Charles Maduka
‘Negligence is the trust of the soul, that corrodes through all her resolves’ – Owen Feltham. Whenever caution is thrown to the wind, humans become prone to avoidable misfortunes.
Whenever caution is thrown to the wind, humans become prone to avoidable misfortunes. On Wednesday 12th April 2023, the news of the collapse of a seven-storey building under construction located at the highbrow First Avenue, Banana Island, Ikoyi Lagos was received with shock and trepidation. Questions being asked were; Why! How! In Banana Island of all places! These questions were being asked because of the exclusive nature of the Island and the presume high standard of construction and environmental punctilio on the Island. It is an island for the rich and the bourgeoisie. The collapse is certainly one too many.
Similarly, in November 2021, a Twenty -one Storey building located at No 44 Gerard Road, Ikoyi Lagos collapsed under questionable circumstances. It was reported that the building’s density and setback on the site showed a gross violation of the Lagos State Building Regulations. The collapse was at the end of the day attributed to Structural design errors.
There were other reported incidents of building collapse in various parts of the nation in recent times which are beyond the remit of this piece. There had been submissions and essays by professionals and concerned stakeholders in the construction industry on the incessant building collapse in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
At present, in the front burner is the seven – storey collapsed building under construction at First Avenue, Banana Island Ikoyi. What could have caused the collapse of the building? Is it the same as that of 44 Gerard Ikoyi? Coincidentally, both collapses occurred within the Ikoyi area of Lagos Island.
Furthermore, is it a misapplication of physical properties and sound engineering theories? Too many questions! Whilst, it may not be appropriate to jump to a conclusion, ahead of the report by the investigating team set up by the Lagos State Government to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the unfortunate incident; It might be pertinent to assert that in a society where corruption and compromise have become a way of life, such a nation can hardly make an enviable advancement among the comity of nations.
According to reports, Lagos is a low-lying metropolitan city with flat topography and having many areas at or below sea level and an average elevation of 1.5m only above the sea level. Besides, Lagos is a wetland. The Mainland and the Island make up the City of Lagos. Most of the Lagos Island is reclaimed land from surrounding bodies of water. What a delicate place to site high-rise buildings and skyscrapers. Paradoxically such is the situation.
The 160m- tall- 32 floor Nigerian External Communication ( NECOM House) building located precisely at 15 Marina/Cable street Lagos is the tallest building in Nigeria. The Union Bank Tower and one the tallest buildings in Nigeria is also located in Marina, Lagos. The soil compositions, coastal characteristics, topography, microclimate, and unusual climatology make Lagos a delicate place to stand a high-rise building without adequate professional know-how.
Banana Island is a man-made island. The 15-floor Lucrezia at a height of 65m is probably the tallest residential building in Banana Island. Anchored at a height of 45m below ground level by a chain of 94 piles of 900mm diameter, the building is unlikely to be harmed by the wind adversity.
Banana Island is said to be at sea level but a study of Amsterdam, Netherlands shows that the city is about 2m below sea level. Why are the buildings located there not sinking one may ask? Sound design, Precision Engineering, Construction, and Integrity; No cutting of corners. It might be of interest to state that the tallest building in Amsterdam is the 150m tall- 36- floor Rembrandt Tower. It is anchored on a chain of piles of sizes, 56m deep and 2m in diameter. It was designed by a group of architects that included the famous architectural firm- SOM of Chicago.
However, the video of the collapsed building at First Avenue depicted a- free fall and an almost zero resistance to the force of gravity. The wind effect may not be considerable because the building is surrounded by other buildings. The foundation is suspect. Is Ikoyi area susceptible to ground movement that might have required seismic surveying and analysis? The big question is ; Was the foundation done by a foundation specialist or by the main contractor? Was the relevant quality control tests such as slump test carried out during the process of concreting the structural elements of the building?Was the water for the concreting tested to determine the percentage of its salinity?
In addition, were the columns and beams’ ratios and sizes in agreement with the designed load and the bearing capacity of the individual pile? Did the foundation design include concrete casing running along the entire perimeter of the building coverage? Finally Who were the consultants on the project and what professionals constituted the entire construction team on the project?
A building’s collapse can be facilitated simply by upholding the lethal force of negligence by putting the square pegs in the round holes while burying the head in a heap of sand like the proverbial ostrich believing that all is well.
According to the Holy book, ‘ When the foundation is faulty, what can the righteous do? It also says that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. The popular Toyota advert says, ‘Good thinking, good product’. However, always remember that the word, ‘Wisdom’ is not just a -six letter word.
According to Orrin Woodward, ‘The problem with incompetence is its inability to recognise itself.
Maduka, an Architect, writes from Lagos
