NIS tasks FG on building monitoring

The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) has called on the Federal government to urgently control structural deformation and ensure monitoring of superstructure in buildings across the country.

The institute observed that the collapse of structures could be avoided, through monitoring, to prevent loss of life and properties.

NIS President, Dr. Kayode Oluwamotemi, said this during a briefing in Abuja. He lamented that bridges, dams, oil tank farms, stadia, National Art Theatre, government high-rise buildings are put to use without recourse to checking their stability.

“In line with global best practice, structures are supposed to be monitored for deformation and non-compliance with the design during construction and post-construction.”

“The Ikoyi building collapse perhaps would have been averted if the structure is well supervised on a floor completion basis using LIDAR technology by our members, who are trained to provide requisite skills,” he said.

The president also said high rise buildings collapse due to the fact that persons without training often take over the work of surveyors, adding that this accounts for the absence of names of survey firms on the signposts at construction sites.

He added: “ We want the government to establish desk offices for surveyors in ministries, departments and agencies as it is the practice in developed countries for early warning for impending disasters.”

Also speaking, the Deputy President, Dr. Matthew Ibitoye, regretted that incidences of building collapse are more frequent in Lagos, stressing, this is caused by the pressure on the surface of the land as a result of the weight of the skyscrapers.