SAFETY - IS YOUR BUILDING earthquake-proof ? :The Times of India

Though no building is earthquake-proof in the truest sense, it is mandatory for developers to always adhere to safety standards, especially at a time wherein the world is more prone to natural disasters

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) had a detailed and revised publication for `Recommendations for Earthquake Resistant Design of Structures', 1962. According to this, buildings that adhere to these recommendations will not encounter a `total collapse' even in earthquakes of intensities as high as 8.0 on the Richter scale. “Most residential projects that have been built in the last five-six years will be resistant to mild earthquakes register ing around 4.0 on the Richter scale.However, very few would be able to remain standing during a massive quake registering of 9.0,“ says Kishor Pate, chairman and managing director, Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd. Construction technology and standards in every country are gov erned by various factors such as availability of construction materials, local climatic and geographic conditions, etc. Developers in Japan use rubber padding and rollers in building foundations to withstand earthquakes of higher intensities. In India, the onus is more on brick and concrete structures with substantial reinforcement to withstand earthquakes. According to Ravi Ahuja, MRICS executive director, Cushman & Wakefield India, during earthquakes, buildings in Japan expand because of the flexible steel used and thus, do not fall like a pack of cards. During the design and construction process, a number of earthquake resistant features and techniques is followed by developers, which would enormously increase the chances of survival of the buildings and its occupants. To be earthquake-proof, buildings, structures and their foundations need to be built to be resistant to sideways loads. “The lighter the building is, the less the load. All floors have to be connected to the framing in a robust way, should be as light as possible and should go all round each column and be fixed to every supporting beam or wall, so that it cannot be shaken off. One way of reducing the vulnerability of big buildings is to isolate them from the floor, using bearings or dampers,“ says Gaurav Shah, director sales and marketing, Ravi Group.

Most developers employ a project management company, which monitors the construction process and ensures that the highest standards of earthquake-proofing are incorporated. “Since most parts of India are located in seismic zones, builders and structural safety authorities take this quite seriously. If a building does not conform to the existing standards of safety, the authorities can seal it and declare them unsafe for habitation.No reputable developer will take such a risk,“ says Arvind Jain, managing director, Pride Group.