Identifying Factors Hindering the Adoption of Expanded Polystyrene for Building Construction in Akure, Nigeria

Abstract

Housing provision has become a global issue as the need for affordable housing kept increasing in various communities especially in Akure, Nigeria. This has emerged due to various economic, socio-cultural and environmental factors which has increased pressure on conventional building materials thereby leading to the invention of alternative building materials. This paper looks at the barriers to the adoption of expanded polystyrene (EPS) for building construction in Akure, Nigeria. The methodology adopted elicited information through structured questionnaire which assessed the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, their level of awareness of EPS and its application in building construction, the rate at which they specify EPS for designs and construction and the hindrances to its adoption for building construction. A total of 60 questionnaires were administered on the architects in practice and in the academia environment but 45 were retrieved. This was the bases to which the conclusion of this research was made. The outcome of the research shows that lack of awareness is a key hindrance to the adoption of EPS for construction as most architects in Akure do not know much about expanded polystyrene, thereby, cannot fully decipher its qualities and/or suitability for construction. As such, most questions pertaining the durability, cost implication or client's preference could not be answered by the architects since their knowledge on the subject matter is minimal. However, those who knows about EPS confirms its flexibility, quick construction time and its environmental friendliness but stated that EPS is not readily available like other conventional materials. As such, their specification always goes towards the available materials.

Maintenance of Expanded Polystyrene Building Components in Mount Pleasant Housing Estate, Abuja, Nigeria

“…[8] identified high cost and lack of awareness as the most significant factors hindering the adoption of EPS on industrial scale in the country. Corroborating this, [1] also identified lack of awareness among Architects in Akure as well as the scarcity as major factors affecting its adoption for building construction in the state. The study also alluded to the beneficial attributes such as flexibility and quick construction.…”

“…Extant studies on the use of expanded polystyrene materials in construction industry have focussed on awareness and adoption [1] [8], factors affecting the use of EPS [9], qualities and characteristics of EPS [4] [10] and application of EPS in building and construction [11]. Critical to the adoption of expanded polystyrene in Nigeria construction industry is the awareness among the developers and the general public.…”

“…Respondent's level of satisfaction with the identified attributes of EPS components of building was measured on a 5-Point likert scale of Very Satisfactory (5), Satisfied (4), Not Sure (3), Less Satisfied (2) and Dissatisfied (1). The mean score and relative importance indices were calculated and then ranked in order of importance.…”

“…As time passed and technology advanced, man began to use improved materials such as burnt bricks, concrete, steel, reinforced concrete, fibre reinforced concrete and plastics as building construction materials. Generally, conventional building materials such as sandcrete blocks, concrete blocks, burnt bricks, quarry stones, planks, wood products and roofing materials have been used primarily for building houses and other basic aspects of shelter over the years [1]. Sandcrete block is the most adopted concrete masonry unit especially in the building residential, industrial and commercial structures [2] and according to [3], sandcrete blocks account for 90% of residential buildings.…”

“…As a result of its flexibility and light weight, EPS materials are being used for different parts of buildings such as wall components, slabs, partition, frames, ceiling and building finishes. Despite the various applications, aesthetic efficiency and compatibility as a building material, studies have showed that EPS remains largely unpopular in the construction industry and there is still a lot of uncertainty regarding its performance [1]. This is also compounded by the insufficient feedback on user's satisfaction with the material.…”