A research on the compliance of contractors of on-going small-scale projects with the National Structural Code of the Philippines 2001

• Main Authors: Panopio, Joanna Joy P., Pilares, Reiner Niccson R., Vicencio, Ricardo M., III
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2007
• Subjects: Building laws > Philippines; Buildings > Specifications > Philippine; Civil Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/10624
• Institution: De La Salle University

There is a reason why the National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP) 2001 exists. It contains the codes and provisions to be followed to provide for safe design and construction of structures. But when contractors become complacent especially when their projects are just houses, they opt to skip testing the strength of the concrete they are using to save time and money. But how do they know that the concrete they are using really reaches the design strength without testing? This could pose a serious threat to the safety of the residents of the houses. In the construction of buildings, there are standards to be followed in preparing the materials, such as in preparing the concrete to be used in the project. In the Philippines, particularly in Metro Manila, it can be observed that construction workers do not strictly follow the set standards for the preparation of concrete. Such practice of construction workers results to having a building that has not reached its design strength. This malpractice can be reflected to their contractors who should be complying with the said standards in Sections 403 and 405 of the NSCP 2001. The results of this study showed that 85% of the construction projects surveyed achieved their design strength in accordance with the NSCP when the researchers tested their concrete. The output provides tables of the actual compressive strengths of the concrete specimens tested, whether they pass or fail the conditions of the code, and whether or not the contractors comply with the other selected provisions of the concerned sections of the code. The sections that were complied to by most of the contractors were sections 403.3 on cement, 403.4.2 on aggregates, 403.5.1 on using potable water, 403.8 on storage of materials, and 405.7.3.3 on strength of concrete. The other two sections, which are sections 403.2 on tests of materials and 403.5.1 on using clean water, were complied by only a small percentage of the contractors: 26% for section 403.2 and 38% for section 403.5.1.