Property owners and residents have been urged to watch for structural warning signs for potential building collapse, such as cracks in walls, beams, or columns, which can lead to imminent collapse, progressive failure, structural instability, reduced load-bearing capacity and rainwater leakage.
The Chief Lecturer at the Department of Building Technology Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State, Dr Shehu Abubakar, who spoke on the ‘Critical Warning Signs of potential building failure’ at a webinar organised by Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) Ikeja Cell, Lagos, listed other warning signs as uneven settlement or tilting, exposed and corroded reinforcement, sudden popping or creaking sounds, and sagging roof.
He highlighted non-structural warning signs such as persistent water leakage or dampness, peeling paint or mould growth, and door and window jamming or misalignment. “Possible causes are plumbing failure, poor drainage, foundation movement, adhesion failure, poor ventilation and moisture,” he said.
Abubakar urged the Standard Organisation of Nigeria to monitor material standards used in building production, while engineers should ensure responsible design and continuous supervision to prevent the menace of building collapse in the society.
He advocated the application of technological aids for premature detection of potential building collapse. These, he said, should include non-destructive testing, drones and thermal imaging, building monitoring systems, artificial intelligence and predictive maintenance using software that uses building data to flag anomalies, creep tests on structural members of the building, bacteria encapsulations in concrete and walls, as well as the use of meteorological information.
He appealed to built environment operatives in the housing production value chain to be alive to their responsibilities towards averting further loss of lives and building collapse incidents.
Abubakar said, “Builders must ensure adequate execution and supervision in terms of build-ability and maintainability, planners should ensure adequate setbacks, especially on waterways and areas prone to natural disasters.
He said contractors should use quality materials and adhere to specifications, clients should avoid unauthorised alterations, ensure the maintenance and avoid the use of quacks in building projects, while regulators must enforce standards, conduct inspections and public education.”
To mitigate the high rate of building collapse, he recommended mandatory periodic structural audits of public and high-rise buildings, patronage of registered builders, and enforcing insurance-backed structural integrity certification.
He called for the introduction of mobile apps for reporting visible signs of distress, strengthening building code enforcement at state and local levels and regular training of professionals and artisans.
Also speaking, the Coordinator, BCPG Ikeja Cell, Dr Gbolahan Oyelakin, an architect, said the forum is a continuation of advocacy by the guild to tame the incessant cases of building collapse in the country.
“When buildings begin to fail and if we don’t give attention to corrective measures or ameliorate effects of the failures, it degenerates into collapse. That is why, we decided to explore the critical signs that should not be ignored,” Oyelakin said.
