever this ugly monster shows its face stakeholders always look for whom to blame, because this incidences of collapse buildings has continued to “embarrass” professionals and stakeholder alike in the construction industry. Most at times, the largest proportion of the blame goes to the institutions that are responsible for the training of professionals in the building industry are ready to accept the blame, infact, they prefer shifting the blames on each other. Even as all efforts are being made to stem the tide. There I should be urgent need to set in motion a mechanism that would ensure that the incidences of collapsed buildings was eradicated or reduced to the barest minimum.

However, it is the work of the architect and the structural engineer to ensure that the structures will not be liable to collapse in Nigeria, were considered as design errors. Failure in design is often attributed to coincidence of factors rather than just a single cause a greater attention is being placed on design errors or inadequacies, where a major factor is the chain of events leading to collapse. The cause of the above is obviously structural and is common in Nigeria, as a result of quacks who practice as structural engineers and architects. These quacks often make errors in their assumptions regarding loading and flexural conditions, coupled with poor detailing and drafting, carelessness in treatment of constructions, improper location, inadequate attention to thermal and shrinkage effects; others are inadequate site investigation, improper planning and absence of professionals to give the technical input, improper selection of materials and lack of maintenance.

A look at most collapsed buildings, shown that often, it is the absence of building code and regulation leads to collapse, mostly due to structural issues.

According to Parker Gay, Mac Guire (1958), the negligence and ignorance constitute building collapse in Nigeria. Majority of owners of collapse buildings are illiterates who are ignorant of the existence of professionals in the building industry. Failure in building also occurs as a result of misuse of buildings. Buildings of different structural designs serve different purpose, structural design for residential building is different from industrial building.

Despite the various efforts, the rate of building collapse to date has continued unabated with two building collapsing in Lagos within a week. Government at all levels have not shown or displayed concern for the ugly occurrences. Most of design and plans are good but no monitoring and supervision. Most time, owners of buildings and other professionals want to cut corners. Howe can good quality work be guaranteed when there is no sincerity on the part of those involved and professional are not allowed to the job.

Thus in Nigeria today, all building specifications are to maintain the British Standard (BS). This gave to the Enugu Urban District Council Building Bye Law. This has undergone a lot of modification since 1954 and the most recent which was standard for the whole state.

Regrettably, the operatives noted, the increasing rate of buildings collapse witnessed in Nigeria in recent years has reach such a disturbing state that governments and federal and sate levels had to step up attention at adopting intervention measures to minimize the ugly situation in the building industry.

1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The building collapse syndrome has taken a lot of lives and properties in Nigeria due to

• Non-professionals and quacks involved in the construction process, in the Nigerian experience;
• The use of sub-standard materials, components and products;
• Improper planning;
• Absence of building code/regulations in the industry;
• Lack of maintenance culture;
• Inadequate soil investigation;
• Poor detailing and drafting, etc.

1.3    OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

• The aim of this project is to stop the increasing number of the building collapse in the country, so as to protect the health, safety and general welfare of the building users.
• To eliminate the incessant collapse of buildings in the country, so as to protect image of the country within the comity of nations.

1.4    RELEVANT RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• How do we put a lasting solution to these reoccurring problems?
• What roles does local government authority play?
• Do we need to employ professionals in the construction industry?
• What materials can we use to minimize the collapse in the country?
• What roles does the building owners or developers play so as to reduce this incidence?

1.5    SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of this research is focused on how to minimize building collapse in Nigeria.

• The types of soil that is involved in building collapse structures;
• The types of materials to be used in minimizing building collapse in Nigeria;
• To determine the immediate causes of building collapse in the country.

1.6    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

• To reduce any type of collapse building bare its minimum;
• To increase or maximize profit;
• To save lives and properties of the citizens;
• To bring about ways of minimizing accidents in the construction industry;
• To reduce the waste of money, materials and labour;
• To implement, measures that would minimize the rampant of building collapse structures in the country;
• To ensure the completed, work meet the specification;
• To improve the reliability of products or work produced;
• To increase developer’s or clients confidence;
• To reduce customers clients complaints about building structures under construction and the activities professionals and artisans alike.

1.7    DEFINITION OF TERMS

Building collapse is difficult to define. A building cannot be said to fail unless it falls down though a rare occurrence but rampant these days in Nigeria.

The term “Building collapse” is used to describe one of the following states of a building.

• When a building or its components fall down inward or outward suddenly, caving in.
• When a building or its components break down suddenly in strength or thereby cease to function for the purpose which it was built.
• When a building or structure fold completely, resulting in its collapse.

Project – Investigate the role of the local government authorities in minimizing the incessant building collapse in Nigeria