Failure and Collapse of Building Structures in the Cities of Yaoundé and Douala, Cameroon from 2010 to 2014

The failure and collapse of buildings in most cases result in loss of lives and properties. The incessant collapses of buildings nowadays are so enormous that it has become a serious concern to the professionals in the building industry, clients, governments, and general public. In most cases, the architects and engineers who are directly involved in the construction of such building are held responsible for building collapse. The purpose of this study was to elaborate various cases of building structures collapsed that occurred in Yaoundé and Douala, Cameroon between 2010 and 2014 and to investigate the factors causing such incidents. The methods employed in the collection of data include the administration of questionnaire to professionals in the building industry (professional engineers, architects and construction professionals), site inspections and case studies for the sites. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and analytical statistics. The findings show that the collapse of some buildings in major cities in Cameroon (Yaoundé and Douala) can be attributed to absence of soil investigation and foundation, structural design, detailing, degradation due to environmental factors, use of poor quality materials and concrete processing. In the two case studies considered, the study revealed that the major causes of building failures were excessive loading, structural design, degradation due to environmental factors and other causes. The paper concludes by recommending possible measures to be undertaken by government and other regulatory bodies in the building industry to avert this.