Correspondence: Babatunde Solomon Olusola, Department of Quantity Surveying, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

¹graduated with 2:1 from the Department of Quantity Surveying, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. Olusola started teaching career at the Department of Quantity Surveying, Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, Nigeria, and is currently working as a Lecturer in the Department of Quantity Surveying, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

²graduated with First Class from the Department of Quantity Surveying, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. He started teaching career as Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Quantity Surveying, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Nigeria. He was also a Part-Time Lecturer to the Department of Quantity Surveying, Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Nigeria, in 2007, and is currently working as a Lecturer in the Department of Quantity Surveying, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Received 15 January 2009; Revised 15 January 2009.

Abstract

Building collapse is usually an outcome of progressive deterioration of the various components forming the building unit. This paper identified and assessed the nature and sources of both the generic and specific causes of failure of building components in Nigeria. Osun State was purposively sampled for the study. Data were obtained through use of a structured questionnaire, and results were analysed using a relative importance index. Analysis showed that building components tend to fail at different rates depending on the materials, designs, method of construction, environmental conditions and the use to which the building is put. Substandard materials and design errors were identified as major causes of component failure. The specific causes of failure of building components, apart from substandard materials and design errors, relate primarily to construction method and the use of the various components.