A structural engineer has raised concerns about the quality of materials used in the four-storey building that collapsed at Avenor in Accra, killing two people and injuring two others.
Emmanuel Aidoo, a Professional Engineer with the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), said the concrete used in the building appeared weak and failed to meet expected engineering standards.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, he said his initial assessment of the site pointed to possible structural problems.
Aidoo said the condition of the concrete was worrying even from a visual inspection.
“Visually, from the concrete, what I’m seeing is that you can clearly see that that concrete is not in the best condition,” he said.
According to him, structural engineers require concrete in such buildings to achieve a compressive strength of at least 25 Newtons per square millimetre.
He said he doubted the concrete used in the collapsed structure would meet that standard.
“I don’t think it will get to that particular value,” he stated.
Aidoo stressed that a four-storey building requires careful engineering design and supervision throughout construction.
He explained that engineers must properly design the concrete, steel reinforcement and other structural elements before construction begins.
“This is not a single-storey building. This is a four-storey building, so the concrete, the steel, everything has to be designed,” he said.
“These structures have to be engineered. You can’t just use your mind to construct such buildings. It’ll come back and hunt you.”
The engineer said construction reportedly started around 2020 or 2021.
He noted that the building was less than six years old when it collapsed.
“For it to just come down, it’s an issue,” he said.
Aidoo cautioned that experts still need to carry out laboratory tests and structural assessments before determining the exact cause of the collapse.
His comments come after another engineer, Prince Kas-Avotri, suggested that the building may have been constructed without approval from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
According to Kas-Avotri, the structure appeared to lack the required building permit and approved engineering drawings.
If confirmed, the absence of approved plans could raise further questions about compliance with building regulations.
The Avenor collapse occurred in the early hours of Sunday, June 7.
The incident claimed two lives and left two other people receiving treatment in hospital.
It marks the second building collapse in Accra within a week.
A separate collapse at Adenta New Site on June 3 resulted in the death of one person.
The incidents have renewed concerns about construction standards, regulatory enforcement and building safety in the capital.
