Highlights of House of Reps findings, recommendations on cement grading

The House of Representatives committee set up to examine the link between 32.5 cement grade and building collapses has finally released its findings, while also making some key recommendations.

Key findings:

The House also found that different cement grades in Nigeria are suitable for different purposes, stating that there is therefore no scientific study that has arrived at an empirical conclusion linking any case of building collapse in Nigeria to substandard cement.

It also said there was a convergence of opinion at the hearing that no substandard cement was being produced or imported into the country.

From its findings, the committee said the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) stressed that – SON does not have a technical laboratory nor competence to test the qualities of cement produced, packaged or imported into Nigeria nor equipment for periodic monitoring of companies producing cement in Nigeria, a statement refuted by SON.

The committee established that of all cases of building collapses in Nigeria, which were investigated by relevant independent professional bodies, none was traced to substandard cement.

The findings further showed that the following factors were identified by stakeholders as the common causes of building collapse in Nigeria: Inability to undertake soil test before erecting a building; faulty building designs mostly by non-professionals; use of substandard materials for construction; wrong/dubious construction practises or deliberate misapplication of materials, among others.

The legislators further said lack of knowledge of cement types on the part of end users and even some professionals accentuates cases of misapplication of these products posing serious dangers in the construction industry, but added that cement manufacturers in Nigeria can reposition their plants within a reasonable time to enable them produce the 42.5mpa grade, which some of them are currently producing to meet the special needs of their customers.

Key recommendations:

Due to possible misapplication, the House recommended that 42.5mpa cement grade should be the minimum standard for construction works because it is less susceptible to misapplication and most stakeholders will prefer it if given the chance to choose between 32.5mpa and 42.5mpa.

It said all cement packages must clearly and boldly indicate their grades, uses and expiry date with temper proofing on the packages to guard against repackaging by middlemen, tasking the government to set up a National Quality Assurance Programme, using designated agencies and some professional bodies to regularly test samples of the cement being produced by the manufacturers before it is allowed to be sold in the open market.

Industry view:

Some industry stakeholders say it was wrong of SON to have published its directives on cement applications without first waiting for the House’s findings. They add that if the need to upgrade to 42.5 has been agreed by all stakeholders, cement makers who produce 32.5 in large quantity should be given ample time to upgrade as internal and technical changes, which could naturally take time, will be made.