NBRRI Blames Recurrent Collapse of Bridges around Mokwa on Terrain

By Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) has blamed the recurrent collapse of bridges, roads, railways and culverts around Mokwa area on the terrain.

The agency also revealed that it did not foresee the recent collapse of the bridge adding that the entire bridges around the area are low line and with a kind of soil that is collapsible which needs to be revisited.

The Director General NBRRI, Prof. Danladi Matawal, made this known in Abuja at the 2018 NBRRI International Conference, titled, ‘Sustainable Development Goals and the Nigerian Construction Industry-challenges and the Way Forward.’

According to him, “There has been the reoccurrence of bridge collapses in road, railway and culvert around Mokwa area because of the terrain. There was the need to adequately design to contain extreme flooding situations and i think that the design probably did not take proper consideration of this.”

Continuing he noted; “I know we visited about a year ago, two, three collapsed sites in the same environment and it is unfortunate it has re-occurred this year. I think the entire bridges around the area which are low line and with a kind of soil that is collapsible needs to be revisited.

“I am not sure if it is the same bridge that collapsed but i think after the initial construction, we did not foresee the current collapse because we did not study that particular bridge.”

He believed that building collapses had reduced, saying there were no many building collapses.

However, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has expressed his ministry’s determination to support the agency on innovative research needed to help build high quality and less expensive roads and houses in the country.

He said: “The ministry is determined to support NBRRI in its important task to embark on the necessary research and innovation needed to help build high quality and less expensive roads and houses in the country. This can be achieved through intensifying research on the use of locally available materials for the construction of both roads and houses in Nigeria.”

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