Assessment of Building Collapse in Nigeria: The Major Causes and Practical Remedies

Abstract

Over the past years, the magnitude of the occurrences of building collapse has led to the loss of life and properties in Nigeria. Research shows that in recent times, the collapse of building in Nigeria is becoming increasingly rampant and if stringent measures are not engaged to curb this menace, there could be cases of more devastating challenges in future. In a bid to and provide practical measures through which the menace of building collapse can be curbed, this study examines the causes of building collapse in Nigeria. The methodology includes; conduction of investigations and site inspections and secondary data. The study reveals that building collapse in Nigeria emanates majorly from; overloading, lack of maintenance, illegal Alteration or conversion of existing buildings, quackery, use of inadequate/improper foundation, inadequate preliminary site investigation, poor concrete mix ratio, inadequate structural analysis / design, lack of adherence to material specification / poor building material specification, inadequate supervision by professionals. Force majeure was also identified one of the causes of building collapse. Moreover, based on the results obtained in this study, recommendations were made to prevent the future occurrence of this menace. It is concluded in this paper that building collapse in Nigeria could be substantially reduced if the identified pitfalls are avoided.

Keywords: Building Collapse, Building Construction, Structural Failure, Nigerian Construction