CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Building materials specification is a term used to refer to a document that is prepared by

professionals like an architect, quantity surveyor, builder, or an estimator to supplement

building drawings. Building materials specification is a written or printed schedule of

instructions to the contractor forming part of a contract and is usually accompanied by

drawings. The object of the building materials specification is to describe in a brief and precise

form the nature and quality of materials to be used, the method of construction required in

carrying out the work and also giving dimensions and other information not shown on the

drawings, components and workmanship (seeley, 1998).

Building materials specification should be used to amplify and not to repeat the

information shown on the drawings. It’s also seen as “writing instructions describing a specific

item of work” (Odunlami, 2002). Normally it is found that a building materials specification

resolves itself into two distinct sections:-

1. Specification of materials and workmanship

2. Description of work.

Purchasing agents that are responsible for procuring the materials and equipments uses

information in the specification documents and the project representative or the

inspector also finds aid in the document while inspecting and controlling the work. The

document also writing for the sub-contractors , manufacturers, of building materials and

equipments and also the client as well as his representatives on site to carry out their

activities as their profession bestow on them.

will can still found numerous collapse buildings in our society. This shows that the

problems lied with the contractor by using sub-standard materials, unskilled workmen

etc. Buildings, like all structures, are designed to support and withstand certain loads

without any deformity. The loads are the weights of people and objects, the intensity of

rain and the varying wind pressure. Akosile (2010) noted that building collapse occurs

when the structural frame of a building brakes up when the loads on it are beyond its

carrying capacity.

A research was carried out by Bamidele (2000) as cited by Fadamiro (2002) on

the causes of building collapse in Nigeria. The result of the research showed that poor

materials and workmanship contribute to about 45% of the overall causes of building

collapse

1.2 Problem statement

Building materials specification is a document that can guide the contractors

because building materials and components are displayed in the market without legal approval

number and there are no restriction to the kind, quality and even the sizes of each material.

More so, there are insufficient testing laboratories where most building materials and

components are tested before standard are established for good practice and use. These tests

and specimen carried out in the laboratories according to Odulami (2002) have better strength

than those on production site.

Again, the important of good workmanship on building is self-evident and the need to

specify this important aspect adequately cannot be over-emphasized, but adequate

1.3 Research Questions

1. How effective are various bodies and organizations that are responsible for material

standardization in Nigeria?

2. What is the causal relationship between quality of materials and workmanship and

building collapse in Nigeria?

3. What is the effect of failure to carry out various tests/inspections of materials of

structural building members on building collapse.

1.4 Aim and objectives

The aim of this research work is to assess the effect of enforcement of building

materials specification on construction projects to reduce the incidence of building

collapse in Nigeria.

The objectives are:

. To identify and assess material standardization in Nigeria.

. To assess the causal relationship between quality of materials and workmanship and

building collapse in Nigeria.

. To identify and assess the effect of tests/inspections of structural building materials

on building collapse in Nigeria.

Building materials specification is known to prescribe what materials are to be used,

but where there is a departure or a deviation from the specification, doom (which is building

collapse) is inevitable (Adebayo, 2000). Materials specification must relate exactly to the

intended construction and must be of adequate standard (Bolaji, 2002).

There is a necessity to investigate material variability and poorly skilled workmen

factors and this is because these two factors contribute to about 45% of total causes of building

collapse in Nigeria according to investigation.

1.6 Scope and limitation of the study

There are many materials specifications being used in the Nigerian construction

industry but the study focused on the building materials specification, which may have

three purposes, in each case in conjunction with drawings:

. To be read by the contractor’s estimator as the only information available on which to

prepare a competitive tender.

. To be read by the quantity surveyor to enable a bill of quantities to be prepared as a

basis for a competitive tender.

. To be read by the clerk (an architect) of works during the progress of works.

Failure to follow specification always result into building collapse in future. This

led to a research on building collapse and causes, where by the building professionals

and various bodies and organizations that are responsible for material standardization

in Nigeria are directly involved with the actual building process. The research will be

limited to Lagos state.

2.1 BUILDING MATERIALS SPCIFFICATION

Building materials specification form of contract contains – as well as the conditions

of contract which are common in some for or other to all types of contract - two

distinct sections, viz. specification of materials and workmanship and description of

works. Again the specification should be read in conjunction with the drawings and the

specification of materials and workmanship section should cover all materials and

aspects of workmanship.

