ASSESSMENT OF BUILDING FAILURES IN NIGERIA: LAGOS AND IBADAN CASE STUDY

Abstract

The research focused on the causes and possible solutions to common buildings failures in Nigeria. Two major cities, Ibadan and Lagos were taken as case study. Questionnaires were administered to few selected architects, town planners, civil engineers and clients in the case study areas and also field trips were made to selected areas to ascertain common failures of buildings. Secondary data were obtained from the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) and few media houses. The research outcome revealed that all parties in the building industry: Clients, Architects, Design Engineers, Local Authority (Town planners) and Contractors are contributing immensely to building failures in various dimensions. Also, the nation is loosing both human and material resources each time a building fails. Common failures seen on buildings were wall cracking, wall spalling, foundation settlement, column buckling, etc. Proper assurance of competent professionals and strict enforcement of ethical standards by the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Nigerian Institute of Building, and the Nigerian Institute of Architects would reduce the problems identified to the minimum.

African Journal of Science and Technology Vol.5(1) 2004: 73-78