Why are Buildings in Kenya collapsing?

Failures of Engineering Structures do no just happen. Often someone is responsible in Kenya; we have recently witnessed buildings collapsing when under construction and even after they have been completed. Less reported are roads that fail prematurely. Structures do not fail due to architectural issues. Almost in all cases, failure occurs due to an engineering and or construction related problems. There are a variety of reasons why engineering structures fail. The principal among them are:

  

These issues as zoning and land use. For instance, Nairobi which City Council does not appear to pay much attention to zoning. It is notable that the council has in the past allowed developers to put up high-rise buildings in areas not designated for such development. In some areas where even a sewer line does not exist, developers have been allowed to put up massive buildings. Building codes get bent at will.

In some cases, developers go to inexperienced Architects and Engineers who have just graduated from university. These young professionals get tempted by seemingly huge amounts of money they suddenly find themselves being exposed to and are therefore willing to bend rules, such as undercutting on scale fees and compromising on accepted building standards; hence the cases of buildings collapsing as they are erected.

Though not proven, some claim that most of the government projects are not scrutinized before being undertaken. Some of the structures are politically approved and constructed without the approval of the council. Hence, the construction of some of these structures in road reserves and way leaves.

Another malpractice involves deliberate compromise on the quality of the structure for financial gains by qualified and practicing professionals. This is so common with some contractors, who deliberately compromise on the directions given by the Architects and the structural engineers, building substandard structures which may not collapsed during erection but are prone to fail easily incase of any unseen environmental calamities such as earthquakes, fire or explosion. A good example of such buildings is the Ufundi house, which collapsed during the 7^th August 1997 bombing of the American Embassy, leaving the Cooperative House standing. This is due to compromise on the supervision by the resident engineer, mostly due to corruption or neglect of duty.

The underpayment of the government employed engineers also contributes very much to the compromise of building standards. These poorly paid professionals are put in charge of multi-million projects and supervising contractors loaded with cash. This leaves them vulnerable to manipulation by the contractors to either approve a ghost job or compromise on the structural strength of some members in exchange for financial ‘compensation’.

Unqualified personnel are put in charge in some construction firms especially those belonging to foreign firms. For, instance a main contractor who is unqualified and depended on his technician for the interpretation of the engineering drawings. In some instances, qualified engineers are forced to report to and take orders from unqualified personnel heading their companies.

Substandard materials in the construction industry are another major problem. Some materials used in the construction industry are naturally occurring with varied properties some of which are difficult to ascertain unless tests are to be carried on each one of them. Substandard masonry blocks results cracking of the walls and hence compromise the structural integrity of the building. Other materials prone to variability in quality are sand, coarse aggregate, timber and steel. Some industries have been found to recycle steel and use them in the manufacture of reinforcement steel. These steel have lower yield strength than the stipulated 460N/mm².

Solutions

The future of the construction industry is bright with legislation already in place to impose heavy penalties on individuals involved in construction malpractices. To undertake any major structural engineering project, the engineer should be registered. Another requirement that in order to register a consulting firm, at least one of the stake holders must be a registered consulting engineer will also streamline the construction industry.

Most government projects are nowadays taken under the design and supervision of private consulting firms who are out to build on their reputation, hence not so vulnerable to manipulation by contractors.

A country run by professionals is the key to even brighter future for the construction industry. This will lead to political decisions being taken with some considerations to ethics and not tribal and corrupt ways. The construction of buildings should be approved by the appropriate authority not politically.