The Upshot of the 2012 Flooding on Structural Components and Fabrics of Buildings at Ogbaru, Anambra State Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the effect of the 2012 flooding on structural components and fabrics of buildings at Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State. It also examined the heights of the ground floors and foundations of the buildings respectively in relation to the height of the flood. Questionnaire survey on the selected households and physical examination on the building structures were carried out. The study revealed that most buildings in the area were either fully or partially submerged during the flood incidence. it further revealed that there no very severe damages on the structural components of the buildings, despite that most of the buildings have low ground floor levels (74%) and shallow foundations (68%) below 300mm. However, building fabrics and elements such as finishes and electrical fittings were severely damaged when the flood height rose 1 metre above the ground floor level. More so, the study revealed that the flood severely damaged both the structural components and fabrics of very old, weak and mud buildings. Based on this, the study recommended that building constructors in the area should raise the ground floor level of their building projects to at least 1 metre above the ground level. It also recommended suspension of buildings on plinths and use of deep stripe or raft foundation. The use water resistant materials and components such as paints, doors, windows and electrical fittings and incorporation of oversite concrete as floors while building new structures or refurbishing existing ones are also recommended.