ASSESSMENT OF THE UTILIZATION OF LOCAL BUILDING MATERIALS IN JALINGO METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT

The study sought to assess the utilization of local building materials in construction site Senatorial district. Among the specific purposes of the study are: to availability of local building material and, to find out effective ways of use of local building materials. The study adopted descriptive survey design and the area of the study is Jalingo metropolis. The population of the study is made up of 110 building professionals. The instrument for collection was 30 items structured questionnaire design to elicit information to the research question of the study. The instrument was validated by three (3) experts who embellished in terms of face validity and the reliability coefficient was established using the test-retest which yielded a coefficient of 0.90. Data for the study was personally collected by the researchers and a trained assistant. Mean statistics mere employed to analyze the data in relation to the research questions. Base on the fining of the study, the following recommendation were made: small scale industries should be establish to ensure mass production of local building material and research institutes and university of technology should encourage the use of local building materials.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0      INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background of the Study

Technology is as old as the existence of man on earth. Therefore building is a second need of man after feeding which basically known as shelter. Since shelter is a necessity of man, then technology and science that influence ones environment make man necessary to solve his problems. Since modern building materials are expensive the use of the available local building materials around man’s jurisdiction came into used. The difference in technology and materials use varies from all parts of the global world. Considering the global economic meltdown, gone through these days where Nigeria is to look down upon local building materials for conventional modern building. Materials in the construction industries such as, cement being one of the most commonly used modern building material have manifested the skyrocketing of price because of global economic meltdown. For instance in 2000 50kg bag of cement was sold at the cost N450.00 to about N 2, 000.00 as at 2016. Corrugated aluminum/galvanize roofing sheet have shoot up from N 2, 500.00 per bundle as at January 2011. The values of the Nigeria currency in the world market have drastically depreciated from N 180.00 to €1.00 in the year 2000 but in January 2016 N 450 to €1.00 (pound) with this skyrocketing prices of building materials as a result of a global economic meltdown, most low income earners all the year round have to work extra miles all round, without having house of their own.

It is against this background, that one can see the need of bringing the technological ingenuity of our engineers and scientists, to bring about the adopting and utilization of local available building material that will result in affordable houses for Nigerians in this 21st century.

Consequently, it is the responsibility of the federal government, its parastatals, stakeholders and the construction industries to develop, implement policies and packages to encourage the utilization of locally available building material as a substitude for the building construction industries in large scale (Duggal, 2009).

For any building construction work to be meaningful, the building must perform its purpose. It is necessary that each component should be technically sound, in both materials and construction techniques so that it should be in accordance with the professional standard (i.e. rules and regulation) and also to give financial advantage to the clients and the project contractor of the building. The purpose of any building is to provide shelter, for the performance of human activities among other things. Therefore different forms (pattern) of building were evolved, because it is not the functions and performance that differs, but also the socio-economic and instructional factors, land cost, tenancy choice and availability of materials as well as resource, differs. Availability of technology and environmental condition also bring about different forms of building.

The Nigerian institute of builders  (NIOB) have revealed that, there has been a steady substitution of man-made materials and style for natural ones. The Guinness encyclopedia (1995) has been mindful of the fact that concrete and steel have largely replaced nat