Experts in the field of construction have said that a properly constructed structure cannot collapse entirely due to an accidental collision with a truck.
This follows the statement of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency which alleged that the building collapse in the Banana Island area of Ikoyi, Lagos State on 1st Avenue was caused by a truck that crashed into the building.
The statement which was accessed by the Punch reads, “Situation report on the collapsed building at 1st Avenue, Banana Island, Ikoyi. Upon the arrival of the LASEMA response team at the scene of the incident, a six-storey building under construction was found to have collapsed. Information gathered revealed that the building collapsed as a result of a truck that ran into the building.
“Fortunately, no loss of life. However, forts are ongoing to reconstruct the building to ground zero so as to forestall any secondary incident.”
The Principal Architect, AD Consulting, Olajumoke Adenowo, Olajumoke Adenowo, disputed the claim made by LASEMA and stated that the idea that a cement truck collided with a column was incorrect.
In her words, “A cement truck running into one column cannot bring down a properly designed and executed structure the way this one came down. A building does not rest all its load on one singular column. This is the beginning of a narrative to exonerate culpable parties.”
Adenowo noted Nigerians are not willing to pay standard fees for professional services. She warned that those who choose lower-priced options may compromise the quality of the project and incur additional costs in the long run.
She said, “Clients get what they pay for. Many Nigerians are unwilling to pay what they should for standard professional services, preferring to work with ‘professionals ‘who would take any amount they offer. Be aware that those who cut corners on fees will cut corners on your project and make the money elsewhere on that project at your expense.
“Some clients are sincerely baffled as to how to hire good professionals. This is done exactly the way you hire a good neurosurgeon, through referrals, not trials. Some of these clients see buildings that they like and ask their architects to copy the buildings. Sadly, many professionals promise and do not deliver. Hence, it is, therefore, the client’s responsibility in the first instance to hire competent professionals and exercise due diligence in doing so.”
She suggested that the agencies responsible for overseeing construction safety need to improve their efforts as there are flaws in the current system.
Likewise, an architect named Sogo Oyesode stated in a private interview with The Punch that it is impossible for a truck to strike a single column and result in the complete collapse of the entire building.
According to the architect, “The entire building is already structurally stressed. It is just a matter of time before the building would have still collapsed with or without the impact of any vehicle. It is better that the building collapsed now than collapsing may be six or nine months later, when there are more activities going on with plenty people in the building. The number of casualties would have been terrific.
“Accidental collision of a truck on a building cannot trigger that level of collapse seen. It is not possible. The collision must have been an intentional collision and the collision would be multiple instances on different sides of the building before such a collapse will happen. However, when that happens, you know they are trying to intentionally demolish the building.”
