After the massive earthquake that hit Zambales and Eastern Samar, is it possible to build an earthquake-proof building?
A scholarly article published online says the answer is yes and no.
The magnitude 6.1 quake damaged the Clark International Airport and several other buildings. The airport has been repaired in no time by the government and is back in operations.
But we wonder if there are more government-built buildings out there made with substandard materials? Let’s face it. It is not surprising that there are buildings constructed with government funds that are not up to the standards expected of them because of unscrupulous officials and contractors.
There is a need to upgrade technology and knowledge of building officials in the country especially so that the Duterte administration will embark on an aggressive “Build, Build, Build” program. Consider this: construction techniques can have a huge impact on the death toll from earthquakes. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile in 2010 killed more than 700 people. On January 12, 2010, a less powerful earthquake, measuring 7.0, killed more than 200,000 in Haiti. The difference in those death tolls comes from building construction and technology. In Haiti, the buildings were constructed quickly and cheaply. Chile, a richer and more industrialized nation, adheres to more stringent building codes.
The article says there are engineering techniques that can be used to create a very sound structure that will endure a modest or even strong quake. However, during a very strong earthquake, even the best engineered building may suffer severe damage. Engineers design buildings to withstand as much sideways motion as possible in order to minimize damage to the structure and give the occupants time to get out safely. Buildings are basically designed to support a vertical load in order to support the walls, roof and all the stuff inside to keep them standing. Earthquakes present a lateral, or sideways, load to the building structure that is a bit more complicated to account for.
Further, the report revealed that engineering technology has developed a solution to the earthquake problem and this is to make structures more resistant to these lateral forces by tying the walls, floor, roof, and foundations into a rigid box that holds together when shaken by a quake. The most dangerous building construction, from an earthquake point of view, is unreinforced brick or concrete block. Generally, this type of construction has walls that are made of bricks stacked on top of each other and held together with mortar. The roof is laid across the top. The weight of the roof is carried straight down through the wall to the foundation. When this type of construction is subject to a lateral force from an earthquake the walls tip over or crumble and the roof falls in like a house of cards.
The horrors everyone went through in the affected areas during the quake on Monday leaves a lot to the imagination if the buildings people are staying and working are built to withstand earthquakes.
Most definitely, these are possible matters for legislation in order to raise the standards of building laws in the country.
