einsteino:

That isnt enough reason. Buildings are at least expected to have a life expectancy of 50years. While monumental structures could be deaigned to last as much as 200years.

Wetin you dey do for my land?

By the way...Nigerians are so carefree when it comes to Architecture and construction. Its all about shelter out here. Nobody cares about posterity, my brother.

However, as an Architect it is my duty and I've decided to fight this. If you go to Europe today you will find buildings that are over 1000years old and still standing.

Nigeria gets me so angry anytime I hear of collapsed buildings

Na Wetin de reign nw

What? Did humans lived in that house? This house looks like a refuse dump

Eintelekt:


Wetin you dey do for my land?

By the way...Nigerians are so carefree when it comes to Architecture and construction. Its all about shelter out here. Nobody cares about posterity, my brother.

However, as an Architect it is my duty and I've decided to fight this. If you go to Europe today you will find buildings that are over 1000years old and still standing.

Nigeria gets me so angry anytime I hear of collapsed buildings

Well am a civil engr. Nigerians are still too uninformed about this and the govt is too carefree. I personally blame COREN and the Nigerian society of engineers for not regulating the industry.

RIP TO THE DEAD. MY CONDOLENCE GOES TO THE FAMILY.

Na wao, Lagos and building collapse this days.

d way people build house sef is bad..

you'll see them using gutter sand to mould blocks, construction works etc. which is bad

In APC's voice nawa o too much bad news this year...this is part of what Jonathan's government caused

einsteino:


That isnt enough reason. Buildings are at least expected to have a life expectancy of 50years. While monumental structures could be deaigned to last as much as 200years.

What were the control measures put in place by government to monitor n control these menace even 20yrs ago?


When did we start having regulatory bodies?


Go check most constructions especially outside mega-cities to find out the types of structures being put in place.


I dunno your professional prowess wrt civil engrg n bldg construction but I'm gonna make it a bit clear. Most suspended floors (decking) are being bear upon block walls without even check the load bearing capacity of these blocks.


Well, without saying too much, structures being built over 20yrs ago are different from ones we have today because of difference in technology and regulations.

Abeg who pushed the building down?

This entire building collapse thing in Lagos is completely fundamental. If we want to be reality with our judgment, I am convince that the scope and mentality of building construction in Lagos is faulty. It is not about Lagos state govt. approval thing, we need to look at the culture and mannerism of building foundations, concrete mixture and blocks molding patterns in Lagos. There is something fundamentally wrong in the process of building.

A one building, another woman is critically condition. Dis is made in 9ja english

einsteino:


That isnt enough reason. Buildings are at least expected to have a life expectancy of 50years. While monumental structures could be deaigned to last as much as 200years.

I'll take the 50yrs you quoted (would still like to know what reference/standard states such though) will be for a building where contractors and/or owners didn't cut back on materials during building and/or on maintenance after building.
The building in the picture doesn't look like such.
you'll see cracks on the pillars beside the collapsed portion and the cracks don't look new

ademoladeji:
The building is over 30yrs old...

It was a partial collapse. It only affects the balcony of the structure.

And that shows that it is good as the building collapses, right?

#BuildRightSaveLives

One dead

While you do have some points, we have always had regulatory bodies. Like I pointed out earlier, the unfortunate thing is they are in ghost mode. COREN is more interested in politics, our building approval offices are just avenues for civil servants to make quick cash. wrt Civil Engineering, well I work in a consulting/design engineering firm, my survival so far has been anchored on a good grasp of the technicalities involved. I know a lot of funny things go on but am yet to see anyone crazy enough to build a storey building without structural framing in the form of columns and beams(at least in this part of the country). We all know the requirements for load bearing walls can't be met with the cheap sandcrete blocks been sold, unless you intend to mould yours and supervise its air drying, watering and the mix ratio (nobody has that time here). The underlying problem is the public, they don't appreciate the importance, I guess we need more buildings to collapse so they learn the hard way(pun intended ).

ademoladeji:



What were the control measures put in place by government to monitor n control these menace even 20yrs ago?


When did we start having regulatory bodies?


Go check most constructions especially outside mega-cities to find out the types of structures being put in place.


I dunno your professional prowess wrt civil engrg n bldg construction but I'm gonna make it a bit clear. Most suspended floors (decking) are being bear upon block walls without even check the load bearing capacity of these blocks.


Well, without saying too much, structures being built over 20yrs ago are different from ones we have today because of difference in technology and regulations.

mickey45:



I'll take the 50yrs you quoted (would still like to know what reference/standard states such though) will be for a building where contractors and/or owners didn't cut back on materials during building and/or on maintenance after building.
The building in the picture doesn't look like such.
you'll see cracks on the pillars beside the collapsed portion and the cracks don't look new

You are right. As for the 50years, if you are a civil engineer, you should be familiar with service life of 50years. As for reference, the "Handbook to BS 8110: 1985: Structural use of concrete
by R.E. Rowe" reads thus;

As with other structural materials, knowledge is not yet adequate to allow concrete structures to be designed for a specific durability and life. Structures designed and built according to the recommendations in the code may normally be expected to be sufficiently resistant to the aggressive effects of the environment that maintenance and repair of the concrete will not be required for several decades i.e a life before significant maintenance generally in the region of say 50- 100years

Optimist1:

And that shows that it is good as the building collapses, right?

No. Not at all.
My point was highlighted earlier.

There was no strong n effective regulatory bodies then.

einsteino:
While you do have some points, we have always had regulatory bodies. Like I pointed out earlier, the unfortunate thing is they are in ghost mode. COREN is more interested in politics, our building approval offices are just avenues for civil servants to make quick cash. wrt Civil Engineering, well I work in a consulting/design engineering firm, my survival so far has been anchored on a good grasp of the technicalities involved. I know a lot of funny things go on but am yet to see anyone crazy enough to build a storey building without structural framing in the form of columns and beams(at least in this part of the country). We all know the requirements for load bearing walls can't be met with the cheap sandcrete blocks been sold, unless you intend to mould yours and supervise its air drying, watering and the mix ratio (nobody has that time here). The underlying problem is the public, they don't appreciate the importance, I guess we need more buildings to collapse so they learn the hard way(pun intended ).

I'm glad with your knowhow. We can now talk professionally.

I concur with all you've said.

We lack regulation, monitoring n control here in Lagos. The govt officials are only interested in the envelopes the 'developers' will give them.

I think the public needs proper awareness to enable dem know the importance of life over their cheap rent.

Someone like me will NEVER rent an apartment that looks older than me as well as those with multi-stories.

iyatrustee:
When people want to play smart and use more of sand than cement at the same time using substandard materials.

Who gave the approval for a collapsed building should be as liable as the owner of the building in events like this

that building is probably older than the both of us combined in saner climes it shouldn't still be standing or occupied by anybody!