Geotechnical Investigations and Implications on the Execution of Building Projects in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the difference in awareness levels among clients, contractors, and consultants about geotechnical investigation practices in construction projects. It also identified the causes of inadequate geotechnical investigation in building projects and determined its performance impact. A structured questionnaire was administered to 384 randomly selected construction industry professionals in Kwara, Kogi, Niger States, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, all in the North-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria. A response rate of 62.20% (239 valid responses) was achieved, and the data were analyzed using a combination of descriptive analysis, rank order, and inferential statistics using Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings reveal the existence of a heterogeneous practice of geotechnical investigation for building projects among the contracting firms, consulting firms, and client organizations in Nigeria, and the regression model could predict that relationship among geotechnical investigation and identified variables. 𝐴𝑑𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐼𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = −0.250+ 0.089∗𝐶𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐴𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 – 0.038∗𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡"+0.387∗𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑒 + 0.582∗𝐸𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑝𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡" Additionally, the impact of the inadequate geotechnical investigation on cost, schedule, and performance of building projects amount to overruns and poor performance.