Experts Warn Against Plan By Women Affairs Ministry To Increase Its Office Building By Three Floors

…Calls for building audit in public interest

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – Engineering experts have called on the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, under the supervision of Dame, Pauline Tallen, to dismiss the plan of constructing additional three floors, to the existing five-floor of its headquarters building in Abuja.

Dame Tallen secured the approval of the National Assembly to expend N100m for the construction of additional offices in three floors, atop the existing building when she defended the ministry appropriation before the legislature.

The new project which is captured under the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) of the ministry, states; “ERGP 27172850 construction of additional 3 floors to the existing headquarters building N100,000,000.

However, experts in the construction sector are of the strong view that the project would not be able to suit the structural composition of the building, especially its capacity to hold more stacks of floors atop the building which rests on a five floor foundation.

Concerned over the recent incidences of building collapses and the danger posed to lives, experts are of the view that the additional three floors being proposed should be built separately.

The contractor handling the project ‘Saidi Nigeria Limited’ was not prepared to speak on the matter as he merely responded through a WhatsApp chat saying; “For further enquiries contact, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Supervising Body.”

But a Director with the Federal Public Asset Management (FPAM), Unit of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, who led the supervision of the completed building, Architect Ocheja, said the ministry was not aware of the development.

He said that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs was not competent to carry out such a project without seeking the advice of the Ministry of Works and Housing.

The lead supervisor of the project said the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr. Olufunso Adebiyi, an engineer, was a staff of the Ministry of Works who is in a position to write for needed advice.

Arc. Ocheja explained that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs cannot get a consultant owing to the fact that it does not have the capacity to do so, especially as the consultants do not know what happened before now.

Speaking during an interview, the Chairman, Nigeria Society of Engineers, Maitama-Abuja branch, Dipo Mabogaje, said such a project should not be executed because of its fatal implications on the occupants and guests to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, adding that for public safety, it would not be appropriate to add to the existing floors unless the structural design has such allowance.

He said; “You have to call a structural engineer to carry out an analytical assessment of the design before you can add those three floors.

“There is no need to add to that building, they should get another site and build the three floor because of the structural concern of the building.

“Recall the Lagos incident, where a building originally designed to carry the load of 15 floors was raised to 21 floors and it ended in a disaster,” Mabogaje explained.

Also speaking at a separate interview, a Civil and Environmental Engineering Consultant, Engr. Caius Nkem Umekesiobi said; “Alteration of structural building design is something that should not happen after the construction has commenced. Each building whether a story building or three, a particular foundation is designed for it.

“The foundations are designed for a particular number of floors, structurally speaking, you cannot increase the floors without redesigning the foundation.

“So, if one wants to make structural adjustments, you have to go back to the design and if you have already commenced with the building, an additional floor is an alteration which is not allowed.

“Adding extra floor is not advisable. In the long run, it is not economic. If you have any reason to build additional floor, then, you have to bring down the building. You have to redesign the foundation. Either you bring down the building or where possible carry out a foundational re-construction. On most occasions achieving this is by bringing down the building,” he said.

“Most of the times, foundation is designed with allowance not up to taking another floor because of the dynamic load of the extra floor, the deck load of that extra floor will be a challenge to the foundation.

“Importantly, soil condition changes, the soil condition at foundation can change. So, if foundations are designed based on soil condition and bearing capacity, if you keep loading a building, without knowing the current condition of the soil, you are taking risk.

“Architecturally, you can review a building under construction because architectural work is more of appearance and form. There are limited structural adjustments you can make, especially when it is at the foundational stage,” he explained.

Umekesiobi further said; “Full structural analysis has to be done if the foundation is to allow additional weights. We are talking about three floors. If you are talking about one floor, some designers can do a robust foundation that would carry loads of one floor, if you add one floor, it will still stand, not two or three floors”.

Calls put across to the Director, Press and Publicity with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Olujimi Oyetomi to get the response of their official response were not answered.