NAN-HE-4
Building
By Tinuade Adeshiyan and Adepote Arowojobe
Ikorodu (Lagos State), July 6, 2017 (NAN) The Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) has blamed high quantity of metal scraps in construction steel for rampant building collapse.
The National President of the guild, Mr Kunle Awobodu, made the observation at a seminar organised by the Ikorodu Unit of the guild for steel manufacturers and other stakeholders in building.
The event took place on Wednesday evening at Ikorodu, Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seminar had the theme: “The Importance of Quality Flat Sheets and Steel Reinforcement Materials in Construction Industry’’.
Awobodu said that the quantity of iron ore ought to be more than that of metal scraps in construction steel to achieve quality.
“But the rising cost of production has turned metal scraps as the major component in steel production instead of ore (billets).
“It has to be 70 per cent ore and 30 per cent metal scraps, which is permitted in any steel production.
“These days, there are many inferior steel producers, who use 100 per cent metal scraps, even when they know that certain scraps are not ideal for steel production.
“Building collapse is worrisome; we have submitted some major reasons we know to the Lagos Statement Government for urgent action,” he said.
Awobodu also said there was the need to ensure that rolling mills had fatigue testing machine to ensure quality steel.
According to him, many laboratories in Nigeria only conduct one-sided test – mechanical test – leaving chemical test undone; hence, poor quality steel in circulation.
“The reality is that the quality of steel is better controlled from the source, that is the rolling mill, rather than relying on laboratory test of few samples,” he said.
He urged the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to device a better means of monitoring the quality of steel to ensure consistency in finished product.
The Chief Executive Officer of SON, Mr Osita Aboloma, said that the use of substandard steel and other building materials had led to loss of many lives and property.
Aboloma, who was represented by Mr AbdulRasak Oyewopo, SON’s Sectional Head (Mechanical Department), said that SON had shut seven steel companies in the last few months because of the importance it attached to production of quality steel.
According to Aboloma, out of the 41 rolling mills registered with SON, the organisation shut seven of them for various reasons.
“In our efforts to ensure quality of products, all steel bars produced locally have identification marks that will enable SON to trace them to the manufacturer.
“The identification marks can be checked in our website for guidance,” Aboloma said.
He attributed building collapse to many factors, including negligence and design and foundation failures.
“The incidence of building collapse has been a serious concern; governments and other stakeholders are making efforts to curb the menace,” he said. (NAN)
TAL/ADEX/JI/IGO
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(Editing by Joseph Idika/Ijeoma Popoola)