CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
With Nigeria’s capital expenditure profile put at 24 per cent of recurrent expenditure in 20 14, falling price of crude oil and a high cost of funds for execution of capital projects, the construction industry in Nigeria is obviously under pressure to evolve more time and cost efficient system of construction to ensure affordable housing in Nigeria.
The importance of housing in human history cannot be overemphasized. Housing is seen as one of the best indicators of a person’s standard of living and of his or her place in society (UNCHS, 1993). Housing and building conditions also reflect the living standards of a society (Venkatarama, 2004). Thus, the importance of access to adequate and affordable housing took the front burner in the mid 20th century. Most Nigerian don’t have access to decent housing units due to the cost occasioned by the cost of building materials. This has led to various researches into development of the new and innovative dry construction techniques to enhance access to housing for all.
The new construction technology which is based on dry construction system which are manufactured from cement, quartz sand, cellulose, natural calcium and water, are processed by autoclave (drying process under high pressure and temperature) for durability and dimensional stability. They are manufactured into boards. The boards which come in various sizes and thicknesses between 6mm and 20mm, are manufactured under strict quality control and international standards.
Describing the dry construction system as a modern building system which tends to translate the building process into an industrial process, Le (2014) said the system is more versatile and faster construction method that allows up to 70 per cent construction time saving possible when compared with the traditional wet construction using bricks and blocks. He added that whatever the design idea the Architect can conceive, the dry construction system can achieve, pointing out that various reference building projects using the boards now abound in Nigeria.
This system, unlike the traditional brick and block method requires minimum use of water. The system generates minimum construction waste and dry construction buildings have much better preserve room temperature and they are energy efficient. The use of timber associated with the traditional construction is avoided with dry construction, and the system impacts positively on reducing deforestation.
Lower dry construction load impacts on minimum excavation, less soil disturbance. The system compliments better the green building idea for modern construction world over. In additional, the system is a lightweight construction. It is about 10 times less in weight compared to equivalent blocks and mortar construction, resulting to savings in foundation and structural costs.
Dry construction for eave solution has also proved to be a much viable solution with lower self-weight, faster and better technical finishes. Dry construction building boards have a high fire resistance rating and good acoustic and thermal properties. It is also a moisture and pest resistance solution. Explaining that skill-gap is a major challenge for dry construction, Le (2014) noted that some companies in Nigeria who are in partnership with other stakeholders with skills in dry construction technology to put in motion machinery for skill acquisition with regular trainings to ensure the technology is domicile with the Nigerian populace, adding that customers’ perception is another challenge to address, while efforts are in top gear towards continuous education about the modern system of building.