The Director General Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, NBRRI, Professor Samson Duna, Tuesday revealed that substandard materials were used in the construction of the school that collapsed in Jos last Friday.
He added that preliminary investigation into the Saints Academy building collapse, were 22 students died in Jos, Plateau State, last week revealed that the physical observation of the building looked distressed while weak materials were used for the building.
Professor Duna also enjoined the government and other professional bodies in the construction industry to insist on carrying out integrity tests on all distress buildings, especially those around the collapse building site.
Speaking with Journalists in Jos, Plateau State, the Director General stated that the investigative committee on the collapsed building, headed by Professor O. F. Job of the Department of Building at the University of Jos, depicted that the quantity of concrete in the two-story building was in doubt because they was no boundary between the concrete and the steel enforcement anchorage provided was inadequate.
He added that the institute has so far intervened in more than sixty cases of building collapses in Nigeria, and with Nigeria experiencing an average of 20 building collapses annually, especially during the rainy season, there is need to fight the menace of building collapse.
“Public awareness should be reinforced by educating the public on the importance of building safety and the rise of illegal construction.
This is necessary because many are not aware of what they they need to do before they embark on building projects”.
He called for collaboration among stakeholders, including government agencies, professionals, and the public, for the purpose of sharing knowledge and global best practices and called for refresher training among the professionals.
The Director General of the institute, advocated for a multifaceted framework to prevent future occurrences, adding that the organs of government and professional bodies responsible for building construction must enforce strict compliance with building codes, regulations and standards.
-9News Nigeria.
