oloriooko:
Thank OP for your insight but i have this for you:
1. The said building in view was approved to go 15 suspended floors but it went 21, as a result, the foundation must have been designed to withstand 15 suspended floors NOT 21.
A collapse in NOT necessarily as a result of block works but majorly reinforcement used. The bedrock of this collapse is in the foundation design and the Developer probably ignored voice of reasoning and imported white guys to continue the work thinking they know better.
Structural defects vary in degrees but this collapse is from the foundation not block work.
I can only say this much now cuz investigation is currently on-going and I pray God console families of the victims.

updatechange:
Naija contractors be like...

updatechange:
Naija contractors be like...

oloriooko:
Thank OP for your insight but i have this for you:
1. The said building in view was approved to go 15 suspended floors but it went 21, as a result, the foundation must have been designed to withstand 15 suspended floors NOT 21.
A collapse in NOT necessarily as a result of block works but majorly reinforcement used. The bedrock of this collapse is in the foundation design and the Developer probably ignored voice of reasoning and imported white guys to continue the work thinking they know better.
Structural defects vary in degrees but this collapse is from the foundation not block work.
I can only say this much now cuz investigation is currently on-going and I pray God console families of the victims.

Hneed:
Fake material should be checked mate

Miroslavklose:


That is not how building foundation works.

Load bearing capacity of the soil is determined and a foundation is recommended. If you build on recommended foundation, it can handle 30 floors

The issue of adding extra floors or modifying actual building is only to avoid paying more in approval fees, not because of the foundation.

LASPPPA calculates fees based on floors and size of building. Many developers actual do something outside what is approval and this is very common in Lagos State. Very very common in 90% of buildings in Lagos State

slawormiir:
Damnnn niggarrrr

Nice write up bros op

Stop involving low budget asss civil/structural engineers

PediakAuthor:

Thanks for your points, my post is not necessarily directed to the most recent collapsed building in Lagos, but to our recalcitrant attitudes as humans.

Alongside, most building cracks could be traceable to defects in foundation courseworks and/or other forms of non-compliance to the structural standards of such an edifice, most especially, in such a riverine terrain.

However, the question is that, as nation-builders, what viable structures are we currently putting in place in an attempt to guard against subsequent negligence in construction services? Reason being that these related-issues have been recurring over the years.

That question is left for the masses to answer 'coz it's all about us...

PediakAuthor:
In the early hours of yesterday, 1/11/21, just before the breaking news of the collapsed building in Ikoyi. I was passing by a construction site (a storey building) in my area - it seems like an event hall to me.

I decided to branch the site - just to say hi to the bricklayers and the casual workers, and perhaps to learn new things.

I approached them by saying; "how far na? How the work dey go? Me self, I be Engineer o, I just say make I come see wetin una dey do 4 here." I said.

Immediately, conducting a visual inspection on the site, I noticed the low quality of the blocks on ground, most of them were broken, I got more curious and inquisitive. It was so obvious that the quantities of sand were more than the cement, and by the matter of fact, some of the blocks were already broken perhaps during the process of offloading the substandard blocks.

I took a step further to conduct a simple strength test (static pendulum swing on a broken piece of block) and impact test (punch) on an unbroken block. The Broken piece of block failed the first strength test woefully - rated about 20% strength.
For the second test, that is, impact test, I used my hand to punch the block (the Anthony Joshua style) , sincerely, I did not apply much force, the block scattered with just a little blow. OMG. I was bothered about the situation.

Some of the site workers were looking at me during the process.

I was actually concerned about the structure standing the test of time... so to say, I started challenging the bricklayers that why would they use such blocks for building? I said that's the major reasons for building collapse in Nigeria, and that innocent people and random visitors could be the victim of such negligence in the future. I specifically said; "where 2 bags of cements were to be used, people would use 1 bag just to cut cost."
And most times, that's why you see cracks on buildings after it has absorbed little raindrops. It's a RED SIGN for its structural sustainability.
One of them replied, "na so the supplier bring them come give us o", another worker said; "e fit be say na rain cause am..."

I said in my mind; "shey awon eleyi normal sha ? "

I left the site so bothered. Afterwards, I approached an elderly man that resides around the site and narrated the whole story to him and his company; how the blocks were looking so substandard and how I conducted 2 strength tests on the block - and they failed woefully.

The elder man pointed at another sets of blocks to me; he said; "those substandard blocks were made with machines, but these strong blocks were made with hands." Lo and behold, by the time I conducted a strength test on these second sets of blocks, they were much more stronger than the former, with a rating of about 80-95% strength. I gave it a punch, but with no effect.

