ASSESSMENTOF THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE BUILDING MATERIALS IN THE NIGERIANCONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY A CASE STUDY OF EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

In Nigeria, traditional and alternative building materials are found in large quantities and diversities, although these materials are dependent upon the location of the area. The rise in the cost of building construction has remained a key concern for the Nigerian construction industry, because of the over reliance on the use of imported construction materials. It’s high time to look into more viable traditional building materials as an alternative which would act as a facilitator in the reduction of building construction cost. Sustainable design should make use of traditional and alternative building materials because of how readily available it is and its renewable properties. However, most of these traditional and alternative building materials are manufactured without any form of standardization. This has significantly affected its development in Nigeria. Hence this research would be looking into the various available materials, factors and barriers to their use, and how best these traditional and alternative building materials can used in building construction in the Nigerian construction industry using Edo state as a case study. The purpose of this study was to assess the use of alternative building materials in the Edo state construction industry. The overall objective was achieved by: (a) assessing the various alternative building materials currently in use in the Edo state construction industry; (b) identifying the factors affecting the use of these materials in the construction industry; (c) investigating the level of use of these materials; (d) identifying the barriers to the use of these materials. The study made use of both qualitative and quantitative data. Primary data was collected from architects, builders, quantity surveyors, and engineers and using questionnaires and interviews for data collection.