NAIROBI, Kenya, July 20 – The National Construction Authority (NCA) has purchased 14 pieces of equipment with assistance from the World Bank to enhance and ensure the quality and safety of the construction sector in the country.
In a report titled ‘THE NATIONAL BUILDING CODE 2024,’ the Authority said it acquired three (3) fully kitted mobile material testing laboratory trucks and 11 sets of portable non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment.
According to the authority, these equipments will play a critical role in elevating quality assurance, investigating construction failures, and illicit construction materials, among others.
Likewise, it has been highlighted that the equipment will be fundamental in providing rapid response services such as search and rescue in the event of construction failures so as to minimize incidences of structural failure and resultant injuries and fatalities.
“They will be used to support quality assurance activities as well as for investigation of construction failures, and illicit construction materials and to provide rapid response in the event of construction failure incidents by performing search, categorization, and preliminary characterization of construction failures at the incident site, collect necessary evidence and samples for further laboratory examination,” it stated.
NCA, through the state Department of Public Works, received the support to acquire this equipment from the World Bank under the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project (HoAGDP).
Furthermore, the authority has highlighted that the introduction of this equipment in the construction industry will not only reduce the time spent guaranteeing quality but will also minimize construction costs and also generate revenue for the authority.
“The Authority is responsible for ensuring quality and safety in the construction industry. Additionally, it is mandated to encourage standardization and improvement of construction materials and techniques. These are geared towards minimizing construction cost and ensuring the structural integrity of buildings,” it stated.