I left the area, quite sober; I started thinking about the self-wickedness of humanity, and something came to my mind, that; God is not wicked, God does not do bad deeds, wickedness and evils are the handiworks of the heathens, and that, someday, such structures being built with substandard materials might collapse and people would start blaming God.

Few hours later, I saw a related news on Nairaland, about the collapsed building in Ikoyi, Lagos State, I become so emotional. I said to myself; Just one man's corrupt act and negligence might have led to this, or maybe someone actually tendered QUANTITY in the place of QUALITY just to maximize profits. All these risks are avoidable if we tend to do the right thing - so that no man would blame God for such unnatural occurrence. It's like a Chess game, a single wrong move might lead to a woeful defeat.

No be say I dey do amebo, it's just the strife against societal irregularities is a collective role, and the masses have a crucial role to play in the cause, likewise the designated governmental bodies.
And by the matter of fact, I've always been writing about related issues as such, in fact, I featured this theme in my 2018 book, titled; "The New Ekiti Dream". As attached,
that's page 17 of my long-term policy book.

On a conclusive note, one of the reasons why we always need to take proactive preventive move is that it could be anybody.

Here's my recommendation;
For the innocent masses not to be caught-up in subsequent flames as such, I think we need to establish a very serious regulatory outfit, perhaps, The Department of Quality Control in each Nigerian State and the concerned subjects MUST be ready to comply and adhere to all the laid-down rules of engagement for the construction ventures.

Secondly, the Government should delegate a special duty to some MOBILE QUALITY CONTROL AGENTS to ensure the regulatory compliance of ALL the construction works in Nigeria. At least, some qualified unemployment youths could be engaged for such processes.

My duty is to WRITE to make it RIGHT!

God bless y'all readers.

Written by Jawolusi Oluwaseun. (The NETISM Author)

Miroslavklose:


That is not how building foundation works.

Load bearing capacity of the soil is determined and a foundation is recommended. If you build on recommended foundation, it can handle 30 floors

The issue of adding extra floors or modifying actual building is only to avoid paying more in approval fees, not because of the foundation.

LASPPPA calculates fees based on floors and size of building. Many developers actual do something outside what is approval and this is very common in Lagos State. Very very common in 90% of buildings in Lagos State

Jonathan2Edirin:
Alots of factors determines building collapse, most exspecially the soil structure, foundation, supervision, quality of materials, skilled personnel, pressure, funding, timing, salary payment.....as said, it was meant for 15 floor but later increased might be due to greed, on the part of the owner, the soil bearing capacity, what type of foundation was done, what's the depth, was the project properly supervised by a registered or trusted engineer, was workers paid well, where they pressured to beat up dead line of completion, was qaulity materials used....

Jonathan2Edirin:
Alots of factors determines building collapse, most exspecially the soil structure, foundation, supervision, quality of materials, skilled personnel, pressure, funding, timing, salary payment.....as said, it was meant for 15 floor but later increased might be due to greed, on the part of the owner, the soil bearing capacity, what type of foundation was done, what's the depth, was the project properly supervised by a registered or trusted engineer, was workers paid well, where they pressured to beat up dead line of completion, was qaulity materials used....

Cchuks27:
This building didn't collapse on Friday, Saturday or Sunday but had to collapse on Monday when the Engineers were meeting. Hmm, I hope this matter is thoroughly investigated and someone is held accountable. I suspect an aggrieved Engineer or contractor caused it.

Miroslavklose:


That is not how building foundation works.

Load bearing capacity of the soil is determined and a foundation is recommended. If you build on recommended foundation, it can handle 30 floors

The issue of adding extra floors or modifying actual building is only to avoid paying more in approval fees, not because of the foundation.

LASPPPA calculates fees based on floors and size of building. Many developers actual do something outside what is approval and this is very common in Lagos State. Very very common in 90% of buildings in Lagos State

Subsea101:
This is incorrect for this situation. Once the load bearing capacity has been determined, a foundation is recommended to SUIT the proposed type/weight of the intending structure.
If for instance Qty 20 @25m depth piles is deemed fit to carry such a structure, it should be adheard to, if for any reason extra floors/loads will be added, a redesign of the foundation elements is a MUST. Because adding extra weight will take up the factor of safety (FS) already accounted for in the initial design.

You CAN'T use a foundation designed for 15 suspended floors for 21 floors, except the engineers conceptualized further addition in future, and made appropriate provisions for that.