Quality control and assura nce: Panacea to building collapse

SIR: The statement credited to ELE equipment manufacturers says ‘ If it’s worth building, it’s worth testing.’ This saying emphasises the importance of carrying out tests on materials for construction of structures for residential or commercial purposes.

If shelter forms an essential part of the tripod, food, clothing and shelter very crucial to human existence, definitely making the structure an enduring edifice warrants carrying out necessary tests to avoid the incidence of building collapse, This expose will attempt to proffer guidelines and methodological approach to guard against incessant building collapse in Nigeria.

The premise of this article follows from the catalogue of structural failure leading to building collapse which had been traced to a lot of factors ranging from substandard materials to poor workmanship.

Thus, to curb the incessant building collapse and the attendant consequences of loss of lives and properties as well as the economic and emotional drain being experienced, the article will attempt to advance the panacea which will reduce to barest minimum the incidence of building collapse in Nigeria.

One of the ways to ensure buildings meet the required standard of construction is to make it undergo quality control and assurance processes. While quality control makes sure the end product meets the quality requirement, quality assurance makes sure that the process of manufacturing the product, that is, construction of the building adheres to the standards. Therefore, quality assurance can be identified as a proactive process, while quality control can be noted as a reactive process.