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Nigeria Church Building Collapse was Lack of Structural Engineering and Design Responsible
for Loss of Precious Lives?
Published By: Nikunj Patel
In September this year, when a popular church in Nigeria collapsed and 116 people were killed, an
urgent probe was ordered. Did this fatal collapse occur due to lack of attention given to the buildings
structural design?
The structural design of a building is largely responsible for the security and safety of its occupants.
According to a research it was recorded that the structures of majority buildings that have collapsed,
were not supervised by experts.
While at first the cement brand used for construction was speculated to be the culprit, now it seems like
not the cement but the concrete was to be blamed. Structural engineers and building experts have
opined that the structural stability of a building hugely depends on the quality of concrete used in the
construction, and it has been observed that majority of building collapse incidents occur due to low
quality concrete used for construction.
To prove the point further and to stress on the role of concrete in making a robust building structure,
Mr. Yusuf, an expert in structural engineering pin pointed, how; there is marked difference between
the weather in south Nigeria and north Nigeria. He also stressed on the point that while mixing
concrete the topography of a locality should be kept in mind. In addition to the concrete quality, steel,
sand and water is also important.
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