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Fragility Mapping for Hollow Blocks in Agbado/Oke – Odo Local Council Development Area, Lagos, Nigeria
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Construction
DOI: 10.64388/IREV9I12-1719298
Abstract
Sandcrete hollow blocks are widely used in building construction. The quality of these blocks produced, however, differs from each manufacturer due to different methods employed in the production and the properties of the constituent materials. This research work focuses on the impact of quality control practices by manufacturers on the quality of blocks produced in Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, Lagos State. General survey of the entire local council development area was conducted to determine the number of block industries in the area and 67 registered block manufacturing industries were observed and were selected randomly for the studies. In total, 201 sandcrete blocks of average sizes of 450 × 225 × 225 mm were purchased from the manufacturers and tested for compressive strength, density and water absorption. Fine aggregate samples were also taken from the manufacturers and tested for grain size distribution analysis. Cement samples used for the manufacturing of these blocks were collected and tested for chemical composition. The mix ratio and method of curing were also considered. By analyzing various factors, including block properties, construction practices, and environmental conditions, a systematic mapping of their fragility levels is established for the local council development area. This mapping will assist the local authorities in identifying the areas with heightened risk and facilitate a proactive approach towards improving the overall structural strength and safety of hollow block structures within the local development area. The research work confirmed that the highest dry compressive strength value was found to be 2.40 N/mm2 and the lowest compressive strength value was 0.6 N/mm2. The Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) specified that the lowest compressive strength of individual blocks shall not be below 2.5 N/mm2 and the average of five blocks shall not be below 3.45 N/mm2. The fine aggregate materials fell within zones 1 and 2 of the British Standard sieve, which are adequate for good mix. The cement consistency was found to be 30.5% which is within the BS EN 196-6:2010 requirement. The blocks produced are therefore less than the local and international standard requirements and therefore, unsuitable for use as a load bearing wall.
Keywords
sandcrete blocks; compressive strength; water absorption; sieve analysis; aggregates; reliability index; fragility mapping
References
[1] ASTM C150/C150M (2022). Standard Specification for Portland Cement. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.
[2] ASTM C33/C33M-18 (2018). Standard Specification for Concrete Aggregates. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.
[3] Auyo HA (2023). Effect of mix ratio and curing on compressive strength of sandcrete hollow blocks. Nigerian Journal of Engineering, 30(3), 43–47.
[4] Ibrahim M, Yerima MA, Danbuba Z, Masud AY, Ibrahim MA (2025). Quality assessment of commercial sandcrete hollow blocks produced in Kaura District, Abuja. Arid Zone Journal of Engineering, Technology and Environment, 21(1), 157–167.
[5] Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) 87:2004. Hollow Concrete Blocks. Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
[6] Ogunbayo BF, Ajao AM, Alagbe OT, Ogundipe KE, Tunji-Olayeni PF, Ogunde A (2021). Quality assessment of sandcrete blocks produced with river sand in Ogun State, Nigeria. In Sustainable Education and Development, Springer, 723–733.
[7] Wilson UN, Adediji O, Odeyemi SO, Aliyu HI, Durosinlorun AO, Abubakar P (2024). Quality evaluation of sandcrete blocks produced in selected local government areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Technology, 43(4).
How to cite this paper
@article{1719298,
author = {Joseph, Stephen Abiodun, Afolayan, Joseph Olasehinde, Akingbonmire, Samuel},
title = {Fragility Mapping for Hollow Blocks in Agbado/Oke – Odo Local Council Development Area, Lagos, Nigeria},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {12},
pages = {4058-4071},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1719298.pdf},
abstract = {Sandcrete hollow blocks are widely used in building construction. The quality of these blocks produced, however, differs from each manufacturer due to different methods employed in the production and the properties of the constituent materials. This research work focuses on the impact of quality control practices by manufacturers on the quality of blocks produced in Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, Lagos State. General survey of the entire local council development area was conducted to determine the number of block industries in the area and 67 registered block manufacturing industries were observed and were selected randomly for the studies. In total, 201 sandcrete blocks of average sizes of 450 × 225 × 225 mm were purchased from the manufacturers and tested for compressive strength, density and water absorption. Fine aggregate samples were also taken from the manufacturers and tested for grain size distribution analysis. Cement samples used for the manufacturing of these blocks were collected and tested for chemical composition. The mix ratio and method of curing were also considered. By analyzing various factors, including block properties, construction practices, and environmental conditions, a systematic mapping of their fragility levels is established for the local council development area. This mapping will assist the local authorities in identifying the areas with heightened risk and facilitate a proactive approach towards improving the overall structural strength and safety of hollow block structures within the local development area.
The research work confirmed that the highest dry compressive strength value was found to be 2.40 N/mm2 and the lowest compressive strength value was 0.6 N/mm2. The Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) specified that the lowest compressive strength of individual blocks shall not be below 2.5 N/mm2 and the average of five blocks shall not be below 3.45 N/mm2. The fine aggregate materials fell within zones 1 and 2 of the British Standard sieve, which are adequate for good mix. The cement consistency was found to be 30.5% which is within the BS EN 196-6:2010 requirement. The blocks produced are therefore less than the local and international standard requirements and therefore, unsuitable for use as a load bearing wall.},
keywords = {sandcrete blocks; compressive strength; water absorption; sieve analysis; aggregates; reliability index; fragility mapping},
month = {June},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1719298}
}