Risk Factor that Increase Risk of Buildings Collapse in Ethiopia

Abstract

Building failure or collapse is sometimes reported by local media in developing countries such as Ethiopia. The main objective of this paper was to study the relative frequency of factors that may increase risk of building collapse in Ethiopia. Risk factors were first identified from literature review. An informal interview was then used to identify the factors in local context and formulate a questioner. Finally, the questioner was distributed to Engineers, Construction Managers, and Municipalities that are engaged in building design, construction and supervision.. A total of 48 respondents were considered for analysis. Considering the time and budget limitation convenience and snowball sampling techniques were used. The questioner was completed using both traditional (paper and pen) and online survey techniques. A descriptive statistic was used to identify the frequency and relative relevance of factors that may increase structural failure of building projects in Ethiopia. Three major factors responsible for building collapse were identified. The first one was poor quality of construction materials. The second factor was poor project management scheme among client, contractor and consultant. The third factor was structural design error. The results of this study may help Engineers, Managers and Municipalities to take actions that may minimize risk of building collapse in context of Ethiopia.