SON Threatens Clamp Down On Manufacturers Of Sub-standard Building Materials

SON is threatening a clamp down on manufacturers of sub-standard building materials due to the fact that building collapses is going on the increase in Abuja

The incidence of building collapse in Nigeria is now growing at an alarming rate, seemingly uncontrollable or beyond easy control. This in recent times has become a source of serious concern to all stake holders – the professionals in building industry, government, private developers, clients and users, as well as neighbourhood residents. No doubt, the effects of building collapse could be quite devastating, and therefore should be avoided using all necessary precautions and machineries possible.

Without mincing words, the effect of collapse of building structures is usually colossal. A building, once properly constructed is expected to be in use for a very long time but that has stopped being the case in this part of the world. Buildings, like all structures, are designed to support certain loads without deforming excessively. The loads are the weights of people and objects, the weight of rain and the pressure of wind

With tall buildings of many floors, the roof is a minor matter, and the support of the weight of the building itself is the main consideration. Like long bridges, tall buildings are subject to catastrophic collapse.

There are a wide range of factors responsible for building collapse but the one factor that has mostly come under scrutiny is the use of substandard building materials which is believed to be the genesis of building collapses. Therefore SON’s threat doesn’t come as a surprise.

According to punchng.com, worried by incidences of buildings collapse in the country, especially in Abuja, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, has vowed to clamp down on manufacturers of sub-standard building materials. To this end, SON has commenced quality tests of building materials, especially on iron rods as well collection of details of their manufacturers, with a view to summoning producers of identified sub-standard ones for questioning or arrest. The first port of call by the SON team was Jabi, in Lugbe, and other building material markets within the Federal Capital Territory An Assistant Director of SON, Dr Barth Okoko, who led the team to sensitize dealers of the products before taking punitive measures, said: “The awareness drive was necessary to educate dealers on engineering procedures of identifying quality of the products.”