Evaluating the quality of electrical wires used for residential building wiring in Delta State, Nigeria

The utilization of counterfeit and substandard building materials for residential building construction had become a major concern, due to the hazards the occupants of those buildings are being subjected to. This research was carried out to appraise the quality of electrical wires used for residential building wiring in Delta State, Nigeria, and to also investigate the reasons why property developers still use these substandard materials despite the glaring negative consequences. Three commonly used electrical wire sizes (1.5, 2.5 and 4 mm2) for residential building electrical wiring were randomly selected within the Delta state, and their electrical properties (electrical resistance and electrical resistivity) and mechanical properties (area, tensile strength, and tensile strain) were determined following the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE 400), Nigeria Industrial Standard (NIS), and America Standard Testing Material (ASTM) International recommended procedures; also, well-structured questionnaires were administered to four groups of respondents. The findings indicated that the mechanical and electrical properties of most electrical wires, used for resident