By Emegwoako C. Paschal
According to Akin George, President of the Nigerian Association of Exploration Geophysicists, a number of buildings and roads in Nigeria have collapsed due to faulty soil.
He made the remarks during a one-day technical symposium in Abuja for geoscientists and engineers.
The NAEG president stated that if a building or road was located in a structural disturbance zone, it was likely to collapse.
He then emphasized the importance of developers and engineers collaborating with geophysicists during construction or road work.
In the same vein, the symposium’s Chairman, Prof Ibrahim Garba, a former vice chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, stated that the type of soil was important when building a house.
He emphasized the importance of developers and engineers having a thorough understanding of soil types when working on any building or road project.
“There are different types of soil,” Garba explained. When clay absorbs water, for example, it expands. It contracts as it dries. If you have a building when the clay has swollen, when it is time for it to dry, it contracts and the building collapses.
“This means that it is critical to understand the subsurface – the characteristics of the soil and what lies beneath the soil.” This will assist you in determining where to place your foundation on very competent and stable ground. And I believe this will be extremely beneficial.”
According to a recent Punch report, Halimat Adediran, former Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Bwari Branch, urged Nigerians to stop hiring quacks in order to avoid more collapsed buildings across the country.
