Written by Dachi Maduako
Sunday, 28 November 2010
THE stability and formidability of Nigerian buildings in the face of serious natural disasters is in serious doubt as Nigerian professionals in the built environment agree that they are not designed with natural disasters in mind.
All over the world, the natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, cyclones, hurricanes, earth tremors among others are wreaking havoc in so many countries. In such cases and circumstances many lives have been lost and properties including houses have been destroyed leaving the affected people homeless.
Nigeria and some countries in the west coast of Africa have however, enjoyed some relative peace as far as natural disasters are concerned because as some professionals put it, this part of the world is blessed as the coast shelf is so positioned that they are shielded from such disasters common to other parts of the world. The formation of the earth crust too is such that earthquakes and tremors such that caused tsunamis are not known to the country.
However, recently, floods took over certain cities in Nigeria including Sokoto, Lagos, Ogun and some other places which opened up the vulnerability of the country to some of these natural forces. That brings to fore the issue of when the unusual happens.
Feelers Sunday Tribune found from key players in the field show an agreement that if the unusual happens most of our buildings standing now would not be able to withstand them. The verdict is unequivocal and without mincing of words.
Firing the first salvo and a reliable one for that matter, a former President of the Nigerian Institution of
Structural Engineers, Engineer Kunle Adebajo, said that it was obvious that our buildings right now were not designed for any of those natural disasters for economic reasons.
According to him, buildings are not usually designed for what you do not expect. He said, “Normally, buildings are not designed for what you do not expect. Our buildings are not designed for earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes, tsunamis among other natural disasters. They are simply designed for economic reasons. Our buildings are not designed for loadings you do not expect. If the unexpected however, happens, a lot of our buildings cannot withstand. This does not mean that our buildings are inferior. They are built for a purpose and not for extra. But for natural disasters, no, our buildings cannot stand them,” he said.
He explained further that a lot of our buildings are bungalows with low load bearing walls that are less rigid structures and that there are standard practice for buildings worldwide but noted that these are not likely to be able to withstand natural disasters.
Corroborating Engineer Adebajo’s views, the Managing Director of Reo Habilis Construction Company Limited, Mr. Kunle Awobodu stated that the standard of construction of the building plays a major role at providing resistance to natural disasters.
According to him, the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons and others on poorly constructed buildings is to the extreme adding that where the building is of high standard the destruction could be minimal depending on the magnitude of the earthquake.
Awobodu who was the former Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Building pointed out that the recent flooding in some parts of Lagos has led to structural defects on some houses with poor foundations and other structural problems. He noted that some that enjoyed some form of standards were able to stand while those with poor standards were affected.He emphasized that should there arise any natural disaster, some of our buildings would not be able to stand.
Also speaking in the same vein, the Managing Director of an engineering firm, Seacoff Nigeria Limited, Engineer Charles Fashola pointed out that the kind of natural disasters the country experiences are not too strong to affect buildings here due to our kind of environment.
Engineer Fashola explained that such natural disasters as earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons are not problems to Nigeria pointing out that the kind of natural disaster common to us is through degradation which comes over time and is as a result of effect of air on concrete and chemical reaction that takes time up to 100 years or thereabouts.
But should the unusual happen, he said our buildings would not be able to withstand them because there are design factors that are put into consideration in those countries that are replete with occurrence of natural disasters such as China, Japan and other places which are not put in consideration here such as double walls specially designed for earthquakes.
Outside periods of natural disasters which the country has enjoyed so far, it has not been a rosy situation in the industry as it is faced with serious challenges that tell much on the stability of buildings in the country which in most cases have led to collapse of buildings not as a result of natural disasters but human errors.
Awobodu pointed out that the construction industry is faced with the challenges of quacks who have invaded the industry and putting up buildings that cannot stand the test of time even at a time when there are no natural disaster in the country.
He disclosed that government has not helped matters in the issue of ensuring good and quality houses that would be stable and reliable as registration bodies have not enjoyed sufficient government backing to be able to prosecute offenders who have been having field day knowing that the professionals can only bark without biting.
He stated that in a country where expansion of settlements has increased the rate of construction work geometrically, there is the need for government to institute commensurate monitoring.
“The question raised has alerted one’s consciousness to what determines suitable accommodation, “he said adding that people should from now ask established estate surveyors and valuers for the data of construction work of the house s they want to access to find out the firm that constructed whether they are suitable ones that are registered with the builders registration board.
He pointed out that there exists a regulation that construction firms in the construction industry must be certified by CORBON. This he stated is necessary for individuals to be rest assured that competent hands were involved in the construction of houses the people aspire to occupy.
He commended the efforts of Lagos State in coming out with the new building control law that now empowers insurance companies to regulate houses above two floors. He urged estate surveyors and valuers to take advantage of this as the input of insurance companies will assist in ascertaining the structural suitability of the buildings adding that “we have come to the level where people can get such data”.
For Nigerians to at least enjoy living in stable houses in times when natural disasters are asleep and located in nations far away from the country, there is need for regulated building industry.
Engineer Adebajo said, “The problem here is that we have a lot of unregulated construction work. So many buildings are going on without professionals and skilled builders involved. As a result, there have been a many cases of collapsing buildings” adding that the involvement of professionals reduce the risk.
He listed other problems that are giving rise to poor quality buildings including the materials available as well as lack of proper supervision.
Buildings that have aged due to the fact that they have been in existence for over a long period which the owners try to remodel and increase their heights. He said they are constituting a lot of danger to the society and need to be checked.
Also speaking on the state of Nigeria buildings, Engineer Fashola believed that many buildings in the country are structurally defective because of lack of enforcement of building regulations by controlling agencies.
He pointed out that many buildings are erected without approval just as soil test which is prerequisite and normal procedure of building especially high rise buildings is not done.
He pointed out that drainage system within the building environment is no longer controlled leading to water finding its way to foundation which constitutes future threat to buildings.
If Nigerians hope to enjoy the peaceful environment of reduced natural disasters as well as the man made ones, the professionals believe they hold the ace and should be the ones in charge and involved. They also want government to play its role in collaboration with professionals by ensuring the laws are enforced and adequate penalty met out on defaulters and intruders.