Surveyors seek use of technology to tame building collapse

The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Lagos branch has called for the use of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology to monitor high-rise structures and prevent collapse of such buildings.

The chairman of the branch, Mr. Adesina Adeleke, who made the call in Lagos, explained that deploying the technology is necessary because the state cannot run away from building high-rise structures as it ensures management of available land spaces.

He said government should make deformation studies a standard requirement for all buildings above two floors within the state. Adeleke noted that it is an embarrassment that despite the availability of expansive professionals in the built environment, the state has continued to record incessant cases of collapse buildings.

He said: “The technological improvement in global navigation satellite system techniques has allowed significant advancement of various methodologies applied to control the dynamics of building structures in real time, especially for calculating, controlling, and interpreting satellite survey measurements.

The real-time monitoring system works by implementing a local geodetic network with GNSS technology on the structure to be monitored. The timely identification of deformation associated with geologic hazards or ground settlement can save lives, avert large financial liabilities, and avoid severe environmental damage. The advantage of using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology is that it can detect if the structure has drifted even for a few centimetres. Besides that, GPS provides cost effective and 3D information that will be useful for structural engineers.”

According to Adeleke, there is also the use of high-precision 3-D Laser scanning imagery systems to monitor high-rise structures for any kind of deformation.