ADDIS ABABA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL OF CIVIL AND ENVIROMENTAL ENGINEERING

TECHINICAL REPORT WRITING AND RESEARCH METHDOLOGY

LIFE SAFTY EVALUTION OF BUILDINGS IN ADDIS ABABA

Haile mariyam sewagegn

ATR/2455/06
27 November 2017
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Introduction

The construction industry is a major economic growth driver for Ethiopia. Massive government
investment in infrastructure and residential building projects is turning the country into one of the
continent’s highest performing economies. The country spend half the budget on the construction sector.
Rapid urbanization rates have created a huge need for improved infrastructure systems and a big
housing backlog.

Ethiopian construction sector is grouped into four main groups

1. Residential Construction
With a large and growing population, Ethiopia is facing a major housing deficit. As such, residential
construction has been targeted as main area of development by the government. The Ministry of Urban
Development, Housing & Construction says it will build 2.45 million houses over the course of the five
year GTP II.
2. industrial Construction
One such project is the building of four new industrial parks in Adama, Mekelle, Kombolcha and Dire
Dawa. Construction of these facilities was expected to commence in late May 2016. The building of these
facilities is expected to cost in the region of $1 billion. Each has a construction time of 9 months so could
be fully operational by February 2017.
3. Infrastructure Construction
Updating transport links is another aspect of infrastructure that the Ethiopian government is keen to
explore. A number of collaborative projects have been completed in recent years. These demonstrate the
vast sums Ethiopia is willing to invest in such developments.

4. Other Construction Activities (includes business buildings like mall and supermarket)
While the infrastructure, industrial and residential sectors are seeing the most construction activity,
there is still much being built in other areas. Civic and hotel construction in particular is flourishing in
Ethiopia.

Having all this investment on the construction industry. How much safe are the finished business
buildings, roads and condominiums?? Does the buildings fit for their intended purpose? Are they safe
for disable persons and elderly people?

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Life safety evaluation of buildings in Addis Ababa

Life safety evaluation

The Life Safety Evaluation is an assessment of the impact of the overall safety of occupants provided by
the building's features, such as stairwells, elevators and communication systems. The Life Safety
Evaluation also determines if an existing residential or landmark high-rise building or other business
buildings must be outfitted with a fire suppression sprinkler system.

The LSE evaluates the following basic criteria of a buildings safety

1. Fire safety,
2. Serviceability
3. Provision of basic necessities
4. Means of egress and
5. General building safety.

These criteria are evaluated using different categories such as Building Height, Protection of Vertical
Openings and Smoke Detection to measure the overall level of building safety.

Basic Life Safety Criteria

Fire Safety

Fire safety measures active and passive means of combating fires. This includes the building's ability to
contain a fire to its place of origin using passive means, such as fire-rated walls, doors and ceilings, and
the ability to extinguish a fire by active means, such as Fire Department intervention or a sprinkler
system. Fire Safety is also determined by the endurance of existing fire barriers, such as doors or walls,
and the ability of the building’s structural frame to withstand exposure to fire without failure.

Serviceability

Refers to the conditions under which a building is still considered useful. Should these limit states be
exceeded, a structure that may still be structurally sound would nevertheless be considered unfit. It refers
to conditions other than the building strength that render the buildings unusable. Serviceability limit
state design of structures includes factors such as durability, overall stability, fire resistance, deflection,
cracking and excessive vibration.

For example, a skyscraper could sway severely and cause the occupants to be sick (much like sea-
sickness), yet be perfectly sound structurally. This building is in no danger of collapsing, yet since it is
obviously no longer fit for human occupation, it is considered to have exceeded its serviceability
limit state.

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Provision of basic necessities

This is to evaluate that building fulfils basic supplies like toilets, water supply, electricity, lightening and
other staffs.

Means of Egress

This measures the ability of the building occupants to escape from a fire to a safe location either inside
or outside of the building. This is also determined by the ability to detect and notify occupants about a
fire condition and the capability of the fire department to communicate with occupants before and after
a fire.

General Safety

This is a measure of the overall fire and other safety level of the building.

With a large and growing population, Ethiopia is facing a major housing deficit. As such, residential
construction has been targeted as main area of development by the government. The government is
building lots of condominiums at Addis Ababa and regional cities. Other construction sectors also
growing rapidly.

The main focus of this research is to evaluate the safety of occupants provided by the building's
features of Addis Ababa multi story buildings. Building features includes stairwells, elevators and
communication systems, supply of water, serviceability and electricity and fire escape structures.

Safety evaluation reduce the risk of accidents and allows the buildings to function for intended purpose
efficiently, also to give alternative solution if buildings are not safe enough for occupants. Safety
evaluation is important for the government who built large residential buildings and other private
agencies to get feed backs and to know how much the public is satisfied

The overall end product of this research is to know how safe the buildings in Addis Ababa are.

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Statement of the need

Recently buildings have collapsed in Addis Ababa and other parts of the country. A three-storied building
in Addis Ababa Bole Sub city, specifically near Summit, has collapsed with the first-storey completed, the
second and the third stories of the building were under construction. Another building had collapsed in
the same area.

A building collapse in Ethiopia's Arba Minch city, 435 km south of capital Addis Ababa, has killed four
people and injured 11 others. Buildings have also collapsed in gonder university.

Fire is also the major treat to Addis Ababa buildings. Fire starts up mostly in residential buildings due to
traditional kitchen systems. Recently fire also starts up in big buildings like dormitories and hotels.
Having less developed and low organized fire protection agencies makes the situation difficult.

Buildings that are structurally safe are not necessarily safe for occupants. Addis Ababa is constructing
lots of high rising buildings especially banks. High rising buildings subjected to great wind force could
sway in large amount. Making the occupants sick. Though structurally sound. Some buildings also vibrate
and show excessive deformation.

Observing all this problems or collapse in buildings the need for evaluation of the buildings safety
become mandatory before starting service and at certain time interval during its performance period.

Since government is responsible for maintaining the safety of public and the resource of the country
checking and regulating the safety of buildings is mandatory

Buildings collapsed in summit

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Objectives

 To develop checklists for life safety evaluation of buildings, that includes residential, offices and
business buildings.
 Determine the safety status of Addis Ababa buildings and know the provision of safety
equipment’s of the buildings.
 Provide alternative solution for those buildings that do not fulfil the safety evaluation.
 Recommendation for the concerned government institutions what to do in case of emergencies.

Funding

There are legally established institutions that works to protect the safety of the public. Like fire control
and emergence response institution. In construction sector government establishes minster offices to
control, to manage and to regulate construction. So I request for this institutions to cover for my
expense in the research and to work together.

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References

Chicago life safety evaluation

Wikipedia

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