2.2 TYPES OF CONTRACT DOCUMENTS INCORPORATING SPECIFICATIONS

It’s the architect who prepared the design for a project and this duty involves the

selection of all materials and equipments which he will go into the project as well as

setting the standards of workmanship which he will demand. In order that these

standards of materials and workmanship may be fully understood by all parties to the

contract, clauses specifying the quantities of materials and standards of materials must

be drawn up and form part of the contract.

2.3 FUNCTIONS OF SPECIFICATIONS

Specification clauses and documents related to a particular building contract

serve the following functions:-

1) Specification clauses prepared by the architect:- are used by the quantity surveyor

to enable him to prepare either a specification or a bill of quantities as a basis for

competitive tenders.

2) Specification clauses concerning materials and workmanship prepared by the

used by the contractor’s estimator together with the bill items and the drawings to

prepare a competitive tenders.

and description of work sections prepared by the quantity surveyor is used by the

contractor’s estimator together with drawings as the only information he has to

prepare competitive tenders.

4) Specification clauses in accepted tenders used by the clerk of works and the

contractor’s site agent and foreman during the progress of the contract as the

architect’s instructions for carrying out the work.

2.4 USE OF STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS AND CODES OF PRACTICE

The extent to which standard documents should be referred to in a

specification is sometimes difficult to decide. The British Standards Institution (BSI)

publishes standards for a very wide range of materials. Many of them are prepared

with a view to use for local authority housing contracts, the standard for which

may not be high enough for some other types of building. Codes of practice

relating to workmanship in various trades are also publish by the BSI . A thorough

knowledge of these standards and codes would need almost a life’s work and is

not a practical possibility for the ordinary professional: moreover, few contractors

will have a complete range of them in their office.

Generally speaking it is advisable to refer to British Standards for the more usual

materials and codes of practice can be incorporated where considered useful, but

it is most important in either case to be conversant with the terms of the

with the relevant British Standard’ nor ‘that all work is to comply with the codes of

practice issued by the BSI’, without stating the reference number of the particular

standard or code. Many of the codes of practice have now been converted to

standards and it is the policy of the BSI to continue this process. The use of

references to these documents must not be allow to encourage laziness.

3.0 RESEACH METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION

It is intended in this chapter to describe appropriate methodology and

procedure for this study that can achieve the specific objectives of the

research. This chapter will be based on issues like study population, data

collection instrument, sample size, and method of data analysis.

3.2 STUDY POPULATION

The study population for this study will be on professionals in construction

industry (Architects, Engineers, Quantity surveyor and builders). The study area

will be limited to Lagos state.

3.3 SAMPLE SIZE

A total number of 80 questionnaires will be distributed to construction firms in Lagos

state metropolis.
3.4 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT

A questionnaire titled, “Assessment of building materials specification and enforcement on

construction projects in Nigeria” will be designed. The questionnaire will be distributed to

professionals in construction industry. The questionnaire will be made up of two sections.

Section A: will be based on the general information covering the respondents company

name, address, qualification, year of experience.

Section B: will show more details on knowledge of those things observed by the

respondent’s towards enforcement of building materials specification on construction

projects in their previously handled project, effects of sub-standard materials and poor

workmanship, description of works on projects and so on.

3.4 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS

In order to embark on effective data analysis, the information that will be collected will

be transferred to spread sheet analysed. The analysis will comprise the use of tables,

percentile, mean score etc.

Akosile, A. (2010, March 26). “Structural Engineers Advocate Stricter Building

Construction Measures”.Thisday Newspapers, Retrieved from http://

[Link] /archive/2002/03/26/20020326est [Link]

Adebayo, S. O. (2000). Improving building techniques. Proceedings of a workshop on

Building collapse: Causes, prevention and remedies (pp. 48-51). The Nigerian

Institute of Building, Lagos State.

Odulami, A.A (2002). Building materials specification and enforcement on site.

Bamidele, O.T. (2000, Feb.,18). “Building Collapse: Stakeholders Proffer Solutions on

Way Forward”. Daily Sun Newspapers, Retrieved from [Link]

Bolaji, E. O. (2002). Building materials specification and enforcement on site.

Seeley, I (1998). Building quantities explained. London Macmillan press Limited.