FOUNDATION FAILURE AND ITS EFFECT IN BUILDING: A CASE STUDY OF NASARAWA YOUTH CENTRE

FOUNDATION FAILURE AND ITS EFFECT IN BUILDING:

A CASE STUDY OF NASARAWA YOUTH CENTRE

 

ABSTRACT

In the building construction industry particularly in Nigeria, some indigenous contractors try to ensure that projects are delivered within the shortest duration without determine to the use of types of foundation.  Hence the need for adequate use of types of foundation cannot be overemphasized.  The study then undertake the foundation failure and its effect in building significantly to ascertain the extent of the application i.e. problem/success involved with the use of the foundation.  A questionnaire was administered and data collected from selected building located in Nasarawa State which were presented in tables, analyzed and interpreted accordingly to degree of responses.  Base on analysis, it was discovered that appropriate use of foundation schedule of construction works is essential due to its positive impact (cost and time saving) toward effective project delivery.

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

A building can be define as a structure broadly consisting of walls, floors and roof erected to provide space for different use such as residence, education, business, workshop, manufacturing, hospitalization, entertainment etc which the load is acting on the foundation.

Base on this, man required different types of building for his activities, houses, bungalow and flats for his living, hospitals and health center for his health care, schools, college and universities for his education, bank, shops, offices, buildings and factories for production, railway building, bus station and air terminals for transportation.

In this case, the building design has traditionally been the responsibility of architect though the building construction has been the responsibility of the builders.

Building like all structure, are design to certain load without deforming excessively, the load are the weight of people and object. The weight of the rain and snow and the pressure of wing called live load and dead 1.4GK + 1.6GK equal to the total load of the building itself.

A foundation of a building or structure is that part of the substructure which is in direct contract with and transmits the load to the ground.  The substructure is that of a building or artificial sub soil level and which supports super structure. 

Also, the structural element that connect the building bridges and other elements to ground are called “foundation”.  These elements are very important because, the safety and reliability of the structure can’t be better than that of the foundation. Uzokwe, O.A. (2001) “Rising Incidence of Building Collapse in Nigeria: Any Remedy?” Nigeria World 1999-2010.

Strength and stability from part A of (1995) schedule 1 to the building regulations are as regards loading:  That the building shall be so constructed that the combined dead, imposed and wind load are sustained and transmitted to the ground safely and without causing deflection or deformation of any part of the building or such movement of the ground as will impair the stability of any part of another building and as regards ground movement of the subsoil cause by swelling, shrinkage or freezing will not impair the stability of any part of the building.

A foundation should be designed to transmit the loads of the building to the ground so there is at most, only a limited settlement of building into the ground.

A building whose foundation is not sound rock will suffer no measurable settlement where as a building on soil will suffer settlement into the ground by the compression of soil under the ground.

1.1      FUNCTIONS OF BUILDING

To build means making use of building material to create a space that will fulfill a particular function.  The building as a structure must fulfill the following conditions:

-         Satisfy the need for which it was built (function).

-         Must resist the loads coming to it i.e. (must be stable).

-         Must continue to fulfill its function (durability)

-         Must be achieved with the minimum use of resources (economy).

Tattersall, N. (2009 June, 28). “ Nigeria Building Collapse Kills at Least Five-Rescuers”. Daily Sun Newspapers, Retrieved from http://www.Dailysun.ng

Buildings are constructed to serve a range purposes viz:

For shelter, to have a conducive place for work for schools, industries, entertainment and all you think of.

Buildings are produced by the coordination of the inputs of a group of people, under the provisions of a guiding law, called the building regulations.  A building is broadly divided into two parts:

1)        Substructure

2)        Superstructure

The portion of the building below the ground is the substructure and the portion above is the superstructure.

1.2      STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

In the building construction industry, some indigenous building contractors have to struggle to complete project work on time without considering the types of foundation and the soil types.

Whenever priorities are not given to key aspect of building construction work or project work such as scheduling of activities, monitoring of day to day task.  Hence the consequences of no or improper use of foundation types or materials for the construction of foundation, it will eventually lead to foundation failure of such project or building.

1.3          AIM AND OBJECTIVES

1.3.1  AIM

The aim of this research work is to identify delivery  of foundation failure and its effects in building for project delivery.

1.3.2  OBJECTIVES

For the achievement of the above aim, the objectives are:

i)                  To identify the cause/effect of foundation failure in building

ii)                To identify the Mother Nature earth/human activities in foundation failure.

iii)             To identify the causes of settlement in foundation

1.4      METHODOLOGY

Two methods of data collection were used (primary and secondary).  Therefore, in the pursuit of this research work, the following sources were used:  textbooks, internet and questionnaires and related materials.

1.4.1  ANALYSIS

In data analysis, tables of analysis were to analyze the data collected using questionnaires and the responses are expressed in percentages.

1.5      SCOPE AND LIMITATION

1.5.1  The scope of this research work covers foundation failure and its effect in building be used for construction project by some indigenous building contractors.