In the Name of ALLAH, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

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• In the Name of ALLAH, the Compassionate, the
  Merciful.

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COLLAPSE OF BUILDINGS CAUSES AND REMEDIES

• By
• Abdus-Sabur Raji
• LECTURER
• CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF
  ILORIN, NIGERIA.
• SUNDAY, 3RD SEPTEMBER, 2006 (10TH SHABAN 1427
  A.H)

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INTRODUCTION

• Building (Housing) is one of the basic
  necessities of life. It is a permanent fixed
  structure used for living.
• Various verses of the Quran that mention the
  importance of buildings for different animals and
  man.

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Houses for Spider
Suratul Nahl 16 v. 68-69
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House of Bees(Bee Hives) built in woods, on trees
etc
Suratul Nahl 16 v. 68-69
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House of Ants
AntHill for Fire Ants
AntHill for Burundi Ants
Suratul Naml 27 v. 17-18
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COMPONENTS OF A BUILDING

• There are three major components in a building.
• 1. Foundation
• 2. Walls
• 3. Roof

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CAUSES OF COLLAPSE

• FIRE
• EARTHQUAKE
• FLOOD
• HURRICANES
• TSUNAMIS
• HUMAN CAUSES

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WTC during the Collapse on September, 11 2001
Suratul Fajr 89 v. 6-8
266 passengers, pilots and crew died as a result
of these four hijackings on the morning of
September 11th. As of Sunday, September 15, 2001,
New York City estimated that 5,097 people in the
complex were missing. (http/1010win.com/storyfold
er)
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A mosque still stands amidst the rubble of
collapsed buildings in this aerial view of a
neighborhood in the western Turkish town of
Golcuk, 60 miles east of Istanbul.
EARTHQUAKE IN Golcuk, TURKEY, August, 19, 1999.
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In Nigeria!

• On October 2004, a three-storey building at 59,
  Agulu Street Umuahia collapsed. On May 2005, a
  bungalow collapsed  killing three and injuring
  many at Iludun in Ogun State. On June 5, 2005, a
  four storey building under construction collapsed
  in  Aba . This year alone many lives were lost in
  the collapse of buildings in Port Harcourt and
  Lagos.
• In Ilorin, some buildings collapsed during the
  last rainy season killing two and injuring many
  in the suburb.
• Although Lagos is known for its high rise
  structural edifices it also accounts for 99 per
  cent of collapsed building in Nigeria. From the
  year 2000-2006 over fifteen buildings and
  structures have collapsed in the metropolis of
  Lagos State with attendant death tolls and loss
  of properties.

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4-Storey building collapsed at Ebute Meta in
Lagos State killing 45 people(July, 2006)
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WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A
BUILDING?

• CLIENT
• CONSULTANTS
• ARCHITECT
• QUANTITY SURVEYOR
• ENGINEER(CIVIL/STRUCTURAL, MECHANICAL
  ELECTRICAL)
• TOWN PLANNING AUTHORITY

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Combination of Causes Scouringdue to excessive
flooding, surge storm or tsunami strikes
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Combination of Causes Liquefaction mostly in
earthquake affected areas. Saturated soils
becomes liquids
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LESSONS FROM VARIOUS COLLAPSES

• Trust in Allah even after good design
• Examples of WTC collapse in US and the ancient
  mosque that survived the earthquake in Turkey.
• Allah says in Suratul Tauba 9 v. 107-110

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How WTC Collapsed on September 11
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How the World Trade Center Collapsed!

• Some have questioned the way the World Trade
  Center handled fires during the events of 11
  September. However, the twin towers met fire
  codes by having fireproofed steel and a sprinkler
  system. The towers were designed to withstand
  impact from a Boeing 707, the largest civilian
  aircraft at the time (24). The Boeing 707 was a
  smaller plane with a much lower fuel capacity.
  The planes that struck the towers were Boeing
  767s, a larger aircraft with a greater fuel
  capacity. Moreover, the sprinkler system in the
  World Trade Center was capable of putting out
  common office fires fueled by paper and fabric
  -not 20,000 gallons of jet fuel. To begin, water
  does nothing to combat jet fuel fires. Since
  water is heavier than jet fuel, the fuel would
  just float on the water and continue burning.
  Second, the sprinkler system had to have been
  somewhat damaged when the planes hit the
  building. Finally, even if the sprinkler system
  did not fail anywhere and used foam to fight the
  fires, it still would not have been large enough
  to put out 20,000 gallons of jet fuel
  (howstuffworks.com).

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Baqara 2 v.155-157 155 - Be sure we shall test
you with something of fear and hunger, some loss
in goods, lives and the fruits (of your toil),
but give glad tidings to those who patiently
persevere,-.156 - Who say, when afflicted with
calamity To Allah we belong, and to him is our
return-.157 - They are those on whom (descend)
blessings from their Lord, and mercy. And they
are the ones that receive guidance..
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The 6-storey building partly destroyed on the
farther side. Thousands of people were killed in
this earthquake that occurred in western Turkey,
August 1999
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WAY OUT OF THE PROBLEM (Administrative)

• Drawings and Site Supervision must be undertaken
  by Qualified professionals Engineers, Architect,
  Q.S.
• Employment of Qualified Professionals by Town
  Planning authorities.
• Employment of the services of Registered and
  Experienced Contractors
• Separation of Contractors from Consultants by
  discouraging Turnkey contract

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Technical solutions

• Site location adequate bearing capacity. Prophet
  Ibrahim chose a firm highland for building Kaaba
  which has never been affected by floods.

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Adequate depth for the foundation depending on
the number of storeys
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Grade Beam Grade Beam is a ground level beam on
which the walls rest and can save the
superstructure in case the foundations below get
damaged.
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Plinth band should be provided at the floor
level. This helps inholding the plinth together
and prevents any cracks due to anyuneven
settlement in the walls above.
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The vertical bar at the corners should tie grade
beam and the plinth band as shown in the diagram
below and continue upwards till roof.
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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Based on the submissions in respect of the
  problems posed by frequent collapse of buildings,
  I recommend as follows
• Government should encourage research in
  engineering and other related construction
  fields.
• Formulation of Nigerian building codes .
• Soil Mapping by State Governments
• Enforcement of Sanctions on Parties who Violate
  the Town Planning Laws
• Regular maintenance of buildings

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CONCLUSION

• In this presentation, attempt has been made to
  trace the problem of incessant collapse of
  building. We have drawn some lessons from these
  collapses. Recommendations have also been made on
  how to reduce this problem. It is hoped that if
  government and individuals take to these
  suggestions the problems would be drastically
  reduced.

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• THANK YOU!
• Jazzakhumlahu Khyran!