MITIGATING BUILDING COLLAPSE

Building collapse remains a persistent challenge in Nigeria’s construction industry, resulting in significant loss of lives, injuries, and economic setbacks. Despite the existence of regulatory frameworks such as the Nigerian Building Code and the activities of monitoring agencies, incidences of structural failure continue to occur. In Edo State, although regulatory compliance efforts have shown improvements in recent years, isolated collapse events such as the 2024 three-storey building failure in Benin City highlight the need for a critical evaluation of the effectiveness of quality assurance mechanisms. This study investigated the influence of quality assurance mechanisms in mitigating building collapse incidences in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the quality assurance mechanisms available for collapse prevention, identified the factors influencing their effectiveness, and assessed their overall level of effectiveness. A quantitative survey research design was adopted, and data were collected using structured questionnaires administered to 268 construction professionals, of which 200 were validly completed and returned, representing an 84% response rate. Descriptive statistics and the Mean Item Score (MIS) technique were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that a broad range of quality assurance mechanisms are considered essential in mitigating collapse, with Quality Control Plans and Checklists (MIS = 4.10) and Defect Liability Period and Snagging (MIS = 4.09) ranked highest. Supply-chain challenges, weak regulatory enforcement, economic constraints, and poor procurement practices were identified as the most critical factors influencing QA effectiveness. The assessment of QA performance further showed that Continuous Monitoring and Feedback Loops (MIS = 4.54) and Mock-ups/Prototype Works (MIS = 4.53) were perceived as the most effective tools for collapse prevention. The study concludes that preventing building collapse requires an integrated and multi-layered quality assurance framework supported by strong regulatory enforcement, improved material control, enhanced professional supervision, and capacity development. It recommends strengthening regulatory institutions, adopting digital QA tools, improving supply-chain transparency, and implementing continuous professional training to enhance construction quality and safeguard public safety in Edo State.